Watching Anime is Like Drinking Whisky

I wouldn’t say I’m an expert by any means, but I do dabble with whisky from time to time. And over time, I’ve gradually learned there are phases you go through while enjoying the (highly regulated) spirit.

Therefore, in my mind, said parts are vaguely comparable to watching anime. Want to see if what I’m saying is holding water or not? Read on, then!

The Nose

For whisky, nosing is more or less mandatory if you want the full experience and / or you’re tasting one you haven’t had before. There are delicate nuances you have to consider when it comes to nosing. These include the swirling of the delicious nectar inside your glass in order for it to “open up,” the placement of the glass relative to your face while you’re inhaling, the different sort of notes you’re taking in and noticing, letting the whisky rest in the glass before nosing again, and so on.

Personally, I try my best to nose a whisky but my nose is permanently clogged so my sense of smell remains compromised and underdeveloped throughout the entire year. Not really feeling the need to invest in nasal sprays, either, but maybe I should… At any rate, I do swirl my whisky around the glass, though, since it’s fun.

In regards to anime, I consider the nosing process to encompass watching trailers, reading spoiler-free reviews, and watching the first few episodes. You’re trying to make up your mind and guess at what the series is going to bring you at this time. What sort of notes are you picking up (aka do you think the series will be this genre or that genre? Which developments do you think are going to happen)?

The Palate

This is where you drink the damn thing in order to fully taste the delicious poison you’re purposefully pouring into your body. Don’t put too much into your mouth. Keep it in there for a few seconds. Let it rest on your tongue. Then swallow it down. What you experienced right there: that’s the palate.

The way you drink whisky can be very different compared to others. Some like it on the rocks (over ice). Some like a few drops of water (chemically this makes the most amount of sense since oil and water are like bitter exes and the inclusion of both creates something new, but some whisky profiles are a bit too fragile for water, I find). Speaking for myself, I prefer my whisky straight because I have a masculinity problem.

In regards to anime, this particular phase is the part where you watch most of the episodes where the meat of the show generally takes place. Amazing, I know.

With that being said, sometimes viewers will drop a series before even reaching the palate since the nosing phase chased them off (aka they decided they were going to drop the series after they watched episode three, two, or even one). That’s rather unlike whisky drinking since I don’t know anyone who would stop at just nosing. Whisky is pricey and I’ll slowly kill myself deliberately once I’ve paid for it, thanks. You won’t see me throwing my wee dram anywhere except down my throat.

The Finish

After you swallow the whisky, you should be able to taste a few lingering sensations. This is the aftermath of the spirit, the ghosts of notes you’ve experienced while you mulled over the palate.

In regards to anime, this is where you sit through the final arc and finish the show. Now you’re left wondering if the series was any good. Any parts you liked? Didn’t like? What would you say about this series in a single line in order to simplify and overly summarize your thoughts so people can understand your train of thought or are tempted to click on your blog post or watch your YouTube video?

This post fell apart while I was writing it and it’s with great regret that I click “Publish.”

I’ll just pour myself another wee dram to help me forget I ever wrote this.