Binging vs. Watching Weekly

When it comes to serial works, there are two schools of thought- some prefer to view each installment as it comes out, while others prefer to binge-watch large quantities of episodes. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss here.

Watching Weekly

One advantage that watching weekly(or however often each new episode comes out, although weekly is most common)- is instant gratification. Quite simply, many people would rather not wait any longer than necessary for their latest fix of their favorite series, especially if the last installment ended on a cliffhanger.

Of course, those who are caught up with the series will have to wait, but they'll have plenty to do while waiting for the next installment. They can spend this time poring over the most recent release and other chapters, enabling them to spot subtler details and come up with theories.

Lastly, while it may be easier to follow the story if one binges(see that section for more), watching weekly can often provide flashbacks so reviewers who have forgotten significant details won't be completely lost. Those flashbacks tend to be time wasters for people who are binging a series, but can be a good refresher for those who are watching weekly.

Binging

Binging episodes can have its advantages for those who choose to wait.

For starters, binge-watchers won't have to wait a week or more for a resolution to a cliffhanger or an elaboration on a plot twist. Obviously, they'll have to wait that much longer for enough content for them to be released so that they can binge an entire season or story arc, but latecomers to the series won't have to deal with this.

Second, while many serial works' installments are self-contained, others, such as many weekly manga, are small fragments of a larger story. As a result, the story can come off as more coherent and easier to follow if you can view each installment with the previous one fresh on your mind, rather than needing a refresher after having waited a week or more since the last one.

A final consideration is saving money, since it can be cheaper to stream a series that you're binging rather than follow it weekly. Let's say, for example, that a 13-episode anime begins airing on Saturdays, starting January 1, 2022. If you were to watch it every week, you would need to subscribe for three months, plus a fourth month if the series were to go on break. If, however, you were to binge that anime after its completion, it would be feasible to do so after its completion.

Conclusion

Both binging and watching weekly have their advantages and disadvantages. This, combined with the fact that either approach may be better suited to certain viewers or certain series, means that there's no right or wrong approach; only ones that work better in some instances and worse in others. My personal recommendation is that first-time viewers who are eager for more of the content they love should watch weekly, while binging can be a good way to enjoy one's favorite series on a second viewing.

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