New Job and Updates!

New job!

I've kept you in the dark for the past while, but tomorrow is the first day for my new job! I'm excited because this will not only be my first foray into the world of retail, but it is also the first job where I actually attended a formal interview. As you may or may have not known, I've worked exclusively as a waiter for several different restaurants in the past three years.

I gotta say, it really does suck sometimes. It isn't the cleanest job (though far from the dirtiest) and it takes a surprising toll on your emotional and physical state. The tips are nice, but to me it doesn't justify the cons that I associate with being a waiter. These feelings were the reason why I tried to look for a job in retail, and while I hear that there are some parallels with waiting tables, I hope that I'll find something else in it.

Four eyes

While I've been slowly been denying it for the past year or so, my vision has actually deteriorated a good bit. Even nearing the end of my grade 12 year I had difficulties reading the board from the back of the room, and I can only shudder to think about how that would translate to some of the lecture halls at UBC that are allegedly gigantic in comparison.

So I visited my optometrist a while back, got a prescription, and ordered a pair to have them arrive a few days ago. Unfortunately there are some scratches on the frames so I'm getting a replacement pair, but until they arrive I'm free to continue using my current pair.

I don't know how I feel about them at the moment in terms of style, but so far they have been perfect for aiding my vision (not that I have any lecture halls to practice in). Maybe it's just a case of getting used to seeing them on my face.

Wow I'm actually going to uni

This summer has been one of the "longest" ones I've had, but that could be due to how different and exciting each day is. I've spent loads of time with friends, new and old, and it really has been a blast. But riddled between days spent at Lynn Canyon and nights huddled around a Catan board, there have been some commitments and reminders that I will be attending university come fall.

The mere thought of it sends an energy coursing through my veins, an energy akin to the first day excitement of high school - except on steroids. I have no idea what the experience will be like, but I hope to soak in as much as I can through however many years I'll be at UBC.

But then there's also this anxious part of me that sharpens my feelings into a double edged sword. What if I don't make the splash that I want to? Am I really ready for university, and can I handle it? There are all these questions and self-doubts, but I think what I need to do is a reaffirm myself and dive head first into the unknown.

Cheers - until next time!

It's been a nice day

Cool things

I'm not sure how well I have been keeping you up to date on my employment, but for the record I am working as a waiter (once again). To start things off, here are some things that customers do that make me (and presumably other waiters) happy:

1. Wait to be seated
2. Be polite and understanding
3. Pile up dishes at the end
4. Control children
5. Not make a mess

#1 is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to being a waiter. If you do this, what you're saying to me is that a) you think you're better than everybody else, b) you do not have a single morsel of respect, and c) you do not want good service.

I'm a waiter - it's literally my job to provide good service to customers. If I'm busy and you decide to seat yourself down, I will not know that you are there until you walk up to me two minutes later and demand a menu, stating that you have been "seated for several minutes now without any service."

#2 is more of a general life tip than anything, but it applies doubly so when it comes to the service industry. If you're making things as easy as possible for me, I'll feel more inclined to a better experience for you.

If you do #3, you might be doing it in a way that's "inefficient" for the waiter to pick it up, but it's the thought that counts (it really does go a long way, at least for me).

#4 is slotted lower in the list because I get that children are hard to control and hard to get away from. Not everybody can hire a sitter and children are just... messy. I don't mind cleaning up a messy table, but if your kid is flinging food against the wall or sticking it in places where it shouldn't go, please control your kid. Maybe this means taking away the food or spoon feeding. If your little one starts throwing a tantrum due to this, then maybe he/she isn't the greatest to take out to eat. Pick up.

#5 - kinda hard to do since you naturally are more carefree with your mess, but very appreciated. Makes it easier for us to clean the table.

Alright that ended up being longer than I thought, so I'll just tell you the cool things that happened today from work. A customer arranged droplets of water on the table so that they formed a heart, and I think that was pretty neat. Thanks for being cool random stranger! Another neat thing that happened was when I was actually going home from work. The bus driver was super friendly, despite the bus being absolutely packed, and he even got us to play "If You're Happy and You Know It" for a bit.

When I finally got home I found my tenant's cat loafed up on the front lawn, and I sat down in one of my tenant's comfy lawn chairs and she jumped up and I patted her for a bit. That was nice.

Finally started that workout

For a while now I've been disappointed in my body and how sluggish I've become. Maybe it's the large amount of fast food ingested since summer started, maybe it's the hours spent lounging at my desk and in bed. Most likely the cause of my "sudden flab" is a combination of the two.

Putting the reason aside, I used the sight of my belly jiggling as I walked around my house as motivation to get in shape. My first day consisted of me failing to do even half the reps featured in the Ab Ripper X routine, however I swore that I felt my abs were already transforming into the six-pack that I coveted.

I remember from somewhere that it's not good to do the same workout for a group of muscles daily, and that knowledge was cemented by the slight pain I would feel in my abdominal region whenever I sneezed or even when I walked. I held off until two days later, and I did the same Ab Ripper X routine after getting off work.

It felt like I was doing better and I was immensely proud of myself. Things were looking up, and I should have kept looking up because when I looked down in the mirror I was greeted with the sight of a psuedo-double-chin (am I using my hyphens right here?) I grew dismayed, and my spirits dropped.

That double-chin thing actually happened today. And today, I found the will and motivation to complete a different routine. A few hours ago I tried to complete the Cardio Challenge of the Insanity series, and while I struggled to finish each rep and skipped a whole bunch, I saw it through to the end.

I struggled. I found myself sweating more than I ever have (in recent memory at least). For the entire half an hour every breath was laboured, every movement was done tired to the bone, but at some point, when I realized that I was sweating profusely, I found joy.

That was my moment of liberation. I feel so happy knowing that I can work that hard and I know that I will be able to reach my goal.

tl;dr: so yeah I finally started doing that workout thing and work was alright

Final Thoughts: Anime of Spring 2017

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

I like how I changed the spelling of everybody's names since the first impressions post.

MyAnimeList
First Impressions: Anime of Spring 2017

Shortcuts:
Eromanga-sensei
Re:Creators
Renai Boukun
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat

Eromanga-sensei (12)

I Rate: 7.3
One Sentence: Did it... end?

I didn't think Eromanga-sensei would actually revolve around sibling love, and thankfully it didn't. I would argue that it actually has less to do with that particular theme and instead focuses on being a comedy. Sure, the very premise of the show generated a lot of buzz around it, but there is little to actually say on the note of Masamune and Sagiri's relationship.

I thought the art was pretty nice, and the music was pretty catchy. In terms of plot progression, it's basically all done in the first few episodes, as the characters in Eromanga-sensei never face any meaningful conflicts later on.

So why did I rate this anime relatively high?

It was just... funny. Similar to the way Mayoiga was funny. Reading episode discussions was always a blast every week, and the show did have some legitimately funny scenes. Where Eromanga-sensei lacks in depth of characters/story, it makes up with some really "memey" and hilarious moments.

Basically go in, don't expect a thoughtful and constructive piece of work, and you will have a blast (granted, you need a sense of humour beforehand).

Best Girl: Tomoe is pretty cool and relatively pure


Re:Creators* (6/22, dropped)

I Rate: 6.8
One Sentence: By the time I reached episode 6 the show had failed to live up to my expectations, and the already uninteresting events and interactions seem forced.

While Re:Creators had one of the most promising starts to the spring season, I found myself becoming less and less interested as the anime continued to air. For what I was hoping would be a highlight of the season, I am sorely disappointed.

The largest gripe that I have with Re:Creators is the poor execution of not only plot development but also character development. I can honestly say that through the six episodes that I did watch, I do not remember any significant events occurring that actually did something to further the story.

As I had noted in my initial impressions of this show, I felt that the characters were quite lacking in unique personalities. There were no reasons given for me to support or sympathize with any of the characters, and the fact that there is are so many characters makes it even more difficult to do so. Many, if not all, of the characters are not enjoyable to watch. Alice is an extremely stubborn and headstrong individual, and it makes me cringe (for lack of a better word) to see her actions and decisions unfold. Perhaps this is just a personal preference of mine, but I believe the characters are what makes Re:Creators mediocre.

Despite this, I do think that (for the right person) Re:Creators can be an intriguing show. For those more geared towards spectacular and awesome action scenes with less interest in characters, maybe this show has something for you.

Best Girl: Selesia is the only bearable one (asides from Metorea)


Renai Boukun (12)

I Rate: 7.2
One Sentence: Despite how unusual and unappealing Renai Boukun seems, it still managed to make me laugh and kinda look forward to each episode.

Renai Boukun was weird. For me, most of its value is derived from my enjoyment of the show. However there are others who look for other aspects and, in the case of Renai Boukun, may be disappointed.

There is nothing outstanding about Renai Boukun. You can check off your list of the holy anime pillars and find that the show is quite average in all categories, premise excluded. The animation, characters, and music are all decent. In terms of the premise, I'll give studio EMT² the benefit of the doubt that they did not delve deeper into character development/backstories because of the 12 episode season.

I dunno, I think that's all.

Best Girl: still Akane


Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (12)

I Rate: 7.4
One Sentence: Sleeper hit of the season - much better than anticipated but still confined by its tropes and genre.

For the whole season I waited for a nickname to be given to Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records, and at long last I came across one on MAL just when the anime ended. On the bright side I can at least use it for this post.

At first glance and nothing but that, RokuAka seems like your run of the mill anime about a magic academy with a fantasy setting.

It is.

I feel that RokuAka really shone from episodes 2 - 6, but it never went back to peak form for the rest of the series. After the two mini arcs that were featured in that range, the show reverts back to very predictable and "industry standard" conflicts and events, which is a shame because I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the anime.

All the characters except Glenn and Celica are boring, and Celica hardly counts because I can count the number of things I know about her on one hand. I thought Glenn was pretty cool because RokuAka hinted at a very dark and grim backstory, but that is never fully explored.

I'd say skip it honestly.

Best Girl: Rumia still best, despite her 5/10 rating


Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (11)

I Rate: 7.9
One Sentence: Really enjoyed this season for what it had to offer in actual developments and there is a significant conflict for once.

Man I'm just biased but I really like Saekano in general. The clean and vibrant art style is right up my alley and I'm pretty attached to the characters. I thought that the second season was quite fitting and stuff actually happens.

The art, music, characters are all the same, and for good reason. The show found great success in its first season and it managed to address its main flaw in the second season - the lack of meaningful plot events. In Saekano Flat we see each of the characters experience realistic conflicts, not only with the other characters, but within themselves. We most vividly see this with Eriri, who found her artistic peak but is never able to return to form again because of how lenient Aki is.

All in all, I really enjoyed this season of Saekano, and while a third season doesn't seem likely, I can only hope. If you thought the first season was any good, I highly recommend Saekano Flat. And if you haven't watched the first season, give it a try!

Best Girl: Katou cements herself as disputable best girl

I'm done!

Sorry for the late post

I guess I'll never be able to adhere to a strict schedule of posting, but at the very least I can make some updates on how my life has been going! A lot of stuff has happened in the past bit, from my graduation ceremony to getting some new job opportunities, so let's dive right in.

I'm done!

Five years have come and gone and now that I'm standing at the end of my high school life there are all these emotions and feelings that swell up inside me, and it makes me happy that I managed to make the best of my time. Of course there are loads of things things that I regret immensely, but I think that's a valuable part of the experience.

I had my graduation ceremony last week and it came and went in the blink of an eye. When you're watching from the bleachers as a part of the audience, it's a lot of waiting for a familiar name or the mention of some absurd amount of scholarship/entrance award money. However when you're the actual person walking across the stage, time can't seem to go by slow enough.

Anyhow, I don't know how many times I've said this, but the graduation ceremony was absolutely surreal. I hardly remember much of it and I kinda just went through it in a dazed fashion.

Job stuff

I've come to realization that I'm a lot less wealthy than I initially believed myself to be. At one point I was spending left and right because I never believed that number in my bank account would dip to a worrying amount (and it hasn't, for the record), but now, well, let's just say impulse purchases have become much less impulsive.

So after several attempts of looking for a job, I have finally come across two: one at the restaurant my aunt works at, and one at a bubble tea shop. The latter option definitely sounds appealing to me because I just like bubble tea and I feel somewhat sick of working as a waiter, but apparently the first option comes with better pay. As of now I plan to try out being a waiter one more time and then it that doesn't jive well with me I'll see if working at the bubble tea shop suits my tastes better.

C'est tout

Thank you kindly for spending time on this blog today! I'll see you in the next one, but until then take care and enjoy the awesome weather.

First Impressions: Anime of Spring 2017

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

We back in it.

MyAnimeList
Final Thoughts: Anime of Spring 2017

Zoom Zoom Guys:
Eromanga-sensei
Re:Creators
Renai Boukun
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat

Eromanga-sensei (1/?)

I Rate: 7.4
One Sentence: Like a better OreImo (the MC is a Kyousuke clone).

You know what, this isn't half bad. Despite the weak willed main character, obvious loli pandering, and uncanny similarities to OreImo, I think Eromanga-sensei could go somewhere. Granted, I think it's more probable that it won't, but I found myself enjoying the first episode more than I thought I would.

Let's begin with the art. I like the clean and conservative style that the show uses, and the animation seems to be of good quality as well. There wasn't anything that I noticed in particular about the soundtrack, but some say that no news is good news. The characters are pretty shallow and I don't have high hopes that they'll have massive development later on, but Sagiri can be funny sometimes.

Yeah I don't know why I gave this such a high score. That's alright.

Best Girl: the girl who literally shut herself in her room for one year


Re:Creators (1/22)

I Rate: 8.1
One Sentence: Art from UBW, music from Aldnoah.Zero, and a story line that makes me feel like I've been playing too much FE: Heroes come together to make a great pilot.

The premise in Re:Creators is a little spin-off of what we've been seeing a lot lately: main character is suddenly transported to a random world and is forced to adapt and resolve some sort of conflict. Instead our main character, Souta, bears witness to characters from his favourite anime coming to life in his world. Re:Creators starts off with my favourite pilot of the season. We get a little taste of everything, from some incredible animation in several fight scenes to an epic and fitting soundtrack.

The one part where I felt the anime falter in was its characters. Celestia undergoes a very drastic change in a matter of minutes, and for no apparent reason. It's also quite bizarre to see how quickly the anime characters adapt to their new world, seeing as they can recognize and express a desire to purchase what should be foreign goods and snacks.

All in all, I'm hoping that the longer season for Re:Creators will help remedy some the lack of depth and development in characters. The story is certainly interesting and all the other elements for a strong show are present, now it's time to sit and have faith.

Best Girl: Celestia for reasons other than her costume


Renai Boukun (1/12)

I Rate: 7.2
One Sentence: Story is fun and the gag humour works occasionally, but Renai Boukun is easily forgotten.

Renai Boukun is a comedy that is definitely out there. From the first episode alone we're greeted with the Love Note, a not-so-angelic angel, a yandere who can duel wield kukris (I'm not sure what they are), and a step-sister with incestual feelings towards the yandere.

If the characters each represented a television they would all be flatscreens.

No comment on the music. I kinda dislike the art, but maybe it'll take some getting used to. It just doesn't look very clean and I am definitely not a fan of the eyes. To be honest, I don't like the character designs in general. I don't particularly like the VAs either. There's a lot of stuff I don't like basically.

Watch it if you want to see if it will make you laugh, but I don't think you'll feel like you get those 5 hours of your life back after you finish it all. Who knows though, maybe I'll be wrong and it'll blow my socks off.

Best Girl: Akane - she's pretty crazy, but then again everybody else is


Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (1/12)

I Rate: 7.3
One Sentence: Meta comedy won't save the overdone and boring "single guy in a magic school full of skimpily dressed female students."

While I think it's kinda neat that Glenn is a somewhat of a "bad" main character, I don't think that can save what Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records is at its fundamentals. From what I've seen in the first episode (and the school uniforms themselves), there isn't a whole lot going for it. Actually, it can be funny sometimes.

The art is pretty standard, and so is the music. As for the characters... well, you get what you came for, asides from Glenn. You have your "ojou-sama" from a super prestigious family that has ties with the academy, then you have the sidekick, who tends to be one of the better and more likable personalities later on, and then you have some sort of mysterious older lady who is some sort of magic god but doesn't get a whole lot of mention besides being the reason why this strange and improbable situation even exists. Anyhoo. Yeah.

As of the time of this posting (the show is on its third week), ratings on MAL are pretty high so maybe something great happens in the next episode.

Best Girl: Lumia cause Sistine sure isn't getting it


Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (1/11)

I Rate: 8.3
One Sentence: Man I'm so glad this got a second season.

If you were a fan of the first season of Saekano, the second season is a must watch. The pilot gives a very refreshing change of pace, and the majority of the episode is dedicated to learning the backstory of the intense rivalry between Utaha and Eriri. I'm excited to see if the anime takes a more serious approach with the relationships between the characters, but in the end I think that's a tall task for 11 episodes.

The very clean and vibrant art style returns for this season, and the opening is my favourite for this season. The characters are all your specific archetypes, but in my humble opinion, they're done exceptionally well and have grown past their cookie cutter stage.

Alrighty time to wrap up this post and go watch the second episode of Saekano Flat, I can't put it off any longer. Goodbye, and see you next time!

Best Girl: KAAAAASUUUUMIGAOOOOOOOKA UTAHA (but actually, she got a lot of time with Tomoya for the fan service episode)