The Park

The following musing is a reaction to bateszi’s perceptive commentary on being an Anime fan. I started out to write a comment for the post and I ended up going into a different direction.

It is over. It is done. It is the end of ysp:duh!.

Is it truly over? Is this a mere phase? Is it simply a lapse of judgement? A case of insanity, perhaps? Or is it simply growing old?

Whatever the reason, it is as I said. I am done with my four-year-old anime blog.

The end of ysp:duh! does not equate to the demise of my anime affection. Anime is a constant presence in my short life. And I undoubtedly believe, it will always be. I was reared as a casual anime fan; I watched reruns of Voltes V, Daimos, and Astroboy when I barely reached the age of ten. Later on, I became aware of long-running series; I was engrossed with Ranma 1/2 and Dragon Ball. As a teen, I fell in-love with Usagi Tsukino and Yusuke Urameshi. In the early 2000s, I innocently began writing an anime blog, triggering a full blown obsession. I bulldozed my way through a number of series with exuberant purpose. I had a mission; I succeeded. However, that was a few years ago. Now, I find myself in a different chapter of my life; anime currently hovers in the background.

The fiery passion cools down. The honeymoon period is over. I realized that anime is simply, well, anime. It is inherently different from live action series; yet I find them so comparable. As I am particular with other TV shows, I also find myself more discriminating with my anime choices. Truth be told, only a handful of anime shows right now are worthy of full blown passion.

While I still have anime shows I enjoy, writing for an anime blog is another matter. Writing a blog takes time and precious energy. It takes time away from other interesting hobbies. I’d rather spend an hour devouring a novel or a manga: I’d rather watch episodes of Eureka, Heroes, or Battlestar Galactica; I’d rather drool over Anthony Bourdain and his strange travels; I’d rather marathon a set of anime episodes; I’d rather sing and record a track; I’d rather spend time chatting and texting friends; I’d rather be on a relaxing restaurant tasting various delicacies; Heck, I’d rather finish my crochet project than composing a not-so-adequately written anime review.

Even with the obvious indifference, I cannot blame the lack of passion for writing alone. I angst over random and weird things in this personal blog yet I am not disinterested in pouring out ridiculous posts. In fact, I am tickled. In some ways, I am tired of the anime blog community. For the most part, the fellow bloggers are pleasant folks. However, the community is also entangled with a unsavory few. I am told to ignore these distasteful miscreants but I cannot. The anime blog scene IS a community. I cannot ignore this fact. Bumping into these obnoxious folks with their offensive and disrespectful ways is inevitable. And I would rather stay away from negativity, thankyouverymuch.

The dissolution of ysp:duh! is caused by several of reasons. But mainly, evolving interests in subgenres, blogging disinterest, a disenchantment at the anime blog scene as a whole are the front runners. I debated whether to be as frank in my ysp farewell post, as I am in this blog. I answered, “No”. I try as I may, I cannot admit the cynical aspect of the third reason of my departure from the community. I dislike burning bridges. I hate leaving on a sour note. I wanted to leave the community with a happy face; for there are far more lovely folks than there are the detestable degenerates. (And please, wag silang — yung mga nakakaasar na nilalang — mag-comment sa last post ko, ‘noh!) In a few month, I might have a change of heart and have a mighty return. But for now, the decision stands.

So what’s next for Ten? Well, I have ideas. I miss writing insane and sometimes snarky posts. I miss episode reviews and/or recaps. However, I do not want to be bogged down by the limitation of one topic/genre alone. I want something where I can incorporate my various interests (i.e. anime, Asian dramas, manga, novels, Western TV). For now, I’ll wait for the itch to write.