#year ender 2024

[lyricsolution-com]

From NTR Jr. In Devara: Part 1 To Prabhas In Kalki 2898 AD: Actors Who Shined Dual Roles In 2024 | People News

This year has been marked by unforgettable performances, with some of Indian cinema’s biggest stars taking on dual roles and delivering extraordinary portrayals. As 2024 comes to a close, here’s a look at the actors whose double roles stole the spotlight: NTR Jr. in Devara: Part 1 The “Man of Masses,” NTR Jr., delivered a commanding performance in Devara: Part 1 by portraying two compelling…

[surajworldnews]

10 Best Kannada movies of 2024 POLL: Bagheera, Bhairathi Ranagal, UI and more

2024 was truly the year of good cinema. It saw some of the best cinematic presentations from across the different language belts of the country. Speaking about the Kannada film industry, several movies achieved breakthroughs, leaving everyone spellbound. Well, the year started with two Republic Day releases clashing at the box office; Yuva Rajkumar’s Upadhyaksha and Diganth’s Bachelor Party. Both…

[genevawrenn]

PHIL MAY RETURN TO MCC?

[doomboy911]

Palette Picked

Prompt list

Creatunary 2024

Theme Fire Serpent Commentary Everyone meet Noodles, the world ender. This came out fantastic. I had a more complicated serpent I was using but the scales weren't coming together so I chose a different cutie.

[twatkcox]

[#2024]

As this year ends, another one comes. Anyway, here are some of the notable things in my life that happened in 2023:

TWATKcox’s tenth-anniversary post was supposed to be published before the end of January. In fact, I’ve been working on a timeline-like post of the blog’s history (including its Tumblr counterpart and its spin-offs, plus some of the notable events in my life) since October last year, but I was only halfway through this extensively lengthy post that I decided to hold off on it for now and work on a different post, which only features the blog’s history and my blogging activities throughout its decade-long run. The timeline-inspired post will have to wait until at least next year.

I created some new banners for all of my blogs. Yes, The Quirk Concept and Literary+Fanfiction will have their very own set of banners for the first time.

As I’m preparing to resume my weekend rituals once again, for the first time in almost three years, I decided to buy some new pairs of black slacks (my old ones no longer fit on me as I’ve gained some weight in the past three years), a pair of new canvas belts, a new black cap, and a pair of black walking shoes (which I bought at Decathlon). Later, I decided to buy a new watch (bought at Mr. DIY back in May) after the old one’s battery died.

The SIM card registration bill was signed into law since 4Q 2022. All subscribers must register their SIM cards until the end of April. I managed to register my Smart SIM last February, and my GOMO (Globe) SIM last March.

My Vivo Y53 from 2018 (my second smartphone) started having problems with its battery. I’ve noticed that while the device is connected to Wi-Fi, the battery drains rapidly, thus the need to have it repaired. Well, the phone’s battery finally gave up on me after five years of use, and the only way to power it is through plugging it to a charger. I decided to have it fixed, since I still loved that phone and I could probably use it as a secondary phone/music player (it didn’t last long, though, just for five months). Lately, I was planning on buying an entry-level smartphone, even though I still have a mid-range smartphone, the Motorola Moto G 5G Plus, which is my primary phone since last year.

In February, my first mall-hopping trip for this year (my second since the pandemic) took place in the North Avenue malls (SM City North EDSA, Trinoma, Vertis North), and I managed to buy some second-hand manga books during my trip. SM North EDSA’s The Block is undergoing a makeover, and the layout on the upper floors was changed. Also, I get to see the Unified Grand Central Station (it was actually called North Triangle Common Station) from the Sky Garden (still in SM City North EDSA).

I finally decided to create a GCash account, mainly to buy load for my GOMO SIM (there are no load options outside of the GOMO, GCash, and PayMaya apps), and eventually, as an e-wallet payment for online shopping apps. Within an hour, I managed to sign up and verify my account without any problems. I eventually applied for a GCash card later that year and got it after a few days, With the GCash card, I can withdraw my funds at any ATMs whenever needed. I haven’t tried using it for in-store purchases yet, but maybe one of these days.

I finally resumed writing stories by March, focusing on the upcoming Literary special that I’ve been working on since 2017. At the same time, I’m fully committed to writing a bunch of stories, poems, and fan fiction for the Lit+Fan blog that I created back in 2020.

I discovered another awesome coffee shop (Cafe Luca), in addition to the ones I discovered (and visited) since last year. They have some ice blend (frappuccino) and espresso, plus a variety of non-coffee drinks, food, and desserts. It was actually more of a restaurant than a cafe, with a refreshing ambience and a wide, breezy alfresco area surrounded by plants and a few trees.

In May, I bought a new bag, a cross-body/sling bag that is a little smaller than the previous one (the old bag strap’s dog hook snapped and I initially wanted to have the it fixed). Although all of my things somehow fit inside the bag, it feels incredibly crowded inside. I later bought another bag, a larger one, online.

I decided to get a new pair of glasses from Owndays, as my old pair is starting to strain my eyes. I’m having a hard time seeing things with that old pair, which I’ve been wearing for nearly fifteen years. Can you believe that? Well, that should improve my extremely poor eyesight without the need to leaning my way through the computer screen or squinting my eyes to see everything clearly, but once I take it off, my vision is getting a lot more more blurry than ever, like there’s a thin layer of smoke even though there isn’t. Luckily, my (blurry) vision retuned to normal after a few months.

For the first time since the pandemic, the Pinoy Otaku Festival is making a comeback, via POF 2023: Shizen. The event’s theme is about environmental awareness. It is actually part of the Four Weekend Plan, but I wasn’t able to announce the concept until the event ended. Well, that was fun, though I kind of wished Pixel Hero was at the event too.

I bought a new wired selfie stick (I tend to call it a monopod for some reason) at a Mi pop-up store (Fairview Terraces), replacing the one I bought from Bavin five years ago due to the frayed (but still useable) cable. Regarding the latter, I still managed to use it during POF 2023: Shizen, mainly for selfies with cosplayers.

Speaking of the Four Weekend Plan, I somehow managed to begin this year’s T4WP with a visit to Drip’n Cafe and end it with a mall-hopping trip to Manila (including stopovers in Valenzuela and Caloocan). And then I decided to add a fifth weekend, which is all about reviving my interest to write stories once again, for the first time since the pandemic started.

Twitter (now called X) is starting to get worse. The automatic post sharing from WordPress and Tumblr to that problematic social media platform no longer works. As a result, I’m forced to manually post links to my recent blog posts to my Twitter account, making sure that I replicate the ones posted on the Facebook page.

In May, I decided to write some new stories to be included in the upcoming literary special, as I’m not impressed with how some of the finished ones turned out to be (the plot in these finished works are incredibly messy and awful, not to mention cringey in general). In addition, I’m planning to combine two of the stories into a lengthy one. Of course, a couple of the finished ones will be retained, but these will be subject to minor revisions and possible additions.

The first post in the TWATKcox@10 series (a series of posts celebrating TWATKcox’s 10th anniversary in cyberspace) was published. At the same time, I also started replacing the banners in all of the posts (the ones that have them, of course) which took me a few months to accomplish. I’m also doing the same for its Tumblr counterpart.

On first week of June, I decided to download the Lazada app in hopes of searching (and buying) some of the stuff that I couldn’t find in physical stores. At this point, I’m increasingly frustrated trying to buy certain stuff, as some stores only carry the same, boring stuff. Heck, I could even buy almost everything on the app. Speaking of which, I bought three anime shirts, two new phone cases (for my two smartphones), and two long fingerless gloves (in black and gray), spending more than a thousand pesos on these items within a week. And while I’m there, I also download the Shopee app as well, where I bought three pins from Pixel Hero, as well as a cotton kimono-styled jacket.

On the first week of July, I joined Threads, a potential alternative/replacement to Twitter, two days after it was launched. At the same time, I’m planning to delete my Mastodon account since I never used it much (well, I’m still deciding on it). Regarding my Twitter accounts, I’m keeping them up and running for the time being.

For the first time, in September, I managed to attend two events in a single day. Yup, the Manila International Book Fair 2023 and the Best Of Anime 2023: The Reunion were held at the same venue, SMX Convention Center Manila. The Best Of Anime event was the second otaku/anime event I’ve attended after POF 2023: Shizen.

I celebrated my birthday with just a simple feast (and two cakes). Nothing special, really, though I decided to spend the following weekend at a cafe in Lagro as a special birthday treat to myself.

I get to attend the Ozine Fest Halloween Special (the third otaku event I attended for this year) at the Fairview Terraces. I bought some nice souvenirs, including a small Pochita plushie and a book by AJ Bacar (Sskait). I decided to skip the second day of the event for some reason, though I sort of kick myself for not going.

I’ve been looking to update my wardrobe since 2019, but I only started buying black anime shirts (mostly online), plus a black twill over shirt, a couple of button shirts, and a jogger pants (all from Uniqlo), black linen shirt (from H&M), a Kimono jacket that I bought (from Shopee), and some plain black and maroon shirts (online). Plus some pairs of red, dark red, and black socks (also from Uniqlo).

Our accounting office had a Christmas party at Music 21 Plaza in Timog Avenue (Quezon City). I managed to enjoy the event but I didn’t feel like singing at all.

We only had a simple feast on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. After all, at least in our family, there’s no point in cooking a lot of food when there’s only the four of us, and not all of us are heavy eaters.

Anyway, I was hoping for things to go back to normal, and we’re already heading to that. But I can’t really expect things to happen the way I want. But before I lose hope, there are some things and events worth looking forward to:

Chinese New Year 2024 (a mall-hopping trip in Ayala Center or Rockwell/Circuit Makati with a stopover in Binondo, Manila)

TWATKcox’s 11th Anniversary Post

Pinoy Otaku Festival 2024: YUME (Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall)

TWATKcox Literary Post Special (tentative)

#TheFourWeekendPlan Y3 (coinciding with POF 2024: YUME)

10000+ Word Autobiography (tentative)

Manila International Book Fair 2024

An All-Black Birthday Celebration

My First Novel (I’m currently juggling between several drafts at the moment)

Several mall-hopping trips and visiting new (and renovated) malls (including Mitsukoshi BGC, Gateway Mall 2, GH/Greenhills Mall, and the newly-renovated SM Sta. Mesa)

And my plans for 2024?

Buy a new phone, preferably with the same specs as the Motorola Moto G 5G Plus. I’m aiming at Xiaomi or Honor, probably Samsung (or maybe other brands). I’m also considering buying a tablet, if I can find one that has better specs and/or of great value.

I’m definitely going to work on my very first novel. So far, I’m progressing a little, but hey, a progress is still a progress.

I’ll definitely need to reorganize a lot of stuff in my room, as well as the files on my PC. Might probably prepare for a possible storage upgrade (a large capacity hard drive, maybe) since I’ve downloaded tons and tons of stuff since the pandemic, not to mention that the hard drive’s three years old already.

Updating the banners on some of the posts, as well as the ones on the Tumblr site.

I’ll probably need to buy some drawers. Or some shelves.

Read a lot of books, especially manga and light novels.

Create an artwork. The canvases I bought since 2020 are still blank and could probably use some creative scribbles and drawings... or whatever.

I might need to readjust my body clock, as I tend to fall asleep at times (mostly after dinner). Probably the combined effects of disturbed circadian rhythm and sleep deprivation in the recent years.

Maybe I should try to be kinder to myself, since I tend to say and write a bunch of negative stuff (mostly about myself) nowadays. I need to keep my sanity intact, for the sake of my own happiness.

xxxxxxxxxx

2023 wasn’t really that kind to me, at least for the most part. But for some reason there are some good things to be thankful for. Well, despite the good things that happened, I still considered 2023 as the cursed year, ever.

Yup, another year has passed. And another year comes. It’s a never-ending cycle, don’t you agree? But I hope that this year will be a lot better than the previous one.

[ridox]

Nobody ask a LADS player what happened on December 31st, 2024 because it’s either the best day of their life or the absolute worst year ender they’ve ever suffered through

[tundraechos]

[Image Description: Art showing select things added to Minecraft each year from 2009 to 2024. Above all the art is the text "Minecraft 15th Anniversary" in the style of the official update titles. The years are as follows: 2009: Diamonds, Steve, creepers, oak trees, and grass blocks. 2010: Crafting tables, redstone dust, redstone torches, fishing, Nether portals, and jack-o'-lanterns. 2011: Birch and spruce trees, wolves, beds, endermen, enchanting tables, and villagers. 2012: Cats, jungle trees, cocoa beans, iron golems, ender chests, emeralds, and beacons. 2013: Hoppers, horses, name tags, dark oak and acacia trees, alliums, poppies, sunflowers. 2014: Rabbits, banners, Alex, guardians, and armor stands. 2015 is just text that says "(No significant updates were released this year)". 2016: Elytra, shields, polar bears, llamas, shulker boxes. 2017: Glazed terracotta, recipe book, different colored beds, parrots, and concrete. 2018: Phantoms, tridents, turtle eggs, turtles, coral, and fish mobs. 2019: Foxes, sweet berries, new cat variants, lanterns, pillagers, crossbows, and bees. 2020: Respawn anchors, piglins, crimson and warped fungus, netherite, and lodestones. 2021: Copper, deepslate, moss, axolotls, glow squid, amethyst, and goats. 2022: Wardens, echo shards, goat horns, frogs, allays, and mangrove trees. 2023: Cherry trees, new default player skins, decorated pots, armor trims, sniffers, torchflowers, and pitcher plants. 2024: Armadillos, New wolf variants, wolf armor, maces, wind charges, breezes, and crafters. End Image Description.]

This is a spiritual successor to my 10th anniversary art, which I have always been very proud of. It's amazing to see how far we've come!

[elephantlovemedleys]

time for my year ender post, which is also a sole dedication to many of you here.

this 2024 was one of the wildest, and most life changing years i've had in my life; in numerous aspects when it came to my career and my academics, and all the things i was going mad about on this page, those of you who are sole witnesses to them all definitely know what i'm talking about. the thing is, a ton of you were a big part of it too, and it doesn't really matter how and what certain thing made us closer than ever, you were still such an essence of the whole rollercoaster of high rides and tidal waves that i've gone through this entire year whether we were having discussions about tudor history and other things related to it, my endless moulin rouge blabbery, music and memes or books being read at the moment, heck even if we've only had a conversation in passing at one point!

with that being said, very special shoutouts to: @malkaleh @jamesfrain @satinechristian @presidentmckinley @loycspotting @gingerpeachtea @andiatas @cromwelll @splashesdarling @thief-and-dragonfly @theladyelizabeth @meerawrites @gingerpeachtea @heatherfield @nessa007 @enyoalkis @gablehood @the-sparkling-diamond-satine @habibialkaysani @greenfinchwriter @propalahramota @leonisandmurex @isabelleneville @thistle-and-thorn @katharinepar @lourainwoods-in-the-woods @sotwk

to my some of my fav resource blogs and the great content it always puts out, alongside those that always showed love to my edits:

@perioddramasource @onlyperioddramas @tudorerasource @dailyflicks @adaptationsdaily @regencysource @borgialucrezia

may the following year be kinder and even more lively for each and everyone of you, i also hope i get to know more of you as well and keep the friendships i've made going, sending so much love! 💗

[satoshi-mochida]

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights sequel ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist announced for Switch

From Gematsu

Publisher Binary Haze Interactive and developers Live Wire and Adglobe have announced ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights sequel ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist for Switch. It will launch in 2024. It will support English, Japanese French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean language options.

“We teased a sequel to ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights nearly two years ago, and we have received countless requests from our online community for a second adventure,” said Binary Haze Interactive CEO Hiroyuki Kobayashi in a press release. “It is an honor and a pleasure to announce our next title with the help of Nintendo during such a prestigious event. We have much much to share in the very near future, stay tuned!”

Here is an overview of the game, via Binary Haze Interactive:

Decades after the Rain of Death, a new journey begins in the Land of Fumes, where mystical powers lie beneath the earth. The kingdom’s desire for conquest led to the creation of the Homunculi, machine-like artificial life forms prepared to execute the king’s will. A recent resource-harvesting mission gone awry caused toxic vapors to emerge from underground, driving both man and machine to feral madness. As the Homonculi devolve into dangerous creatures, guide Lilac—an “Attuner” with the power to purify those infected by the fumes—on a quest to save the kingdom. With the help of friendly machines and spirits who fight in Lilac’s stead, fend off mechanized legions of lunging carcasses, cannonball-firing corpses and chainsaw-wielding goblins terrorizing the land. Turn foes into friends by exorcizing corruption from enemy bosses. Wield their powers to add 30 different abilities to Lilac‘s combat repertoire in an enhanced battle system where she can equip up to four special abilities at once. Improve Lilac’s odds of surviving this hunt for lost memories by leveling up attack strength, HP, and armor. Explore the depths, heights and far corners of the kingdom for lore-filled relics. Collect and trade gold for upgraded items at the Blacksmith’s storefront. Combine story fragments from the kingdom’s fleeing inhabitants with Lilac’s forgotten memories. Seek the truth in an atmospheric hand-drawn setting set to the soothing serenades of returning musical group Mili (Ghost in the Shell, Goblin Slayer) with a brand new original soundtrack available for purchase at launch.

More information will be announced on February 26 at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET via the game’s official website.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

Japanese

[ipsl0re]

2024 in 52 games

I maintain a list of every game I complete- get to the point where I see the end credits roll.

Partway through this year, I realised I’d surpassed my previous record for how many i can complete in one year (26), and decided, with the uncomfortable amounts of time I’ve had to fill this year, to go for an all-time max. That number reached 40 near the end of November, and a subsequent sprint brought me here: to a game a week, 52 completed.

Here’s the list, and below that, my top ten.

Bold- I recommend it.

Italics- I enjoyed it.

(honourable mention to all games in italics that didn’t make the list. It was close!)

Monster Roadtrip

Book Of Hours

Misericorde: Volume 1

Settlemoon

Cult of the Lamb

Fight Knight

Cureocity

Venba

Roboquest

Buckshot Roulette

Slay the Princess

Akin

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Minami Lane

Bad End Theatre

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Sheepy: A Short Adventure

Portal

Essays on Empathy

Kinitopet

Spiritfarer

Cobalt Core

In Stars And Time

Dicey Dungeons

Sifu

Pepper grinder

Mediterranea Inferno

Ender Lilies: quietus of the knights

Cassette Beasts

Borderlands: The Pre-sequel

Live A Live

Bloodless

Clickolding

Sunshine Heavy Industries

Artic Eggs

Bad North

Horizon Chase 2

I Am Your Beast

Midnight Ramen

Lookouts

Project Wingman

A Year Of Springs

Gravity Circuit

Disco Elysium

Gris

Children of the Sun

Awaria

Neo: The World Ends With You

Resonance of the Ocean

Ib

Serre

Detective Beebo: Night at the Mansion

Top 10:

These are not ranked- though I do have a favourite, as you’ll see.

1. Book of Hours

Only finally finished it at the start of the year after playing for four months- it can’t be accused of lacking in content! Hush House is vast and full of fascinating mysteries, both physical and historical. (It’s also very Cornish, which is fun.)

The gameplay cycle of reading, learning, classifying, and using the knowledge to read ever more complex tomes really immerses you into the life of an occult librarian. Once you’ve heard the secret histories: “well, there just doesn’t seem to be anything else worth hearing.”

2. Bloodless

There is little here that wasn’t meticulously designed. Genius combat that always keeps you on the back foot and insanely good art direction that works in tandem with the hyper-defensive combat to help tell a great story on the dynamics of violence. That makes it sound very grim and serious- and I can’t pretend that it’s not when it needs to be- but Tomoe is one of my favourite characters, the warrior idols plentiful side content, and the geography of Bakugawa just a delight to explore. There is so much here to love and it breaks my heart that so few people have played this.

Please give it a look.

3. Fight Knight

I didn’t think a game like this would be made- technologically (a 3D game in gamemaker? Are they mad?) or from a design perspective. It’s a collection of old school Zelda style puzzle dungeons, with grid based movement, a save system about pushing your luck, and combat that puts you into some kind of corridor fighting game? Also you punch people to talk. And… to do everything else, too.

Despite, or perhaps in some places because of all that, I’d also consider it the most epic game I played this year, with some really touching writing. Huh.

You won’t find anything else like it. On that note…

4. Artic Eggs

I thought a game like this would exist even less- a… Post? Pre? Apocalyptic setting where you fry eggs and all sorts of other things, for all sorts of people. And a dolphin. But I can’t say I’ve stopped thinking about it since frying my first egg: I mean, could you fry an egg on mount Everest?

5. Misericorde: volume 1

A visual novel, in monochrome, without a single decision, isn’t a great sales pitch. But when it’s a 10-hour tour de force of characterisation in a murder mystery set in a medieval yorkshire abbey- and with such stunning monochrome art & 104 tracks of incredible trip-hop… well, there are few games I can recommend more heartily.

6. Disco Elysium

Look, this game will (and has already begun to) shape the entire art of games. And for good reason! The twenty-seven voices in a certain double-yefreitor’s head (if i’m counting the ancient reptilian, limbic, and necktie right) have such incredible interplay, and would make interacting with the dullest characters and situations engaging. Not that such a crutch is ever used- every storyline and three-dimensional character involved in it is often painfully human.

Few games will get you thinking about so much in its world and ours.

Also, heads up: don’t pay for the game. The actual devs don’t get a penny from the sales any more.

7. Live A Live

If Disco Elysium is what happens when RPGs are focused into telling a very specific kind of story, Live A Live is what happens when one RPG somehow manages to tell multiple totally different ones. Every story brings something new, (except prehistory. Prehistory contributes nothing.) and by spreading its efforts across all these different narrative and gameplay conventions, Live A Live stands out as almost ten times the game of many of its contemporaries.

8. Ib

Ib doesn’t alternate between being cute and being a horror game. Somehow, it pulls off both at the same time. I don’t know how but I do know it makes for a very effective experience. Ib, Garry, and Mary have such wonderful interplay, and as you explore the galleries, solve the puzzles, and lay eyes upon the sheer variety of Guertena’s works, they all bring a lot of character that helps ground the frights and bring the humanity to the quiet moments.

I’ve already got four of the endings in this game, and no doubt i’ll be going back for the rest.

9. Slay the Princess

On the subject of many endings and paths (in the woods, at the end of that path…), a game that takes that to the extreme: in the form of another horror game, with just as much heart. With intricately branching paths, there’s so much to see and hear (Nichole Goodnight is stellar with everything from angry beasts to ascendant gods, and Jon Sims, well, he needs no introduction). It’s beautiful, it’s horrifying, it’s probably made me laugh the hardest of any game this year. It is a love story.

10. Detective Beebo: Night at the Mansion.

If you play anything from this year, let it be this. The best time loop game this year- and that’s even when stacked against Cobalt Core and fellow love story Slay The Princess. Private detective Oliver Beebo is a delight to see in action, whether he’s solving puzzles, reliving traumas, or being flirted with by a hot guy. It twists the established conventions of everything it touches in ways that are touching and new- a relationship that can be seen as five or as one, brief horror used to carefully set stakes, foreshadowing aplenty merged with a unique take on player and character knowledge, and utterly incredible characters that are allowed to unfold with unparalleled care- some more than once each!

Maybe it’s recency bias making me go this far- but gods, this is a high note to end the year on.

Try it! Give it one more chance.

[lyricsolution-com]

From Monalisa To Sreejita De, TV's Most Unforgettable Antagonists In 2024 | People News

2024 brought some of the most unforgettable antagonists to the small screen, with villains who captivated audiences with their intensity, charm, and layered performances. These characters defined drama and became central to their respective shows’ success. Monalisa as Mohini in Shamshaan Champa (Shemaroo Umang): Monalisa captivated audiences in 2024 with her powerful portrayal of Mohini, a…

[surajworldnews]

Year Ender 2024: Top 5 Mollywood actors based on gross worldwide collections; Fahadh Faasil tops by a RECORD margin

2024 is about to end. Pinkvilla is presenting top 5 Mollywood actors who performed well this year. We have curated a list of talented Malayalam artists based on their worldwide gross collections at the box office. Let’s analyze their box office performance covering the entire year.  Fahadh Faasil, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Other Top Mollywood Actors Of 2024 FAHADH FAASIL Mollywood stalwart…

[floatingcatacombs]

Trying to Talk About Touhou Two

12 Days of Aniblogging 2024, Day 10

Hot off the heels of my touhoublogging last year, I continued playing through the games, and am proud to say that I now have a one-credit clear on every Touhou game from 6 to 19! It’s been a hell of a journey, and I’m legitimately proud of myself for rising up to the challenge, taking my own advice from last year whenever I could to great effect. Today’s post is mostly going to be about various official Touhou manga, but I might as well wrap up the game discussion from last year first.

My favorite games of the pack ended up being Subterranean Animism (11), Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom (15), and Double Dealing Character (14). While I praised the hell out of Subterranean Animism last year, the other two might surprise you! I’ve totally flipped on LoLK since last year – it’s a rough game if played traditionally, because it’s really meant to be played on the new checkpointing mode. The checkpointing system unique to Touhou 15 also leads to the spell cards in having a fundamentally different design than the rest of the series – attacks are actively designed to trip you up, like they’re puzzles to be solved more than anything. There’s a lot of micrododging and fast maneuvering required, but most of the patterns are fairly deterministic, so experimentation is strongly encouraged. It leads to a frustrating first playthrough but an incredible sense of satisfaction with every small bit of ground gained, and the ability to save and quit and return later helps sell the feeling of going on a long journey that the game’s plot is conveying. The music is amazing and I love you Junko. Meanwhile, Double Dealing Character ended up being a sleeper hit for me! It’s got a chaotic and lighthearted story where you beat up a bunch of monstergirls before proceeding to explore an upside-down castle, which means that it’s legally a Castlevania game. There’s a real sense of constant forward momentum here, with the expanded point of collection system encouraging frantic risk-taking with very high potential rewards on the other side. It’s straightforward, simple fun, and Seija’s whole deal is great, so I'm glad that she got her own spinoff. The soundfont for Touhou 14 and 15 really feels special…. I love you Retrologue Crystal Lake and Retrologue Pristine Chime for being part of ZUN’s toolkit during this time.

Of course, there are some more flawed games, too. One of the reasons that Touhou 14 feels like such a breath of fresh air is that 13 is just plain sleepy. Ten Desires offers very few resources to the player, meaning that dying once early on can be a run-ender. There aren’t really any systems you can engage with to gain extra bombs or lives beyond a passive accumulation of fragments over time, making the whole thing a slow and unexciting affair. Miko’s fight is at least brilliant. Touhou 16, Hidden Star in Four Seasons, sought to provide a very “traditional” experience for those turned off by LoLK’s radical one-time changes. Unfortunately, this leaves it a bit uninteresting and aesthetically bland, though I get that it’s important to the lore. Finally, Touhou 18, Unconnected Marketeers, is ZUN’s first swing at metaprogression mechanics, and suffers a lot for it. It’s very difficult to gain power in this game, which means that dying just once is ruinous, especially since it's a very hard game to begin with. You really have to cheese this one, which means that I kept going for the same ability cards again and again once I found out what worked. I managed to beat it with liberal use of the “your power cannot fall below 3” card, so thanks Mamizou. Unconnected Marketeers does at least have a spinoff called 100th Black Market which I found to be great. People tend to like one or the other, but not both, because the metaprogression systems play out very differently even if they share ability cards.

So, what are my Optimal Touhou Design takeaways from all of this? You want an extra lives system which rewards you the more you engage with it, while also allowing for small mistakes here and there. Games with a higher ceiling of earnable lives feel a lot better than the alternative, while being stingy with bombs is a valid decision and makes those games feel like an extra challenge to rise up to. I’ll learn to love the new characters no matter what if the game is fun enough, but the music and atmosphere are important to get right. And lastly, continued experimentation is decidedly worth it.

Having familiarized myself with all of the modern Touhou characters, I could finally read all the manga! I tried a few times in the past, when the only games I’d really played were 6 and 10, but I felt intimidated by an endless onslaught of characters I didn’t know and was expected to at least be somewhat familiar with. While I’m sure some wiki-diving would have cleared that up, playing through all of the games felt like it would be the more fun approach, and it paid off. Without further ado… some Touhou manga I read this year!

Wild and Horned Hermit

First things first, the artistic evolution here is quite impressive. The manga goes from dinky little sketches in the early chapters to a fully developed and soothing style. Wild and Horned Hermit was being published for ten years! That's a long run for any manga, but here it means that it spanned from Touhou 12 to Touhou 17, which was an incredibly pivotal time for the project that introduced some of my favorite characters. As far as broader arcs go, we move from the religious wars into the sage conflicts, but these generally aren't the main focus of the manga. Instead, Wild and Horned Hermit is about the minor antics and everyday lives of all the humans and youkai you’ve hopefully come to know and love. This is the slice of life-inflected version of Gensokyo that’s plenty implied in the games, but that you can’t ever actually experience there because you’re too busy shooting danmaku at every fairy and youkai in sight. The Incidents of each main game happen off-screen, which seems to be a constant with ZUN-written manga. Instead, we’re dealing with the setup and aftermath of larger events, and the girls from the new games will usually get be introduced with a few focus chapters, which is nice. Kasen is a fairly straightforward POV character, even if she’s got plenty of mysterious connections, helping her bridge the gap between the humans and some of the more out-there youkai. But ultimately, the manga’s goal is to follow Reimu and Marisa as they go about their lives, and it’s a joy to witness.

Forbidden Scrollery

I know this manga has its fans (it’s also the only one to be officially published in English), but it didn’t leave nearly as much of an impression on me as Wild and Horned Hermit. They actually ran concurrently for a while! Our insert character this time is a librarian in the human village, so the stories lean towards rumors and legends, though there’s plenty of other youkai schemes afoot as there always are. It’s funny to see which youkai keep showing up in these largely human-centric stories, and it makes sense that it’s Aya and Mamizou, both of whom really like blending in with humans and causing mischief. As far as I can tell, this is the manga that introduced Aya’s plucky newsboy outfit, so I can’t be too hard on it.

you are perfect

The Fairy Bullshit

Makoto Hirasaka has illustrated three separate comedy manga series about the misadventures of the shitty little fairies that live in a tree by Reimu’s shrine. He also did the all the portraits for the spinoff game Fairy Wars! These are breezy, inessential reads, but the artwork really is special. It is canon to me that all of the fairies look this stumpy, and maybe also Marisa.

Marisa exists in the superposition of being both 5'1" and 6'1"

Lotus Eaters

This may well be the definitive Touhou manga. While Wild and Horned Hermit has the privilege of getting to introduce a lot of important characters and lore details as they emerge, Lotus Eaters demands more of a setting understanding up front. But if you’ve got that, it’s like seeing old friends. This is what Touhou has ultimately become to me and so many other people – a framework for these beloved characters to hang out, occasionally get up to some antics, and otherwise take things easy. Every mini-incident in this manga begins and gets wrapped up in two long chapters, which provides a nice narrative rhythm that still manages to feel fairly organic. The new character, Miyoi, is far less of a presence than Keisen was – this is The Reimu Show, and maybe sometimes The Mamizou Show. And isn’t that why we’re here at the end of the day? To check in on the friends and inhabitants of the Hakurei Shrine, especially the times when they're not resolving major incidents. And in that regard, it’s decadent. True to the narrative framing of a supernatural bar, this is Touhou Cheers. Characters are constantly drinking together and running festivals and having a grand old time, and I love it. The manga really does feel true to its name. Coming from Forbidden Scrollery and Hornet Hermit, the artstyle here took a few chapters to get used to, but now I truly adore it. It’s like everyone’s hair has been ruffled just a bit.

There are a few stray series that I didn’t get to, and obviously an endless amount of doujin to chip away at, but I’ve really enjoyed my time in the world of Touhou manga. All of these would probably be uninteresting as standalone works, but as corollaries to the games and the broader Touhou world, they’re fantastic. The games and the print works really round each other out – characters don’t get many lines in the games, and the world of Gensokyo is only broadly sketched out. The manga helps fill in these spaces, making them feel more real and lived-in, while also periodically canonizing popular fan characterizations and extrapolations.

Maybe next year I’ll become a Hifuuhead, but seeing as I’ve already read its greatest cultural export (Otherside Picnic), it doesn’t feel quite as urgent. Adieu.

[scribe-of-maat]

Ranking DC Pride 2024

8. Phantom Rodeo (Jules Jourdain/Circuit Breaker, Jay Garrick/The Flash)

Dead last because 1 - it's not self-contained. 2 - it has nothing to do with anything Pride related and 3 - it's the return of the complete rando from last time. At least before the incredibly cool couple of Jess/Flash and Andy/Aquawoman featured heavily but no, because of detractor 1 Jay is here instead. Personally, I don't care about Circuit Breaker and I really hope someone else gets their spot next year.

7. "Hello, Spaceboy" (Starman/Mikaal, Komak)

If I knew who either of these characters were, this would probably be a lot higher. But the competition this year is steep so at 8 they go. Komak and the blue-purple warp zone 80s color pallet is REALLY slick. I thought I was familiar-ish with Starman but clearly there are multiple people running around with that name who have nothing to do with the JSA.

6. "Lessons in Astral Projection" (Nia Nal/Dreamer)

I stopped watching the CW shows that weren't about Black Lightning or Batwoman a looong time before Dreamer was intro'd (or after? I know I wasn't watching Flash way before she came along) but I knew of her and thought her powers and connection to the Legion of Superheroes was cool. I didn't like that there was no confrontation with Maeve in the story but it definitely would have gotten in the way of the feel-good affirmation vibe of the story.

5. Spaces

I'm 99% sure I've seen mention of Phil Jimenez across various DC fan spaces, so the only surprises here were that he was LGBT and that they were bringing back the real-person issue-ender like they did Mr. Conroy. It was nice seeing his journey, and it being so well-told is a real plus. No superheroes anywhere in sight though, save Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman.

4. Marasmius (Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy, Janet-from-HR)

Now THIS one was a ride. The opening left me a little rudderless and I'm not the biggest Harlivy fan so I thought I wasn't gonna get much out of this but if there's one thing I can believe, it's that if we had interplanetary travel the 'phobes would preach their nonsense across the galaxy. Ivy being an anti-villain is used to great effect here. No hand-wringing about morals, no reasoning with hate. Just do unto others as they would do unto. VERY cathartic.

3. Bros Down In A-Town (Jon Kent/Superman, Jay Nakamura, Ray Terrill/The Ray, Miguel Barragan/Bunker)

This one 3rd because I relate heavy to feeling weird about being openly LGBT out and about in public. I thought it was a surprising feeling that doesn't get touched on a whole lot because people generally don't like to see that type of real queer struggle being depicted in media that's supposed to be heavy on escapism. This artstyle though. I follow the artist on twitter because it fascinates me how one person's character can bleed through so transparently in the way they draw.

2. The Rivers and the Lakes that You're Used To (Jackson Hyde/Aquaman, Ha'Wea, Orion)

My bias for Jackson Hyde is showing but this story was also incredibly cool on its own merits. Orion being stone-facedly het for half of it was a choice but my boys showed up and officially got together - which I was surprised to learn hadn't happened long before now - so of course it shot up further in the rankings than it otherwise may have. Him saying he feels like himself when he's around his boyfriend is just *chef's kiss*.

1, Steeling Time (Natasha Irons/Steel, Traci Thirteen/Traci 13, John Constantine, Xanthe Zhou)

Natasha and Traci's appearances were the only things about this I got spoiled on, but after reading this they've instantly shot up to join Jackson and Ha'Wea in my pantheon on ships. I do like how it showed the steps to reconciliation and they were both still clearly open to the idea of rekindling things eventually. But this artstyle makes me want to see a webtoon of these two YESTERDAY.

[project-sekai-facts]

Do the sekai albuns line up with the arc enders? I.e. do the songs covered get released before them? or is it every anni?

the first sekai albums were announced around the 1st anniversary (it might've been the month after) and released in early 2022, the second albums were announced at 3rd anni and released in early 2024. it doesn't correlate to anything story related they just need 12 new(ish) songs to fill the album. unless you are wxs 1st album which had to put TBA on the tracklist preview because clpl was so slow at giving them covers in year 1. anyway so far this has worked itself into a pattern of every 2 years.

[uovoc]

2024 media consumption

God tier

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio - Lauren's attic creates an infinite supply of husbands. Deceptively simple exploration of commitment, indecision, and becoming whatever you choose.

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (reread)

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (reread)

《仙王的日常生活》 (Daily Life of the Immortal King) - donghua, seasons 1-4. The most powerful cultivator in the universe just wants to get through high school as an ordinary teenager. An objectively average show. Yet its solid humor and heart of gold compelled me.

Season 5 of Scissor Seven (刺客伍六七), plus rewatch of seasons 1-4.

Welcome to Hell & Welcome to Hell 2 - indie shorts. Sock's first assignment as a new demon is to convince the world's most apathetic teenager to kill himself. Except that Sock is, like, really bad at his job. Cannot vouch for general crowd appeal but performs superbly as blorbo delivery vehicle.

Just ok

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

《我开动物园的那些年》 (Those Years I Opened a Zoo) - donghua, season 1

《长安三万里》 (30,000 Miles From Chang'an) - donghua

《小绿和小蓝》 (Beryl and Sapphire) - donghua. Fave: robo-Beryl arc.

Go For It, Nakamura! by Syundei - manga

Percy Jackson and the Olympians miniseries

Natsume's Book of Friends light novel

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

The 2022 xxxHolic movie

Boy by Blake Nelson

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson

Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time by Gabriela Epstein - comic

Hazbin Hotel - 2024 cartoon

They Came From Below by Blake Nelson (reread)

Girl by Blake Nelson

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

《汉化日记》 (God Troubles Me) - donghua, season 4

Danny Phantom - cartoon (rewatch)

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card (reread) - at first I was disappointed because it wasn't Ender's Game and it wasn't Speaker for the Dead. But I gradually came to enjoy dumb teenage Ender with post-saving-the-world depression.

Ah! My Goddess by Fujishima Kosuke - manga (reread)

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card

2023 Gobelins senior thesis films. Fave: Childeric: Les Nerfs de la Guerre

Mon Ami Robot - movie

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss (reread)

《深海》 (Deep Sea) - donghua movie

Invisible Planets tr. Ken Liu (anthology)

《大护法》(Dahufa, also called The Guardian) - donghua movie

《大雨》 (The Storm) - donghua movie

The MDZS audiodrama

The Boy and the Heron - movie

Disliked and DNF

《嗜谎之神》 (God of Deception) - donghua

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (reread)

Barbie - 2023 movie

Rosewater by Tade Thompson

My Name is Mina by David Almond

Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

Dungeon Meshi by Ryoko Kui - manga

Phoebe Will Destroy You by Blake Nelson

《大理寺日志：少卿游》 - White Cat Legend cdrama

Scavengers Reign - cartoon

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris

Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (reread)

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Assorted nonfiction

Weird by Olga Khazan

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Conflict is not Abuse by Sarah Schulman - DNF.

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

Feeling Good Together by David Burns

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson

Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances and Joseph Gies (reread). European and Asian medieval technologies and the social context driving their development. Good stuff on textile production.

Counselling Children, Adults, and Families: A Strengths-Based Approach by John Sharry. Therapy textbook: It's free therapy.

The New Structural Social Work by Bob Mullaly. DNF.

The Cloud Collector's Handbook by Gavin Pretor-Pinney