Article: a word on how I do reviews

This was originally a bonus feature for a special CD project that fell through. Thus it was written quite some time ago.

I am an Otaku. Yes I know what that means. However after writing over two hundred and fifty reviews and the occasional editorial for over the course of two and a half years I think the title of freak is somehow appropriate. This all begs the question "why the hell do you do this"? Good question.

I am guessing you want an answer. The first reason is that when I started writing for Anifanitikku back in it’s original incarnation I was in school and they were somewhat obsessive about me having a good typing speed. I found that writing things on the side improved that speed and that since my favorite online radio show had just turned into a webzine I decided to help them out.

But why did I keep doing it? I guess that is the real question. When Nz17 decided to terminate Anifanatikku I decided that I would manage the zine instead. The reason why? I guess it was an inner need to transform my fandom of anime into something tangible. Thinking about it I think a lot of fans want to do this as well. The other review sites, people who write fanfiction or cosplay, even my fellow staff members at Nz17.com probably do what they do for the same reason. When you become engrossed in a hobby, be it anime or anything else, eventually it takes on a life of it’s own.

But why so many reviews? If you have looked at some other review sites you will notice they sometimes have a must wider selection of reviews than Anifanatikku. I personally believe that the main strength of a review site is how many reviews the site has and I wouldn’t feel right if I felt that Anifanatikku was a weak review site.

"What is your methodology for reviewing, or in plain English how do you do your reviews and why?" First I get any anime show I can get my hands on whether by begging, borrowing or stealing. I try to watch the whole show or at least as much as I can as some shows vary in quality, either getting better or dropping off.

I then sit down and write the review. I do my best to be objective and keep my reviews concise. I have seen review sites that talk a lot about various aspects of the plot but I try to keep that to a minimum since not only to do otherwise be more work for me but also I dislike the concept of spoilers in reviews and also feel that a long review can feel a bit too chunky for people who simply want an idea of whether they should see a show or not. Also try my best to be objective. My goal for a review is not only give it a score but giving details on what would be the various deal breakers when it comes to whether an individual would like a given show.

I hope you enjoyed the contents of this CD and continue to support Anifanatikku and Nz17.com in the future.