2024 recap

// Introduction

2024 was easily the longest year of my lifetime, tied with 2020, 2016, 2012, and 2008.

Jokes aside though, it was a big year. I played (probably) my last show with my first band, and my first show with my current band. I survived two more semesters in college and made more friends at school than just my roommates. I lived in a real apartment for the first time, which was cool. I (unfortunately) got a lot more into computers than I expected, and I ended up starting this blog.

Along with all of that, I also watched a lot of stuff (and read a little too).

// Manga of the year

Make the Exorcist Fall in Love

I read a lot of manga this year, but this was easily my favorite. I was really not expecting this one to be my favorite manga of the year. I was really blown away

I saw it originally and just thought it looked pretty, and I didn't have much else to read at that point, so I picked it up. I was expecting something with nice art but not a whole lot of substance, and I don't think I could have been more pleasantly surprised.

From the get go the story is a really interesting exploration of the toll that being "mankind's savior" really takes on a person. Even the arc that just wrapped up has the central character running away from all the expectations he's been saddled with all his life. My only issue with the manga in its first few chapters was it had a lot of uncomfortable half-naked women, but it became clear that the discomfort was intended when we saw that it was a manifestation of the main character's trauma from dealing with the demon of lust.

Over all, this one was a really cool read, and I really look forward to seeing where it goes next.

// Album of the year

Smiling Broadly - for a moment i saw myself as inexorably beautiful

This one was a difficult pick.

I listened to a greater variety of music this year than I have in a long time. Because of that, I had a really hard time picking music, so I ended up splitting it into albums and EP's. But, even though I had that idea, I still really struggled with the album picks. I was really stuck between three albums that all came out this year: Joey Valence and Brae - No Hands , Golden Boy - I NEVER MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN , and Smiling Broadly - for a moment i saw myself as inexorably beautiful .

I really loved No Hands , and I NEVER MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN was my most listened album of the year, but inexorably beautiful was super anticipated for me, and I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of other albums I haven't even mentioned here on top of all of those, but these were the three I felt the most call towards.

Ultimately, I decided on for a moment i saw myself as inexorably beautiful . I was so excited for this album that I actually bought it early on bandcamp for the first time ever. Luckily, I was not dissappointed. This album was amazing, and I managed to get the original EP along with it.

This year was a great year for music, and I really look forward to seeing what I listen to next year.

// EP of the year

Femtanyl - Reactor

It's just the answer. It came out on my birthday, I was really anticipating it, and it was really good. This category only existed to make the album section slightly easier. It was literally made for this EP.

// TV Show of the year

Dandadan

Mother. Fucking. Dandadan dude.

I had been reading and hyping up the manga to all my friends for years by the time this came out. I managed to convince a lot of people to watch the show as it released and wow man. I loved watching a currently releasing anime, especially with a group of people. Not to mention that the adaptation was genuinely phenomenal, and I enjoyed just about everything they did. They made the jokes funnier, they kept the art beautiful, and they made the emotional moments way more powerful too.

I had so much fun with the show, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next part.

// Movie of the year

Drumroll please...

My favorite movie this year really only had two contenders. While Audition (1999) came in close behind, the movie of the year for me was a close call between Problemista and River (2023). Problemista was a lovely little movie made by a writer responsible for one of my favorite shows, while River was a movie my mother found on (I believe) a New York Times list of "Best Sci-fi movies of 2023" or something.

Despite that, River ended up being my favorite movie of 2024. It hit me in a really personal spot, and it was a really well made movie; even though I wasn't as satisfied as I wish I was with the conclusion, I still loved the movie enough to buy it physically to have it safe in high quality forever. If you are a fan of unique time-travel/time-loop plots and in general just lovely films, I highly recommend this one.

// Honorable mentions

I'm almost done I promise

I already mentioned No Hands and I NEVER MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN , but The George - YoYo Club was another close contender for me. This album is a really fun time, and I highly reccommend it.

I read a few other manga this year, and about three of them stuck with me. Make the Exorcist Fall in Love ended up as my favorite manga, I also had a really great time with Isshou Senkin as well. This one wasn't my favorite simply because it's just dumb. The plot is obviously just an excuse to put a bunch of hot women and cool fight panels in some sort of story, but I'll be damned if I didn't have a good time.

I also read Undead Unluck. I don't really have anything else to say other than I really liked it. I haven't read in a while, but I'd like to catch up.

// Obligatory Homestuck section

You know I had to do it man

I've already talked at length about this. I read it. It's good. You should read it too.

// Well...

That's it.

Another year under my belt, I look forward to the next one. I've already got two movies in the Twitter thread thing, I really hope they are not indicative of the rest of my year. Lupin III part II will be there eventually. I hope I follow a lot of my resolutions, and I'd really like to finish off my long-ass movie list.

Looking forward to next year... // Forks.