Preamble
My one new years resolution for 2026 is to consume more meaningful media. By this I mean, less time doomscrolling and more time watching a movie. Less time watching a review of a TV show I've never watched and more time actually watching it. Less time listening to someone talk about Magic the Gathering and more time playing the game itself.
I've already uninstalled and logged out of every social media app on my phone to discourage scrolling. To stick with this, though, I want to make sure I'm replacing that habbit with enriching media.
I'm planning to use this blog post as a running list of all the new (to me) media I'm engaged with throughout the year. To that end, I'll be updating this post periodically and maybe I'll do an end of year review if I'm feeling up to it. In the mean time, use this site's guest book to recommend me anything you'd think I may enjoy!
TV
2Kawaii4Comfort (Web Series) - Watched April 2026. I've been to cons before and I feel like I've met these people. It's strikingly vulnerable.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair - Watched April 2026. Moments of sweetness sandwiched between classic slapstick. I used to watched the OG show with my family so this was nostalgic. Also Hal is the greatest.
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat - Watched April 2026. Kinda fun, some laugh out loud moments, but did not live up to the original.
The Comeback (season 2) - Watched April 2026. Amazing. The season finale was such a beautiful payoff to everything they set up through both seasons.
The Comeback (season 1) - Watched March 2026. At times chalenging to watch but in a great way.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (season 2) - Watched March 2026. I watched the new episodes as they came out! I think some of the weight of the stories was lost by waiting for the next episode, but overall I really enjoyed it.
One Piece - Netflix's live action adaptation (seasons 1 and 2) - Watched March 2026. I actually watched a couple hundred episodes of the anime last year but got really frustrated by the slow pacing so had to stop. I really appreciated how relatively fast paced this was. I thought it hit most of the big emotional beats of the anime with just as heart. I also loved the over the top acting, costumes, and sets. It was super campy in the best way.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (season 1) - Watched Feb 2026. I thought the pacing dragged at the end, but the art and storytelling were beautiful.
PONIES - Watcehd Feb 2026. Wow, this was fantstic. At first I felt the ending was unsatisfying but in a compelling way.
Work In Progress - Watched Feb 2026. Real, strong, compelling
The Booth At The End - Watched Feb 2026. Never watched season 2 before. Does a hell of a lot with very little.
The Studio - Watched Feb 2026. Kinda dumb but a little funny.
Back to Life (BBC) - Watched Jan 2026. Absolutely devastating
Yokohama Shopping Log - Season 1 watched Jan 2026
Violet Evergarden - Watched the TV show. Not perfect but REALLY good.
The Chris Gethard Show (public access archives) - Began in Dec 2025 and still watching. I've seen many episodes before but never done a full watch through. I am starting this watch through from episode 8 because it starts off rough, but will hopefully loop back around to the earliest ones.
Movies
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender - Beautiful animation and very well done. The ending was perfect.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie - A beautiful mess of a fever dream
Phantom of the Paradise - A vibe and a fever dream. Really special and disorienting.
Violet Evergarden (The Movie) - A fine addition to the TV show.
The People's Joker - Very cool to see something so punk rock and ambitious.
Comics
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui - A well done memoir.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine - A suprisingly light and easy read. Simple and effective art. Really enjoyable!
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir Book by Tessa Hulls - This may be the best thing I've ever read. It's about so many things, and it's a little unfocused at times, but that's real life!
Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir by Denise Dorrance - I'm not sure how I feel about the author, but this book had moments of beauty and some really impactful sections.
Brittle Joints by Maria Sweeney - An amazing memoir primarily on living with chronic illness. Beautifully illustrated and one of the best things I've read in years.
Shubeik Lueik by Deena Mohamed - Cool premise. A bit overexplained, but a full a vibrant world. Lovely structure and good heart.
Beneath the Threes Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath - Gorgeous coloring and a disturbing narrative.
Music
Emotional Park by Marcello Newman - Charming and melodic!
FRANCES by Nana Grizol - Two great songs. GIVE ME MORE!
Live from Evening Star by Emma Harner - I think I prefer this to the "studio" version. Great math folk.
Evening Star by Emma Harner - Hauntingly beautiful
Game Of Pricks by Career Woman - I love this, but want more!
U by underscores - A solid follow up to Wallsocket. I don't think she topped her previous album, but this is a solid bunch of songs.
Black Site by Cheekface - Cheeky
Music To My Ears by Sam Steffen - A solid folk album
Strange Weather by Louie Zong - I put this on in the background while for a crafternoon and it was perfect for the occasion.
Bird at Sunrise by I Am Robot And Proud - Very complex melodies with very calm texture!
I'm Glad My Sisters Got One by HappyHappy - Beautiful and devastating folk punk
Proof Enough by Michael Cormier-O'Leary - There is a beautiful ablum here that is obfuscated by some really interesting stuff.
All the Same Dark by soft idiot - I've loved soft idiot in the past, but missed this album! It's solid indie rock. Great tones, melodies, and vibes.
InteractSTYLE by DV-i - Melodic ambient.
Talulah's Tape by good flying birds - Comforting and catchy jangly twee with nice tape saturation
O.K. by Gabby's World - Perfect music. I should have listened to this years ago
Half Truth by split/mind - Transcendental experimental electronic
Why There Are Mountains by Cymbals Eat Guitars - Solid alt rock from 2009
Renee Nicole Nicole Renee by Emperor X (Single) - Abolish ICE
demos by Amity St - Instrumental math rock EP
Dematerialized by In Love With A Ghost (Single) - Neat chillwave
Mega Pulse EX: The Official Soundtrack by Joe Newman - Wonderful chiptunes
Books
Saint Sebastian's Abyss by Mark Haber - Read April 2026. A delightful parable. Equally parts funny and frustrating, but with a good ending.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - Read April 2026. Fantastic! I thought the end dragged a tiny bit, but the middle was some of the best writting and story I've read in ages.
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