Sometimes I look at stuff.
In recent years (or before 2025), I haven't made efforts to consume new media (mostly due to creative fatigue). I would look at shows/movies/whatever and go 'I have no energy!' or 'I'm reminded of my work!' and avoid it.
I'm trying not to do that now.
I'll be listing media that I recently picked up, or things from the past that left enough of an impression to be notable; be it 'life changing I Will Never Stop Thinking About it' or 'man that SUCKED'.
That said, no accounting for taste when you browse so :P
what the fuck. huh. huh. i think im stupid because I got to the end and suddenly I understood nothing. But OKAY I'll try piece together my thoughts because for the most part I read this in fragments (of course, it was like 730> pages long)
Alright so! The things I found intriguing:
I enjoyed the story following the Navidson Records, it was the main bit that I was looking forward to. Surprisingly, I also enjoyed the story of Johnny Truant; even if I found sometimes it was draggy but! Isn't that part of the experience? I don't think I'm fully grasping his part of this whole shebang, but his own madness is...an interesting follow. The part with his mother pained my heart. Idk, I feel for this fucked-up guy, in a fucked up way. It makes me want to understand him the same way he tried to understand Zampano. (Who, I do NOT know what to make of.)
Throughout this book, I kept wondering where the gotcha is, if I have fallen into the trap and didn't know. Is it a mirror? Am I doing the same thing as the characters? Digging deeper for something that was nothing but in that nothing was something? Why did it end so abruptly with no answers? Dammit I want to know!!! The only thing stopping me from a reread is the fact that I can't bear to go through 700 pages again, and that the library loan expires in 4 days. Alas, I cannot join the insanity.
I don't even know what to say next, just that I'm confused, intrigued, and wanting more.
//Edit: Someone mentioned the book, the prose, leads you around like the house, a maze. Endless loop into Not Understanding. My brain is tiny but I did have fun experiencing it at least.
I picked it up once before and couldn't make it past the first chapter. Then I tried again months later and I'm happy I persevered.
It's been a while so I'll try dig up why I enjoyed it:
- The narrative choice to build characters through letters sent to each other.
- The setting being quite literally throughout different times and places. The characters having to leave their letters to grow, placed in locations so unorthodox, and having the receiver be at the right time, right place, doing the right thing just to get it... it's a thrilling hunt. Makes me wonder where it'll be next.
If I could give this a 3.5, I would, but I'm too lazy to make that sprite.
I got really into it at 12 and it's probably the biggest media influence in my life. This is why I'm a furry today. Thanks.
I stopped keeping up with it after Starless Clan because the quality has dropped so much I find myself mostly bored or incredulous. I know it's a children's book series but I still enjoy the older books on rereads, where the premise was simpler but the execution was good.
Anyway uh, quick thoughts!
This manga is one of the few I kept up with week-to-week for about 5-6 years so I think it gets to have an honorary mention here. I also uh. I was insane about it once.
I adore it, I love the artstyle to the point of trying to learn from it. I was drawn in first by Midoriya, because I loved underdog stories, and trading power for horrible backlash (and generally a character who is so batshit insane about his ideals he'll break himself for it). Then All Might, who, man. Is just That Cool. I maybe related too much to the Todoroki family arc, then the guy of all time Bakugou Katsuki got super interesting after DekuVSKacchan 2, and whatever the fuck was going on between Uraraka and Himiko because like, christ i needed MORE of that.
To paint a broad stroke, I love the characters and their stories as a whole. I like how the story builds up this world that is dominated by a 'hero vs villain' ideology to the point of idolisation, and deconstructed how it was a HORRIBLE way to go, and how many people fell through the cracks.
I like how most concepts introduced have ways of repeating itself, how many characters are running parallel to each other. (During my read through I just kept going: "so many parallel lines..). To name a few, All Might and All For One's mentorships of Midoriya and Shigaraki, how it's SOOO interesting that it can go such different ways and, to follow a 'villain's' growth is something I don't see toooo often, not on this scale. The way that Hawks and Dabi watched Endeavor and got VASTLY different reactions from that idolisation. The CONSISTENT theme of holding out your hand, to offer help, to say that you are seen and cared for by another. The continued resistance to what All Might has built depending on one person only, and that everyone can make a difference if they took the initiative.
also i REALLY like Midoriya and Bakugou as a pair. They make me go so crazy, just always in each other's orbit? The constant chase, the lack of understanding between the both of them being deeply infuriating yet they also know each other? Driven by the same thing, watching the same person and finding that it has led them to vastly different paths, one where Midoriya thrives and Bakugous struggles. And then later on, LATER ON THE BAKUGOU KATSUKI REDEMPTION KJNDCKJDKlk i like it very much.
I genuinely wish I could say the same for Uraraka and her arc with Himiko because it's SO COMPELLING. But I also feel like it got done dirty so idk. I think...I enjoy actually, how batshit Uraraka is. And that isn't talked enough often since Midoriya is the one breaking his bones. But this girl has STEEL. She went into hero work for money, ended up seeing some horrible things on the field and ended up realising she wanted to make sure everyone was happy, to extend care for heros AND villains. Also her insane chase after Himiko just to get a conversation with her made me feel things. (I know there was so much grumbles about her 'wanting to talk about love', but I liked it a lot. Something about wanting to have a conversation about something as mundane as crushes is extremely humanising, which is the POINT. HIMIKO JUST WANTS TO BE A NORMAL GIRL.)
Yea I'll. Stop here. I like MHA a lot hehe. Just,,, yeah.
I've been keeping up with it (currently listening to early S2 of TMP), though I don't think I'm like, crazy over it? TMA definitely starts slow and needs investment in order to capture your interest. Though I willll say, the first few entries Jon reads is key to keeping you drawn in.
Something charming about early TMA stories, I think, is just that it was purely, simple horror. We can look back at this and go 'oh it was building up to something!', but the fact that the early stories are such good stand-alone tales is key to why the series is so good.
I stayed because the cast was cool, the situations they faced were cool. And then the FEARS.
I was locked in for the LORE. I don't think it's the firstt time fears were catergorised, but just the way it was executed was so compelling. I'm also, maybe a bitch for vessels of a higher eldritch power?? Anyway I may or may not have been so taken by it I started writing AUs for my own stories. It's surprisingly helpful, the clarity of a character's motive and action when you pin a fear to them.
I don't actually have a solid opinion on TMP other than I don't think it's as strong? Still interesting, I want to know what's happening in this 'other London', but I'm not as drawn to the stories. I'm mostly staying for the characters.
Some post I came across said this: TMA is actually quite mediocre and the fandom isn't ready to hear that. And I...kinda agree.
It's not high art for sure, but there's just enough of everything, the mystery, the scares, the heart... to keep you in.
...Or maybe that's what the spiders want you to think.
I had never listened to any of Drop Out TV's stuff until this, so I was not prepared by the sheer amount of skill these 4 people have okay.
The story! The character acting! Their stories!! THE SOUND DESIGN!!! It's all perfect, I'm kinda, always in awe when I listen to a new episode.
My start to podcasts, and Dungeons and Dragons. I personally couldn't get into Critical Role because of how professional it was lol, which is not a bad thing, but kinda intimidating? So when I listened to TAZ and heard these 3 nerds and their dad goof off I was like "Oh! So DnD could be like that". And that set the tone for all my TTRPG experiences after.
I love Pokemon. I've played every mainline game since Diamond and have been unfortunately hooked from then on. It's another one of my earlier fanfic franchises, and at this point it's simply tradition for me to write about every trainer I make.
Going through all of it is a pain, but to summarise...
I have never Not enjoyed playing the mainline games. B/W is my top game, part nostalgia and part because I think the story is concise. S/V is actually also pretty up there, I LOVED the writing and think it's the strongest next to, or above B/W but the gameplay and graphics is uhhhhh.
Sword/Shield is so pretty but the writing was flimsy, which is a shame because the gym battle and championship actually felt like it Meant something!! So much potential in the characters, gone down the drain... Same with X/Y, I wasn't that compelled by it.
Favourite spin-off is of course, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. I like Sky the best. I also enjoyed Pokemon Rangers, Shadows of Almia.
For no particular reason, I want you to know that my favourite pokemon is Rowlet and Ampharos. And their evo lines. I mean, look at them:
5/5 stars because of nostalgia. I still like the story very much and appreciate that it's, for the most part, not about Klonoa lol. I like him! But I have no attachment beyond this game, as this is my first Klonoa game and it happens to be the one where it focuses on other characters.
I don't think I have very much to say about it besides that I found the gameplay fun, the art is super cute, and that I love the King of Sorrow to death. I know Lolo and Leorina have compelling character arcs too but sorry, I was taken by the One character that was revealed super late, for like one scene at the end and decided "yea that's my guy forever".
5/5 simply for being part of my childhood, and literally the reason why I got so into the fantasy genre.
Oblivion gets nostalgia points because it was present when I was a kid -- I didn't really get into it then because it was kinda scary?? The game was dark in the caverns (which, there were a lot of early game. Caves, sewers, Oblivion strongholds...). It was the reason why I played as a Khajiit, due to their nightvision.
I think this was the real beginning of me becoming a furry.
Skyrim was the Elder Scrolls game I finished from start to end (I only finished Oblivion in my late teens). I remember keeping up with the trailers (the release date!!! 11.11.2011!) and actually Crying when the trailer for Dawnguard came out (COMBAT ON HORSEBACK!!!)
Incidentally, this franchise is I think...the second that I wrote fanfiction for. I still have it somewhere.
I don't watch enough shows.