Anime Review #4: Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 1

There is never a shortage of loneliness, and so the demand for emotions to fill that void will never cease – whether that be from actually forming a significant other, pursuing unrequited feelings, or even renting a girlfriend. The TLDR of Rent-a-Girlfriend is that it’s the modern beta male dating guide. It also has the […]

Anime Review #3: Code Geass

[Negligible spoilers] Prior to watching this masterpiece, I had thought the protagonist character was no longer an area of storytelling innovation. In classic shounen, the protagonist is designed to champion the viewer. Through his/her falls and triumphs, the viewer is able to grow vicariously alongside the protagonist. As such, the protagonist has to be relatable, […]

Anime Review #2: Psycho-Pass (Season 1)

Despite appearing unrelated from the latter in every category, Psycho-Pass tackles a similar set of moral dilemmas as Shinsekai Yori. This one hits much closer to home as its setting is a near-future cyberpunk tech dystopia (so close to home China banned it). The society of Psycho-Pass has perfected the use of cymatic scans to […]

Anime Review #1: From The New World

Dear non-existent readers, I better start writing on this blog again to justify my annual subscription renewals. Even though I can’t count how many years it’ll be until I’m unabashed to actually include this on any public profile of mine, there’re recurring times I’m reminded of the purpose this blog serves: a canvas for me […]

A losing battle

One of the life lessons that have accompanied me most consistently throughout my life is to maintain a very pessimistic outlook on life. I think of life as a losing battle. All the forces can one day work against me, except the forces emanating out of myself. I take the quote, “Work like there is […]

The Second-generation Asian

I wrote my final research paper in my Program of Rhetoric & Writing class on the second-generation Asian experience. Read if interested. Research RBA Final There’s also an accompanying iMovie presentation. Watch if interested.

Love – a need?

Love is often considered a necessary need, ranking third on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, below self-esteem. I think it’s time to swap the two. Humans are social animals, and the “need” that drives one to seek unwarranted love is insecurity and uncertainty of one’s own place in the world. By unwarranted love, I mean the […]

Monsters and Demons

^ ^ a visualization of my demonic ex Just now, a high school friend expressed to me his disgust of his campus’s hookup culture after listening to a talk at his school titled “Stinky Freshmen”. I got that parental feeling (with no idea where it’s coming from) when your kid realizes how babies are actually […]

Sarcasm

Few people my age are active nihilists. Some of my acquaintances, especially those at elite universities, have had existential crisis’s, thoughts of “what’s this all for?” …but almost always they come out soft determinists (or moral compatibilists ), rediscover meaning in their life, usually via friendships, goals, or family, and live on (until their next […]

Panda Express

Me: *finishes final exam of the quarter, tries to brainstorm available friends I can grab a meal with before my flight tomorrow* *10 mins later, I open text message* Me: Hey hey are you still around today or tomorrow? Friend: Aw a friend has an end of the quarter party off campus. I’m going now. […]