Slumps are Evil

So there's been total radio silence for over eight months, and for that I apologise. There's not much of an excuse, just one simple reason. I fell prey to a slump. That horrific enemy of any geek hit me at my weakest. From a combination of being manga-ed out after my 24 days of manga run, the discovery of a whole new world of games after getting an xbox that christmas, and developing an OCD-like annoyance at the noise my computer fans were making, I kind of disappeared from the fandom last year.

 

Last year was an odd one for me. I went from being immersed in the anime culture to going full on cold turkey. From everything to nothing. Yet for the most part, I didn't miss it. I was too busy discovering and rediscovering other fandoms. And that part of me held me back from attempting to dig myself out of the hole I'd plunged headfirst into. Saying I missed nothing would be a tremendous lie. I missed blogging about anime; the wealth of ideas that had flooded my mind all pitifully dribbled away. But more importantly, I missed the social side of things. Something strange held me back, and friendships I'd forged in the anime community, felt like they were slipping. I missed chatting with my best friends about the latest anime I'd watched, and I felt like I was drifting. Yet still, I couldn't just delve back into the fandom. It felt too daunting, and I was enjoying what I'd been doing in the absense of anime and manga. I finally started reading more books, I was re-watching tv shows I loved, but had abandoned in favour of anime.

 

Finally, however, something clicked and with the introduction of a crunchyroll app for xbox (that doesn't suck donkey balls like the iPad version) I finally started to reconnect with anime. And boy, have I missed it. I'm still taking it easy, so I started with Natsume Yuujinchou San, the third part of one of my favourite franchises. Between that and a little Poyopoyo, and my discovery of Oshiri Kajiri Mushi and I finally feel more like myself.

 

That was the biggest evil of the slump; by suddenly being separated from something that has been a huge part of my life for the best part of a decade, I didn't feel quite myself. I felt broken. Hell, I didn't even enjoy Expo as much as I used to. But I wasn't completely gone as I continued to buy DVDs, Blurays and other merchandise. It was honestly a bizarre experience, and not one I am keen on repeating, so here's to coming back, and hopefully I should have a new post soon. One that isn't quite as lame as this. ;)