I fight the urge to figure out my approach to the coming year at the end of December. My brain says everything must be set in place by the first of January to be in tune with some cosmic metronome. January 1st is no different than any other day. Fleeting. Time is not a cycle repeating. The universe is a clock winding down, each moment fractionally slower than the last.
December is not for planning. It is already filled with last minute assignments at work, buying presents, travel, exhaustion. The last couple weeks of December are reserved for rest. I block out the whole of January for planning and thought. No more hard starts for the new year.
This month’s playlist:
Tokyo Godfathers
December is packed with first-time watches I’d love to highlight, but the standout is Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers. This is the most miraculous and subversive Nativity I’ve seen committed to film. Playful and comedic, though it doesn’t hold back from depicting humanity’s cruelty to the fringes. But that cynicism is drowned out by stubborn mercy and forgiveness. This movie is magical without saccharine tropes.
Might have taken the crown as my favorite Kon.
Vampire Survivors
This Mac and Playstation gamer is thankful for the iOS release of this gem. Overjoyed to join in on the fun PC players have had for a while. Some of the best pure gameplay I’ve experienced all year. Love all the secrets and unlockables to earn. A negative impact on my productivity at work.
Chainsaw Man
Startlingly faithful to the manga while still feeling new. It’s like MAPPA created an illuminated manuscript of the original work. 10/10 adaptation.
Friends have asked what’s the appeal of Chainsaw Man beyond that of a dude who sprouts the eponymous tool. Truthfully, that and the gore and the artful fight scenes get you in the door. But, speaking for both the manga and anime, the crassness is a thin veneer that covers deep characters managing grievous wounds. Chainsaw Man is a greek tragedy where the whims of gods destroy the small comforts of man. Except, instead of fire, Prometheus stole a chainsaw.
This month I also posted more photos of a cemetery. And ate Christmas cookies.