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I had started disliking streaming music because it’s just audible wallpaper, just something that is there instead of something I want. We can deal with silence, we don’t need to have music playing. So we cancelled our Spotify subscription.

And then last year, when we started packing for the move, we got to the CDs and DVDs we had collected throughout the years. We had packed them away in the attic because we didn’t use ’em anymore, but we kept them around. And I didn’t want to throw them out now — what if we would be more deliberate and conscious in our media consumption? So in the new house we have a nice little stereo set with all the CDs underneath. I bought a record player — Klik had some records, but we acquired more and now have the beginnings of a nice collection there too. Playing records is now an intentional act, and we enjoy it. (And since we now live in a detached house, we can play the music louder than we used to — though that limitation was self-imposed, and some of our neighbours had less scrupules in that regard…)

Every week on Wednesday, Klik visits her mother, so I’m alone at lunch. I thought it would be nice to re-watch some of the anime series we have on DVD. The Escaflowne Perfect Collection was on a shelf and easily accessible (we still have not figured out storage for the DVDs) so I thought: why don’t I watch an episode per week, the way it was intended? With 26 episodes, it took me more than half a year to get through the series because Klik was not away every week.

It is very interesting to re-watch a series released 29 years ago. The character designs are very 90’s with their pointy noses and swooshing hair (that you can see the eyes through, of course). The pacing is all over the place — it’s not slow but it does take its time telling the story and really going into the story and motivation of the characters. That’s not what we’re used to these days: cuts are much faster, things keep moving. So it’s really good to slow down and really develop a feel for the story.

I’m glad I re-watched it, it’s an iconic series, and I had completely forgotten two very important plot points.

Now that’s done, I’ve started in Super-Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross.

Crossposted from my blog. Comment here or at the original post.