Ramblings of a fangirl

The wall behind my desk was still blank after the remodel. For displaying art, I lost several walls in the remodel, so I had all kinds of art I could put there, including two of my three large square framed prints. Or I could just put the wall back the way it was:

Wall in My Home Office 2016-2025

( Blank Wall Makeover, Below This Cut )

Google Chrome is my primary browser – and I certainly have mixed feelings about my dependencies on the Google ecosystem. But I also have mixed feelings about Apple and Amazon, and I have a lot to think about regarding what platforms I use. However, that’s a topic for another time.

For now, all my bookmarks are in Chrome. And while there is a modicum of hierarchy in my bookmarks, a lot of cruft has accumulated over the years. In recent weeks, I’ve occasionally stopped to clean up a folder of bookmarks related to my current task.

Cleaning up a folder is a process of clicking on every link in the folder – and sometimes moving down the folder hierarchy if I have the time and inclination.

Mainly, the first level of cleanup is deleting any bookmark that is a dead URL. That’s easy.

The next test is to see if the site I’ve accessed is active/current. A lot of old Wordpress blogs are still out there but haven’t received any new posts in five or 10 (or 20) years. I then have to make a decision. If I go there intending to see current information, then I’ll probably delete the bookmark.

Sometimes, though, the old content at the site is still worth reading. Depending on the topic/content/nostalgia, I may keep the bookmark for reference. I’m starting to file into separate folders for Active Blogs/Sites and Old Blogs/Sites.

One example of an old blog that I’m keeping the bookmark for is Sequential Noir. Jennifer is a Black Canary / Birds of Prey fan like I am, and she generously has archived her posts for us. I had followed her blog more actively during the Gail Simone / Ed Benes years, and I will always treasure the content. Bookmark – Keeper.

There are a lot of anime blogs I used to follow, and most stopped adding new posts years ago. I’ve ended up deleting all those bookmarks. The situation is similar for some tech sites. The bookmarks cleanup is slow but satisfying. Whenever this all is finished, I still will have way too many bookmarks. But they don’t weigh much and don’t get in my way – so what’s the harm?

Google Chrome does make it pretty easy for me to manage bookmarks. (You can drag and drop in the Bookmarks Manager.) Here’s just a sample of my workarea:

Google Chrome Bookmarks Manager

New Office Credenza

With a full slate of holiday tasks and events, work in the library has slowed to a crawl. I also have a very full January and February lined up, so the library won’t receive much attention until perhaps March. I might not have everything in place until summer. There remains a lot to figure out.

( New Replaces Old, Below This Cut )

Revisiting the best from McSweeney’s is a good way to start the new year. McSweeney’s 25 Most-Read Pieces of 2025

Miko, Shiori, and Hinako This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Episode 13 (Season Finale)

It wasn’t really a great year for anime. I wasn’t much into the mainstream anime. (The shows were OK, but I didn’t have lots of enthusiasm for making time to watch them.) I don’t think there are any shows I need to have in my personal library. But if I were to rewatch a show, the following series would be at the top of the list.

1. This Monster Wants to Eat Me
Oh, hey! Something that isn’t an isekai, an adventurer quest, shonen action, or a high school rom-com! This fantasy drama had me guessing every episode – and I cared about the characters. I liked the art, direction, dialog – and story.

2. A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof
Perhaps I needed something lighthearted. Shaft is a great studio, and they did an excellent job directing and animating this fluffy comedy. And I have a soft spot for ninja girls. Plus, Shaft can do comedy. (Can you say, Pani Poni Dash?)

3. May I Ask For One Final Thing?
Scarlet, The Lady of Beatings, is just so much fun to watch. And the villains deserve every fistful they get. So satisfying.

4. Grisaia: Phantom Trigger
Well, I’m a big fan of The Fruit of Grisaia and character designs by Akio Watanabe – so a sequel is a no-brainer for me. Phantom Trigger isn’t as good as predecessor Fruit/Labyrinth/Eden, but the anime succeeds as a guilty pleasure. The characters are similar to their predecessors.

5. I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!
Just plain fun. Liam is wildly successful in spite of all odds and players against him. He and his poor fiefdom deserve all the wins they get. The first episode was heartbreaking, but things turned around after that.

Previously
My Five Favorite Male Anime Characters of 2025
My Five Favorite Female Anime Characters of 2025
My Five Favorite Anime Couples of 2025

Prince Julius von Pallistan and Scarlet El Vandimion May I Ask For One Final Thing? Episode 13 (Season Finale)

I’m a romantic, and I always am on the lookout for couples who find love and happiness in the midst of generally tempestuous circumstances. Here are my couples of the year.

1. Scarlet El Vandimion x Prince Julius von Pallistan, May I Ask For One Final Thing?
Prince Julius has carried a torch for Scarlet for years, while Scarlet is oblivious. Scarlet sees Julius’s playfulness as adversarial. Yet, Julius is the only person who accepts Scarlet for who she truly is – and laughs every time Scarlet shows her colors, while everyone else is dismayed. In actuality, these two make a great couple. Julius is a really good guy.

2. Philia Adenauer x Prince Osvalt Parnacorta, The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom
This is another one-sided romance, initially. Philia is too socially immature to recognize Osvalt’s honest affection. But she’ll come around. Osvalt is a really good guy.

3. Melphiera Marchalrayd x Duke Aristide Rogier do Galbraith, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!
What I liked about this series is that the author didn’t waste any time getting this couple to become a couple. The Duke proposed in episode 2, and the couple were officially engaged in episode 4. And the Blood-Mad Duke and the Voracious Villainess are a fine couple. Aristide is a really good guy.

4. Princess Amelia Rosequartz x Akira Oda, My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds That of the Hero’s
Akira is too much of a loner to be in relationship – or so I thought. He surprised me in episode 7 by making a vow to Amelia and declaring his love. So they are officially a couple – and I am happy with that.

5. Marie x Kazuhiro Kitase, Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!
Marie and Kazuhiro are a wholesome couple, sharing adventures in two worlds – and enjoying themselves immensely. Happy couples are fun to watch.

Previously
My Five Favorite Male Anime Characters of 2025
My Five Favorite Female Anime Characters of 2025

Male Lead Characters were often burdened with paperwork Felix Arc Ridill Secrets of the Silent Witch, Episode 3

No award.

I tried hard to make a list of candidates, but the male characters this year were all bland and stereotypical, although many were likeable. There were angsty or naive overpowered protagonists. There were kind and noble – or bland – romantic leads. Would I watch an anime series centered around any of these characters? No. They’re boring.

Here are the best(?) of a boring lot: Louis Scarrel (The Gorilla God’s Go-To Girl), Prince Julius von Pallistan (May I Ask for One Final Thing?), Jade Scrade (I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time), Prince Osvalt Parnacorta (The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom), Duke Aristide Rogier do Galbraith (Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!), Prince Felix Arc Ridill (Secrets of the Silent Witch). As an aside, I believe you could swap any of these male characters with another in the set and not see any difference in the anime.