I’ve never been a huge fan of anime. With the mass number of fans the genre has, I’m usually afraid to admit that. It’s never been a problem with the stories or the characters; the style of the series and the animation itself has always made me a little uncomfortable. I don’t know why. Yes, it’s honestly unreasonable, and, of course, I still have the utmost respect for what the shows do and the entertainment they provide to millions of people.
With daily life coming to a halt, however, and the immense amount of time spent indoors increasing, my binge-watching habits haven’t quite stayed the same. Maybe it was the boredom or the terrifying idea of rewatching The Office for the 10th time, but I finally caved in and allowed my girlfriend to convince me to watch an anime. At the time of writing this, I’ve begun to binge-watch Death Note with her for two days. And honestly? It’s going pretty well.
There’s still some push back from my mind. A few too many jokes may slip out of me about overly dramatized moments, and the animation still gives me an unexplainable feeling of discomfort at times. But I have for sure found myself getting into the story and wanting to tell Netflix that yes, I am in fact still watching. I even did my usual “geeky” thing when I find a new obsession and researched the show online, including the manga.
A few months ago, I would’ve never believed someone if they’d tell me I’d soon be watching an anime, let alone enjoying it as a break from the terrors of quarantine-caused online school. Yet, maybe that’s the beauty of all this time stuck inside.
This really is the time to invest an unhealthy amount in watching shows or movies that might not usually be your go-to. This is the time to search in the deepest recesses of Netflix’s vault or watch every single animated movie on Disney+. This is even the time to give more alternative platforms like YouTube a chance, as there’s so much rich and diverse content being offered in so many different mediums these days.
The best part about it all is that it’s completely warranted to get lost in a little bit of binge-watching. It’s important to keep up with remote school or work, if you have it. It’s important to set aside time for hobbies that are usually ignored, or make sure you’re getting in some time outside. But, especially in these frightening and stressful times, it’s incredibly important to allow yourself to get lost in not-so-stressful worlds.
Taking breaks to binge-watch is even necessary so as to not overload your brain with the chaos of what we call daily life right now. And now, more than ever, is the time to try a film or a series that maybe you would have never even considered when free time was a bit more constrained.
Plus, it can even offer up new communities to get involved with online. I never in a million years thought that I could get involved with a fan discussion about an anime, yet that aforementioned research of Death Note definitely included looking up reviews of the show — and, of course, finding myself actually having opinions that I wanted to share after only having watched for barely a day.
Finding new shows or movies not only can offer up a form of entertainment you might not have ever discovered before, but they can also connect you with a ton of people and discussions you may have never had, either. Sure, you run the risk of confirming that you don’t like something, but they also might just surprise you.
Before you know it, you’ll find something to get you through this time stuck inside and even into when life returns to normal.
Jackson Horvat is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
