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“Are you watching anything new?” is a pretty common question we ask these days. It’s true that everybody seems to be binging some new show almost every day.
After all, the age of television cables has been surpassed by the modern technology of streaming. With the wide variety of streaming services and thousands of shows and movies being released every week, there is always a new show to watch.
However, with the amount of series and movies at our disposal, some tend to revert to watching the same shows over and over again. Why is that?
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Nostalgia factorPeople are creatures of habit, whether it be waking up in the morning and making your bed or drinking a warm cup of coffee with their breakfast every day. It’s hard to break once you are set on a routine. Such routines can also be seen in our hobbies, like the shows we rewatch repeatedly.
There’s something about rewatching and finding little interesting bits and pieces from when you first watched the show. This feeling can be likened to wanting to relive the happiest moments of our lives.
It’s a simple equation, really: Watching old shows evokes strong feelings of nostalgia that people relate to fond memories. Like dreaming of that extra fun game of hide and seek with your childhood friends, it’s a warm memory you keep wanting to go back to.
Jennifer Lopez and Neil Patrick Harris in “How I Met Your Mother”
Some shows watched for the first time as kids may not hit the same if watched as adults. However, a select few can stand the test of time.
Such classics instill the same values from the first time we watched them but, this time, provide us with a better understanding and perspective of the choices made by the characters.
In this case, it’s not just longing for memories and nostalgia—the what if or what could’ve been—but instead, rewatching old shows teaches us lessons best learned with time.
Inspiration and valueFrom experience, I have always been a huge anime fan. I can’t remember exactly when I started, but I know I have been watching them since I was a little girl.
Who I am today can be traced back to my childhood with anime. The best example I could think of would be my fashion style. I’d like to think of it as a universal girl experience with the amount of girls on Pinterest who share the same taste. However, I know that not everyone’s the same.
Still, in my case, it left a long-lasting impact on my style growing up that I still rewatch old shoujo romance animes for fashion inspiration or when I want to feel a little kilig or two while rewatching “Kimi ni Todoke’s” Sawako—her fashionable fits and life.
Another reason would be that there’s something so comforting about putting on your favorite comfort show on repeat.
You know that feeling when you watch a scene from a series that has spent a long time brewing and building up, and the payoff goes so hard that you immediately just get the urge to watch it over and over again because of how good it is?
Kei Tsukishima in “Haikyu!!”
That, for me, would be Tsukishima’s entire character arc in “Haikyuu.”
It’s good and comforting. It will always be the anime moment of all time for me; it won’t fail to disappoint. It’s not like Kageyama will set the ball to Hinata any less perfectly, or Tsukishima would react any differently on that seventh rewatch of the show.
What it does, however, will always retain its sentimental effect on its viewers, from the first watch until the latest rewatch.
Rewatching the show won’t diminish any feelings we associate it with on the first watch. Its ups and downs would stay the same as the feelings we associate with it.
And even now, as an adult, you’ll catch me looking for old clips of particularly emotional anime scenes that I hold so dearly to my heart, like Itachi telling Sasuke he loves him or replaying Tsukki’s iconic block in “Haikyuu” Season 3, Episode 4 on repeat unapologetically.
A ‘therapeutic escape’More often than not, I also watch shows on repeat, not because I love it but rather because it’s ‘easier’ for me to watch and digest it. It provides a sense of peace and familiarity against the chaotic whirlwind reality that surrounds us every day.
Having an episode of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” or “Modern Family” episode (my favorite sitcom series) in the background energizes me in a way that I have integrated into my daily routine.
Eric Stonestreet and Winston Duke in “Modern Family”
Surprisingly, despite the portrayal of three American families in “Modern Family,” I was able to relate to them. Their petty fights and misunderstood shtick of the show had cemented its position as one of my comfort shows. From Cam’s flair to Phil’s comedic antics, it was easy to feel part of their big family.
Even three years after its final episode airing, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was also one of my go-to rewatchable shows. The chemistry of the cast and the storytelling of each episode were entertaining and the ultimate comedy gold. Even with its comedic pretense, the show would also tackle serious topics such as gender identity and police brutality with enough grace and seriousness.
Whenever I am in need of a break in the world or turn my mind off after a long day, rewatching a random episode of these shows never fails to give me the fix that I need. The familiar warm and fuzzy feeling would always come back; imagine a comfortable embrace before you face reality again.
Even in the shows we watch, we crave a certain familiarity, whether it’s the actors or the basic storyline. When reassured of that familiarity, it provides a particular assurance on what to expect, which is not entirely a bad thing.
The late Andre Braugher in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
There is a concept called The Principle of Least Effort, which at its core states that people and animals will “naturally choose” the path with the least amount of effort involved. It’s not exactly about “laziness” but rather a natural evolutionary instinct.
This can mean that rewatching your favorite shows requires less cognitive effort to process than watching an entirely new show, which is exactly what we want.
Ultimately, I continue to rewatch shows not entirely because of the nostalgic feeling it provides me but rather the familiar comfort that steadies me to seize the day.
Rewatching shows can unlock a fond memory or make you look back on the easier times. Whether it is for nostalgia or comfort, rewatching shows does not take away that giddy feeling that resonates with you every single time.
That is why you don’t need to feel insecure if you can’t catch up with the latest shows and movies, because, like all things in lifeiwildcasino, it’s not about how old you are but rather remembering the fun you had.