Sunday Select: 7 Things Blogging Made Me Realize

Welcome to Anime Rants! Today I’ll look at a few things I’ve learned or realized as a result of my first year (and change) of being an anime blogger.

1. I am a fan and not in any way a critic

Early on I was thinking I would be able to appraise anime more like a critic. I wanted to at least be as objective as possible. For various reasons, that doesn’t seem possible for me. And I’m ok with that, actually. I’m much more of a fan anyway. It’s less about judging value for me and more about enjoying what I really love.

2. My personality greatly influences how I react to and receive anime

This is a bit difficult to describe concisely, but I’ll try. Basically, you like what you like and dislike what you dislike. There isn’t always a clear reason, other than it’s because you are you. Or you might not like something or find it in bad taste because of personal life experiences or individual values. For example, some people can’t stand shounen ai/ yaoi in any form because of the negative tropes associated with it. Some people will laugh at lolicon jokes while other will take it seriously and be very put off. I’m not saying it’s impossible to change your likes and dislikes, but in general, your underlying interests and ways of thought will shape the way you receive a story or production.

3. I don’t understand visual elements and can’t judge quality

I can’t tell the difference in frames per second. I miss big things that are telling about quality of production. I can’t tell what makes an action scene good. I barely notice color pallets, or diversity in screenplay. In general, I pay minimal attention to any visual details. There are some benefits to this. For instance, I have a greater appreciation for different styles of art because I don’t notice or don’t care where they are strange or lacking in quality. Anyways, for me, anime is first and foremost about story and connection to characters. It doesn’t bug me much that I don’t “get” animation.

4. There is a wonderful community of ani-bloggers Here

It’s not like I love you guys or anything!!!

I adore the community of fellow bloggers on WordPress focusing on anime, manga, and fandoms in general. I wouldn’t have stood a snowball’s chance in hell at blogging without support early on from some truly admirable ani-bloggers. So I hope to support you all as much as I can going forward.

5. My opinions about anime series shift and change over time

This much is probably true for everyone, but sometimes it surprises me how much my views on a particular anime or my level of enjoyment in it can change.

6. I have a lot to learn about running an organized website

I’m trying to figure out to set up a cleaner, more business-like anime blog. It’s pretty damn overwhelming for me, though. Wish me luck on my continued efforts.

7. I’m allowed to take (a little bit of) credit

It’s always been a huge struggle for me to take credit for anything I accomplish. Most of that is due to the way I was raised. However, blogging is one of several things in my life that help me remember that taking credit for my efforts and results is sometimes alright. It’s okay to have a little pride. Hopefully, this mindset will become more natural to me as I continue this online writing journey.

Thank you so much for reading my work today! Have a restful Sunday and be productive where possible! Ja, ne!