Most otaku rely on multiple streaming platforms to get their hands on the latest anime series, however, the inconsistent broadcast structures impede the flow of the narrative, leaving many disgruntled fans in their wake. Whether one prefers simulcast viewing or binge-watching, dissatisfaction is almost guaranteed somewhere along one’s anime journey (regarding episode airing systems and not necessarily the quality of content.)

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Weekly Releases and Simulcasts

The anime’s ability to simulcast concurrently with Japan allows viewers to have a more authentic experience, as there is usually only a few hours delay between the original and international release dates, synching up the universal fandoms quite neatly.

Crunchyroll is a big fan of this technique, which is partly why this streaming platform is currently so successful. On the other hand, dubbed versions of new episodes are regularly broadcast in large, bulky bundles (but not always), and if they do air weekly, there is often little consistency in their release date structure. To stay up-to-date, the best bet is to stick with subtitles!

Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer is arguably one of the most popular shonen anime to come out since the Big Three, as Tanjiro and Nezuko’s beautifully depicted tale took the world by storm. With nearly a two-year gap between seasons, the hype rarely died down, and this momentum gained steam between each and every episode’s individual release dates. However, some fans couldn’t handle extending the anticipation each week and took initiative:

This approach makes sense, especially considering that the first 7 episodes of Demon Slayer Season 2 are essentially the Mugen Train Movie, suggesting that maybe these episodes should be viewed back-to-back instead.

Classroom of the Elite

Fans of psychological warfare (and an endless supply of waifus) simply cannot get enough of Ayanokouji’s interactions, and the Classroom of the Elite community is constantly a-buzz with activity. Thankfully, Season 2 is simulcast alongside Japan (with only a few hours delay), allowing the discussion pages on various platforms to happily overflow with content.

Not only is this anime one of the most successful Summer 2022 installments, but the “Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e: 2-nensei-hen” Light Novel currently has the 3rd highest sales overall (from 22 November 2021 to 22 May 2022) and have officially surpassed 6 million copies in circulation.

Uncle From Another World

Netflix seems to be fighting a losing battle with Isekai Ojisan and adopted the weekly-release-formula (almost unheard of in their anime section), but boy, has it backfired! The offbeat SEGA-themed Isekai adventure started off on a good note, uniting the fandom with its simulcast viewing, but quickly lost steam when production issues arose.

After the bleak two-week hiatus, Uncle From Another World lost its international synchronicity (with Japan, obviously, ahead of everyone else.) Unfortunately, after returning to Netflix for just 3 episodes, the show is postponed once again, only to return on 24 November (almost three months later.) Needless to say, viewers are thoroughly disappointed, and may even forget to continue with the show.

Season Dumpsters

Netflix has essentially revolutionized the anime industry by making this previously niche genre more obtainable to the general masses and adding the term “Netflix Original Anime” to the otaku’s vocabulary. However, this streaming service seems disinterested in emphasizing cliffhangers or creating a great deal of hype through weekly releases and often opts to air batches of new episodes altogether. This system is a binge-watcher’s dream, but not all fans are pleased with the results.

Pokemon

With popular series like Pokemon, there is a significant gap between each country’s release dates (often a full 6-month difference), and vital information is subsequently leaked from Japan on a regular basis. For example, most die-hard Pokemon Journeys fans are well aware of how the final rounds of the Masters Eight Tournament is progressing, even though international viewers have only just started experiencing the beginnings of the World Coronation Series. Those with an aversion to spoilers have a hard time not ruining the story for themselves as there seems little concern with keeping many secrets online.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures: Stone Ocean

So many fans are disappointed by the way JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean was handled that they decided to take things into their own hands in order to liven up the discussion pages. It is more difficult to adequately assess and debate each significant event from Jolyne Cujou’s epic tale when so many episodes are simultaneously released, and so some fans have taken it upon themselves to create a “watchparty” of sorts, where episodes are viewed weekly (as they should be.) Referencing Part 2 of Stone Ocean, one Reddit user stated:

Splitting JoJo’s Stone Ocean into segments of 12 episodes does add to the overall suspense of it all, but those carefully planned cliffhangers would have been significantly more satisfying if fans the episodes were also individually released in intervals.

Vampire in the Garden

The curious tale of Momo and Fine flashed past in the blink of an eye, with only six short episodes available on Netflix. This particular anime deals with deep and complex issues which require time for the viewers to adequately process, however, in many instances, the entire concept of the girls’ relationship is completely misinterpreted by many; who wrongfully classify Vampire in the Garden into the romance category.

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This artsy supernatural story does not have the previously established fanbase like Tekken: Bloodlines or Spriggan did (which also simultaneously released all six episodes, however, with significantly greater success.) This occult anime would have likely benefited greatly from a staggered episode release instead.

To Binge, or Not to Binge?

At the end of the day, this entire debate boils down to one’s personal viewing preference, and it is a shame that not everyone can be satisfied. Those who prefer to binge watch are forced to wait weeks for a season’s completion before settling down to a solid viewing session, while having the near-impossible task of avoiding spoilers in the process. Alternatively, fans who like to contemplate each episode individually before being compelled to process more information are often sitting in a similar, uncomfortable boat.

Logically speaking, however, it is not as if fans are so disappointed in season dumping that they quit watching the show altogether in protest; they may grumble and groan, but fans will generally see the show through to the end (if they enjoy the storyline.) Some viewers may realize that they simply did not absorb enough information during their binge session and decide to rewatch the anime, slower this time. Self-restraint (an careful internet use) is the name of the game for preferential viewers, however, the anime fandoms generally prefer weekly simulcast releases (just to put it out there!)

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Source: reddit/Purpl3One and reddit/u/AutoLovepon