One of the neatest places I visited while in Japan this year.
First thing is a review of my New Year's Resolutions in 2018 and how I did with them:
(REVIEW) New Year's Resolutions for 2018
- Spend at least 100 hours on learning Python -- HALF (I hope I'll remember whatever I learned!)
- Spend at least 100 hours on learning Japanese -- NOPE (I spent about 15 hours on this =__=)
- Create 2 text-based games -- HALF (As soon as I finished the first game, I started the second one and realized I wouldn't be able to finish it by the end of this year ;__; [I started the second game with one week left in the year, bahhh...])
- Create at least 1 story (short story, play, whatever) -- HALF (It's only half-finished *sigh*)
- Watch a minimum of 300 episodes' worth of anime I haven't watched that are in my collection (movies count as 1 episode per 30 minutes runtime, rounded down) -- DONE (Yu Yu Hakusho | Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters | Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie | Eden of the East (TV series) | Shiki | Night Head Genesis | Eden of the East: King of Eden | Eden of the East: Paradise Lost | Another | Princess Jellyfish | Samurai Pizza Cats || + Chobits)
- Read a minimum of 800 pages' worth of books I haven't read that are in my collection (manga and comics included) -- DONE (Ouran High School Host Club (Vol. 14 - 18) by Hatori Bisco || + 3 more books)
- Listen to at least 10 (or ALL) music CDs I haven't listened to that are in my collection -- DONE (I did the former and I included digital albums as well. Savage Genius: Forever... | Ys: The Oath in Felghana -Musical Selections | GReeeeN: Ure D | Crystal Kay feat. Namie Amuro: REVOLUTION | Tari Tari: Shiokaze no Harmony | Braedon Mitchell: Untitled single | Utena Movie: Adolescence of Utena ~ Adolescence Rush | Steins; Gate | Persona 5 | Your Name. || + 1 more CD)
- Watch at least 10 (or ALL) movies / TV shows I haven't watched that are in my collection (TV shows will be counted by season) -- DONE (I did the former. X-Men Origins: Wolverine | The Wolverine | Whiteout | Moulin Rouge | The Rats | Devil's Advocate | The Debt | Dragonheart | Dragonheart: A New Beginning | Creative Control || + 36 more movie / TV shows)
- Expose myself to at least 5 games that I physically own -- DONE (Monster Hunger: World | Nights of Azure | Ys: The Oath of Felghana | Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm | 428: Shibuya Scramble || + 3 more games)
- Expose myself to at least 5 games that I digitally own -- DONE (Swap Quest | Hue | Tricky Towers | Color Guardians | Abzu || + 30 more games)
- Find 500 hours and put that towards catching up on either the Atelier, Ys, or Shin Megami Tensei (SMT includes Persona, DDS, Devil Summoner, etc.) series -- HALF (Due to this resolution, I beat Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm, and Ys: The Oath in Felghana. I also started playing Devil Survivor 2.)
- Beat at least 10 games that I physically own -- HALF (I was three games away from finishing this Resolution! Monster Hunter: World | Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth | Chulip | Ys: The Oath in Felghana | Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm | 428: Shibuya Scramble | Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight)
- Beat at least 5 games that I digitally own -- DONE (Corpse Party | Shutshimi | Waku Waku Sweets | Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reigns | Binding of Isaac: Rebirth || + 1 more game)
- Reduce my overall collection! This would be my collection for books, video games, music, movies, TV shows, figures -- DONE (I reduced my overall collection by 75 items. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like that made much of a difference to my room. u___u)
To sum up: Out of my 14 resolutions, I completed 10.5. My reaction? ... *sigh* :/ As usual I'm not happy. I want to be able to complete all my resolutions some day! But, well... when I think about where a lot of my time was going to last year (*cough* work *cough*), it's not really a surprise that some of my resolutions, especially the ones that required a lot of Time, couldn't be completed.
I've been told before that my previous resolutions kinda get in the way of what I want to do... and I can agree, but only to an extent. It is true that a lot of my Time is already spoken for if I aim to complete my resolutions... but I don't think it's always a bad thing. I think it helps me to prioritize and focus on things I really want to do. Even so... I'll try to be a bit more lenient on myself this year.
Below are my resolutions for 2019:
New Year's Resolutions for 2019
- Spend at least 100 hours on learning Python / Ren'py
- Spend at least 100 hours on learning Japanese
- Create at least two games using any of the platforms / engines I have
- Create at least 1 story (short story, play, fanfiction, whatever)
- Watch ALL the anime I haven't watched that are in my collection
- Subscribe to Crunchyroll and finish watching at least one series
- Read a minimum of 1500 pages' worth of books I haven't read that are in my collection (manga and comics included)
- Listen to at least 10 (or ALL) music CDs I haven't listened to that are in my collection
- Watch at least 15 (or ALL) movies / TV shows I haven't watched that are in my collection (TV shows will be counted by season)
- Expose myself to at least 5 games that I physically own
- Expose myself to at least 5 games that I digitally own
- Find 200 hours and put that towards catching up on either the Mother or Shin Megami Tensei series (SMT includes Persona, DDS, Devil Summoner, etc.)
- Beat at least 10 games that I physically own. At least two should be from the Atelier series
- Beat at least 5 games that I digitally own
- Reduce my overall collection! This would be my collection for books, video games, music, movies, TV shows, figures
- Clean my room. At least half of the floor should be bare
I've relaxed a couple of the resolutions this time, but have made a couple others more challenging. The "Watch ALL anime" resolution actually won't take too long to do, since I only have one series and two movies left to go through.
I decided to be more lenient with the "Create games" resolution because over the past couple years, I've come to own / have access to different game-making software (like GameMaker, RPG Maker MV, etc), and I'd like to dabble in them. One of the two games I make, though, will definitely still be text-based (the game I couldn't finish last year).
The "Find 200 hours" resolution is much more lenient, but that's because some of the games I play will be games I don't own. I've been meaning to finish Mother 1, and play Mother 3 for a long time now... and both those games aren't localized. I also want to finish SMT 1 and play through SMT 2 -- and SMT 2 is not localized. Playing through those games won't contribute to any of my other resolutions, but I really want to do this.
One of the biggest challenges will be... cleaning my room! I just have too much stuff and not enough space. But I can't let things go unless I know for sure that I don't want them... hence why so many of my resolutions still surround going through my various collections. It will be a big struggle, hahaha.
2018 in Review
Honestly... 2018 largely felt like 2017.
I mean, aside from my trip to Japan, it felt like much of what I did in 2018 was kinda the same as what I did in 2017. I guess having generally the same resolutions didn't really help with varying my life, especially since more of my time was spent working this year... meaning less time to finish my resolutions... meaning less "free time" to veer away from my resolutions and do something else.
Time-wise, so much of it was spent working that I neared my breaking point at least a couple times. I know that when compared to the very, very late hours others have worked, my time spent might be considered "not a big deal". But... my body and mind just aren't built for it -- especially when I place so much value on Time... I really hope 2019 will be better.
Regarding my outlook on Life, I still thought a lot about the "hard" questions (the "hard" questions that I just can't share... sorry)... but I also lived more in the now instead of worrying crazily about the future, which I think was a good thing. I mean, I still thought about the future and "prepped" a little bit for it, but did my best to not feel overwhelmed.
My "theme song" this year: "This is Me" from The Greatest Showman. The lyrics really speak to me, as I often feel like an "oddity" and out-of-place from Society (though... I think I feel the latter 'cuz I choose to place myself there. I may elaborate more in a future blog). I would have shared me singing this song from one of my karaoke sessions, but my phone sucked at recording the audio.
"This is Me" from The Greatest Showman.
I love the lyrics.
Stan Lee's passing: *tips hat*.
Travelled to Japan with my sister and her hubby: It is always a treat. I wish I could stay in Japan for longer... *sniffle*
Bought a mansion in Final Fantasy XIV: Even though I don't really play Final Fantasy XIV anymore... this is still an accomplishment!
Attended Fan Expo 2018: This will always be mentioned.
My grandfather passed away: *bows humbly*.
"Attending" Extra Life for the first time: This was a very enjoyable experience for me. I'm already looking forward to next year's event. I'll be sure to set aside money just for this!
Stumbled upon StephenPlays, StephenVlog, MalMakes: I know this may seem like a small thing, but this is pretty major for me. I go more in detail later in this entry.
Played the same post-it notes prank I played years ago for a co-worker friend's birthday: This was more time-consuming than the last time -- but was soooo worth it! x3
Spending time with my friends: This is always going to be mentioned here. I wish I could have more time to spend with them.
Played soccer with co-workers once: This was a really fun time, despite all the bruises on my feet and legs.
Got a new cell phone: This was the first time I bought a cell phone outright instead of for free via a contract. I just didn't want to lock myself to a plan that costed much more than my current one.
Top Whatevers in 2018
This is my top list of what was released in 2018 that I experienced. There won't be much here since I rarely experience anything current.
(Movie): Ralph Breaks the Internet
Out of all movies I watched this year (which weren't too many), I really enjoyed the friendship between Ralph and Vanellope and how things progressed for them. I know the movie got mixed reviews, but it really hit a personal chord with me.
If you are curious, here is my review of the movie.
(Video Game): 428: Shibuya Scramble [PS4]
This was a long anticipated game for me, and it was soooooooooooo goooooooooood! The music, the story, the characters. What. A. Ride. If you don't mind visual novels, I highly recommend!
Here's my review of the game.
(Song): U R Not Alone by GReeeeN
There were several songs I really liked from GReeeeN's Ure D album, but I loved this one the most. I don't know what the lyrics mean exactly, but it sounds like a song that's telling me to keep fighting for my dreams -- and that I won't be alone in the journey :')
The video below is a shortened version of "U R Not Alone", because the complete official version just doesn't exist on YouTube (as of this writing)!
"U R Not Alone" from GReeeeN. This is a shortened version.
Top Exposures in 2018
This is my top list of what I was exposed to this year, regardless of what year it really came out in. Any titles with two years indicate the original release date, then the English release date. If I list here the same thing from my "Top Whatevers", I will also mention a runner-up.
(Anime): Yu Yu Hakusho (1995/2002)
It's an old series -- but it's still so awesome! Even though I've watched it and know what happens, I can still feel genuinely tense and worried and sad and happy. I was actually re-listening to the series today while writing this blog.
Kurama is still *muah* perfection! Hahaha <3 <3 <3
Here's my review of the series.
(Movie): Rambo: First Blood (1982)
It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I've never watched Rambo: First Blood in its entirety until this year. I like that even though Rambo is basically a "killing machine", there's a human side to him, too. Also, Trautman is the best, hahaha.
(Video Game): Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth [3DS] (2014)
For me, this game was the perfect mix of Etrian Odyssey and Persona 3/4. It actually took a lot from Etrian Odyssey -- from the map-making feature, to some of the skills and battle mechanics. This allowed for a very unique game-playing experience for a Persona game... and I LOVED IT!!! I also loved the character interactions, the story, and the music. This game satisfies me greatly, and I'm praying really hard that Persona Q2 will get localized!!! I want to experience this unique Persona game-playing experience again! :3
(Song - English): Superhero by Simon Curtis (2011)
I consider this the "bada** song of the year". It's a song that gets me pumped up and encourages me to keep "fighting". I wish I could sing this for karaoke!
"Superhero" by Simon Curtis.
The AMV is "Spell Dwellers" from whispersreloaded.
It may contain spoilers from Puella Magi Madoka Magica
so don't watch if you don't wanna be spoiled!
(Song - Japanese): Flowers in the Rain from Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (2006/2007)It may contain spoilers from Puella Magi Madoka Magica
so don't watch if you don't wanna be spoiled!
I don't know what this song means... but I like it. I really like how the song is used in Atelier Iris 3. If I can find the English translations to the lyrics that would be great -- so I can actually understand it!
"Flowers in the Rain" from Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm.
It sounds really nice!
(YouTubers): Stephen & Mal Georg (StephenPlays, StephenVlog, MalMakes)It sounds really nice!
If you haven't noticed me blabbing about Stephen and Mal Georg for the past couple months (and earlier in this blog), well, I'm gonna blab about them again. I am sooooo glad I found them by fluke when I was looking up Chulip gameplay videos for help with kissing a specific NPC. And I am sooooooooooo glad I remembered them and decided to watch more videos -- first on StephenPlays, then some videos on StephenVlog, and then occasionally videos on MalMakes.
They are simply wonderful folks. Getting small glimpses into their lives (with their friends and family) -- I laughed, cried, felt joy, felt pain -- all sorts of emotions. It's cheesy to say, but their videos can really light up my day. That Extra Life day will be a day I will always cherish!
Also, Stephen and Mal are Mother fans -- squeee, that is so awesome! xD
I'm hoping to be able to budget enough so that I can support them a bit more in 2019.
-----------------------------------
And that's that for my review of 2018.
In my last entry, I noted a few things I wanted to do this year:
-Karaoke more often (I don't think I karaoked more than last year... but I did karaoke a few times!)
-Have more space in my room (please please please let this one happen! lol) (This didn't happen x()
-Blog more (I think this is a given) (This started happening partway through the year!)
For 2019, below are some things I'd like to do:
-Sleep more
-Create more
-Have more space in my room *fingers crossed!* x____x
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Below is a % breakdown of my spending in 2018 compared with 2017. I don't list it here, but I was very close to NOT saving my target amount. Not saying that I was a total spendthrift -- I just put my money towards a few unexpected things. This breakdown excludes necessities like my cell phone plan, transportation expenses, etc. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Thanks again for reading! May 2019 be filled with funny moments, witty sarcasm (if you like that stuff), and all-round lovely memories. Take care, stay safe, and *hug* "U R Not Alone"! :)
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