So I went back to fix a factual error in a post from 2011, but upon doing a keyword search I just up and removed what I discovered to be a double-post I did on the Full Metal Panic; I zapped the 2011 posting because I'd already gushed about it in 2010 but had forgotten about it. I was factually accurate in 2010, but was going from memory in 2011 and slipped up a bit. Word to the wise for bloggers: Don't rely on your memory. Always check your sources and save draft versions of your posts. Make sure you're factually accurate before you hit that dreaded "publish" button. Yes, you could go back and fix it later, but that's sloppy and shouldn't be necessary. Full on deleting a post like I did is kind of a douchey quick fix; The double posting I did would be forgivable if I'd posted with the same level of factual accuracy in 2011 that I did in 2010. Wikipedia is definitely your friend when it comes to Anime blogging. Wikipedia is also proof that merely giving a plot synopsis, even a very enthusiastic one, is NOT the same thing as actually reviewing a show. Wikipedia gives great basic information on most Anime series...you're not going to outcompete them for views and they're a quasi Peer-reviewed source on top of that. A review on a blog has to be more substantitive and thoughtful and personal. You should try to express how the show made you feel, or try to get inside the characters' heads and truly empathize with them, or think long and hard about what the story's creators are trying to say with this work of fiction, what deeper truths they are attempting to convey and express. That is roughly the substance of what criticism and review should be. Plot synopsis is only of secondary importance and can be a distraction, and if you consistently spoil the crap out of shows (which is admittedly hard to resist, especially if you love a show), then the only people who will read you are fans who, like you, have already seen the entire series.
There is an Anime podcast I like called 2 Guys and a Mic, the title of which is bare bones purely descriptive. Their "reviews" consist of painstakingly detailed plot summaries, so indeed the only episodes of theirs I listen to are for 1) shows I've already seen, to re-live the experience and 2) shows I don't ever plan to watch, just to get the quick & dirty version so I can be conversant with other fans. I never listen to a 2GAM show for a series I'm in the middle of, or am planning to watch soon. I dig their enthusiasm, but they're not as polished as ANNCast or even A3K's main show with Sean Russell and J.P. Their shows remind me of my very early blogging style, and I'd like to think I've matured since then.
I'm starting to Blog a little bit on another platform, the website Ani.me, and to my great surprise, the Content Director of Ani.Me, L.B., has actually been reading & commenting on my posts there. He even bumped one of my posts up to the front page on the website and mobile "app". They're currently looking for paid writers and I am actually seriously considering it. I need to submit writing samples and my resume & such. I do have a full-time job already in a library, so it will be a challenge to accept a part-time writers position on top of everything else...but actually getting paid for my writing might be an added incentive to do it more.
Like I said, I haven't applied yet, but I am strongly considering it. I'm grateful to L.B. for all the interaction and was frankly surprised he was paying attention to little ol' me.
