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MAL Secret Santa 2014: The Great Reveal!

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Dec 30, 2014 9:24 AM

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May 2013
27
Thanks a lot Astros477 for the gifts~~~ I was really happy when I got it, you chose some cool pics! And thanks for the effort as well, I hope you had some great holidays!
And also a very big thanks on the elves for helping us have such an enjoyable event for holidays. I have to say it was really organized, the image one at least. Hope my gift was OK as well ಥ_ಥ
Dec 30, 2014 9:33 AM

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Dec 2013
109
I really appreciate the efforts given by Elf-chama, Kineta, and most of all my Secret Santa !
This event was very enjoyable to particapate in, and I couldn't be happier with my gift rec.
Thanks again everybody and happy holidays !
Dec 30, 2014 9:45 AM

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Jul 2011
4331
Oh! I gifted for an elf? And my recipient was a DB Admin. Didn't expect that. XD

I'll have to thank my SS for recommending the series to me. I had ditched it before, but I was determined to finish it entirely. And it turned much better by the end of the series. (I still hated the first few episodes, but I persevered!) It's a series I wouldn't have otherwise bothered to complete. :)

And as for the event, I thought it was fine overall. I signed up for the recommendations version. I did feel, however, that it lacked some kind of formatting/structure? I was browsing all the entries for the event and I noticed that the length for answers varied quite a bit from person to person. But they all had sufficient information for a recommendation, so maybe I'm just nitpicking. I would have also appreciated some points that should be covered in the paragraph that is sent along with the present as well, or again a bit of formatting. I didn't really know what to write, and the paragraph from my SS was very different. (I do think this is me nitpicking more than actual complaint/problem though.)

Lastly, I want to note the mix up for my recipient. I confirmed for my first one, but I was later sent my correct recipient, which I didn't confirm for. It didn't bother me that much, but I didn't like that I was given my (2nd) recipient without having to confirm again. I had taken the time to see whether I could find good recs for my 1st recipient before confirming, and I would have liked to do the same for my 2nd.
Dec 30, 2014 10:05 AM
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Feb 2008
420
I hope my Secret Santa didn't have his gift sent back to him.
Dec 30, 2014 10:09 AM

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Aug 2014
6565
I don't know how you are planning to showcase the reviews, but I have a couple of suggestions. These might already be your plans but I'll share my thoughts anyways.

First, if you plan to put the review showcase in a forum post like this one (as links, fill reviews, or however), I think it would be best to group them by the genre of the work being reviewed to allow users to navigate easily to reviews of series that might interest them.

Second, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who would love it if people reading the showcase gave feedback on my review. However, I think that you should specify a way to give feedback to the reviewer (pm them, comment on their profile, etc.) so that reviewers know where to expect any feedback.

I feel that although simple, these small things would help out the users involved with the feature and those who read the feature.

Thanks for taking the time to organize and run this event!
Be like this seal. It is a happy seal.
~Review Guidelines~ | ~Recommendation Guidelines~ | ~Mafia Society~
Dec 30, 2014 10:10 AM

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Jun 2010
5161
I was surprised when I received my gift, and kind of knew already who made it, but still wanted to be sure before thanking. THANK YOU, REN-SAN! Love the DP so much. <3

And it was fun to make and receive gifts, so I also want to thank the hard-working elves for making this event! A big thank you, guys and girls! :'D next time I will be sure to enter the rec edition too ^^"
Dec 30, 2014 10:39 AM

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Apr 2014
2103
Thank you, Naruleach! I'm glad you picked Gintoki for my image gifts :> Pretty funny that I made an image gift of the same character.

Also thanks to the elves and admin that made sure the event processed smoothly.
Dec 30, 2014 10:58 AM

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Jan 2012
31481
Thanks TO all Elves for their time and happy new year
and special thanks to mayukachan for DGM signature

Dec 30, 2014 11:44 AM

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Oct 2013
4353
Welp, my secret santa is one of my best friends - unsurprisingly, as I recognized her recommendation and her writing style immediately. These elves should probably be more careful about that, I guess. xD

Still, it got me to finally start watching Nana, which I have been enjoying very well! But she's already been hearing all about it as I've been watching, so I guess this isn't coming as any surprise... hahaha.



Discord: the.path.to.pathos
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Dec 30, 2014 11:48 AM

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Jul 2013
87
Really thank you for your hard work, elves and admin.

A thought for 2015: Make more events ;;
Dec 30, 2014 11:57 AM
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Mar 2014
2421
PentaFlare said:
I don't know how you are planning to showcase the reviews, but I have a couple of suggestions. These might already be your plans but I'll share my thoughts anyways.

First, if you plan to put the review showcase in a forum post like this one (as links, fill reviews, or however), I think it would be best to group them by the genre of the work being reviewed to allow users to navigate easily to reviews of series that might interest them.

Second, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who would love it if people reading the showcase gave feedback on my review. However, I think that you should specify a way to give feedback to the reviewer (pm them, comment on their profile, etc.) so that reviewers know where to expect any feedback.

I feel that although simple, these small things would help out the users involved with the feature and those who read the feature.

Thanks for taking the time to organize and run this event!


While the first suggestion is a nice idea, I feel some of the reviewers may be disappointed for a lack of recognition - people will be likely to go for the most popular genres and read little of the rest. I do completely agree about the constructive criticism, though, if Kineta would be willing.
Dec 30, 2014 12:00 PM

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Nov 2014
2221
Eheh, thanks lupadim, i love Kaiji so much ! :3. I'm currently watching it, and it's pure gold.

Thank you too, _Ghost_, for Agaki, since i can't review Kaiji !

And thanks to everyone who organised this Santa event. It would be a real pleasure to participate again.
Dec 30, 2014 12:08 PM

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Nov 2013
239
I want to thank my secret santa TFO1013 for recommending me a COOL manga! I rarely find something...unique in manga and this one hit the spot haha~ The characters are awesome..the story is SUPER interesting and the art is good!! Thank you very much!!

I truly appreciate the work done by the elves....This is my first time participating is this event...and i`ll SURELY take part in it next year too woo~ :)))
This is where I`d put my signature...If i had one.
Dec 30, 2014 12:20 PM
EDM ❤

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May 2012
264
Thanks to all the users that participated in this awesome event!
Thank you iMKunt for the awesome avatar, im even using it on Steam really loved it.
Next year will put more time in work since this year i got "problems" that didn't let me .

Cheers and a happy new year!
Dec 30, 2014 12:24 PM
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Jul 2018
564646
That was a huge success !
Good work everyone ~ And for the elves and santa and the recipients :) Hope to see you again next year ♡
Dec 30, 2014 12:40 PM

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Jul 2012
2652
After going to Ryugen's profile, I can totally see how my profile picture was able to be of such high quality. I feel pretty lucky that I got someone who was really amazing at image editing to do my picture for me. They did an excellent job.

Vexper, I've been meaning to watch Uchouten Kazoku for a while now, so having that be my anime rec definitely has inspired me to pick it up. I'll probably start it either today or tomorrow, and I'll be getting a review up for it shortly as well.

This was a really, really fun event! Thanks to everyone who helped and participated, I definitely enjoyed it.
Dec 30, 2014 1:24 PM

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Jul 2012
48248
Thank you, SparkleBunnies and TheOneOtaku for my gifts c: I promise I'll start reading my recs sometime soon x) I love my Taichi profile/avvie~

Thanks, Elves for your hard work!! (◕‿◕✿)

AllenVonStein said:
and special thanks to mayukachan for DGM signature

No problem!
Dec 30, 2014 1:51 PM

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Mar 2014
2502
Well, it was supah dupah fun making and getting stuff Thank you to all of the efs and organizers for all that they contributed~!
"Fuck this shit, fun things are fun!"
Dec 30, 2014 2:03 PM

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Nov 2011
9206
Thanks to TheDerpMan for my gift! You met my criteria perfectly; I'm not sure why I've overlooked the series until now, but it's definitely what I was looking for. ^-^

Thanks to the staff and elves running the event as well. It was a lot of fun.
Dec 30, 2014 2:09 PM

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May 2014
8798
Thanks TripleSRank for the Recommendation! Spice and Wolf is pretty nice.
And thanks Bryce101 for the profile pic, its awesome!
I've been here way too long...
Dec 30, 2014 2:36 PM

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Dec 2013
1191
Thanks to everyone who participated and especially thanks to my secret Santa who recommended me two awesome anime! Both are quite long but I'm excited to start them both. :)

Central Time (US)
Dec 30, 2014 3:02 PM

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Aug 2014
6565
vodall said:

While the first suggestion is a nice idea, I feel some of the reviewers may be disappointed for a lack of recognition - people will be likely to go for the most popular genres and read little of the rest. I do completely agree about the constructive criticism, though, if Kineta would be willing.


That is definately worth mentioning. Maybe if there were only three to five large categories such as romance or action, then there won't be anything completely left out of the spotlight. Might be trickier with some unique works though.
Be like this seal. It is a happy seal.
~Review Guidelines~ | ~Recommendation Guidelines~ | ~Mafia Society~
Dec 30, 2014 3:26 PM

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Aug 2012
10014
My elf recommended me something that I had already watched
Dec 30, 2014 3:33 PM

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Mar 2013
5831
lupadim said:
My elf recommended me something that I had already watched

Rather interesting that the elf who was in care didn't notice that. Mine has kept a sharp eye on what to return as soon as a slight detail was off. :p
Dec 30, 2014 3:46 PM

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Apr 2013
11992
My gift was surprisingly good, I never would've tried it if I didn't enter this thing (I never even heard of it before).
I'll be sure to enter again next year (if I'm still around).
Dec 30, 2014 4:12 PM

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Dec 2013
871
Thanks quukii for the rec! I really enjoyed Kobato.
And thanks to the elves c:
Dec 30, 2014 4:25 PM
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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Aug 2007
6258
minusatwelfth said:
I thought it was a pretty well-organized and thoughtful event. Though maybe cut some slack on the review feature criteria a bit, the aim should be to create new bonds and enjoyment, not purely promote the completeness of the website. That's my two cents anyway.
Thanks for your input. While the goal is to have you interact with new people and enjoy the event, this is already achieved through the regular recommendation event. The review feature was intended to be something special, with the end result of the showcase being a key factor. As I wrote in the sign up thread, "We hope to both challenge and recognise our reviewing community with this feature...". Writing a review for a series that just aired and already has 30 reviews would likely be passed over in a showcase, and isn't much of a challenge. By limiting the rec to lesser-known series, we hoped to increase interest in the final reviews written and give the writers a bit of a challenge in the meantime. Since many of the users who signed up already write reviews regularly, a feature without these restrictions wouldn't have been anything special... or at least so I think.

It was interesting to see the variety of lists that joined up for the feature though. One user had a list of less then 80-90 anime and had seen many series fitting the requirements; in contrast, some people with 300+ series had barely seen anything. I understand that this made it difficult for both us to pair up people and for some of the users to give recs. Hopefully after the showcase, there will be many lesser-known series that will catch your interest and you can add to your list :)

Mirorin said:
I did feel, however, that it lacked some kind of formatting/structure? I was browsing all the entries for the event and I noticed that the length for answers varied quite a bit from person to person.
Perhaps next year we could include an example post to help people. In the end though, some people are quite picky while others aren't, so there will still be variation.

Mirorin said:
Lastly, I want to note the mix up for my recipient. I confirmed for my first one, but I was later sent my correct recipient, which I didn't confirm for. It didn't bother me that much, but I didn't like that I was given my (2nd) recipient without having to confirm again. I had taken the time to see whether I could find good recs for my 1st recipient before confirming, and I would have liked to do the same for my 2nd.
The confirmation wasn't a confirmation for the recipient you were given, but rather a confirmation that you were still participating in the event. It's a way to weed out people who forget about signing up or become busy before the last minute where we're forced to make backup gifts. In your case, your recipient never confirmed, so he was removed from the list and you received his recipient (there was no mix-up). Even with confirmations, we still had to make a number of backup gifts again this year.

@Pentaflare: Thanks for the suggestions! Fine details need to be worked out still (luckily we got a healthy variety with the recs and minimal dupes), but we'll definitely be keeping those things in mind.

Zadion said:
Welp, my secret santa is one of my best friends - unsurprisingly, as I recognized her recommendation and her writing style immediately. These elves should probably be more careful about that, I guess. xD
Yeah, we didn't check friends lists... with so many users and a mostly randomised match-up, you'd think things like this would be avoided.

ihateeveryone said:
... and I'll be getting a review up for it shortly as well.
Please don't post your review until the showcase! We'd like to collect them all first :)

lupadim said:
My elf recommended me something that I had already watched
It wasn't (and isn't) on your list, so there's no way that could have been avoided. If you actually have seen it :P
KinetaDec 30, 2014 4:28 PM
Dec 30, 2014 5:22 PM

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May 2013
93
My recipient was changed right before the deadline :C
Otherwise I enjoyed the event.
Dec 30, 2014 6:02 PM

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Nov 2012
782
Thanks to all the elves and Santas, this was a great event! I'm glad I signed up for it.

I'm wondering, what's with the question about whether you have problems receiving PMs on the sign up thread? I don't think anyone put yes for that, so I wonder why it was included.
Dec 30, 2014 6:03 PM
eyebrows nerd ★

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Jun 2009
3566
Want to thank my SECRET SANTA Zelot who actually worked harder than other santas? i mean i see his name mentioned in image editions five times? for the gift, effort and time he spend. Also a big thank you to all elves and of course Kineta just because! And yes, I'm always glad to take part in this event, at least in the image edition.

&& I was surprised when I got my recipient since I know this person pretty well so it was more like a Christmas present for a friend. I suppose match-ups weren't that random at all c':

See you again next year!
Dec 30, 2014 6:29 PM
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Jul 2014
51
Thanks to the elves and my Secret Santa! It's kinda funny because I was supposed to be your Secret Santa but they gave me a different person a day before the deadline hahaha

Also Happy New Year :p
Dec 30, 2014 7:09 PM
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Jul 2018
564646
Thanks for the rec, GomuBlade! I know you couldn't remember it all that well, but it's been really fun so far (Sorry I'm not farther along though!), and I really appreciate it.


For feedback on the event:

-I had a lot of fun with it again this year. Would definitely participate for a third time (though I might loosen the restrictions on my rec next time and sign up for the image version again too).

-Is there any chance that we could get an extra week (or at least a few more days) to hand our recs (or images) in next time? It would help with anyone who got a santa switch or just generally help out since it's such a busy time of year anyway.

-I got a cat gif in one message as an apology for mixing up my recipient. You guys should totally add those to each of the gifts. Definitely.

Either way, fun and cute event, and I'm glad I participated in it! Thanks to the everyone who helped out as the elves! You guys were great (and thanks to the ones who kept in touch as Elf-chama). c:
removed-userDec 30, 2014 7:13 PM
Dec 30, 2014 7:25 PM
SetoMary Fanatic

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Jun 2013
5194
vanRenN said:
Want to thank my SECRET SANTA Zelot who actually worked harder than other santas? i mean i see his name mentioned in image editions five times? for the gift, effort and time he spend. Also a big thank you to all elves and of course Kineta just because! And yes, I'm always glad to take part in this event, at least in the image edition.

&& I was surprised when I got my recipient since I know this person pretty well so it was more like a Christmas present for a friend. I suppose match-ups weren't that random at all c':

See you again next year!

haha, i was just a back up img helper for secret santa :)!
I'm glad you enjoyed your present!! I tried a lot of newer things with and I can't help but say that your reaction made me feel wonderful! Thank you so much!

This year was fun and I am glad to have helped out! I love the presents I have received, the recommendation is really enjoyable and my images were just enough to make me almost cry!
Dec 31, 2014 3:58 AM

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Sep 2013
3999
@Luna-sama: thanks a lot for the gifts. *Seizon* was truly amazing [ already read it twice, lol – second time with my sis :3 ]! Yet to start *Kagen no tsuki*, but knowing it's a manga from Ai Yazawa-sensei I'd love it for sure. =D

@Leap-chan: thanks again for the Asuka pic! Going to put it in *The corner of the artist*, in my about me. :')
Once an alt always an alt! | ( ˇ෴ˇ ) | I ♥ Music
Dec 31, 2014 4:40 AM

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Jul 2014
37
Thanks again to my secret Santas, thanks to my recipients for not (publicly) hating the gifts :D
And of course a big thank you to everyone that was involved in the planning and organization of this event!

It was my first time participating and it was more or less a spontaneous idea that I didn't regret. Also I have to say I actually liked the restrictions of the recommendation edition, making it a bit more of a challenge and made myself discover some new titles.
Dec 31, 2014 5:45 AM
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Sep 2014
33
Subpyro said:
lupadim said:
My elf recommended me something that I had already watched

Rather interesting that the elf who was in care didn't notice that. Mine has kept a sharp eye on what to return as soon as a slight detail was off. :p


lol. Mine even added in a new criterion; the show must not be airing. Though this was probably stated in the fine text somewhere :P
Dec 31, 2014 7:57 AM

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Mar 2013
5831
minusatwelfth said:
Subpyro said:

Rather interesting that the elf who was in care didn't notice that. Mine has kept a sharp eye on what to return as soon as a slight detail was off. :p

lol. Mine even added in a new criterion; the show must not be airing. Though this was probably stated in the fine text somewhere :P

It's amusing how in the end, your Santa brought you something that has not yet aired. xD
Dec 31, 2014 8:37 AM

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Dec 2012
13568
Ty all ^^.
Vexper said:
Thanks Cigarette!
Also, I no longer feel bad for whipping that up in about 2 minutes, heh. I felt like a bad santa after having received my set in comparison to what I did. (For you) Glad you enjoyed/liked it!
Dec 31, 2014 9:58 AM

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Mar 2008
3181
Another wonderful Secret Santa event this year! This is one of my favorite things about MAL. :)

Happy holidays, everyone!

Dec 31, 2014 1:37 PM

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Sep 2013
1824
Thanks for the hard work Secret Santas. And have a Happy New Year.
Dec 31, 2014 9:22 PM

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Mar 2010
13596
Thank you! Meokii and Lirina! :D Awesome gifts!!! <333

Happy holidays to both of you <3


Thanks to all elves!!! Was fun working with you all.
Jan 2, 2015 7:20 AM

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Oct 2011
3504
I haven't been on buuuut... Thanks reaperqwert! Thanks to Zelot for the bonus. That was a really nice gesture. Secret Santa was really fun, and it's really flattering to see someone else use my edits every once in a while. Happy New Year everyone!

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