Here Are Some Cat Pictures To Brighten Your Day

SO BORED

SCRATCH MAH TUMMY, I DARES YA

MOAR FUD NOW PLZ

I SEEN DIS SHOW BEFOAR

SO SLEEPY

I ATE UR TAKEOUT SORRY

Anime Roundup

Guess it's a good time to stay home and binge lots of anime, eh?

Girls und Panzer

Kind of like K-On!, but with tanks instead of guitars. My guess is that the creators of this show decided to employ the cognitive dissonance formula common to lots of manga and anime concepts and, during a brainstorming session, thought "what if we took a bunch of kawaii (cute) high school girls and...made them fight each other with tanks!" Okay, yeah, sure, why not. And, of course, it works.

Samurai Champloo

Continuing with the whole cognitive dissonance thing, this show blends a historical Edo-period setting with some cultural anachronisms like rap music, graffiti, and breakdancing. Great action, a simple yet compelling plot, and a good balance of drama and humor make this one a modern classic, in my opinion. I had plans to go see Shing02 - the rapper who performs the main theme song - at a show in Portland this month, but, well, you know. Maybe I'll just rewatch this show instead.

Clannad

At first, you might think this is one of those animes about several teenage girls who all inexplicably like the same boring dude (yes, that's a subgenre), but...well, it is sort of like that, but it's so much more, as well. Based on a visual novel, it kind of meanders along slowly like a drowsy slice-of-life story for a while before it suddenly swells to a dramatic, emotional peak, settles down, and then repeats the process. Quite an entertaining roller coaster ride, if you ask me. Oh, and don't worry, they'll explain the whole girl-and-robot-on-a-different-world thing eventually, if you stick around long enough.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?

Yes, yes it is. But don't worry, this show isn't really about its title. It's mostly a D&Dish story about a teenage boy who becomes an "adventurer" in order to make ends meet and, to everyone's surprise (including his own), levels up and gains new powers faster than anyone ever has before. And yes, a few girls inexplicably become interested in him along the way, but that's just a minor part of the whole deal.

No Game No Life

A portal fantasy about a brother-and-sister uber-gamer team who are transported to another world where their considerable skills are put to the test. Kind of a neat idea, if you ask me. The climax to the first season even features a virtual world-within-the other world scenario, sort of like if Sword Art Online or Ready Player One existed in Narnia or Fillory. Oh, and as the TV-MA rating indicates, this is definitely not a show for kids.

Fireworks

This is a full-length animated adaptation of a live-action film from the '90s, which is pretty cool, because usually you see that kind of thing done the other way around. Anyway, the story is pretty much the dictionary definition of a romantic drama (or rom-dram, as opposed to rom-com), and it features a bit of magical realism/time travel, which I always appreciate. After you watch it, you, too, will be wondering: are fireworks round or flat?

April and Lydia Predict The 2020 MLB Season

Today we have some very special guests joining us on the blog! You first met them last year in this post, and then heard more about them and their still-as-of-yet-unproduced screenplay in this SPSU update from last October. Please welcome: April Hayashi and Lydia Sanchez!

Lydia: Where is that applause coming from?
April: I don't know, but it's kind of embarrassing.
Brian: Hello, ladies! Welcome back.
Lydia: Hey.
April: Hello.
Brian: So glad you could make it.
Lydia: Yeah, well, just remember our deal - no questions about my prediction from last year.
Brian: Right, not a word.
April: We almost kind of have to talk about it, though.
Lydia: No, we don't.
April: I mean, we thought that because of what we did with the whole dispelling-the-curse thing, that the Mariners would finally -
Lydia: Ah! Stop! (hold hands to ears) LALALALALA
April: Okay, okay, sheesh.
Brian: It's not to say that it still won't happen, though. The team does seem to have some promise to it, what with all the young players.
April: Lydia has a crush on Jarred Kelenic.
Lydia: I do not.
April: Liar.
Lydia: Heh.
Brian: All right, so, we're here to discuss what you folks think will happen this season. Any thoughts?
Lydia: Boo, Astros.
April: Let's not open that can of worms, please.
Lydia: Yeah, you're probably right. I could go on for hours about that subject.
April: And you have.
Brian: How do you think the M's will do?
April: I think they'll be a little better than most people expect, although still not enough to make the playoffs.
Lydia: Yeah, I'm thinking maybe 75 wins. Ish.
April: I know they've been saying that wins and losses are not the most important metric in what is supposed to be rebuilding year, but I think you do kind of want to see some progress in that department, at least.
Lydia: Maybe a slow start followed by a better second half.
April: Yeah. 'Cause then that'll show that the young players are growing, adjusting, and developing.
Lydia: And learning how to win at the major league level.
April: Exactly.
Brian: All right, so I'll put Lydia down for 75 wins. April?
April: I'll say 76.
Lydia: What is this, the Price is Right?
April: Oh, hush.
Brian: How about another prediction - which Mariner player, or players, will make the All-Star team?
April: Hmm, that's a good question.
Lydia: Kyle Lewis.
April: I'll go with Marco Gonzales.
Lydia: Really?
April: I mean, I guess?
Lydia: All right, whatever you say. Oh, and maybe Evan White for AL Rookie of the Year.
April: Wow. That would be cool.
Lydia: Right?
Brian: Okay, and finally - who will win the World Series?
April and Lydia, together: Dodgers.
Lydia: They kinda deserve it. Because, you know, karma.
April: Not to mention an incredibly stacked roster.
Brian: All right, there you have it! April and Lydia's predictions for the 2020 MLB season. Thanks so much for joining us today, and we'll check back in the fall to see how things turned out.
April: Thanks for having us.
Lydia: Where's the beer? I heard there was supposed to be beer.
Brian: Good night, everybody!

TV Roundup, Episode Two

Welcome to the second installment of TV Roundup! I just realized (only now?) that - between anime, sports, and other shows - I watch a pretty incredible amount of television. The only reason it doesn't border on unhealthy levels is that, as a writer, I consider it to be homework of sorts, as well as inspiration. Also, I usually try to exercise while watching. I guess that's two reasons. Anyway, tread carefully, for there will be spoilers.

Good Omens

I finally got around to watching this one after hearing lots of good omens things about it. I also read the book in parallel; like, I'd finish a few chapters and then watch the episode that more-or-less corresponded to said chapters, which was kind of a neat and enjoyable experience. All right, so David Tennant was a great Doctor, but who agrees with me in thinking that he's actually better at playing bad guys?

(on Amazon Prime)

Undone

I love time travel plots. And plots where the character (and the audience) isn't sure whether they actually have powers or if it's all just in their mind. The rotoscoping animation was cool, too. And apparently there's a second season coming, which thank goodness because - spoiler alert - the first one ended on a "that can't possibly be the end"-style cliffhanger.

(on Amazon Prime)

Doctor Who

Being the nerd I am, I have to admit that I didn't really dig Jodie Whittaker's first season as the Doctor all that much, not because of her performance (she did - and is doing - a great job, in my opinion), but because of the lack of references and callbacks to the show's extensive canon and lore. This season has been a whole different story, though. I mean, I spent way more time than I should have contemplating where Doctor Ruth from "Fugitive of the Judoon" fit into the whole timeline, and now, with the retcon of the retcon of the multiple unknown Doctors from "The Brain of Morbius," consider my mind blown.

(on BBC America)

The Magicians

Remember this post from last year, where I said that this show has reached a point where I don't understand what's going on half the time but I still love it anyway? Well, with Season 5 (the first and apparently only one without - spoiler alert - Quentin Coldwater, who was surprisingly killed off at the end of Season 4), I think I don't understand what's going on almost all of the time now. But yes, I still love it anyway, and will miss it.

(on SyFy)

Miraculous Ladybug

In case you forgot, this is the show that led to me signing up for Netflix in the first place. Since then, my daughter hasn't kept up with it, but as the big kid I am, I have. With its surprisingly robust worldbuilding and bet-you-didn't-see-this-coming-twists, I must say that Season 3 completely blew my mind. I mean, it even has time travel now! I did think that the episode featuring - spoiler alert - a hypothetical future scenario where everyone knew each other's secret identities would've made for a good series finale (after removing the hypothetical part), but, well, what do I know.

(on Netflix)

Raising Dion

As a big fan of Gravity Falls, I have to say that whenever Jason Ritter's character spoke, all I could think of was Dipper Pines. Still, though, any show about regular people with superpowers is all right with me. And I totally did not see the big twist coming (even though I probably should have), so, you know, good job, writers.

(on Netflix)

I Am Not Okay With This

I'd heard that this was sort of Stranger Things-meets-Carrie, so naturally, I was interested. And yeah, that description is pretty spot-on. You know what I think is weird, though? Like, when I'm deciding whether or not to check out a new show, I look at how many episodes there are and how long each of them is. Then if - like with this show - there aren't that many episodes and each of them are relatively short, I feel like, "okay, I'll give this a shot." I mean, really, why should that make a difference? If there are lots of long episodes, who cares? If you don't like it, you don't have to keep watching it, Brian. I dunno, I guess I just like to finish what I start. Plus, whenever I actually do abandon a show, it's always sitting there in my "Continue Watching" queue, staring at me and making me feel guilty. Anyway, this show is very fun and watchable with a satisfyingly shocking season finale, so season 2, hurry up!

(on Netflix)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more television to watch.

Is It Spring Yet?

As of this past Sunday, the answer to that question was: no. No, it is not (unless you consider temperatures in the 40s with occasional rain showers to be Spring). But! It was a good day for a book reading event - titled "Is It Spring Yet? - a multi-genre reading" - with a bunch of awesome local authors.

I had the pleasure and privilege to share the stage with seven of my fellow writers, including:

Elizabeth Mitchell (who organized the event. Thanks, Elizabeth!) - suspense
Debby Dodds - young adult romance
Heather Ransom - young adult sci-fi
Margaret Pinard - historical fiction
Dede Montgomery - literary fiction
Lisa Todd - literary fiction
Beth Cook - young adult/middle grade

Check out their works at the links above! Also, I highly recommend paying a visit to Urbanite, the venue that hosted us. They have all kinds of sweet vintage items, antiques, furniture, lighting, art and other neat stuff that can be used to raise the coolness factor of any space by a factor of 10,000. AND they have a huge parking lot right in back of the store, which in downtown Portland is about as rare and unique as a silvertail in Spectraland (if you haven't read the Joel Suzuki series of novels yet, trust me, they're rare and unique).

Anyway, here's a short video clip of me doing my thing:

Looking forward to taking part in more events like this one!

Quickie Status Updates

Here's what I've been up to!

Joel Suzuki, Volume Five
I submitted the official first draft of the manuscript to my editor on December 30 and received it back with her notes on January 14. As always, she had tons of good feedback and suggestions, so right now I'm deep into rewriting mode. There's a lot of work to be done, but hopefully I'm still on track for a 2020 release. Or 2021. Whatever. We shall see. As we learned in Joel Suzuki, Volume Four: Fable of the Fatewave, things will work out the way they were meant to.

Glorified, Issue #2 ("Ragged Town")
All the pages have been thumbnailed, most of them have been sketched out, and a majority of them are already inked and complete. Very excited!

Second Player Score Albums Four ("Four-D") and Five ("200BPM")
Album Four has three songs with completed music, lyrics, and arrangement, and there are thirteen more in various stages of development.

Album Five has one song with completed music, lyrics, and arrangement - in fact, it's already been recorded! - and twelve others in various stages of development.

Facebook Live
The band and I are making plans to start livestreaming portions of our Sunday afternoon practices on Facebook. We did it once before, and it seemed to get a good response, so we figured we'd try doing it on a more consistent basis.

Second Player "Store"
We're also in the process of ramping up our merchandising efforts with more cool stuff and easier ways for people to get their hands on them.

Short Films
And finally, we're considering putting into production the short films that I discussed in this previous post, although possibly in a slightly different format, like breaking them up into even shorter segments and turning them into a webseries. We shall see.

Anyway, stay tuned for more updates!

Favorite Japan-Related Memoirs

As part of my recent (or not-so-recent, anymore?) rekindled interest in Japanese language and culture, I've been reading a bunch of Japan-related memoirs. Here are some of my favorites:

Lost in Tokyo: A Year of Sex, Sushi, and Suicide in the Real Japan

The story of a British dude who becomes a teacher in Japan, it's alternately hilarious (in a very British-sense-of-humor kind of way) and poignant (in a very traditionally Japanese kind of way). The quality of the writing itself isn't exactly top-notch, but still, this is a total page-turner nonetheless.

Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries

Another story about a Westerner (this time, from the Southern U.S.) who moves to Japan and becomes a teacher, this, too, was a fun and fast read. The humor comes not only from the fish-out-of-water angle, but also because I think Japan's culture and society are just inherently amusing in the same way that cats are, like where they are so eccentrically awesome that you can't help but to shake your head and chuckle.

Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo

This time, a whole family (husband, wife, daughter) moves to Japan for a month, not to teach, but to experience what I assume to be an incredible, amazing food culture (I haven't been to Japan in thirty years, but it was good then, so I figure it's still good now). Will make you laugh, and also hungry.

Across Tokyo

Look, ma, no subtitle! Anyway, this one chronicles the journey of two Western transplants (they're from the U.S., but have been living in Japan for many years now) who "urban hike" from one end of Tokyo to the other, a span of distance that is much longer than you might think. Like all the previous books mentioned in this post, it is laugh-out-loud funny.

Not One Shrine: Two Food Writers Devour Tokyo

Back to the subtitles, I see. Seriously, people, what's up with that? Is it some kind of nonfiction style rule that I don't know about? (Come to think of it, my friend Melissa Hart's recent nonfiction book Better With Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens has what is probably the longest subtitle in literary history. Check it out, though, it's terrific.) Anyway, this one is from the same guy who moved to Japan with his family for a month in Pretty Good Number One, only this time he's joined by his chef-friend and podcast co-host (who is the same person) as they go on a food crawl throughout Tokyo.

So yeah, if you're interested in Japan and enjoy some light, fun reading, I highly recommend all five of these books mentioned above. I'm also on the lookout for more, so if you know of any, let me know!