Halfway-through review: Sailor Moon

I've officially passed episode 100 of Sailor Moon! It's a little bittersweet, to be honest. I've loved the series since elementary school but never really had the patience to sit down and watch the anime all the way through -- I just watched the episodes I thought were the most interesting from reading the summaries off the internet.

Thanks to Viz, though, I've been able to keep up with the episodes they release online each week! It's just the right pacing for me, and I think there's only been twice where I completely skipped a week and had to catch up. They've been releasing them for around a year now; I know it began sometime May 2014, but I don't remember if it was mid-May or around Memorial Day.

So here are my thoughts of the anime compared to how I viewed it back when I first got into it! It's gonna be a little more of a ramble than an actual review.

First of all, Usagi is such a more faceted character than I realized back in elementary school. I was introduced through the dub, mainly through the Promise of the Rose and Hearts on Ice movies, so I was kind of biased against her. I thought she was immature and her voice annoyed me more times than not. I think the anime's been able to give her more depth than even the manga, because you can really see Usagi's compassion and optimism in the filler episodes and see her grow over a larger period of time.

And oh man I never thought I'd turn into Usagi but I did. Everything except for the whole saving-the-world thing. And the talking cat. Honestly, though, that'd make my life so much more interesting. My friend did her Psych project on me and her conclusion was basically that my life was just average. Not that I can contest that in any way. You have no idea how much I've wanted my own Luna.

I've really enjoyed seeing the senshi-specific episodes, too. Two of the more recent episodes I watched (99 and 100) focused on Rei and Minako, specifically on guys they cared about, and I liked that there's not just relationships like Usagi and Mamoru's. Rei and Yuuichiro have a very cute friendship, and I liked that episode 99 didn't make it all sappy or anything. Nothing really changed between them except that it strengthened their care for each other. And Minako! I'm not entirely sure if she liked the guy back (and I forget his name, oops), but she didn't act super heartbroken about the whole thing. Sure, she was sad, but she didn't really go around moping or anything.

Haruka and Michiru though! I still haven't gotten to the point where it's clear what they're doing, and I'm not about to go looking for spoilers, but I do have a basic idea. I think that the pressure they're facing is almost bigger than Usagi's because they have to face it as only the two of them and they still seem pretty reluctant to ask for help. I was surprised that they agreed to give their help to the inner senshi, though. The few episodes I'd seen from the dub made them seem almost completely cold and calculated, even to the point of being stuck-up. Also, Haruka gets used as a plot point a lot. I'm a little conflicted on her being consistently used as a "trap", but I'm also glad that she was included as a character who is equally confident however people perceive her. The relationship Haruka and Michiru have gives off a very queerplatonic feel and I really like that.

I've also realized just how big the series actually is. Before Viz started releasing the anime online, I knew the most about the Amazon story arc because I found it the most interesting and looked a lot into it. The Doom Tree arc was almost entirely new for me, which I found fun considering the series is 20+ years old. I was amazed that I knew so little about what was going to happen!

Shh. I know this is the manga. This is the first one I found where they weren't being stupidly romantic. 

I think the biggest thing that's changed in my opinion of Sailor Moon is Usagi and Mamoru's relationship. I used to think it was really dumb that Usagi adored him to the extent that she did, especially considering their age difference in the anime. However, watching them grow closer over the series so far has dispelled any of the doubts I had about them. They're not perfect but they're willing to work with each other, and I love how Mamoru is able to support her and give her the strength to stand on her own when she needs to.

TL;DR I could probably talk the topic of Sailor Moon to death but Viz's releases of the re-sub online has really helped me understand the series better. I guess that's what happens when you actually sit down to watch it all the way through, right?

What I Really Learned in High School

No, not what I actually learned in school. I don't think that'd be all that interesting.

Like the slam poetry my English teacher recently showed us said, the most important lessons aren't actually the ones we've been taught.

At the time this is posted, I'll be sitting through my high school graduation ceremony. I figured I'd reflect on what I'd picked up non-academically through four years of public high school.

This is actually the closest picture I can find to the beginning of my freshman year;; We apparently have no pictures from the first day, which honestly, is only slightly surprising. 

This was taken on Friday at our senior picnic. This last week or so of classes was hands-down the most fun I've had all of high school, and I'm really glad I was able to document some of it. 

Friends are #1

I've been lucky in the fact that my middle school was the only feeder school for my high school, so I've been with most of my classmates since 6th grade. I was lucky in that my closest friends from elementary school ended up at the same high school, too, despite the different tracking we did in middle school. 

I'm also lucky in the fact that (what seems like) half my graduating class is going to community college, which means I don't really have to say goodbye to them yet. I may not have talked to a lot of my classmates much, but I still have enjoyed seeing them every day in class or even just in passing in the hallway. I've made a lot of good friends over the years and I've learned a lot from all of them. I still can't imagine what it will be like in the future to not see them every day, or to see them move across the world to follow their dreams. 

Find your effort level. 
As I like to repeat over and over again, I've had senioritis since freshman year. I actually did my homework back then, of course, at least on a semi-regular basis. But what's the fun in that?

I got my first "hard" class in sophomore year when I took AP NSL. I actually had to read for that class. And I kept up! I also had a really good teacher who was scary when we all failed, so of course we tried our best collectively not to get on her bad side.

After passing AP NSL, everything else has seemed pretty easy. I've taken five AP courses -- just one short of getting a medal ;; 

Of course, I've gotten more lectures than I can count about "needing to try harder in school" and "developing a better work ethic", but I don't really see either of those developing in college, either. I've been spoiled by public school and all the regulations of No Child Left Behind. In case you haven't been in school since 2001, NCLB basically brings everyone down to the lowest child instead of trying to elevate the lower kids in the class. The HSAs we took for our graduation requirements were so easy you'd probably have to actively try to fail them.

I can't tell you how grateful I am that I took 6 elective classes this year. I had so much more time to devote to what I actually wanted to do. Honestly, if you're an underclassman, please don't stress yourself out by taking too many hard courses. I don't think it's worth it. Enjoy your life!!

Work smart, not hard.
My English teacher told us this last year and it was a complete revelation for me because I'd finally found a way to put my outlook on life into words. A lot of kids at my school -- especially the underclassmen -- put in a lot more effort into their schoolwork than they need to. Like, I know getting good grades is nice, but I really don't see the point in sacrificing health and friendships just to get the best grade on an assignment.

Of course, I'm pretty sure a lot of people could argue that this motto has just made me more lazy, but ┐( •̀ᄇ• ́)┌ Sorry not sorry that I had hours more free time to do what I want than you did because you decided to do work the hard way.

I love writing.
I'd written on and off through elementary and middle school, but it was never coherent and I never shared it with anyone. (And I never will. It was terrible.) Two of my friends were working on a Pokemon fanfiction, and that inspired me to write my own. It was my first real attempt at storytelling coherently, and while I can't write off my fanfics as "worthless" or anything like that, I obviously didn't really know what I was doing. And I still don't really know even now.

But that basis in fanfiction that diverged from canon opened me up to a ton of "what ifs" that have now become Aperture. It's two years old at this point and I can see how much I've improved just by looking at where I started with it.

Aperture has also allowed me to preserve some of my experiences and memories into writing. I have to adapt a lot of things in order to make it fit, but doing so helps me remember it better, and I'm glad that I have so much to look back on later. A lot of my friends have become or have inspired characters -- whether they know it or not -- and I'm really grateful to all of them. My friends have put up with endless talk about Aperture and have helped me brainstorm and improve the story, and I can only hope that I do them justice in my writing.

Anyway, I guess I was lucky in the fact that high school wasn't absolute hell for me. I actually enjoyed it -- this year especially. It's strange to think that today is something I could never really picture happening. Back in elementary school, or even in sophomore year, I could never really picture myself being here. I'm sad to think about how I have to move on from this period of time, but I hope that the coming years are just as bright.

Recently, I've been thinking more and more about that rhetorical question about how your younger self would see you. I specifically remember trying to picture myself here in 5th grade, but I don't really know how I would've reacted to how I am now. I don't think I've changed much. I actually think I would be amazed at how little has changed, to see that I still have such great friends and that I have so many wonderful memories.

I'd also be really embarrassed of the melancholic mood I've put myself in trying to write this, so I'll stop here. I guess I don't have too much to be sad about, because like I said, I'm not losing as much as I could be.

Edit: I've officially graduated!!

I cried during graduation. More than once. I only made it fifteen minutes into the ceremony before I turned into a hot mess. Despite that, though, I had a lot of fun today. I got to spend a lot of time with my family and friends and I'm really grateful for that. 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

TL;DR Beauty and the Beast retelling with lots of Greek mythology influence

(finished 5/6/15)

Oh, man. My friend and I have been talking about guilty pleasure books recently, and up until this point, I thought I didn't have any. 

And now I do. 

I was pretty optimistic going into Cruel Beauty, and I pointedly avoided reading reviews on goodreads because I knew so little about it and I wanted to form my own opinion. (I think I'm finally learning.) I liked the narration almost immediately because it had a very fantasy-like quality to it but it wasn't overbearing to me. I don't know exactly what it is about it, if it's just descriptive enough that it only barely pushes purple prose, or if it's just Nyx's voice, but I liked reading it. 

I can't really talk about the Greek mythology aspects of the book since I'd say 97% of it was stuff I'm unfamiliar with. It didn't take that much of a part in the plot, I don't think, other than the stuff regarding Pandora. Pandora was really the only thing that I had knowledge about and I didn't research any of the other things I assumed were related to the mythology. 

I thought the Beauty and the Beast aspect of the story was pretty cool, though there were some parts in the book where it reminded me a little more of a Rumpelstiltskin cartoon I watched as a kid. I mean, it's not really all that related to the story, but it brought up a memory of watching the movie, and I actually managed to track it down on YouTube! Anyway, my knowledge of Beauty and the Beast really only extends to the Disney movie, so I'd say keep that in mind.  

Surprisingly, I liked the romance aspect of the book a fair amount. I saw the plot twist coming as soon as the love V was set up, and I can agree with the reviews I read (after finishing) that talked about the insta-love. It is pretty insta-lovey and I think I honestly would've hated the love V had I not anticipated the plot twist the entire book. Highlight for the spoiler: it's not actually a love V at all. There's no third love interest. I was so happy once that became clear and not just a kind of "what if" on my part. I don't really know how cliche or obvious the twist really is, though. 

I don't really know how I felt about the last couple chapters, to be honest. I thought it was nice, but I agree with at least one of the reviews I found that said that it completely undid all the character growth the book set up. I think that's true, at least to some extent. 

TL;DR I was in a really good mood when I finished it. I think I'll re-read it sometime in the future to see if my opinion changes, but as of right now it's kind of a not-so-terrible guilty pleasure. 

The Selection by Kiera Cass

TL;DR "dystopian" The Bachelor

(finished 5/4/15)

I'm gonna admit, I looked into the Goodreads reviews when I just started reading this. Like I've said before, not the best idea. (I think I did that with the first Lux series book. Something like that.) I am not going to deny it's possible I was influenced by all the negative reviews. Personally, I find a lot of negative reviews fun to read because there's a lot of thought in them. People will mention why the things that drove them crazy did so. Good reviews just don't give the same adrenaline rush.

Speaking of the adrenaline rush: I mainly finished The Selection because of how fun it was to sticky-note the book. I went through a ton of sticky notes. I did not hold back on the sarcasm.

I went through 50 sticky notes. I ended up having to buy another pack from Staples after I was done. 

I got frustrated with the narration almost immediately. It sounded like my first-draft scenes where I just got the ideas down instead of focusing on diction or descriptions or anything even remotely interesting to read about. And this is the final copy of the book! I know I still have a long road of improvement with showing and not telling, but at least I do some showing. This has, like, next to none. After a while I kind of got used to it, but it was pretty weak overall. (It made me feel a little better about my own writing, though, so I have to give it that.)

I also don't think the characters were characterized consistently at all. I have a couple different points in the book where I marked that I thought they were acting out of character to fuel the plot. All the girls other than America seemed pretty consistently characterized, but they felt pretty flat as it was. I didn't really have any investment in anyone.

Like everyone else has said on Goodreads, the worldbuilding's pretty weak, but it wasn't make-or-break for me. I mean, the focus is on stuff inside the palace, so that's really all I cared about. The palace itself seemed fairly well-established in my mind. I can't even tell how big Illea is supposed to be.

Those are the biggest things I had on my mind to talk about. Now the more fun stuff!

My friend pointed out The Selection at the library and said it was her "guilty pleasure", and now that I've finished it, I can kind of see why. A little. I did enjoy reading it to make sarcastic comments on my sticky notes. It isn't bad, and I honestly can't really compare it to the Lux series. I just think it's weak; it could definitely have gone through a few more rounds of revisions to become a lot stronger. However, with what I got from The Selection, I think it's a pretty solid two-star. I'd rate it a three if I liked the book a little more, but I think a three also would imply that I liked the book more than I did, which is why I left it as a two.

Aside from my sarcastic sticky notes, The Selection was good at keeping me just interested enough to keep reading. I started the book on Saturday night and was done within an hour of getting home on Monday, and I hadn't taken it into school. I'd actually read the book instead of goofing off on the internet, which I think is a pretty compelling point in and of itself.

That said, I'm almost entirely sure that The Elite is just going to be 300 pages of love V melodrama. I'm not looking forward to that. I'll probably still give it a chance out of curiosity, but I'm not expecting that I'll like it.

So I went through and typed up all the sticky notes I made. You can see them all here in a Google Spreadsheet. I tried to keep the excerpts from the book as short as possible to avoid possible copyright infringement, but I have them marked with the page numbers from the paperback version and a little bit of context as well. There are spoilers in the spreadsheet!! Keep that in mind! It has a lot more in-depth analysis of The Selection than this review, but I didn't censor it at all for spoilers.

TL;DR I didn't like it but it was interesting enough to finish and I can kind of see why it would be a guilty pleasure, though it definitely isn't one for me.

Prom 2015

This is my 100th post!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

My prom was May 15th on the Spirit of Baltimore boat. I'd been anticipating it for a while, but it was more along the lines of the worries I had going to Katsucon my first time five years ago; in concept, prom is really not my thing, so I was worried about how it would go.

And in all honesty, it went so much better than I expected. I don't think I could've wished for anything better.

One of my classmates asked me to prom back in March. We'd had classes together since back in middle school, but we never talked enough to become close friends or anything, so I was really surprised when it happened!

Just like at homecoming, I didn't dance at prom;; there were two different dance floors but they were both too loud and too crowded, even if I did ever dance in the first place. My friends were gathered in a couple different groups that kept shifting, so for most of the night I just walked around the ship and hung out with different friend groups. We stayed up at the front of the top deck as we returned back into the Inner Harbor. It was soooooo pretty but it was too dark to get a picture (｡•́︿•̀｡)

The food they served was actually really good! I ate like a six year old but oh my gosh the mac and cheese had to have been made with queso (like, nacho queso) and it was awesome. The brownie was also super hella, even after I got the dressing from my mini-salad on it.

I actually don't have many pictures from prom itself because the lighting on the boat was so poor D: I really love how this picture turned out, though!! We got to the community center in enough time in the afternoon that we got to mill around with our classmates before the buses left. 

I dozed off on the bus ride back to the community center where we had our after prom. I didn't expect to stay all that long, but I was surprisingly still energized and I ended up staying 'til the very end! My friends splintered off again, so I spent a lot of time just wandering around and talking to different friends at different times.

The rec room was set up like a Las Vegas casino and it was actually pretty cool! They had tables for blackjack and roulette, and I didn't know how to play anything, but my friends played for a long time.

They had two inflatable things set up in the gym of the center: one was an obstacle course with a big slide and one was a laser tag maze. My friends and I played laser tag sooo many times and I actually managed to win once!

We were really vicious with each other  \(۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶/ I ran into my friend by accident at one point and the left side of my face hurt from where he'd gotten me;; I really would love to play with my friends again! It was really really fun trying to kick everyone else's butts (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

Somehow I managed to keep going for 24 hours straight! I didn't get to take a nap between coming home from school Friday afternoon and having to get ready, and the only real down time I had was the half-hour nap on the bus ride back. I ended up staying up until 7:30 the morning after just to be able to say I'd been up for a full day straight. (Which I guess doesn't really count with falling asleep on the ride back, but shhhh nobody needs to know that.)

These were taken at like three in the morning and after a whole bunch of laser tag games so I kind of look like a hot mess. I think I really only have selfies with one other friend, and they're on her phone because her camera was better in the low light of the boat;; 

I'm really grateful that I got to spend so much time with my friends. It was a lot different being able to hang out with so many of them at the same time outside of school, where we didn't have to worry about schoolwork or schedule restrictions. Most of my friends aren't going away to college, so I hope that we can experience something like this again ♥

I got an airbrush tattoo of the kanji for "love" on my left arm (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) There was a long line for the tattoos at the beginning, but by around 3 it had died down completely so I decided to get one. I got 愛 since I knew that it was correct -- I wasn't 100% sure that the other characters were correct, or if they were the Chinese versions of the character / meaning. I was afraid it would wash off really easily, but it's still on my arm, so I'm really happy (ؑᵒᵕؑ̇ᵒ)◞✧

I don't really remember most of the songs they played, especially because there were three different sets of speakers, but here's a little mini playlist!

They played this song at some point during the night, and I listened to it on repeat once I got home the next morning. It's so chill (୨୧ ❛ᴗ❛)✧ It matched the mood of the night for me.

One of the kids riding on my bus played this song on the way up to Baltimore and it made me really happy. I really like the feeling of the song.

They played this as we were coming back into the harbor, and both me and the guy I went with were really surprised. It was a song he'd shown me and I don't think either of us expected that it would get played! 

They played this song immediately after they announced the prom king and queen and omg it made me want to cry (｡•́ ヘ•̀｡) I'm not ready to say goodbye to a lot of my classmates. Even though my friend group is pretty small, our whole class has been together since 6th grade, and it's scary to think that we'll never really be the same group again.