“This world is a cruel place…but it’s also very beautiful.”
– Mikasa, Attack on Titan
“I ate the whole world, and I’ll eat it forever.”
– Marina
My annual write ups are my favorite posts because I get to focus on things that I love instead of the things that vex me. As always, everything may not have come out in 2024, but that’s when I experienced it. Case in point, anime series like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures.
One son still does modern kenpo karate and is on track to becoming a full black belt like me next year. He often joins me for food, hikes, and road trips to places like the National Comedy Center (amazing interactive museum in Jamestown, New York). The other prefers watching movies and TV together at home. A friend introduced him to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and he asked me to watch with him. I enjoyed season 4 in particular, along with a spin-off Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan and a live action movie that teased a woefully cancelled follow up movie encompassing the season’s amazing second half. The show is, well…bizarre, cheeky, and impossible to explain in a few sentences.
Jujutsu Kaisen is easier to explain (if not say – I wanna say jujitsu instead). Students fight anthropomorphic curses. The characters are down to earth and relatable, and it’s easier to get attached because the story is more cohesive. The show can be gruesome, and I’m still shaken by one scene that wasn’t particularly gory, but the pacing, delivery, and emotional impact was just…oof. Gut punch. I’d seen bits and pieces (sorry) of Attack on Titan so I was hesitant, but I’m glad my son talked me into watching. One of many things I appreciate about both shows is representation, and an emphasis on friendship and comradery. The characters in Attack on Titan are particularly complex, and the storyline doesn’t shy away from ambivalence to convey the horrors of war, nor does it gloss over consequences. Heartbreaking and life-affirming in dizzying turns. One scene near the end evokes Schindler’s List for many, but I was also reminded of a harrowing sequence from Battleship Potemkin.
Somewhat of an underwhelming year in film, but Wicked was a pleasant surprise. I’ve never read the book (not sure I want to) but the Broadway musical was a let down. It reminded me of Maleficent. Great ideas, poor execution, especially the rushed second act. I didn’t think it would take a movie two parts to address the issue, but I enjoyed part one enough to keep an open mind about part two. “Defying Gravity” soars, and thanks to the 4d theater experience, so did I. Meanwhile, The Lion King Broadway tour was anything but a let down and exceeds the hype.
The first half of 2024 was a lot like the first half of 2023 for me in music. I worried I reached that age when new music no longer appeals, but then Juliana Madrid released “Not in My Lifetime” which is easily a top 10 song for me. Lola Blanc paired a catchy melody with thought provoking lyrics in “The Silence”. Kiki Rockwell had great songs and videos like “Strange Premonition” and “Seven Angels Meet Me in a Carpark” for her latest album. But the biggest highlight was Poppy’s new album Negative Spaces. I listen to every song, but my favorites include “Halo,” “Vital”, “Crystalized”, “Surviving on Defiance,” and “The Cost of Giving Up.” There’s also her “Violence Against Nature” collaboration with Bad Omens. I’m seeing her in Toronto in a few months.
In gaming, I invested in the Diablo 4 expansion (and a new tarantula themed armor for my necromancer), but Diablo Immortal has proven to be the better came in terms of fun and visuals. It’s their mobile game but playable on PC. Diablo 4 has the same great cinematics we associate with the franchise, but the gameplay feels so flat in comparison. The latest Guild Wars 2 Expansion introduced beautiful new maps and some fun new game play.
I didn’t read as much as I wanted, but I did catch up with an old friend and look forward (with trepidation) to seeing how Stephen King’s short story “The Life of Chuck” translates to film. I Loved the Mothman and Other Stories by Cari Dubiel is a fun collection of stories about cryptids. My favorite is “Devil Thirteen”, which ranks up there with “Honeysuckle Sky” by Tahani Nelson. I also discovered new authors (to me). Bacchanal by Veronica G. Henry invites readers on a ride with a mystical travelling carnival through the 1930s deep south. The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is a story about a clairvoyant who must steal a magical ring in 1920s D.C. I love stories that weave different cultures and complex histories into horror or fantasy.
While Marina didn’t release any new music in 2024, she did release Eat the World, which conveys her distinct yet relatable worldview in the form of visual poetry. There’s even a couple audiovisuals on Youtube. She has one of the most beautiful singing voices, but I’d also listen to her recite the phonebook.
I feel uneasy going into 2025, but I look forward to the art and entertainment that connects us, and reminds us why we even. Even when we can’t…even.
Look, I just watched the finale of Attack on Titan tonight. My brain is broken.
