Preparing for the Perfect Binge Watching Session

I'm a binge watcher. I can't help it. Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll have all spoiled me rotten. I recently caught up to Fairytail's current release schedule. No longer can I spend 6+ hours immersed in the world of Fiore, now I can only enjoy it for 20 minutes once a week.

So, I did what I always do and went in search of another anime to binge watch while waiting for the new episodes of Fairytail to release. Then I began my ritual of preparing to binge watch the entire series in two days or less.

I've gotten it down to science, and as such I thought I'd share it with those that might be interested.

Step 1: Finish all chores, homework, work, etc. 

 Some of you might groan at this, but it's incredibly important. The key to a perfect Binge Watching session is a minimum of interruptions. If you've got important things that need to be done, like turning in an essay that's due on Monday, get it done now.

You might say, "oh, it'll be fine. I'll wait until I'm done with this and then crank out that essay in no time flat." But unless it's an anime you've seen before, you can't possibly predict how you're going to be feeling once you've finished watching it. Just imagine that you decided to binge watch Angel Beats, are you really going to feel like writing your essay after that ending?

Step 2: Take a shower and Put on Something Comfy

Chances are, you're not going to remember once you've gotten into the midst of whatever anime you've chosen. This is not only for the benefit of everyone around you, but your own benefit as well. Feeling grimy and nasty can seriously but a damper on your enjoyment of a show.

Don't forget to slip into something comfy (I prefer my Pjs) and preferably clean too.

Step 3: Round up Your Favorite Snacks and Plenty of Water

You're still going to have to come up for air around meal times, but there's nothing better than nervously chomping through pocky during super intense moments.

Be sure you drink plenty of water during this as well. If you're like me, then you absolutely love soda and probably drink it several times a day. That's not going to help you stay hydrated and healthy though. Yes, more water means you'll need to pee more often, but it also means fewer trips to the doctor because of infections. Which one is going to put more of a hamper on your anime watching time?

I personally keep a great big glass of water next to me at all times and take a sip every now and then. Then get up to refill it when I take a break for the bathroom or food.

Step 4: Communicate

It's not really fair to get pissed at the people in your life for interrupting your binge watching if they had no idea you were actually doing it. So take a few minutes to communicate your intentions to the people who are most likely to interrupt you.

Pro Tip: You'll have better success with parental figures if you approach it like this, "Mom/Dad, I finished all my chores and my homework. I'm going to go watch anime in my room now. Is there anything else you need me to do first?"

There's a good chance they'll be suspicious of you, especially if you're not usually this nice. Just tell them you'd like to watch your show with as few interruptions as possible and decided to get everything out of the way before hand.

Step 5: Find a binge watch worthy anime

Now this step may seem like a no-brainer, but it's really important. Take you time to read reviews and mentally prepare yourself for whatever you're about to watch. If you don't usually watch Slice of Life anime, then you're not likely to have the perfect binge session with one.

Figure out how much time you have to actually watch anime and choose your show based on that. I can comfortably watch 24 episode in two days and still have plenty of time for chores and various other things that need my attention. For less time than that, you might want to experiment with watching anime movies instead.

Step 6: When Someone Interrupts you, Don't be an ass

It's inevitable, someone will interrupt. They always do. Ignoring them, yelling at them, or just being rude aren't going to make them go away any faster and may actually make it more difficult for you to complete your session.

Just stay calm, pause your show, and address whatever it is that they need/want your attention for. Chances are you'll probably think it's dumb and that they could've waited until you were done. Don't voice that opinion. Keep the peace, by doing whatever they want as quickly as possible so you can get back to your show. They'll appreciate you taking the time to complete the task quickly, and without complaining, and be less likely to disturb you in the future.

Step 7: Don't be Discouraged

If things don't work out, if repeated interruptions get in the way, if the show you picked ended up really crappy or just confusing, then don't be discouraged. You can always try again next time. Not every single binge session you have will be able to be called "perfect."

Life gets in the way sometimes and no one can plan for that. Just keep your chin up, and try again next time.