august

ive always thought about making a diary, but i just couldnt be bothered to at first. i didnt really know what thoughts id wanna put down or what id want to share. plus i usually just do short posts on tumblr. but eventually i made one just to share my thoughts and recent happenings. nothing super graphic or personal.

the summer just kinda breezed by ngl.. i went to the theater twice with my sister. in july to see barbie and august to see mutant mayhem. i went to the park a few times and got to have some really good food from local vendors. but otherwise i just stayed home and browsed the web.

i really liked barbie. i enjoyed the references to other barbie dolls from the past. really took me back to my youth and looking up controversial, discontinued or recalled toys. i always had an interest in that kind of thing. nowadays im more interested in bootlegs though. the films feminist themes are something ill have to really look into on its own. cuz theres a lot.. it felt a little out of place but ken thinking the patriarchy was about horses was funny.

i ADORED mutant mayhem. the animation is gorgeous. its super scribbly and it feels 2d and 3d at the same time. i actually saw it in 3d lol. the turtles actually act like teens and i think thats neat even if it meant hearing them say "rizz" unironically. also superfly. theres a lot to be said about him and how he mirrors splinter with how he raised his family but you cant lie.. hes hot (insert blushing emoji). i cant say i selfship with him. i couldnt think of any good ideas for an s/i. i do want to come back to the idea eventually (and make one for the 80's cartoon). in conclusion i highly recommend it. though just as a warning, theres a lot of pulsing lights and some emetophobia.

i started playing ffvii. its been something ive been wanting to play for a very long time.. i remember when i was 15 id watch advent children amvs at like 2 am. it was the one thing keeping me sane at the time lol. i also selfshipped with cloud for years. one of the first characters i selfshipped with when i got in the community. as of right now i just finished don cornero's mansion. i named all of my party members variants of ligma and similar jokes. cloud is joe mama, barret is ligma, tifa is deez nuts, and aerith is sugondese. i know for a fact that when red xiii joins my party im naming him updog. my sense of humor hasnt changed since high school.

ive also started up a new save in pokemon platinum. ive already caught giratina and beat 7 gyms, im just trying to catch a roaming mesprit and level up for the final gym. ive been meaning to revisit sinnoh for years. platinum was the first pokemon game i played that wasnt just me running around in my cousins files and doing random encounters. even though id go on to beat the champion in both white 2 and alpha sapphire, and do all the post story stuff in scarlet (minus dlc). i never got past the third gym in platinum until now. im really proud of myself. my team consists of an empoleon named george, a roserade named louise, a luxray named watt, an espeon named yume, and a togetic named macro (if you know, you know)

i really want to get hgss, but sadly i dont own a copy. the only people i know who own copies are my irl friends and a cousin and i dont wanna be a hassle and ask them to lend their copies to me. and from what ive seen online, the prices are insanely high. the fact we live in a world where ds pokemon games cost you about as much as an overpriced switch game is insane. though to be fair.. hgss also has the pokewalker. that likely added to its price even back then. i wish games werent so expensive..

speaking of overpriced switch games, a remake of super mario rpg got announced a while ago! as someone who literally joined tumblr to meet other smrpg fans (specifically those who shipped genario lol), i was screaming. i really hope they do it justice and make it worth the price (its like 80 dollars in canada so.. ya).other than that i cant wait for a new wave of mario rpg fans to come and appreciate a game that i and many have for so long.

thats really all i have to say for now.

september

september is a very melancholic month for me. the weather is getting colder, and now i have to wear actual pajama sets. i also have to prepare for winter, the itchiest time of the year!

in platinum, i beat the final gym and i evolved macro into togekiss. i also got a shiny staravia while i was looking for a chansey. after a bit of grinding, i FINALLY beat the champion. they were not joking about cynthia being a hard battle. if that wasnt enough, i got all three of the lake guardians and now i have the national dex! im gonna try to catch, hatch and evolve as much as i can now that i have access to potentially catching a ditto. there was also the batte zone. the battles are a little too easy, but i liked the challenge battling team galactic at stark mountain.

in ffvii, i saved aerith/sugondese from shinra and recruited red xiii/updog. i only now just realized that the dialogue i say matters in a later scene where you go on a date with one of your party members.. lowkey hope i get barret just because it gives you a trophy on other platforms. though im playing on switch. cloud/barret is an s tier ship tho.

but games im playing aside, the rayman dlc for the new mario + rabbids game dropped! i refuse to give ubisoft a cent of my money so i mostly just learned things secondhand. theres a song sung by an npc that mentions mr dark and words cannot describe the shock i felt. i mean, it is the obvious choice when it comes to rayman villains. but anyone that knows me knows i dont play when it comes to mr dark.

i had this crazy dream. in the midst of my usual "traveling through vaguely familiar rooms and hijinks ensue", i was with the 1987 versions of the ninja turtles. i eventually became a traitor and joined shredder and the foot clan. when i woke up, i was like "i gotta make this the concept for my 1987 s/i when i actually get around to it". maybe ill make a mutant mayhem s/i that's like the only person superfly treats with decency. so many ideas.. while on the topic of tmnt, my friend saw a superfly funko at a local con for 13 dollars!! while i do not like how funko pops look, i would have gotten it because its the only superfly figure that isnt a toy (and also because of the low price). not to mention it looks really goofy in an almost charming way?

a nintendo direct came and went. i had to run errands while it was streaming but i caught a bit of the first 10 minutes and watched the rest later. im just really happy to see more smrpg stuff. the remakes for mario vs donkey kong and ttyd are cool but i dont intent on buying anymore full price remakes. im also super excited for the new warioware even though i have no room to play it (orbulon my beloved). princess peach showtime looks like a lot of fun. at least it isnt a game where the gameplay is based around her emotions. also new konami rhythm game with smooooch in the trailer? i hope there will be more songs from other bemani franchises. get the rights to use some of the old ps1 ddr songs and you have my money.

before i go into anime ive watched, i wanna talk about the trailer for the new madoka magica movie that just dropped! i actually have an entry where i talk about pmmm and its lore in development right now. so this came out at an interesting time. my prediction is that this film will be about the negative consequences of homuras actions in rebellion. because while she had good intent with trying to save madoka by taking away her godhood, with that definitely came with at least a little bit of karma. and i feel like we'll see that when the movie comes out. i just hope they dont turn homura into a full-on villain. to me she will always be a flawed hero who fell in love with the person that showed her hope. the last thing i want is for everyone to get flanderized to hell and back. but that aside, im interested to see what lead the characters to changing in deisgn. especially sayaka (my favorite girl.. shes all bandaged up).

!! spoilers for nana below !!

one anime i have been wanting to watch and finally got around to was nana. i absolutely adore the art style and general aesthetic. i definitely wanna watch and read more of ai yazawa's works. is it shallow that i wanted nana and hachi to get together? maybe when its continued it will happen somehow.. all i can say is that i strongly dislike hachi/takumi and nana/ren (and reira/shin but i think anyone with morals wouldnt like them together) so like. they deserve better. whether it be with each other or with someone that wont treat them like shit.

does baz recommend it? depends. read the doesthedogdie page because there is a LOT going on. most notably: adult themes like drinking, sex, drugs, and unhealthy relationships.

october

for halloween this year, i went as reisen from touhou. specifically her original appearance from imperishable night. it seemed like the easiest touhou character to make a costume out of. most of the props i just got from local stores. usually when i make a halloween costume i choose something that would be super easy to make.

i watched the first saw movie. which is probaby the first real horror movie ive seen (uness you count 9). i always thought the concept of the movies were super interesting. before this point the only saw related media i ever seen was spongebob plays saw 1 and 2. i plan on seeing saw x and the other films eventually.

i set up my wii u and started playing my old wii games. ive been focused on unlocking characters in ssbb and getting all the trophies and stickers. brawl was one of my favorite games growing up, i actually vividly remember the day i got it. it was easter 2009 and i got it with my old wii that has since hit the shitter. i was very little at the time and fluxuated between maining kirby and pikachu. nowadays i main fox and diddy kong. though in ultimate im obviously a banjo main (where do you think i got the site name? lol). ive been playing through subspace with my sister and god.. the nostalgia is killing me.

ive also been playing wii sports resort. the minigame where you slice objects is the best, with the plane flying second and table tennis third. just dance is also fun, i find the choreographies get better in the later installments though. say what you want about the series and their yucky yearly releases, they make for a great workout. ive also, unfortunately, started playing raving rabbids 2. while im eternally grateful for the game due to it being my gateway to rayman, it is at the end of the day a mediocre minigame collection. the rhythm minigames arent bad though. you have to have a good tolerance for annoying things to enjoy the game.

while on the topic of rayman, recently this show called captain laserhawk got released and he is in it. from what i gathered its some kind of official ubisoft crossover au. i dont really care for it. but as per usual, ive heard people have been whining for rayman 4 instead. the thing with games and offhandedly mentioning sequels is that those sequels almost never happen. it happened with banjo threeie, and i think rayman 4 may be the same situation (i hope this ages badly ngl).

im someone who is rather neutral on the rabbids. while i enjoyed the games as a kid, they do not hold up very well and are a stain in the rayman franchise. and while im not the biggest fan of the style of the ubiart games (especially what they did to betilla) theyre still rayman games. people complain that rayman is ruined and will never be like "the good old days", but like.. did you look at the original trilogy? how all three games had unique styles and aesthetics? i bet you there were people complaining the great escape didnt have the cutesy style the original had!

i watched whats currently released of this indie animated show called monkey wrench. as of right now, there are only two episodes so i cant do an exact recommendation. the first one involves the main characters, beebs and shrike, taking care of an escort who they find out is a wanted bounty. and the second is when they are tasked with saving a planet thats 4 hours away from destruction, and end up meeting a civilization of little rock creatures (theres even one voiced by vinesauce vinny). normally, i dont watch a lot of modern western animation. they are usually unappealing to me. but the style of this show really caught my eye. i genuinely thought it was a forgotten jetix show or something. i also found out the main two characters were initially old ocs, and eventually became their own thing. i think thats so cool! also i wanna smooch shrike. who said that.

i finally got around to completing cardcaptor sakura. specifically the 90's anime version. the characters are great and really carry the episodes. they all balance each other out and have really fun dynamics. kero and syaoran are my favorite of the bunch. when it comes to clow cards, their designs are super cool and i love their unique mechanics. my favorites are mirror, rain, jump and dash.

does baz recommend it? yes! if you love cute magical girls and happy-go-lucky stories, then i recommend it. my only warning is that there are some couples with uncomfortable age gaps.

november

november is a weird month for me. after eating my halloween candy in the span of the week, i get this weird empty feeling with a mix of anxiety. the holiday season has begun, and i pray for the sanity of all retail workers.

i went to see saw x in theaters. i went on the last day so it was just me, my sister, and a group on the other side of the already tiny theatre room. i really liked it! though there was a part where i got really lightheaded and took a brief break in the bathroom (lmao). unsure if it was the gore was too much or if it was just really warm and i was dehydrated. but i find stuff like this to be really impressive with how their executed, even if its obviously fake. theres definitely a lot im missing in terms of lore because the only other saw film ive seen is the first.

lately ive been working more on fanfics. i feel like my writing is too simplistic and repetitive at times (doesnt help that i mostly just write self indulgent smut nowadays). that and i feel inferior to my peers who also write. and often thats what discourages me from getting to my fics. in fact, once i deleted my ao3 (and 98% of my fics) i lost all motivation to write. ill find a way to get that spark though..

i had two superfly dreams within the span of two days. i was like, wtf? in the first dream we were a couple with a child. he was surprisingly a great father. in the second it was a one sided crush on my part but he seemed to return the feelings. we were at some fan gathering for mutant mayhem fans and there were a lot of plastic bags filled with clothes. maybe my dreams are telling me to should start up that s/i ive been offhandedly mentioning. wouldnt be the first time my dreams told me to stop being lazy.

ive picked up momentum on playing chrono trigger. i got the masamune pieces, recruited ayla, and now im at the battle against magus. it's been a game ive been slowly chipping at since 2021. i wanna beat it eventually cuz it's tiring trying to avoid spoilers!! i know its dumb cuz its a like 30 year old game but a lot of people say its best experienced blind so i will do that. hoping to get the best ending possible. my current rotation is chrono (of course), marle (i dont like separating her from chrono), and lucca (my wife). i love all the other party members though. honestly, how could i hate any of them?

the smrpg remake is out! sadly i wont be getting it til christmas. however ive been reading up on whats been changed. such as yaridovich and mack becoming "speardovich" and "claymorton" (im not calling them that. sorry), and other localizations. it seems theyre going for being accurate to the japanese text instead of keeping it the way it was when it was first translated. im really looking forward to see what kind of fans the remake will attract. im hoping we'll start seeing more selfshippers (as a former bowyer selfshipper u all get my blessing).

i bought a digital copy of no straight roads! there was an indie sale on the playstation store and i didnt wanna miss my chance. but now.. i can play it for myself. any time. i know the game isnt the best gameplay wise, but the story and characters deeply captivate me (though you probably already knew that...). i beat it in less than a week. i got the encore edition so i get to see the christmas outfits and all the fanart. it's all great! i even recognised some artists from their other works.

i havent finished any shows lately. ive been focused on finishing the 90s sailor moon anime, which i plan on making a separate entry on. im halfway through supers as of the time im writing this.

now, we venture into the final month of the year..

december

so.. december. this month (on the fourth) marks my anniversary with mr dark. i started shipping with him two years ago! isnt it wild how time flies? i used to selfship with him in private, but once i drew art i knew there was no going back. though i dont treat my selfships like serious relationships, the love is there. trust me.

i started up a new save in pokemon white 2. i dont have the original b&w game(s), so im definitely missing a lot of context. im not as big of a fan of gen 5 as i am some of the other gens, but it holds a spot in my heart. my current party is a samurott named leila, a lucario named rio, an ampharos named ray, and an espeon named dusk (or yume 2). as of now ive beaten all the gyms and im currently going after team plasma.

ive started using gaia online again. i mainly just use it to make cute outfits, so nothing too big. its a very quiet but tight knit userbase. also, the economy is so much better. i can actually afford things now! i used to barely scrape past 10 billion, but now i comfortably sit with 1 trillion gold. spending 10 million on items i could only dream of having 10 years ago feels so satisfying.

i watched the game awards in real time with some friends. i nearly fell asleep cuz of all the boring hyper realistic games that were revealed. but.. a jet set radio remake got announced!!! its a game i wanna play cuz the style absolutely rules. kojima was there too, he's cooking.. something. it was actually kind of unnerving lol. though im too broke for hi fi rush im so happy it got an award. after seeing a meme comparing it to nsr and mad rat dead (two music games that changed my brain chemistry) its been on my list. of course its only available on the consoles i dont have. so yeah, nothing too big imo. i think the last time i got genuinely hyped during tga was when they revealed sephiroth for smash.

i finished sailor moon! my review is in its own article, check it out if you wanna know my full thoughts. i also did a second rewatch of revolutionary girl utena. i cant exactly say if ill be able to make the article i intended on making for this series, but it is something i want to do eventually. i just worry ill state the obvious. i also wanna do a princess tutu rewatch, but ive already got alot on my watchlist...

you wont believe what happened this christmas.. YA GIRL GOT SMRPG! ive gotten 6/7 stars and im just going through bowsers keep as of the time im writing this. i also got a qposket of sailor uranus, to go with the sailor neptune one i already have. do not separate them. this year i had a huge turkey dinner with family. the turkey leg i got was so big and heavy, i couldnt even finish it even when i had it as leftovers. it ended up becoming soup stock.

ive been obsessed with this anime called gregory horror show. it has a very unique papercraft style and a interesting story. it reminds me a lot of popee the performer with the short episodes, dated but cool animation style, and horror (though popee is more violent while ghs is psychological). ive only watched the first season, and ive been completely captivated. theres also a game, but since im too broke to import a european ps2 ive just been watching vinesauce joel play it. gregory's voice does things to me and i dont know how to feel about it.

i downloaded this software called ytp++. its an updated version of ytp+, a software for generating your own youtube poops. it has a ton of pre-installed content to go through, and it's fully customizable. ive been screwing around with it and inserting random stuff i have saved into it. memes, amvs, obscure videos, all that good stuff.

the new monkey wrench episode came out! i watched it stream on youtube in real time. it was an absolute blast!! it follows scratch and scritch's ship being attacked by the agari, with beebs and shrike also getting attacked while helping them recover. it also focuses on the agari's backstory, and why they attacked in the first place. overall, it was much more emotional than the previous episodes. but i liked that direction. i genuinely wonder how the story will unfold. especially with that ending (not spoiling it. see it for yourself).

all in all, 2023 was a really good year. geno and mallow returned, i started up the momentum to write again, and i got better at html. im looking forward to 2024 and what it holds. hopefully you too, the reader, also have a good 2024! remember to find beauty in the mundane.