Here’s the question.
Possible benefits of writing episode reviews could be more often posting thus more times appearing in feed aggregators like AnimeNano and Otaku.fm. The advantage of not doing so is, have you once written down your first impressions on an anime, “Fall out!” till the anime ends.
The second is easier.
But easier is bad, right? No. You can’t imagine how easy a sword is. It successfully simplifies human anatomy nevertheless, thence is popular. Well, was, before guns were invented.
Episodics lose to all-time unforgettable posts, which stay actual for ever. Once a show is over everything an “opinion-searcher”, how we’ll call this strange species who’re reading anime reviews, will look for is the final review of it. Perhaps also the first impressions post, to comparsion.
Do episodics get less or more comments? It depends. But for example I rarely comment episode reviews, while actually deeply disliking them. You know, you’re in pleasant anticipation as you see “x new articles” in your feed reader, and then you see it are episode reviews, which you don’t read anyway, and that’s it. Mood break.
I decided to stop writing episodics after I understood that everything I get in return are blind visitors, noisy absence of comments and attention of spam bots. There are blogs though, which are not only diligent writing tons of texts about each new episode, but also are getting tons of comments. Random Curiosity for example, or Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
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You cannot really compare to those two. RandomC, far as I remember, has been around for a very long time now, and is the anime blog to turn to for episodics. Sea Slugs! built up its reputation over time, and the author, Kabitzin, hardly does summaries but really more on impressions.
There were debates about this before, mainly though, most people read the impressions (for those who watch the same series). Most of the hits come from people searching for images, which should not be surprising.
Like Yamcha said to me though, episodics stop being fun if you feel forced to do that. So if you do not want to, then do not. If you feel a series deserves it, or it might be fun to do episodics for a certain series, then go ahead. Ultimately if you want to write about it, write. Otherwise, do not.
As first, I want assure you I had not intentions to compare myself to RandomC or Sea Slugs. I don’t want you to think I were arrogant. I understand though, that it mostly depends on The Brand. Danny Choo for example can write whatever he wants and be readen. I can also write whatever I want but nobody will give even a little damn about it.
Impressions are the main part of any episodic post, because anybody who reads it is interested in what the author thinks about it, not in a yet another summary of what they’ve just watched.
I know that feeling, if an episode shocks or surprises you, you need to discuss it asap. I once made posts of it, now I’m using forums instead. What Yamcha said is absolutely right, and I agree with you both.
This season, I’m actually contemplating whether to do episodic posts for an anime, {still undecided}. The thing about episodic post is to try to make it interesting somehow…a way that makes the visitor want to read it all…a way that’s not the same as others’ episodic. In my opinion, a summary isn’t good enough.
But if one has fun writing the summary and impression, then episodics should be fine even if you don’t get the hits or comment number you want.
I kinda thought about that when I first started with my blog on blogging about One Piece impressions. You do get to see more of your blog on Anime Nano and all, but then how is is helpful in the long run? Seems more like a chore in the end when animes start to drag. Just wish that it was something easier to do.
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