I write and stuff

 Welcome to yet another year of my top albums of the year! Looking back, this year was a solid year for music, although I do admit I was disappointed by a couple of drops. I was also able to discover a lot of new artists this year however, and a majority of the albums on this list are from artists that I did not listen to before this year, which is always cool. Also, this list includes any longer form musical work, so it will include albums, EPs, and mixtapes. Before the list, here are some honorable mentions: Shelly 2 - Shelly The only reason why this isn't on the list is because this actually wasn't an album, it was just two songs. Fortunately, these two songs are absolute giga bangers and were two of my favorite songs released this year. Go listen now! Lotus - Little Simz / Balloonerism - Mac Miller These two albums occupy the same space in my mind. They are both albums by very acclaimed artists, that felt like they were some sort of emotional release that they felt compelle...

 Spoiler free short review: Trippy psychedelic and unfinished manga that has the semblance of a story, but seems more interested in showing you the trips and hallucinations of the main character. Also has surprisingly strong world building with the establishment of a pretty interesting dystopian sci-fi world (think Blade Runner), only filled with drug addicts. Worth a read if you want a trippy experience. Real Review: I've read a couple of Koike Keiichi's works recently. For the most part, they are these very trippy experiences that feel like nonsensical dreams without any set plot. The whole manga is supposed to feels like a psychedelic trip, and Koike Keiichi does a good job of adding to this feeling with creative paneling and some breathtaking art. There's rarely any dialogue in his works, but that plays to his strengths as the progression of each manga is led directly through the artwork and paneling. Ultra Heaven, although unfinished, may be Koike Keiichi's magnum ...

 A short story about two neighbors who form a romance together during COVID. Only one volume long, it's short, simple, and sweet. The male is awkward in a way that might be relatable to introverts, while the female lead is more extroverted and honestly pretty assertive. Very cute romance. I give a strong 8 to a light 9.

 If you read the synopsis of Break Blade, it will say that this story is about a couple of friends who all went to the the same military school. One of them is the Captain in the army of Athens, one of them is the King of Krishna, one of them is a a magicless farmer living in the countryside of Krishna, and one of them is the soon to be divorced queen of Krishna. But really, this is a mecha story is about a political conflict. There are four main countries in this continent, which are the Commonwealth of Athens, the Kingdoms of Krishna and Assam, and finally Orlando. Athens is the largest country here, and Krishna and Assam are both countries that once were part of Athens, but eventually broke off. The whole central conflict in the story starts because the King of Assam is assassinated, most likely due to influence from Athens. Due to this, a civil war soon starts in Assam, with one side being supported by Athens and the other side supported by Orlando. Athens eventually wins, but ...

 I read A Journal Of My Father recently on my plane ride to Seattle. It's really just about this guy who didnt like his father that much returning home after his funeral. The MC had a bit of a trouble childhood growing up. His father worked long hours as a barber, and then at some point his mom cheated on his father. However, the rest of the family kept that from him, so he thought that it was just his dads fault, and so he blamed his dad. When he became old enough, he moved out as soon as he could and didn't visit home much anymore. Before long, he became just like his father, working long hours while using work as an excuse to not go home. But throughout the funeral, he learns more about his fathers life and the sort of man he was. He eventually gets filled with this deep sadness and regret when he realizes he was wrong about his father and that he should've gone to visit his father more often. Reading this hit kind of of deep for me because on some level I feel similarly...

 I think I'm a sucker for these kind of slightly trashy manga stories. Oshi No Ko starts off extremely weird, with a doctor that's obssessed with an idol who dies and then is reincarnated as the idol's child, and then in comes a huge plot twist that leads to the story becoming about the mc and his twin sister trying to make it big in the entertainment industry in order to find revenge, and then eventually the story starts to go off the rails and while it is not a masterpiece, per say, I still thought that this was extremely entertaining. Sue me. I want to talk about the good first. I thought learning about how the entertainment industry works was pretty entertaining, and seeing how the author decided to concoct the plot, as well as seeing how each of the characters grew and interacted around each other was super interesting. I liked how the author would say when each arc began and ended, with the names of each arc in the chapter itself. I liked how the translators would put...