Debate: Did hitting 100 completed series make me a better fan or just a binge machine?

I just crossed 100 anime finished on my MAL list last week and it got me thinking. On one hand, I've seen a ton of variety from slice of life to mecha and I feel like I can spot tropes quicker. But on the other hand, I noticed I started rushing through shows just to bump that number up, especially with shorter 12 episode series. Some of my friends say hitting milestones like this means you're a real enthusiast who knows the medium. Others argue it just turns anime into a checklist where you forget half the stories a month later. I'm sitting here with 100 shows done and I can't even remember the plot of like 20 of them. Which side do you lean toward? Does a big number mean depth or just volume? Let me know where you stand on this because I keep going back and forth.

3 comments

3 Comments

calebm461mo ago

Hit @evan_stone with the real question though - are you actually catching tropes faster or are you just getting better at filtering shows that use the same tired formula? I feel like when you hit triple digits you start recognizing patterns but not necessarily appreciating them. Like I can spot a "pink haired genki girl" from a mile away now but that doesn't mean I'm getting more out of the experience, you know? The checklist mentality is real and I caught myself doing it with those 6-7 episode OVAs last month, just burning through them to see the number go up.

cole_davis472mo ago

I hit 150 last month and I swear I've already forgotten half of the generic harem shows I binged. There was one about a guy with pink hair and three girls who liked him... or maybe that was all of them? (I literally can't tell anymore) It's weird because I started watching for fun but now I catch myself checking episode counts before I even start a new series.

evan_stone2mo ago

Wait, you legit can't tell if you've seen the same pink haired guy show multiple times?