Monthly HapPENings: May

It's already time to do another one of these? Dang, it feels like I just wrote one. (I also realized that I never wrote one for February . . . whoops.)

Life stuff, life stuff . . . what kind of interesting stuff happened in my life this last month? Well, we celebrated Mother's Day, so I suppose that's something. On one Saturday, my sisters and I went out to the nearby city for lunch at a very delicious burger place. Since restaurants were take-out only at the time, we found a school park in a very quaint and quiet neighborhood to have a picnic. Then we did some shopping--I picked up a mini sketchbook, some drawing pens, and a few books. We concluded our day out with some milkshakes and a walk in the park. Made for a pretty great day.

I also mentioned last month that I'd had a job interview. Well, I ended up landing the job and started it a couple of weeks ago! I now do copyrighting for work, and that's been great so far. I work with some wonderful people (including my oldest sister), and I am enjoying it a lot so far. Still adjusting to a job where I sit all day, as well as finding my rhythm in the work flow, but that'll come with time. I'm just very thankful that I got a better job where I can use my skills and abilities more. It was definitely a Godsend.

Bookish HapPENings

Well, uh . . . guess I psyched myself up last month for nothing. I have started another book, at least. That's something, right? Maybe?

HapPENings on the Screen

I have now finished watching EXO's Ladder. Very different from anything I've really seen, but super entertaining with a lot of funny moments. I know I mentioned this a while back, but watching EXO interact with one another is a lot like watching a group of close-knit brothers. They may tease and poke and prod each other, but you definitely know that they love each other a lot. And though I saw for the better chunk of a year, it still felt a little sad to wrap things up. Gonna have to see it again several years down the road!

I finally got around to watching Psycho-Pass: The Movie, and it was very interesting! The plot and its themes were super intriguing, as always, and seemed to fit current world situations in some aspects as well--something that Psycho-Pass has done time and time again as I've been going through it. (I did find a little amusing how a certain voice actor showed up, and I was like, "Oh, he's played villains in both Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia. I wonder if he's going to turn out to be bad in here?" My guess ended up being correct.) Now I have to see if there's someplace where I can watch the other three (shorter) movies, as well as S3.

So! Jujutsu Kaisen! I was very eager to start this show, because the trailer looked epic and because Preston and I were going to watch it for the first time together. That's something we've never done before--normally one of us is showing the other an anime they haven't seen yet. I've seen only a few episodes of this one so far, but MAN. Is it ever good! If it keeps going the way it is, I would not be surprised in the slightest if it ends up being one of my top favorite anime. It's just so fantastic in every way.

AGH. I HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST HALF OF SEASON 4. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THIS WINTER BEFORE I CAN SEE HOW THIS STORY ENDS. AND I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO PRACTICALLY ANYONE. Seriously, you need--and I mean NEED--to see this if you haven't! You're missing out on what I would consider one of the greatest stories of all time.

Gaming HapPENings

So my youngest two sisters and I have just started playing Miitopia on the Switch. Most of that time was spent just making characters, but that was to be expected, especially at the beginning of the game. We've made some pretty hilarious choices for who should be the main hero, the Dark Lord, the villagers, etc. I can tell it's only getting to become more amusing for us. If you have a Switch and missed out on this game back when it released on the 3DS, now's the perfect time to pick it up!

We also recently finished Planet Alpha on the Switch. That was a very pretty, very interesting game. You have to piece the story together yourself by paying attention to what's going on throughout the whole game, while solving puzzles and avoiding enemies. Even at the end, I'm not sure I totally understood what was all going on--but not in a bad way. It's one of those games that lends itself to a lot of interesting theories. On top of that. it had some gorgeous scenery that was only enhanced by the game's unique art style. I'll have to replay it sometime and see if I can figure everything out then!

Writerly HapPENings

Recall how I mentioned last month that I was working on a story for a newsletter at my old job. Well, with the announcement of my new job, I had to buckle down and try to finish up the story as quickly as possible. I ended up succeeding with time to spare, somehow. It was an interesting challenge to limit the length of the story as much as I did, but I sincerely hope that the people there will enjoy reading it. If you'd like to read a 35-page mini story, I'll contact you and find a way to get it into your hands! I wouldn't say it's my best work, but it felt good to do some writing after such a long period without it.

And thus, that was my May! How was yours? What're you up to these days? Any stories of any kind--be it a book, movie/show, or game--that you'd recommend?

Monthly HapPENings: April

Okay, so it's May already. Let's all try not to panic. It's fine, it's cool, it's not like a third of the year is now over . . . except it actually is. F'real though, WHY IS IT MAY ALREADY???

Now to remember what kind of interesting life stuff happened. Oh wait, it's coming back to me. It's . . . nothing! Because we can't do anything these days!

. . . That's not entirely true. Interesting stuff did happen, and we can do some stuff. I just feel like I've had a lot less to say in this section for the past year. Here's to hoping that can change soon!

So what happened? My middle sister, my mom, one of my grandmas, and my "adopted" grandma all had a birthday, which meant there was a lot of celebrating going on. I also had a job interview that seems super promising, which I am ecstatic about. I've wanted to get a new job for a while now, but there's never been any opportunities that have jumped out at me. Maybe the reason for that was so that I could get this one. I'll definitely keep you all posted!

Oh yeah, my youngest two sisters and I also randomly decided to go out for supper one evening, and that was fun. You start to miss the simple pleasure of eating out now and then. We had two waitresses since one was in training, and we shared a lot of laughs. It was a very good time with delicious food.

Bookish HapPENings

I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will, I will, I WILL!

(This is me psyching myself up to actually finish a book so that this section stops being boring.)

HapPENings on the Screen

Okay, so I've seen only one of the Mission: Impossible movies before this, and that was Rogue Nation. Its sequel, Fallout, not only builds off of it, but it does everything even better somehow. From the plot to the action sequences to the score, this film improves every moment while never forgetting the humanity in the characters in the midst of the crazy secret agent plot. I was blown away by it and am honestly already wanting to rewatch it. I haven't watch the first four movies in the series, but I can already say that they're worth seeing just to get to the latest two, especially this one.

I finished S2 of Psycho-Pass not long ago, and what an ending it was! It was different from how I thought it was going to go down, but that doesn't make it any less good. I did feel some parts of the last episode were a bit rushed; I wouldn't say it affected my overall opinion, though. I really don't know why people thought this season was worse than the first. To me, it was just as good, but in a different way. I'm curious how the movie is going to wrap things up with these characters, since S3 has entirely new ones.

I had added Noblesse to my queue on Crunchyroll quite some time ago, and now I'm finally getting around to it. Based off of a Webtoon, it's about a man named Rai who wields the power of the Noblesse and awakens after a 820 year slumber in the modern age. His servant Frankenstein enrolls him in a high school to hide him from his enemies, but soon they come knocking on his door. It's pretty good so far, but I wouldn't say it's great. Not yet, anyway. Also didn't help that I didn't realize you're supposed to watch a prologue episode that released four years before the main show, so I ended up watching EP1 and was confused about some stuff. I'll have to see where the show goes and report back as to whether it gets better or not!

Gaming HapPENings

I recently got this game called Shotgun Farmers after watching Markiplier play it and thinking it looked like a good time. I will say, it's surprisingly addictive. The gameplay is fairly simple: two teams of farmers duke it out, and their vegetable themed guns grow plants that give you more ammo or new guns if you miss a shot. There's a few different modes that get cycled through when you're playing online, and it's quite fun. I'm also not too shabby at it, which doesn't hurt. In one game, I even got six kills in a row, an achievement that only 11% of players have gotten. That makes me feel pretty confident in my skills as a fighting farmer.

So Preston and I decided to try out Zookeeper Simulator the other day, in which one person is a zookeeper trying to complete several tasks and the other person is an animal trying to kill them. You can have multiple animals, but not multiple zookeepers, which can get interesting. This game is . . . something else, I tell ya. It's got some very whacky physics and is broken as heck, but it is so, so hilarious. When I played with both Preston and Megan a couple of weeks ago, we were laughing pretty much the entire time. It was amazing, even if the game is not.

I've also been playing a translated version of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Prosecutor's Path, and it's been a blast so far. A very worthy sequel to the first Investigations title, with some interesting cases. Then again, I expected nothing less from an Ace Attorney game. I'm waiting to see when the overarching plot is going to reveal itself, because from what has been shown so far, it's going to be amazing. Again, this is a staple when it comes to the Ace Attorney series. Have I ever mentioned how much I love these games?

Writerly HapPENings

Believe it or not, I have been doing a bit of writing recently. At my current work, in which we support individuals with mental and physical disabilities, we've been sending out a monthly newsletter to the people who can't come into work right now. I offered to write a serial story for it, which I started in April. It's called The Hunt for the Greatest Treasure, a story about a brother and sister (both adults) who end up stranded in the middle of nowhere when they go for a road trip. Fleeing people with unknown intentions, they wind up at a cabin where they find a map proclaiming it leads to a fantastic treasure. They grow closer along the way and end up realizing that their relationship is the greatest treasure.

The biggest challenge of this so far has been writing a story in a simpler language, which means I'm avoiding more complex words and expressions, while still keeping it adult. I haven't written much yet, but the first part seems to have gotten positive feedback, which is good. But if I wind up landing the new job, I'm going to have to pump out the rest of the story in the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

And that was my April! How did yours go? Anything noteworthy happen? What've you been reading/watching/playing/writing recently?

Monthly HapPENings: March

Well, hel-LO there, April! How'd you get here so fast?

Seriously, where the heck did March end up going? It was here one minute and gone the next. And guess what? I didn't do squat! I know this is probably getting super boring at this point, but for real, there's nothing all that spectacular or noteworthy happening in my life right now--though I suppose that's the same for a lot of people, what with the lockdowns and restrictions and what-have-you. I did go to a local restaurant with my sisters for supper the other day. That was fun, since we haven't eaten out in quite some time. I just want things to get back to normal already.

Bookish HapPENings

Didn't really do any reading last month; in fact, I haven't even started my next book. But I want to get at least this one novel done before May, so . . . cross your fingers with me!

HapPENings on the Screen

I recently watched both Incredibles movies, and dang! I knew I absolutely loved the two films, but I think I had forgotten just how much. Like, I'm tempted to blog about them sometime, because they're actually some of the most mature Disney-Pixar movies to date. Plus they got really creative with their spins on the superhero genre, the first installment doing this even before the genre was popular. I need to get them for myself one of these days.

Just finished Joker Game several days ago. If you want a really interesting spy movie with more realism than Mission: Impossible despite being animated, you should watch it. The ending was very different from what I thought it would be, but I can certainly appreciate it. And while the whole show is very episodic, I think it does very well at telling the story and the messages that it wants to tell. I'd divulge into it more, but spoilers, am I right? (I really need to start a series of posts where I analyze anime.)

So I've been watching S4 of My Hero Academia for several weeks now--really loving the plot of the first arc. It's creepy, it's intense, and the fact that there's some dark realism to some of the plot points just makes everything hit that much harder. (Can't discuss those points, because, y'know, spoilers.) And then there's also the fact that I have no idea where the season is going to go afterward. Makes me very, very curious--and a tad worried.

While we're on the subject of hero shows, I've started watching S6 of The Flash. I'd say it's pretty solid so far! There was a time where the show was looking kind of meh, but I think it's found its stride again. The plot is pretty interesting, especially with how it was set up with stuff from the previous season. I also appreciate that it's only 19 episodes this time around. I've often felt like the other seasons have had a few "fluff and filler" episodes, so perhaps this will ensure that the plot is honed in on.

I was a bit nervous going into S2 of Psycho-Pass, as I'd seen people saying it wasn't as good as the first season. I needn't have bothered--I've found the second season to be just as good as its predecessor. Both are dark, violent tales that have very interesting commentary on society and free will. In fact, I'd say a lot of those messages and warnings hold true with everything going on these days. It makes it a very timely watch for me. I look forward to seeing how things conclude in this season!

Gaming HapPENings

Last week Saturday, I ended up playing Super Mario Odyssey for an hour or two. In that time, I reached Bowser's Kingdom, and was I not expecting it. First off, the architecture itself is unlike the usual for the Koopa King. He tends to have blockier, medieval-style castles. This one, as you can see, veers into the Japanese style--which I absolutely love. The backdrop of a moonlit sky with colorful clouds also helps make this final world a very memorable one. Did I mention the music, by the way? Because it is DOPE. I suspect I'll be finishing the main story in this game the next time I play, so I'm curious about that, as well as the endgame content.

Normally when I play my 2DS XL, I'll play a few different games at a time before I decide to change to a few other games. Not so in the month of March. During that time, I instead played 15-20 hours of just Tomodachi Life, and I loved every moment of it. Like, I really enjoyed the game before, but in the span of 31 days, I think it's become one of my top favorite 3DS titles of all time. It's so much fun and so nonsensical. For example, a character from The Flash show recently broke up with Tracey and was feeling super sad about it. My youngest two sisters and I hosted a pity party for him at the café, but the saddest part was that--while us other three had the most random and hilarious conversations--whenever we'd look at him for input, he'd stare unblinkingly at his cake. There are also the little things that make the game amusing, like how I gave my friend Preston a boxing suit, which he loved. He then proceeded to, whilst wearing his boxing gloves, type away furiously at his keyboard while someone sat there with him. If you have a 3DS or any of the other systems in its family, you need to buy this game.

Writerly HapPENings

And just like last month and the month before and so on and so forth, I have nothing to say in this section. I don't know how long it's been now since I last properly written, but . . . yeah. Maybe April will be different? Guess we'll see.

So that was my March! How was yours? Did it also fly by way too fast? What did you end up doing? Oh, and happy Good Friday/Easter to you and your family!

Monthly HapPENings: February

Oh . . . it seems to be March already. Guess it's time for one of these.

I'm honestly blanking out on life stuff right now, but maybe that's because I didn't really do anything? Like, aside from my regularly scheduled stuff--working full-time, watching my shows on Monday evenings, watching shows with Chloe and Kaitlyn on Tuesday evenings, watching anime and gaming with Preston on Thursday evenings, gaming with Preston and/or Megan on Friday evenings, gaming with Chloe and Kaitlyn on Saturdays, and doing my usual Sunday stuff with my family--I didn't do much of anything. I suppose that's just life these days.

Bookish HapPENings

Wonder of wonders, I managed to finish a book last month. Although these novels are pretty short, so I'm not sure how much it actually counts for. I definitely enjoyed this one. It's hard to talk much about the plot, because a lot of it hinges on that of the first book, which has some interesting twists. I look forward to seeing how the last two books wrap up the story.

HapPENings on the Screen

I'd already seen this movie a couple of times, but it was just as good the third time around. I really dig this type of secret agent/spy/espionage/action-adventure/whatever-you-wanna-call-it film. It's got a good mix of thrilling fight scenes, chases, and general escapades. The characters are all interesting, and the villain was a unique one--which I think is largely due to his voice, believe it or not. It's kind of this high-pitched rasp, which gives him a very different vibe. And the music is killer too. Basically everything about the movie was great!

So Preston recommend an anime called Joker Game to me, which is about a special group of Japanese spies in World War II. That alone makes for a very interesting story, but what adds to that is the fact that each episode has its own contained plot with a separate spy. Things seem to be starting to connect together, though, so I'm anticipating where that will lead and how everything will go down. (I also love two of my more recent episodes and their spies because of how kindly they treated children. So wholesome!)

While we're on the subject of recommend anime, Preston also suggested this one to me. 91 Days is about a fellow named Angelo, who joins a family of gangsters during the Prohibition Era in order to exact his revenge for the murder of his own family. I'm super into it so far, but I'm worried about how it's all going to end. Part of me wonders if it's going to wind up being a tragedy . . . and the opening, I tell ya. It's so emotional and hits me in the feels every single time. So good!

I'm rewatching Tower of God with my sisters for our Sunday anime stuff, and I'm a bit conflicted about it. I still love it, don't get me wrong--but I'm also a little more critical of certain things this time. Like, if it would've had some shading as part of the art style, and if they rushed some things less, I think it would definitely solidify the show even more. As it stands, I still quite enjoy it, but it's not the highest title on my list of favorite anime.

I finished S2 of Arrow, and it was just as fantastic as the first season was! The final fight was pretty cool in how it was shot, as it seamlessly transitioned from the present battle to one that occurred between the two characters in the past. But it definitely didn't end off perfectly, and I'm highly anticipating where and how S3 will pick up the plot. Until then, I'll be watching S6 of The Flash!

Gaming HapPENings

So I'd played a bit of Wargroove beforehand, doing the occasional match against Preston. But now I've started the solo campaign, and I think I've fallen in love with the game. It's a strategy, turn-based combat where you move in grids to defeat the enemy. It's a bit like the fighting in Fire Emblem games, actually. The music is a total bop, which makes the title 100% accurate. Definitely a solid indie game if you're looking for more of those!

Ah, Terraria, how I've missed you. Preston and I ended up playing it again the other day for the first time in almost a year, and man, that was a nostalgia trip. We used to, back in the day, just play this together. At first we used only the text chat for talking, which is an impressive feat considering how often you need your hands free for other things. But eventually we started to voice chat, and our friendship grew as we gamed together. I think that's one reason why this game holds a special place in my heart. And now that I've dipped my toes back into it after so long, I really want to fully dive in one of these days and play it on a more regular basis.

Writerly HapPENings

Does writing blog posts count? I have been doing a lot more lately thanks to the Music Monday Awards, so that's gotta mean something. Other than that . . . nothing really. I need to get back into one of my stories sometime soon . . .

Anyway, that was February! How was it for you? Anything interesting or noteworthy happen? What have you been watching or playing lately?

Monthly HapPENings: January

Well, it's been a couple of months since we had one of these, but now it's back! It's time for . . .

So, life stuff that happened in January . . . honestly, it's just been my usual stuff: the regular Sunday routines, working five days a week while hanging out with my sisters and Preston and Megan in the evenings, and chilling on Saturdays. My sisters and I did go sledding once, though! The side of the hill was pretty much just sheer ice, which was great for going down, but not so much for heading back up. My saucer decided to catapult me forward at one point, so that was fun. (Note: sarcasm. It was actually kinda painful.)

Also, I slipped on some ice recently and sprained the muscles in my left knee. 0/10 would not recommend nor try again. I've had a bit of time off work for recovery, so any prayers would be appreciated.

Bookish HapPENings

What? I actually finished a book?? Will wonders never cease??? Once I got into the book, I was really hooked and blazed through the rest of it. There were definitely some unexpected twists--though I don't know if you should take my word for it, because I didn't expect the ones in The False Prince, but others found them super obvious. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I'm a little more forgiving knowing that there's a fourth book coming. All in all, a solid quick read that wraps up the trilogy pretty well, which has me wondering where book #4 is going.

HapPENings on the Screen

Watching EXO's Ladder is very different for me in two ways. One, I've never really watched a reality or variety show before, because the vast majority of them just don't interest me. Two, I have never watched the second season of any show before watching the first one. But this is a lot of fun and is super hilarious too! All eight members are so cool and amusing in their own ways, and they seem so much like brothers. I'm just over halfway through, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest!

Yo, I'm nearly finished S3 of My Hero Academia, and man, has this season gone in places I wasn't expecting! Can't believe there's just one episode left . . . I'm already having predictions about what's going to happen in the next one. But if it ramps up the intensity and the emotional side of things even more, it's going to hurt my heart. I didn't think the show was going to make cry over the things it has. S4 is going to be fire, I just know it!

I have caught up with Bungo Stray Dogs (and am eagerly anticipating S4), so now I'm rewatching it, but with Tracey. I'm definitely reminded why it's one of my top favorite anime. The characters and their dynamics with one another is just the best, and then the plot starts getting very, very interesting when S2 rolls around. Also, the music is something else, I tell you. Very unique, and quite enjoyable. (I honestly wish more anime had their soundtracks released for purchase.) Don't sleep on this show if you're into anime!

What if I told you that Erased was one of the best shows involving murder mysteries and time travel? Would you believe me? Because you should! I'm watching this with Preston (he's seen it already and is showing it to me), and it's so difficult to watch only one episode a week. I have four left, and I must know what happens! I have theories that are really crazy, but I think I might be on to something . . . Plus it touches on some very dark, but very important themes and subjects. I really want to say more, but I don't want to spoil a single thing. Anyway, you need to add this to your list of shows to watch. You won't regret it, I guarantee that.

The first season of Psycho-Pass is nothing short of brutal and chilling. The whole setup is really interesting--latent criminals working under police inspectors to fight crime and stop people with unchecked psycho-passes--but man, the show is pretty grim. What makes it all the more frightening is that at one point, China was wanting to implement a similar system. Which probably explains why they banned the anime, as it exposes the deep-rooted flaws in the system. Add a villain whose motivations make a lot of sense and some dark violence and deaths on top of that, and you've got quite the show. I'm super intrigued by it, and while I wouldn't recommend to anyone who gets queasy easily, I do recommend it if you enjoy gritty cop stories with some interesting commentary on society.

AGH. SEASON FOUR IS FINALLY HERE AND AHHH. AND I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL STUFF BUT AAAHHH! . . . That is all. (I can say that the visuals have somehow improved even more since S3, and I'm just constantly impressed??? So yeah.) . . . AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Gaming HapPENings

I picked up the Assassin's Creed Chronicles trilogy for my computer a couple of years ago, but with my poor excuse for a laptop that I had back then, playing them just wasn't possible. Now that I have a proper gaming laptop, I now am able to experience these for the first time. China is the first in the sub-series and has the most appealing setting to me. (Assassin's Creed game in feudal Japan with ninja and samurai when?) I've played the first two chapters so far as of when I'm writing this, and I'm quite liking it! It's neat to have a 2.5D platformer AC title instead of the standard 3D with more free-roaming. The art style is also quite different from the main series, but it's super appealing. I look forward to seeing where the game and the plot goes.

When Team17 announced a battle royale entry in the Worms franchise, my curiosity was piqued. All of the main series Worms games had been turn-based, so what would a real-time title be like? In two words: very entertaining. I wouldn't necessarily call it a battle royale--or at least, it's very different from the standard BR games I've played. But that doesn't make it any less fun. I like to think that I'm decent at it. I tend to get an average of five kills per match, though I also tend to die a lot. I've played only a couple of hours so far, and sometimes the matchmaking takes a little while, but I'd say Worms Rumble is probably my favorite Worms game thus far.

Writerly HapPENing

Well, I did end up doing a little, itty-bitty bit of writing in January. I'm trying to get back into writing by doing a shorter project that's written like an anime. I'm calling it Death Under Maddison Bridge, and I think I've got some really cool ideas for it. I don't know how much I can really share at this point, but I will keep you all updated if you're interested!

So that was my January! Hard to believe we're already one month into the year. How was your January? Also, do you still like these posts, or do you have any suggestions for what I could do to make them more interesting?

Monthly HapPENings: December

GUYS. HOW IS THERE ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT IN THE YEAR???

Sorry, didn't mean to freak out there, BUT SERIOUSLY! I mean, I want 2020 to be over, but it's still crazy that it's almost reached the end.

Obviously, with how things are going these days, my life wasn't too crazy or anything. Besides work, two of my sisters had birthdays, so we celebrated those! Other than that . . . well . . . there wasn't anything else that happened. No surprise there.

Bookish HapPENings

I didn't finish any books in November, but I have been reading some more lately! I've really been getting into my book, so I hope that I'll finish at least a couple of books in December.

HapPENings on the Screen

So at work, with how few people we're supporting right now, our management has allowed us to watch movies in our departments. One of my coworkers happened to have a projector, so we've watched a lot of films, such as Up, Coco, Bambi, Oliver and Company, The Grinch (2018), Alpha and Omega, Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, and others. A few I'd never seen before, but most of them were just reminders that I loved them and I need to watch them more often. Aside from that . . .

YO! I started watching Bungo Stray Dogs because the trailer looked super interesting, and this show is FIRE. It's probably one of my favorite anime now--though to be fair, I've loved all of the anime I've seen so far. This one's about a group called the Armed Detective Agency, whose members wield supernatural powers that they use to fight crime and save civilians. It's basically a perfect blend of action, drama, and comedy. I love the main character, Atsushi, and his character arc of becoming a hero over the course of S1. Dazai and Kunikida's relationship is one of the greatest and most hilarious parts of the show so far. Plus, Akutagawa is a very cool, intense antagonist who seems to have more to him than meets the eye. I just love it all so much!

Fire Force continues to be heckin' dope as well. As of when I'm writing this, I have two episodes left in S1. Some answers are finally being given, but it seems information is mostly on the enemy's side. One thing the show is really good at is giving us intriguing villains. They've introduced a lot of really neat ones lately, even if they're a bit more minor than some of the others. I'm really curious to see how it's all going to go down, because at this rate, it's not gonna end well.

I'm nearly done watching S3 of Attack on Titan with Preston, and I've just started watching it with Chloe and Kaitlyn. It's just so, so excellent in every way imaginable. I don't think I could really choose a favorite season, but if I was forced to, it might be this one . . .? It's really hard to say. Honestly, if you're sleeping on this show, you really are missing out. I don't regret a single second I've spent watching it.

Gaming HapPENings

Super Mario Odyssey is a game I've been playing a good bit recently, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The graphics are killer, not gonna lie. I'm constantly in awe of how amazing everything looks, from the grand worlds down to the threads and stitching in clothes. I feel like I'm probably over halfway through world-wise (not in terms of actual completion), possibly more. It's definitely been a nice variety, even if there are still some similarities to classic Mario world themes.

I've just started playing Fall Guys, and I think it's safe to say that I'm already addicted. Think of a battle royale game in the style of minigames from the Mario Party series. It can be absolute insanity sometimes, but it's so fun. Even though it's competitive, it doesn't make me frustrated or anything--not yet, at least. I'm just having a blast! I'm not even all that bad at it. Just watch, one day I'll be a professional Fall Guys player! (Probably not, but one can dream.)

Writerly HapPENings

Who woulda thunk? I didn't any writing in November. I really didn't want to participate in NaNo, especially this year. I've occasionally thought about writing about something for Havok, but I haven't thought about it too much. I'm really hoping that 2021 is just better for everything.

So that's that! Was your November any more interesting than mine? Have you been doing things to keep your mental health in a good place? Are you looking forward to Christmas? (I certainly am!)

Monthly HapPENings: October

Man, is 2020 actually almost over? Where in the world has this year gone?

Once again, not much in the way of fun life stuff happened in October. I did participate in Inktober this year--more specifically, Shadow Linktober. That means I drew a bunch of Zelda enemies and antagonists. It was a lot of fun, for the most part! I'm definitely thinking I'll participate again next year, and I wanna do more drawing between now and then. I'll probably share some of my art from Linktober on here in the future, but until then, you can check them out on my Instagram if you haven't!

Also, my youngest two sisters and I went out to the nearby city to do some Christmas shopping one Thursday after I was done work. It was super productive, and we had some delicious kimchi (I chose the shrimp variant)--now I'm craving kimchi again. But yeah, I'm nearly done buying all my Christmas presents for friends and family, which I'm pretty happy about. I was on top of things this year, lemme tell ya!

Bookish HapPENings

Surprise, surprise . . . no books finished again. This is honestly becoming a bad habit at this point. It's not that I don't want to read, it's just that I don't really think of it or make time for it with everything else that I wanna do. I gotta change that this month!

HapPENings on the Screen

AAAHHH OH MY GOSH I AM DONE WITH AVATAR! What an ending to the show! It was amazing and different from what I expected and AHHH. I'm so, so glad that I managed to avoid most spoilers. I loved the show and the characters so much, I just wanna watch it all over again. I already miss them and their crazy antics and adventures. I'm so going to buy all three seasons for myself, because I neeeed them in my life. One of my all time favorites, for sure. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW THAT IT'S ALL OVER???

I finished Ergo Proxy just recently, and wow. Like Avatar, that ending was different what I'd expected. The show took so many twists and turns there at the end. And the themes, man. They gave me so much to think about and chew on. I'm still processing them and how things went down . . . When I started the show, I didn't think I'd end up enjoying it as much as I did. It's not perfect, by any means, but it's still really, really good. There were more characters I didn't want to say goodbye. If you ever watch this show, let me know so we can chat and theorize about it!

YO! The third season of My Hero Academia is so dang instense! Like, seriously, they're not holding anything back with this season. It has had my emotions wrapped around its finger. And then there was that fight I just saw and how it ended, and I can't stop thinking about it. What's going to happen to some of the characters?! This definitely feels like a big turning point in the show . . . and I love it. But it's also got me really worried about how things are going to play out now.

On a much lighter note, I've been watching Attack on Titan: Junior High recently, and it's just . . . nothing short of perfect. The way they take scenes and lines from the main show that are super serious or deep or emotional or whatever, and make it comical within the context of this parody show, is so brilliant. Or they'll take a character and overexaggerate certain traits for the sake of comedy, and it just works so well! You honestly can't hate anyone in this show. If you've seen Attack on Titan, you can't not watch this as well. It'll have you in stitches.

Gaming HapPENings

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I've been playing a lot of Ace Attorney Investigations lately, and it's so, so good! I love it for a number of different reasons. One, it has a different style from the other games in the series. Rather than searching crime scenes and talking to people for clues before hitting up the courtroom, you don't do any trials--at least, not in the traditional sense. Yes, Miles still investigates crimes, but it's from a top-down perspective, which does a lot to make it feel different. He has to use to logic to piece together clues and figure out what happened, deducing different things by using the evidence he's found. There are arguments in which you check statements and present evidence, but it still feels different from the normal games. Two, you get to play as Miles Edgeworth, one of the best characters in any game ever. I mean, just look at him on the game cover! Three, the storytelling and music are just as fantastic as they've always been, making this title feel right at home among the others. I really need to finish it and see how things go down!

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I've been a lot more New Horizons these last few weeks, because I'm finally getting somewhere with my island. Like, it's a proper town now with hourly music and everything! I still have lots to do to make it look more civilized and less like a mostly deserted island. I'm so happy with my villagers, though. They're so cute and friendly and I love them all. The Halloween event I participated in was super fun as well. Shari kept doing the scare reaction and looked absolutely adorable doing it! I also liked how some of the villagers asked for candy, while a couple of others stayed at home and gave me some. I just love this game--and the whole Animal Crossing series--so much. It's so wholesome and relaxing, and I need it in my life.

Writerly HapPENings

No writing was done this month--again. It's something I've also been meaning to change, much like the reading thing, but I haven't made the time or brain space for it. That needs to be different too, for sure by the end of the year! I will not allow 2020 to be a total failure in that regard.

That was my October! How was yours? Are you just as shocked as I am that the year is almost over? What have you done/watched/played recently?