Anime Overload

It's no secret that I'm a big anime fan, but I must admit that, since moving down to Staines massif, I haven't been keeping up quite as much as I used to. There are two reasons for this; for one, anime is a rather expensive hobby, particularly for those of us that are broke. Living in the Greater London area is costly at the best of times, but couple that with a games tester's wage (not the stuff of legends, I assure you), and you're lucky if you're left with enough for a months provisions, transport and other general amenities.

The other reason is that eight months down the line (damn, has it been that long already?) and I still don't have a home internet connection. Yeah, I know, it's the 21st century and all that. But between the uncertainties of my chosen profession and my landlord, I find myself not wanting to sign a minimum contract I may not be able to access or pay for, should I need to move or find myself looking for work again.

It's strange then, that in the last couple of weeks I've found myself watching just as much anime as I used to. It's very odd - I almost can't fit it all in.

Last August I started writing for Anime UK News, contributing to features and writing the odd article here and there (well, much of it is the same stuff you find here, except with pretty pictures). Now I also find myself regularly reviewing anime DVDs - watch them a couple of times, then write an opinion of them and give it a score. If this sounds easy, it's actually not - it's proving something of a challenge to keep things fresh and interesting on a regular basis, as is giving each title a score that I feel is justified. Then there's the sheer quantity of stuff I have to look at - it's averaging about six DVDs a month, each of which can take a couple of days to view properly. Madness!

If that wasn't bad enough, I had the chance to download more stuff while I was back north of the border for Easter, giving me a chance to play catch up on some of the stuff I've been missing (oh, how I've missed you, Yakitate!! Japan). There's a growing pile of as-yet unwatched DVDs still fresh in their plastic seal that keep crying out for my attention. And now, the guys at work have introduced me to Hajime no Ippo - I watch a few episodes and I'm suddenly hooked. Cheers guys, now I'm never going to get any bloody work done :P

It's almost too much. And yet I'm loving it. I'd almost forgotten how much I liked anime, and coming back to it after all this time seems to have relit the spark. I'm enjoying all the writing I now find myself doing, developing my style and improving my skills a bit more, even despite the late nights and frequent writers block. Somehow I've even found time to squeeze this in, perhaps as more of a reminder that this blog does still exist than anything else. You never know, I just may update a bit more than every blue moon. That'd be a nice change, wouldn't it?