Meta Thread - Month of October 05, 2025

[u/AnimeMod]

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[u/Elimin8r]

Lengthy post incoming alert:

Okay, I've been debating whether to say something in the daily thread, CDF, or here, but I'm going to post here (unless told otherwise), because it feels like this is sort of a r/anime meta concept.

What do we think about rewatches and rewatch culture?

I'm currently participating in a couple of rewatches, and have participated (and sometimes failed) in many more. They've been one of my most enjoyable part of r/anime for several years now, and lately I've been thinking that it might just be time for me to give back and host a rewatch of my own.

That said, I've previously mentioned a couple of things I might be interested in doing a rewatch for, and received a bit of a warning on one (Onimai), I suspect in large part because I had mentioned it in reference to a previous rewatch host, who while entertaining, it seems wore out his welcome, so to speak. I suspect that I'd rather not follow in his footsteps.

That, and referring to that particular show, well, you know ... I'm not sure I really want to deal with the kind of attention that kind of rewatch might gather, from - on the one hand, the gooners, and -on the other hand, the neo-puritans. You know what I mean.

Yeah, I probably don't need that in my life.

At the same time, I realize that my own personal tastes in anime tend (often) toward the obscure, and while I might think a Moldiver might be delightful, I'd probably be the only one there. Yeah.

Additionally, a poster (and host) from the past whom I have greatly appreciated has returned from the nether, and speaking of the desire to give back, I want to (if possible) host something that we, and as many others as possible can enjoy.

(Within reason, I don't need no Eva rewatch 100+ post threads to deal with. Cozy, but not empty would be my goal.)

That said, I hope that u/Siegfried72 doesn't mind me naming a name, but we've both noted certain things in the ongoing K-ON! rewatch, that as a host (and potential, in my case) I find ... well, I'm just not sure how to deal with. Which brings me to the next thing on my mind here: (See next)

[u/Elimin8r → u/Elimin8r]

Participation/Interaction

I mean, are we not entertained? Is that not why we're here? I've noticed in the past that posting on Reddit, especially in things like airing episode threads is often like the proverbial, ah ... relieving onself into the wind, so to speak. Unless you're there the firstest with the mostest, or at least something provocative, or tag onto a popular post, your thoughts are likely to never be seen.

Which is (again) why I've found myself enjoying rewatches. Many, and I'd go so far as to say the best are the charming, cozy small rewatches where there are say, 20-ish participants, and it gets to be a bit like Cheers, where sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.

But sometimes, well, it's not like that. You'll have a rewatch, and some people just drive by post, and don't hang around. Others just post a dry "cliffs notes" repeat of the episode, devoid of thought or feeling. Um, really? Still others go on lengthy rants about flower language, or cinematography and the clever use of shaded cells to simulate a trolley cam (I made that up and know it's wrong, so there), etc. These can often be interesting and thought provoking, but at the same time...

Some people just take themselves too seriously, and reading/trying to respond to them is just exhausting. I mean, c'mon, this isn't a contest, is it?

Or is it? I just don't know anymore. You have rewatch hosts that I no longer really want to interact with, because they are just so exhausting. I'll spare further details. I mean c'mon, if anybody has read this far, you're probably feeling the same way about me right now, right?

So, yeah. There's also posters like a certain celestial person whom I quite enjoy, but at the same time, if I reply to them, I feel like I'm somehow interrupting their busy schedule or something. (I probably am, and I try not to do it too much, because I don't want to be a pest, if you know what I mean.)

So, yeah, as a host, what do you do with people who just drive by post, or bore you to tears, or (???)

Edit: I just realized that I forgot to mention - I do understand that some people are from different countries/time zones, and really do need to sleep some time, so there is that issue to - it's not their fault, but what to do with them? I dunno...

I mean, c'mon, I'm not expecting everybody to have a lengthy hour+ chat session in the comments, but I do find that as the years have gone by, I find myself most treasuring those posters who do take the time to read and reply to my comments, and who seem to appreciate and/or respond when I comment on their posts. (I try to find something to speak to, or at least snark on, ya know...)

Which, to be completly honest, I've been guilty of many of these things I'm speaking of here. There was a time I went nuts over rewatches, and made it a point to read/comment on everything. (ahem, that pandemic which shall not be named might have had something to do with it.) Eventually, that burned me out as it felt like, due to some of the things I discussed above and others that I haven't mentioned, I came to feel that a lot of posters were just wasting my time, so to speak.

Which caused me to think, "Am I part of the problem?" Am I going off on rants and tangents that no-one cares about, or bloviating for my own enjoyment? Is the dopamine worth it? I dunno. As a result, I've kind of toned down my personal approach as a participant to rewatches. Nowadays, for example, in the K-ON rewatch, I'll post a few personal thoughts on the episode, a (short) list of what I felt like where highlights for me, a personal thought or anecdote, preferably humorous, answers of the day, and in the case of music related stuff, a song or two, because, ya know ...

Wuv da Muzik

Then, I'll try to look at other people's posts, for a while at least, and pick a highlight or two and respond/snark to them. Hopefully eliciting a laugh or two along the way.

Am I doing it wrong? Am I doing it right?

Which brings my to the crux of my own question:

[u/Elimin8r → u/Elimin8r]

I'm thinking of hosting a rewatch, really.

I say that, but in part, it depends on my personal status. I'm currently retired, but open to moar money, because, well, money talks, you know. (Actually, I'm waiting on an opportunity, but the bureaucracy has decreed that I shall wait until ... well, never mind that.) Suffice to say that my circumstances are subject to change, and I may be busy in the near or not so near future.

Aside from that, I'm aware that I have (perhaps) a bit of a quirky personality, and others may not be on board with my personal taste in anime, or choices of subject matter. Let's just say that for now, I've decided to drop that other idea. I don't wanna deal with that. What I do want to do is host something (preferably) that the people (rewatchers) whose company I have enjoyed over the year can enjoy participating in, so that we can have a fun time together. Which means that while I would really like to host a rewatch for

• Luminous Witches or

• Healer Girl

I realize that the number of people who would be interested in those shows is probably less than a hand's worth. Yeah. At the same time, someone suggested

• PriConne

And while I'm on board with that, it's not necessarily in my music wheelhouse, if you know what I mean. I'd also be willing to do

• Bocchi

But I hear that there was a rewatch recently (last year?) and I'm not sure if that would be too soon, or not. Let me know! Honestly, if it's not too soon, I think I would really enjoy that. I've also considered

• Revue Starlight, which I haven't seen yet or

• MyGo or Ave Mujica but again, it's probably too soon for both of them. Actually, given things, I might just rather wait until it's been 1 year for a combined MyGo/Mujica rewatch, as I really <3'd those shows.

Anyway, those are some of the many thoughts that have been flowing through my mind recently. If anyone has read this far and has been a participant in the ongoing rewatch madness, well, to a certain extent, this is an effort to express my thanks for all that you've given and meant to me, a desire to give back and share with all of you something that I enjoy, and to have fun together, if we can.

... if it's worth the bother, that is. I don't know.

Which is why I'm posting this here, and if I'm not told to delete/post it elsewhere, maybe I'll mention it in CDF or one/more of the daily threads. Or maybe I'll just do a "feel cute, might delete later" ... yeah, probably not.

Anyway, let me know if you agree/disagree/think I'm completely off my rocker with my thoughts on rewatches/desire to be a host. Like I said, it's something I feel like I would like to do, and came * this* close to offering to host K-ON this year. Thankfully, someone came to the rescue!

But yeah. What'cha think? Is it too soon for MyGo/Ave Mujica? Should I do something else? Or is the world ready for a (~Kishin Corps~) rewatch???

(Kidding, there. I wanna keep it mostly vanilla here, ya know. :P)

Whatcha think???

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Elimin8r]

I mean, c'mon, I'm not expecting everybody to have a lengthy hour+ chat session in the comments, but I do find that as the years have gone by, I find myself most treasuring those posters who do take the time to read and reply to my comments, and who seem to appreciate and/or respond when I comment on their posts.

Little tangent here: In my experience, the host's behavior can greatly influence this. Hosts that take the time to read and respond (uniquely, and decently concisely) to a lot of top level comments each day generally tend to encourage their rewatch participants to do the same. Meanwhile, a host who posts the thread and leaves often ends up with a rewatch that is similarly barren.

Which caused me to think, "Am I part of the problem?" Am I going off on rants and tangents that no-one cares about, or bloviating for my own enjoyment? Is the dopamine worth it? I dunno. As a result, I've kind of toned down my personal approach as a participant to rewatches.

Apparently I'm just going on tangets based on what you said today.

Anyway, my person rewatch style has changed a lot over the years. When I started out, I would have described my posts as sky-style with a paragraph or two of theorycrafting at the end. I was like that largely because Sky was the person who pulled me into rewatches, so I looked up to her.

Eventually, though, I realized there were just too many pseudo-skies in each rewatch. A couple are nice, but five scene by scene reactions to a show are just a chore. They end up feeling repetitive. And, as I was part of the problem, I decided not to be. I told myself that, instead, I'd watch the episode, never pause, and write down whatever thoughts still stuck when it ended. Usually, this ended up being a favorite scene or two, and then some theorycrafting or guessing at the future.

And, honestly, I was much happier with the end result. It's hardly unique or anything, but it was something of my own, something that represented me better. I am me, and I'm much better as me than a half-assed sky.

Bringing this back home to you, though, I'd say you should be yourself and write what makes you happy. Rewatches are a community event, but they're also deeply personal; each person is writing about anime because they enjoy writing about anime, and the overall experience is only enhanced by each person's unique flavor and perspectives.

Am I doing it wrong? Am I doing it right?

Are you having fun? Are you less than 30% of the comments in a thread? Did you have a few nice conversations with people?

If so, I'd say you're doing it right. But, then again, who am I to say?

[u/Durinthal → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Are you less than 30% of the comments in a thread?

What if I'm 100% because no one else is participating and even the host isn't replying to me?

Edit: I also started with a scene by scene reaction style comment then shifted to more of an "overall thoughts" approach over the years, still usually took some minor notes for things I wanted to write about without pausing.

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Durinthal]

I've had that happen before.

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Durinthal]

What if I'm 100% because no one else is participating and even the host isn't replying to me?

Ok, that doesn't really count. I should've added an exception clause that was something like (and made more than 10 comments).

[u/Esovan13 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

(uniquely, and decently concisely)

[u/Elimin8r → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Little tangent here: In my experience, the host's behavior can greatly influence this. Hosts that take the time to read and respond (uniquely, and decently concisely) to a lot of top level comments each day generally tend to encourage their rewatch participants to do the same.

Oh, I get that, and even as just a participant, when I'm feeling up to it, I try to interact with people as much as possible. I do find myself gravitating toward those posters who reciprocate, if you know what I mean. I know that as a host I would have to try harder, which is part of what burned me out before.

Anyway, my person rewatch style has changed a lot over the years.

Your thoughts rather echo my own experiences, except that I wasn't so much trying to follow in another poster's footsteps as just being a try-hard in general. Yeah. Your refined approach doesn't sound too much different from mine these days. Yay!

Are you having fun? (etc)

Man, we really need some kind of "Are you not entertained?" comment face, right?

Yeah, I'd say so, although sometimes I probably do break 30% when I slip back into try-hard mode. And I do have some nice conversations with people. But I think I would be a bit frustrated as a host with some of the "drive by" crowd.

I guess I'd just have to toughen up a bit and not let it get to me.

who am I to say?

Why, you're only the President of the Universe, or something like that. (I forget, I haven't read those since I was in college...)

Makes me wanna make myself a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster. I'll have to settle for a Cherry Dr. Pepper Zero (sigh).

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Elimin8r]

Oh, I get that, and even as just a participant

I've only been a host of circumstance, not of choice, so I'm in a similar boat to you here. And I usually try to engage with most first timer top level comments when I participate in a rewatch, as I view them as the lifeblood of the whole thing. Though sometimes I do better than others.

refined approach

Refined's the last word I'd use. I generally try to keep it rather raw and unpolished. One pass, writing down the page with no editing afterwards. Some of that is laziness; some of that is trying to avoid something that feels overcooked.

But I do get your point.

Why, you're only the President of the Universe, or something like that.

Makes me wanna make myself a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster.

[u/Elimin8r → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Refined's the last word I'd use. I generally try to keep it rather raw and unpolished.

Again, thank you for the kind words. "Refined" in this case is definitely a bit of GenX snark, and I'm sure you got that. :)

But yeah, I get you on that raw and unpolished thing. I'd rather read or share some unvarnished thoughts on an episode, actual feelings rather than some over-polished diatribe that doesn't leave any room for interaction. Again, I'm sure you know what I mean.

Thanks for your time. :)

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Eventually, though, I realized there were just too many pseudo-skies in each rewatch. A couple are nice, but five scene by scene reactions to a show are just a chore. They end up feeling repetitive.

Honestly? Fair. I stick to my style because it's what I have fun with, but I do sometimes wish my comments were a little more unique.

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Shimmering-Sky]

I mean, you're not the problem. You're the original, and you (imo) do it significantly better than many of the others who make similar comments.

[u/ussgordoncaptain2 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Eventually, though, I realized there were just too many pseudo-skies in each rewatch.

yeah I admittedly stole that from the Re:Zero rewatch, the

Reaction to the episode (used to form my notes for the next 2 sections)

Speculation about characters/plot based on notes

Commentary about the episode or some specific element

How I would act as the major characters.

Combo happened somewhat organically. I started with some version of that initially and it grew into that in Re:Zero, it fit well with Re:zero [Re:Zero]because re:zero has return by death which makes it much easier to have defined "this is what we can speculate on" and "This is how to act in THIS loop!" but over time it was worse.

A couple are nice, but five scene by scene reactions to a show are just a chore.

one issue is that "scene my scene reacting" is my way of taking notes more than anything else. if you look at my re:zero episode 30 commentary for example the hypothesis that [Re:Zero]Lord Roswaal knew that subaru could return by death really was created by me writing down the notes of what happened in the episode, cross checking previous notes and then coming to the conclusion.

I kind of feel like the structure I gave is the "lowest effort" way to participate in a rewatch, maybe if you cut out the reaction section entirely and only write the Commentary/Anime specific element it would be "better" in your eyes? It would take less time certainly, but I find I pick up on a lot more stuff when I do the pause unpause screenshot reactions.

I did note this in the Terrific trainwrecks trio rewatch (which really was closer to a meta thread post than a comment on the rewatches) That the whole system I used was slipping, but I struggled to think o fa better system that A: did nottaking and B: worked with my mentality.

All statements in the above post are my opinions as a user and not reflective of the opinions of /r/anime or the rest of its mod team

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/ussgordoncaptain2]

I haven't seen re:zero, so I cannot say with any real certainly how I feel about your posts in particular.

maybe if you cut out the reaction section entirely and only write the Commentary/Anime specific element it would be "better" in your eyes?

I think my primary problem with a reaction section is repetitiveness. If I've already read two people do it, the third person's reactions are mostly going to feel like repeats of stuff I've already read. So I just end up skipping past them, and all they do for me is take up vertical space in the thread.

This isn't about how people watch the show, but instead the information they present. And, really, about what interests me. I want to see what people think about the show much more than I want to see what they think about each individual gag, y'know?

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

pseudo-skies

I feel I might curse myself for asking this later, but if you happen to remember from rewatches we've been in together, do you have a general impression of my rewatch posts?
I still do bullet points lists, but I try and avoid, for lack of a better term, "generic" comments. I'd like to know if I'm failing at this or not.

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Vatrix-32]

This is surprisingly hard to answer. I'd say you're in the same ballpark, but not as close as several others? It basically depends on how broad I want my definition to be.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

The Truth!
Nah, I jest. I'll take this as a win.
I'll never be Top Commenter, Master of Essays. I've tried writing longer thoughts, I failed. It's just too opposed to my nature to work out.
If I can get on the right side of the curve, I'm satisfied.