top five lists, pt.1
→ These lists are long overdue, but I have an awful habit for being wordy & thinking too much. I apologize in advance :)
Top 5 Things I'm Currently Addicted To (requested by teh_maskmaid)
05) The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker Old-school Gamecube! I haven't played video games throughout the last two years of high school (dang IB programme...) & so I guess I'm making up for loss time. I just love this game - I've always loved the sea, so the fact that the entire game is based on Link travelling on a boat is my definition of adventure :) And the anime-style drawings are cute, too.
04) Studio Ghibli I can't help myself - I'm wanting a marathon almost every other day! It's just been such a long time since I simply sat down & allowed myself to get lost in these magical worlds and stories. Every single Miyazaki film just takes me back to a different time & place. ♥ These works of art are simply timeless.
03) Fandom Piano-Playing Though I actually find myself missing piano lessons, one thing I love about having stopped is the freedom to choose what to play. And I have tons of sheets just lying around, half-learnt - and that bugs me to no end! So with summer, I've devoted some time to practicing and learning these pieces (most of them anime). I've got a couple Studio Ghibli ones, Cuddy's Serenade, "Pride & Prejudice", as well as the "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children" piano book. And some I figure out by ear. It's relaxing and beautiful to be able to play my favourite fandom tunes.
02) New & Awesome Music I don't know what it is, but I have an odd need to discover new music nowadays. Mainstream music, while sometimes awesome, is just so overplayed - I want art, not commercialized dance tunes. Fanmixes & fanvids have made me realise how many talented, yet underrated artists are out there, so I've recently taken any means to broaden my musical tastes. Hm, recent discoveries include... Elbow, A Fine Frenzy, The Hush Sound, Patrick Watson, & Florence + The Machine :)
01) House MD Hey, I'm playing catch-up! Five years worth of epic-ness does take up quite a bit of my time, but I love every bit of it. Every single episode is just so incredibly rich, and I haven't even seen all of them yet. =]
Top 5 Favourite TV Shows (requested by teh_maskmaid)
I have to say, I don't follow a lot of TV shows religiously... maybe only three. And even then, I never followed them from the very beginning. I don't really know why - there's a lot of stuff on TV that just isn't my taste or exceeds my tolerance for blood & gore, haha. And TV is usually one of those "family times" for us - so we watch things everybody likes. Because of that, I've included some anime in here, because it's honestly some of the best TV & writing I've ever watched.
05) Smallville. I'm a comic girl, thanks to my Dad. So I just naturally love this show. Who doesn't love a good superhero origins show? And honestly, Clark Kent is one of the most intriguing superhero characters to exist - an alien who identifies & understands humanity moreso than his own origins, who protects the good while believing in the BEST of his enemies. Unlike many other superheroes, he absolutely refuses to kill at any cost. This show would be MUCH higher on my list if the writing didn't take such a horrible turn throughout the last two seasons - way too many plot holes & poor characterization...*sigh* But the core theme of understanding and embracing your destiny, and the rich history of Clark, Lex, & Lois keep me coming back for more. Hopefully this season will be an up-swing.
04) Eureka seveN. It may not be one of the heavily popular animes, but I love it nonetheless. What keeps this series close to my heart is the original and unique harmony of character, story, visuals, & music. Oh, and humour ;) Though action-driven, it's the simple "coming-of-age" aspect & unconditional love that sets Eureka seveN apart from the other animes I've watched - it's the quiet moments amidst the chaos that truly stand out. And though some of the plot may be confusing, it also opens opportunities for interpretation, and I think by now you know that I'm a philosophical kind of girl. =] And who doesn't love flying, let alone surfing through the skies? The visuals and orchestration honestly make my heart soar each and every time. ♥
03) Gundam SEED. Questions of war, science, identity, relationships - it's deep & philosophical on a level that I love - there are no good guys or bad guys; there are simply individuals who are fighting their hardest for their beliefs. My siblings & I love this show for all these things. And each belief and stance is just as valid as the other; it's in this context that you manage to fall in love with every character, regardless that they may be fighting one another. And while it may be social norm to always choose one side of a debate, this show reminded me that maybe we don't always have to - maybe there is another choice to every conflict. And of course, the friendship between Kira and Athrun is absolute love; just indescribable. ♥
02) American Idol While I've been rambling about the philosophical complexities & stunning visuals of my other beloved TV shows, this show has absolutely none of that :P It's just one of those shows that I stumbled across & stuck with. Ha, I'm not even American! Honestly, it's one of our family-bonding shows: laughing at the horror of auditions & cheering our favourite singers on :) Oh, and bet on who's going to be kicked off (you wouldn't believe the egos within my household, lol). I honestly just admire the talent and the journey. But if I'm being truthful, the main reason I watch is for the judges; they were always the constant. I heart Simon. Witty, British, brutally honest, charming, arrogant... honestly, what's not to love? And he & Paula are just so adorable & dorky together. I'm truly saddened Paula has left the show; it'll never be the same without her [you can read my post awhile back]. I'm most likely not going to watch this year, but it was a great ride while it lasted. It introduced me to the world of fandom & created many family memories for me. ♥
01) House MD My love for this show knows no bounds. Honestly. I have admired intelligence & brilliance all my life, and this show gives it to me in spades. Due to my low tolerance for blood, I've avoided any medical & criminal shows... until now. My mom irregularly followed the show the last 4 years, and I had fallen in love with Hugh Laurie simply by watching his Golden Globe acceptance speech, but I still didn't watch this medical show. Luckily, the operation scenes aren't that bad in House :) But a Christmas holiday in Mexico & a House Boxing Day marathon in Dec. 2008 instantly had me hooked. And I'm sure I don't have to explain why. It is brilliant on EVERY single level; every other show pales in comparison. And again, it's one of our "family shows". My Dad has a secret crush on Lisa/Cuddy :P - he always makes the most random & sweetest comments! And my Mom likes Foreman - and all of his still ask her "why?!" We had the most epic discussions about the Season 5 finale: full-on deep character analysis, House&Cuddy discussion, varying hypotheses - I wish I could've recorded it. And though I wish I had been in the fandom from the beginning, I also can't help but feel I jumped in at just the right moment - not only plot-wise, but where I am personally, too. The sheer genius of this show & character is indescribable. It honestly inspires me to brilliance. ♥ ♥ ♥
Top 5 Things I'm Currently Addicted To (requested by teh_maskmaid)
05) The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker Old-school Gamecube! I haven't played video games throughout the last two years of high school (dang IB programme...) & so I guess I'm making up for loss time. I just love this game - I've always loved the sea, so the fact that the entire game is based on Link travelling on a boat is my definition of adventure :) And the anime-style drawings are cute, too.
04) Studio Ghibli I can't help myself - I'm wanting a marathon almost every other day! It's just been such a long time since I simply sat down & allowed myself to get lost in these magical worlds and stories. Every single Miyazaki film just takes me back to a different time & place. ♥ These works of art are simply timeless.
03) Fandom Piano-Playing Though I actually find myself missing piano lessons, one thing I love about having stopped is the freedom to choose what to play. And I have tons of sheets just lying around, half-learnt - and that bugs me to no end! So with summer, I've devoted some time to practicing and learning these pieces (most of them anime). I've got a couple Studio Ghibli ones, Cuddy's Serenade, "Pride & Prejudice", as well as the "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children" piano book. And some I figure out by ear. It's relaxing and beautiful to be able to play my favourite fandom tunes.
02) New & Awesome Music I don't know what it is, but I have an odd need to discover new music nowadays. Mainstream music, while sometimes awesome, is just so overplayed - I want art, not commercialized dance tunes. Fanmixes & fanvids have made me realise how many talented, yet underrated artists are out there, so I've recently taken any means to broaden my musical tastes. Hm, recent discoveries include... Elbow, A Fine Frenzy, The Hush Sound, Patrick Watson, & Florence + The Machine :)
01) House MD Hey, I'm playing catch-up! Five years worth of epic-ness does take up quite a bit of my time, but I love every bit of it. Every single episode is just so incredibly rich, and I haven't even seen all of them yet. =]
Top 5 Favourite TV Shows (requested by teh_maskmaid)
I have to say, I don't follow a lot of TV shows religiously... maybe only three. And even then, I never followed them from the very beginning. I don't really know why - there's a lot of stuff on TV that just isn't my taste or exceeds my tolerance for blood & gore, haha. And TV is usually one of those "family times" for us - so we watch things everybody likes. Because of that, I've included some anime in here, because it's honestly some of the best TV & writing I've ever watched.
05) Smallville. I'm a comic girl, thanks to my Dad. So I just naturally love this show. Who doesn't love a good superhero origins show? And honestly, Clark Kent is one of the most intriguing superhero characters to exist - an alien who identifies & understands humanity moreso than his own origins, who protects the good while believing in the BEST of his enemies. Unlike many other superheroes, he absolutely refuses to kill at any cost. This show would be MUCH higher on my list if the writing didn't take such a horrible turn throughout the last two seasons - way too many plot holes & poor characterization...*sigh* But the core theme of understanding and embracing your destiny, and the rich history of Clark, Lex, & Lois keep me coming back for more. Hopefully this season will be an up-swing.
04) Eureka seveN. It may not be one of the heavily popular animes, but I love it nonetheless. What keeps this series close to my heart is the original and unique harmony of character, story, visuals, & music. Oh, and humour ;) Though action-driven, it's the simple "coming-of-age" aspect & unconditional love that sets Eureka seveN apart from the other animes I've watched - it's the quiet moments amidst the chaos that truly stand out. And though some of the plot may be confusing, it also opens opportunities for interpretation, and I think by now you know that I'm a philosophical kind of girl. =] And who doesn't love flying, let alone surfing through the skies? The visuals and orchestration honestly make my heart soar each and every time. ♥
03) Gundam SEED. Questions of war, science, identity, relationships - it's deep & philosophical on a level that I love - there are no good guys or bad guys; there are simply individuals who are fighting their hardest for their beliefs. My siblings & I love this show for all these things. And each belief and stance is just as valid as the other; it's in this context that you manage to fall in love with every character, regardless that they may be fighting one another. And while it may be social norm to always choose one side of a debate, this show reminded me that maybe we don't always have to - maybe there is another choice to every conflict. And of course, the friendship between Kira and Athrun is absolute love; just indescribable. ♥
02) American Idol While I've been rambling about the philosophical complexities & stunning visuals of my other beloved TV shows, this show has absolutely none of that :P It's just one of those shows that I stumbled across & stuck with. Ha, I'm not even American! Honestly, it's one of our family-bonding shows: laughing at the horror of auditions & cheering our favourite singers on :) Oh, and bet on who's going to be kicked off (you wouldn't believe the egos within my household, lol). I honestly just admire the talent and the journey. But if I'm being truthful, the main reason I watch is for the judges; they were always the constant. I heart Simon. Witty, British, brutally honest, charming, arrogant... honestly, what's not to love? And he & Paula are just so adorable & dorky together. I'm truly saddened Paula has left the show; it'll never be the same without her [you can read my post awhile back]. I'm most likely not going to watch this year, but it was a great ride while it lasted. It introduced me to the world of fandom & created many family memories for me. ♥
01) House MD My love for this show knows no bounds. Honestly. I have admired intelligence & brilliance all my life, and this show gives it to me in spades. Due to my low tolerance for blood, I've avoided any medical & criminal shows... until now. My mom irregularly followed the show the last 4 years, and I had fallen in love with Hugh Laurie simply by watching his Golden Globe acceptance speech, but I still didn't watch this medical show. Luckily, the operation scenes aren't that bad in House :) But a Christmas holiday in Mexico & a House Boxing Day marathon in Dec. 2008 instantly had me hooked. And I'm sure I don't have to explain why. It is brilliant on EVERY single level; every other show pales in comparison. And again, it's one of our "family shows". My Dad has a secret crush on Lisa/Cuddy :P - he always makes the most random & sweetest comments! And my Mom likes Foreman - and all of his still ask her "why?!" We had the most epic discussions about the Season 5 finale: full-on deep character analysis, House&Cuddy discussion, varying hypotheses - I wish I could've recorded it. And though I wish I had been in the fandom from the beginning, I also can't help but feel I jumped in at just the right moment - not only plot-wise, but where I am personally, too. The sheer genius of this show & character is indescribable. It honestly inspires me to brilliance. ♥ ♥ ♥