I can’t be arsed to write a proper post so read these blogs instead
There are a number of things I could do as a reaction to burn-out (if that’s what I have) but I think recommending new additions to my own feedreader is the most constructive. My answer to everything at the moment is “I can’t be arsed.” Do that post on Kurenai I promised to write? Can’t be arsed. Reply to a week’s worth of other blog posts that I promised myself I reply to after reading them? Can’t be arsed. Mow the lawn? Can’t be arsed. You get the idea.
The QFT-ness of the subtitles speak for themselves
Since I Can’t Be Arsed to write a proper blog post I’ll instead point you in the direction of other blogs who still CAN be arsed. They’re on my blogroll and/or feedreader but since they’re 1. new and 2. especially good I think they deserve a special mention. The support of the Empire of Britannia in these recommendations is purely coincidental, honestly.
Lostlink
I’m not sure where the name comes from but a combination of good writing and my own stance on Brit Blog Solidarity encourages me to recommend you Teeif’s blog. Debate the episodic approach all you like but as long as they’re high on commentary and low on summary I don’t see this as a problem at all. The good humorous blogs always carry some thought-provoking points amidst the lulz of course, and Teeif’s is no exception - his posts on Kurenai for instance draw attention to the funny bits but also draw from the writer’s knowledge of far-Eastern culture, which gives those posts a bit of an edge on the insight front. He is also the only anime blogger I’ve met socially IRL at the time of writing…the internet’s a funny thing.
Hanners’ Anime ‘Blog
Guess what? Another Brit who does good episodic blogging. It’s reassuring to know that this country is still good at something I suppose. Anyhow, Hanners is another new kid on the anime blogging block but also understands that recurring issue that if you’re going to blog episodically, make it witty and insightful and add your own personal spin if you want it to be worth reading. He reviews for UK-A too if memory serves, so rest assured that his writing is solid, mature and consistently entertaining. He got me watching Chi’s Sweet Home too.
Claiming Ground
Because editorials are fine too. I only sumbled on Coburn’s blog after he linked to my old Love Hina post but that one act of courtesy on his part alerted me to a high quality blog that I really ought to post comments on more often. It’s a healthy mixture of new and old shows, going in-depth without feeling tl;dr or confusing; someone who’s a fan of the Nausicaa manga is always going to score a bonus point in my book. Not to mention that rare and wonderful feeling you get after reading a particularly thought-provoking post: that sense of “I never thought of [instert topic here] in that way before…”
Anime wa bakuhatsu da!
For some reason blogs with Japanese names make me feel stupid. Anime Wa Bakuhatsu Da sounds like a cool name, if only I knew what it meant. Anyway, OGT is a lucky soul who works in a library (how cool is that?) and first came to my attention after reviewing the original Battle Royale novel and echoing my own comparisons between that and Bokurano. *bonus point* A quick look down the categories list screams “Good taste!” and I quite like the writing style too.
I was actually going for a top five of new blogs but…guess what? I can’t be arsed right now. Epic Win have made a welcome return, if that counts. My low motivation is annoying in the extreme so I’ll do what I can to get up-to-date this week - Allison to Lillia and Kurenai are top priority right now but I’m suffering from a lack of energy that no amount of complex carbohydrates can fix.
Posted on May 10th, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
I feel you, man. Been there, done that. It’s rather paralysing once it gets to you, but I’ve found that (especially with regards to the “week’s worth of posts”) if you just throw that to-do list out the window and do/think of something else instead, you’re almost guaranteed a cure. Just take it easy.
Trust me on this one. I had something like 113 unread posts in my feedreader’s anime folder a month back, and it was driving me nuts — the number of posts I swore I’d read eventually and then comment on hung over my head like a guillotine. Then I realised it just wasn’t worth the effort and stress, so I clicked the “Mark folder as Read” button and voila! All that burn-out, gone. Now I just mark everything as read, especially if I haven’t seen the episode/anime, and go back to it at a later date if my interest/time permits.
“Anime wa bakuhatsu da!” can be translated as “Anime explodes!”, if I’m not mistaken. Cheers for the Brit blog linkage! Added them to my feedreader, they look quite promising.
Finally, I’d strongly recommend that you watch more Chi’s Sweet Home, as it’s as relaxing as iyashikei can get. Doing a marathon would be fine, too — no sense in saving it for a rainy day when stormclouds are hovering above your head.
Posted on May 11th, 2008 @ 1:01 am
@Owen S: it’s easing off a bit now - my lawn looks considerably better and my Kurenai post is nearing completion. A weekend spent doing next to nothing is actually productive in that I’m giving myself some time to unwind. I’ll be watching some more of Chi’s antics later tonight!
Cheers for the title translation BTW - those four are good blogs that seem to have missed out in the ABA nominations, hence my shameless plugging.
Posted on May 11th, 2008 @ 4:56 am
Never mind. A dose of Kanokon will fix you right up. Heh.
Posted on May 11th, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
@Peter S: *shudders* If nothing else, Kanokon serves to make everything else look so much better in comparison!
Damn, that reminds me…I still have Library Wars and Real Drive to watch. Sigh.
Posted on May 12th, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
I think it works better as “Anime is an explosion!”, but that’s a literal translation, I guess.
Posted on May 15th, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
Thanks for the linkage and kind words - I do indeed review for UK Anime too.
It’s nice to know that someone actually enjoys the ridiculous amount of nonsense I spew forth onto the Internet on a daily basis. 
Posted on May 16th, 2008 @ 4:44 am
[...] brief history of the world (or at least all of the world that matters) You can blame Impz, Martin, Bateszi, Hige, Lythka, Author and Michael for this [...]