Policy

The goal of my blog is to share my thoughts on the anime I watch and games I play. I also intend to occasionally include cartoons or animated film among the content I review or discuss. 

This is not the first time I've run a review blog. I ran a YA book review blog in the early 2010s for three years and had a lot of fun with that. Despite being a writer, I'm legally blind and a fairly slow reader. Reviewing primarily things I'm watching will likely go much smoother for me.

Policy Info for Readers / Viewers:

1. I only do full reviews for shows if I've watched a full season. If I start a show and do not like it, I will stop watching it and it will end up in one of my "DNF (Did Not Finish) Files" segments. I do it this way for two reasons. First, so that I'm not trying to give the false impression that I've watched more of something than I have. Second, to still be able to inform people of what I thought, and that I've tried a show, in spite of my first point. 

2. I prefer to focus on what I find interesting, not strictly on whatever is most popular at the time. This doesn't mean that I dislike or won't talk about whatever the hot show of the moment is. It does mean that if I'm not interested, I'm not interested. 

3. I do not believe in, and have no interest in wasting my time on, hate reviewing. This is part of the reason why I won't review something I haven't actually watched. (I get very annoyed in any medium when I see people "reviewing" things based on a trailer or their own pre-watch opinions rather than watching a thing.) It's also why I'm so willing to let myself try a show and then go "Nope, that's not for me." if it's not working.

4. The reviews on my blog are solely my opinion and have not been consciously influenced by any outside force. To be clear, I'm talking about someone trying to give me money for a higher rating, trying to badger or bully me to change an opinion, etc. I'm certainly not naive enough to think that my opinion can't be influenced by random goings-on, or that I'd even necessarily notice if that was the case. 

5. My reviews are my opinion; they do not need to be yours. There is no right or wrong way to like anime, to focus your attention on shows, to pick shows to watch, or to determine what shows you do or don't like. I see too much of "If you like this then you're a 'this'." or "If you don't watch this than you're a 'this'." when it comes to modern entertainment consumption. Don't let anyone bully you in or out of watching stuff that you are interested in. Your opinion is yours. My opinion is mine. We are free to agree or disagree without having any lasting damage done to our integrity. Holy shit, dude, it's just anime!

Policy Info For Anyone Contacting Me:

1. I will not tell people that I like something I do not like. My opinions are 100% my own, and I believe that I owe it to myself and my audience to act with honesty and integrity when or if I am discussing any brand or product.

2. Requesting that I review a product or check out a show does not obligate me to do so. This one's pretty obvious, but I'll put it here in the name of transparency. 

3. If I agree to review something or check out a show you recommend, that does not obligate me to fully review it or, if I do, to give it a high rating. Again, this is obvious. But we're setting up some ground rules so you know what you'll get if we end up working together in any capacity.

Anime Genre Preferences:

When watching anime, genres I tend to prefer include: action, comedy, romance, fantasy, isekai, sports, psychological horror. I like all major anime categories (eg. shonen, shoujo, seinen, etc.)

When watching anime, genres I'm less likely to watch include: eechi, mystery, slice of life, science fiction, historical settings without a supernatural element.

Please note that the above are not totally written in stone. Sometimes a show has a hook or premise that can change how I feel about checking it out. If you think I might enjoy something, feel free to suggest it. The worst that can happen is I try three episodes and decide to drop it. 

A quick sample of anime I've enjoyed in the past: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Super, InuYasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Death Parade, Yuri!!! On Ice, Kamisama Kiss. For a better look, check out the My Favorites page. 

For the sake of clarity: This blog does NOT cover Hentai. 

Gaming Genre Preferences:

My favorite gaming genres are: turn based and Action RPGs, turn based strategy, crafting / building / survival / open world games, MMORPGs, gacha, visual novels, and life / farming sims.

Gaming genres I'm less likely to play are: shooters, sports games, racing games, puzzle games, idle games, horror games (generally due to gameplay genres, not themes), roguelikes, soulslikes. 

As with my anime listings, nothing is totally set in stone. If a game grabs my interest and I can highlight it in a way that I think will be of value to my readers or viewers, I will gladly do so. Please be aware that my gaming preferences are not only based on what I find entertaining in a story or style sense, but also in a practical sense since I am legally blind, was born with cerebral palsy, and have early onset arthritis. 

Some of my favorite games are: Final Fantasy IV, Genshin Impact, Palworld, Dragon Age, Fire Emblem, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, Bioshock, Borderlands, Super Mario 3D World, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, World of Warcraft (retail and classic), Cult of the Lamb, Tales of Vesperia, Trails of Cold Steel, Trials of Mana, Viva Pinata, and Danganronpa, As with anime, take a look at the gaming tab on the My Favorites page. 

With all of that out of the way: 

I would be delighted to hear from readers or viewers if you like my site, YouTube channel, or other socials and want to suggest a show for review or a topic relating to anime or games that you'd like to see me cover. 

I would also be glad to hear from you if you are a company interested in working with me on promoting any relevant products for anime fans or gamers. 

Lastly, I would equally be happy to hear from you if you are a fellow blogger, influencer, or vTuber / YouTuber who would like us to work together on something. (Collaborations, multi-blog events, giveaways, interviews or topic post exchange, etc.)

Please send any inquiries to: heykatallina (at) gmail (dot) com .