The AniSpring challenge is in full swing, and I’m midway through what I’ve been calling “phase two.” The challenge has been brutal. I’ve been watching a show that makes me groan outwardly, preparing a review that I didn’t intend to write for a few months, and I’m genuinely nervous about what the next title will bring in terms of quality.
Still, I’m loving every second of this.
In the past few years, I’ve come to miss working against a clock. I’ve grown lazy, and admittedly a bit spoiled by the ability to cherry-pick the titles I want to watch from an ever-growing backlog. The “less desirable” titles can simply get thrown to the bottom, after a while. Unfortunately, with no risk, and no real limits, the thrill of finding “that special surprise” diminishes greatly. Frankly, reviewing shows became, well… boring.
AniSpring is bringing back everything about anime reviewing that I loved when I started writing. The race against the clock, the uncertainty that my next show would even have any redeeming features, it’s all coming back. The old mojo, the inspiration is finally starting to come to the surface, and a desire to simply write and review has returned.
As this event continues, and the show selections get more outlandish, I look forward to the pressure, and the craziness. I hope that the participants experience a similar rush from the event, since there really is nothing quite like it.
