This Trip Was Truly Fun, Wasn’t It?

Where does the time go? It’s been seven years since I’ve started writing anime on Random Curiosity. It’s been difficult to sum up the feelings I’ve had up until now, but I’ll try my best to do so.

I can still remember the first time in early 2017 when I applied with an in-depth look into my favorite scene of the Little Witch Academia anime. It was when Ursula went out of her way to put her reputation on the line to lecture a fellow teacher about admonishing Akko for doing her best. In a way, I found so much inspiration for this because I needed an Ursula at the time to stick up for me while I was beating myself up for being at a low point. Now, I am more than happy to say that writing for Random Curiosity has strengthened me into becoming my most devoted advocate.

Random Curiosity has been a blast to blog for. It allowed me to analyze what goes into the many shows I’ve loved, could’ve appreciated more, and didn’t vibe with. It was a way for me to keep my senses and wits sharpened after adapting so much of my writing skills from my old college papers. I used to write in short scripts and jokes, but now my paragraphs tend to go on for ages. I imagine I turned off a lot of readers by having such flowery and large paragraphs to wade through. I truly apologize if my older writing style before 2020 was atrocious to read.

Choosing to leave wasn’t easy. I figured I could keep going for as long as I could write so I kept reminding myself of future shows I’d like to cover to keep me motivated. But I’ve spent so many seasons constantly kicking myself for missing out on shows I hadn’t given myself the time to finish or cover. There have been so many seasons of late where I’d want to cover a show, but I was five or six episodes too late by the time I gained interest. Many worthwhile anime have come out within the past few years, but they kept falling by the wayside as I started to become less able to keep up with several at once.

On top of this, my words aren’t coming as easy as they used to when I write about shows I’m not head-over-heels about. It doesn’t feel the best to be on my A-game every other season instead of every season. I think stepping back would be better for both myself and the site as I believe in Random Curiosity as a champion of anime’s past, present, and future. My present may become the past, but the future will continue to be paved by the many talented writers on this site and those who join after me.

THE FUTURE AND A MUCH LIGHTER REFLECTION

Still, there is plenty of joy I’ve experienced over the years thanks to Random Curiosity. It’s made me proud of my writing, has honed my craft as a writer, and has given me a space to talk about my hobbies and interests. I owe the site the world for saving me when life was looking grim. I felt my soul slipping from my body when I went from college to the corporate world, but Random Curiosity reminded me of what it felt to feel, you know? It reintroduced me to the anime sphere in a more positive light.

Sakura Quest was my very first anime I blogged, and what a lovely series to start with. I had a soft spot for the aesthetic that PA Works anime had, and this one had a ton of heart and sentimentality connected to its story about a tourism agency trying to promote a quiet town. Kokkoku was the most fun I had with a high-concept anime with a lower profile because so many of them are unique and interesting, but have small pockets of the community that remember them fondly. There was nothing as peaceful as what I felt when I covered shows like Animegataris, Comic Girls, Asobi Asobase, and Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori.

I grew up loving SHAFT anime, and Bishounen Tanteidan was the closest I had gotten to writing on some of my favorite older shows from the studio. I felt gifted to be able to write about that show to such an extent that I remember the times my fingers couldn’t leave my keyboard because I was so invested in making sure I got all my points across before finishing.

Likewise, Sarazanmai was such a treat to write about since it let me be a part of Ikuhara’s world if for just a moment in time. As a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fan who got into the series with the 2012 anime, following Vento Aureo week-by-week was so awesome. It was also a major blessing to cover Dororo as a fascinating remake of Osamu Tezuka’s gritty samurai epic.

I’ll always give props to Sabikui Bisco and Migi to Dali for being uncompromisingly surreal and encapsulating most things I find cool about anime as an art-form. I loved returning to Bleach and remembering every reason why it was the coolest anime I followed in highschool. I’m also happy to have the fortune of covering a Fate spinoff with the fun, relaxing Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family.

I was a bit critical about Akiba Maid Sensou but over time, it became one of my favorite shows I got to see within the past five years. Overtake! was an incredible anime that captured the reason I like anime as an artform that captures even the most grounded stories with grace.

I couldn’t thank Stilts enough for helping me build the foundation I needed to improve myself as a writer on the site. Likewise, Cherrie steered me in the right direction during my earlier days when I was still getting a better understanding of the site’s prose. Zaiden was an awesome pal and friendly rival as we were covering shows together. Pancakes and Enzo have been doing an awesome job at keeping everything afloat, and being very supportive. I’ve felt guilty for not being as active or chatty on Slack. I’ve had a blast with any of the conversations that sparked up with FJ Freeman, Princess Usagi, and Gabie. One of my greatest regrets is being so shy that I hadn’t gotten to know a ton of my fellow writers.

To everyone who followed my posts or enjoyed my writing, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support meant so much to me and kept me going throughout the years. I’ll miss writing here and will probably kick myself everytime I watch a new show I’d be itching to write about. But I plan to stick around on the sidelines as I continue to cheer on my friends and colleagues at Random Curiosity. For now though, I’ll be seeing y’all.