It’s been a long week. You’ve worked hard and now you have a couple of days off to yourself. You feel you owe it to yourself to do something for you. Something only someone like you could appreciate. It’s time for a marathon. No, you’re not going to run the New York Marathon. You are not an athlete. You are a geek. A geek’s marathon consists of watching an entire TV series or series of movies in one sitting. Your kind of marathon is not as strenuous as running the New York Marathon, but it still takes some planning and preparation. There are steps you should follow, so you will enjoy your marathon.

What to Watch

There are all kinds of different TV shows or movies you could watch for your marathon. Some of the more popular marathons are Star Wars, Avengers, Rick and Morty, or Lord of the Rings. Let’s be clear, you are a geek with specific interests. You enjoy anime. You love watching all kinds of different Japanese cartoons. There are many genres within anime, so you have to ask yourself what you feel like watching. There’s comedy like RanMa ½. How about action like Fullmetal Alchemist? You could watch a horror like Tokyo Ghoul. A space Opera like StarBlazers 2199 is always good. What about that romance series you have? Come on, you know you have at least one romance series. Everyone does. The last question you have to ask yourself is, are you feeling adventurous and want to watch something brand new, or do you want to watch an old favorite?

More the Merrier

You’ve picked out the anime series that you are going to spend several hours with. Now you need to decide on what friends you are going to share your marathon with. Of course, you can always go solo and enjoy the marathon by yourself, but an anime marathon is always better when you share it with some friends. It’s great to point out little things and try to guess what is going to happen. What friends you invite over also depends on how you feel. Do you want to keep it quiet? Then you’ll need a friend or two that will sit in a corner and not say a word. Or, do you want loud friends that are going to crack jokes and laugh out really loud? This is also a really good time to consider inviting a friend who has never watched anime. It is a lot of fun to watch your friend light up as they start enjoying the anime.

Geeks Only

Just as important as inviting friends, it is important to get rid of people. You love your family, but they don’t understand anime. It is incredibly annoying and evil when they interrupt right in the middle of the pivotal important moment of the series. Get them out of the house. Send them to friends or to other family. If you can’t get them out of the house, then barricade yourself in.

The Feast

Now you need your provisions. Just like the New York Marathon you don’t want to overload. If you eat too much during the anime marathon you are going to be uncomfortable throughout the entire series. You might just fall asleep and miss the marathon that you have worked so hard to put together. I’m not saying you should eat healthy. Geeks don’t do that. Just take it slow with eating. Get your favorite snacks and your favorite drink. Since you are watching anime you could go with some anime food such as Pocky and Choco Bees. If you plan well enough in advance, you can impress your friends by making some rice balls. You will want to make sure you have plenty of provisions to last through to the end of the marathon. You don’t want to be sent to the store in the middle of the story.

Put Away the Sword, Get Your Jammies

You will also need to plan for the right attire to wear. This is not an anime viewing at a convention, so put away the floor length red overcoat and the oversized prop sword. Break out your comfy clothes. Put on your Domo slippers and your favorite sleeper pants. The matching Naruto t-shirt and hoody are acceptable, so long as you will be comfortable.

Stake Your Claim

The final preparation before the marathon starts is to stake out your viewing spot. This is your house and you have planned this anime marathon. It is your right to sit or lay where ever you want. Make sure you have the perfect view of the screen and that you will be comfortable for the next several hours.

The Great Pause Button

During the anime marathon you need to plan for the unexpected. You and your friends are human. You will need potty breaks. Even though you tried to send your family away, they usually come back and they will interrupt you. There will be times during the marathon your friends will have a story to tell. All of this fine. There is nothing you can do about it. This is why some genius invented the pause button and the reverse button.

Thanks for the Memories

There is one last thing to plan for, after the anime marathon is over. Besides cleaning up, you and your friends are going to want to get out of the house. All of you should get some breakfast or dinner, depending on what time it is the marathon finishes. This is a great time to talk about the anime series you just spent several hours watching. Talk about the plot and compare notes on what you think was going on. Talk about the best parts of the series and gripe about the voice actors. Just as if you ran the New York Marathon, you will want to brag to each other about making it through the entire series, in one sitting.

Remember, you have worked hard this week and you have put up with a lot. You have earned the time for your marathon, so you will want to make the most of it. If for some strange reason you would run the New York Marathon, you will want to plan so you can do it well. Your anime marathon is something you actually want to run. It deserves the same planning so you can do it well and ensure you have a great time.

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