Monday, February 2, 2015

Day 8: How To Enjoy and Appreciate Anime and Manga

How to Enjoy and Appreciate Anime/Manga



T-Na



First off, let me state here that I'm a changed person. All the anime/manga sins listed below are things that I USED to do. I am still in the process of adjusting...so no hating.

This isn't just something I used to do to anime, but also for drama, movies, manga, novels....so yep; everything and anything. I know, I'm such a horrible person....



SIN #1. Looking up SPOILERS

Alright, this is how I judge/look at an anime/movie/novels/manga before:


-I read Title and Synopsis

-I check out the characters if there's a picture; like how do they look?

-I head straight to Wikipedia → Romance involved? Who gonna end up with who?

-I will then watch 1st episode.


And according to Ted, that is a big “no-no”. Quoting him, “That is the WORST thing you can do to a series and to yourself.” I, personally, don't mind spoilers. Even so, I still have to agree with Ted. Not only did I eliminate all the surprises, but in doing so, I also destroyed the experience.  I did mention before in another post, that I still get surprise or emotional even when I know what's going to happen next. However, that level of surprise is not the same as, if I were to watch/read without knowing. I have to thank Yuki Yuna wa Yusha de aru for letting me experience that “magical” element of being in the dark. I went into that series without reading anything except for the title (yea, I was too lazy). But thanks to that, I came to appreciates no-spoilers.




SIN #2. Watching the OP and ED

I believe Ted talked about this in his section. But yes, OP and ED does contain spoilers and most of the time you can hypothesize how the anime/drama will turn out based on OP and ED (since it does show clips of the series). Some OP and ED have a special features to be interactive, for example showing a a group's photograph and as one of them disappear or die off in each episode, the ED or OP will show the same picture but with that person missing or changing of appearances(Angle Beats).



SIN #3. Dropping the anime after 1 episode

-Hate the characters

-Confusing

-Boring


Okay, you got to admit, everyone prejudge. Whether it's anime, movies, books, manga, or even real life people – we judge everything! And then there are some of us that are... a bit unreasonable with our judging....like me...before. * lol * This is another thing Ted frequently complains about; me dropping a series way too fast (fastest record: 10 mins into ep.1). Hey, hey – I've changed! Now, I can go up to episode 3...I'm working on it * sweatdrop *

My 3 main reasons why I would consider dropping something are: character, confusing (in a bad way) narrative, or boring storyline. Usually, you would expect someone to give the series at least 5-6 episodes right? Well, before I only gave the series 1 chance to impress me – yup, episode 1. First episode, the series must have someone or something to arouse my curiosity. Now, I know it's very unfair and I should give it a second chance, but how in the world can you watch something that is so boring in the first few episodes?! Worry not! I have some tips to help you without violating Sin#1.

  • If you are a picky watcher/reader like me, I suggest sticking to the genres you feel the most comfortable with. For me, I tend to sway towards romantic-comedy. If anything, I can get a good laugh or two out of it. However, I shy away from harem, especially if there's more than 3 girls....the anxiety of not knowing which one the MC will end up with is too much for me – since I end up liking all of the girls. I rather watch a reverse-harem. By now, everybody can agree that nobody cares about the MC in a “otome-anime.” It's all about the bishie!!! Hell, yeah.
  • Give it 3 episodes; that's enough time to find someone/something about the anime that can be your motivating factor. IF by the 5h episode, and there's nothing holding you to the anime, then dropping is a legit option.
  • Have someone watch it with you. They can act like a binding mechanism for you to at least finish one episode. Make sure that person is not a picky watcher like yourself.
  • Think on the bright side. People always rave about great anime, but it's also true that we love to bash horrible series. So, don't get upset or start regretting if you end up watching a bad one. It's can be a great conversation starter :) Believe me, it works all the time. Nothing can make someone so engaged than talking about something the love/hate so much -- plus, it's very entertaining to watch.


SIN #4. Skipping the boring scenes

This is something I still do from time to time; I just can't help it. I usually skip scenes from manga-adapted anime that I've already read. Especially if the script is exactly word-for-word. As for an anime I haven't read/watch, I rarely skip. *To clarify, skipping in this case, is referring to skipping within an episode! * I know it's boring, but sometimes those boring scenes does make a different; it might fill in a plot hole or impact characters' development.



SIN #5. Go straight to watching the ending

Okay, now this, this is something I'm extremely guilty of...because I just committed this sin#5 a few weeks ago. Like they say, curiosity killed the cat. This usually happens in love triangle(s) romance series. Why? Because I just had to know if the MC end up with the person I'm rooting for. I mean, if the MC didn't then I'll be so disappointed at the end and I don't want to watch X-episodes to only be disappointed. Well, after thinking about it, I realized that if I only watch a couple beginning episodes then skipping to the end to confirm, then...

  • 1) I'm being unfair to the 2nd love rival by not giving him/her time to develop and show me their cute/good side. Basically, I did not give myself enough time to know the 2nd lead. Maybe there's a really good reason why the MC choose the 2nd lead instead of the one I was rooting for.
  • 2) I just destroyed my motivation to continue watching the series.



Well, now you know my 5 sins in anime. I hope this help you in your journey of anime/drama-watching. If you ever committed such sins or if you have more to add to our list, feel free to comment below! Thanks! 



Tedwin

You have to watch anime a certain way to get the best experience out of it. There are good/bad habits of watching anime. Here is how I personally watch anime and I can tell you, I didn't do it the right way the first time and still adjusting my methods. This post is mainly for T-Na...yea, I'm looking at you.

1. Try not to spoil any of the plot for yourself and especially others!!!

Do yourself a favor, don't research it....dont go anywhere near the twists or endings. Only read the brief synopsis before getting into the series. After finishing it, you now have permission to go on forums and conduct research to further understand and admire the work. However, you are forbidden from revealing any details to others...don't ruin the fun..let them enjoy it. My God....tsk tsk. Refrain from watching the opening or ending of anime. It gives away some of the plot and characters you meet in the anime...so it is a spoiler. But yes yes...I know the song is good, so I suggest turning your face away during the scene and just enjoy the music...just avoid the visuals. Also, I know it is hard to wait for anime episodes to release...so just don't go start reading manga because you won't put it down, you will be like me who end up reading it to the latest chapter and it will ruin the enjoyment of watching the anime ever.

2. Give it a chance and time....don't write it off just yet.

Regardless of how unaesthetic the art is, it is the plot that will make up for it so be patient....it will grow on you, plus it will add a certain style to that work and make it more original. I did that to a few series and I am surprised how soon I enjoyed it so much and grew to like the art. Also, don't just watch like 5mins or read only a single chapter and then stop cause you didn't understand it or you got bored or you dislike a certain character....Tooo sooon for anything to happen....it can be hidden gem....plus, it will get interesting and answers will be given in due time and you will thank the lord how amazing it is. Just suck it like about the character, nothing you can do about it, but I'm sure that person makes the anime what it is...awesome. Good rule of Thumb is 4 episodes in, 6 chapters read, if you still don't see anything good...then there is a good reason to stop. Also. Dont skip around it. Trust me, I dropped some good series early and asked myself why I did that when I rewatched it....so Stupid of me.

Now you know how to enjoy anime/manga series to the fullest. Have fun. Please share below your tips :D

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