As anime has grown from an underground subculture — one we discovered at some point in our lives — to a true mainstream industry, the number of anime shows has exploded. This, plus the reality that we all have more responsibilities than we did when we were younger, can make it hard to find enough time to be an anime fan. I asked J-List customers how they made enough time to watch anime, and we got some great responses!
Here are some approaches to managing your anime addiction!
- Follow anime shows as they come out. This is the method I use, because I couldn’t write blog posts about shows I found worthwhile otherwise. I do try to focus on shows that are creating “buzz” among fans to avoid wasting your time.
- Binging a series at the end. This is also popular, but then you lose the opportunity to experience joy or sadness together with millions of others.
- “Skip the intros and outros” is one comment I see a lot. If the series is long and there are known filler episodes, consider skipping those too.
- Some fans reportedly watch anime at 2x or higher speed to save time. I do this for podcasts, but never for anime!
- If you’ve got work to do, why not use the “animedoro” technique? It’s based on the pomadoro time management system (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break, and after 4 cycles take a longer break). Under the animedoro system, do 40 minutes of work then take a 22-minute anime break to rest your brain.
How Do You Find Enough Time To Watch Anime? J-List Customers Reply!
I have forsaken a social life and building a family.
It’s hard. I’m more of a video game player, but I still try to watch some anime. I can get one or 2 episodes in a night before bed.
I’m happy you asked. I watch anime at work, during the entire shift. At my previous job, I worked security and spent 8 hours watching anime, 30 minutes of actual work. At my current job, I spend 12 hours watching anime and 15 minutes of actual work. Both night shifts. So I’m basically being paid to watch anime.
I wake up one hour before I really should, to have time to watch anime while I’m taking my breakfast. Having anime in the morning is one of the things that helps me to get ready for a new day. Same at night. I watch anime during dinner, which is a reward for me at the end of the day.
My PS4 recently died, so that’s helping give me more time for anime, lol.
By only watching anime and forgoing all other visual media.
I don’t have the first two and ignore the third.
Being single, being independent and often not getting enough sleep.
You are allowed to have time to yourself even if you have kids. I for one after my kids are put to bed watch a show or two to decompress. Gives the wife some time to herself also. Sometimes we just watch our own shows on the couch next to each other.
Shout out to those single anime fans with no GF or BF.
How Does Peter Follow So Many Anime Series Each Season?
The beginning of a new anime season can be quite hellish for me, since I need to wade through a dozen or more anime to see what’s worth writing about on the J-List Blog. I often watch episodes while doing work in the evening, taking notes on specific points I want to cover in a blog post. This allows me to watch a show with an open mind, reserving judgment about it until I’m a few episodes in.
Some shows (like My Happy Marriage) are so beautiful I feel it’s a shame to watch them on a small screen, so then I move to the big TV in the living room…usually pulling Mrs. J-List into the story at the same time.
Thanks for reading this blog post about techniques for watching anime. What is your approach to watching anime? Tell us in the comments below!
Also, if you’re on social media, follow us on these platforms!
- Twitter, where Peter posts anime booba for you
- Facebook, where we share memes and discuss anime
- Instagram, for fans who want to keep up with J-List products in your Insta timeline
- Discord, if you want to chat with other J-List customers of culture
- Finally, check out J-List’s new short video blogs on YouTube or TikTok!
The summer heat is intense, so why not stay indoors and browse J-List for some cool products from Japan! We’re having a flash Dog Days of Summer sale, giving you $20 off $120 or more on in-stock items shipping from Japan. What cool stuff do you want to pick up today? Start browsing here!
