Over the years, I end up developing my own anime preference as a result of watching a lot of anime.

It was thanks to that I can choose which anime I should be watching in that season as opposed to watching all anime that comes my way.

To be frank, that used to be the case back in the heydays when the Internet was still a dial-up connection.

Since there was no such thing as high-speed Internet and streaming, I could only rely on the anime that was on TV.

To be specific, any anime that was on the satellite TV channels. While many of them were in Japanese voice, there was quite a handful of them that were in Chinese.

Sure, those anime that was on the satellite TV channels back then wasn’t the same day as Japan anime. Heck, I had no idea if the anime was popular or not.

Since it was on the TV channels outside Japan, then it must be popular enough for them to broadcast it elsewhere, right?

As a result, I watched pretty much any anime under the blue sky. And yes, even the one I deemed the bad.

Despite I have to kiss so many frogs before I come across the anime that I can vouch for, watching a lot of anime, bad ones included, does help to hone my anime preference.

While many of my anime criteria remain the same, I also notice that some parts of my preference do change over the years.

And it’s for a good reason too.

What’s causing my anime preference to change over the years

Can watching a lot of anime change your anime preference over the years?

If my experience is any indication, then I will say yes. Not only watching a lot of anime will expose you to all sorts of animation quality and story, but it can also hone your taste in anime as well.

Think of it this way. You can only develop your own sense of flavor and cooking signature if you test out any ingredients and cuisines that come your way, right?

Yes, I’m using a metaphor from Shokugeki no Soma here. But you can also apply the same concept to anime.

It’s hard to know what makes a good anime or a bad one unless you watch a lot of anime. That’s how you can refine your anime taste.

And in case you’re wondering, that’s how my preference starts to take a shape of its own.

Age factor can also be another reason why my preference has changed over the years.

As I grow older, I’m only more interested in watching anime that allows me to learn something new and got me thinking. I no longer watch anime just for entertainment.

I also see the same thing for the kind of YouTube videos that I tend to enjoy watching. Rather than watching something for entertainment, I would prefer to watch something that gets me to learn something new.

The entertainment factor comes second to me.

How does my preference differ over the years?

Whether I realize it or not, I seem to gravitate towards the anime that falls into the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre.

And that was way before I became a thriller author. For some reason, I enjoy watching that kind of anime since this is the type of anime that tends to have an interesting premise for the most part.

Even if the anime isn’t in the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre, I will still put a lot of emphasis on the interesting story.

These are some parts of the anime preference that don’t change at all. To this day, I still enjoy watching anime that falls into mystery, thriller, and suspense genres. And I still put a lot of emphasis on the story that I find interesting.

So, what part of my preference changes over the year?

Well, I will say my penchant for the military-theme anime.

I wasn’t into the military-theme anime that much back then. But I only began to give the military-theme anime a try when I started writing the first book from the Trigger Locked series, The Mind Control Assassins.

It was thanks to the Trigger Locked series that got me interested not only in the military-related stuff but also the military-theme anime.

Another thing that changes over the year is that I no longer enjoy watching fantasy anime like I used to.

Sure, I still watch a handful of them. But not as much as I used to since I prefer something more on the realistic side. And I also prefer a story that allows me to learn something, not just for pure entertainment.

So, fantasy anime just won’t cut it for me anymore.

Your preference in anime can change over time too

For many of us, our preference for anime may change not just because we watch a lot of anime. But the age factor can also be the reason for a sudden change in our preference.

If you notice that you’re cringing at the anime that you used to think that it was amazing when you watch it for the first time, then it means your preference isn’t like what it used to be.

Does it have anything to do with you watching a lot of anime over the last couple of years?

It can be. But I won’t discount the age factor since it can affect your preference over the years.

So much with bickering with other people online, defending your favorite anime.

When you think about it now, it’s probably not worth fighting for considering that the anime that you used to think was amazing is now plain crap as you get older.

P.S If you’re someone like me who enjoys a story that isn’t just entertaining but also allows you to learn something new, then you will enjoy reading my thriller light novel series, Trigger Locked.

Want to give the light novel a try? You can take a look at the first book from the series, The Mind Control Assassins right here on Payhip.

Trigger Locked Book 1: The Mind Control Assassins

You can also get the book in ebook or print at your favorite retailer. Here’s a list of retailers where you can buy my book online.

List of online retailers that sell my book