Well, here is the long blog I do every year -- taking an overall look at the previous year.
The best dessert I've had this year.
First thing is a review of my New Year's Resolutions in 2022 and how I did with them:
(REVIEW) New Year's Resolutions for 2022
- Using my Crunchyroll subscription, watch at least 100 episodes' worth of anime / dramas (movies would count as 1 episode per 30 minutes of runtime) -- DONE (I watched about 238 episodes' worth, and they break down like this [also just to say that I watched the complete series for only some that are mentioned]:)
-Food Wars!
-Non Non Biyori
-Log Horizon
-GTO - The Animation
-Tokyo Revengers
-86
-Chihayafuru
-Gurren Lagann
- Using my Shounen Jump subscription, read at least 12 volumes' worth of manga (for series that aren't split into volumes, 10 chapters is a volume) -- DONE (I read 24 volumes' worth and they break down like this:)
-Assassination Classroom
-School Judgement: Gakkyu Hotel
Having barely any resolutions this year was nice. I got to stress less but I still ran into the same problems I had in previous years: there wasn't enough time to do everything that I wanted! :(
Below are my resolutions for 2023:
New Year's Resolutions for 2023
- Using my Crunchyroll subscription, watch at least 100 episodes' worth of anime / dramas (movies would count as 1 episode per 30 minutes of runtime)
- Using my Shounen Jump subscription, read at least 12 volumes' worth of manga (for series that aren't split into volumes, 10 chapters is a volume)
2022 in Review
2022 was the year where I decided, 'Okay -- it's time to go outside a bit more.' I was hoping to stay indoors as much as possible until COVID went away. But -- that's just not going to happen. Sadly, COVID is here to stay in some form or another. I either Live or let Life pass me by. That doesn't mean I went out all the time. It means I was more open to meeting up with friends and occasionally going out by myself if there was something I wanted to do. I still stayed cautious, wearing a face mask and keeping some distance if I could. It was really nice seeing some friends I haven't seen in a really long time.
Notable/Significant Memories/Events in 2022
Getting COVID: This was really bad for me. Unfortunately I was hit with the more unpleasant symptoms so I'm not gonna be forgetting this experience anytime soon. And I'm still coughing lightly, which constantly reminds me that I had COVID. I don't know what I could have done better to prevent getting it, so it was just bad luck.
Saying good-bye to a team mate: I'm really bad with good-byes and I often think of my team as a family. I'll always remember playing One Night Werewolf and other games during the Board Game Nights at work, and that day I asked him to get me some burgers for lunch (I gave him the money for it) and he bought the wrong ones and tried to cover it up, hahaha. He's also a One Piece fan so... I'm never gonna forget him. :')
Having my wisdom teeth removed: My first time going to the dentist since the lockdown happened, and now a couple of my teeth are gone.
Having more hang outs with friends: I don't get enough of this.
Having the monthly LINE voice chats with friends: Having these chats are always nice. <3
Wrap-ups, Replays, etc. in 2022
Playstation: Link
(Song): Voices of the Chord by Hiroyuki Sawano
It's gotta be here if I listened to it 985 times on Spotify, hahaha. It's played during a really powerful scene in 86. Just typing it makes me want to re-watch the scene... *goes to re-watch the scene for the 20th+ time*
Usually I would share the track but I'd rather you hear it in the series first. So if you haven't watched 86 yet, please do so! :)
Top Exposures in 2022
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): 86
Runner-up would be Non Non Biyori (2013, 2015, 2021). I enjoy the cuteness and its relaxing nature. If Tokyo Revengers ended season 1 on a more definitive note, it would have been a runner-up as well.
(Movie): Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-up would be Erin Brockovich (2000). I keep thinking back to this movie from time to time. It's well-acted and the whole story is really amazing (in a good and sad way). I really admire her fighting spirit.
(Video Game): King's Bounty: The Legend [PC] (2008)
This was so fun and addictive for me. If a game can make me lose track of time, it's doing something right, haha... :)
(Song - Japanese): KONNAN janai from Yakuza 5 (2012)
I love the song's brightness. Just hearing it makes me want to sing and dance along with it :)
And that's that for my review of 2022.
In my last entry, I noted a few things I wanted to do in 2022:
-Start playing the Nier video game series (This didn't happen)
-Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'm currently on 6 -- still a long way to go)
For 2023, below are some things I'd like to do:
-Start playing the Nier video game series (I did beat Drakengard and saw the alternate ending so nothing should be stopping me...)
-Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'd like to get this done before Yakuza 8 comes out)
-Play Mother 3 (I've held off for too long. I was kinda hoping it'd get localized eventually)
-Blog more (I really want to do this)
- Using my Shounen Jump subscription, read at least 12 volumes' worth of manga (for series that aren't split into volumes, 10 chapters is a volume) -- DONE (I read 24 volumes' worth and they break down like this:)
-Assassination Classroom
-School Judgement: Gakkyu Hotel
I knew that I'd be able to finish my resolutions in 2022 since I gave myself only two. Despite that, I still kept track of the time I spent going through my media collection. I was curious what I would naturally do if I didn't have many resolutions to guide me. It turned out I mainly played video games. ^-^; In total, I spent 575.25 hours going through my collection and it breaks down below.
Video games - Completed at least once (about 522.5 hours total spent)
-Yakuza 5 Remastered
-King's Bounty: The Legend
-Cat's Quest
-Cat's Quest II
-Katamari Damacy Reroll
-March to a Million
-The Ramen Sensei
-PictoQuest
-Trine 2
-LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
-Vampire Survivors
Video games - Tried out for the first time (about 43.75 hours total spent)
-Idol Manager
-Yakuza 6: Song of Life
-Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered
-Moon: Remix RPG Adventure
-Ord
-Trine 3
-Wattam
-Other games I've started before and am still playing
Books / Manga (1346 total pages read - about 9 hours spent)... >_>''
-Ravina the Witch?
-Rumple Buttercup
-Rust and Water
-Carciphona (Volume 1-3)
-86 (Volume 1-3)
-Carciphona (Volume 1-3)
-86 (Volume 1-3)
When I started sharing a Netflix subscription in February, I kept track of that as well (mainly to make sure I was watching my money's worth [I share the subscription so I figure I should share the cost as well]). In total, I spent about 497 hours watching Netflix. That comes to about 45 hours per month (o.o!). I definitely watched more than my money's worth. Here's how it breaks down.
Movies: 86 (that works out to about 7 movies a month >->!)
Shows (1 season counts as 1): 28
Anime (1 season counts as 1): 14
Documentaries: 2
K-Dramas: 2
J-Dramas: 3
Extras (any behind the scenes / extra footage): 1
Having barely any resolutions this year was nice. I got to stress less but I still ran into the same problems I had in previous years: there wasn't enough time to do everything that I wanted! :(
I wanted to learn more things... I wanted to create more... I wanted to blog more... I wanted to play more Yakuza games... Either I have to place less expectations for myself (because maybe I'm not being realistic) or I have to learn to re-direct more of my time to those things.
Below are my resolutions for 2023:
New Year's Resolutions for 2023
- Using my Crunchyroll subscription, watch at least 100 episodes' worth of anime / dramas (movies would count as 1 episode per 30 minutes of runtime)
- Using my Shounen Jump subscription, read at least 12 volumes' worth of manga (for series that aren't split into volumes, 10 chapters is a volume)
- Spend at least 100 hours watching Netflix (for things I haven't yet watched)
- Learn something
- Create something
For this year, I still want to stay more "free" with my Time. I realize now that when I created so many resolutions in the past, I pre-planned almost all my Time for the year. It left very little room to deviate (even if I wanted to) and left me with feelings of disappointment when I couldn't finish them all. I think I'm done with all that. Of course, that won't stop me from forming other short goals through the year.
All the subscription-related resolutions are just to ensure I'm experiencing my money's worth. Why should I stay "subscribed" to something if I'm not going to use it? For anybody who stays subscribed to a service so that somebody else can use it, that's fine -- so long as it's being used.
The "learn something" and "create something" resolutions are things I missed doing last year. I'm leaving them super vague so I have free rein to accomplish them however I wish. There are so many things I want to learn (Python, Japanese, other programming languages, cooking, etc)... and there are so many different things I'd like to create (writing, games, etc).
I actually have another resolution, but I'm going to keep it to myself at this time. If I accomplish it, I'll share what it is in my year-end blog for 2023. :)
I actually have another resolution, but I'm going to keep it to myself at this time. If I accomplish it, I'll share what it is in my year-end blog for 2023. :)
2022 in Review
2022 was the year where I decided, 'Okay -- it's time to go outside a bit more.' I was hoping to stay indoors as much as possible until COVID went away. But -- that's just not going to happen. Sadly, COVID is here to stay in some form or another. I either Live or let Life pass me by. That doesn't mean I went out all the time. It means I was more open to meeting up with friends and occasionally going out by myself if there was something I wanted to do. I still stayed cautious, wearing a face mask and keeping some distance if I could. It was really nice seeing some friends I haven't seen in a really long time.
Aside from going out a bit more, my life didn't really change much in 2022. I still kept myself busy, playing video games, watching YouTube videos, watching Twitch streams, and also watching things on Netflix since I started sharing a subscription. I actually think that I watched too many things on Netflix... >_>''
Some other thing also happened in 2022 but I can't talk about it (it's not my story to tell. Don't ask -- I won't tell you). I was there to give support when I could.
I already mentioned in past blogs that I got COVID and that it was pretty much the worst thing that happened to me in 2022. I hated that I took so much care to prevent getting it but I still got it. I hated that I missed a long-anticipated meet-up with old friends because of it (I took a day off just for it and I told my boss multiple times that I really needed that day off). I hate that I'm still coughing.
Then... with two weeks left in the year... just after recovering from COVID but still coughing... I hung out with a new friend... and something in me shifted a bit. Maybe it was the alcohol affecting my mood (I was not drunk, but I did drink). Maybe it was that I got to experience a couple firsts (which were exciting for me despite them probably being super normal activities to others). I don't know. I just know I was happy and felt inspired. And really comfortable. It left me thinking that maybe there is still more Life out there to experience. :)
For 2023, there are several things I'd like to do or get started on. Right now I'm keeping them a secret! Moving out will likely take a backseat again this year. I just don't think I have enough funds for it now (have you seen the housing costs in Toronto? .__.). I have been playing with other alternatives, but... I don't know...
This year I'd also like to take some time to do more self-reflection. With how I was in 2021... I know I have more growing to do. How do I face my shortcomings and overcome them?
Getting COVID: This was really bad for me. Unfortunately I was hit with the more unpleasant symptoms so I'm not gonna be forgetting this experience anytime soon. And I'm still coughing lightly, which constantly reminds me that I had COVID. I don't know what I could have done better to prevent getting it, so it was just bad luck.
Saying good-bye to a team mate: I'm really bad with good-byes and I often think of my team as a family. I'll always remember playing One Night Werewolf and other games during the Board Game Nights at work, and that day I asked him to get me some burgers for lunch (I gave him the money for it) and he bought the wrong ones and tried to cover it up, hahaha. He's also a One Piece fan so... I'm never gonna forget him. :')
Having my wisdom teeth removed: My first time going to the dentist since the lockdown happened, and now a couple of my teeth are gone.
Having more hang outs with friends: I don't get enough of this.
Tuning into the Extra Life stream with Stephen, Mal, and friends: This was a super fun day. It's just nice watching awesome people play video games for a good cause <3
Going to Miku for my birthday: This was my reward for myself for completing my resolutions last year -- and then one of my friends paid for me! D: Hahaha... It was a really good time.
Going to Miku for my birthday: This was my reward for myself for completing my resolutions last year -- and then one of my friends paid for me! D: Hahaha... It was a really good time.
Having the monthly LINE voice chats with friends: Having these chats are always nice. <3
Wrap-ups, Replays, etc. in 2022
Here's a new section for all those year-end wrap-ups, replays, etc. from various places. I wasn't expecting so many this year o_O Some of these links will likely not be accessible after a certain time so check them out while you can if you like.
Playstation: Link
Spotify (My playlist): Link
Steam: Link
Summary of my PS Wrap-up. It amazes me how many hours I spent in Genshin. >_>!
Summary of my Steam Replay. I'm not surprised with these numbers. I rarely play on Steam.
I wish it would list the actual amount of hours spent on each game.
My top 4 Twitch streamers. I've been subscribed to StephenGeorg for quite a long time now.
Summary of the Twitch Recap. It doesn't say here but I gifted 95 subscriptions this year (a lot more than I thought!).
I guess this is the kind of listener I am on Spotify.
I wish Spotify would tell me how many times I listened to Voices of the Chord on September 8. Considering that I finished watching 86 in September and the Spotify wrapped-up became available start of December, that comes to a monthly listen of about 328 times. XD
I love music -- can't deny that. :)
I do enjoy my pop music as well as video game music and anime music.
Top Whatevers in 2022
This is my top list of what was released in 2022 that I experienced, which sadly wasn't very much.
(Movie): Everything Everywhere All At Once
When I watched this crazy movie for the first time, I knew it was gonna be my top movie for the year. And here it is. There was no other movie that reached out and touched my soul (and senses!) the way Everything Everywhere All At Once did. A technical marvel with lots of heart. <3
Here is my review if you'd like to check it out:
(Anime): 86
I love this series so much. <3 <3 The bleak world and the characters' struggles drew me in and struck a deep chord. "I won't forget..." ~~
A review will be coming in the future. :)
(Video Game): Vampire Survivors
This is a really fun and addictive game. If you haven't tried it out yet, what are you waiting for? :)
(Song): Voices of the Chord by Hiroyuki Sawano
It's gotta be here if I listened to it 985 times on Spotify, hahaha. It's played during a really powerful scene in 86. Just typing it makes me want to re-watch the scene... *goes to re-watch the scene for the 20th+ time*
Usually I would share the track but I'd rather you hear it in the series first. So if you haven't watched 86 yet, please do so! :)
Top Exposures in 2022
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): 86
Runner-up would be Non Non Biyori (2013, 2015, 2021). I enjoy the cuteness and its relaxing nature. If Tokyo Revengers ended season 1 on a more definitive note, it would have been a runner-up as well.
(Movie): Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-up would be Erin Brockovich (2000). I keep thinking back to this movie from time to time. It's well-acted and the whole story is really amazing (in a good and sad way). I really admire her fighting spirit.
(Video Game): King's Bounty: The Legend [PC] (2008)
This was so fun and addictive for me. If a game can make me lose track of time, it's doing something right, haha... :)
Here is my review if you'd like to check it out:
(Show): Boys Over Flowers (2009)
For a pretty old show, I think this still holds up well as a romantic drama. The music is fantastic, too.
(Song - English): Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) by Kate Bush (1985)
(Song - English): Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) by Kate Bush (1985)
Hearing this in Stranger Things season 4 was super effective in showcasing the song's emotion and intensity. Every now and then I still think back to this song and that scene. It takes my breath away.
"Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush.
Love the emotion.
(Song - Japanese): KONNAN janai from Yakuza 5 (2012)
I love the song's brightness. Just hearing it makes me want to sing and dance along with it :)
"KONNAN janai" from Yakuza 5.
I can't help but smile when I hear it.
(YouTubers): Josh Strife Hayes (Josh Strife Hayes, Josh Strife Plays) and Callum Upton (Callum Upton) (Session 0)
I have to call these two out for providing lots of entertainment and critical thinking through the year. Aside from wishing they would stream more frequently and consistently (I do forgive them, though!), they are funny and intelligent, chaotic-neutral guys. I often feel smarter after watching their videos and I enjoy the energy I get from their Twitch streams.
Josh's videos about Diablo Immortal has spurred me to re-evaluate my own behaviours with gacha games (I was already aware of some things but not everything his video covered). I hope I get to meet Josh and Callum at a convention one day (and that I have the courage to actually say hi) :)
-----------------------------------
And that's that for my review of 2022.
In my last entry, I noted a few things I wanted to do in 2022:
-Start playing the Nier video game series (This didn't happen)
-Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'm currently on 6 -- still a long way to go)
-Re-hook my PS3 (Yes, I did this! Does anybody want an Xbox 360? Lol... ^^)
-Spend less in SINoALICE (Success!)
-Blog more (Looking at my archive, I blogged 2 more entries than in 2021, so I technically succeeded? It doesn't feel like it, though)
For 2023, below are some things I'd like to do:
-Start playing the Nier video game series (I did beat Drakengard and saw the alternate ending so nothing should be stopping me...)
-Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'd like to get this done before Yakuza 8 comes out)
-Play Mother 3 (I've held off for too long. I was kinda hoping it'd get localized eventually)
-Blog more (I really want to do this)
-"Live" more (^_^)
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Below is a % breakdown of my spending in 2022 compared to 2021 and 2020. This breakdown excludes necessities like my cell phone plan, transportation expenses, etc. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Thanks again for reading! May 2023 treat you all with kindness and compassion. *hug*
Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Below is a % breakdown of my spending in 2022 compared to 2021 and 2020. This breakdown excludes necessities like my cell phone plan, transportation expenses, etc. Click on the image to enlarge it.
I'm happy to say that my spending for phone games has gone down a lot! My spending for streaming things (mainly gifting Twitch subscriptions), video games (both digital and physical), gift items, and miscellaneous have gone up, which isn't really a problem for me. I mean -- I gotta treat myself a bit sometimes, right? I think for 2023 I will list only the top 10 spending categories so this chart would look less squished. Also, I'm hoping to bring down my phone game spending even more. That will be my own financial (and discipline) challenge for myself.
Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)
