January had a few outings. Other than that, it was pretty uneventful.
Outings / Events in January:
- Did an escape room with my boyfriend and some friends. It was really fun. We also went to an all-you-can-eat hotpot restaurant afterwards, which was a new experience for me.
- Went to Sudbury with my boyfriend for one weekend. It was a mini-adventure.
- Had a voice chat with LINE friends. It was fun as usual.
Exposures:
- Nothing this time.
Finished...
Watching:
- (Movie): The Sound of Metal -- This was a bit unique, though a bit too sombre for me. - (Movie): Snowden -- Very well done.
- (Movie): The Batman -- This was pretty good.
- (Movie): Last Night in Soho -- Very well shot and at times unpredictable. I highly recommend.
- (Movie): The Matrix: Resurrections -- I think I understand the plot, but I wish the action scenes were better.
- (Movie): Non-Stop -- It's a bit over-the-top, but it kept me at suspense at times.
- (Anime): Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood -- For a series that is kinda old now (15 years old), it's really good. With how brutal and unpredictable it can be, I'd say it can rival many series that are out today. I'm impressed.
Playing:
- (PS4): Faeria -- I'm still playing this but I finished the co-op campaign with my boyfriend so I'll consider it done. I'm a sucker for card games and Faeria is pretty fun.
Reading:
- Nothing this month.
Currently...
Playing (not all at once):
- (PS4): Dark Cloud 2
- (PS4): Skyrim - (PS4): Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered - (PS4): Moon: Remix RPG Adventure - (PS4): Yakuza 6: Song of Life
- (PS4): Baldur's Gate I: Enhanced Edition
- (PS4): Nobody Saves the World
- (PS3): Borderlands 2
- (PSP): Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure
- (3DS): Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies - (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition - (Wii): Fortune Street - (PC): UnEpic - (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)
- (Anime): Tokyo Revengers (Season 2 - Episode 25)
- (Anime): Gurren Lagann (Episode 6)
- (Anime): Chihayafuru (Season 4?)
- (Anime): One Punch Man (Season 2)
- (Anime): Fate/Apocrypha (Season 2)
- (Anime): Junji Ito's Japanese Tales of the Macabre (Episode 5)
- (Anime): Demon Slayers (Season 4)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 1061)
Reading:
- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume ?? -- Chapter 1106) - (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)
That's it for January. Here are some pics and screenshot I took this month plus a YouTube video.
Some sushi I had with my boyfriend one weekend. I miss Japan so much!
A shot of Sudbury. It didn't seem that different from Toronto, 'cept for the trees.
The food at the all-you-can-eat hot pot place. I'd like to go again sometime.
It's official -- I'm really enjoying Blue Archive. I've finished the main story already and am strategically holding the gacha currency for specific banners (like how I am with FGO).
"Let's talk about MMO systems, 'whales', my thoughts on new MMOs." by Josh Strife Says.
Josh can be so insightful.
Thanks for reading!
As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free.
I promise this -- I'll get the rest of the Japan blogs done before the end of February. To anybody waiting for the next one, I am so sorry for the delay!! *bows*
Here is the long blog I do every year -- taking an overall look at the previous year.
One of the best meals I had while in Japan (the blog will be coming soon!).
First thing is a review of my New Year's Resolutions in 2023 and how I did with them: (REVIEW) 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) -- DONE(I watched just over 100 episodes' worth, and they break down like this [also just to say that I watched the complete series for only some that are mentioned]:)
- Using my Shonen Jump subscription, read at least 12 volumes' worth of manga (for series that aren't split into volumes, 10 chapters is a volume) -- DROPPED(When I got notification about Shonen Jump's subscription cost rising and I foresaw myself having less time in the year, I focused on getting all caught up on One Piece and then cancelling the subscription. As long as I stay caught up to the latest chapters, I'll be able to read One Piece for free.)
- Spend at least 100 hours watching Netflix (for things I haven't yet watched) -- DONE(I spent about 243 hours. That comes to about 20 hours a month. If I didn't subscribe to Disney+ for a few months, I'm pretty sure this number would be higher. Below is how it breaks down:)
Movies: 84 (same as last year, that works out to about 7 movies a month >->!)
Shows (1 season counts as 1): 4
Anime (1 season counts as 1): 4
Documentaries: 1
K-Dramas: 0
J-Dramas: 0
Extras (any behind the scenes / extra footage): 0
- Learn something -- HALF(I learned some more Python but I feel like I could have done more.)
- Create something -- NOPE(I didn't do this at all.)
- 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. -- NOPE(I didn't accomplish it so it will be kept secret!)
I still tried to keep track of how I spent my time on my media collection, but after a while I stopped. With me switching between media that counted and media/activities that didn't, it was difficult for me to remember to record each instance. I'll try to be better about it this year, but we'll see how it goes. Below is how I did with my media collection, though no hours are mentioned for each section.
Video games - Completed at least once
-Wattam
-Slay the Spire
-Overcooked!
-Streets of Rogue
-One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
Video games - Tried out for the first time
-Like a Dragon: Ishin!
-Baldur's Gate I: Enhanced Edition
-DungeonTop
-Bloons TD 6
-Lethal Company
-Other games I've started before and am still playing
Books / Manga
-A.D. After Death
In mid-September, I took advantage of a promotion and subscribed to Disney+ for three months for $1.99/month. Knowing that I'll likely NOT re-subscribe to Disney+ unless there was another promotion like this, I watched as much as I could during those three months. In total, I watched about 259 hours -- slightly more than my total watch time for Netflix! Here's how it breaks down.
Movies: 62 (that works out to about 21 movies a month >->!)
Shows (1 season counts as 1): 20
Anime (1 season counts as 1): 2
Documentaries: 1
K-Dramas: 0
J-Dramas: 0
Extras (any behind the scenes / extra footage): 0
Maybe if I spent less time watching Netflix or Disney+ I might have been able to finish my resolutions. Then again, in my current state, I'm not really sure (more on this in my "2023 in Review" section).
Below are my resolutions for 2024:
New Year's Resolutions for 2024 - Using my Crunchyroll subscription, watch at least 100 episodes' worth of anime / dramas (movies would count as 1 episode per 30 minutes of runtime)
- Spend at least 100 hours watching Netflix (for things I haven't yet watched)
For this year, I'm going to stick with only these two resolutions because I have other priorities to focus on (more on this in my "2023 in Review" section). If I can get those priorities in order, I may re-visit my resolutions for 2024.
2023 in Review Two big changes happened to me in 2023. If you've read any of my earlier blogs in the past several months, you may have an idea for one of the changes. The other change I didn't mention here at all. The two big changes for me in 2023 were:
1. I got a boyfriend.
2. I lost my job.
Coincidentally, both those changes happened to me on the same day. o_O!
When I lost my job, it was a shock. I had been working there for over 11 years. It filled me with a lot of distress, especially the doubts of whether I learned enough skills there to find another job. As of this writing I'm still unemployed. I applied to multiple places through the year but only got one interview that didn't pan out. While job searching, I also spent some time learning about investing -- make whatever money I have left work for me. I guess I'm lucky that I still live with my parents and that I didn't spend tooooo much through the years. I still have a lot to learn about investing but I have some confidence that my financial situation should be fine for a long while, so long as I stay where I am.
One nice thing that came from this was being able to finally take my trip to Japan. For anybody thinking I shouldn't be spending so much money: the money was already saved up for this trip since 2020. I had wanted to go to Japan when the pandemic died down but couldn't take enough vacation days to go -- the workload was often heavy and unexpected. Now that I didn't need to get vacation days approved and there was no worry of approved vacation getting cancelled due to workload, I was free to go whenever and for longer than originally desired.
Being single for over 11 years, having a boyfriend was a big change for me. Now some of my goals are shared and certain decisions get discussed before I do them. I can't say that it's been a breeze all the time but we've been able to get through whatever hardships so far. May we continue to get through them! :)
Notable/Significant Memories/Events in 2023 Going to Japan: After five years, I finally get to wander about in Japan again. It will always be like a second home to me. :)
Losing my job: I will always remember this day. When I was laid off, I still had 14 unused vacation days from 2022 and none of my vacation days for 2023 were used. All the vacation days were paid out, but it does make one wonder why a lay off happened when there is still a lot of work. Getting a boyfriend: I got one. I know I tend to be very expressive with most things but I'm kinda shy to express this. So just imagine I said "I got one" in the most happiest and excited voice. :)
Cleaning my room: It kinda amazes me how much my room transformed this year. The boxes of figures stacked up on one corner of the room are now in the closet. All the clear-coloured shelves are also in the closet. I bought three more shelves. Overall, my room looks more fun and inviting.
Attending Man With a Mission's concert: It was great seeing them again. :)
Witnessing the end of SINoALICE Global: It was the first time I played a gacha from beginning to end. I hope my former guildmates are doing well these days.
Hanging out with friends: I will always appreciate this.
Having the monthly LINE voice chats with friends: Having these chats are always nice. <3
Tuning into the Extra Life stream with Stephen, Mal, and friends: This is always a fun and wacky time. When I get a job I'll donate again.
"Wheel of Fortune | Extra Life 2023 #14" from StephenPlays.
This was one of the games played during Extra Life. I thought this was super hilarious in a very unfortunate way. XD
Wrap-ups, Replays, etc. in 2023
Sometimes I look forward to these 'cuz I'm curious about my stats. Some of these links will likely not be accessible after a certain time so check them out while you can if you like. I don't think the Wrap-Up for PS had a shareable link for 2023.
My total number of hours played for my PS Wrap-up. Mind you, the PS4 wasn't the only platform I used for gaming in 2023.
Here's how many of those hours broke down. I'm sure some of those hours in Genshin were from me leaving it idle while I was doing other things.
Summary of my Steam Replay. Absent from here were all the hours I spent playing Baldur's Gate 3 with my boyfriend on his Steam account.
My top 5 Twitch streamers. Most of the chats I sent on StephenGeorg's streams were "Good morning!" and "Thank you! Take care!".
Summary of the Twitch Recap.
The Top 5 artists I listened to on Spotify. Sega Sound Team is #1 because of me listening to music from the Yakuza games over and over.
Top Whatevers in 2023
This is my top list of what was released in 2023 that I experienced.
(Movie): Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
It's a great movie. Great character development; great animation style; great action scenes; interesting plot. It also resolved something I was wondering about from the first movie.
(Anime): Pluto
I loved that this anime made me think so much about robots and their rights. It also made me think about what it means to be "perfect" and what it means to be alive.
(Video Game):Baldur's Gate 3
Do I need to say anything here? It's a massive game with lots of freedom and consequences. Definitely worth playing.
(Show):Loki
I've never really been a Loki fan, but this series succeeded in showing more depth to his character.
(Song - Japanese): Kizuna no Kiseki from Demon Slayer It's catchy.
"Kizuna no Kiseki" from Demon Slayer.
I can't help but smile when I hear it.
Top Exposures in 2023 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): Summer Time Rendering (2022) It got really crazy in the end, but the overall mystery and edginess was really intriguing. (Movie): Tie between The Mitchells vs. the Machines(2021) and GDT's Pinocchio (2022) It was really hard to pick a top this year. I watched sooooo many movies in 2023 -- some of them were super good! I chose The Mitchells vs. the Machines and GDT's Pinocchio because they were both masterful in telling their story and conveying and evoking emotions. Both of them also had very unique animation styles.
If I had to name a top exposure for a live-action movie, it'd be Molly's Game (2015) for the superb acting and clever script. Just thinking it was based off real events is wild. (Video Game): Streets of Rogue [PS4] (2019) This was really fun and addictive. I liked that there was a lot of freedom in how to play the game.
(Show): Code Black (2015-2018)
I like the show's intenseness and that the drama wasn't always over-the-top. It's too bad the series ended, but the last episode was a good send-off. (Song - English): Satisfied from Hamilton (2015)
The song is catchy and I think the lyrics are great. I really feel for the character singing it.
"Satisfied" from Hamilton.
If you haven't watched Hamilton, it might be best not to listen to this.
(Song - Non-English): Naatu Naatu from RRR (2022) It was worth watching RRR just to get exposed to this song. :)
"Naatu Naatu" from RRR.
Listening to this makes me want to dance! :)
(Board game): Clank! Catacombs (2022)
This is one of the first times I ever played a board game where the player places a random tile as they explore, slowly creating the board layout. It's fun and offers a lot of replay value. If you've never played it, I highly recommend! :)
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And that's that for my review of 2023. In my last entry, I noted a few things I wanted to do in 2023: -Start playing the Nier video game series (This didn't happen) -Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'm still on 6)
-Play Mother 3(This didn't happen)
-Blog more(Seeing as I've blogged less entries, I'd say I failed this)
-"Live" more (Yes, I think this happened to me)
For 2024, below are some things I'd like to do: -Find ways to make money (I guess normally that'd be finding a job but I want to stay open to all opportunities [that are legal]) -Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (I'll be satisfied if I can at least finish two of them) -Learn more about investing (I've learned enough to invest in things that seem safe but I want to learn how to analyze how a company is doing)
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Below is a % breakdown of my Top 10 spending in 2023 compared to 2022 and 2021. This breakdown excludes necessities like my cell phone plan, transportation expenses, etc. Click on the image to enlarge it.
My spending on phone games has gone down a lot. My spending on eating out has shot through the roof, though. I guess that's the cost of having a boyfriend, hahaha (I'm kidding). When I look through my miscellaneous spending, a lot of it is coming from my new phone.
Thanks again for reading! May 2024 bring you all good health, wealth, and a lot of warmth and cheer! *hug* Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)
