Hopping on Anime and Manga

Ever wonder why fans like me blog about anime and manga (other than the fact that I love or hate some series)?

Hate? Why would I blog about a series that I hate? Well, my friend, there are many reasons (and I'll give you 2 good long reasons why fans like me blog about anime and manga), and unfortunately, in some cases, love isn't always the answer.

While you think that YouTube reviewers, Twitter users, or Reddit users are simply gushing about their favourite series on their favourite social media, think again.

1. Blogging is the Optimal Platform

"Desktop Station" header from: freewebheaders.com

Bloggers might have used social media in the past to post their thoughts on their favourite anime/manga series.

Sadly, they come to realize sooner or later that the limited character spaces in Twitter ain't cutting it out for them.

Or the moderators in Reddit didn't like their posts that they kicked them out (even temporarily).

Or that YouTube isn't the best platform for them cause of the extravagant efforts they need to put in uploading videos.

Regardless of your reasons for setting up your own blog whether it's in GoDaddy.com or Square Space, I hear you!

And whether you initially set up or revamped your Google's e-blogger services (like what I'm doing), you need a safe space so you can express your thoughts calmly without ever fearing that you might get kicked out or anything.

And to add to that, this is the primary reason why I'm revamping my "Hopping on the Cards" blog to "Hopping on Anime and Manga". I could always just delete my old blog to start fresh, but I didn't and decided to revamped it instead!

While it is a hassle to get it up running again, I feel like it's worth it.

I can always incorporate the old platform of my blog into this new one so I can have a "preset template" of some sort. All I have to do is rename the blog's title, description, edit my profile, edit the description on some of the widgets, and you're good to go!

2. A Space to Vent

"Online Argument" Clipart from: freepik.com

Don't be surprised that this is one of the reasons. But yes, blogging can be a healthy outlet to vent as long as you express your complaints and annoyances constructively (and NOT destructively where you're mean or can hurt other people). This also ties in to the first reason: "Blogging is the Optimal Platform".

You don't know the users you're interacting in Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, or Facebook. And you can't even make "solid" connections on many of them.

Same with this blog though. I am just trying out my luck here. I can't guarantee that I will make "solid" connections with you guys. But the fact that my blog (i.e., this web page that I worked hard to setup and revamp in the World Wide Web) is being read by people of the same mindset as I am is satisfactory to a certain degree.

And even if anime/manga fans like you and me can express our thoughts freely to some degree on social media, you find that the connection with strangers like me you get to know online or met online is short-lived.

Despite the short-lived connections I will be making with the readers of this blog, there is one thing I guarantee: constructive feedback (i.e., polite, honest, reasonable opinions on anime/manga topics I will be talking about here).

The anime/manga community often forgets that the characters we're talking about in the medium are just characters. They're not real people, but figments of imagination of the author.

So, when you question how...

Light Yagami (the protagonist of Death Note), turns out to be a serial killer; or why
Eren Yaeger (the main character of Attack on Titan) chose to massacre most of the world's population in his Founder Titan form...

...You see how the internet bashes, flames, or burns these fictional characters, and how the internet becomes infuriated by the fictional characters' actions that the social media you're using easily becomes toxic!

At first glance, it might seem that it can't be helped. We make up the internet and our thoughts pour over to several social media platforms on these characters' infuriating actions. But if we put a little moderation in our words and actions, it is possible for the internet to become a kinder place in one way or another.

Furthermore, when we become angry, we make it look like most of the people in the fandom of that series are also toxic! Blogging can be a space for healthy venting as long as you:

mould it to become the platform you deem is worth it to make anime/manga discussions;

establish the right atmosphere on your community to discuss any complaints about the anime/manga series that you hate (e.g. The Promised Neverland Season 2 needs a reboot).

Mind you, I can always vent in the Twitter comments section, YouTube comments, or even just by making a Reddit post in the r/anime manga or r/anime subreddit. But I supposed, it didn't work for me satisfactorily.

I was satisfied to some degree with the responses and the likes I am getting from random people. We chat, we message, we connect even for a short while. But, at the end of the day, the contents of my thoughts:

become plastered on a random person's video comments section for their own and for their visitors' use;

stayed "unseen" in a post on the subreddit of r/anime or r/manga (sad, but true);

stayed "unseen" in a Twitter post or in a Twitter comments section no matter how many hashtags you type.

No. We can only get our vents out there in a constructive manner if you put your thoughts in what you think would be an ideal or optimal place (and this blog will be my avenue for that).

And if you cannot obtain sufficient constructive feedback on your thoughts on a fictional character from anime/manga, then, I think it's a good option to start a place somewhere where you can let your feelings of certain characters out.

Initially, I was thinking of just creating my own anime/manga journal cause no one can see my works except myself. But internalizing all these feelings ain't the best option. And I needed to let it out to some degree and to only to a few people on the net (so I can get constructive feedback in some shape of form).

That is all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed reading these 2 good long reasons why fans like me need to create or setup our very own blogs.

I am sorry if it overflowed or if this blog is too long. I tried to keep it to the minimal length as best as I can. Chat to you later! 😁👍🏼