Like the Reverse Thieves and the AGC podcast before us, we at the Taiiku Podcast are continuing the tradition of Anime Secret Santa. Thanks to Kate and Al of the Reverse Thieves for starting the project, and to Vinnie and Diego of AGC for continuing it. Happy to keep this project running, which I think I have participated in since 2014.
Below is stolen directly from the Reverse Thieves’ post in 2018, with some light editing:
The idea of the Anime Secret Santa project is for everyone who participates to be reviewing a show they might not have normally watched or may have overlooked. Everyone will get someone else in the project to review a series of their choice and in return review something picked by one of their fellow bloggers/podcasters.
The goal is threefold for everyone involved:
- Mixing up what you watch and review.
- Getting other people to watch things you feel deserve more attention.
- Interacting with others thus creating possibilities for cross-blog readership / cross-podcast listenership.
Here is how this little project works: If you want to participate, fill out the form by October 27, 2023.
Make sure that your Anime Planet or My Anime List or whatever is updated as much as possible before you submit it. In the notes, you can include things like whether you’re willing to download fansubs or preference toward dub or sub or whatever else.
We will then make a circular list of everyone involved in the project that only we will know the order of. We will take care to make sure those who have watched a lot will be put with others who have watched a lot; those who are newer to anime will similarly be put with others who have not watched as much. From there the order will then be randomized.
Everyone will then receive the name, blog/podcast, and list of the person they are the Secret Santa for. Once you receive that email:
- Look over their list and whether they watch fan-subs then try to pick out something good but unexpected.
- You will then suggest three shows PLUS two back-up picks for the person, all of which must be 26 episodes or less (yes, you can suggest movies, too).
- Remember that you are picking shows that you hope the other person will like and give an honest chance.
Once we get everyone’s picks we will then pass on the shows to the recipients. No one except us will know the names of the person who gave you your choices. You then pick the show you are going to watch. Everyone is responsible for getting their own material for the review.
You will receive your show choices by November 17, 2023.
You then have until late December to watch the show you were assigned and write a review. On the week of Christmas, everyone will post their reviews for the Secret Santa Project. We would prefer you to post your review on Christmas Eve but you can alter it as to the schedule of your blog or podcast.
On Christmas Day, we will reveal the name of who had who as a Secret Santa along with a small post about the project.
- Here’s Reverse Thieves’ latest project, from 2018: https://reversethieves.com/2018/10/17/10-years-of-anime-secret-santa-the-annual-project-opens/
- Here’s Reverse Thieves’ latest reveal, also from 2018: https://reversethieves.com/2018/12/25/secret-santa-2018-project-reveal/
- Here’s AGC’s latest project, from 2022: https://www.agcpodcast.com/2022/10/17/anime-secret-santa-call-for-participants-2022/
- Here’s AGC’s latest reveal, also from 2022: https://www.agcpodcast.com/2022/12/28/anime-secret-santa-2022-the-reveal/
Again: If you want to participate, fill out the form by October 27, 2023.