Tuesdays, ANIMATED INSIGHTS BY SHANNON MUIR takes you inside Shannon’s latest reflections on writing, animation, and life in general. To catch up on all posts, check out the Animated Insights portion of the website! This installment shares her thoughts on how binge watching has changed her animation television viewing experience.
Until the release of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER, I’d never binge watched any television series before, animated or otherwise. Having grown up for many years having to wait for next week’s episode (or sometimes next season’s debut after a cliffhanger), the idea of watching a set of episodes in a row took a little getting used to. While I enjoy being able to get into the story quickly and be draw in to the story, I also find it a challenge that the experience ends within a couple days and I must then wait a period of time for the next set.
More recently, I’ve gotten into binge watching shows I didn’t get into from the beginning. This is a very different experience because I already know how many there are to watch, and unlike the VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER situation, there’s not necessarily a guarantee there will be additional episodes. The plus is that I know exactly how much time I am investing; the downside is that I don’t know if my time would be better spent seeing a whole show through I don’t know that may not have more episodes, or discover another that is more likely to have additional story line.
I’ll probably come and revisit this subject at some later time, as I have watched more than a couple series in a binge watching format, and make better comparisons. It’s still something I’m getting used to.