Like The Tomato
Nothing here but my musings about daily life, books, anime, and food.
- Anime Title: Moriarty the Patriot
- Episodes: 1 Season – 24 episodes, 2 OVAs
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
- Publisher: Bandai Visual
I am not some kind of Sherlock Holmes expert but I am familiar with the world, having read some of the stories and watching those Robert Downey Jr movies. I can’t say what really pulled me to the anime. I just remember watching it one day. And loving it. Yes, love. I watched this anime maybe five times already. Let’s just say that this anime features my ultimate pairing and another strong trio.
As the title suggests, this anime follows Moriarty as he strategies to fix the British Empire’s systemic inequity while evading being discovered by none other than Sherlock Holmes. The first episode was really good in being the hook for me. I mean, I cannot stop watching the anime after that introduction. Then the anime proceeds to keep me entertained as I see how Moriarty planned on fixing the British Empire. The story is really solid – I dare say exciting and exhilarating. Well, it kept me watching multiple times.
Let’s talk about a trio that became an instant favorite for me. The Moriarty’s. The Moriarty Siblings. Moriarty. I would gush over them over and over. Each brother has his own strength that makes this trio work so well. We have Albert James Moriarty – the oldest of the brothers, a lieutenant colonel; William James Moriarty – the middle brother, a crime consultant, a professor; and Louis James Moriarty – the youngest, the quiet but really deadly one. My favorite is William, and my hubby’s favorite is Louis. Out of these three, someone stands out – William. He was the one who had a clear vision, a clear-cut plan of how he wanted to reform the British empire. And his brothers believed and supported him in it. William was the leader and everyone who looked at the brothers could tell that he was the brains of this operation. He was so intelligent. There were so many episodes in this anime that showcased his skills and it was amazing.
Let’s talk about my favorite pair. William and Sherlock Holmes. After watching this anime so many times, these two together are just satisfying to watch. They are friends and rivals. Their intellect is on par with each other. Sherlock sparked William’s interest the moment they met. William thinks Sherlock is one brilliant man. Let’s just say that William chose Sherlock to play a role in his plans. Sherlock on the other hand has no interest in being manipulated by William. There were moments when he had no choice but to play along, but we find him doing things outside of William’s expectations often. My fujoshi heart flutters for these two. They are my one true pairing in this anime because they make sense to me. These two were featured as my desktop wallpaper for quite a while.
I was very hesitant to watch this anime with my partner. Why? I loved this anime so much that I’m really scared of what he would think about it. Spoiler alert: he ended up enjoying and loving the anime. Both of us were on the edge of our seats while watching this movie. Seriously, this has mystery, and intrigue, and is very brainy. It features some really compelling characters – Fred is also one of my hubby’s favorites that came out of this anime. I could keep on gushing about this anime but do yourself a favor and check it out. This anime became one of my favorites after the first few episodes and I would continue to rewatch this over and over and over. I need to get the manga now.
Well, I am not sure yet if I’m sick or not. However, Tuesday just sucked. Chest tightness – check. 2 puffs of my inhaler – check. Tiredness – check. KO’d for about 4 hours in the afternoon – check. The fact that the 4-hour afternoon snoozefest was not enough to curb the fatigue is saying a lot.
Anyway, my partner and I watched some Ghosts and Twisted Metal over the weekend. We also watched a couple of anime that could be the next anime to watch after Tomodachi Game. We are enjoying Ghosts a lot. It’s funny for sure. It’s for sure a series and has some continuity in it. But I really love the fact that each episode has specific conflicts that get resolved by the end. Again, my hun loves Thorfinn. And I really enjoyed the DND episode.
We are almost done with the first season of Twisted Metal. This show is just a trip. I love Stu who I consider a teddy bear. He is just a softy. Sweet Tooth is just enjoyable to watch. There were some fun times in the ball pit. And Quiet is not so annoying in the episodes that we watched. I love the cameo of her brother trying to kick some sense into her. And I like the fact that she at least is willing to let go of some of the burden that she is carrying.
How about the two anime that we checked out? I really don’t want to put anything in here about Hell’s Paradise and Mashle: Magic and Muscles. I just feel like it’s not fair. My hun and I are both not in the mood for anime right now so it’s a bit difficult to be into any anime right now. So we decided to put anime on the side for a bit. We will revisit this in the future.
My reading has been good. I am still reading the novels that I am working on (Heaven Official’s Blessing Vol 4 and Alpha Enchanted). But I also decided to read some manhwa, well at least catch up on some of the ones that I was reading. Some of my webtoons took a backseat with my reading some novels. But at least I am able to catch up on those series. I even finished a couple of them so I consider that as a win.
We recently just finished Tomodachi Game. Like I said to my partner, I swear, I should not have watched the last episode. It was needed. The only thing that solidified for me was my dislike for Kokorogi. I cannot with that character. Why was she even in this anime? Why was she created? Why? We felt like if she was not there, the storyline would not change. And I would stand by that. I honestly don’t care that this opinion is based on 12 episodes. And honestly, that was enough for me to not like this girl. I have no urge to continue with the story. Not committing to reading the manga right now regardless of how much I enjoyed the psychological aspects of the story.
RANT INCOMING!!!
So, I live in a pet-friendly apartment building, which is one of the reasons why I chose this place. Anyway, for the last few days, I have heard dog cries starting around lunchtime, then in the afternoons, and then at night. Of course, every single time that Paco hears it, he also becomes a bit agitated. So yesterday, I decided to be nosey. I really wanted to find out where the heck those cries were coming from. And I did! And I immediately got annoyed. Because it was a German shepherd puppy in a kennel. Out on the balcony. Now, our area is not the hottest place but it’s far from being chilly the past few days. And even yesterday, it was raining and the puppy was just outside! Honestly, if you’re freaking crate training, do it inside the fucking apartment. Don’t leave the puppy outside exposed to natural elements. Especially when the temperature here changes so often. I feel so bad for the puppy!
As of this time (10:02 PM Saturday 09.23), the puppy is still outside in a kennel. It has been raining all day. Swear, I cannot with some dog owners.
RANT DONE.
I managed to finish two books this weekend. Alpha’s Gamble, which is book 7 of the Haven City series. It was okay. I found that I was having issues connecting to the characters of this book. Like book 6, I really think I just preferred the Black Wolves arc characters and conflicts. Heist was a main thing for that arc too so that could be it. I am continuing on with book 8. I want to finish this series soon.
Heaven Official’s Blessing Vol 3 was a trip. I really enjoyed it. I mean, not surprised because why wouldn’t it? There were parts that made me cry, there were parts that were difficult to read, there were parts that I was annoyed with, there were parts that made me giggle, and there were parts that made me laugh out loud. Of course, I was doing happy dances when Hua Cheng and Xie Lian’s first kiss happened. All I could think of was “AHHH!! Oh my god!!! Finally!!!” It was so good, and Xie Lian’s nervousness after that was adorable. It was so good! SOOOO GOOD. I was way too happy and excited to even put the book down after that. And yes, I started Heaven Official’s Blessing Vol 4 already because I cannot stop. I was too invested to stop!
- Title: Lolita
- Author: Vladimir Nabokov
- Genre: Classic
- Pages: 317
- Publisher: Vintage International
- Published: 1955 (first publication), 1989 (50th edition)
There was no rhyme or reason for my reading this book. It was very superficial really – I wanted to be able to say “I read it”. I guess you can say that I was just curious as to what it is really. This was not the first time I picked this book up. I tried to read this novel a few years ago but I couldn’t shake off the fact that the novel was in the POV of a very very unreliable narrator. I remember deciding that I couldn’t go through with it and put the book back on my shelf. However, after watching a few videos on this book recently, I got the itch to give it a second try. I knew and I understood that I would need to keep an open mind reading the text. Not going to lie, I had to prep my brain a little bit so that I could actually dive into the story.
Let’s talk about the writing first. This was a well-written book. The prose was beautiful. The novel was very accessible. Sure, there were unfamiliar words that I had to look up but I didn’t mind that one bit. The writing had texture for sure. There were phrases in French, some in Latin. Nabokov had a way to just draw you in. However, the phrases that gave the writing texture also were the ones that disturbed the reading experience for me. To quote Dolores or Lolita, “…do you mind very much cutting out the French? It annoys everybody”. I laughed when I read that specific line. Because at that point in the book, I was tired of typing these phrases to a translator. And yes, I was complaining that it took me out of the story so often that it got so exhausting at times. Regardless, Nabokov managed to capture and tantalize me. The author placed me, as a reader, as part of the jury to pass judgment on Humbert Humbert.
The subject matter is definitely controversial. I feel like Nabokov thought, “I want to write a novel about obsession and possession and maybe love but in the most controversial way”. And here we are! Look, there is no question about the legality of the sexual relations between an adult and a minor. In this case, between a 37-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl. No questions about it. Even Humbert Humbert himself knew his desire for this kid was illegal. If the narrator was charged with this offense, there would be no legal defense for him. It does not exist. Regardless if Lolita seduced Humbert. Regardless if Lolita gave her consent. Those would be irrelevant. Because Lolita being 12 years old trumps everything else.
The novel chronicled the seduction, the grooming, the consummation, and the downfall of Humbert’s relationship with Lolita which led to a crime that he was on trial for. This novel was his confession to that crime. It was a legal document, a formal written document. A witness statement told in Humbert’s POV. As a reader, as part of the jury, it was clear that he was guilty of the crime. However, the novel/confession also detailed a crime that he was not charged with. Not sure how that would work in court or the legal system, but it made me “listen” and observe something that is considered illegal and offensive. And that was the chunk of this book. The crime that Humbert was on trial for was only discussed in the foreword and the last chapters of the book. The rest was a detail of a totally different crime that was used to explain his motive. Regardless of how immoral, how narcissistic, how selfish, Humbert told his truth and his reality. This confession was made to make the jury understand why he did what he did.
Anyway, this was a ride. It was difficult for me to read at times. I would lie if I said that some parts did not trigger my anxiety. Because it did. I knew for a fact that I had notes in there saying that Humbert Humbert was a dirty old man – gross. And I was meant to feel that way. However, I was also forced to look at this as a true confession of his reality. His shame. Humbert was pretty aware that his obsession, or dare I say it, love with Lolita was illegal. He knew it. And he was sharing this shameful thing as a context to a crime that he committed, the crime that he was being judged on. Regardless of how thought-provoking this novel is, regardless of how beautifully it was written, I really don’t think a reader is missing anything if he/she has not read this work. This book is not for everyone. I know there are a number of people who actually really loved this book and reread it from time to time. I personally would not read it again. I think once was enough for me to say “Yeah, I read Lolita”.
I swear. I am so tired of being tired. Of being exhausted all of the goddamn time. I have no excuse why I feel this way. But the struggle to stay awake on a daily basis is getting more and more difficult. Despite drinking coffee – sometimes a few times a day. Despite having some decent sleep the night before. I often find myself wanting to just sleep all day. Not that I do though. I fight the urge to do it every single time. It just gets tiring.
I was able to hang out with my man recently. It was nice. It has been a good while since we were able to actually sit in front of the computer, video call, and actually watch some shows together. I mean, it was my fault really. I was having some mental health issues for a bit and I still am, but at least now, I have the motivation to do some things aside from isolating myself.
Twisted Metal. I guess this was based on a video game of the same name. I mean, I am not familiar with the game, I am not a gamer, whatsoever. Which is good. I have nothing to compare this to. Not that I compare adaptations to their original source material anyway. Anyway, so far so good. Enjoying it. There were some good laughs for sure. Anthony Mackie as John Doe was funny and engaging in the few episodes that we watched. Sweet Tooth was an instant favorite. Agent Stone was also doing a good job of being the main villain. I mean, I was definitely annoyed by him so he is doing his job. And my partner and I think that Quiet’s inclusion in this story is debatable. We both think that she is not needed. But I don’t know, maybe the character would be redeemed in the later episodes? Who knows.
Ghosts. This show has been on my watchlist for a bit so it was nice to finally watch it. So far, the show is funny. It’s a trip. We are enjoying it for sure. Love the ghosts, Thor or Thorfinn being the instant favorite. All in all, the show is fun and we will continue on. It would be nice to see the progression of how things go with the couple in this mansion living with ghosts as they renovate the place to be a bed and breakfast.
Tomodachi Game. Not going to lie, I was a bit hesitant to start a new anime since we are still working on three of them. Granted that we haven’t watched anything in weeks, I feel like I need a palate cleanser from the three anime (Naruto, Bungo Stray Dogs, Parasyte). A break if you will. And it seems like my hun really wants me to watch this anime. So we checked out a couple of episodes last night. It’s interesting for sure. I like the intrigue and I like an anime where the protagonist is thrown into something or somewhere and to figure out how to survive. Well, this is not a survival game but it does have the premise of beating the game to clear out something (in this case, debt). In the first two episodes, we see the friend group already questioning their friendship and it seems like it’s up to Yuichi to find out who the traitor is. I like the intrigue of the anime. I am enjoying the power of deduction and finding the culprit premise. We will continue on.
No big plans today. Just having a girls’ night in with Chris. And possibly read a bit. I was not able to read a lot yesterday – remember, I was fighting off sleep all of the time? So I kind of want to make a dent in Heaven Official’s Blessing Volume 3.
The weekend is just way too short. However, I really shouldn’t talk. I am in a “it’s the weekend every day” kind of state in life. So at the moment, the days of the week have no bearing on me at the moment. It’s honestly a surprise that I can still tell the days of the week at this point. It should’ve been jumbled in my brain by now.
Anyway, as planned, I finally finished reading Craig & Fred last Friday. And that book was just so heartwarming. Granted, I was on such an emotional roller coaster while reading the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I loved it really. I already put the second book by this author on my shopping list. I want to continue reading about him and Fred. I also finished book 6 of Haven City and just started book 7. It was okay. It took a while for me to get into the story. But I was glad that I was able to get into the flow of it this weekend. Not that the story was bad. I think I just preferred the previous characters and conflicts to the ones featured in Dragon & Flame. It was all good. I still enjoyed it enough.
I’ve been watching a lot of reading vlogs. I found a new booktuber (Jan Agaton) and I pretty much consumed her vlogs nonstop. The only thing that I have not watched are her recorded live streams. Maybe this week. Not sure yet. I’ll get to them for sure.
I also decided to take a break from morning pages. It did it for a couple of months. Cause at this point in time, I feel like it has turned into more of a chore. So I need to step away from it for now. I will go back to it. Just taking a little bit of a break. I did feel some positive effects from it. Mainly clarity to be honest. Especially the first 30 days that I was doing the exercise. But lately, I found myself constantly struggling to wake up and to find the energy to write a 3-page entry.
I’ve also been experiencing some major allergic reactions because of the changing season. It was not pretty. Of course, allergic reactions led to some anxiety attacks. I was having issues sleeping. And that pretty much led to me sleeping during the daytime. I mean, no surprise there. Rough night or not, I find myself being drawn to my bed on a daily basis to take naps.
No big plans for this week. I might get back to studying a few hours a day and also continue reading Heaven Official’s Blessing book 3. Book 7 just came out for this series and I am still on book 3. Shame on me. My goal is to marathon the books I have in this series in the next couple of weeks. And yes, I already have books 4 and 5 penciled in my schedule. I just need to buy books 6 and 7. Book 8 (the final volume) will be released on November 21, 2023. Yeah, I have a bit of catching up to do before the last book comes out.