For whatever reason, it seems that people just like asking me questions on Monday because they started piling up yesterday without me even asking. But hey! It certainly was fun! Thanks to everyone who asked questions!

If you didn’t get a chance to drop by with a question, my ask.fm is always open for you guys! It might take me a while sometimes, but I answer pretty much every question eventually.

Here’re some highlights from last night!

iblessall vs. questions

Q: How much attention would you say you pay to soundtracks when watching anime?

For someone who loves music as much as I do, I’m consistently surprised by how little I pay attention to the soundtracks while watching. Usually I’m just so busy processing the visuals and the dialogue (because I’ve become more of a writer than a musician in recent years), that I don’t notice the soundtrack except in specific circumstances.

If I do specifically notice a soundtrack, it’s often because 1) it’s heavily featured (the motorcycle scene in Zankyou no Terror), 2) there’s a montage of sorts happening without dialogue (pieces of Kyousougiga 00), 3) it’s really, really damn good, or 4) it’s working particularly well to immerse me in the scene, in which case I notice it for a moment and then dive back in (happened frequently in Bakemonogatari).

Also, I typically catch a lot more of the soundtrack on a second or third watch, when I’m less concentrated on absorbing the action and the story.

Q: What motivated you to create a blog?

I noticed I was writing longer and longer and longer posts on the CR forums about things, but because it’s basically impossible to find old posts quickly on there I decided I wanted a centralized place to keep my reviews of stuff. Also, as I was really just starting to get into the fandom, I was watching a lot of popular shows after they had aired, which meant that I had nobody to talk to about them. Starting up a blog was a good answer to giving myself (at least) the illusion that I could talk about a show and maybe someone would read and respond.

Also, when I like something, I want to share it. The blog’s a really convenient way to do that. A passion channel, you might call it.

Finally, I feel like I should also mention that I didn’t really start blogging seriously until February 2014, when I was bored in England because I had class every day and thus couldn’t travel as much as I wanted to. So my anime consumption increased, and so did my writing production. That’s also about the time that I started reading other aniblogs and realizing that I could write about more things than just show reviews.

Q: So, why do ya call it Dead Monday?

Because I wasn’t watching any currently airing shows on Monday during the summer season (could happen again this season if Trigger’s new show ends up being lame).

I might have to think up a new name if I keep Inou Battle…[snip]. But Monday’s traditionally not a day when many new anime air, so it might be fine as is.

Q: You are stranded on a Desert Island with 5 other bloggers/anitwitterers. To ensure your best hope for survival, which five do you take with you?

Best hope for survival? Oh goodness we’re all dead, aren’t we?

• I guess I’d take cptngarlock. He know science and stuff, I think.
• AJtheFourth has a job, so she’d probably be competent leader, able to delegate tasks and stuff.
• Draggle’s a must. He’s a starfish, so he knows about beaches and stuff. Plus he went to a lake once.
• Guy Shalev was in the army once, so he can probably help us survive and stuff.
• Frog-kun is from Australia, which is an island, so he could help us get off and stuff, probably.

Note that this list was compiled with survival of the whole group in mind. If I were just trying to save myself, I’d just bring some putty-minded pleebs from reddit or something to serve as my minions and make me king, the Watashi did with the fairies on the island. Except I would make sure the civilization didn’t collapse after only a day.

Also, what is this so-called “Desert Island”, for it to be capitalized so?

I was informed it was Hakaze’s island.

Q: And while we’re at it. You are trapped on a Desert Island with five anime characters. Which five do you bring with you?

Since this is Hakaze’s island, I assume we’re stuck 2 years back in the past. But, you know what? I always do these lists with the idea of getting off in mind. Let’s pretend it’s nice here and we feel like hanging around a little longer.

1. Hakaze, obviously, for whenever we find high-tech weaponry around so we can get off if we so choose.
2. Final Form Hanekawa: level-headed, intelligent, great hair…she’d be good to talk with.
3. Handa Seishuu, well-acquainted with island living & would be fun to be around.
4. Holo &, of course…
5. Craft Lawrence, because they’d be a blast to talk with.

Didn’t make the cut:

• Haruhi: pretty sure I would get sick of hanging out with her very quickly.
• Yuugo Hachiken: not sure I could put up with all his angst
• everyone else from Monogatari: too sexually psychotic for my tastes

Applaud me for not making this an island harem. Unsurprisingly, it seems I’m not very interested in just hanging out with a bunch of high schoolers on an island—excepting Hakaze, who is mature for her age (I suppose having the weight of the world on your shoulders would do that).

Q: If you ever had the chance to speak to a past version of yourself, what would you tell them?

Work harder. Succeeding at things because they are easy for you is not the same as working hard to accomplish them.

(Thanks, Taichi.)