Thank you for the kind words, and I guess it all boils down to one thing: let’s not get lazy, especially if we want to be taken seriously

sike sike, this is a pretty informative post, some of it seems like it should be common sense already though… my site would be a bad example for this though since i’ll end up blogging about stuff without doing prior research… atm… haha…

but in all seriousness, if you want to run a respectable blog, you should obviously be educated on your subject matter, otherwise you just look/sound like a complete idiot

nice post
edit: woah i’m late on this entry… been gone for about a year, gotta play catch-up o_o

Now while anime blogging might be viewed as a not-so-serious business, it might become serious depending on its implications or the after-effect it poses to people. We should just be more aware of the influence we have to people, as bloggers

@Ryan: sadly I think I still have that translating mindset, brought about by the lack of understanding some dialogues in Japanese, and the lack of English knowledge to know just how to summarize what the characters said or what happened…

and yes, we might not realize it, but the more we immerse ourselves in watching raw (or listening to pure japanese audio), the more we assimilate the language as we memorize phrases, the grammar structure, etc.

the lack of subs force people to understand raws, which is both good and bad

@Senna: aww, it’d be great to see more fangurls blogging! But oh well it’s really a great feeling when you start recognizing phrases, and understand bits and pieces of the dialogues… shows that you’re actually learning! =D

@Caitlin: hehehe, I think some people I know did that ‘covering with paper’ trick… for checking :p it’s quite useful, and worth the sacrifice IMO.

(I also don’t have any idea where one would get raw files. A thick piece of paper across the bottom also does the trick, most of the time. Sacrificed picture size but oh well.)

I particularly like #1 and #3, #2 and #4 are solid, but sometimes they required the timing of others. #3 is usually the easiest, since a lot of people read manga and it becomes an adaptation at some point (not all of course).

To myself, I say, “Ryan, you need moar skillz” So I work on vocab: pronounce, remember, flashcard… Listening is a strong skill (hence the reason I usually don’t study material from lectures I sit at). Listening [and quickly remembering the sound], I find helps in so many ways (even without knowing the vocab, it makes it easier to lookup, write down, and flashcard for the week).

Raws sort of force the listening, since subs aren’t there to pay attention to. General grammar is also handy to be familiar with just to realize the “points” [even without the all vocab].

The toughest part at first is turning off that “translating” mindset and just go to flow, because really the meaning will pop-in, and even if the words are known from vocab, if they don’t pop-in, I give them more attention in phrasing/flashcards.

This is just my take. I’m no expert, AT ALL, so I study vocab, but yea doing pure audio listening conversations and reading sentences aloud helps as well, like almost immediately if you listen enough. Stock phrases never hurt nobody :3

Did I mention I study vocab? (jk) Still, even with all the emphasis on raws, only half the battle (or less) is won, since it would be nice to have fluid improvisation in speaking and writing as well. That’s what gives me inspiration to watch raws (only certain series), because there is a greater mountain to conquer, and I can’t be waiting for subs.

If it is a seriously complex series, I won’t even try raws, I’ll just wait to marathon or batch view. Some series are much easier to watch raw than others (ie Kamisama Kazoku), and some series you just don’t want to miss the information the first time around.

I definitely prefer subs, but not being on a fansubber’s schedule, gives me more time to study the language, which is the overall goal; raw watching is an enjoyable exercise though.

Sorry for the length :/ (it is one of those invigorating posts ^^)

Still, what is this about being part of a “culture”? I never realized that anime blogging was such serious business.