200 Anime Watched: Reflections

I don't remember exactly when, but sometime in 2015 I had watched my first anime. It was D-Frag. I was still in secondary school then. Now, on 30th October 2019, I finished watching Rakudai Kishi no Calvary- which would be the 200th anime series that I have completed. It's a milestone in my anime viewing career, and I kinda feel good about it. Not sure why I do- I barely noticed when I passed 100 anime. Maybe that big number of 200 makes me feel like a real anime veteran (and it would be neat if I had a trophy that said that). Though I can hardly call myself that as there are people who've viewed much more than me, and there are still many shows I've yet to see. I think a better label would be hardcore enthusiast, as veteran implies that you've seen nearly everything.

From MyAnimeList

Regardless, I'm happy to say that I still enjoy watching anime. I'm glad that I don't find myself jaded. I never understood the kinds of people with a vast number of anime under their belt, only to find that so many of them they've rated poorly. Do you even enjoy anime anymore? While watching more anime has allowed me to gain a better understanding of good versus bad shows, I think it's important to sometimes just see through the flaws and allow yourself to enjoy the show. It's equally crucial to pick shows that you can foresee yourself enjoying or drop shows as soon as they lose your interest.

Earlier I had mentioned that my 200th TV series was Rakudai Kishi no Calvary- I so engaged in the show that I finished watching it in two days (I didn't have the time to do it in one). Reviews of the show suggested that strong romance was one of its selling points and it had me sold. Even though it may play into certain harem tropes and has a good deal of fanservice, turns out it's a great action show with even better romance. It's not the show that I expected to be my 200th, or even one that is worthy of such an amazing number, but I enjoyed it and that's all that matters.

A shame Rakudai Kishi no Calvary has no S2..

Guess what I'm trying to say here is enjoy anime. Certainly we will never return to the days where we binged and enjoyed virtually every show we came across, but that just means we need to pick more wisely now. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you again when I inevitably reach 300.

-GaryMuffuginOak