Posted by 
Welcome to another bi-weekly edition of “Up to Snuff”. As the season rolls into high gear, we’re once more taking the pulse of our readership – please vote!
Our writer poll this week is “Your top 5 series of summer so far”. So the vote is based on the 2-4 episodes that have already aired, not just this week’s episode. And of course recurring series are eligible. The results at the top are hardly surprising – even as much of the world suffers through record heat (again), snow and ice reign supreme in anime. The vikings were tough SOB’s, but climate change would have been a tough matchup for them.
“Ask the Readers” is back for its second appearance in UtS. This week we’d like to know how you consume your anime blog content – RC or (cough – LiA) otherwise. I think there’s a legit philosophical question in play here and I’m interested to see how our readers respond.
Weekly Staff Poll
Vinland Saga – 20 points, 4 first place votes
Lord El Melloi II Case File – 15, 1
Enen no Shouboutai – 14
Kanata no Astra – 8
Dumbbell nan Kilo Moteru – 5, 1
Dr. Stone – 5, 1
Ask The Writers Readers
If I’m already following a show, I’d read the review after watching the episode. But if I’m looking for a show to watch, I’d read the reviews first. 😀
It really depends for me. If it’s something for which I already know the source material, OR if it’s a series I watch but don’t really care about and therefore don’t give a damn about whether I get spoiled or not, I’ll read it in advance even if I didn’t have the opportunity to watch it yet (this season’s Dr. Stone is a good example in that regard). Otherwise, I wait until after I’ve seen the episode.
If I’m following the series, after watching the episode so
that I don’t spoil (it for) myself.
If RC decides to pick up a show I haven’t, after a few eps
I’ll check the last blog to see if it’s something I might
be interested in.
Sometimes a series is a marathon candidate. Accelerator is
a good example that I plan to watch after it finishes, so
I’ll completely skip its blog, if any. Some show are too
annoyingsuspenseful to go week to week, so it’s easier forme to just watch ’em all at once.
I was hoping Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou would have
more meat, but the last ep was basically just a battle against
a 3D monster; I got One Piece if I want long, drawn-out fights
and Luffy does it better.
So, Arifureta may become a marathon candidate.
Pretty much a landslide so far…
1. I scroll through the content preview pages, examining the caps, titles and taglines. (88%)
2. If any of those elements interest me, I click on the entry to examine the rest of the caps and read the comments. I do not read the article unless #3. (8%)
3. I read every first post on an anime entirely (#1, #2 and article). I will continue if the first few entries are compelling and I commit to the anime. (4%)
There is an implied chronology to what I just wrote. I visit the site regularly, as I have been doing so since its beginnings. So, depending on when I watch the anime, I may be reading before or after, but most likely #1 and #2 before and #3 after.
almost always watch before reading post, and then adding my own comments
Since quite often blogs of shows I’m watching don’t even come out til a couple days after it airs, the question becomes moot.
On the other hand, I’ve been so busy with other stuff, and the series on tap are only mildly interesting enough, I’ll often go a couple weeks before catching up on episodes. Of course in that case I’m not reading the blogs early either, but I’ll sometimes scroll through the front page and maybe get reminded that I’m falling behind.
I’ll only read a blog before watching a show if I originally had no interest in watching the show, but something looks interesting enough about the blog post that I’m willing to read it and see if it’s worth giving the show a chance.
I’m one of the writers who is definitely guilty of not getting a post out hot off the press. Otherwise, it’s the same for me when it comes to reading posts on Randomc. In addition to what I follow, I also monitor shows that I don’t quite want to commit limited time towards until I can figure out whether it’s worth my while.