Let’s start with the definition of a “spoiler” as defined by wikipedia.

Now the definition of “spoil” as Google finds it using wordnet.princeton.edu.

So the connotations that are derived from the use of the word “spoil” are that it describes a forever and irrevocable destruction of anything that it is applied towards. It is such a harsh term, is it not?

If you scan my blog you will notice that I never use a spoiler warning. This has been a conscious decision. For that matter, I don’t see many blogs that utilize the accepted “spoiler warning” when blogging about anime. It would be silly for an episode summary site to use it. It is almost absurd for any anime blog to use a spoiler warning most of the time because the bread and butter of anime blogging are anime video and/or manga, which require some divulgence of the plot.

I prefer to talk about the plot affect and effect rather than that actual plot itself. While I do have opportunity to “spoil” the story, I usual do make some amount of effort to not give away everything.

Some may find that my last couple posts on Code Geass are a contradiction. I don’t find that to be the case. It all depends on one’s prospective. What exactly constitutes plot spoiling information? That’s the rub. We are expected to know what a “spoiler” is, but the definition of the spoil is subjective to say the least. There isn’t a universal acceptance of what will ruin a story. The safe bet would be to not speak of any of it. That will not do, or why would we have blogs?

Take the Code Geass elements that I recently posted. Obviously, the post’s text does not actually offer much spoilage because it is ambiguous. It doesn’t mean much because the reader doesn’t really know what had happened in the story. The image clarifies the matter and solidifies the statement as a “statement” of fact.

That particular incident was not the turning point in the story. It was the shocker or the “holy $hit” moment. If that was the crucial element of the plot then it may verge on a spoiler, but it wasn’t. In my opinion, the real plot evolution was pinned on the interaction between Lelouch and Euphemia just before the incidents at the end of episode 22. Also, the character’s reactions and the revelation of their motivations are more important to the plot. Knowing a singular event that—while important—was an effect and not an affect doesn’t constitute a spoiler.

Now, I’m not saying that bloggers should start giving away plot elements at random without forethought. The justification in what to talk about and what not to talk about isn’t exactly easy, that’s what I’m getting to. When one cares about not ruining the story for others then it becomes something to keep in mind when writing or commenting.

If anything, a “spoiler” is when you lose the message of the story because it was taken out of order. Earlier I implied that the “affect” is more important than the “effect.”

I can’t say that I have ever had any show spoiled for me by a blog post. I don’t even avoid post about episodes that I haven’t watched (most of the time). It could be that I am a hard spoil, or maybe I don’t concern myself with it too much. At any rate, if I was concerned about it, I wouldn’t read the posts.

As for future posts here, don’t worry, I will continue to not “spoil” the story for you in the same manner as I have always avoided doing so.

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I used Code Geass as a recent example for this post because I’ve posted a few relevant pieces on it. The fact is that if you go to random sites, wikipedia for instance, they seem to already have a heads up on what’s going to happen with the series. There must be a leak.