BLOG -- Recap of April

April was full of Netflix-watching (I noticed a bunch of movies / shows on my list were leaving Netflix in April), video game-playing, some relaxation, and a bittersweet good-bye.

"Outings" / Events in April:

- Had a LINE voice chat with my friends. We talked about various things and did a Quordle together. It was fun as usual! :)

- I had a week-long vacation. My sister stayed over during that time so I was a very busy potato, hahaha.

- I ordered some macarons for my sister for her birthday.

- It was my team-mate's last day yesterday. I spent a day creating a good-bye card and then I had a lunch with the team in person the next day. That person will be missed! ;_;

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-I logged on briefly for a week, and haven't been back on since. orz

Exposures:

- (YouTuber): Callum Upton -- I got exposed to him through some of Josh's videos and Twitch streams. Callum is a really funny and interesting person. I enjoy his curious nature. His videos tend to cover MMO scams, buggy issues with certain games, random news, and development logs of an MMO he is currently developing with a team (so cool). I'll be keeping an eye on him, hahaha :)

- (Improv D&D group): Session 0 -- This is an improv D&D group recently formed involving Josh, Callum, and two others. I caught their first session on Twitch last week and was thoroughly entertained. 

Below is a Twitch link to the first session if you're curious to check it out: 
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1461920553.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Burning -- This was a really sloooow burn. It felt like a 3-hour movie. Despite that, it's a good movie and I still think about it from time to time. You just gotta have the patience.

- (Movie): Drag Me To Hell -- Gross, horrific, and comedic at the same time.

- (Movie): Young and Beautiful -- I would have liked this to be longer -- to get a better understanding of the main character.

- (Movie): Shrek the Third -- This was okay.

- (Movie): Shrek Forever After -- Same with this.

- (Movie): Deep Impact -- I've wanted to watch this for the longest time... but I kept getting the title mixed up with other movies. I enjoyed it.

- (Movie): Nightcrawler -- Well done, but I hated it. I wanted to punch the main character the whole time.

- (Movie): The Foreigner -- Decent.

- (Movie): The Bourne Supremacy -- It would have been better without all the shaky cam. Overall, it's a good movie.

- (Movie): The Bourne Ultimatum -- Same as the above.

- (Movie): The Bourne Legacy -- Not as good as the original trilogy.

- (Movie): Death Race -- An interesting premise but it was just okay.

- (Movie): Martyrs (2008 version) -- I thought Antichrist was the most disturbing movie I've watched. This is a strong contender. Not for the faint of heart.

- (Show): Boys Over Flowers -- This is the Korean drama. Despite some issues I had, I enjoyed a lot of this series. I may blog about it in the future. The music is great. If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose... my soulmate :)

- (Show): Is It Cake? -- I watched this with my sister. It's amazing how detailed cakes can look.

- (Anime): Log Horizon -- I'm sure there will be a Season 4 one day (*prays*), but I'll say that I really like how it explores the getting-trapped-in-a-video-game genre. It feels very unique and boundary-breaking. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series ends.

Playing:

- (PS4): Cat Quest -- This was really cute and fun.

- (PS4): Cat Quest II -- I played this with my sister. Just as cute and fun as Cat Quest.

- (PS4): Katamari Damacy Reroll -- I played the original version on the PS2. There's just something relaxing about rolling up random things.

- (PS4): March to a Million -- Not as good nor addictive as Cafeteria Nipponica.

Reading:

- (Book) Rust and Water by Justin Currie, GMB Chomichuk -- It was pleasant.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Dark Cloud 2

- (PS4): Skyrim
- (PS4): Yakuza 5 Remastered
- (PS4): Trine 2 (co-oping this only, lol)
- (PS4): Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered
- (PS4): The Ramen Sensei
- (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)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 8 - Episode 8)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 5)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (TV Show): Stranger Things (Season 3 - Episode 3)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 4)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Kakegurui (Season 3?)
- (Anime): Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Episode 2)

- (Anime): Gintama (Episode 13)
- (Anime): Way of the Househusband (Episode 4)
- (Anime): GTO - The Animation (Episode 4)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 1058)

Reading:

- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume ?? -- Chapter 1036)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)


That's it for April. Here are pics / screenshots I took this month plus a couple YouTube videos.

The macarons I ordered for my sister.
My box is on the left. Her box is on the right.
My favourite was the limited Coffee Crisp flavour.

What I had at my team-mate's good-bye lunch.
I haven't had ramen for over 2 years.

I took a sidetrip to Japan after that good-bye lunch.
I'm just kidding, hahahaha.
These cream buns are great, though!

The Quordle I solved with my LINE friends. For those who don't know, Quordle is like Wordle but you are trying to solve 4 words at the same time. 

The front of the good-bye card for my team-mate.
I drew something on the back, too, but I'm keeping that to myself. :)

One of my pulls from the Kakegurui collaboration in SINO.
I got all the classes.

All my SRs after spending almost 20,000 TC.

Part 2 of the above. One might think, 'So many weapons -- she must be so lucky!' In reality, I have so many weapons because I was unlucky with getting the weapon I really wanted u_u'

"How ugly NFT's are made in MINUTES (and how you can too)" by Callum Upton.

I thought this was really interesting. I don't fully understand NFTs still, but I know I'm not a fan.

"YMS: The Lion King (Part 1)" by YourMovieSucksDOTorg.

Woohoo! It's finally here! XD

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free.

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG -- Recap of March

March was... more of the same. I might have to try setting some basic schedule for myself. Even though I don't have any resolutions this year, I feel like my time is being spread very thin these days.

"Outings" / Events in March:

- Had a LINE voice chat with my friends. We talked about vacuum cleaners again and also talked about Masked Singer and Dominos Masters. It was fun! :)

- I had a week-long vacation. I was a total potato.

- I tuned into Stephen Georg's Twitch stream to celebrate his birthday. It was a really fun time! I also tuned in two days later to celebrate Chaz's birthday (Stephen and Mal's friend). That was a really fun time as well!

- I got my booster shot. I was feverish and uncontrollably shivering that night.

- My sister dropped by for a surprise visit! She saw something she shouldn't have... (no more details here!) >_>''

- In Toronto, many COVID-related restrictions have been lifted. I think it'll be another month or two before I try venturing out of the house by myself (provided that things don't get worse).

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-I finally re-subbed to FFXIV. I re-subbed for 6 months. Aside from trying to get caught up with the main story, I want to organize my inventory so I can drop the 3rd retainer. The big challenge will be finding the time to do all this.

Exposures:

- (YouTuber): Josh Strife Hayes -- I came across this channel randomly. I wanted to see if there were any videos about Uncharted Waters Online, an old MMO that I've been meaning to try for a very long time. I checked out Josh's video criticizing it. Even though I still intend to try out Uncharted Waters Online sometime, I checked out more of this videos. I also caught a couple of his DnD streams on Twitch. Based off what I've watched so far, he seems like a funny, insightful, very handsome, geeky guy. Geeky is always a plus in my books! XD

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Urban Legend -- This was on my watchlist for many years (the trailer looked interesting). There were some interesting moments but overall it was okay.

- (Movie): Ma -- Not what I expected from the trailer. I wouldn't watch this again.

- (Movie): St. Trinian's -- I watched this for Colin Firth. I was offput in the beginning, but I enjoyed it a lot in the end. I love their theme song.

- (Movie): I'm Thinking of Ending Things -- The most out there movie I've watched so far this year. It was very well done, though a bit too gloomy for me. It... gave me a lot of things to think about, hahaha.

- (Movie): Escape Room (2017) -- It was not good.

- (Movie): Escape Room (2019) -- It was better than the other Escape Room movie but not by a lot.

- (Movie): The Fanatic -- I didn't like this.

- (Movie): Birdemic: Shock and Terror -- Cringe.

- (Documentary): The Minimalists: Less is Now -- It covered a lot of things I already knew, but it was nice to get a refresher.

- (Show): Squid Game -- This was too brutal for me, but I watched it so I could talk to my friends about it and so I could watch YMS' video on it. 199 was my favourite character.

- (Show): The Queen's Gambit -- I enjoyed it, though more so because the premise involved chess than anything else. The music was great, too.

- (Anime): Carole & Tuesday -- Very feel-good. I watched this in English dub since I think it was released that way (correct me if I'm wrong!). My favourite song is their first song. I also really enjoyed the 2nd ending theme.

- (Anime): Non Non Biyori -- When I heard that this series was leaving Crunchyroll end of this month, I binged all 3 seasons this weekend (I would have liked to spread it out). It's a cute, funny, and relaxing series. Anybody wanting a break from this high-tech, fast-paced world should check it out. Hotaru is my favourite.

Playing:

- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend -- Way too addictive for its own good. I may blog about this in the future.

Reading:

- (Book) Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler -- I read this just because it was by Matthew Gray Gubler (Reed from Criminal Minds is awesome). It was simplistic and cute.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Dark Cloud 2

- (PS4): Skyrim
- (PS4): Yakuza 5 Remastered
- (PS4): Trine 2 (co-oping this only, lol)
- (PS4): Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered
- (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)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7 - Episode 8)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 5)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (TV Show): Stranger Things (Season 2 - Episode 7)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 3 - Episode 9)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Kakegurui (Season 3?)
- (Anime): Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Episode 2)

- (Anime): Gintama (Episode 13)
- (Anime): Way of the Househusband (Episode 4)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 1058)

Reading:

- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume ?? -- Chapter 1036)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)


That's it for March. Here are a couple screenshots I took this month plus a couple YouTube videos.

A screenshot of King's Bounty: The Legend.
This game was successful in taking over 100 hours of my time.

We did pretty well for GC this month.
For anybody wondering why I have so many TC, I've been saving for the next collab. I have resisted many banners for the past few months.

"Worst MMO Ever? - Forsaken World: Gods and Demons" by Josh Strife Hayes.

This is one of Josh's most entertaining videos for me (from what I've watched).
As I watch it, I think 'Yes, I'll play Magic against you; your dogs are cute; I would like to watch a DnD session'. XD

"The World of MMO Whales" by Josh Strife Hayes.
I find this very interesting.

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free.

Random thing -- I kinda found out through a Facebook posting that one of my friends recently got married. If he's reading this, congratulations!!! I wish you two good health, wealth, and all the joyous things in life! :)

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG -- Recap of February

February went really fast. Aside from watching movies and TV shows and a few other things, I didn't do much this month... or, if I did, I don't remember it. >_>

Starting tomorrow I'll be on vacation for the week. Finally... some vacation. I'll make sure to veg on something I'm currently playing so I won't have to update this entry, hahaha :)

"Outings" / Events in February:

- Had a LINE voice chat with my friends. It was fun as usual. :)

- I celebrated a friend's birthday online by playing Persona 4 Arena (on the PS3) against them. We played for a couple hours and I won once. ^_^

- I spent half a day making chocolates for Valentine's Day. Next year I might do something simpler like just melting and molding.

- I now share a Netflix subscription. Some exclusive movies / shows are finally within my reach, hahaha XD

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-My subscription's still expired.

Exposures:

- Nothing this month.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Nerve -- This was on my watchlist for many years (the trailer looked interesting). There were some interesting moments but overall it was okay.

- (Movie): An Inspector Calls -- I've read the script for this stage play years ago and really liked its message. Sadly, this Chinese movie adaptation was... not good.

- (Movie): Mary & Max -- This was really heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I'd highly recommend.

- (Movie): Wish Upon -- I watched this just so I could get more context when watching YMS' video commentary on it. The movie was just okay.

- (Movie): The Bye Bye Man -- It was okay.

- (Movie): Uncut Gems -- This was really good, but I'd probably never watch it again. I hope I never meet nor get involved with a guy like Howard. He's too compulsive and disorganized for me, among other things.

- (Movie): Antichrist -- Very, very disturbing. Stay away unless you want to not feel good for the day. Some of the imagery is still on my mind *shivers*

- (Movie): Memoir of a Murderer -- I got this title mixed up with another movie, but I watched it anyway. The premise is pretty interesting.

- (Anime): Kakegurui -- I checked this out because it's an upcoming collaboration event in SINoALICE and there weren't too many episodes. I think Kakegurui is perfect for collaboration. Overall, the series is really crazy with some nice moments.

Playing:

- Nothing this month.

Reading:

- (Manga) Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui -- Despite some repetitiveness, I really enjoyed this series. There were a lot of heartfelt moments. I would have liked having a teacher like Koro sensei.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Dark Cloud 2

- (PS4): Skyrim
- (PS4): Yakuza 5 Remastered
- (PS4): Trine 2 (co-oping this only, lol)
- (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): King's Bounty: The Legend
- (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7 - Episode 8)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 5)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (TV Show): Stranger Things (Season 2)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 3)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Kakegurui (Season 3?)
- (Anime): Carole & Tuesday (Part 1 - Episode 5)

- (Anime): Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Episode 2)

- (Anime): Gintama (Episode 13)
- (Anime): Way of the Househusband (Episode 3)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 1042)

Reading:

- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume ?? -- Chapter 1036)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)


That's it for February. Here are some pics / screenshots I took this month plus a YouTube video.

I also list my current watchlist on Netflix. I spent 1-2 days browsing through each category, just to put together that watchlist. It would have been more efficient if all movies / TV shows could be listed alphabetically.

Me battling my friend in Persona 4 Arena to celebrate their birthday.

The chocolates I made for Valentine's Day. I'm still eating them, lol.

I finally get Ereshkigal in FGO! But... now that I've levelled her up to 100 and nearly maxed out her skills, there's not much motivation for me to keep playing, hahah...

Maybe when the next event comes I'll be more active, if just to hoard materials for the next servant that catches my eye.

I also got this servant. I used up all 1 million+ friend points I was hoarding over the years.

A sad colo match in SINoALICE, where I was up against a friend's guild.
I made a promise that I wouldn't target my friend so I targeted other players instead.


The below screenshots are my current watchlist for Netflix. Click any image to enlarge. This doesn't mean I'm committed to watching all the episodes if it's a TV show. I may just try a couple episodes and then decide if I want to continue.

If you have any suggestions of movies / shows to check out, please let me know! I make no promises that I will watch them, but I will at least see if Netflix in Canada does have it (and I might do a bit of research, too). If you see any red flags in my list, let me know as well.

I might finally get to finish watching The Office and The Walking Dead.

I added that movie without a title, just because it didn't have a title.
That movie is wedged between Ip Man and Zombieland: Double Tap.

I've been waiting to continue watching Carole & Tuesday for sooooo long now.

Dynasty Warriors... I can't say no to a video game movie adaptation, hahaha...
*prays that it will be good*

I have 365 Days here more as a joke. I don't need to watch any 50 Shades of Grey fanfiction.

I'm looking forward to watching The Ingenuity of the Househusband after I finish watching The Way of the Househusband.

I've actually watched The Debt a few times already, but there are a couple scenes I really like. My heart will always go out to Rachel and David. (>'-')>

"DA MATRIX: LET'S GET IT STARTED - YMS (Part 1)" by YourMovieSucksDOTorg.

I'm usually pretty bad and watch movie sequels even when I know they might suck, but I think I'll pass on this one.
NOTE: There are spoilers for The Matrix: Resurrections, so only watch if you don't mind that.

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free.

I will now go and become a vegetable for this coming week! Well... as much as I can be a vegetable. I know a part of me will tell me to be productive, hahaha.

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG (PERSONAL) -- My Video Game Crushes

As a counterpart to my anime crushes blog, here are my video game crushes.

Besides the first, second, and last guy, I had to think a bit more when coming up with this list than when I put together my anime crushes. Don't get me wrong -- there are tons of cool male video game characters. It's just that often times, the player is playing as that character, making choices for him... So unless the character actually speaks and conveys some personality to distinguish himself from the player, I can't consider him. For example, I can't list the male protagonist from Persona 5, because I'm often choosing how he reacts / responds to situations. It's great for gameplay -- not so much for stealing my heart, hahaha. ;)

Just like with my anime crushes, I generally limit myself to one crush per series. So... within the entire Final Fantasy series -- even though they are not connected -- there can only be one! And he was my first video game crush <3

Also, as with my anime crushes, having a video game crush does NOT always mean I dream of being with him. Some guys I simply respect and appreciate their existence. :)

Locke from Final Fantasy VI

Who Is He?
He is a thief -- or as he would call it, a "treasure hunter".

Why Do I Like Him?
I like his adventurous nature and his perseverance to fight for his convictions, even when chances of success could be low. Without spoiling anything, I also love his protective nature and his loyalty to the one he loves.

Would I Date Him?
I would... but I consider him already taken. I would totally date somebody like him, though! :)

With Locke being my first video game crush, he has left a lasting impact on me and my future video game playing style. Whenever I play a new video game, if there is an option to play a thief class, I will play it! If there is an option to steal items, I will do it (when nobody's looking)! XD

Locke's "treasure hunting" nature will always be alive in me -- in video games. Stealing is bad in real life! :)

Miles Edgeworth from the Ace Attorney series

Who Is He?
He is a renowned prosecutor.

Why Do I Like Him?
He looks cool -- and he's got the brains. Anybody who knows me knows that I love brains <3

I admire his dedication to seek out the truth, and I like that he gives himself the capacity to grow and change.

Would I Date Him?
When I think seriously about this, I am undecided. I appreciate his core values (and his brains), but I don't know enough about him as a person to really say...

I am behind in playing the Ace Attorney games, so maybe I'll have a better idea after playing through them all. 

Oswald from Odin Sphere

Who Is He?
He is an elite soldier, whose soul was traded away for his current power.

Why Do I Like Him?
I like... his devotion to his loved ones. He does not care how he appears to others so long as he is living true to his values and beliefs.

He also has some swoon-worthy quotes in Odin Sphere:

-"You are not an object. And I will not allow anyone to treat you thus -- never."
-"From now on, I act on my own... for you..."

*Swoons!* <3

Would I Date Him?
I would... but he is also taken, hahaha. I would definitely date somebody like him :)

Sans from Undertale

Who Is He?
Sans is a skeleton who gets roped into helping his brother hunt down humans.

Why Do I Like Him?
Sans is funny! I like how he jokes around and often has a carefree demeanor about him. It's hard to tell what he's thinking sometimes because he's usually so cheerful. I also like that behind that brightness, he thinks very deeply and seriously about things.

Would I Date Him?
Yes (sorry, Papyrus [aka Sans' brother] -- you're not my type *bows apologetically*)! I think I'd have a lot of fun with Sans, either through joking around or having meaningful conversations.

Goro Majima from the Yakuza series

Who Is He?
He is the "Mad Dog of Shimano", who goes on to become an important member of the Tojo Clan.

Why Do I Like Him?
Because he is... near perfect! At least, for me. <3 I could blog a whole entry just for Majima, but I wanted to keep things light, hahaha.

Majima is wild, bada**, strong, fragile, brave, caring, self-sacrificial, brutal, broken, loyal... I could go on, lol. He is the embodiment of a type I really like: A "punk" with a good heart. Even though he may not always show it, he really cares and is loyal to his friends and his followers.

Another thing I like about Majima is his drive to live Life his way -- to not be pulled by anybody else's strings.

Would I Date Him?
A thousand times yes! I don't know what I could offer... but I'd be by his side and support him the best I can. Even though he smokes, I trust that he'd either quit or not smoke around me, 'cuz I know he'd be looking out for me the way I'd be looking out for him. <3



That's it for this blog. Thanks for reading!

Maybe one day I'll blog about my "dream guy". I just get this feeling it'd be a super serious entry and I'll fail in conveying exactly what I mean.

For those who are single like me: just for Valentine's Day, let's be single... together! :) *e-hugs*

Take care, be safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG -- Recap of January

January was a movie-filled month as I was making the most of my accidental Amazon Prime subscription. In total I watched 13 movies and Season 3 of an anime series. The slightly nutty thing is that I watched all those movies / shows on the weekends only (I'm hooked up to my work computer during the weekdays, so no Amazon Prime access at those times). 

I also did my best to rest my wrists since they were aching a lot in December (probably 'cuz I was crazily finishing up my resolutions and working a lot). I ended up working overtime every week this month, though, so I'm not sure how well I did in resting my wrists... >_>

"Outings" / Events in January:

- Had a LINE voice chat with my friends. It was fun. We talked a lot about Western-made live-action adaptations and live-action adaptations in general.

- I finished one of my "resolutions" for the year: reading 12 volumes' worth of manga using my Shonen Jump subscription. :) 

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-My subscription's still expired.

Exposures:

- (video game): Mon Amour -- You press only one button in this game, but it's pretty tough to master.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Noriko's Dinner Table -- I think this was better than Suicide Club theme-wise, but it's as extreme and disturbing. Maybe even a little more extreme. Not for impressionable minds.

- (Movie): This is England -- It was rough watching some parts of it.

- (Movie): mother! -- What a crazy movie, but it was really good. I don't know why, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the movie. It felt like my eyes were glued. That guy did not deserve her love at all.

- (Movie): Waves -- Not my kind of movie, but it was well done.

- (Movie): Caché -- I don't know how I feel about this movie. I hate the main character.

- (Movie): Minority Report -- The concept is really interesting.

- (Movie): Catch Me If You Can -- Very, very fun and entertaining.

- (Movie): Tropic Thunder -- It was okay.

- (Movie): The Green Inferno -- Why do I do this to myself? Hahaha. It's just okay, but it's pretty disturbing.

- (Movie): Chaos Walking -- It's a funny movie, but not in a good way.

- (Movie): The Crow -- Very nice atmosphere, and nice emotion at certain scenes. RIP Brandon Lee.

- (Movie): Ginger Snaps -- I don't know how I feel about this movie. It's crazy and neat.

- (Movie): The VelociPastor -- It's one of those so-bad-that-it's-good movies. It did a decent job.

- (Movie): Snowpiercer -- This was interesting.

- (Anime - Movie): Liz and the Blue Bird -- It's slow-paced, but has good emotion. I can empathize with Mizore.

- (Anime - Movie): Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System - Case 1: Crime and Punishment -- This was okay.

- (Anime - Movie): Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System - Case 2: First Guardian -- I liked this more than case 1.

- (Anime - Movie): Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System - Case 3: In the Realm Beyond Is ___ -- I'm just glad I got to see him again. Who, you ask? Watch it to find out, haha. ;)

- (Anime): Psycho-Pass: I have a feeling that there will be more seasons, but I just wanna say that Psycho-Pass is a great series, with so many thought-provoking themes / concepts. Whenever the next thing comes along, I just hope I have access to it.

- (Anime): Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma -- I could do without all the ecchi... other than that, it was a really fun series. I liked the creativity in the dishes and I enjoyed watching the characters grow. Megumi is still my favourite. Eishi is a close second.

- (Anime): Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma OVAs -- I'm just lumping all the OVAs here. They were okay. I enjoyed Takumi's episode the most.

Playing:

- (PS4): Genius Minesweeper -- I do enjoy playing Minesweeper and solving puzzles (most of the time). I'll still be playing it a bit in February to get the rest of the trophies.

Reading:

- (Picture book) Ravina the Witch? by Junko Mizuno -- This was okay.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Dark Cloud 2

- (PS4): Skyrim
- (PS4): Yakuza 5 Remastered
- (PS4): Trine 2 (co-oping this only, lol)
- (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): King's Bounty: The Legend
- (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7 - Episode 8)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 5)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 3)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Carole & Tuesday (Part 1 - Episode 5)

- (Anime): Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Episode 2)

- (Anime): Gintama (Episode 13)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 1042)

Reading:

- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume ?? -- Chapter 1036)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)
- (Manga): Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui (Volume 13)


That's it for January. Here are some pics / screenshots I took this month plus a YouTube video.

I organized a wishlist gift-giving thing with my LINE friends. It was originally for Christmas,
but things got busy so we delayed it to January. These were the gifts I received
(they were among a bunch of things on my wishlist). The cupcakes are already eaten,
and the Monaco cookies are 2/3rds done. If you're wondering why
I had a Cookbook "for Men" on my wishlist, well -- I was curious
what sort of recipes it would have, hahaha. :3

My calendar for 2022. Oh how I miss sushi... ;__;

The top 5 PS4 games I spent the most time on in 2020. I spent 1788 hours in total...
meaning that only 180 hours are not counted here (a lot of that probably
went into Yakuza 3 Remastered). May the PS4 continue logging my
Genshin time in 2021, hahaha XD

A screenshot of an "intermission / break" part of the Valentine event in SINoALICE.
It'd be great if they formatted all their events this way.

What happened when I pressed the "Save" at the bottom, hahaha.

It's an old class in SINoALICE, but I finally got her. I bought her hammer months ago
and was waiting to be able to select it in the LB grimoire.
This was my strategy of getting this class, hahaha.

"The Discipline of Finishing: Conor Neill at TEDxUniversidaddeNavarra" 

This is a pretty inspiring TED talk.
I wonder how I'd do in that Marshmallow Test at the age of 3...

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free.

To those celebrating Lunar New Year in a couple days, Happy Lunar New Year!!! XD Remember to wash your hair before the actual day (it's a big superstition / taboo)! 

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG (PERSONAL) -- Perspectives/Memories in 2021, Top Whatevers, Top Exposures, and New Year's Resolutions

 Well, here is the long blog I do every year -- taking an overall look at the previous year.

A shot of Hatsune Miku's concert stream.

She is singing Romeo and Cinderella.

First thing is a review of my New Year's Resolutions in 2021 and how I did with them:

(REVIEW) New Year's Resolutions for 2021
- Spend at least 100 hours on learning anything related to programming or game-making -- DONE (12.5 hours were spent on learning python; 3 hours on learning Tabletop simulator [which I've completely forgotten at this point]. I counted the rest as I was creating my game.)

- Spend at least 100 hours on learning Japanese -- DONE (I don't know how much of the learning will stick with me, but I can recognize certain vocabulary more easily)

- Create at least two games using any of the platforms / engines I have -- DONE (I created ONE game using Ren'py, BUT -- I created 5 different playthroughs for that game, with the text  sometimes varying depending on the choices made and in what order. I think that's enough time and effort to count as two games) 

- Create at least 1 story (short story, play, whatever) -- DONE (I'd say the stories in my game counted here)

- Spend a total of 750 hours going through ANY of my media collection that I haven't experienced yet (watching DVDs / Blu-Ray, playing video games, reading books). Playing MMOs / never-ending phone games don't count -- DONE (I ended up spending 756.25 hours. Here is a breakdown of where all my hours went:)

Video games - Completed at least once (about 446.5 hours total spent)

-Yakuza 3 Remastered

-Yakuza 4 Remastered

-Touhou: Genso Rondo Bullet Battle

-Patchwork Heroes

-The Walking Dead: New Frontier

-Shantae: Risky's Revenge

-Cafeteria Nipponica

-To the Moon

-Trine 1

-Secret of Mana

Video games - Tried out for the first time (about 115 hours total spent)

-Gurmin: A Monstrous Adventure

-Yakuza 5 Remastered

-Million Onion Hotel

-Skyrim

-Beat Saber

-Kizuna ai

-Tokyo Chronos
-Trine 2

-Minesweeper Genius

-Other games I've started before and am still playing

Movies / TV series (about 29.5 hours spent)

-Bill & Ted: Face the Music

-Synecdoche, New York

-Persona Super Live P-Sound Street 2019

-Bring it On: Fight to the Finish

-Legend of Korra (Season 3)

-Legend of Korra (Season 4)
-Pride & Prejudice (BBC show)

-Antiviral

Books / Manga (3846 total pages read - about 65 hours spent)

-The Walking Dead: Compendium 4

-No Longer Human (Junji Ito manga)

-The Garden of Words
-She and Her Cat
-Bodie Troll
-Voices of a Distant Star
-Ask Iwata!

-Street Fighter (Volume 4-6)

-Steins; Gate (all 3 volumes)

-Alice in the Country of Hearts: My Favourite Rabbit: Volume 1

- Get all caught up in One Piece -- DONE (Yes!)

- Watch at least 100 episodes' worth of anime / dramas on Crunchyroll -- DONE (I watched about 102 episodes' worth, and they break down like this [also just to say that I watched the complete series for only some that are mentioned]:)

-Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
-Demon Slayer
-Gintama
-Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
-Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls
-Fate/Grand Order -First Order
-Fate/Grand Order -Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia

- Sort through 2 years' worth of personal photos / videos -- DONE (Yes, I did this)

- Catalogue all the games I own physically -- DONE (I'm very surprised with how many physical video games I own. I own... 494 physical video games!!!! There are 494 video games in my room >_>''' So... if anybody ever wondered why my resolutions have mainly focused on me going through my collection, this is why, hahaha. Here's how it breaks down:)

Sony Consoles/Handhelds (Total: 337 [68%])
PS1: 18
PS2: 101
PS3: 97
PS4: 68
PSP: 35
PSVita: 18

Nintendo Consoles/Handhelds (Total: 138 [28%])
GameCube: 16
Wii: 23
Wii U (I don't even own a Wii U): 4
Switch: 2
GBA: 4
DS: 53
3DS: 36

Others (Total: 19 [4%])
Xbox360: 2
PC: 16
Dreamcast (I don't even own a Dreamcast): 1

- Clean my room. At least half of the floor should be bare -- DONE (I took a pic of my room and sent it to my sister to confirm)

To sum up: I did it!!!!!! XD In the past 10 years of me trying to finish all my resolutions, I finally did it!!!!!! XD

I get to treat myself to some fancy food at Miku. When I'll actually go will be another question... I just hope it'll still be open by then. 

In terms of how I was able to finish all my resolutions this time... part of it was probably my unused vacation from last year and that I worked less overtime. To go in more detail:

I had 16 unused vacation days carried over from 2020, and I was forced to use them all up before June. So... after I did that, I still had all the vacation days for the current year to use up. I didn't get to use up all my vacation days, but in 2021, I used a total of 27 vacation days... while you may think 'That's not fair! That's so many vacation days in one year!', please keep in mind that 16 of those vacation days were vacation days I should have used in 2020. That means in 2020, I barely took any vacations for myself (even though I wanted to).

With my overtime, I worked about 320 hours beyond my contracted hours in 2020. In 2021, I worked about 146 hours beyond my contracted hours (only about 55 of those hours were paid out as overtime). I think it's still a lot of overtime, but it's progress. What I fought for in 2020 is still affecting me positively.

Below are my resolutions for 2022:

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)

- 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)

- NO MORE RESOLUTIONS AFTER THAT!!

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I would give myself another reward for completing my resolutions. Well, this is it! Aside from making sure I get my money's worth for my subscriptions, I have noooooo resolutions this year.

This does not mean I will become ultra lazy and do nothing for an entire year (I know myself -- my strong value of time would NEVER let that happen) -- it just means I won't stress as much. At least, that's my hope.

I'm also hoping to be able to live in the moment more. You see... I think so much about my past, and I worry so much about the future that I'm barely in the present. I want to change that. I want to be able to fret over the past, future, AND experience the present as it happens. Is that even possible?

I will still keep track of the things I usually keep track of (time spent on my collection and whatnot) -- I'm very curious if my behaviour would shift at all by having no real resolutions. Will I read more? Will I watch more anime? Will I discover something new and dive into a completely new thing? And again I'm wondering about the future, hahahaha XD

2021 in Review
To be honest... when I think of 2021, I don't want to think about it. 2021 was a very extreme year for me. I went through extreme highs and I went through extreme lows... all the while making a lot of mistakes with a couple friends (I considered them good friends), and then questioning my reason for living, questioning my reason for doing the things I was doing. That kind of self-reflection with all my harsh criticisms on myself led me to a very dark place, and I was very sad at times.

Another side of myself also came out last year -- the side of myself I don't really like. If we were in the world of Persona 4 Golden, I'd call her the Other Me. She's insecure, which usually leads her to come to the wrong conclusions and makes not-the-best decisions based off those conclusions. And she regrets her decisions soon after. She only shows herself to specific people (if you read the paragraph above, you may be able to guess how many). Unlike in Persona 4 Golden, though, I do not want to embrace and accept this Other Me as she is right now...  instead, I'd like to take her hand and help her grow into somebody who's not that insecure. I know she deserves it.

A couple positives that came from 2021 was my discovery of minimalism and Frank James. While I will never be able to achieve true minimalism (I will never be able to part with some of my physical collections in favour of digital), I do believe that having less can offload extra stresses and help me to focus on the more important things. And for Frank James... I'm just glad I'm not the only alien in this world... and that there are many others out there just as weird and strange as I am. I don't really know how it helps, but it's comforting. 

Another thing that I consider a positive in 2021 was... well, I think I will keep that one to myself. No promises if I would ever talk about it here. Ultimately, I think another possibility for my future has opened up. It's a future I never would have considered an option, but now... it's an option. Whether or not I actually take that path will be up to me... but it's an option. :) It tells me that the future I worry about so much still has that capacity for change -- so I should not stress so much about if I'm "on course" for my future. 

Last but not least, connecting with my friends on LINE or via text messages and having monthly LINE voice calls have kept me sane (well, more sane than I would have been). Sometimes it just takes bouncing ideas off another person to get into fun and ridiculous conversations. And to share different perspectives and grow.

The next thing in my Life should be moving out, but I think that will still be put on hold for now. Ideally I'd want the pandemic to be over before I move out, but let's see just how long the pandemic will last. 

My "theme song" is one I've mentioned a couple years ago: "Poison" from GTO Live-Action (1998 version). I think I've settled and will not look for any other "theme songs" in the future -- I keep coming back to this song that I think it best expresses what I aspire to be: living how I want, and living without deceiving myself.

"Poison" from GTO Live-Action (1998 version).
This was the only video I could find that had English lyric translations. You can check
my blog a couple years ago if you want to listen to my poor karaoke attempt. :)

Notable/Significant Memories/Events in 2021
The pandemic that's still going on: I'm just noting this here because it's still going on... I'll also say that I miss going outside freely and I can't wait to get out of my "cage". My trip to Japan is also very long overdue!

Had the worst headaches of my life: Even though I had a theory back then, it is still a mystery why I experienced those really bad headaches everyday from mid-February to early March. To illustrate how bad they were, there were days where I'd wake up in the middle of the night  and could not go back to sleep. And when it throbbed during the day, it hurt so much that I could not work. It felt like my brain was stinging.

Attended three concert streams online (Phoenix Wright Orchestra, Hatsune Miku, Genshin Impact): These were really fun concerts.

Going karaoking: The one day where I went downtown since over a year ago. It was a great time.

Did that "30-Day Minimalism Game" and succeeded: I ended up switching some items with others, but my room is nearly 500 items lighter.

Finished ALL my resolutions this year: I know I already mentioned it, but -- it's such an achievement that I gotta mention it here as well! :)

Had monthly LINE voice chats with friends: These were nice and fun. The cooking and game activities were also really fun.


Top Whatevers in 2021
This is my top list of what was released in 2021 that I experienced, which sadly wasn't very much. Also, just to mention: Evangelion: 3.01+1.01 was the only anime I watched that was released this year, and I didn't think it was good enough to list. Sorry! ^^;

(Movie): A Quiet Place, Part II
This was the only movie I watched that was released in 2021. It was good enough to make the cut. A Quiet Place, Part II was more of the first movie, and the first movie was pretty good.

(Book): Ask Iwata!, edited by Hobonichi

It was nice to take a peek into some of Iwata's values and to see how some others (like Miyamoto) took to Iwata. It still saddens me that Iwata is gone, but I think his legacy is still going strong.

(Song - Remix): Friday Night but it's Yakuza Ishin ft. Daniel Welch by Claus
I got exposed to this song via the Yakuzagames subreddit. From there I delved into a channel of nicely done Yakuza song remixes. It's really cool how creative people can be sometimes with their fandom. XD

I would love to play Yakuza Ishin one day (please bring it over!).

"Friday Night but it's Yakuza Ishin ft. Daniel Welch" by Claus.

It's a fun remix to an already fun song.

Top Exposures in 2021
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): Fate/Grand Order -Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia- (2019-2020)
It was great seeing Gilgamesh in a different light. I have no care for pure chaotic characters, but chaotic characters with humanity -- I like. Overall, this series has the quality of the recent Fate series, with good plot and characters. It also has the same unforgiving nature (you never really know which character is safe...). I don't think you have to have played the Fate/Grand Order phone game in order to enjoy this.

Also, to make good on something I said to a friend (Angel) many months ago:

Gilgamesh! In my opinion, he is way better in this series than
in the other Fate series I've watched.

(Movie): Requiem for a Dream (2000)
It's not a movie I can recommend (quite disturbing and very depressing at times), but it was really well done. The music was great, too. Even now I think back to certain scenes and characters. If you ever decide to try it out, be prepared for a dark ride.

(Manga): Voices of a Distant Star by Makoto Shinkai (art by Mizu Sahara) (2004/2006)
I think this is a good supplement to the movie. There's a bit more detail, and I like how it ends.

(Video Game): To the Moon [PC] (2011)
While I can't agree with all the decisions the characters made, this game left an emotional impression on me. I highly recommend. I will likely blog about it one day.

(Song - English): Jealous by Labrinth (2014)

This is heartache personified. I tend to like sad songs and this one can make me cry. The lyrics and the emotion really hit me. This is my top song for 2021 because I can't ignore how good this is -- in my opinion, anyway.

"Jealous" by Labrinth.

To those in pain like in this song... *e-hug* (>'.')>

(Song - Japanese): MachineGun Kiss from Yakuza 5 (2012)
There's just something about this song that draws me in. When I listen to it, I hear passion, a bit of danger, and... something wild. If somebody ever wanted to try melting my heart, singing this song could be a start. ;)

"MachineGun Kiss" from Yakuza 5.

It's a song that tells me "I want you" in an edgy way. <3

-----------------------------------

And that's that for my review of 2021.

In my last entry, I noted a few things I wanted to do in 2021:

-Start playing the Nier video game series (This didn't happen)
-Stay on top of the ones I want to keep following and supporting (I tuned in to some every now and then. For others I need to find more time)

-Spend less in SINoALICE and other gacha games (I think I spent more this year ;__;)

For 2022, below are some things I'd like to do:

-Start playing the Nier video game series (Come on, Me -- get on this!! Hahaha)
-Finish up playing the main Yakuza games (only 5, 6, and Like a Dragon left! Then hopefully I'll get to playing Dead Souls for the PS3)
-Re-hook my PS3 (I've still been using my Xbox 360 as a glorified DVD player)
-Spend less in SINoALICE (Can I do this???)
-Blog more (I really want to do this)

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Below is a % breakdown of my spending in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020. This breakdown excludes necessities like my cell phone plan, transportation expenses, etc. Click on the image to enlarge it.

It is alarmingly scary just how high my spending was for my phone games this year (almost 100% of that spending was on SINoALICE). Every other category (except for Streaming Stuffs) went down. What does this mean? I think it means I gotta stop spending so much on my phone games!

Thanks again for reading! I wish you all good health -- wonderful memories (as wonderful as they can be) -- and meaningful wealth. And... I wish you all the strength to live. *hug* 

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)