Thursday, January 9th - Finished Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

Holy shit. Ok they were not lying when they told me Jojo's was peak. I've gotten through part 3 now and godddddd it was so good. I had so much fun. It was so awesome.

My two gripes with Part 3 were just that I felt like Avdol's death was.... not good. It was just like. Too abrubt and did him dirty. I didn't even process at first that he was liek actually dead until like 4 pages after. I also just wish that Joseph... did more. I know he's not the protagonist so I'm not really upset but it's still sad considering the antics he was up to in part 2.

Overall though, I just had a really good time. The thing with Jojo's is that it has just been genuinely very fun to read. It's easy to read like 300 pages super fast because it is so good at keeping you entertained. I had a great time.

This is my overall tier list for the parts I've read so far (open in a new tab for higher resolution if you need it). Overall part 2 and 3 are definitely my favorites of the 3 I've read, but I have a hard time picking between which I like more. Regardless, I've had a good time with the story so far, and this list is all in good fun. Kars + The Pillarmen are definitely my favorite antagonists though. Dio is cool, but like... I dunno! Something about the sillyguy antics of the pillarmen captivated me. I think as a protagonist I like Joseph's antics a bit more, but Jotaro is also up to some antics often, just in a much more deadpan sort of way. Ultimately they are tied.

Overall I think the story in this part was really solid and I was genuinely invested in all of the characters stories. The main crw was really endearing to me and I enjoyed how they all played off of each other. It was a very funny manga with a cast of characters I really liked!

Next up is Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable. Everyone tells me I will love this part, so I'm very excited to read it ^-^!

Sunday, January 19th - Caught Up on #DRCL: Midnight Children

#DRCL is... interesting. It is very obvious that it's written by the guy who wrote Innocent, but not in a bad way. I mean it wouldn't be in a bad way, for all of its flaws I do really love Innocent, that shit is so fucked up and edgy for the sake of being edgy and I think thats beautiful. There have only been 3 volumes released in English but it was really good so far! I'm very excited to see where the rest of it goes. Overall, the new take on the characters are really good and I super appreciate it. This story also seems to value women more, which is always good. We like when women are valued. Hopefully the manga keeps up!

Tuesday, February 25th - The Black Orb

I read this book, that is for sure. The premise itself is really interesting, and I had picked it up on a whim because I wanted to read more books from authors from around the world. And the book... well... I mean it has a good premise, for sure. The protagonist of The Black Orb is a terrible person. Just like absolutely detestable. I gather that it's largely the point, but I feel like in a dystopia where there is no "happy ending" you still want to be able to root for someone. Truly though I just had no sympathy for the guy. Premise of the book before the final third was awesome though. Loved the idea of a bunch of black metal orbs just following people and absorbing them, it was a new fun spin on the post-apocalypse genre I really appreciated. I liked the freaky cult segment too. Otherwise though I feel like it dropped the ball (or one could say... Orb...) by the end and I mostly just finished it because I realized I had like 2 chapters left. I dunno. I don't regret reading it? But also I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone. Whatever. 3 stars. Could have been a 4 stars if the ending wasn't such a fumble.

Tuesday, March 4th - Mobile Suit Gundam GquuuuuuX -Beginning-

HOLY FUCK. HOLYYYYYYYYYY FUCK. GUNDAM IN THE MOVIE THEATER. GUNDAM IN!!!! THE MOVIE THEATER!!!! AND I SAW IT!!!!

Okay for real, spoilers ahead I need to SCREAM. Basically the movie was genuinely so good. the 0079 cold open fucking scared me though I was so lost at first when there was just high quality 0079 opening playing. But it's okay because then I saw Char and went HOLY SHIT ITS CHAR I LIKE THAT GUY. AND THEN THEY GAVE HIM A FUCKING GUNDAM AND IT WAS RED AND IT WAS SOOOOOOOOO COOL. And then they sent his ass through a wormhole or whatever and i thought there was going to be a char aznable isekai but it WASNT instead it was JUST AN AWESOME AU. AND THE NEW CHARACTERS ARE SO FUN. I miss Amuro but its made up for by the worlds funniest strangest throuple I liek them. I like also that technically that like they gave Char like ANOTHER person to be weirdly homosexual with that is so funny. why did they do that. they keep making him yaoiful. ANYWAY WOAWWWWW I LOVE MECHA ANIME I LOVE GUNDAM GUNDAM IS SO COOL THEY SHOOT EACH OTHER AND PUCNH EACH OTHER AND ITS AWESOME AND GODDDD. ILL WRITE AN ACTUAL REVIEW ON THE GUNDAM SHRINE BTW IM JUST GOING CRAZYYY

Sunday, March 9th - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Okay so, I have technically already read Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up once before, in my senior year of high school. I was trying to clean out my room so it was easier to move though, so I was just using it as a way to get rid of stuff, and it didn't stick. I went through it again at the start of my spring break and this time actually followed her words of advice, and got rid of several trashbags of clothes and personal items I didn't use. I would say this marks it off the backlog since I hadn't engaged with it correctly the first time

I really appreciate Marie Kondo! I like that she says everything kindly and with the understanding that this is something that people naturally struggle with. Her kindness and the simplicity of her words is incredibly helpful and appreciated. I like as well her section on how to tidy, specifically on removing anything with a brand label from your house. Obviously this is hard for anyone to do, but it really is refreshing to not be staring at blrand labels all the time. Obviously you can't get rid of them all, but it truly does help. I definitely recommend this book to anyone struggling to get red of stuff or struggling to keep their house neat :)! It won't work for everyone, but I do find her stuff to be very ADHD friendly

Wednesday, March 12th - Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Another thing that I've already seen before, but I think I'm just going to use this as a place to talk about stuff I've finished generally. I really REALLY love this movie. I think watching Char become just this pathetic wreck who continues this cycle of violence because he's so insistent that people are naturally evil is FUUUUCKED. Anyway I got to see this in the movie theater recently and it was really good in theaters. Seeing Char and Amuro get into a pathetic fistfight on the big screen was beautiful. Char sucks. Movie good. Had a great time. Amuro Ray was there and hes my bestest buddy in the whole universe. I always think this movie gets a kind of bad rap because it treats Char "unfairly," but personally I see this as a finalization of his character through and through. He is pathetic and unable to hold onto any one ideal. The only thing he can stick to is that everyone compassionate dies so human nature must be violent and evil, and all war and violence is justifiable because the compassionate and innocent die. I think using Quess as an instrument of war solidifies both this theme as well as the theme generally present in the Universal Century about how children are often the most impacted by war. Anyway I fucking love gundam. Yeah

Thursday, March 13th - Heretic

I went over to my friends house and after a very nice day of working in the garden we watched the 2024 film Heretic. A really great time, I seriously enjoyed the movie. I unfortunately don't have much to say about it, I just think it's a pretty solid horror film. It definitely did rethink the way I interact with mormons on their missions who come knocking on my door... it is unfair to be cruel to these people who are just doing what they believe from their upbringing is right. I also think that a very sincere and kind portrayal of mormons is really sweet and endearing. Also the villain in this movie is like deeply hysterical. Worlds most diabolical college philosophy/theology teacher. I find that funny. Overall a good watch, I recommend it if you're into that kind of movie.

Thursday, April 10th - Every Rising Sun (DROPPED)

Wow... first dropped title. Not for lack of trying, I just could not get into this book. I picked up Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed because it seemed like a nice synthesis to pair with learning about art in my Islamic Art History class. And in some ways, yes! There is a lot going on for the historical accuracy and I found that part really engaging. The reason I dropped it however, was the style of writing. Unfortunately, this book suffers from the first person "YA Problem" as I've dubbed it, where writing in first person feels less like a smooth form of storytelling and more like something I was meant to read when I was 13. It's quite unfortunate, but I think I will simply pick up one of the better translations of The Arabian Nights and read that instead, as I imagine it will suffer Much Less from this problem. I think if that style is something you like it's worth your time, but I just couldn't find it in me to continue.

Friday, April 11th - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable

I have finally finished Part 4 of Jojos. This one took me a weirdly long time to get through, but I was also very busy with classes and work in between, so I suppose it comes as no surprise. Everyone told me I'd like this part, and they weren't really wrong. The group of protagonists is fun and I especially love the Spongebob and Patrick esque dynamic that Josuke and Okuyasu get up to, and I like Jotaro in this part as well. I think my enjoyment of this part does suffer a little bit, as it feels much less tightly focused as parts 1-3. Though Josuke is supposed to be the lead protagonist, by the end it felt more like Koichi or Rohan were the real protagonists, and the lack of focus on Josuke and especially his relationships and interactions with both Jotaro and Joseph feels like a missed opportunity. I think overall though, I liked this part a lot, and it feels like something I'd probably enjoy more upon watching the anime, so that excites me. It's much more of a light-hearted jaunt even though theres some pretty serious topics within the manga itself. It doesnt really feel like the light-heartedness is doing a disservice to the stuff about Reimi or what Yoshikage Kira does which i appreciate especially, since it keeps itself more serious where it counts. Overall, part 4 is much more slice-of-life than the last 3 parts, which I also find interesting. The updated tier list has also had some things move around as I've sat with the last 3 parts for longer. Inexplicably, part 2 seems to be my favorite part so far. We will see if this changes.

Sunday, April 13th - Vampire Hunter D (1985)

On Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing a movie I've seen many times before as a theater experience. The 1985 Vampire Hunter D OVA is a wonderful piece of animated cinema that I somehow had at one point convinced even my mother to watch. Having now seen it in theaters, I think it has been by far my most pleasurable way to view the movie. Focused on the first story of Vampire Hunter D, it has an interesting spin on the world and the way that everything looks. Because the later movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust comes after the release of the manga, it feels like a more "accurate" view of what the world would look like, but the charm of the 1985 movie is so strong. The designs remain striking and keep me reminded of the beautiful illustrations of Yoshitaka Amano, which works well because I had just gotten a tattoo of one of his black and white Vampire Hunter D illustrations on the 4th. Overall, a wonderful movie that brings me a lot of comfort and joy. It brings me hope that maybe one day I will get to see bloodlust within a theater as well

Monday, April 21st - This is How You Lose the Time War

SCREAMS AND CRIES AND THROWS UP. WHAT THE FUCKKKKK. Everyone who's read this book was like oh you'll like it so much. Oh this is a book you'll love. Blah blah blah. And I was like. Well all I know is it's sci-fi (what I like) and romance (something I have a hard time with enjoying in book form). BUT GODDDDDDD NO THEY WERE SO RIGHT. This book has me FUCKED UP. It has me so fucked up. I think in part because I just finished it today after having had to drive back to college after a weekend visit with my boyfriend and so I just sort of want to curl up into a ball and sob and think of him and this book.

Anyway, this was genuinely such a good and enjoyable read. I am losing my mind I don't even have like proper words to say I'm just like OHHHHHH GODDDDDDD. I really liked it. I recommend it to everyone I've ever interacted with ever. I feel sick and disoriented and all the best things a book can make you feel. Though that might also be because I'm hungry. Heheh. Just a little joke related to the book for those of you in the know (it was completely unintentional I'm not that unfunny. ...Well.). Everything hurts and I will be thinking of this book forever. Genuinely crazy read I'm going to throw something. So good.