what is *rewatching* anime like?

[DaggerLite]

I generally don't like to rewatch things no matter how good it is. This goes for both anime and everything else. I had a neighbour back home who likes to rewatch things often, so it's very dependant on the person. He could watch the same movie over again right after he had finished it.

Some points that could prompt me to rewatch something, ordered from likely to unlikely:

• Rewatching with friend(s) to get them to watch it (shorter series mainly).
• New content added (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, some DVD-releases).
• It's been a while and I don't remember many plot details (episodic anime like Mushishi especially).
• English dub (I'd usually just check an episode to judge the dub).
• DVD purchase (I rarely watch DVD's I buy if I've seen it before, but might watch a bit to judge quality - I buy mainly to support the industry).

[istatalnara]

Well, I never have the same feelings about the anime at the same time.   Sometimes they're very similar, but if I cry or not isn't always just dependent on the scene.  It's also important for how stressed I am, how much I'm paying attention... Just the general overall feel.  But, that's part of the fun for me, re-watching allows me to experience it differently, and sometimes to even notice things I didn't before.

Yet, no matter what I do.... no matter how many times I watch it... Minami-ke Okaeri faces that go like ^ and tear drops... creep me out.

[cubensis55]

I'm currently rewatching Trigun for like the...15th time...
Can't get enough of it. 

I watched Elfen Lied twice.
It was MUCH better the 2nd time, and had MUCH more of an impact on me.
You pick up on more of the little moments and subtle nuances that you didn't notice the first time.

So, it just depends on the anime.
Complex/deep animes are always good to watch again, i suppose.

[Borror0]

I'm currently rewatching Trigun for like the...15th time...

Wow. How many times did you rewatch... Str-Stra--Strawberry Panic!?

[Waffles4u]

The first anime that I ever rewatched (well, am currently rewatching) in its (planned) entirety is Toradaora, simply because it's so good.

Same for me, I've rewatched a couple of eps of gurren lagann and elfen lied, but not the entire.

I recently downloaded the 720p Toradora, and when I first watched it ages ago I marathoned it in 9-10 hours at a LAN, its good for me, because the entire thing is a blur, now most of the jokes are much funnier (especially since I started learning Japanese) and even though I did really enjoy it the first time, I feel I'm closer to the characters this time around, its more personal.

If you really enjoyed a series, and its been more than about 6 months, then rewatch it if you feel like it, you shouldn't be disappointed.

[manganime02]

It does depend on the anime but in my early anime years, I used to rewatch nearly every anime that I used to watch and for the most part, I always prefered the series/movie/OVA when I watched it again especially since I used to watch many sci-fi based anime which had a more complex story (compared to your average shounen) which I didn't understand too well on my first watch, e.g. Ghost in the Shell, Bounty Dog, NGE, Gasaraki (eventually it caught my interest after my 3rd/4th attempt) etc. But I think Patlabor is the only anime which I went from completely disliking to one of my all time favourites upon rewatching.

[shabutie]

I watch a lot of movies/animes over and over again..

the only one I will never rewatch is "Grave of the Fireflies" and thats because of how emotional / sad it was.

I'll regard it as one of the best movies I've seen in my life, but I have no plans of watching it again.

[cdctrumpet]

Personally, I use friends as an excuse to rewatch anime. As others have said, it's only with really good shows. Forcing others to watch shows is a great excuse for me to share what I like, and experience it all again. I could make a list of 'greats' that I like to share, but it'd be a little long. That being said, the list of shows I wouldn't share or watch again is prob. 10x-100x as long.

[Decado1]

I only just started rewatching some anime due to 8 or so successive seasons with very few new shows worth watching.

It has been interesting.  Rewatching Cowboy Bebop, Berserk (though it has definitely aged since I last saw it!) and Baccano! was very rewarding and solidified my feeling that they some of the best shows around.

On the other hand, I also tried rewatching Elfen Lied...and I just couldn't do it. You'll find that you won't necessarily like every show you may have enjoyed in the past. The cutesy parts of Elfen Lied drove me friggin nuts. Originally I liked the contrast, but now I can't stand it.

In the middle were Samurai Champloo and Basilisk. Still enjoyable (particularly at the beginning), and my memory *isn't* particularly good, so a lot of it seemed similar, but i didn't recall all the details. Still, I didn't like them nearly as much as the first time. Particularly the latter.

I'd say it is worth doing if you have the time and don't have much new to watch. I also liked Blood+ and think I will try and watch it again. Hell, you can simply stop if you can't get into a show.

[orion1]

how does it effect your experince knowing whats going to happen when you already seen a anime?

im asking because do you enjoy anime the same or better when you rewatch them or do you think they lose their *taste* or something.

for example if i watched clannad afterstory again do you think it will make you cry again at the tramatic parts or somethin

or watch blood+ again, i haven't seen it in such a long time, like 2 years.

i never rewatched a anime?

i feel that if i do, then that experince that i had watching the anime may be less then when i watched it the first time and i might not enjoy it as much as i watched the first time.

also how long do you think i should wait to rewatch a anime to get the full pleasure of it, for example like i was watching for the first time again?

(ive been wanted to watch blood+ for like  a year now but ive been holding it off becasue im scared i might not enjoy it as my first time watching it)

I find that for certain anime's every time you watch them, you discover something new.  Your argument does hold some interesting values though.  For instances, I originally watched Wolf's Rain on CN and recently purchased it.  It had been so long since I had seen the title it was like watching for the first time again.  I think the answer to your question is yes one will forget over time, how depends on how much you enjoyed or how many times you watched that certain anime I'm guessing.  There is the factor I already mentioned about other animes just being so good that every time you watch them again you gain new pleasure off things you didn't notice before.  It could be that you watched more of a certain director that made the anime in question, and you notice similar characters or inside information from other work he has done.  As one grows and their knowledge grows, the way one views certain things changes. The simple fact the we are always changing means that you could watch a show one day and get something completely different from watching it the very next day, depending on many factors, like mood.  

I think you should just go ahead and watch Blood+ again.  I think you might just discover new reasons to like it again. Or it is completely possible you might find certain aspects that you don't like.  It is a risk, but well it is the test of a truly good work. Most often works that are really well done stand the test of time.  Many of Miyazaki's works are perfect examples.  I've seen Nausicaa at least four times and have enjoyed it each time a little bit more.  I can't wait to go watch Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea in the theater again.

[Wizzy123]

I never really rewatch anything anymore from the start of the episode. I just skip to certain scenes that I liked or maybe a certain phrase that I really laughed at. Lately I have bin rewatching a couple of series, but that was because it's in Blu-ray now and some series had terrible quality for the T.V versions. Most recent rewatch was K-ON by thora and Tears to Tiara.

[Habhome]

I'd say that if you feel like re-watching it, then you should.
I don't find it so that you miss out on any emotions just because you've seen it once. I actually enjoy some scenes a lot more since I already from the beginning know what it's about and how sad/funny it is. Which just makes the emotion stronger than the first time.