Reader Survey

I think I will make it simple and the questions should self-explanatory:

1) What do you want to see more/less of in terms of content here at Iwa ni Hana?

2) Do you think the length of the posts are: i) too long, ii) just about right or iii) too short?

3) What are the strengths/weaknesses of Iwa ni Hana?

(When I blog, I apply the same assumption I have when I send emails at work - that nobody ever reads what someone else wrote carefully word by word. So I aim at brevity, precision and clarity. I assume that people's eyeballs just glide through the screen and that is why I always highlight in purple important points I have to say.)

Thank you kindly for taking your time to answer this survey.

Comments

[capo]

1)can't think of any
2)ii) just about right
3)i'm not saying it's perfect but i like this blog

maybe if it was black on white it would be slightly better but i'm netpicking here

[minus-one]

1) less surveys ;-)
2) ii) just about right
3) for me strength of this blog lays in its subjectivity, i like to read people's personal points of view (and hate when people are trying to be "objective")

[Neohybrid_kai]

1)well, I'm a fans of symbolism if you asked me. I like the insight of otaku culture post too. Also one or two of fangirl-ism related post if you don't mind ^^
2)just about right
3)I like this blog for its different choice of content. As for weakness I can't point any serious one right now

minus-one:
what do you mean by "objective"? why did you use the " "?

[minus-one]

@Neohybrid_kai
because mostly when people trying to be objective, it's a sign that they don't really understand what objectivity is: for examle, they're often mistaken it for popularity ("if the majority thinks so, than it IS so"). in other words, they're simply trying to justify viewpoint of the majority instead of thinking for themselves.

[Ialda]

1) just about everything, but please, no episode reviews like in any other anime blog !
2) too short !
3) I love your mini-essays and your explanations about specific japanese terms.

[Momiji]

1. I enjoy reading your thoughts about (mostly) unknown authors like Reiko Shimizu and anime that most other blogs overlook, and would like to see more of that. It's good that you focus on what interests you, instead of reviewing the whole episodes and series.

But I also wish you would be more careful with putting clearly visible spoiler warnings (marking exactly what you're spoiling) and perhaps a bit of spoiler space if you're going to comment on things like the ending of Kaguya Hime, who dies in Himitsu, etc. That way it's easier for the readers to chose what spoilers to read or not.

2. ii and iii. Sometimes a little too short, but most of the time just perfect.

3. The way you blog about things that aren't well-known, like Zankoku Bi, etc. Very interesting!

[gaguri]

1) Maybe more screencapture gallery down the bottom right hand corner. Thanks to those beautiful pictures I was able to watch gems like Kanashimi no Ballad and Diary of Tortov Riddle. I'm sure there are more fairly unknown beautiful works that I am not aware of.

2) ii)

3) Strength - I think you have an eye for abstracting ideas/techniques/etc that makes something fascinating and also able to articulate them in a concise and coherent manner. It also helps that you make connections between the work and other materials such as essays and films. And solid level of understanding of Japanese language and culture also help identify things in an animation that I miss occasionally. I can find no other blogger doing this so plus points for unique factor as well. So yea, I hope your ego is inflated enough now.

Weakness - Nothing in particular.

[Songster]

I enjoy the reviews because they are thoughtful and go beyond summaries. Linking anime/manga to cultural/social/political/religious issues can lead to interesting discussions. Also much appreciated is news related to anime and manga that interest you, as you tend to concentrate on thought-provoking, artistic pieces. I have no problem with at all with going beyong into animation of other nations, industry issues, etc.

You are one of the few sites that discuss anime and manga in a more sophisticated manner. Thank you!

[madmind]

1) if possible more posts about good anime that aren't covered that much. And perhaps more posts about short movies, like Pale Cocoon for example.
2) just about right
3) Strength: content of this blog. Keep it up. Weakness: visual design of this blog. Perhaps I am the only one, but in my eyes the standard font size is too small, which in combination with a Serif-Font is making it even harder to read. Moreover there is a little bit too much distracting coloring of the text. Words or names in a different color can lead to the assumption that this is a link. Too many colors distract even more. Your recent post Divinity in Anime is a good example of that usability problem.

When I first reached your blog I almost didn't read anything because of the design. In review I am glad I didn't. But I believe there are some who did because of this.

[Thursday]

I mostly agree with the points from above listed comments.
You are doing a good job here, just keep it up. Write about your observations and thoughts as you do it now, and share with us your opinions about anime, animation generally, cultural theories. There are tons of anime blogs in witch authors give a summary of anime episodes they are actually watching. Sometimes they try to point what they think is worth or good and what not in their subjective point of view. I don't undervalue them, but I just think they lack a all-embracing context. Which you, in my opinion, emphasize so well in your blog.
I was never disappointed with your aesthetic taste and I really enjoy my time here.
It's good you aim to face expectations of your readers but don't try to force yourself to write for example longer/shorter post just because one wrote that you should make them longer/shorter. It's not the length that is important, just the content of it, right?
As for the visual side of this site, maybe it could be a good idea to change the font. I like the combination of violet, white and black, but as I stay hare for a longer time my eyes feel pain because of the font... ; )
The design is good. It's minimalistic and clear (as for me), puts attention on the content and don't distract with decorated exaggeration. But if you're a bit tired of it and want to try something new, why not?
: )

[NicholasBlack]

1) more on the way mythology is integrated into anime; more comments on different aspects of Japanese life and culture;
2) too short;
3) the only 'weakness' I can think about is the small white font on black background theme. It is a bit hard on the eyes (I usually select all the text and read it with inverted colours). The strengths are too many to count [yes, I'm clueless when it comes to praising people...].

[Wabisabi]

Sorry for the late response. I have been busy all week but now I am responding to each feedback.

[Wabisabi]

capo:

I agree. If I had a choice to start this template all over again, I would probably opt for black on white. I will keep this in mind if I have time (probably in the summer) the redesign the layout though.

[Wabisabi]

minus-one:

This is the first time I do a reader survey, really.

[Wabisabi]

Neohybrid_kai:

Do you mean you want to see me talk about other people fangirling or do you want to see me fangirling? ^-^

[Wabisabi]

Ialda:

You see, I have always wanted to write more about Japanese words that are not translatable into English, not just in terms of anime/manga but the whole cultural aspect in general. I kind of outsourced that to my friend Bangin (http://bangin.wordpress.com/) because he has all the time in the world to troll 2chan and other Japanese communities (online or in real life) to pick up new words. But he mostly does slangs, so maybe I can focus on words that embody the more embracing cultural concepts.

[Wabisabi]

Momiji:

Whoa, this is a new face. Thank you for speaking up. ^-^

I will take note to be more descriptive about spoilers, instead of just saying 'spoilers up to episode X'.

I think Zankoku Bi is well-known among Japanese speakers, though perhaps not all Japanese speakers would be able to define it with precision (otherwise it would not call for an essay by the great Mishima Yukio).

And of course, the thing with the English-speaking fandom is that materials tend to get filtered to what is available in English.

[Wabisabi]

gaguri:

Yeah, I agree - I really should work on the picture galleries more. That is the good thing about Typepad - it's easy to upload pictures to individual galleries and display them.

And thank you for your kind words. ^-^

[Wabi Sabi]

Songster:

Well, I suppose I am older and look at things differently. This is actually the niche I pitch at: a non-academic working adult fan of animation/manga/Japanese culture writing for an audience of non-academic working adults who love the same things.

I stress 'non-academic' because, frankly, I have never felt much enlightened by academic theories and I think it is more interesting and intellectually demanding to see it through your own eyes and conceptualize your own explanations. Ask 'what does the work say to you' rather than 'how would theory X apply to the work'. I think any reasonably intelligent and educated adult can do that.

I also stress 'working' adult because working in the real world renders an entirely new perspective on things than someone who is still at school, and has never really interacted with the complexities of the real world except in a school setting.

[Wabisabi]

madmind:

Whoa, here is another new face. Thank you for speaking up! ^-^

Note taken about the visual design of the blog.

[Wabisabi]

Thursday:

The reason I ask about the length in particular is that I typically have a list of ideas I want to discuss. (I always have more things I want to write about than I have time to write.) I have a choice of i) discussing one idea in one post of around 500 words or ii) discussing several ideas in one post of around 1500 words. Personally, I prefer blog posts to be short and focused on one idea. So I am just wondering if the tide of opinion from you guys is otherwise.

It usually doesn't take me long to write. Usually I have been turning over the ideas in my head while I wait in line-ups or take the shower or work out at the gym etc. I always know what I want to say and it is a matter of banging it out with a keyboard. I have never really experienced 'writer's block' as such...

[Wabisabi]

NicholasBlack:

Yeah, mythology. I have always said that anime/manga is a form of modern myth-making. There are recurrent archetypes in the personalities of the characters and patterns of plot development.

Would you be happy to read about comments on Japanese culture and life that are completely out of the blue (ie. not directly related to animation/manga)? I think my job will take me to business trips to Tokyo every now and then beginning from the last quarter of this year or so. I will probably be able to write from an on-the-ground perspective more.

[bioeng]

1) I really enjoyed your analysis of Honey and Clover & Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo. Hopefully the same treatment will go to the Spring anime line-up.

2) As long as you convey your point, that's all that matters.

3) a) Strengths: On more occasions, than once, I was blown away by your insights. Prior to accessing your blog, I've never thought anime could be analyzed in such a mature and serious manner. (without sounding pretentious) However, this blog is an exception.

b) Weaknesses: Sorry, I can't think of any criticisms.

[Wabisabi]

bioeng:

Honey & Clover was largely a personal take, and Tokikake was largely a matter of paying attention to the details. I suppose I could always write more in terms of personal take.

[Neohybrid_kai]

Yours, of course. Maybe it's just me but I always enjoy personal related post in each blog I visit.
I think that's what makes blog different from article in site/magazine, there is a more than just information flow between the writer and readers