[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by cyth

It would be interesting to know which type is more inclined to rewatching: viewers that follow regular broadcasts or viewers that marathon series in one or two swoops?

I notice that when I marathon a series, it tends to have less impact on me and, subsequently, less re-watch value. Cross Game was the only notable exception to this rule. Conversely, shows that I follow regularly week by week tend to have higher draw. A good example would be the currently airing Usagi Drop; I re-watched the first few episodes several times while waiting eagerly for the subsequent instalments.

Originally Posted by Flower

1.) What "following a series" actually ... erm ... "meant" or "entailed" as opposed to watching several eps of a series all in a row. (In the manga realm this could be similar to following a series chapter by chapter over a long period of time).

2.) Whether some series are more effective when they are "followed" on a weekly basis and others are more effective when several eps in a row are "steamrolled".

I find that episodic series — that is, shows in which each episode is a standalone story — are typically easier to "follow" on a weekly basis than shows with plotlines that stretch across scores of episodes. There have been many such shows that I gave up halfway, not because I disliked them but simply because I got tired of having to keep up with them, week by week.

Originally Posted by Flower

3.) What the "re-watchability" of a series of either sort indicates about that series itself.

Originally Posted by calorie

I am amazed to hear that some of you spend so much time re-watching a series when there are so many other titles to experience.

I don't think it indicates very much more than an individual viewer's subjective preferences. From my list of favourite anime, Haibane Renmei, Mushishi and Kino no Tabi rank as shows that reveal new insights each time I watch them anew. There are also those stories that are deliberately designed to reward re-watching, such as The Sky Crawlers, where the very act of re-living the events of the movie helps to reinforce its central motif.

And then there are those shows which are, to me, superb works of art that make evergreen reference material — the more often you review them, the greater an appreciation you develop for animation as an art form. Almost all Ghibli movies rank highly in this regard.

In my case, the subject matter rarely affects its re-watch value. Despite its heartrending plot, I often find myself pulling out my cherished copy of Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen, just to re-experience its tremendous quality. Till this day, the movie's prologue never fails to tear me apart each time I revisit it.

I wish I could write stories with such lasting impact.