February 4th, 2019
Recommendations Challenge
It's been a while since I've had something I wanted to keep track of through here...
I find anime-watching challenges a fun way to mix up what I watch each year, but I have a hard time navigating the codes used to officially submit them, so I keep track the old-fashioned way: in a notebook with start and end dates and the requirement being fulfilled. The personal satisfaction of knowing what I've completed is really all the reward I'm looking for. (And I hold myself to my own sort of honor code that I won't bend the rules just because no one will be officially looking over and approving my completed list.)
I've recently started the Anime Watching Challenges Club's 3rd year anniversary challenge (which thankfully allows entries to overlap across other challenges) alongside the Recommendations challenge. And let me tell you... the Recommendations challenge has been more of a... challenge than I initially anticipated.
It's pretty straightforward: pick one of your favorite anime and watch its top-recommended anime that you haven't already seen. Rinse and repeat for however long you want the challenge to last. (I believe Easy mode is 5 entries and Expert--or whatever the toughest difficulty is called-- is 30.) I started off with Kiznaiver, because I had a pretty good guess what its top-recommended anime would be, (Kokoro Connect) and it was one I'd already had my eyes on as something I wanted to watch anyway.
Following that was a string of movies, and here's where it gets a little tricky. First was Your Name, which lulled me into a false sense of security. One of the most popular animated films of the last few years? No problem. I didn't even have to go to one of the stores I visit specifically to search for anime; I think I found it at the local Walmart or something.
Next was A Silent Voice, which threw me for a loop. It was also an incredibly popular one that I was familiar with. It blew my mind a little that-- though the licensing rights have been acquired-- it still to this day has not been released on DVD in the US. The challenge does allow its participants to skip to the next recommendation if one of the entries is unobtainable, but I got really lucky. While going to see another movie in theaters, (which I do maybe twice a year on average, if that) I recognized the trailer for A Silent Voice and found out that it was coming back to theaters for two days as a special sort of event about a month later. So I buy the tickets, see the movie, (which was fantastic, by the way) and check that one off the list, thinking the hard part is over.
Fast-forward to the current entry before me: The Anthem of the Heart, which has been officially released on DVD, but is apparently really hard to find. You know, assuming you don't want to spend around EIGHTY DOLLARS to buy it from the company officially selling it. :/ So I just finished spending a few days searching around, and found someone selling their copy at a reasonable price... from Hong Kong. So it might take up to a month for it to get to me... stretching out this challenge much longer than I'd intended... but I'll take it.
I'm starting to think this endeavor is a lesson in hubris.
I find anime-watching challenges a fun way to mix up what I watch each year, but I have a hard time navigating the codes used to officially submit them, so I keep track the old-fashioned way: in a notebook with start and end dates and the requirement being fulfilled. The personal satisfaction of knowing what I've completed is really all the reward I'm looking for. (And I hold myself to my own sort of honor code that I won't bend the rules just because no one will be officially looking over and approving my completed list.)
I've recently started the Anime Watching Challenges Club's 3rd year anniversary challenge (which thankfully allows entries to overlap across other challenges) alongside the Recommendations challenge. And let me tell you... the Recommendations challenge has been more of a... challenge than I initially anticipated.
It's pretty straightforward: pick one of your favorite anime and watch its top-recommended anime that you haven't already seen. Rinse and repeat for however long you want the challenge to last. (I believe Easy mode is 5 entries and Expert--or whatever the toughest difficulty is called-- is 30.) I started off with Kiznaiver, because I had a pretty good guess what its top-recommended anime would be, (Kokoro Connect) and it was one I'd already had my eyes on as something I wanted to watch anyway.
Following that was a string of movies, and here's where it gets a little tricky. First was Your Name, which lulled me into a false sense of security. One of the most popular animated films of the last few years? No problem. I didn't even have to go to one of the stores I visit specifically to search for anime; I think I found it at the local Walmart or something.
Next was A Silent Voice, which threw me for a loop. It was also an incredibly popular one that I was familiar with. It blew my mind a little that-- though the licensing rights have been acquired-- it still to this day has not been released on DVD in the US. The challenge does allow its participants to skip to the next recommendation if one of the entries is unobtainable, but I got really lucky. While going to see another movie in theaters, (which I do maybe twice a year on average, if that) I recognized the trailer for A Silent Voice and found out that it was coming back to theaters for two days as a special sort of event about a month later. So I buy the tickets, see the movie, (which was fantastic, by the way) and check that one off the list, thinking the hard part is over.
Fast-forward to the current entry before me: The Anthem of the Heart, which has been officially released on DVD, but is apparently really hard to find. You know, assuming you don't want to spend around EIGHTY DOLLARS to buy it from the company officially selling it. :/ So I just finished spending a few days searching around, and found someone selling their copy at a reasonable price... from Hong Kong. So it might take up to a month for it to get to me... stretching out this challenge much longer than I'd intended... but I'll take it.
I'm starting to think this endeavor is a lesson in hubris.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Feb 4, 2019 1:05 PM | 0 comments
December 31st, 2017
2017 Anime Challenge Wrap-up
Anime Relations: Shinreigari, Momo e no Tegami, Free!, Tokyo ESP, Free! Eternal Summer, Kiznaiver, Oushitsu Kyoushi Heine
We have reached the end... At the beginning of the year, I looked through the anime-watching challenge that MAL does each year and thought it looked like a really cool idea... but didn't have the confidence that I could actually start and finish enough shows within the time span to feel like I'd actually accomplished anything at the end of the year. So I decided I would play unofficially and just record my progress through my blog.
The way the game worked was that all the participants would click a link to get randomly assigned a bingo card, and each numbered block on the card would correspond to a particular challenge. For example, the first block on the card I drew was #44: An anime that mainly takes place outside of Japan but still on Earth. (I did not end up watching an entry for that block, but you get the picture.) If I recall correctly, there were three challenges. You could either complete the corresponding challenges to check off the blocks needed to draw an X on your card, draw a heart shape on your card, or play a master class of sorts and just try to check off every single block before the year was done.
Because I was playing unofficially-- doing a dry run of sorts and just seeing where the shows I was planning to watch anyway would fall on the card, if they could fit in at all-- I did not end up making any of the shapes. But at the end of the year, I did end up checking off 17 of the 49 spaces on my card, which I would say is pretty good for me. Here's the year in review:
52: An anime tagged Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Supernatural: Pokémon Best Wishes: Decolora Adventure
23: An anime with 22 episodes or more: Pokémon Best Wishes (You'll see a lot of Pokémon entries, I was mid-way through a journey to watch it all the way through from the beginning when I started this challenge.)
6: An anime related to something you've previously watched, such as a sequel or a spin-off: Pokémon Chronicles
38: An anime whose cast is primarily of one gender: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
43: An anime with a main character who's a professional in their field: The Royal Tutor
49: An anime tagged Action or Adventure: Pokémon Best Wishes: Episode N
72: An anime with at least six episodes that you can finish in a single day: Tokyo ESP
2: A movie (that's at least 40 minutes long): Naruto: Inheritors of the Will of Fire
55: An anime tagged as Mecha, Military, Police, or Space: Zoids: New Century Zero
Free space: A Letter to Momo
40: An anime with at least one child (12 years or younger) as a main character: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
58: An anime tagged as Kids, Magic, or Music: Pokémon X/Y
54: An anime tagged as Mystery, Psychological, or Thriller: Ghost Hound
57: An anime tagged Cars, Game, Parody, or Sports: Free! Eternal Summer
20: An anime that was originally broadcast on a weekday: Pokémon Best Wishes Season 2
18: An anime that began airing between 2000-2009: Pokémon Advanced Generation
and 71: An anime with a main character with an unnatural hair color: Kiznaiver
There were quite a few entries that I had ideas for at least that I didn't get to. So for anyone who's interested, here are those categories and the shows that (most likely) would have filled them:
44: Mainly takes place outside of Japan but still on Earth: Baccano!
31: Adapted from a manga with a score of 8.0 or higher: I was thinking Assassination Classroom. I'm currently reading the manga and it has a score of 8.31 (or something like that). I probably will end up watching the anime once I finish that undertaking.
67: Starts with second letter as your MAL username: I had my eye on Urara Meirocho
19: a show that started and ended during 2016: Maiyoga
Which is actually the same challenge as 13: a show that began airing the same year you joined MAL: 91 Days
(And Kiznaiver could have fit either of those spaces as well, I just chose to use it for another block.)
This little experiment of mine was interesting... I fear that, because I was already watching Pokemon all the way through, I ended up filling more blocks than I would on a normal year, but I think I will go ahead and try to play for real next year. The real appeal of this sort of challenge is to try and fill in the necessary blocks to make a certain shape-- because adhering to those challenges is a good way to switch up what you're likely to be watching over a given year and expand the anime-watching experience a bit. I have done a book challenge along these lines-- where I did manage to fill in every space-- and I remember it being the bane of my existence by year's end. But even if I end up doing the challenge next year and then having to take a break the year after to just relax and watch whatever I want, I think it will be an experience worth having.
The way the game worked was that all the participants would click a link to get randomly assigned a bingo card, and each numbered block on the card would correspond to a particular challenge. For example, the first block on the card I drew was #44: An anime that mainly takes place outside of Japan but still on Earth. (I did not end up watching an entry for that block, but you get the picture.) If I recall correctly, there were three challenges. You could either complete the corresponding challenges to check off the blocks needed to draw an X on your card, draw a heart shape on your card, or play a master class of sorts and just try to check off every single block before the year was done.
Because I was playing unofficially-- doing a dry run of sorts and just seeing where the shows I was planning to watch anyway would fall on the card, if they could fit in at all-- I did not end up making any of the shapes. But at the end of the year, I did end up checking off 17 of the 49 spaces on my card, which I would say is pretty good for me. Here's the year in review:
52: An anime tagged Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Supernatural: Pokémon Best Wishes: Decolora Adventure
23: An anime with 22 episodes or more: Pokémon Best Wishes (You'll see a lot of Pokémon entries, I was mid-way through a journey to watch it all the way through from the beginning when I started this challenge.)
6: An anime related to something you've previously watched, such as a sequel or a spin-off: Pokémon Chronicles
38: An anime whose cast is primarily of one gender: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
43: An anime with a main character who's a professional in their field: The Royal Tutor
49: An anime tagged Action or Adventure: Pokémon Best Wishes: Episode N
72: An anime with at least six episodes that you can finish in a single day: Tokyo ESP
2: A movie (that's at least 40 minutes long): Naruto: Inheritors of the Will of Fire
55: An anime tagged as Mecha, Military, Police, or Space: Zoids: New Century Zero
Free space: A Letter to Momo
40: An anime with at least one child (12 years or younger) as a main character: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
58: An anime tagged as Kids, Magic, or Music: Pokémon X/Y
54: An anime tagged as Mystery, Psychological, or Thriller: Ghost Hound
57: An anime tagged Cars, Game, Parody, or Sports: Free! Eternal Summer
20: An anime that was originally broadcast on a weekday: Pokémon Best Wishes Season 2
18: An anime that began airing between 2000-2009: Pokémon Advanced Generation
and 71: An anime with a main character with an unnatural hair color: Kiznaiver
There were quite a few entries that I had ideas for at least that I didn't get to. So for anyone who's interested, here are those categories and the shows that (most likely) would have filled them:
44: Mainly takes place outside of Japan but still on Earth: Baccano!
31: Adapted from a manga with a score of 8.0 or higher: I was thinking Assassination Classroom. I'm currently reading the manga and it has a score of 8.31 (or something like that). I probably will end up watching the anime once I finish that undertaking.
67: Starts with second letter as your MAL username: I had my eye on Urara Meirocho
19: a show that started and ended during 2016: Maiyoga
Which is actually the same challenge as 13: a show that began airing the same year you joined MAL: 91 Days
(And Kiznaiver could have fit either of those spaces as well, I just chose to use it for another block.)
This little experiment of mine was interesting... I fear that, because I was already watching Pokemon all the way through, I ended up filling more blocks than I would on a normal year, but I think I will go ahead and try to play for real next year. The real appeal of this sort of challenge is to try and fill in the necessary blocks to make a certain shape-- because adhering to those challenges is a good way to switch up what you're likely to be watching over a given year and expand the anime-watching experience a bit. I have done a book challenge along these lines-- where I did manage to fill in every space-- and I remember it being the bane of my existence by year's end. But even if I end up doing the challenge next year and then having to take a break the year after to just relax and watch whatever I want, I think it will be an experience worth having.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Dec 31, 2017 2:59 PM | 0 comments
December 30th, 2017
Anime Challenge Update
Anime Relations: Momo e no Tegami
Funny how I was backtracking on the last post too... So I went to look through the actual challenge for the first time since, like, February... Turns out the challenge only ran from Jan. 1 to Dec. 24. I'm not surprised I misremembered this. I participated in a book challenge as well and that one ran from the first day of the year to the very last day of the year. But you know what? I guess it's about time I pull the 'Well, I'm not officially competing' card. I've tried to stick to the actual rules despite this being a dry run of sorts for me. But I suppose the jig is up now either way. So... I'll just add in my free space entry here and proceed with the wrap-up post tomorrow as planned.
Free Space: A Letter to Momo
Technically a movie and not a full-length series. But I'm not sure it being a series was ever a requirement... and I have established that I am now breaking the rules anyway... So here we are. Ironically, I actually watched this movie back in October so it was completed within the right time span anyway.
Free Space: A Letter to Momo
Technically a movie and not a full-length series. But I'm not sure it being a series was ever a requirement... and I have established that I am now breaking the rules anyway... So here we are. Ironically, I actually watched this movie back in October so it was completed within the right time span anyway.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Dec 30, 2017 7:18 AM | 0 comments
December 28th, 2017
Anime Challenge Entry #18
Anime Relations: Pokemon Advanced Generation, Pokemon XY
Who's ready for some backtracking?
I have three days left to finish another show... And while I'm still very skeptical about my ability to actually accomplish that... I'm saving my Free space for as long as possible. Anyway, I thought I had run out of spaces for Pokémon entries, but through some rearranging of my entries, I found a way around this problem. I don't think this is technically against the rules... If I was playing for real, no one would even get to see my entries until my card was completed and turned in, after all. Tracking my progress through this blog just allows anyone reading it to get an inside look into the process.
So... Originally I had Pokémon Advanced Generation listed for entry number 58: An anime tagged as Kids, Magic, or Music. I'm switching my entry for 58 to Pokémon X/Y. So I can now list Advanced Generation as my entry for:
#18: An anime that started airing between 2000-2009.
I have three days left to finish another show... And while I'm still very skeptical about my ability to actually accomplish that... I'm saving my Free space for as long as possible. Anyway, I thought I had run out of spaces for Pokémon entries, but through some rearranging of my entries, I found a way around this problem. I don't think this is technically against the rules... If I was playing for real, no one would even get to see my entries until my card was completed and turned in, after all. Tracking my progress through this blog just allows anyone reading it to get an inside look into the process.
So... Originally I had Pokémon Advanced Generation listed for entry number 58: An anime tagged as Kids, Magic, or Music. I'm switching my entry for 58 to Pokémon X/Y. So I can now list Advanced Generation as my entry for:
#18: An anime that started airing between 2000-2009.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Dec 28, 2017 6:01 AM | 0 comments
December 14th, 2017
Anime Challenge Entry# 57
Anime Relations: Free! Eternal Summer
I have seventeen days to finish another entry for this challenge... I'm not entirely confident in my abilities to accomplish that, so this might just be my last Anime Challenge blog entry before the big wrap-up that will kick off next year.
Entry #57: An anime listed under Cars, Game, Parody, or Sports
My Entry: Free! Eternal Summer (season two)
Obviously, the section this qualifies for is sports and my selection should have surprised no one, given my last entry was the first season. Guys, I have fallen for Free! so hard... It's become one of those series that I just don't want to move on from. Which is kind of the main reason I may not finish anything else before the year's end.
Entry #57: An anime listed under Cars, Game, Parody, or Sports
My Entry: Free! Eternal Summer (season two)
Obviously, the section this qualifies for is sports and my selection should have surprised no one, given my last entry was the first season. Guys, I have fallen for Free! so hard... It's become one of those series that I just don't want to move on from. Which is kind of the main reason I may not finish anything else before the year's end.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Dec 14, 2017 12:03 PM | 0 comments
November 20th, 2017
Anime Challenge Entry #38
Anime Relations: Free!
Two challenge entries in three days... For someone whose anime-watching time usually amounts to about one show a month, I'd say this is a pretty good sign.
#38: An Anime Whose Main Cast is Primarily One Gender
My entry: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club (or season one)
I wanted so badly to use Free! as my entry for the Free space on my bingo card... because I knew I'd be watching it sometime this year and that would just be so fitting... But I figured I should probably save it. We are coming up on the end of the time allotted for the challenge, and I may end up finishing a show last minute that doesn't fit any of my remaining categories.
#38: An Anime Whose Main Cast is Primarily One Gender
My entry: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club (or season one)
I wanted so badly to use Free! as my entry for the Free space on my bingo card... because I knew I'd be watching it sometime this year and that would just be so fitting... But I figured I should probably save it. We are coming up on the end of the time allotted for the challenge, and I may end up finishing a show last minute that doesn't fit any of my remaining categories.
Posted by Duckielover151 | Nov 20, 2017 6:22 AM | 0 comments