By Eu
Time for another Awesome Possum!
Awesome Possum posts consist of random internet finds. Any blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, anything under the sun will be included here. To be clear, this won’t only include games or manga. It will be anything and everything. Some posts may not be necessarily posted this week, but I’ve only discovered them this week.
Yeah, yeah, we know that already.
Anyway, hello folks! I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. Yet. Despite the lack of updates, I’m still floundering around, trying to survive whatever life throws at me. So I guess, before we start with the updates regarding all the news I’ve missed, let me update you first on some things.
Personal
We’ll start with this one.
2019 is probably the most challenging year in my entire 20s, almost a full decade since that tumultuous 2011. My dad got really sick this year, and for the first half of 2019, it’s just us going to the doctors and doing laboratories day in and day out. I’m living with my dad, and since my mom and sister are both living abroad, I’m the sole caregiver. I have donned different hats such as being the pharmacist, nurse, accountant, cook, counselor, cleaner, secretary, all in one. Being the youngest, I’m used to being a follower in the family and just doing things at my own pace. But this year, I’m forced to be the impromptu head and breadwinner. To be honest, it is quite scary and exhausting. But life has to move on.
There are some improvements with my dad’s health mid-year, so I’m able to do this lifelong project of mine. If you haven’t, please do check out my web novels, The School Idol’s Roommate and Try and Catch Me. I have finished TSIR, thankfully. Meanwhile, TCM is still on-going, plus there is another one on the way. But…
Life decides to throw a curveball in my direction, just for the heck of it.
The drugs my dad is taking showed signs of toxicity, affecting his eyesight. Because of that, I decided to accompany him every time he goes out and even when he is going to our family store. Luckily (or not), I don’t have a full-time job this year so I can attend to him any time.
But that also means I don’t have time for myself. If I’m not at the store, I’m busy doing the household chores or maybe picking up stocks for the store. I can’t write and I also can’t read/play anything at all. It is tough juggling, but it’s not like I have a choice. More like, the other choice is abandoning my dad, which isn’t something I’d like to do (or to any of my family members for that matter).
From Nitro+Chiral
Blogging
2019 marks my 10th year of blogging, a decade of rambling and dabbling through different fandoms. The past decade introduced me to different areas such as otome gaming. Bishie Holic has undergone quite a lot too, not just with the change in focus from anime to manga and gaming, but with its home. When the blog came back to WordPress.com, I thought I’ve tried and seen it all. And that’s where I’m wrong because I’m in for a surprise this year. To my surprise, people have started reaching out to promote their games. I know it’s not much, and I know that younger blogs achieve this much earlier than BH did, but nonetheless, I’m happy. I never thought they would find my blog anyway. The experience is humbling, though. And generally, I’m just thankful to anyone who stumbles onto this site. Thank you!
However, I originally intended to have at least 4 posts a month. But with the sudden changes, I can barely come up with a single post. 😓
But! I’m not losing hope! I still want to have at least 1 post a month. I’m not sure if I mentioned this somewhere, but I have a thing with scheduled posts lol. Instead of posting right away, I tend to schedule my updates which means I’ll probably choose Sunday as my posting date. Meanwhile, Awesome Possum will remain as a Sunday column.
Next year is going to be my 11th year! Bishie Holic and I are both oldies lol. Never expected to continue doing this up to this day.
Fandom/Interests
My web novel, webtoon, and manga reading slow down quite a bit too, especially in the last 6 months, to give way to reading more books! I haven’t been reading a lot in the past years. This year, I managed to read more than 50 books! Yaaaas. I know, some people read 200, but for someone who reads only 10 a year, 50 is such a big leap. 😁 I’ve been more active on Goodreads than the rest of my social media accts.
Speaking of social media, I’ve realized that I’m not much of a fan of them. Took me long enough to figure that out. 😂 Scrolling through my feeds, not only increased that feeling of FOMO, but it makes me anxious. It feels like shouting through the crowd of strangers, which gives me way too much anxiety in real life. Those sites also suck my mental energy and time. It isn’t helpful to me who can barely manage to squeeze in everything within 24-hours. On a positive note, choosing what I do and see on social media helps me filter out unnecessary fandom wars and drama. I have too much drama already, thank you very much.
To be honest, though, my otome gaming mood this year is pretty much non-existent. I have been playing Binary Star on and off, and while it is interesting, I just can’t summon the energy needed to fully appreciate it. I’m still stuck on my 2nd route (Rayla).
While I didn’t play a lot of commercial VNs this year, I did play (and got addicted hehe) to mobile games. Let’s see, there’s Utapri, Battle Cats, Township, Eden of Ikemen, and Merge Dragons. There are some really short ones (short as in, I only played them for an hour or two), like the SM rhythm game, Deemo, Cytus II, and also some puzzle games which titles I forgot.
There’s also quite a bit of indie games for me this year. Hashihime will be the top game. I love it with every fiber of my being. I’m currently finishing my post for One Night Stand. Currently, I’m playing Dark Nights and Paws Effect. Please do check them out and support the developers!
I put my Japanese learning on-hold after reaching, what I think is, the somewhat intermediate level. This then gives me some time for Korean variety shows and managed to squeeze in time for Kdrama, the interesting and lovely Hotel del Luna.
For 2020, I’d like to continue working through my backlog. I’ve accumulated quite a bit of manga and games lying around the house, not to mention the digital titles I have. So for next year, I’ll prioritize the titles I have than getting newer ones.
…except for Tokyo Mirage
…and Animal Crossing lol
I think that’s about it? Let’s hop to the news and blog posts from around the internet!😋
Awesome Reads
Anime
‘Gravitation’: Boy-Meet-Boy Anime Made for Teen Girls
I didn’t realize that this is a review. 😅 I thought this is a feature article lol. What’s even weirder for me is that it’s been 10years since I discovered BL, and I still haven’t watched Gravitation despite it being the first BL of my friends. It kinda fell off my radar once I’ve read more and more titles.
2020 ORPHEN ANIME GETS NEW TRAILER, VISUAL, 3 CAST MEMBERS
Orphennnnn! I wonder if this is a remake or a new season? But it looks like a remake… I need to read more about this.
Orphen is like one of my childhood 2D hubby, and I don’t remember why I stopped watching. Maybe my OTP sunk or the local TV didn’t continue airing it…
Higurashi: When They Cry
A haunting small-town Horror Anime
Oooh. Higurashi crept me out despite watching it at noon. But I loved it even when I got so confused that I had to get my friend to answer my question and make me understand why things happened.
5 Tropes in Shojo Anime We Love (& 5 We Want To Dump)
The number 1 on the list reminds me of School Rumble lmao.
Manga
It’s Finally Happening! Beloved Manga Slam Dunk Will Be Back In April 2020 After 22 Years!
Yasssss! About time younger gens know about this manga! I’m quite curious about the storyline though.
Japanese artist shows difference between erotic manga for men vs. women in simple side-by-side
Heh. Interesting. Though both pictures looks creepy and makes me want to punch the guys.
MyAnimeList Starts New Free Manga Service
MAL joins the roster of sites that offer manga service. Baki and Ousama Game look interesting.
Web Novels
《惜花时》天官赐福 – ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Yume-chan translated another HuaLian song. UGHHHH. The knives are coming baaaack!
[C-Novel] The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage Review
I was never into revenge stories.
The local dramas are all about it, and they usually piss me off. But C-Novels changed that for me. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing those fake white lotus get slapped.
This seems to be one of those, and I’m looking forward to reading it!
QUICK CNOVEL REVIEWS #4
I live for these quick C-Novel reviews from Yume-chan. It’s just hard to get enough of these novels, even when I don’t know when I’ll have time to read them all. 🤣
From Nintendo
Games
Siliconera Selects: Nintendo Switch Game Guide
Another weird. I’m quite used to Breath of the Wild as the must-have game for Switch, the play-it-or-you’re-going-to-miss-half-of-your-life kind of game.
Fire Emblem is the game that makes it hard for me to get into. I borrowed FE on 3DS from my friend, and I just can’t get into it, no matter how many times I tried.
Still waiting for that day when I can get my hands on Luigi’s Mansion 3.
Sony President Confirms It Isn’t Making A Vita 2
In a way, I’m happy. Because it means I won’t be torn to buy another handheld, and the developers can focus on Nintendo Switch as it’s the most convenient gaming console I have.
The 10 Best Nintendo Switch Games Of 2019 (According To Metacritic)
Another FE winner.
Here’s What Japanese Developers Across the Industry Have Plans For In 2020
Interesting to read and to know what is in store for us in the coming year.
Splatoon 2 Balance Patch Will Appear on January 8, 2020
Sweet. Still more updates for Splatoon 2. I haven’t been playing that much, though.
Tokyo Ghoul Creator’s Jack Jeanne Otome Game Could Appear Outside of Japan
The art looks cool! (Yes, I’m still a sucker for pretty art.) And yes, I hope that this would be good, and it would appear outside Japan.
Imprisoned Palm Refrain Gets a New Trailer, Releases for Switch in Japan on March 13, 2020
Considering the price of the first game, why didn’t Capcom release this with the first. Business, right. 🙄 But still, sucks.
Togainu no Chi ~Lost Blood~
I have no more reason not to play N+C games. I’m so happy with what JAST Blue has been doing.
BUSTAFELLOWS
This looks cool and badass! I hope this game turns out well.
Gensou Kissa Enchante Reviews 1, 2
I’m low-key following the updates for this game, and I’m glad that it turns out to be a pretty good one. We need this as we’re certainly lacking quite a bit of impressive otoge lately.
Aniplex Launches Visual Novel Branch with Two New Titles
Interested with Adabana Odd Tales as it is with Liar-Soft. What’s more interesting is that this is to be released in Japanese, Chinese, and English.
Others
INTJs in an Extroverted Society (gulp!)
I can relate lol. The one good thing I noticed is that small talk in the elevator is not necessary for my country. No one talks in the elevator unless you’re with a friend. No one talks about the weather either.
5 Powerful Japanese Concepts For Creating A Positive Mental Health Routine
This is interesting. Putting this here so I can come back to this post and thoroughly absorb the concepts.
Can we please stop treating extroversion as the default and introversion as a defect?
Yes, can we please? Stop seeing anyone in the same extroverted lenses.
I was reading about introversion, and a classmate saw the book. He was surprised to know about introverts and ask if introversion isn’t some kind of disease. I was quite offended but realized that it’s because he grew up with the same view as everybody, that everyone has to be loud and outgoing. That being reserved automatically means that you are withdrawn.
It’s 2020. Let’s change that. Not everyone is the same.
Awesome Vids
I Spent a Week with Japan’s Biggest Rock Star
I did a double-take when I saw the video cover. Just wow. Chris manages to cover Hyde. HYDE of all people. 😱
【冬休み】弟者,兄者,おついち,メロの「スーパー マリオパーティ」【2BRO.】
I love 2BRO. okay.
And while I loved watching them play action and horror games, I enjoyed watching them play games like this. They are my stress-reliever. 🤩
RyeoWook’s Hangout🏠✨
I watch and follow the other SuJu members’ vlogs, but my favorite is RyeoWook’s. It’s just so calming to watch. I love everything about his videos from the camera to the sounds to the subtitles.
Happy 2020! May we all have a prosperous New Year! And cheers to a new decade ahead of us! 🌟 ✨🌻 🌞🌈
[…] is a copy-paste from my other blog […]
Happy New Year, Eumimi! I feel you about being a carer and hope 2020 will be easier on you! (hugs)
Thank you! /hugs
Same to you!