Weekly proof of life: media intake
Apr. 19th, 2026 03:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
umadoshi(Thank you for the comments on my post yesterday about Claudia. I'll try to respond at least a bit.)
Reading: I finished Rachel Reid's Tough Guy, and then my digital hold on Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shroud came in from the Queens library, so I started in on that. I'm maybe a bit more than halfway through that now? It's interesting and I plan to finish it, but it took a long before I actually got interested, and I mainly kept reading through that chunk because I've enjoyed the handful of Tchaikovsky's other work that I've read quite a lot more than I was enjoying the beginning of this one, so I kept figuring I'd give it a bit longer. I doubt I'll wind up loving it, but I do want to see how things play out.
Watching:scruloose and I have finished everything we were watching! (And glancing at last week's proof-of-life post to see where we were then reminded me to cancel Crave just now, so yay for that. We'll be back eventually, Crave.) "Everything" in this case was the second seasons of OPLA, Frieren, and The Pitt.
My thoughts on Frieren at this point are, I think, more to do with the experience as filtered through its translation, and I'm going to ignore that for now and instead say the most important thing that I can possibly say at the end of that week of TV watching.
And that thing is this: against all odds, the live-action One Piece (which, as I have said countless times aloud and probably at least once here, if not more, should never have worked at all because it's One Piece, FFS) pulled off Chopper. I am floored. I am agog. I am delighted. I am still sort of mumbling "WTF???" about it under my breath once in a while. CHOPPER.
I won't say that he ever feels so natural to me that I forget he's a marvel of technology onscreen, but he works, and the voice is wonderful, and somehow even when I was at my most aware that he's not being performed by an actor in intensive makeup, he felt like...a stuffed animal/puppet brought to life? Not like CG? (Nothing like the plush Luna from the Sailor Moon drama, for the record.) It's incredible work and I love him so much. (I should also note that I haven't watched any making-of material, so all I know about the creation of Chopper is what Naye mentioned about his huge, shiny eyes accurately reflecting what he's looking at.)
As for what I'll/we'll watch next...I still haven't seen past the initially-released chunk of Justice in the Dark, so I'm trying the tactic of seeing ifscruloose will watch it with me, which means an excuse to start over and refresh myself on the drama, as opposed to my blurry combination of memories from watching those episodes and from reading the fan translation of the novel ages ago. scruloose is willing to at least give it a shot, so hopefully even if they don't wind up sticking with the show, I'll get some momentum on it.
Reading: I finished Rachel Reid's Tough Guy, and then my digital hold on Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shroud came in from the Queens library, so I started in on that. I'm maybe a bit more than halfway through that now? It's interesting and I plan to finish it, but it took a long before I actually got interested, and I mainly kept reading through that chunk because I've enjoyed the handful of Tchaikovsky's other work that I've read quite a lot more than I was enjoying the beginning of this one, so I kept figuring I'd give it a bit longer. I doubt I'll wind up loving it, but I do want to see how things play out.
Watching:
scruloose and I have finished everything we were watching! (And glancing at last week's proof-of-life post to see where we were then reminded me to cancel Crave just now, so yay for that. We'll be back eventually, Crave.) "Everything" in this case was the second seasons of OPLA, Frieren, and The Pitt.My thoughts on Frieren at this point are, I think, more to do with the experience as filtered through its translation, and I'm going to ignore that for now and instead say the most important thing that I can possibly say at the end of that week of TV watching.
And that thing is this: against all odds, the live-action One Piece (which, as I have said countless times aloud and probably at least once here, if not more, should never have worked at all because it's One Piece, FFS) pulled off Chopper. I am floored. I am agog. I am delighted. I am still sort of mumbling "WTF???" about it under my breath once in a while. CHOPPER.
I won't say that he ever feels so natural to me that I forget he's a marvel of technology onscreen, but he works, and the voice is wonderful, and somehow even when I was at my most aware that he's not being performed by an actor in intensive makeup, he felt like...a stuffed animal/puppet brought to life? Not like CG? (Nothing like the plush Luna from the Sailor Moon drama, for the record.) It's incredible work and I love him so much. (I should also note that I haven't watched any making-of material, so all I know about the creation of Chopper is what Naye mentioned about his huge, shiny eyes accurately reflecting what he's looking at.)
As for what I'll/we'll watch next...I still haven't seen past the initially-released chunk of Justice in the Dark, so I'm trying the tactic of seeing if
scruloose will watch it with me, which means an excuse to start over and refresh myself on the drama, as opposed to my blurry combination of memories from watching those episodes and from reading the fan translation of the novel ages ago. scruloose is willing to at least give it a shot, so hopefully even if they don't wind up sticking with the show, I'll get some momentum on it.
Daily Happiness
Apr. 18th, 2026 08:51 pmtorachan1. We already got our tax refunds! Both state and federal were deposited in the account yesterday.
2. I got to sleep easily last night and woke up at more or less my usual time today.
3. Look at this perfectly camouflaged Jasper!
2. I got to sleep easily last night and woke up at more or less my usual time today.
3. Look at this perfectly camouflaged Jasper!
2026 Japan Trip Part 1 (4/2-3)
Apr. 18th, 2026 11:01 amtorachanLike last time, I will be breaking out the theme parks into separate posts (and some of those may need to be split into multiple parts). This time I had the foresight to actually take notes daily so it should be easier to recreate the timeline than just relying on photos as I did last year.
( Travel & arrival in Osaka )
( Travel & arrival in Osaka )
Daily Happiness
Apr. 17th, 2026 08:46 pmtorachan1. Both Carla and I had a really hard time getting to sleep last night (I don't think I got to sleep until around four), so I slept in again today, which I do not like, but I am hoping I'll sleep better tonight.
2. I had some very snuggly cats today. They are so glad we're home.
3. I turned in all my library books before we went on our trip, so the day we got home, I put several books on hold and they all came in today, so I went to pick them up. Depending on what branch they're originally at, they sometimes dribble in one by one, so I was pleasantly surprised that they came all at once.
4. When I walked up to get the books, I passed one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and it smelled so good and was almost lunchtime, so I got burritos on the way back and they were indeed delicious.
5. Look at this sleepy guy!
2. I had some very snuggly cats today. They are so glad we're home.
3. I turned in all my library books before we went on our trip, so the day we got home, I put several books on hold and they all came in today, so I went to pick them up. Depending on what branch they're originally at, they sometimes dribble in one by one, so I was pleasantly surprised that they came all at once.
4. When I walked up to get the books, I passed one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and it smelled so good and was almost lunchtime, so I got burritos on the way back and they were indeed delicious.
5. Look at this sleepy guy!
Weekly Reading
Apr. 17th, 2026 06:09 pmtorachanThis is over two weeks' worth of reading, since I didn't do a post while I was in Japan.
Recently Finished
The Colossus Rises
First book in a middle grade series about a group of kids who discover they carry some ancient gene that can give them super powers but will also kill them soon after it manifests at age 13 unless they can find seven objects that were hidden in the seven wonders of the ancient world. This is clearly trying to be the next Percy Jackson type thing, but while I've never read the Percy Jackson books, I'm pretty sure they must be better than this. The characters were all stereotypes (and there's only one girl in the group of four and she's literally the only female character in the book) and the plot and worldbuilding all felt very haphazard. No interest in continuing the series.
The Disaster Tourist
Translated from Korean. Yona works at a dystopian company that sells tours to disaster zones and when she takes one herself to evaluate whether the company should discontinue it or not, things go off the rails. This was interesting but I didn't love the ending.
Bright
Translated from Thai. When five-year-old Kampol is abandoned by his parents, he is taken in and raised by the close-knit community. This is more a series of short stories than a novel. I liked it a lot.
A Murder for Miss Hortense
First in a new murder mystery series featuring a middle aged Jamaican British sleuth. I liked this a lot. Highly recommend the audiobook.
The Deep
Fantasy novel about a race of mermaids who were born from pregnant slaves tossed over the side of ships. Only one person in each generation holds the memories of their past, and must share them with the group. Interesting world building, but I never could get that into it.
Night Drop
First in a series of muder mysteries set in 1990s LA, around the time of the Rodney King riots. I liked it all right. Will continue the series.
Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History
I am not a teacher nor do I have kids, but this sounded interesting and it was.
An Unnatural Life
A cyborg in prison for murdering a human claims he didn't do it. The MC is a lawyer who decides to take his case and attempt to get a retrial based on the fact that a human jury was prejudiced against him. I liked this but it dragged a bit. It's more novella length, but could have been even shorter.
Two Truths and a Lie
Short story about a woman who mentions a creepy children's show, thinking she's making it up, only to find out it was real and she was on it as a kid. Reminded me a lot of Mister Magic.
Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome
Short story tied to a series of sci-fi novels I haven't read. The novels don't sound that interesting, but this is like a mockumentary style write-up of the world building. I liked it a lot. No knowledge of the series necessary.
Age 16
Graphic novel about three generations of Chinese/Chinese Canadian women and their strained relationships with each other. Chapters alternate between the present when the MC is 16, her mom at 16 in the 70s, and her grandma at 16 in the 50s. I liked it a lot.
Stone Fruit
Graphic novel about two queer women, their relationship with each other, which is falling apart, their role as fun aunts, and their reconnection with their respective sisters. I liked it.
Kokoro no Ichiban Kurai Heya vol. 1
Newish horror manga with a framing story of an online chat group that tells off-the-cuff horror stories based on random words the group suggests. First volume was free on Amazon Japan. Vaguely curious about continuing, but the first volume didn't really grab me, and the overarching plot introduced at the end seems less intriguing, so I'm not sure if I will continue it.
A Star Brighter Than the Sun vol. 5
Mystery to Iu Nakare vol. 16
Saint Oniisan vol. 22
Recently Finished
The Colossus Rises
First book in a middle grade series about a group of kids who discover they carry some ancient gene that can give them super powers but will also kill them soon after it manifests at age 13 unless they can find seven objects that were hidden in the seven wonders of the ancient world. This is clearly trying to be the next Percy Jackson type thing, but while I've never read the Percy Jackson books, I'm pretty sure they must be better than this. The characters were all stereotypes (and there's only one girl in the group of four and she's literally the only female character in the book) and the plot and worldbuilding all felt very haphazard. No interest in continuing the series.
The Disaster Tourist
Translated from Korean. Yona works at a dystopian company that sells tours to disaster zones and when she takes one herself to evaluate whether the company should discontinue it or not, things go off the rails. This was interesting but I didn't love the ending.
Bright
Translated from Thai. When five-year-old Kampol is abandoned by his parents, he is taken in and raised by the close-knit community. This is more a series of short stories than a novel. I liked it a lot.
A Murder for Miss Hortense
First in a new murder mystery series featuring a middle aged Jamaican British sleuth. I liked this a lot. Highly recommend the audiobook.
The Deep
Fantasy novel about a race of mermaids who were born from pregnant slaves tossed over the side of ships. Only one person in each generation holds the memories of their past, and must share them with the group. Interesting world building, but I never could get that into it.
Night Drop
First in a series of muder mysteries set in 1990s LA, around the time of the Rodney King riots. I liked it all right. Will continue the series.
Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History
I am not a teacher nor do I have kids, but this sounded interesting and it was.
An Unnatural Life
A cyborg in prison for murdering a human claims he didn't do it. The MC is a lawyer who decides to take his case and attempt to get a retrial based on the fact that a human jury was prejudiced against him. I liked this but it dragged a bit. It's more novella length, but could have been even shorter.
Two Truths and a Lie
Short story about a woman who mentions a creepy children's show, thinking she's making it up, only to find out it was real and she was on it as a kid. Reminded me a lot of Mister Magic.
Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome
Short story tied to a series of sci-fi novels I haven't read. The novels don't sound that interesting, but this is like a mockumentary style write-up of the world building. I liked it a lot. No knowledge of the series necessary.
Age 16
Graphic novel about three generations of Chinese/Chinese Canadian women and their strained relationships with each other. Chapters alternate between the present when the MC is 16, her mom at 16 in the 70s, and her grandma at 16 in the 50s. I liked it a lot.
Stone Fruit
Graphic novel about two queer women, their relationship with each other, which is falling apart, their role as fun aunts, and their reconnection with their respective sisters. I liked it.
Kokoro no Ichiban Kurai Heya vol. 1
Newish horror manga with a framing story of an online chat group that tells off-the-cuff horror stories based on random words the group suggests. First volume was free on Amazon Japan. Vaguely curious about continuing, but the first volume didn't really grab me, and the overarching plot introduced at the end seems less intriguing, so I'm not sure if I will continue it.
A Star Brighter Than the Sun vol. 5
Mystery to Iu Nakare vol. 16
Saint Oniisan vol. 22
Daily Happiness
Apr. 16th, 2026 10:31 pmtorachan1. I woke up late today (by like an hour or so) and felt pretty tired mid day, but otherwise am pretty much recovered from the travel.
2. Yesterday I went to Petco to buy more litter and decided to get a new cat tree for the kitties as a treat. I wanted to spray it with catnip spray to get everyone to notice it, but so far can't find the spray. Jasper really likes it, though.
3. I'm very glad I have a four day weekend before having to go back to work on Monday.
4. Molly didn't come out of hiding last night until around 9:30, but she's been pretty much glued to my bed ever since. And she was extra demanding of pets when I went to bed last night.
2. Yesterday I went to Petco to buy more litter and decided to get a new cat tree for the kitties as a treat. I wanted to spray it with catnip spray to get everyone to notice it, but so far can't find the spray. Jasper really likes it, though.
3. I'm very glad I have a four day weekend before having to go back to work on Monday.
4. Molly didn't come out of hiding last night until around 9:30, but she's been pretty much glued to my bed ever since. And she was extra demanding of pets when I went to bed last night.
Planter and seeds acquired!
Apr. 16th, 2026 09:14 amumadoshiOur planter is here! Getting it wasn't actually a saga, but it felt a bit like one. ( TL;DR: delivery service annoyance )
We also both took yesterday off (and I'm off the rest of the week, but got up at my usual workday time today in hopes of getting a fair amount of manga work done), and ventured out to buy veg seeds for the planter. (We also still need to get soil/fertilizer/etc., but want to read up on it more first. I think I might order a hard copy of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, which I got on sale in ebook recently and like so far.)
Yesterday's important lesson: when noting down which seed varieties we like the looks of, include the source, because our local store, at least, has separate displays for each originating company, and knowing that would make it much easier to check for the various varieties. Anyway, here's what we wound up with (descriptions are in my last post):
Basil: Devotion.
Cabbage: Early Golden Acre (green) and Serpentine F1 (savoy).
Spinach: Bloomsdale and Renegade.
Lettuce: Brighton (Butterhead), Black Seeded Simpson (green leaf), Red Salad Bowl (red leaf), Grand Rapids (green leaf), Freckles (romaine), and Drunken Woman.
We also both took yesterday off (and I'm off the rest of the week, but got up at my usual workday time today in hopes of getting a fair amount of manga work done), and ventured out to buy veg seeds for the planter. (We also still need to get soil/fertilizer/etc., but want to read up on it more first. I think I might order a hard copy of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, which I got on sale in ebook recently and like so far.)
Yesterday's important lesson: when noting down which seed varieties we like the looks of, include the source, because our local store, at least, has separate displays for each originating company, and knowing that would make it much easier to check for the various varieties. Anyway, here's what we wound up with (descriptions are in my last post):
Basil: Devotion.
Cabbage: Early Golden Acre (green) and Serpentine F1 (savoy).
Spinach: Bloomsdale and Renegade.
Lettuce: Brighton (Butterhead), Black Seeded Simpson (green leaf), Red Salad Bowl (red leaf), Grand Rapids (green leaf), Freckles (romaine), and Drunken Woman.
