I recently was pondering my anime watching habits and ideals, when it occurred to me that I’m not very good at following seasonal series; I’m inefficient. Part of this handicap stems from my acceptance of a wide variety of styles, genres, and themes, and my lack of dropping, but alas I am trying to improve… for my sake.

I bring up left field because it is the source (figuratively) of grandeur and distress when experiencing most series. Left field being the source of unforeseen occurrences which strongly alter the situation, not solely in terms of comedy aspects. Standards usually include death (Kamina), misfortune (Washimine Yukio), intro to split-personalities (Kogami Akira), suppression of morale (Makoto), accidents (Akiko jam-u), etc. Personally, each of the characters’ situation noted, added to the glory of the anime, except Makoto (School Days), because I couldn’t tolerate his lack of sense, but also in left field lies the potential to modify the flow in a way the viewer rejects.

De-prioritized By Left Field

It comes into question, when does left field really persuade me to backlog, even drop, a series? This cannot be answered objectively, for each person takes a plot shift differently. Some viewers may have hated the fact that Kogami Akira”-deeesu” was violently bipolar, I found it amusing, particularly the change in vocal tones.

Touka Gettan is a personal example where the surprises didn’t help. I viewed 20 episodes of TG before I completely knocked it out of my priorities. It was not really interesting anymore after “Curtain” (episode 19), when the every girl’s nightmare startling back story of Yumiko was acted out via play. Obviously the characters of TG are messed up, they have issues, but their issues weren’t interesting, and the story I was wishing would amass, never started. After 19 episodes, the viewer is rewarded with an unexpected past, but it doesn’t pay, it isn’t a shift in the right direction, the boat of hope, sinks. Hell, if it would have continued the slight slice-of-life + bishis style it had going from eps 12-18 I may have finished it, no matter the rubbish slice-of-life elements.

Now, I do not have extensive examples where a change in plot hit for the worst and dramatically changed my priorities, because I don’t often drop stuff, but here are a few things that didn’t entice me (off the top of my head, viewed this within the year):

• sola: Yorito is made of paper OMG!
• Code Geass: Euphie’s episode.
• Bokura ga Ita: Takeuchi gets serious, but doesn’t.
• Lamune: Jee, Kenji wrecked his motorcycle and is in a coma. Forced drama.
• Mai-HiME: Everyone lives. Seriously didn’t see that coming.

Thoughts About Preventing the Left Field Influence

I believe there is a way to protect myself from left field run-down, and it is quite simple; slice-of-life. The slice-of-life genre is such a self-explanatory realm, and a true slice-of-life lacks significant plot line. Hence, eliminate the plot line, eliminate the threat of left field! In fact, I’d venture to say that slice-of-life is the most stable of all genres. It is probably difficult to thrive on slice-of-life alone, but as a seasonal staple I enjoy a few of these.

So that’s my bland write-up, how does this help make me a more efficient seasonal viewer? Be familiar with left field, and be true about new plot developments that arise. That’s my self-development. If I’m not entirely comfortable with the new direction of a series, feel it out, think it through and ask “Is it worth watching this right now, in the stream of the season?” I shouldn’t pounce on the next episode of a separate series and forget my thoughts on whatever I just watched. Really, there are 16 series I’ll be trying to follow this Autumn. Rather, I’d like to have 6 or 8, so I’m hoping this idea will help me drop or backlog some of them. As for the slice-of-life, they’re basically immortal to this method (Sketchbook and Minami-ke are worthy at this point anyway).

Ryan A