Reading is always subjective. And the interpretation and consumption of these stories vary from person to person! And that’s great! This makes stories differently, and storytellers try their hardest to give us something unique and entertaining all the time, all the while catering to our various tastes. So even though some people may not like what we do, and sometimes they even nitpick parts of the stories we love, we can still help but love it! Yes, my favorites are not perfect, but I love them anyway, flaws and all.

Sometimes I read negative reviews prior to reading. You know already that spoilers aren’t an issue for me, and getting informed on what to expect will mold my expectations further. However, they don’t really influence me per se, but I do take note of legit criticisms. Like, for example, they don’t like the romance, but it turned out after I read it that I actually found it tolerable, so to me it’s just a matter of opinion, so I’ll try not to hold it against the book (or the reviewer—never!), especially if I do want to review it afterwards. Now, what I’m trying to say is that I do accept people’s interpretations or opinions on the stories I read, even if we disagree. Why is that, you ask? Because, as I said, people’s opinions vary, and that’s his/her opinion, regardless of whether it is the exact opposite of mine. I will not undervalue it just because we’re different. I do read legitimate rebukes and even agree with them to some extent, but it just so happens that to me these criticisms aren’t as much of a big deal as they are to other readers.

I do tend to put my favorites on a pedestal, but I’m not a blind fan and can see things when something goes downhill. In fact, I’m more aware of the faults of the series I loved because my passion for it makes me well informed of every piece, or of every nook and cranny of the plot. And being able to know that makes criticism tolerable! To me, not being able to identify the faults of the story—or rather, ignoring these faults—is unhealthy. We should learn to accept that they aren’t perfect, and some people’s intention isn’t to drag it along with their reviews but to inform and give genuine feedback.

So yes, I don’t mind that in the eyes of other people, my favorites aren’t perfect. I mean, is there really an existing perfect story? I haven’t read one, be it a book or a graphic novel. But I always have favorites. Some that I truly, truly loved! In my case, I can find something to nitpick about, but the enjoyment factor doesn’t immediately cease just because of the flaws.

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How about you? Do you have unconditional love for your favorites like I do? How do you treat criticism of it? Care to share it with me?