Life is A Tragedy

Hello semua. Apa khabar? Mimi's here.

Hai, rasanya dah lama betul aku tak share life update/news dalam blog aku ni. Kadang-kadang, terlupa pula yang hampir 14 tahun lepas, aku pernah buat blog ni. Itulah. Dengan peredaran masa yang begitu pantas, memang banyak benda yang akan kita lupa. Samalah macam blog ni.

First thing, biarlah aku address the big elephant in the room. Sebenarnya, dalam dua post (tak bermakna) yang aku buat last year - ada banyak benda yang juga terjadi in-between. Antaranya adalah aku successfully published my first book dengan Kadok@wa Gempak St@rz yang bergenre misteri/horror. Buku apa, hah pepandailah korang cari sendiri sebab aku dah penat promote last year (type jelah nama aku pasti akan keluar punya kat suggestion).  Alhamdullilah, buku tu sendiri pun sudah banyak terjual dan aku sendiri pun dah turun padang untuk promotekan (signing event) dalam pesta buku last year. Terharu aku wo bila nampak all my books yang pada awalnya tersusun rapi sudah habis terjual pada hari last aku datang hihi. :')

Anyway, aside from debut buku & signing event, aku and the fam ada juga try wat staycation for a day. Hotel yang kami pergi tu agak best, tapi entah di mana silapnya trip yang nampak mudah jadi macam tak best lak by the end of it. Which is why aku tak pernah update sini. Also, awal Dec 2022 tu pun ada juga try pergi trip kat PD, tapi seperti tema di atas - tetap tak berapa nak menjadi kerana hal-hal personal yang malas aku nak ingatkan. :(

Okeylah, enough with throwback. Sekarang ni aku nak update sikit pasal personal life aku. Uncle kesayangan ramai dalam maternal side family aku suddenly passed away last week. Seriously, pemergian beliau amat mengejutkan ramai kerana sikap arwah yang positif, ceria, dan normal a few weeks sebelum dia pergi. Aku pun masih tak boleh nak brain what happened tapi bila difikir-fikirkan mungkin ada hikmahnya disebalik apa yang berlaku. Apa-apa pun aku doakan uncle aku tu tenang-tenang saja di sana dan semoga rohnya dicucuri rahmat, Amin. 

Di sini aku juga nak update pasal what next in life for me. Sejujurnya, aku nak teruskan writing (sebab this is my passion), maybe re-start staycation one more time (hopefully this time it will work the wait it intended), and hadapi sajalah apa yang life ada in store for me. Frankly, memang banyak benda-benda yang jadi dalam life aku, tapi kalau benda tu tak best aku takkan ulas. Why? Because I figure the best way to deal with that shizz is not talk about it, but learn and grow from it. 

Selain itu, aku juga dah mula nak get back to deen. Yelah, dengan usia pun makin meningkat dan tanggungjawab yang makin banyak - aku rasa move in sangat perlu untuk aku capai stability dan kemanisan hidup (cewah). Bila letih dan rasa nak give-up, aku tak complain kat orang. People dissapointed me most of times. Aku mengadu saja pada Dia. Senang. Sebab kita tahu Allah tu Maha Mendengar. Mudah-mudahan, masalah aku tu akan ada jalan penyelesaiannya kelak.

Baiklah korang. Sampai sini sajalah update aku hari ni. Aku pun ada banyak lagi kerja nak disiapkan ni so until then - see you soon.

Yours truly,

Mimi

Malaysian Streaming Services (2023 Update)

Hello semua. Apa khabar? Mimi's here.

Tiga tahun lepas aku ada buat comparison streaming service (Dimsum, Netflix, Viu dan iFlix). Tahun ni (2023) akan ada beberapa penambahan sikit sebab aku dah try lagi beberapa streaming service just for the fun of it. Ada yang aku cuma subscribe sekali, ada yang untuk beberapa bulan ke depan. Nak tahu apa dia? Meh baca post aku kat bawah ni.

1.) Dimsum (n/a; terminated)

Entah di mana silapnya, tapi tanggal Sep 2021 yang lalu adalah bulan terakhir streaming service Dimsum ni beroperasi. Jujur cakap, aku cuma subscribe untuk beberapa bulan saja (di tahun 2019) sebab time tu aku tengah dalam mood nak tengok cerita Hong Kong. After subscription aku tu habis, aku langsung tak menjenguk Dimsum ni sampailah diorang tetiba send aku e-mail (i guess aku tak pernah unsubsribe) telling me about penutupan rasmi mereka. Adalah sedikit rasa nostalgic itu timbul bila aku dapat tahu, but in the end - it's what it is. I already move on since then.

2.) Viu (cancelled)

Seperti Dimsum di atas, aku pun hanya subscribe kat Viu sekejap jer before cancelling it. This goes on for a few years. Only baru-baru ni aku decide untuk subscribe balik sebab ada drama Malay yang aku nak tengok. What a huge dissapointment that was. Aku hanya subscribe seminggu je (RM2.90) before realizing I'm better off without it. Heh, I must say not that surprising :(

3.) Netflix (ongoing)

Luckily for Netflix, ia tidak mengalami nasib yang serupa seperti 2 streaming service yang aku baru sebutkan tadi. FYI, aku dah subscribe to Netflix nearly 3 tahun dah (before the end of 2019). Jujur aku katakan, life pre and after Netflix memanglah tersangat berbeza. Dalam bebanyak subscription, setakat ni aku rasa Netflixlah yang paling berbaloi dan memuaskan hati. Kontent banyak, cerita best, drama bersiri-siri, dah tu last for quite a long time (up to 2 years and above). 

4.) iFlix (n/a)

Aku pun dah tak ingat sangat pasal iFlix nih. Ni pun sebab aku tengok post tiga tahun lepas je baru perasan, lol. Anyways, aku tak layan iFlix so rasanya kita boleh skip this one kot?

5.) SIAR (cancelled)

It all started dengan aku tetiba rasa nak tengok satu movie lama yang bertajuk 'Dewi Cinta' 1987. Movie yang in my opinion sangat sukar untuk dicari di mana-mana hatta di Youtube sekalipun. Nak dijadikan cerita,waktu aku tengah scroll tik tok video ternampak lak watermark 'SIAR' ni kat salah satu movie lama. Curiosity got the best of me and hasilnya aku jumpa gak movie yang aku nak tengok tu! Bermula dengan subscription RM10 (mahal jugak eh?), subscription ni pun tak tahan lama. Only for a month tapi aku dapatlah tengok banyak movie-movie Malay lama.

6.) SookaTV (cancelled)

Sebelum aku subscribe Netflix, aku layan Astro dulu. Nearly 10 tahun jugaklah before everything ends around 2017-2018. Never thought of seeing it again until ada cerita Malay yang aku nak tengok dari Astro. Masalahnya, aku dah lama tak ada Astro so nak buat apa? SookaTV is the answer. Seriously, banyak gila cerita yang aku dapat tengok and more. Memang best Sooka ni tapi like all good things, it has to end. Aku bertahan subscribe lebih kurang 2 bulan jer sebab banyak cerita yang aku nak tengok  dah pun selesai. So, bila dah selesai - kenalah move on to other stuff pulak, ye tak?

7.) iQiyi (ongoing)

A hunt for more Malay drama brought me closer to iQiyi. Bermula dengan subscription sebulan, aku teruskan dengan subscription 6 bulan kerana lebih murah dan berbaloi (RM8/month). Banyak cerita yang ada dalam ni especially Chinese and Malay drama. Anime dan lenlain pun ada jugak.

8.) Disney+ (ongoing)

Awal tahun ni aku dapatkan Disney+ sebab (again) ada cerita drama Malay yang aku nak catch-up. After that, sempat jugaklah aku layan movie Disney satu dua and movie from Indonesia as well. It was pretty okay, tapi agak expensive jugaklah (RM54/3 months) and hanya boleh ditonton oleh seorang user dalam satu-satu masa. Still, not bad. Not bad at all. 

9.) Prime video (ongoing)

Aku baru je obtain prime video sebulan yang lepas. So far, so good. Banyak cerita-cerita baru yang aku dah layan and it just keep getting bigger and better. Aku tak tahu berapa lama aku akan stay dengan prime but we'll see how everything goes, huh?

10.) tonton (ongoing)

Tak nak kalah dengan Astro dan streaming services yang lain, TV3 pun offer benda yang sama jugak melalui aplikasi mereka iaitu tonton. Aku pada mulanya skeptical juga nak subscribe ataupun tak, but then I decide to just go for it. Harga kalau amik package mereka agak murah (RM8.00) compared to ambil subscription bulan (RM9.90). So far aku cuma baru tengok sekali dua je sebab banyak komitment lain serta streaming services yang berlambak-lambak untuk aku cuba.

So, that's it, guys. Aku nampak semakin bertambah streaming services yang aku dah cuba di dalam list ni compared to 3 years ago. Walaupun banyak aku dah cancelled and some I do keep, I did enjoy most of it. Sampai sini sajalah post aku kali ni. Semoga bertemu lagi dalam post yang akan datang.

Yours truly,

Mimi

Life Is but A Dream (2023 Edition)

Today I learn that nothing is what it seems. People say they love you, but their action disagrees. People smile at you today, and jeer at you for the rest of the week. Everything is fleeting, moving in opposite direction. Consider yourself important, yet that never was the case. Pretend to be strong, when in truth you're weak and tries to deny it. I care none for their insecurities, only what I could see in front of me. I think knowing what you want and work towards that goal earnestly everyday is so much better than talking about impossible dream.

Last year proves to be the hardest year in my life yet, but somehow at the end of the tunnel - i found the light. Going back to my own belief helps to improve my life tremendously. When I pray, I feel comforted, calm. Even when no one is on my side, I know He's there - watching over me, caring me in a way that no other human can. Listening to my worries, paving the way that its the best for me. I just wanted be in that haze forever and ever, but being human - I know there's a time I'll slip again.

My only wish is i don't. 

Lately, I found that the more effort I gave, the more result I can see happening. Perhaps I was stingy before, uncaring - these days, I try to care for things I love. When my heart is set on something, I will see to it comes to fruition. It may not be perfect sometimes, but at least - I know I'm trying.

I got half of my dreams realized by the end of last year. This year I'll try to fulfill another half. I'm gonna keep trying while praying to Him to ease the way for me. Maybe I will fail. Maybe I won't. There's no way knowing unless I try. I wish I could do some good for others this year to, probably more than I normally give out. There's plenty of people out there who needs our help without us realizing it.

 It's still early of the year. There's so much things i wanted to do, achieve. I hope I'll have a lot of strength to do it and my health would allows me. God-willing.

Yours truly, 

Mimi

Eid al-Adha 2022 @ Colmar Tropicale with the Fam after Covid

 *SIGHS*

Akhirnya, setelah sekian lama me and the fam tak bervacay ke mana-mana kerana covid, kami sekeluarga pun decide to go to Colmar Tropicale. If you guys still remember, our last trip to Tanjung Bungah, Penang was on Aug 2019 (also during Eid al-Adha). Huu, orang lain Raya Korban... aku and the fam lak gi jenjalan yek? Tak kisahlah... Yang penting semua family members aku masih disini. Yelah, kita ni pun tak tahu nak hidup berapa lama lagi, bila next lockdown, bila nak kumpul bareng with family camni, bla..bla..bla... 

So, gotta strike the rod while the iron still hot, amirite? 

Compared dengan last time kami pergi trip during Eid al-Adha, aku bersyukur sangat-sangat walaupun perjalanan 2 setengah jam telah menjadi hampir 6 jam (biasalah traffic jam time cuti raya kan?) - takde ribut taufan petir segala yang membahayakan perjalanan (please refer this). Cuma itulah, eksiden yang banyak memang takleh nak dielakkan. Masa awal-awal journey lagi (Friday) dah nampak 8 buah kereta bertembung antara satu sama lain di laluan kanan (laju). Hisy, first time nih nampak kereta accident sampai berderet-deret camtu. Kerana aku sendiri pun dah mengalami peristiwa yang sama di awal 2022 aritu, takde kata lain yang mampu aku ucapkan selain simpati dan syukur kerana tiada kehilangan jiwa berlaku. 

Honestly, it's been a while since we been here. The last time I remember, it was Dec 2009 and I was 17 years old. Time tu aku dan the fam tak stay kat Colmar, tapi kami duduk Selesa Hillhomes. Try jugak usha-usha harga penginapan Hillhomes tu tapi harganya nowadays, makaih... Thank you, next. So, disebabkan harga bilik di Hillhomes tu agak mahal, maka aku pun cubalah nasib booking bilik kat sini. Asalnya nak Family room (2 rooms) kan, tapi melepas pulak deal booking kat Agoda tu. Akhirnya, cari punya cari - dapatlah juga book 2 bilik Superior Twin Bed. Ni pun booking 2 weeks prior sebab tak nak bilik habis lagi. Harga untuk 4 days and 3 nights (breakfast included) memang mencecah ribuan ringgit. But, it's okay memandangkan apa yang aku dapat dari trip kali ni sangat bermakna buat aku. 

Anyway, lama pula aku borak pasal bilik ni semua ye tak. Huu, how times flies. Now at 30 years old, I had finally made a comeback. And things were quite different from the last time I remembered them. So, apa lagi - jom kita intai apa je yang aku and the fam buat sepanjang kami berada di hotel Colmar Tropicale nih;

Day 1: Breakfast @ La Balson, Photography Session, Botanical Garden & Coffee Time!

Tak complete the day without breakfast, amirite.

Kita mulakan hari pertama dengan breakfast dulu. Breakfast macam biasalah, western style and Malaysian style. Aku ambil dua-dua sebab dah bayar kan and also sebab I'm a huge breakfast person. Honestly, selama aku post pasal vacay aku jarang gila nak upload gambar kami sekeluarga makan breakfast macam ni. This is the first time.

It's really hard actually trying to get the band together. Everyone is pretty busy with life and so am I. Tapi, family vacation is a huge part of my life while I was growing up, so it's a hard pass not trying to make it happen. Luckily, ada rezeki untuk kami sekeluarga pergi juga selepas endemik ni. Niat aku berjalan time raya ni bukan sahaja nak tenangkan fikiran selepas menghadapi pelbagai dugaan di awal 2022, tetapi juga untuk cipta memori dan kenangan bersama dengan keluarga aku selagi masa masih ada. Alhamdullilah, semuanya dipermudahkan oleh-Nya.

View from the top: Level 6

Bagi yang tak pernah menjejak kaki ke sini, Colmar ni telah dibina pada tahun 2000. So, rata-rata bangunan di sini berusia 22 tahunlah. Tapi, meskipun begitu - management baru buat renovation pada 2011 aritu so rata-rata biliknya masih rapi dan kemas. Sayangnya, aku terlupa pula nak ambil gambar view dalam bilik, so enjoy sajalah view dari tingkat 6 nih. BTW, bilik aku no 6312 memang terbaiklah sebab ada balkoni dan dapat tengok view yang cantik macam ni.   

some visitor coming by for picture

Still lovely, even after 22 years

Tak banyak plan aku ke Colmar ni sebenarnya. Just nak take photo family yang dah lama tak update (since 2019), sightseeing, and buying some keychain plus fridge magnet. Dulu masa datang sini, ada juga beli tapi sebab dah nearly 13 years kan... Keychain entah ke mana, fridge magnet pula hilang terus. LOL. First day memang aku dah aim nak ambil gambar dengan family banyak-banyak, especially of mom and dad. Tapi, sebelum tu - kenalah selfie untuk test outfit dulu kan?

OOTD for first day. Vest from SHEIN, white shirt from Zalia and tudung bawal
from Comfort Collection.

Mom and Dad '22

Alhamdullilah, dapat juga snap gambar mom and dad after 2 1/2 years. Dulu masa gi trip kadang-kadang terlepas pandang tentang hal-hal camni. Ambil gambar selfie bukan main berlambak-lambak lagi tapi, bila gambar parents - sekeping dua je. Acane tuh? Sebab itulah aku berazam untuk trip kali ni aku akan snap gambar mereka berdua sebanyak yang mungkin. It's all for the memories, guys. Kita tak tahu bila parents ataupun diri sendiri akan tetap ada kat dunia ni. Sebab tu kena ambil gambar banyak-banyak agak kita tak lupa apa yang pernah kita buat bersama as a family. :'(

at the Hotel Reception Area

Vacay, vacay jugak... Tapi, pengaruh Covid tetap terasa. Honestly, first day taking pictures aku jarang gila nak tanggalkan mask. Yes, tahu dah endemik tapi rasa takut tu masih ada. Two of family members aku sendiri pun ada yang dah terkena Covid (Level 1-2) bulan March aritu so, korang faham-faham sendiri lah. Nasib baik tak satu family, kalau tak - tak ke haru? Aku sempat ambil booster (3rd time) aritu (betul-betul lepas my car accident) tapi adik aku belum sempat ambil Covid dah datang visit. Oleh itu, aku kini cuba menjaga SOP sebaik mungkin untuk mengelakkan 'banana fruit two times', hehe...

Look at this, I'm still wearing mask with my bro

Staircase picture. Antara gambar yang wajib ambil jika korang ke Colmar. Dulu masa aku pergi first time and ambil gambar kat sini - aku rasa cantik sangat. Itu yang ambil balik tu sebab nak recaptured the memories. Ini kat sebelah ni bukan bf aku ke apa eh... Itu adik lelaki aku in the mask lolz.

Word of advise: sila bawak tripod sendiri ya bagi menyenangkan aktiviti 
selfie korang

Oh, ya... Just nak ingatkan... Tak kisahlah kalau korang ni solo traveler ke ataupun ada family - bawa tripod sendiri adalah satu kewajipan, ya? Tak kisahlah jenama apa pun tripod korang tu - asalkan korang leh pacak ia dengan phone korang pun dah kira pass. Macam aku, aku pakai tripod jenis octopus tu (size L) so memang sturdy abis la. Gambar diatas ini adalah hasil gambar tripod tersebut. Nak tengok lagi hasil gambar tripod ni? Sila check gambar-gambar dibawah ya?

Among the sample. With all of my family members.

Gambar tripod ni actually mixed-result tau. Kadang-kala okey, kadang kala tak. Ini contoh jika banyak sangat tripod yang dipacak kan hingga tak tahu nak tengok yang mana satu. Mujurlah adik aku ada tengok kat camera aku kan. Yelah, kitew phone Samsung jek manelah orang nak pandang kan (adik aku pakai iPhone). Padahal baru tukar phone bulan April aritu. Haha, phone Samsung sekali pun, belakang camera dia 64mp, depan 32mp okeh? And also, why my thigh look so *thick* from this angle, lol?

Hello, saya nak panjat bukit nih. Doakan saya, mkay?

Singgah ke Colmar ni memang tak sah kalau tak pergi ke Japanese Village ataupun Botanical garden dia. Kesilapan terbesar aku adalah apabila aku decide untuk ke Botanical Garden dulu instead ke Japanese Village. By the time aku naik balik (ikut tangga) kakiku yang sekian lama tak exercise ni definitely terasa lenguh dan sakit. Kesakitannya seperti aku telah dipukul bertubi-tubi dengan kayu besbol. Rancangan ke Japanese Garden tadi dibatalkan dan aku terpaksa menyerah kalah. Kesudahnnya, kami just beli gambar kat bawah dengan imej Japanese Village Garden diphotoshopkan kat belakang. DONE!

Please take this notice seriously tau...

Oh, lupa nak ingatkan... Colmar ni masih banyak lagi pokok-pokok nan menghijau disekitarnya. Jadi, obviously - masih ada habitat seperti monyet liar yang akan making appearance every now and then. Serius, bila ternampak kelibat monkey ni semua teringat lak zaman study UKM dulu. But, don't play play with these monkeys, okey? Korang tersilap langkah sikit siaplah. Karang tak putus-putus dia ikut korang nanti sebab beri makan kat dia. Sebab itulah aku akan pastikan jika keluar dari bilik hotel dan kalau bawak makan - aku takkan berlama-lama. Risau kalau monyet duk follow pastu rembat makanan atau apa nanti.

Starbucks and Krispy Kreme also available here.

Aku rasa Starbucks ni baru buka dekat Colmar lah. So, kalau lapar ke nak snacking ke, low-blood pressure dan yang seumpama dengannya - don't worry be happy. Korang boleh dapatkan refill korang kat sini, okey? Penat mendaki gunung yang tak seberapa tuh, aku pun belilah air Starbucks (dad: Iced Americano; me: Signature Hot Chocolate; bro: Asian Dolce Latte). Donut pun aku beli juga (strawberry, Cadbury choc, glaze, original, Lotus biscoff (yang ni sedap giler) and choc something (yang tuh adik aku dah makan). Seriously, memang sedap weh...

Me, at my own habitat huhuk

Ingat monkey tu je ada habitat dier? Aku pun adalah. Mine is relaxing and coffee time, of course! Sebab tadi masa kat Starbucks aku beli Signature Hot Choc jer, aku pun buatlah black Nescafe. Memang terangkat beb. Okey, pasal makan pulak... Hehe, breakfast memang telah disediakan tapi selain dari tu pandai-pandailah korang nak hidup. Nak makan kat restaurant dia boleh, nak turun kat bawah makan kat RnR Genting Sempah ataupun kawasan disekitarnya pun boleh. 

Day 2: Eid al-Adha 2022 Solo Photography

Okey, selesai 1st day marilah kita move on pula ke 2nd day. Second day adalah Hari Raya Haji ya. So, lepas intai activity with my family apa semua - it has decided that aku akan teruskan second day dengan solo Raya photoshoot sebab semua family aku busy buat hal mereka sendiri. Seriously, ketika inilah aku rasa pengunaan tripod itu amat berguna ya. Like 100 percent. 

Hello ;)

A close-up picture

Okey, yang atas tadi adalah versi yang non-halal, mkay? Gambar yang seterusnya ni adalah versi yang lebih sopan dan bersesuaian dengan tema hari Raya Haji kali ni.

Tada-h! Trimas to my ever reliable tripod.

Kabedon! Serious, aku suka gila dengan tripod ni. Set timer pastu
ambil lah gambar berapa banyak pun takde problem. 
 

Raya Haji '22 - Colmar Tropicale The Series

Haha, tetiba rasa cam kat luar negara lak.

One of my favorite pictures. Again, thanks TT (timer and tripod).

Okay, last picture before korang muak XD

Kidding... Ceritanya sekarang ni blog sapa ye tak?

Sempat pekena ice-cream Paddle Pop Rainbow. 
Dah lama tak makan tetiba rasa teringin lak. Murah jer ni RM1.50.

Hampir setengah hari tak hang out dengan parents, malamnya kami pun set date untuk gi dinner together @ Le Poulet Roti. Plan asal nak dine-in kat dalam bilik je tapi tak jadilah. Sambil menunggu makanan semua, sempatlah snap picture with my mom kan.

Dining out with Mom.

Nasib baik aku pandai cari port. Sebab tak bawak tripod turun tadi, kenalah creative sikit, kan?
 So, aku pacak kan tripod kat post lamp and set timer cam biasa.
Beginilah hasilnya...

Our food has arrived!

Aku dengan adik aku order chicken chop je. My mom pula makan Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng. Air pulak kami order Orange, Mango, Apple and Pineapple. Honestly, makanannya taklah sesedap mana. Sedap lagi Bistro yang aku dengan fam aku selalu pergi kat hometown kami ;(

Last family photo together before going home tomorrow ;')

Bukan senang tau our family nak kumpul semua macam ni. Even as a family pun, kalau tak pergi vacay camni jangan haraplah nak ambil gambar bagai. Bila dah kena pakse (eh pakse ke?) 4 days 3 nights ni barulah senang sikit nak ajak. Nak ikutkan kita orang dah hampir 2 tahun 1/2 takde gambar raya tau. So, walaupun tak pakai baju raya apa semua - ini kira gambar raya kami sekeluarga lah. 

Last, last picture before I said bye bye...

Okeylah guys. Sampai sini sajalah pengkongsian aku untuk vacation 2022 ni. I have fun and obviously I learn so many things in this trip. It's not about the location or destination tau sebenarnya. Most importantly, I get to spend  time with my loved ones, especially mom and dad. So, tak tau bila lagi akan pergi trip macam ni lagi, but until then - stay tuned and wasalam.

Love, M.

Nearly A Year Has Come and Gone. What the hell have I been doing in my life?

So, tahun 2021 telah pun come and go dengan begitu sahaja. Bila aku tengok balik posting lama aku, jelas terpacar di situ yang banyak perihal tentang personal life yang telah aku sorokkan dari umum. Heh, memang itu pun tujuannya sejak aku re-vamp blog aku ni pada tahun 2018. Aku delete FB, Instagram lama dan juga cut ties dengan most of people I used to know atas sebab ini juga. That's why post last aku adalah hampir setahun yang lalu. And to be honest, I hardly miss any of it at all. 

Lately, aku asyik terpikirkan pasal life sebelum datangnya Covid. I'm sure ramai yang feeling the same way too. Walaupun kini dah masuk tahun ke-2 dengan kebanyakan border telah pun dibuka serta Covid sekarang di tahap endemik - who are we fu*ken kidding? Life was never the same again no matter how much we try to fool ourselves. Tak caya? Tanya je sesiapa dalam life korang (kalau masih ada la) apa pendapat diorang tentang pandemik ni? Gerenti jawapan masing-masing sama je dengan sentimen aku.

Tapi, tujuan aku tulis post ni bukanlah hanya untuk hentam pandemik ni semata-mata. Itu hanya mukadimah saja. Dalam 2 tahun aku tak ke mana-mana ni, I learn a great deal about myself. Now, kalau nak cerita satu persatu, mungkin sampai Raya 2022 ni takkan habis kot, so macam biasalah - aku buat list sikit. Senanglah korang nak baca dan hadam kan?

1.) I turned 30 this year. And surprisingly, aku tak rasa apa pun. Bought a few new gadgets for my birthday, cakes, and few more new glasses. Also, birthday aku kali ni jatuh dalam bulan Ramadhan (again) so yeah... Nak celebrate macam gempak memang tak adalah. Zero wishes from former friends or anyone else sebab aku cut ties dengan ramai orang before and during pandemik. But, you know what? It's okay. You tend to have less friends (or in my case, zero) as you grew older. It doesn't affect me that much, anyways. 

2.) Nothing excites me anymore. Bila kau habiskan most of your time watching movies, tv-series and Youtube time pandemic than mingling with others - nothing could've excite you anymore. Untuk elakkan rasa bosan, aku pun tukar angin. Lately aku rasa musical cam Hamilton, Miss Saigon, King and I, etc best giler. Oh, and I taught superheroes (animated) movies like DC and Marvel are pretty cool too (walaupun sebelum ni aku adalah penentang tegar benda-benda mainstream ni). In my early 20's, jangan haraplah kau berjaya yakinkan aku yang dua benda ni best. Pelik gila macam mana taste aku boleh berubah dalam beberapa tahun ni.

3.) (Non) Vacation all year long. Thanks to the pandemic - holiday, rehat dan yang sewaktu dengannya telah terpaksa ditangguhkan. Last sekali aku pergi holiday, the year was 2019. Before pandemic, okay? Ada passport pun mati tahun depan. My thoughts? Yeah, what you gonna do about it? Tapi, aku tak nafikan bila aku lepak dalam bilik sesekali akan terkenang memori melancong itu. Lately, not so much.

4.) Your Room becomes Your Temple. Minimalism hit me hard pada awal tahun 2018. Time tu, semua benda tak berkenan, aku rasa nak campak keluar je dari bilik aku. Tapi, itu baru permulaannya saja. Turns out, once you take in a new lifestyle and start re-decorating your room; there's no end to it. Finally, in the year of 2022 - barulah aku puas hati dengan design dan juga susun atur perabot kat bilik aku. Seriously, bila kau habiskan banyak masa dalam bilik dari keluar rumah - it's very important to be happy and comfortable.

5.) Stop Comparing and Start Living. Hah, yang ni aku tipu je. Aku tak pernah hidup berpaksikan comparison dengan orang lain. The only battle I ever had is... with myself. Besides, life is too short and why you wanna live like that anyway? Yang aku sibukkan sekarang hanyalah macam mana aku boleh kekal hidup dengan cara dan lifestyle aku sendiri tanpa input dari mana-mana pihak yang tak berkenaan. Itu saja.

6.) It's Okay to be Inspired (or Not). Influencer. Kuasa untuk memilih influence mereka dalam hidup ni sebenarnya terletak di tangan kau. Kerana itulah istilah 'racun Tik Tok' tiada makna dalam life aku. Paling tinggi pun aku layan Tik Tok bila nak tengok video resipi mudah atau lagu-lagu viral yang ada di sana. Kalau di Youtube jangan ceritalah, taip satu keyword - melambak suggestion yang korang dapat. Tapi, tak semua pun aku layan... I found nitpicking dan juga digital detox very helpful untuk membanteras gejala ini.

7.) I Don't Care (Anymore or Not As Much). Pandemik ni sebenarnya sangat bagus jika kau jenis yang malas nak bergaul dan perlukan 'people filter' dalam hidup kau. Siapa yang tinggal, maka orang itulah BFF forever ataupun ada certain makna dalam life kau. Funny story, with an exception of close family members - orang sebegini tidak wujud langsung dalam life aku. Nak kata aku sombomg? Not exactly. Phone and messaging works both way okay? Bila tiada seorang pun yang willingly nak pick up the phone and ask how the other is doing, faham-faham sendiri jelah ertinya seorang 'kau' dalam hidup 'mereka', ya?

8.) Too much me time can makes you feel... lethargic. Okay, aku admit. Aku memang banyak masa terluang sekarang ni. Tapi, banyak masa terluang pun tak bermaksud life ni always take it easy, okay? Kadang-kadang tu, aku rindukan rutin. Sekarang ni, aku nak buat apa pun semua kena plan sendiri-sendiri. Kau bayangkanlah, aku perlukan at least 4-5 item dalam itenarary aku tuh sebelum aku rasa hari-hari ku telah dipenuhi. Sometimes, lonely lah jugak tapi nak wat camne kan? Dah ini jalan yang dipilih maka suka tak suka, haruslah ditempuhi juga.

9.) Easily distracted. Aku tak tahulah sebab peredaran usia atau apa - tapi aku sangat mudah distracted sekarang. Nak kata ADHD, well tak juga... tapi itulah hakikatnya. Sometimes, rasa nak buat digital detox je hari-hari, tapi lepas tu rasa cam rugi pulak sebab banyak benda yang aku nak tengok kat Netflix dengan Youtube terpaksa ditangguhkan. See? Conundrum.

10.) Feeling Nostalgic. Dalam banyak-banyak benda yang jadi kat tahun ni, yang ni aku paling pelik. Aku ni bukan jenis orang yang suka mengimbau benda-benda yang aku dah buat. Post lama aku (kalau kau sempat bacalah kan) jelas menerangkan tentang hal ini. Tapi, lately aku rasa nostalgic gila tentang life aku masa aku kecik-kecik, highschool life, dan lain-lain. Entahlah, tapi aku rasa pelik gila dengan perasaan ni. Macam tak normal lak aku rasa. Tapi yelah, this is what been going on in my life right now.

Okeylah guys. Itu sajalah 10 benda yang boleh aku sharekan kepada korang. Mohon jangan judge sangat sebab life kita as human ni mana pernah perfect kan? So, with that being said and done guys - thank you for reading this entry. Hopefully kita jumpa lagi di masa akan datang, okay? Wasalam.

Sincerely,

Mimi.

My Anime Crossed-Off List for 2021: Reloaded

[Author note: This list took me about one week and a half to write it. Don't ask me why, I'm just not motivated enough to finish it off. Well, on the second thought... that's not it. I think it's my non-stop anime binge watching that's causing the delay. Anyways, now that I'm done, please enjoy this new post! -M-]

Why, hello there! Come here, come close.... I'm about to unveil another My Anime Crossed-off list in this blog! Good news everyone - I had steadily been watching anime this year (2021), so I might be dropping a couple more titles than usual. Because of the vast choices I had, I'll also be introducing you guys to an extra section called 'Honarable Mention'. Huhu... are you guys excited? I know I am. So, here we go!

1.) Banana Fish

Banana Fish 
Picture courtesy of Google

Banana Fish might have came out in 2018, but I just discovering it now thanks to a blunder I made while searching for another BL's (Boys Love) titled as 'Banana Scandal'. That initial blunder led me to this 'happy accident' because not only that I get to discovered this anime above, but I also get to watch it from start to finish and lemme tell you something - it was all so very worth it!  

This anime tells a story about mysterious new street drugs only known as 'Banana Fish' that had some sort of disastrous effect to it's user/victims. Our main protagonist, Ash Lynx older brother, Griffin - was one of the unfortunate guy who had fallen victim to this drug while serving in Iraq War (it was Vietnam in original manga). Twelve years later, Ash is set to find out about the person responsible for what happened because his brother is pretty much outta his mind (even till now). His investigation led him to form an alliance with several key people; Shuinichi (a photojournalist), Eiji Okumura (his assistant), Shorter Wong (a gang leader who controls Chinatown), and Max (Ash new friend from prison). All of them are Ash trusted allies to help bring down people who's behind the new drug. Here's a few reasons why this anime is awesome and why you should be watching it;

Pros:

• Great storyline, strong character development, deep social issues (pedophilia, child sex traffic ring, drugs, mobster)
• Good anime, okay manga
• Fall under the categories Shounen Ai, but don't let that tag stopped you. This anime is so much more about sex or love. It's about friendship, loyalty and how one can grow as a person despite being in shitty situation.

Cons:

• Too much violence shown in anime can sometimes make you feel sick on the stomach.
• All of those r*pe scene is no joke. I feel bad for Ash, most of the time cause he's always get the short end of the stick (or in this case - deep end of the 'stick', if you know what I mean).

To be honest, this anime doesn't fall under categories of light-hearted nor fun. In fact, it's the quite opposite. As the story progress and stake increases; I was getting nervous and worried about the final outcome. Sure, there's a part of me that wanted to root for Ash Lynx and his friends, but another part know that this not going to be easy. Often times, I found myself becoming squeamish and worried if things are going to get worst the closer they get to the truth. But, then again - that's what great anime does to you. It keeps you excited, curious, and glued to your seat until you finally finished watching it. Despite of it's dark theme and social issues presented; Banana Fish had successful in serving its purpose and telling its story. For that, I'm giving this anime a rating of 8.5/10. 

p/s: I don't think I'll be re-visiting this anime anytime soon. The pain that it left me after watching the final episodes still lingers till this day. But, I will... eventually. 

2.) Balance: Unlimited

Balance: Unlimited 
Picture courtesy of Google

Imagine being so rich beyond belief that there basically a program telling you that your bank account balance is UNLIMITED, and later using that richness to help solving crimes all around city? I couldn't. But, that what Daisuke Kambe seems to be doing with his vast amount of wealth. As a police officer, he's helping his department by using his own resources (and wasn't afraid resorting to a method such as bribery). His new-suffering partner, Haru Kato are often repelled by his approach, but later seems let Kambe solved things his own way. 

To be honest, if it wasn't for the art-style and characters - I don't think I would enjoy watching this anime that much. The storyline wasn't as great as I thought it would be and who could blame me if every problem can be solved using Kambe family money? What's the stake there, you know? Besides, the lack of character development aside from solving several cases together make this anime seems a lot less... interesting? I don't know what it is, but there's something missing here, for sure. 

Anyway, here's some things that I like and dislike about this anime, if you're interested to check it out;

Pros:

• Beautiful art-style and character design
• Catchy OST (especially the ED song)
• No shortage of money (Daisuke Kambe)

Cons:

• Lack character development among main characters
• Repetitive episodes, some too long for its own good

So, for those reason above - I'm giving this second anime on my list a rating of 6.8/10. I know others might want to rate it higher, but I had seen a lot of detective themes anime with better execution than this one. Thus, I can't, under a good conscience - give it higher rating than this. Anyway... with that being said - let's move on to the next one!  

3.) Kemono Jihen

Kemono Jihen 
Picture courtesy of Google

Another happy accident for me this year is the anime above called as 'Kemono Jihen'. So, there's a lot of things I wanna say about it, but first; I just wanted to say how much I'm glad that out of hundreds of anime that they had released so far in 2021 - this is my first anime of the year. 

Kemono Jihen tells a story about a young boy by the name of Kabane and how he is being mistreated by his aunt's family for a long time. Aside from a hard work in the farm, Kabane is also isolated by all the young kids in his village for unknown reasons. All about change when a man named Kohachi Inugami suddenly appeared from the city to solve the case of mysterious death surroundings cows and other animal's in Kabane village. Unbeknownst to anyone, Mr. Inugami is actually a 'Kemonoist' who runs a small agency called 'Inugami Strangeness Consultancy Office'. It's later revealed that Mr. Inugami is actually a 'kemono' or moster, and his original form is of a Tanuki. 

It was after the incident in his village that eventually led Kabane to discover about his true form; which is a Ghoul hybrid (ghoul + human). All this time, he been thinking that he's just an unwanted child whom his parents abandoned. Mr. Inugami later explains that the Life Calculus in Kabane's possession means that he wasn't abandoned on purpose, and his parents must have their own reason. 

With a help from Mr. Inugami, Kabane later decides to leave the village on his own in order to find his birth parents. Here, he meet with two other kids or 'kemono' living with Mr. Inugami named Shiki (an Archne hybrid) and Akira (yuki onna). There's also a reclusive vampire named Mihai living in the building, though he's loves doing underground job and rarely seen going out. Together, they work to solve strange cases that been occuring in the city and each kids had their own goals and mission to achieve by working with Mr. Inugami. Anyway, there's a lot of things I wanna say about this anime, so please check this list below;

Pros:

• Rare male protagonist (Kabane) who is innocent, straightforward and self-sacrificing.
• Outstanding supporting characters (Shiki, Akira, and Mr. Inugami) with their own unique personality.
• Great character design (anime and manga)
• Gripping storylines and character development (everyone had their own goals to achieve and the mangaka waste no time letting these kids and everyone achieved their goals)
• The storyline can get dark sometimes (despite of the nearly whole-kid cast), but it's for the good reason and really carries the story forward.

Cons:

• The storyline can sometimes be too dark, so yeah - please be informed.
• NSFW content, so please be also beware.
• Underrated AF making this anime almost didn't fell under my radar.

Despite being so underrated, I can vouch that this is a great anime (and manga) and it would be a shame if anime fan miss out on this one. Well, without wasting anymore time - my final verdict for this anime is 8.1/10. Why is it so high you ask? It's because after watching the fantastic anime adaptation, I soon begin to read the manga and it's so good - I have to add a few extra points for this anime! Anyway, with that being said and done - let's move on to the next one on this list...

4.) Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen
Picture courtesy of Google

Ah~ It wouldn't be 2021 if you haven't already heard about this phenomenal anime that have taken the anime world by storm. Originally released back in Oct 2020, it wasn't until Jan 2021 that Jujutsu Kaisen eventually reaches it's peak and later become a household name. I swear, the support of this anime is so massive - that there's wasn't a day would goes by without seeing its content on my Tiktok FYP or Youtube recommendation. I'm not one for the trend, but it's truly remarkable to be able to see how anime fans from all around the world had taken interest in this particular anime and manage to keep it trending for weeks. The last time I remember fans raves about anime this bad was 'Demon Slayer', and that only two years ago... So, what about this anime that made fans love it so much? Well, lemme tell you... 

Jujutsu Kaisen tells a story about this hot and athletic guy by the name of Itadori Yuuji. Not much is known about his personal life or parents whereabout; except Itadori have been living under his grandfather care for years. As his grandfather lays on his deathbed in the hospital, he begin to ask his only grandson if he wanted to know anything about his parents; only to be rejected by Itadori who thinks it's unimportant. Itadori normally ordinary lives is about to get crazy with the arrival of Megumi Fushiguro, a student/ Jujutsu Sorcerer. While trying to save 2 of his senpai from a Supernatural club, Itadori is forced to ate a cursed object (Sukuna's fingers) and in result granting him a superhuman strength; all while he serves as Sukuna's vessel. Hence, begins the journey of Itadori, Megumi and other Jujutsu Sorcerer as they tries to find the remaining of Sukuna's fingers (so Itadori could ate it) and later destroyed along with Sukuna's.

There's so much things I wanna say about this anime, but doing so only going to take the mystery away (when there wasn't much to go around with). So, for better understanding, here's some reasons I managed to come up with on why I like and dislike about this anime;

 
Pros:

• There's only handful male protagonist with a pink hair in the animeverse, so having Itadori Yuuji in the mix is refreshing.
• Simple storyline, get you hooked before you even watch/read episode/chapter 6.
• Interesting side characters (Megumi, Gojo Satoru, Nobara)
• Good pacing for action/adventure anime, if you're into that sort of things
• Cool character designs and art style

Cons:

• The death of main hero is predetermined (Itadori Yuuji might died after ingesting the whole 20 fingers because they need to get rid of Sukuna's and his vessel). So, basically - Jujutsu Kaisen journey is forced to end if they recovered all the fingers.
• Too much fight scene's and exam's reminding me the early years of Bleach and Naruto's for somewhat reason.
• Too many new characters introduced every other chapters also reminded me of Bleach (later years). Those are not GOOD.
• Slow characters development, more on fighting the war it seems can make it all feels repetitive and boring after a while. 

Don't get me wrong. As much as I'm on board with the whole Jujutsu Kaisen train, I also have some things left to say about it. I love how cool Itadori seems to be even before he ate Sukuna's cursed finger. He seems like a guy who can go anywhere and be in the most desperate situation - yet somehow... he'll manage to pull through. Just like Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach, Itadori had the 'cool as cucumber' attitude surrounding him (minus the scowl) and that super cute yet gentle grin. Damn, I thought I was falling in love all over again with this new character. But, as much as I wanna say that that's the case - it didn't take long before his character started to get overshadowed by other's such as Gojo and Nanami sensei. That's when I thought.... ahhh here we go again! Dear mangaka, stop making these side characters far more interesting than the main. It's unfair. A manga/anime should have a focus and I'll like that focus to shine of Itadori alone, thank you very much!

So, with that being said and done - my final verdict for Jujutsu Kaisen is 7.6/10. Now, let's move on to the next one!

5.) Gakuen Babysitters

Gakuen Babysitter's
Picture courtesy of Google

From a glance, there's probably a lot more question than answers if you look this poster above. Like, who are these kids? Why are there babies in this poster? Okay, the title might've translated to 'high school babysitter', but how does that even work? Like, why aren't these highschooler studying or dating or enjoying their youth like most of other highschooler does? Why babysit? Are they tight in money or something? So many questions (at least to me)... But, whatever. I'm here to explain to you guys on what really draw me to this series at the first place.

To a jaded eyes, Gakuen Babysitter's could be just another one of Japanese mangaka attempt to 'cash on the cuteness' train. Hey, you guys... wanna know what's cute and trending these days? Babies!!! Oh... and uh... put some high school students on the top of that because they are our target audience and to make it more relatable. Ahaha... I think there's probably some point in there, not gonna lie. But here's why this anime/manga CAN work. Please read my bullet point below;

Pros:

• Half of cute babies in this anime (Kotarou,Taka) are actually related to those highschoolers (Ryuuichi, Hayato), so it does make sense for brother's to take care of their own siblings, right?
• Cute babies gets to me (I give it to the mangaka for making them super adorable and funny)
• Family and friendship plays a role in here (a lot). I have weakness for anime/manga that potrays such themes.

Cons:

• Cashing in the cuteness 'trend'
• Annoyingly cute babies make me lose my head sometimes, but hey that just me.
• Unrealistic plotlines (since when a highschooler needs to babysit like it's their day job and unpaid at that too? Smells like a child-labor, if you ask me).

So, with that being said and done - my final verdict for this anime is 6.7/10. I like cute babies, but the unrealistic plotlines kinda take it all away from me. Anyway, let's not waste anymore of our time. Shall we move on to the next one??

6.) Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist

Dr. Ramune
Picture courtesy of Google

Next anime on this list is an anime called as 'Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist'. I watched this alongside 'Kemono Jihen' at Muse Asia channel on Youtube, and lemme tell you something - this is my second favorite anime on this list. Already I'm having a difficult time choosing between this and Kemono Jihen, but who says you cannot have more than two favorite anime, right? Anyways, putting that aside - what is this anime is all about? 

Dr. Ramune tells a story about a strange doctor named Dr. Ramune who is said to be able to cure for strange illness of his patient. Living in a shrine while working alongside a highschooler part-timer/assistant, Kuro - all patients with incurable illness will be referred to Dr. Ramune as he tries his best to cure their illness. The premise of this anime based on supernatural and psychological aspects, so that's right about my alley. But that's not all. Below are the reason why this anime is awesome and why you should watch it too! Please read this list below;

Pros:

• Interesting main character I have seen in a while (Dr. Ramune)
• Great plotlines and choices of standalone episodes
• Great dynamic between Dr. Ramune and Kuro (master-student)

Cons:

• Manga series already ended at Vol 5 (such a shame for interesting premise!)
• Probably no season 2 since the manga already concluded
• I wanna more Goddammit!!

As stated above, I really wanted more episodes from this anime series, but considering that the mangaka already concluded everything at Vol 5 - I don't see how that's happening anytime soon. Anyway, let's not dwell on short episodes and be glad that this series are able to hit the homerun at the very least. So, with that being said and done - my final verdict for this anime is with [ipsum lorem] 8.0/10. If you ask me, I'm quite satisfied with that rating and think this series deserved it. Moving on~

7.) Higehiro

Higehiro
Picture courtesy of Google

Another interesting find from 'Muse Asia' is this anime right here titled as 'Higehiro'. Actually, the full title for this anime is bit longer that that, but for the sake of simplifying - let's just go with Higehiro for now. So, Higehiro tells a story about a teen runaway, Ogiwaru Sayu and the man that saved her, Mr. Yoshida. Now, if you started thinking that this is going to be one of those dirty old man and high school girl story, that ain't it. The story about Sayu and Mr. Yoshida is a bit innocent and lighthearted than that, and how they got there is quite a different story. Did I get you interested yet? If yes, then here's in a nutshell of what anime is all about.

After being living with one man after another, Sayu Ogiwaru eventually find herself homeless and sitting underneath a lamp post. While in a daze, she meet with a drunken Mr. Yoshida who begin to ask her what a teenager like her doing there. After having a little conversation, Mr. Yoshida agrees to let her stayed in his apartment for one night. She take it a bit 'differently' and was ready to be forward with him, but Mr. Yoshida just wasn't that... interested. Anyway, long story short - they kinda start living together under basis that he'll provided for her as long she needs to stay there, and in return she'll cook, clean and do other chores for him. Simple right?

Only that... the story isn't as simple as that. There's a lot of trials and tribulation waiting for both of our MC's. Sayu, with her runaway problems, while Mr. Yoshida continue not reporting her to the authority. On law terms, there's actually crime being committed here, but luckily, Mr. Yoshida acts like a grown-up and show his lack of  interest towards Sayu (he keeps on pushing that he likes a more mature woman like his co-worker for example) even when Sayu keeps on offering herself to him. So, kudo's for you, Mr. Yoshida!!

Anyway, this cohabitation story without any benefits seems to have a lovely (albeit unrealistic) ending towards the end, but here's a few reasons on why I still like this anime series, regardless;

Pros:

• Pretty new topic is being brought up in this anime (teenage runaways)
• Cohabitation without benefits between an adult and a teenage girl (usually this never happens, if at all)
• Decent character design (Mr. Yoshida looks like a normal adult whereas Sayu an attractive teen)

Cons:

• Unrealistic plotline might make some people feeling like... meh. 
• Can get a bit boring at times and slightly redundant (seducing and rejecting thing... yawn)
• Unreliable family members (Sayu mom and brother are the worst. I kinda get what was going with her mom, but what is Sayu's brother doing in the midst of this? Is he too busy working that he failed to realize that his little sister is missing. Brother of the Year, right here...

So, with that being said and done - my final verdict for Higehiro is 7.1/10. Now, let's move on to the next one!

8.) Gakkou no Kaidan (Ghost Stories)

Gakkou no Kaidan (ak.a Ghost Stories)
Picture courtesy of Google

It's been a long-time since I found an anime with great supernatural stories per episode like this one. Gakkou no Kaidan, or Ghost Stories, tells a story about a group of students who seems to be facing some supernatural occurrences in the school and all around their town. Satsuki Miyanoshita, who just newly relocated to the town of her deceased mother with her lil' brother and father, befriended a couple of kids from her new school (Hajime Aoyama, their neighbor, Momoko Koigakubo, an older classmate and Leo Kakinoki, a classmate and friend of Hajime's with a penchant for paranormal activities.).  

It's later revealed that due to urbanization that it's happening around the town, several ghost accidently get released - causing mishaps and misfortune to happen to several residents. While helping getting rid of the ghost, Satsuki discovered that her late mother is the person who responsible to keep those ghost sealed away at the first place. Now, it's up to Satsuki to follow her mother footsteps in exorcising those ghost and sealed it away, once more.

Honestly, this a pretty cut and dry anime series that doesn't requires a lot of brain power for you to understand. The episodic story is pretty simple, but scary nevertheless and for sure leave you with some sort of feelings afterwards. Overall, I quite enjoy it (despite being an old anime series) and think that I will be coming back from time to time. What made this anime so 'irresistible', you ask? Well, please read this bullet point below;

Pros:

• Okay character design that maybe work in early 2000's
• Pretty decent standalone episodes that manage to give me a proper scare (even by the year of 2021 standard.

Cons:

• Some episodes can be a bit boring, depending on your taste.
• No HD version available (the highest you can go is 720p. So, if you can settle down with that, then please do pick up this anime.

Anyway, with that being said and done - I'm giving this anime a verdict of 7.6/10 rating. I'm quite happy with that rating. Alright, let's move on to the next anime on this list now, shall we? 

9.) Shiguang Dailiren (ak.a Link Click) (ONA)

Link Click
Picture courtesy of Google

Shiguang Dailiren (ak.a Link Click) is an Online Net Animation released from China. Before this anime come out, there only one animation from China I had watched before titled  'The Taste of Youth' (2016). Anyway, about Link Click.... This anime tells a story about a small store called 'Time Photo Studio' that is run by two young men; Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. Both seems to possess some kind of unexplainable super power. Together, they're able to make it work and use their collective power to enter photo's to fullfill their customer's requests. They seems to be able to control their power very well, but when emotion and desires are put to test - things always get out of control. 

So, that's basically the gist about Link Click. There's certainly an aspect of time travel and superpower in this anime that I like. But through to be told, despite of a nice-looking characters and catchy OP and ED ost, it certainly different than watching a normal Japanese anime. Wanna know what's different? Please read the details below; 

Pros:

• Detailed character design look spectacular (even better than Japanese manga).
• Beautiful and realistic hand drawn background made you think that fantasy had come to life
• Great and catchy tunes (OP and ED ost)
• Captivating storyline and well-direct episodes made you crave for more.

Cons:

• Mandarin speaking characters might sound a little odd at first (I found myself replacing some of the words with simple Japanese phrases, which make it even more weirder), but you'll get used to it once you started to get deep into the storyline 
• Too short!!! (Why there's only 11 episodes (T.T). And also that cliffhanger!!!! Wtf??? I'm dying to know what's going to happened next!

Okay, truth to be told - despite this anime, sorry.... this ONA (online net animation) coming from China, I have no problem in enjoying the story. Hell, I even read Manhwa and Manhua in my past time so, that's that. Anyhow... my final verdict for this is 7.4/10. I think it's great, but it would probably played better for me if it this have a couple more episodes (better yet, OVA) towards the end of it. 

So, with that being said and done, let's move on to the final anime/manga in this list, shall we?

10.) Chainsaw Man (Upcoming)

Chainsaw Man
Picture courtesy of Google

Well, well, well.... Chainsaw Man. I first discovered the manga from a Youtuber and have not so much hopes for it. My initial thought for this anime is that it's going to be sick and brutal. Well, after reading it... I can't say that wasn't far off from what I think. 

Chainsaw Man tells a story about a young man named Denji. When his father died, Denji is forced to kill the devils for a yakuza to pay off for his debt (with a help from Pochita, a Devil dog). Forced to work since young, Denji was unable to experience normal everyday things such as living in a nice house, sleeping in a comfy bed, nor even eating a good food. As a result, he and Pochita is forced to live in a decript old building that wasn't safe of either of them.

Things doesn't looking up for Denji when he's betrayed by the Yakuza and he's killed by the Zombie devil. Now in the brink of dying, he make a pact with Pochita who agrees to help Denji out with just one condition; Denji needs to show him his dreams because Pochita likes to hear about it. The newly reborn Denji is now longer looking like a human nor a devil; but a hybrid of two. After successfully killing the Zombie Devil, a mysterious woman called Makima appears. After introducing herself to Denji; she presented him with two choice - be killed by here right then or there, or becoming her pet. Denji choose the latter because that means he gets to eat good food and living comfortably from that point on. 

Now, to tell you the truth, the anime still hasn't been dropped yet (it will come sometime later this year), so there wasn't much I can say about it. Because of that, I'm going to save up the rating and my opinion about the anime version for later review. Anyway, before I go - I presented to you a few more anime that I also had watched this year. Feel free to check it out when you got some time. Thank you for reading this post. See ya next year!!

Yours truly

Mimi Said

(Honorable Mention)

• Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (S01-02) - normal human boy get sold by his parents to a devil who later on adopted him as his grandchild. the boy later enrolled to devil school where he started befriended another devil. so much fun!!
• Bunny Senpai - a young boy noticed his famous classmates wearing a bunny costume but only he could sees her. then, he later found out that people started forgetting about his classmates which prompted her to wear such revealing outfits. it's later to be associated with Adolescence Syndrome. They started become closer to one another and also other students with similar condition.
• Tonari Kaibutsu Kun - boring high school story about a girl who likes studying because she doesn't want to become a failure like her dad and a boy with devil-may-care attitude but secretly a brilliant student. I hate the girl so I don't really recommended this anime to you all if you hate cold and calculating female characters.
• Citrus - a Yuri high school students fall in love with each other despite being step-sister. Talk about crushing and cashing on the taboo, amirite? But don't worry. The story is good so I fully recommended it to you guys.
• Hinamatsuri - a sweet story about Yakuza man and his adopted daughter. The anime is great. I hope they don't 'Usagi Drop' this shit. Honestly, there's so many version of that out there that it really doesn't sits well with me. I mean, why adopt a child just so you could later groom her to be your bride? Talk about gross... 
• Tasogare Otome x Amnesia - Very interesting premise about girl ghost hunting at school get derailed by boring overused plot and confusing story structure. Ah~ What a wasted potential.
• Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui - A story about an older guy falling in love with his sister friend. Well, this is where I draw the line... Just because you shifted the attention of the story from *incest*  doesn't make it okay. That girl is still sixteen. Hit the road, pal. I hate the story and anime so I only gave thsi 6.0 at MAL. 
• Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes - Interesting plotlines get boring after a while. 
• Mob Pyscho 100 (S02) - a continuation from the first series. it's only gets better from here!
• Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi - an okay storyline about a girl becoming an oni bride (monster bride) but a serious trimming can make this anime pacing a whole lot better. like seriously. perhaps in the next season, yeah?