July 6th - July 12th 2026

TV/Anime

• Blue Lock - I love this series. It doesn’t hit as hard the third time through, but I have to shout it out everytime I do watch it. The point it makes, wrapped in the psychological thriller of Blue Lock itself, is so resonate and it’s worth a watch for entertainment and the overarching message about human growth and choice as we chase our dreams.

Music

• Yummy (Righteos Remix) | Ayesha Erotica, Mo Boeats - The artist name says it all.

Books/Manga

• Princess Jellyfish Omnibus Vol. 4 | Higashimura, Akiko - I feel like the series is slowing a bit. The start of this volume is the big reveal and now it’s time to build up to the next major plot point. I like that. Having a chill volume or two to be back in the slice-of-life world is pleasant, and hasn’t been boring either. Nisha is hot and all is well. I’m curious to see, as I am about halfway through, what this series ultimately winds up trying to say and do.

YouTube

• How we made Halo 3: “The Storm” | Niles Sankey - Just a general shout-out for this channel if you are a Bungie or Halo head like me.
• Troopers (Full Web Series) | Dropout - Still holds up!
• I Caught Every Shiny Pokemon Before Each Gym | Johnstone - New channel alert! 14 million views for a reason haha

Games

• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | Square Enix - They turned me into a frog!! Those damn ninja turtles in the sewers got me. This game has so much unabashed joy. It is a full-tilt emotional experience. Between Aerith’s goodbye in Cloud’s dream to Aerith slamming a folding chair over a goon, I don’t know what to say about this game anymore. I am running full force to this being one of, if not the, best game I have every played. The slow, painful walk of Aerith being catcalled and the mirror walk of Cloud in drag was surprising and jarring. It was giving first time out the house girl mode. This game is such a spectacle. Thinking of Andrea’s full honeybee performance and quick-time-event dancing mini-game with him.
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A | GameFreak - This is the best cozy game of 2025. Every hour I play more of this game, the harder it gets to progress the story and that’s why it is a great game. Is this game a shameless, shallow day/night cycle to extend the play-time artificially Pokemon game that somehow pales in comparison to Legends Arceus? Yes. However, if you just shift your expectation, and the genre, this game is everything clicks into place. Taking this slow and immersing yourself in the world by climbing up buildings on a whim and taking photos at cafes. With no end point in mind, I think this game really shines. If you haven’t done the Spewpa side-quest, go do it. To me, it’s silly and odd, but made me smile and actually giggle out loud. I think the point of this game are those moments. I wish the fighting was completely optional. It doesn’t make much sense given the breadth of other activities in the world. To me, the feeling of being a trainer is always about the adventure and necessity of battle. Or, of at least catching new Pokemon for your PokeDex. This game gives you the immersive feeling that you live in a city as a trainer and you can do whatever you like. Get to the know the streets and the vendors because they aren’t, and you aren’t, going anywhere. With how transient you are in other games, and how rural Legends Arceus is, I don’t think any other Pokemon game offers this type of relationship to the place you play.