I promised a status update at the end of the week, so here it is.

“What’s going on Div?”

As readers have undoubtedly noticed in the past few weeks, my coverage of shows hasn’t been nearly as timely as usual. The reason being, I started a new job at the beginning of February and have been prioritizing it over watching anime, let alone blogging it. I’ve switched to a full-time Android development position with tight project deadlines and have been putting in extra hours as needed. It’s an exciting time for me as I enjoy the work and the challenges that come with it, so I actually don’t mind bringing my work home with me and sitting in front of the computer and coding on some nights. The problem is, that kind of unpredictable schedule makes it rather difficult to adhere to the blogging one that I have for the site, not to mention that I can be mentally exhausted afterward and just want to unwind and blogging three shows on a given night isn’t exactly the best way of going about that.

I had actually told myself that I’d have to take an indefinite leave of absence from Random Curiosity if I got this job, but I didn’t want to just drop coverage of my 9 shows mid-season so I prolonged my decision to see how I’d manage if I gave the site much less priority than work/life balance. Well one month later, I can tell you it’s definitely taken its toll when I can easily have a daunting backlog of 8 posts in the mere span of 4 days (Thu – Sun). I don’t know if everyone realizes how much time it takes to run the site in its current form, but it generally takes me 25 hours a week just for my portion, which in conjunction with working at home on some nights, really feels like I’m putting in the hours required for two full-time jobs. It doesn’t leave much time for anything else — not even playing a video game for half a day — which I found out when I “made time” to play Final Fantasy XIII-2 this past month and got through it as quickly as possible (~30 hours… what’s with the ending?). That naturally came at the expense of sleep and further delaying posts though. I also don’t like the fact that my posts are “slow”, which I agree goes against one of the main appeals of the site.

 

“So what happens now?”

Effective immediately, I’m going to do what I probably should’ve done a month ago and reluctantly transition away from active blogging on the site — at least for the foreseeable future. We’re approaching the two year anniversary since I took over Random Curiosity and I don’t intend to put readers through a repeat of 2010 by using the “R” word come April, so my plan is to simply go on an indefinite leave of absence. The current writers, whom I’ve been very happy with, have expressed interest in continuing to cover shows and even taking over some of mine for the remainder of the season. The site will NOT be closing down — not so long as there are people to regularly update it in the “spirit” of Random Curiosity.

The recent poll has made it very clear that this blog has outgrown the personal interests and efforts of one or two people and turned into an outlet for anime that’s supported by its own community, so it should continue to thrive with the collective effort of those who understand the appeal of a site like this and want to be a part of the content coming out of it. With 7 active writers — the most that the site’s ever had — I have every reason to believe that things will continue along just fine without me. During the transition period, I’ll be taking on more of an administrative/editorial role and familiarizing the current writers with some of the “featured” posts that I’ve been responsible for.

 

“What about your current shows?”

As mentioned above, the writers will be finishing coverage of some of my shows this season. In most cases, this will be only one more show per writer, as I don’t want any of them to take their contributions to the site beyond something they can do at their own leisure. It’s already pretty demanding to write on a schedule week after week, so 2-3 shows per season is the recommended maximum for any one person. At the moment, this is what I’ve confirmed with the other writers for the rest of the season. (Please watch this space for any updates.)

Unfortunately, this means that some of my shows will likely to be dropped.

 

“Are you looking for more help?

Yes I am. For the first time since inheriting the site, I’m openly looking for new writers who can start immediately to reduce the number of shows dropped and take on ~2 shows per season going forward. I’ve had plenty of people e-mail me in the past and have had to turn a lot away, but now I’m looking to bring on 3-4 new writers to help cover the 7-9 shows that I usually take on every season. I will be giving preference to 1.) female applicants (since there’s been an interest to hear more feminine perspectives), 2.) applicants who aren’t students that will get bogged down by homework/projects, and 3.) those who understand enough Japanese to watch anime raw and read information from Japanese sources. The last one hasn’t been much of a requirement with the prevalence of simulcasts in recent years, but I need some contributors to help fill in that language void that I’ll be leaving behind.

Other qualifications are as follows:

  • Good written English skills. Preferably college/university level.
  • An insightful and objective outlook on anime.
  • Ability to stick to a blogging schedule and write on days you may not feel like it.
  • Some technical experience taking screen capture and using Photoshop is beneficial.
  • An abundance of free time and a diverse taste in anime are big pluses.

If you’re interested, please send me an e-mail titled [RandomC Application] with:

  • What your anime background/history is (e.g. how you got into it, what some of your favorite series are),
  • Why you want to blog for the site,
  • A sample post on a recent episode of one of the remaining shows that I’m currently covering, and
  • A batch of 36 screen captures (zipped).

This will allow me to get a good sense of both your writing and view on anime to see if they’re a good fit.

In the meantime, I’m going to try and cover some of my remaining shows, such as Guilty Crown which I feel like I owe it to myself to see it through.

 

“What about the season previews?”

Incidentally, the fact that I haven’t even looked at the list of shows for next season was one of the biggest reasons behind taking an indefinite leave from the site and having new help come in. (I normally start researching for the next preview mid-season, i.e. two weeks ago.) Verdant has offered to put one together for Spring and I’ll be doing everything I can to help him with the ins and outs of doing so, as well as supplementing what I can from Japanese sources. This may evolve into more of a collaborative process that involves more writers, but for now, the plan is definitely to have one ready before the start of the next season.

 

“Will you ever come back to blog regularly?”

Quite honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead to answer this question definitively. Real-life priorities have taken hold and if things are smooth sailing even without me, then I probably won’t feel the need to come rushing back. If readership takes a nosedive and it makes little sense to keep the site running in its current form (which I highly doubt will happen), then I’ll likely intervene before it gets to some unsalvageable point. The site is currently in capable and proven hands and that’s what matters the most. I may stick my nose in from time to time though. I’ll also be idling in IRC a fair bit.

 

On behalf of all the writers and myself, I’d like to thank you all for your support over the years — 3.5 years now for me — and making Random Curiosity into the anime blog that it is today. If you have any other questions, concerns, suggestions, complaints (?), I’m willing to hear them out. All I ask is that they’re presented in a constructive manner.

 

Updates:
03/10: I’ve gone through the 35 or so applications that I’ve received and have shortlisted them down to ~8 people, many of whom are female. There are a lot of candidates who show promise and fit RC’s perspective on anime, so I may even bring on board more than 4 writers. I apologize for taking a while with this review process and keeping everyone in suspense, but I want to make sure that I give everyone proper consideration.
03/07: I still haven’t gone through all the applications yet, so for those who have applied, please be aware I haven’t contacted anyone yet. I’ll post an update after I’ve done so.
03/04: Thank you everyone who took the time to send in applications already. Please keep them coming. I’ve received quite a lot already and will be going through them over the course of this week and contacting those who are a good fit.

292 Comments

  1. Go ahead, take that long deserved rest, Divine. Thank you (and the writers) so much for making Random Curiosity an excellent place for insights and a great community. We’ll miss you.

    Xumbra
  2. Thanks for all the good work till now.
    Even if it’s not blogging, hopefully you’ll still be able to take part in the discussions by posting in the comments. 🙂
    Omni completely disappeared from the site.

    boingman
  3. Congratulations on your new job, Divine! It’s great to hear that working on something you enjoy.

    Thank you for all the work you’ve done for RandomC and to all the fantastic writers you’ve brought to the site.

    Michiko
  4. Awww… We’ll miss you Divine. Good luck on your Project; we’re rooting for you! Hope you’ll still drop by from time to time! Gonna miss your game posts, even though there were only a few of them xD

    Beedle
  5. this site has been in my favorites bar since… well god i can’t even remember probably since I first started watching anime, glad to see it will continue to stay alive 😀

    in any case I appreciate all the amazing work you guys do here at RC, sad to see you go for now, but good luck with work and real life stuff ^^ i hope things workout great for you

    mcordonc
  6. It’s cool. RandomC’s never had this many writers before, and that’s a great thing. I’ve been lurker for 2 years and a poster for nearly 3, and I personally believe that RC is now at its peak, which is saying a lot considering how long this site has been going on. Good luck out there. I’m pulling for you. Leave a comment every now then, will ya? 🙂

    …to play Final Fantasy XIII-2 this past month and got through it as quickly as possible (~30 hours… what’s with the ending?).

    Ikr? -_-

    Click
  7. I typically just lurk on this site (since before you took over) but I wanted to comment to let you know that I’m very much a fan of everything you’ve done with RandomC and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

    TheLonelyGod
  8. “If the work take you Life – you will be lost.”

    So… i can understand you but i hope you can detect the different about “life” and “work life”. Good luck fou you and for the android project. Thank you.

    Snake
  9. about the recent poll, i was kind of reluctant to vote, that is because voting no would make it seems like i dont care about whose impression i am reading (cause of how the yes answer was written), perhaps i’m thinking into it too much. my answer would be: no, the voice havn’t been diluted. However, i do care about who is writing it. that said, this comment isn’t meant to be like “NO DON’T GO DIVINE”. good luck with the new job, as a recently business and marketing graduate (one of those degree you do when you dont know what you want to do) with a mediocre grade, jobs are rare for me in the UK, so i feel happy for you >:) since i’ve been reading RC for 4-5 years now, and will continue my support for as long as RC lives. 😀

    n0216332
  10. While I’d love to apply, like Luxor, I fit all 3 of what he said, lol. Male, Masters College Student, and don’t download the Raws, but instead wait till it’s been translated (which in some cases, is mere hours after the episode was aired). Though, I will say this: Good luck to all who can apply, as I look forward to reading the blog posts.

    Silivious
  11. You’ve got a busy as balls development job, have other RL things happening, and still plan on covering some show to the end of the season, one of which being a show which has a reputation of being thoroughly disappointing, just to see it through?!

    That is some fucking dedication, sir. You have my utmost respect and gratitude for carrying this long, AND not shutting down the site.

    Stay gold and stay healthy, Divine.

    Da5id
  12. Have fun at your new job Divine. Sure we will be missing out on a lovely reviewer but your happiness comes first and as a community we will carry on RC. Just look at ep 18 of Guilty Crown even though you did not piost a review up us the readers did the job for you as there where loads of people opinions on that ep. Pop in every now and then for a review on a show that would be airing. Thank you Divine for all your reviews that you have given us.

    Yoyo
  13. Good luck, Divine! Now, one of my reasons for frequenting the site is the abundance of un-subtitled, HD-quality screenshots, so I’d appreciate it if the new bloggers would continue that. By the way, what is the “R”-word?

    cshin9
  14. Divine, it is bittersweet news but I know you’re smart and wise to make the best decisions as you’ve proven over the last years working on the site. I hope I speak for everyone who visits this site that we are grateful for everything you’ve done up to this point. This isn’t goodbye but I do want to wish you the best with everything.

  15. Good luck, Divine! We’ll miss you! I’m actually kind of interested in being a writer for this site as it sounds like an enjoyable, fitting endeavor for me and I meet the majority of the requirements, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the pressure. Best of luck to the applicants!

    Faye
  16. This is ok. There’s just nothing like a single site that covers as many shows as possible while keeping the same format. Thanks to all the writers for the good work.

    sealouse
  17. Honestly, your writing style is the one I have come to enjoy reading the most ever since I started visiting this site. Hopefully you’d be able to recover a bit of free time later on to be able to cover at least one or two show(s) a season.

    As a long time lurker, I wish you good luck with your RL stuff. We’ll miss you!

    LONG LIVE Random Curiosity!

    Rhoen
  18. Good luck Divine. What you did with this site was incredible…Omni left and you were basically alone, but you pulled through and boy you took things a step further with RandomC. I’m sure you’ll do very good at your job if you put into it as much dedication as you did with this site! Cheers!

  19. First of all: Take care of yourself, Divine! Congratulations on scoring a job that is enjoyable, albeit stressful.

    I respect your decision, although I’m quite sad to see you slip behind the scenes. On the other hand I have to say that I all of the new writers you’ve brought in are really doing a great job and they have really grown to me. Therefore, I am sure that you will be able to select the “best new parts” aka the new writers, as you have done before. Seeing different approaches and perspectives is really interesting.

    Just a thought crossing my mind right now: How about doing a team-based post as a special event, meaning that the whole RC team (or a part of it) comment on one movie, or OVA? By doing so you might be able to stick your nose in. Also, we as the community, might get a new point of view too, since we should be able to see where your opinions overlap, or vise versa do not overlap. I admit that this also happens when all of you are commenting on the other writers posts, but this would be a more detailed approach I guess.

    Just an idea.

    And now back to lurking. ヽ(´▽`)/

    Keep it up, All of you!

    aisteh
  20. Does this mean jaalin will come back again for one or two posts? For some reason I always liked his style.

    Seriously though, best of luck man. The level of dedication you’ve given to this site is enormous. I’ll always remember one of Omni’s comments at his signing off: “I’m still young, and it’s time for me to go out there and live life.” (or something to that effect.) I don’t think it’s something you can fully understand until you graduate college and get out there in the “real world.” Time doesn’t stop for any of us.

    Carpe Diem!

    j.j.j
  21. It has been a pleasure Div, both reading and writing alongside you. *salute*

    Everyone, if writing is something you enjoy, make sure to apply! I won’t kid you can say it’s easy (3 hours per post is pretty typical), but it’s also really fun. Besides, you’ll never know whether you can do it or not until you try.

    Stilts
    1. I agree. Divine, it has been a pleasure reading your posts, as I arrived here at RandomCuriosity just as Omni left. Even though I don’t comment often, I always looked forward to your next coverage on a show. I wish you the best on your projects and that real life treats you well!

      Stilts, since you’re a writer on this site, too, I want to know what you do for screenshots and raws and such. Do you download episodes raw, and if so, where? How do you get the screenshots to come out in such good quality? Do you just snapshot from free streaming sites and edit them yourself? I’m sorry if I seem like I’m bombarding you with questions, but I’m really interested in being a blogger for RC. And as a female, maybe I have a chance, right? No harm in trying!

      Velcro
      1. I’m not Stilts, but I can answer your questions too!

        For screencaps, we try not to talk about how we acquire our sources out in the open, but if you want to know more about it, just come onto our IRC channel and we’ll be glad to fill you in. As for applying, I think you should go for it – we can always figure out the logistics of screencapping after you’ve sent in your writing sample too.

  22. well it is sad to get this news, I guess I should be happy that RC is not going to be shutdown again… over the years this place has become one of the places where I lurk around on an almost daily basis… I really appreciate Divine and all the other writers for making RC a wonderful place!
    regardless of what happened, I will continue to support RC 🙂
    best of luck to all the writers, and especially Divine!

    jrj
  23. Thank you for the past few years Divine. I’m glad you found a job you can throw yourself into! RC has always been some place I’ve loved, because of the passion, drive, and love you and your staff poured into your posts.

    And while you may be done blogging, the tone of your post sounds like you’ll still be lending a guiding hand to the direction, standards and purpose of the site, an ‘editor in chief’ style role. So while you may not be blogging, you will still be with us, guiding RC (at least I assume you aren’t passing the baton on to another leader just yet, are you?).

    I wish you luck in everything you do Divine. Know that you’ve bought much joy to myself and many others through your effort throughout the years, and for that we can never be thankful enough.

    Delwack
  24. “. If readership takes a nosedive and it makes little sense to keep the site running in its current form (which I highly doubt will happen), then I’ll likely intervene before it gets to some unsalvageable point.”

    Okay guys… *evilgrin*
    nah just kidding.

    Glad to see you’re enjoying your new job. Best of luck to you.
    Looking forward to your remaining posts on Guilty Crown. I don’t know though if you’d be happy to have it as your last show to be blogged before you go in hiatus lol.

    Nhelraios
  25. Really grateful for everything Divine! Hate to see you go but RL should always be top priority. I think the other writers are awesome and I’m sure the new writers you pick will do great. Good luck with everything man!!!

    Hopefully its really not indefinite but if you do end up going the way of Omni(no more blogging of the animes T_T) then thanks 4 everything! You gotta let us know if you do end up deciding to use the “R” word though!

    Justa_Dream
  26. First and foremost thank you very much for ALL of your hard work. I remember stumbling on Random when Omni was still here and was fascinated by the friendly layout and the blogging with the screen capture. I had visit other bloggings sites and none of them have yet to match Random Curiosity in it’s uniquess and skill.

    To me a workaholic time to watch anime is precious and thanks to you guys given me little blogs like this it help me find the right anime to enjoy. When Omni left I was actually sadden and did not even know where I should go next to get the blogging updates. Thankfully you came along and took the reigns and I dare say the site have gotten even better along with the new writers you found.

    I will miss your blogging dearly and your objective take on a series. I do however understand works > hobbies and I wish you the best on your android project. I also thank you for keeping the site open and even going so far as to still keep this site going even though you are still going away. Thank you very much, you are truly Divine.

    Lyner
  27. Oh shit, son; a Nabari No Ou picture — and accompanied with your MAL pro-picture, I think it’s safe to assume you’re a NNO fanboy (so am I). Anyways, I’d volunteer if it wasn’t for the fact that 1) I’m not a female and 2) I’m not a very committed person. I am a University student, and I handle my work better than most, so I have a lot of free time. Nevertheless, I did try blogging anime in the past, and failed to be consistent about it. Anyways, good luck with your endeavors, and I hope to see you blogging on this site once again. RandomC, while still an amazing outlet for its anime coverage, has lost a lot of its fundamental players, and I’d hate to have you, the last remaining member of RandomCuriosity, leave this site as well.

    DovahkiinGGGGG
  28. You take whatever time you need off, and well be here waiting for you :), and good luck on your android project i hope you’ll gives us some info in the near future of what it is. And remember without there wouldn’t be any Random Curiosity since the past two years.

    ruly
  29. Divine, thank you for all the years of blogging!

    I’ve been coming here for years now, back when Omni was still writing. I loved the formatting on the site and the very insightful posts. I really came to love the site and to be honest, the days when you and Omni were blogging is kind of the Golden Era of anime blogging for me. I’ll certainly miss having your voice on this blog, but I guess time waits for no one and the world keeps moving.

    While it looks like you’ll still be watching over things, I wonder who will helm the sight from now on? I really enjoyed having a clear leader directing the sites focus, but perhaps the community has outgrown having a single leader for RC.

    I wish you all the best, and while I’ll certainly miss your presence, I thank you for all of your contributions. Please pop back in once in a while and let us know how you’re doing!

    For that matter, how’s Omni?

    Galaxyfalcon
  30. That’s no problem Divine.
    You work your a$$ off to satisfy your readers (including myself), and I appreciate that. Many people cannot comprehend the sweat, blood, and tears you put into blogging this site. I go to this website indefinitely to get the latest anime/manga updates, so good luck to your job and thanks for your hard work.

    Rather than a goodbye…see you around!

    BNV
  31. Thanks for all the effort you and the rest of the team have been putting into Random Curiosity for the past few years and will be continuing to do so.

    While the blog itself will feel the loss of your posts, it’s nice to know that the team are willing to step up to help reduce down the impact it will have.

    Good luck with your job Divine and to the rest of the current team (+ future bloggers).

    Though I have one question, does Prooof intend to take on shows once Bleach comes to an end?

    Bluerise
  32. That’s too bad, I liked Divine’s posts on Aquarion and Lagrange. I really enjoyed the fact that it was blogged by a perspective of Super Robot Fan. Still, the way Divine describes his job opportunity seems way too good to pass just for blogging. So good luck with that Divine!

    At least I like Stilts posts so maybe he can make Lagrange blogging interesting.

    fragb85
  33. This is a good turn of events for Random Curiosity, imo. Not that Divine is doing a bad job, but that for a blog SO COMPREHENSIVE all the on-going anime, one person cannot possibly maintain it.

    I am sure RC can get talented writers.

    suff
  34. First of all, you have my most sincere thanks for all your hard work. I can understand what you are living through; our jobs are similar, and when I get home I do lack the time and/or the motivation for the things I would like to do. Without you and your posts, I would have missed a lot of shows like Senkou no Night Raid, Angel Beats! or Fractale

    Your opinions, your humour and every little thing you brought on RC shall be sorely missed, but your choice is one I respect a lot. Besides, you saved RandomCuriosity from shutting down and worked hard all this time. It is time to rest, and be assured that you So, take your time, good luck with everything and if (or when) you come back, we will greet you with a (virtual) smile and a lot of cheering.

    Once again, thank you for everything, and good luck.

    HurtChamane
  35. Sad to see you go, but take care. You’ve done a truly admirable (if not, outright inspiring) job with RandomC, and if you put half as much effort in to your Android project as you did in to this website, I’m certain it’ll come out absolutely amazing.

    Cheers.

    SkallyWag
  36. Thanks for the all work done this far. I actually don’t follow a lot of anime series but even if I don’t watch the show, I still enjoy reading some of your posts. I would definitely miss your blogs on the Naruto manga – I get even more excited about your post than the manga itself sometimes! But really, do what’s best and good luck with everything!!

    Yoruhime
  37. Best wishes to your endeavors, Divine. I’d much rather see you go on indefinite leave with the possibility of your return than see you retire with no possibility of return T.T

    Tatsuki
  38. I liked RC when Omni was in charge, but without disrespecting him whatsoever, I would say I love it even more after Divine has taken over.

    The time has come for the torch to be passed on to the next generation of bloggers, but we shall never forget your contributions, Divine. We wish you all the best.

    BTW, just wondering in case I’m interested in applying for a writing position here someday, does anyone know of any software that allows me to take screencaps faster than the regular PrintScreen? (Yes, I am quite blogging illiterate) What screencap programs do you current writers use anyway?

    Kinny Riddle
    1. Look into Veedub, it can do a number of excellent things from making avatars to taking screen shots at specific times. The program isn’t exactly user friendly but its free and youtube is your friend.

      That said, have fun Divine. 😀

      Vena
    2. I love that phrase. Passing the torch… pretty much parallels the emphasis on transience that I find so beautiful in Japanese history. There’s just something about the story of generations and the changing of hands through the years that gets me melancholic and pensive. Maybe I’m too sentimental about this, but the transience I’m talking about isn’t anything tangible, but spiritual; lost objects can be replaced, but memories can’t.

      …so I thank you, Divine, for bringing us something that so many have overlooked out in the world: a good time. And wow, I didn’t notice how embarrassing this post would be, but I felt the need to post it. Gosh I’m pathetic… *manly tears*

    3. @ Kinny Riddle

      We all just use Media Player Classic and rebind the hotkey “Save Image (auto)” to something that’s convenient to hit 40+ times an episode. There’s a little more to it than that, but you don’t need any special programs to screen cap.

      Stilts
  39. Thank you Divine for all you’ve done for RC!
    Its been great getting to know you through your posts so I hope we’ll be able to see you around (:

    That said, all the best for your new job!

    Jojothemonkey
  40. Happy to hear that you have landed yourself something that you’re passionate and excited about…will miss your writing and reviews though. This is one of my favourite sites, and I come back here a few times a day… Like you said, the site is currently in good hands – I do enjoy reading the reviews of the writers at RC and will continue coming back everyday to check on new postings. Divine, all the best to you.

    ronbb
  41. 1. You are awesome.
    2. I really like the people you chose to write on this show this time. Good job on the recruiting.
    3. Do come back when you have the time.
    4. i-i-it’s not like i’m complementing you it’s just that i had some compliments lying around and i had to use them anyway.

    Outcast
  42. I have always hated to follow a crowd, but i feel honored to be one of many to say thank you for all the hard work Divine. Thanks to you I have discovered new shows and experiences. From the bottom of my heart; Thank You

    Heliosmajestus
  43. We’ll miss you Divine.
    Thank you so much for all the hard work and all the effort that you put into RC for us, especially after OMNI’s leave.
    Random Curiosity is the best anime blog out there by far c:

    Maichain
  44. Good luck Divine, we as comunity will make sure to keep the site alive and make it into something you would be even more proud of. I think I speak for everyone who visits the blog when I say I´ll miss yor incredible insight and good judgement of every series. I must say I respect you a lot for keeping this site alive and improve it into what it is today, and I must thank you for givig me and many others a place to express our ideas and share our thoughts about what many consider more than a hobby but a way of life, so to put it simply: THANK YOU.

    haseo0408
  45. Divine, I became a regular RC visitor around the time you took over and it’s been an awesome experience ever since. I agree with you that the RC staff and community will continue to flourish, but you’ll be missed nonetheless. Congrats on finding a job you love & enjoy your free time. You deserve it!

    fullmetalmya
  46. Thanks for all the great posts and the great work you have done with this site Divine. I would like to blog for RC but I don’t know how to read Japanese or take screen-shots, plus I think all the shows you will be dropping, that I watch, will be covered by someone.

    Best of luck with your work and future and hope to see you back blogging someday.

    ishruns
  47. Good luck with everything Divine. I’ve been visiting RC daily since the ol’ OMNI days so I appreciate your hard efforts into making the site what it is today. I’m holding off on not saying goodbye because I know you’ll still pop up every now and then (the lure of anime won’t let you retire)!!

    alster1985
  48. I’ve started reading RC 4 years ago and through out these years, I’ve enjoyed your blogging as it was unique and different to other bloggers out there. Its really sad that you have to leave because of your work… I know that feeling.

    However, its good to know that you enjoy it as much as watching anime/blogging/playing games.

    Gl with your android project and hopefully you’ll drop in RC time to time to say hello 😛

    Kanade
  49. First off- congrats on the position! And one that you enjoy- even better.

    Thanks for all the work that you have put in. You’ve made this site a mighty damn fine place to visit.

    Best of luck!

    Kmainichi
  50. Can’t say we didn’t see this coming. Juggling between work/life balance always requires a delicate touch and it’s great to hear that you like your new job. Good luck, Divine. Your insights will be greatly missed and please do comment from time to time.
    The other writers, you guys are such bros! Salute 😉

    Seishun Otoko
  51. But how will we be able to go on without you…! Nevertheless, thank you for all your hard work, Divine. You’ve been a pleasure to read and will certainly be missed.

    fateslaying
    1. He’d like to blog that.. but as you can see, bad sched right now. The ending was incomplete anyway (square’s probably going to put the real ending on DLC). If you want it blogged here, it’s best to holler at Takaii. He’s probably done playing.

      MrRei
    2. Yeah it was confirmed already that the ‘real ending’ would be made into DLC content. I guess it’s Square’s way of pulling out more money from our pockets with their unfinished game.

      Ryudo
      1. Really? I heard that the DLC is just gonna explain what Lightning was doing before/during the events of xiii-2. nevertheless, this game really reek of the stench that SE wants to milk as much money as possible…

        echo
  52. Divine, i have a small suggestion…Even if you are gonna drop some of the more popular animes this season and no writer is gonna pick it up, you can probably just make a few screencaps and perhaps a few sentences describing the episode?

    By looking back at guilty crown and ano matsu, there will actually tons of comments for those 0.0 (esp. guilty crown having 300 comments)
    For me i believe that half of the fun coming to RC is to read what this website awesome writers have blogged, the other half of the fun is to see all the comments by a diverse range of viewers (trollers/bashers/fans). Reading RC makes my long ride to campus seems shorter ^.^

    SapphireArcz
    1. I like this suggestion, but I’d even say that I’d be completely fine without any screencaps or even a summary. Mainly, Divine could just create an entry for each new episode and open the floor to comments and discussions like the case for Guilty Crown Ep 18. Maybe even just one header image/logo and then open for commenting I’d think.

      Good luck with your job Divine! We understand how it is when school/work kicks in and suddenly there’s less time to do things 🙂

      BR_Impulse
  53. I salute you, Divine. I’ve never seen a harder-working blogger, much less an anime blogger, in all my time on the intarwebz.

    That said, I’ll be looking forward to all the new writers. I’d really like to try my hand at it myself, but even though I’ll be graduating soon I’m going to have to review to take a licensure exam, so no dice.

    Anyway, good luck with Android development; I attended a seminar on that once, but my Java knowledge was limited so I couldn’t do crap.

    I’ll be expecting your posts again in maybe six months or so, so don’t let us down Divine 🙂

    DCLXVI
  54. Good luck Divine! And I’m glad that you decided to finish Guilty Crown at the very least. You did very good making it through all those train-wreck episodes so it would be such a shame to drop it when it’s starting to get good. Kudos for all your hard work and patience!

    The Story You Don't Know
  55. Wow you’re doing the same thing I did a few months ago!!! I definitely think you should take a break, the other writers more than make up for it I think. Best luck to you Divine.

    In light of all this I suppose a female blogger would be really sweet. Will see you soon again when you come back.

  56. Hey Divine ^_^

    It is good to know that you are still alive out there and filling us with the info about your new job / hectic schedule; CONGRATS! ^_^

    Life tends to throw hard balls at us and you in particular resulted in making an important choice in your life. As with many other readers of RC, we will still come regularly to visit Random Curosity to discuss about various animes and will still be happy to see even your “short posts” to see you are still doing fine and want us to express our thoughts on the anime.

    Best of luck to you in your new job, but do make sure you are in good health 😛

    Liberta
  57. when you say android, do you mean the phone one or an actual robot?

    it was nice reading your posts and insights over the many years you’ve been blogging at RC and maintaining the site I just have to salute you for everything you’ve done up until now.

    hope to hear how you’re doing at least in IRC whenever you got time dude

    Xziled
  58. https://randomc.net/2012/03/01/ano-natsu-de-matteru-08/comment-page-1/#comment-788908

    I hate it when my guesses are right on most of the time.

    But as part of the working class, I know how Divine feels when work as a developer, being a software developer for e geospatial company myself, drains you: sitting in front of a computer all day isn’t easy when you are trying to achieve a goal that seems impossible(so the next time you look at a map, please remember me LOLZ, and when you look at an android remember Divine).

    Divine, we really won’t blame you if you decide to retire after finishing your remaining anime. Life’s like that and there isn’t anything we can do. I just wonder who will be the one to take over RC though if you did.

    The Moondoggie
    1. Pretty much everyone saw this coming based on how he’s been putting off posts, so don’t give yourself too much credit.

      And like he said, there’s plenty of other writers here, so it’s likely he’ll just leave it up to them as a group. Though I think it’s up to Divine to keep the site up, so he’ll more or less still be “in charge”.

      Da5id
      1. Pretty much everyone saw this coming based on how he’s been putting off posts, so don’t give yourself too much credit.

        Yeah. But I made the guess before he started putting off posts and before the post above: it was when he made the announcement he got a new job.

        I was like [mentions New Job -> RL problems -> Omni]. I kept it at the back of my brain until the late posts appeared. He then started getting busy, as I expected he would.

        The Moondoggie
      2. Yeah, it was fairly obvious.

        I mean, it was something that was bound to happen eventually, we just didn’t want it happen now.

        We never want it happen now…but it does. We can only accept will move on from it permanently one day, as will all of us, and thank him for his years of service.

        Da5id
  59. thank you for all your hard work divine! 🙂 hope to still see some of your posts from time to time as you were the one who pulled me into randomc! best of luck with your real life priorities :3

    Daniell
  60. You really deserve a break Divine <3 and you will be remembered! Here's wishing you all the best at your new job, good for you. THANK YOU above all else, I don't think I would ever be able to do what you did. Goodbye, hopefully not forever.

    SlushiZ
  61. I don’t post often, but I check this site regularly.
    So I’m posting to say, you were a really chill blogger that I’d keep up with, and I wish you the best of luck in your new job. It’s really cool that you took the time to explain everything, communication is great to have 🙂

    Maybe if you *Really* do like blogging (Even if you can’t blog a full season’s episode), you can blog only one episode from an old season people never usually heard of, that way it’s already complete and people get to know about other anime, along with being able to write something up whenever you feel like it. A “guest” blogger to indtroduce cool stuff you come across.

    That’s one reason I come to RC, to find new anime to watch

    Geoff
  62. Oh God, I swear Divine…my heart practically stopped for a minute or two when the site finished loading and the incoming dread as I saw your post at the top. But that aside, we are all human and taking over RC when you did was a tremendous task – I applaud you for it. That being said, with the economy these days, I don’t blame you for taking some things as priority over blogging and I will still be sticking around so WHEN you do come back…I am sure there will be a warm welcome. You will be missed though (at least your posts)!!!

    Bakanekokun
  63. Good luck on your new job, Divine. It’s amazing how you managed to find time for your work, watch 9 shows this season, and blog about them, and still have time to play through FFXIII-2. That’s some mad time-management skills.

    Enjoy your well deserved break.
    So long, and thanks for all the blog posts.

    Kentaiyoshimi
  64. For all your had work, thanks for everything, Divine 😀 We understand what you’re going through and we don’t have a choice.

    Good luck with your job…and woah wait, is that job Android development related? Wait, nevermind that :)) I’ve started lurking and commenting here for almost two years (I rarely comment though, but lurk yes, quite often) so I’ve seen your task and you’ve done an excellent job 😀

    I dunno if I’ll be fit as one of the writers of RC though so… XD

  65. Congrats Divine on your new job !! I hope everything will be as you wish, it has truly been a joy to read your post everyweek. I’ll be looking forward to see you read you again 🙂

    maddoki
  66. Ahaa~ first of all I want to give thanks to Divine for all the effort he put up on this site as well as congratulations also for getting the job that he seem to be very happy and excited. I just hope though that he will still have time watching anime (not much for blogging though, it can’t be help we are talking about real life here).

    I hope someone also picked up Black Rock Shooter in case Divine drop the coverage and would only focus on Guilty Crown till its end. BRS right now is my favorite anime of the season and the lack of coverage of it from some of the blog site I frequent is just sad, also I found Divine’s writing really worth reading because I found his impression and the way he writes it really interesting.

  67. Hey Divine, thanks for your hard work keeping the site up 🙂 though uou’re takig a leave of indefinite absence, will you still have tome to drop a comments on interesting episodes? ( like Enzo has been in some EVOL episodes, or maybe a small section at the en of the main post). I really enjoy reading about your views on EVOL for the past 2 months or so. I would love to still see your comments ^_^

    Please come back when you feel like!! You’re still the spiritual leader 😀

    PS. Who is taking over as adminstrator of the site?

    Hikaru
  68. Thank you very much with the work you’ve put in so far and congratulations on your job.
    I hope you’ll come back someday; it won’t be the same without you.
    Anyway, I’ll try out for writer. Captioning images is going to be a bitch and I watch the subs, but it still seems like something I should do.

    Bio D
  69. I completely understand where you are coming from, Divine. Having a full time job and running an anime blog is no easy task and the number of shows you take on is just inhuman. I’m amused by your tech development background (I’m a PM in a creative/software firm myself), and know the horrendous hours. Good luck settling in your new job and I hope you keep guiding the new writers coming in.

  70. xD all I can say is THIS: Life… I wanted to blog anime so bad for someone, ESPECIALLY for RandomC! It is, after all, the apotheosis of anime blogs. I ran my own for awhile as an outlet just because I have a proclivity for writing as it is. However, after months and virtually no readership, because to get one in the first place requires luck really, I realized I am staying up until 1 A.M. and cropping an exorbitant amount of screen caps and writing these 1,000 word +, articles, carefully placing the pictures to what ever my article is describing at any given part, JUST to kill time. Honestly it became a monotonous tribulation rather than the leisure endeavor it was supposed to be when I began. I love writing, but as soon as it wasn’t for myself it became a job. I already have one of those, and classes, and life, and a sport. Then to have a readership as abundant as RC’s? Like Divine said, one might as well have a second job, that is, if one’s intention is to produce the quality reviews that are expected of RC. I feel bad for the next batch of writers, and at the same time, can’t wait. Good luck Divine(developer for Androids?! That takes math. Yuck), and good luck neophyte RC bloggers, don’t run out of steam. And, with out further adieu, I shall take leave of my longest comment ever. May RC prosper.

    KRILL
  71. You’ve done a great job so far, since you inherited this wonderful website from Omni.
    I’ve only returned looking at this site myself watching anime and archiving nice screenshots.

    All the best with your new job Divine! :3

  72. Best of luck mate. Hope to still see you around here from time to time but agree that life takes priority. I know I wouldn’t be able to balance that kind of crazy schedule myself (I’ve tried, it doesn’t work).

    Pot Noodle
  73. Thank you Divine,

    I already saw this coming in some sort of way a few weeks ago with you stating that you had a new job :D. You have the full right to make a indefinite leave from blogging as you have done more in the past two years for us readers than most people had hold possible. I commend you in your future endeavors.

    Tonameki
  74. Take care with the new job and more relaxing anime viewing divine. Hope to have you back now and then and maybe in the future writing about one or two shows when the more important stuff gets less hectic. Anyway, thanks for all the posts so far!

    Greg
  75. I was afraid of that… I knew that 9 shows for one blogger is quite the load to carry…

    Thanks for everything Divine, really appreciated it. BTW, you said you don’t know if you’ll come back here. How about this ? You could blog only one show, just manage the news like the previews and schedules or even team up with another blogger for the screen captures, like Unlisted helps Verdant with his Persona 4 reviews. That way, you still be in touch with us, and you could keep an eye on the site. You might stop blogging, but that doesn’t stop you from watching the other bloggers and post you opinion once in a while. I personally think that you should finish some of your shows for this seaosn and then start blogging only the previews, season reviews, schedules and site news. Those are far less exhaustive to do and you keep one finger on the pulse of the site.

    You say that you need around 3 or 4 writers, right ? I’m sorry, but with the proportions the site have gotten, you might need double that amount; 15 writers would be the best number and they would get like only 2 or 3 shows maximum. I know that it’s a large number and it’s not easy getting competent and reliable bloggers, but the site really needs that. What I hate the most about anime is how they work: some have 26 episodes and some have only 13. When a season starts, new shows come out, but some are not finished yet, leading to a serious bottleneck that I fail to understand how do Japanese TV stations deal with. If you guys want an advice, I say just take up only one show with 26 episodes and the rest with 13 episodes.

    Anyway, thanks again for the reviews Divine, but like I said, there are other ways you could still be part of Random Curiosity, so you should check it out.

    JiCi
  76. As for all people, there comes a time when you should slow down and not feel forced to do what you like the most.

    I feel that the role you mentioned in this blog is actually something that any blog needs. In this way, you are making this blog much like a professional magazine, which should only improve this site. As experienced as you are, an editor role would much suite you.

    I wish you the best of luck in your work and I thank you for the 3.5 years of active blogging

    Shugima
    1. Wow a wild SHUGIMA appeared!
      Go! TONAMEKI!
      TONAMEKI used ‘SCRATCH’
      It’s Super Effective!!!!!
      Enemy SHUGIMA used ‘GROWL’
      But, it failed.

      TONAMEKI used ‘TACKLE’
      It’s almost down
      Enemy SHUGIMA used ‘GLARE’
      It didn’t effect TONAMEKI
      Try catching it with a Poké ball
      Tonameki used Poké ball
      TUDUM…
      TUDUM…
      TUDUM….!
      All right! Shugima was caught!
      New RCDEX data will be added for SHUGIMA
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Tonameki
  77. It’s sad to see you leave, but I can understand that you want to use your free time to actually relax. Writing about nine shows is, for me personally, overkill and I can imagine the stress you must’ve gone through.

    A suggestion to this site overall is to occasionally come up with editorials or “thoughts” about anime or series, instead of only episodics, but maybe that’s too far away from the site’s purpose. I find it more fun to read about thoughts instead of summaries.

    Thank you for a good time, hope the job goes well 🙂

  78. I’m certain that I won’t be the only one who’s gonna miss reading your observations and musings on anime, Divine. Since the time you joined under Omni, to when you took over the site from him, right up to the present, there have been countless shows that I have enjoyed more by reading your reviews after I finished watching an episode of. Due to your oft stated philosophy of “watching mediocre and even controversial series for the sake of variety, or simply so that I can make an informed judgment at the end”, I’ve discovered a veritable mine of anime that I would’ve never deign to watch without your illuminating reviews. You’ve certainly left an indelible mark on how I pick what new show to watch each season, and for that I and a lot of others I think am very grateful for. Alas, that your real life responsibilities is cutting down on the time you can spend blogging, which has come to a head with you having to stop midway into a very interesting season. Nevertheless, I won’t begrudge you it, as I firmly believe that real life should always take precedence, what more since you seem to love the work that you’re doing right now. Therefore, I would just wish for your success with your current endeavours, and hope that the time I can once more enjoy your reviews will hopefully not be in the too distant future.

  79. Sounds like a great new job, congratulations on getting it. Hoping to see you blog again at some point, though; your posts are always a joy to read.

    As unlikely as it may be, I really hope that someone decides to take over coverage of Black Rock Shooter…

    HenDarou
  80. Thank you for all the hard work Divine! I’ve been a rabid reader of RC over the last few years, and I will sorely miss your great reviews!

    I wish you all the best in your career! And I do hope you get the chance to continue enriching our lives down the road!

    Thank You Divine!

    Rogarth
  81. For doing all you’ve done for this community… I’ll share my Kona-chan Dakimakura with you. It’ll help you de-stress while you’re coding stuff at home. DON’T SPILL COFFEE ON IT THOUGH! It’s a highly prized possession of mine!

    Jokes aside, I haven’t made my presence known here till recently, but I’ve been following your blogs and reviews for the longest time. They’ve inspired me to do some reviewing of my own, and like many others probably do, I’ve dreamt of working along side you and the rest of the RC blogging team. Cheesy, but true. So yeah, otsukaresama deshita! I’ll miss reading your insightful and cleverly written posts. Stay safe, make sure you get enough rest and don’t forget to say hi every once in awhile! (I sound like a mother.)

    Junglepenguin
  82. I don’t like to be the harbinger of bad news when everyone’s being so happy for Divine, but there are still people who would like to see the remainder of Divine’s shows covered, myself included.

    That said, I suggest that we have a sort of “community coverage” for said shows. Anyone confident (and hopefully skilled) enough does a write-up, even for just one episode of one show, posting under a single name, perhaps Anonymous or Nanashi (no name) or something. All Divine would have to do is to pick and/or compile the write-ups, reducing his workload. It also means that the shows continue to be covered, though of course not by Divine.

    There are problems with this though; there might not be any willing would-be writers, or said writers might not be skilled enough or might fail/not be able to follow schedules.

    Either way, this is just a suggestion.

    DCLXVI
    1. Willing would-be writers are spilling out from this community (myself included). It’s the skills and schedules that’s the problem. Divine leaves behind some pretty big shoes to fill, and people with the same technical knowledge, linguistic competence and deep interest in anime as him are a rarity.

      Well, maybe the community could work in groups. While some abled writers lack the skills to work with photoshop and other technical tools can do the write-ups, others with the technical smarts but don’t fancy writing can take the screenshots and do the editing. Groups can comprise a few co-writers that blog based on the screenshots taken by a person who’s got the skills to do so. It also (kinda) solves the problem of being unable to fit to the schedules. If one person in that “reviewing group” can’t make it for whatever reason, the rest can still work together to blog the particular episode. The end product can be run through one of RC’s official bloggers for a final review before it get’s posted up.

      Or something like that. Just adding on to the idea. It would be best to just do what Divine says and volunteer yourself as a new writer through the application format he threw in together with his post though.

      Junglepenguin
      1. This suggestion stems from the very fact that I can’t volunteer to be a regular writer because I don’t have enough free time to follow a regular blogging schedule at the moment. However, I think I can find time to do a write-up for every other episode, which is the basis for this idea.

        If there are enough writers about with similar situations to my own who can write on a piecemeal basis, then it should work. That’s also why I suggested that the community posts be under a single name, so that nobody in particular takes any flak should the posts prove to be subpar in writing quality. The community can take the posts or leave them; all I want is continued coverage.

        DCLXVI
      2. It’s a good suggestion. Setting up a structure for your suggestion might be a little troublesome though. It’ll take some time to sort through individual posts and to mash them all into one big review to be posted up. Or were you suggesting that one anonymous post by a single person be taken for each episode? Either way, as long as stuff doesn’t go unblogged, I’ll be at peace. I hope Divine does reply to you suggestion though. It sounds like a workable idea.

        Junglepenguin
  83. It has been an honor reading your posts.

    Wish you best of luck for your next projects.
    Hope you are as committed to it as you have been to RC.

    I salute to you and see you around when time is right.

    Muhimu
  84. Thanks for the hard work Divine. I’m glad to hear that you’ll still be covering Guilty Crown and I fully support your decision to take a bit of a break and lessen the load that you have to carry. I’ve been visiting RandomC since it began years back and it’s amazing how much it’s evolved and grown. In my opinion, RandomC will continue to live on as long as anime continues to be produced- it’s not just a blog it’s an entire online community of people who enjoy anime. Best to you in all your future endeavors Divine!

  85. Divine, its really disheartening to to hear that you would take an indefinite leave. You’ve gone through so much since the reestablishment of RC under your wings.

    Well, life must go on eh? Good luck on your career and life. Although, I still look forward to your full-time return to the anime blogging scene =)

    Being an RC reader since 2008, I’ve grown to know you for your hard work, commitment and for your extraordinary ability to write an unbiased, entertaining posts – And we, the avid readers of RC love and thank you for that.

    Thanks, and Good luck divine 🙂
    P.S. I would love to write for RC or at least try to contribute in some way

    flitzer
  86. Many thanks for all the hard work you’ve done the past years and for keeping RC alive.

    I hope you’ll be enjoying your work for years to come, but I also hope that you’ll be with us from time to time (even if it is with a huuuuuuuuuuuuge gap inbetween :P).

    Morridin
  87. Congrats on the position, D. I’ve tagged along since you took over Omni’s responsabilities back in 2010. Always thought you were taking on WAY TOO MUCH ( I think I’ve told you this a few times in the past).
    RC is always home as far as anime goes. Thanks to the good and fun blogger’s team, the site will do fine but it’s definitely not going to be the same without you.
    You take care and hopefully, you won’t become a stranger.

    Shinjiro
  88. heard you about female applicants Divine =]

    sadly working life aint helping otakus (had to shut down my fansub group for same reasons). Hard to let go but definetely necessary. So best of luck in the future
    would have been interested in helping tho but this season has been a bit of a let down shows wise…havent checked spring/summer ones yet.

    Neko
  89. This is by far the best anime blogging website I’ve ever seen in my 2 years as a fan.

    I’m sad to see you (Divine) retire to greener pastures, and I would submit an application as a writer, but I suspect that my lack of experience with the material and an overly intellectual bent would be detriments to episodic blogging.

    Hopefully the new recruits carry your torch brightly and proudly as you have! 🙂

  90. Well like they say “Life goes on” but with these last 2+ years with you at the helm, I’ll like to give my thanks for bring all us these shows you and your team has brought us as well as the season schedules you write up each period as they have given all us an opportunity as to what is on the horizon and what we may have missed will all own busy schedules.

    Good luck on your new post and hope to see you around for those special posts of your.

    Arigatou gozaimasu 🙂

    Azstraph
  91. Honestly I was afraid you were going to shut down the site, I was sensing the lack of your presence here. I hope you the best at work! I really appreciate your sense of obligation towards us the random folks of RC. Thanks for keeping us updated!

    Sin1505
  92. I’ve always appreciated your blogging so I feel sad you’re going into hiatus, but it’s good to think the reason is a very positive one, i.e. your new job you seems to like and to be satisfied of! ^^ So thanks for your posts until now and good luck with everything!

    Akira
  93. Thanks Divine for all your hard work
    You really filled the void when Omni left and made this site completely your own and did wonderful things with it. The blog couldn’t have gone on for this long without your work and dedication. Thanks for 3.5 years of awesomeness. I hope everything goes well irl for you and I’m wishing you all the best at your new job =) I hope you do come back to blog regularly but not at the expense of your personal life haha. But do keep in touch you’ll be missed a lot.

    Ally
  94. I have been here since Omni first started RC, and I don’t plan on leaving! Divine, you done a great job maintaining the site and keeping it fresh and lively. So, please do your best with work and life!

    kureejii
  95. I’ve been here from the very beginning, and seen firsthand how this site has evolved over the years, becoming a central part of the online anime community. And now that it’s arrived at the next stage of its evolution, I must say that it wouldn’t have gotten here without you, Divine. What began as a one-man effort by Omni has evolved into something that is, indeed, far greater as a sum of its parts. It was according to your vision that the all the new writers were brought in, all hardworking and objective individuals, true to the spirit of the site- in the process making that spirit more vibrant than it’s ever been.

    So I salute thee Divine; may you find solace, and a sense of accomplishment, even as you depart, in the fact that the place you’re leaving is a place far greater than it was whence you first arrived- and that it is by your hands that it is so.

    Zen
  96. Divine, I wish you all the luck in the world with your new job. Thanks for all the hard work you put in Random Curiosity; I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts (especially the ones on Amagami SS and Amagami SS+ Plus). I know you’ll be back here on RC when you’ve got more time. I just know it. =)

    But before you take your leave, please at least finish watching and blogging Amagami SS+ Plus; since it’s only a one week more before the start of the last arc (Haruka’s). It’s kinda sad to see you go without finishing it.

    Banzai, Divine! =)

    The_Magus_Killer
  97. Well good luck with your new job! I’m glad everything seems to be going well and we will definitely be here when you come back.

    It’s kind of surprising how much have changed when Random Curiosity first started a long time ago and in some ways kind of make me sad how things have change a lot over the years.

    Silver
  98. I’m more or less on the same boat and I barely have time for it + my french classes so I really admire you for keeping RC running and blogging 9 shows. It’s okay, everybody deserves a break, your health is important too! Besides, everybody is doing a great job so don’t worry about RC. Good luck with your new job!

    haitechan
  99. I really have to thank you Divine!
    If it weren’t for this site and you, I never would have watched so much anime like I do now!
    Good luck with your future, and I hope you one day want to come back

    Pera
  100. As a programmer, I understand why you have to take a leave of absence Divine. All the sleepless nights are not going to help with your blogging anyways. Its better to sort out your real life priorities first than to this. Salute to you Divine for blogging this long

    gcsasuke
  101. I’m so tremendously grateful RC won’t be shutting down. This is bar far the anime blog I frequent first and foremost, and I love the in-depth discussions and differing yet (almost always) respectful debates and opinions people can share in.

    The huge screenshots are a definite plus too, I won’t lie. XD

    I hope everything in your life evens out and you can balance fun and work effectively, Divine. When and if you return to RC, I’ve no doubt you’ll be welcomed back with open arms.

  102. This is great news. I’ve never been a fan of writing style and I think Omni quitting was a massive blow, but over time you’ve brought in writers that are willing to keep a blog format that doesn’t drench the content in play by play.

    The less of you the better, so I welcome your new position. Thank you for keeping the site running for the more capable bloggers.

    Kelino
    1. I haven’t summarized in the past two years, so you’re either genuinely unaware of that fact or just coming in with a two year old predetermined disposition to get your shots in now. Either way, I can’t say I’m a “fan” of ignorant yet outspoken readers like yourself either.

  103. thanks for all the hard work. understandably you have other commitments to well… commit to. All the best in your undertakings and i’ll try to get a android device and buy your app (if it is good enough… lol jk)

    prinny
  104. Never really felt the need to comment before, but on this I would like to say thank you, you’ve always given me something interesting to read and always thought of something that I hadn’t thought about (which generally turned out to be true…)
    Good luck with you job, and hopefully we’ll all hear from you, from time to time 🙂
    Thanks again Divine, you’ll be missed!

    Moses
  105. Thanks Divine – Your insight will be missed and you’ve really made this one of the best anime sites out there. Seems like you’ve cultivated a lot of new talent here so I look forward to your current writers carrying on the torch! Good luck with the new job and hope you’ll pop in from time to time.

    Sudachi
  106. I have every single one of the qualifications down except for the College/University level English skills. Ugh.. How badly I would love to write for the blog. So much free time. I actually tried making my own Season Preview a while back and Divine, I bow down to you. It is hard work. -_-”

    I’m looking into giving my writing skill a level up because I think I’d view anime and the way I describe them differently. Hopefully I’ll be in time to help out here later on down the road. Been coming here since the B.D. era (Before Divine) when Omni was in power.

    Either way, congratulations and best wishes.

  107. Congratulations Divine on your new job! Your views and dedication to details will be sorely missed. Your new job sounds very exciting and as a long time reader, I am sincerely happy for you.

    I’m looking forward to the new female writers. Thank you for making sure that the site is in good hands before passing on the leadership.

    Will someone take up the Naruto manga coverage? Because I’ll miss those. 🙁

    When Omni left, I thought it marked the end of RC. Then you took over and raised in into something even more better. Thank you so much for all your hard work up until now! I hope you enjoy your well deserved rest and guest post often. I’ll be following your GC coverage to the end.

    Best of luck Divine!

    Chloesong
    1. Ps. Wow, talk about full circle. A Nabari no Ou image to match with your introduction post back in 2008….. Not to mention, it was one of the first series you blogged. . :'<
      We'll miss you Divine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Chloesong
      1. Pss. I can’t help noticing it takes 3-4 writers to cover what Divine takes in a season. 😛 Summer 2012 is going be a season record for having different writers on RC.

        Chloesong
  108. WE STILL ON THIS TOPIC!?!?! aight my niggas!! there’s a new SORA NO OTOSHIMONO movie OUT!!!!! “yeah i know been its been out fo a min ..raw” NOW CHOP CHOP …DASHOO!! lets get that in!already!! life moves on.

    BROOKLYN otaku
  109. The writing applicants must be feeling like high school students waiting for their acceptance letters to come in…only I bet this is a whole lot more nervewracking :P.

    Of course, no rush for Divine to choose, it’s a careful decision that’s unrushable after all.

    Zanibas
  110. I originally became a fan of RandomC because of Divine’s coverage of Sora no Otoshimono, and even though I love the other writers too, Divine was always my favourite, I guess I just prefer his writing style.
    Either way, it’s sad to see you go, but I wish you luck and hope that you one day come back, but if you don’t then that’s completely fine!
    I’m looking forward to see how the others do without you, RandomC has a lovely bunch of bloggers :3

    Lunafloon
  111. This is definitely sad as for me this site was RC-Divine something with very similar meanings. These were good years and I had alot fun visiting. And for most of time I ve been wondering how can you do some much and never get tired of it…
    Well then cya and good luck!

    laaa
    1. I don’t understand. Why don’t you think females are as good enough as guys to blog about anime? Do you think we’re biased about girly-girly shows or are all rabid yaoi fangirls? Not all of us fit this criteria, and we women are entitled to our opinions on anime too, aren’t we?

      You should at least give us a chance before posting comments like these. We girls might just surprise you.

      Hastella
      1. You might be able to surprise me. But mostly i’ll be waiting for you to quit after trying, not being able to cover broad spectrums of anime (in the spirit of randomc), and not be entertaining.

        Outcast
  112. I don’t mean to offend, but I think you’re ignoring the major problem, and you’ve even mentioned it yourself. “2-3 shows per season is the recommended maximum for any one person,” you said. You don’t need to burn yourself out and blog a whopping nine shows, especially for someone like you, who has other priorities. Hell, I’d say five shows would be the max for someone situation as yourself. There may be ten great shows worth blogging, but you should limit yourself to a select few. You have also have several other bloggers contributing to the site, so between you and them, you should be able to produce an adequate number of episodic posts for an adequate number of anime. Quality of quantity, my friend.

    As for applying for a position, it may not work out in my favor because
    A) I’m not female.
    B) I’m student (and a rather poor one) and
    C) I can’t speak Japanese

    Nor do I sufficiently meet the other qualifications (I’m probably more subjective than objective, and I have no expertise with Photoshop, though I could learn if I tried) So maybe I’ll lay low?…

  113. Here’s my suggestion.

    Since this blog is going to written by a whole bunch of writers, Divine, you as the operator of the site, need to work more on advertising. I think RC has a lot more potential readers than what we have right now (even though the site has seen substantial growth), and those extra readers can help RC to retain its writers and staff.

    I am not exactly sure how this can be done, unfortunately. Maybe a brain-storm session is needed.

    suff
  114. I know all this has been said before, but I wanted to submit my record of gratitude towards your work Divine. I discovered this blog 5 years ago, and it was a great blog to keep me updated on all things anime. It is sad to see you go, but it is perfectly understandable. RC’s success, especially in transition, I find is that the community is a very enthusiastic one. That is key because it keeps it alive and thriving. You did a wonderful job maintaining that level of quality, and I wish you all the best in your new job!

    Soren
  115. Glad the site’s still going to continue and woo-hoo to new writers! Community approach rocks!

    Thanks for all your blogging and (continued) hard work behind the scenes Divine. New job sounds awesome. Being one of the lucky who have a day job I’m passionate about, I know how rare that is. Best of luck with it all.

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