I also keep subtitles on, both English and Japanese when possible. I’ve studied Japanese, and watching anime this way helps me retain and relearn the language naturally. It’s a gentle, immersive way to reconnect with vocabulary, grammar, and cultural nuance that can be easily missed.

As for playback speed, I always watch at normal speed. It’s essential for me to fully absorb the atmosphere, pacing, and emotional weight of a scene. The timing of a pause, the rhythm of dialogue, the way a soundtrack swells or fades, these are deliberate choices by the creators, and speeding through them feels like skipping over the soul of the story. I want to experience each moment as it was meant to be felt.

Name order. When writing about characters, I generally follow naming conventions based on the character’s country of origin. Japanese characters are referred to using the Eastern naming order (family name then given name) as this reflects how they’re presented in the original medium. This choice also aligns with the use of keigo (honorific speech) in Japanese, where characters are typically addressed by their family name unless a deeper familiarity is established. For Westernized characters, I use the Western naming order. I try to stay as true to the source as possible, preserving cultural context and the subtleties of character relationships.

Romaji vs English. When I write about series, I usually refer to them by their native titles in romaji first, before using the English name interchangeably. For example, I might say "Natsume Yuujinchou" instead of "Natsume's Book of Friends". It’s just a habit I’ve picked up over time due to watching anime in their original language instead of English dub.