It has a weird effect. I've noticed that if I only watch one Godzilla movie, the plot makes no sense at all and I can't get into it. But if I watch about three in a row, they start to make a weird sort of sense and suddenly something clicks--probably the sound of my brain short-circuiting, LOL!--and it's like a whole new universe opens up. Same with Kung Fu movies and anime.
I vote that you should spend your expense check on anime CDs or comic books :)
What about a compromise between the two? Manga! Stopped at the bookstore over lunchtime and, hehehe, the Kenshin manga is just as cool as the anime, and cheaper than I thought... only $8 for a book, compared to $12-18 for most graphic novels.