Seasonal Simulcast Survival Guide
Featuring the new Devil May Cry, mono, Guilty Gear, SHOSHIMIN, and Witch Watch.
Spring is here! Avoid seasonal viewing burnout and clear your backlog at the same time~
The Spring anime season is upon us, which means a whole new batch of shows to get excited about! But how do you pick what to watch without overloading yourself and burning out?
Your anime journey is personal, but it’s also a social experience. It’s fun to stay current with your friends and the greater anime community, but that doesn’t mean you have to watch everything. If you’ve ever struggled with keeping up while also trying to make progress on your never-ending backlog, you’re not alone.
Don’t worry—I’ve got your back!
Step 1: Identify Your Viewing Goals
If you’re anything like me, your backlog is terrifying. It stares at you from the shadows, whispering about how many series you still haven’t finished. So before you dive into a new season, ask yourself:
✔ Do I want to focus on new seasonal anime, backlog shows, or a mix?
✔ How much time do I realistically have?
✔ Am I in the mood for long-running series or shorter, bingeable anime?
If you only have time for a few shows, pick ones that fit your schedule. Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe choose one seasonal anime and one backlog series instead of three new shows that could pile up. If you’ve got a free week to binge, check out my Anime-Planet watchlist for some great binge-friendly recommendations by genre.
Step 2: Balance Your Watchlist
Anne Shirley on the left and Classic Stars on the right.
It’s easy to overload on a single genre—but nothing burns you out faster than watching five action-packed shonen series in a row that all have the same tournament arcs, rival battles, and power-ups.
Instead, mix things up!
✔ Pair action with something chill—A high-energy battle anime + a feel-good comedy.
✔ Add variety—If your list is missing romance, mystery, or slice-of-life, pull one from your backlog.
✔ Adjust based on your mood—Going through a rough time? Swap a thriller for a lighthearted series.
Top Row: Bleach, My Happy Marriage, Kaguya-sama Love is War
Bottom Row: Blue Box, Zenshu, Bocci the Rock
Some of my winter seasonal picks this year include:
🏀 Blue Box – A perfect blend of sports and romance (seriously, why does it look this good!?)
💖 My Happy Marriage – Historical fiction, supernatural mystery, AND romance? Yes, please!
🎨 Zenshu – An artist’s dream anime with stunning visuals and so much angst.
Some of my backlog viewing list:
Bleach - I’m almost done with the Bount arc right now. What a mess. Hoping to finish the whole series this year!
Kaguyasama Love is War: This might be my new favorite RomCom, ousting Toradora. It was my obsession in January.
Bocchi the Rock: I missed a lot from the 2020 - 2024 era. But, I did get to see Bocci’s installment at Anime Japan in 2023. -grin- Been watching this one at the gym this month!
I’ll have another post coming soon that gives a preview of the new season and highlights my top picks by genre (and for myself). So be on the lookout for it to drop in the coming weeks!
Step 3: Watch at Your Own Pace
One of the biggest causes of burnout is binge fatigue.
If you’re struggling to keep up, try pacing yourself by watching one episode per day or per week like a traditional broadcast schedule. It keeps things manageable and gives you something to look forward to each day! For example, Zenshu was my Monday pick-me-up, I watch Bleach in English while sketching or playing with Taiga, and Blue Box was my end of the week treat! Because My Happy Marriage and Welcome to Japan Ms. Elf were currently airing and just good vibes, I liked to squeeze those in when I was feeling exhausted. They pick me right up!
And most importantly…
Your Watchlist, Your Rules
✔ It’s okay if you don’t watch everything.
✔ It’s okay if you don’t watch what’s “popular.”
✔ It’s okay if your backlog is growing faster than your watch count.
The only thing that matters is watching anime in a way that makes you happy.
These techniques help me avoid burnout—but if they don’t work for you, that’s okay too!
Join the Challenge & Vote for Your Faves!
I’m challenging myself to watch 100 anime this year while juggling life, work, bringing the next installment of Game Over to life, and finishing my degree, focusing on the hard-hitters that I missed from the past 5 years and tossing in some vintage picks as well —and you can follow along!
👉 Check out my 100 Anime Challenge post for the full details and explore my picks using my list on Anime-Planet.
If you’re watching this season’s anime or just love anime and video games, vote for your favorite characters in my monthly Patreon polls. Winners get sketched or turned into emotes for Twitch & Discord! And you can download them for free!
👉 Join the Sketch & Emote Club on Patreon!
