Sorry I disappeared for two months, life is hectic. Here's a round-up of things I've been enjoying over the last two months of seclusion.

VIDEO GAMES

To quote Heejin: "Don't stop, play your video game!"

So true. Here's what I've been playing lately.

I'm still making my way through Silksong. I'm a bit too exhausted to play games lately, but I'll definitely finish this sometime next year. I'm also planning on checking out the Game Worlds exhibition at ACMI when I'm in Melbourne next month! I hear there's a Silksong exhibit, and everyone has been telling me how much I'll love it. I'm keen to get my hands on that Zote merch too!

I've been playing the Final Fantasy Tactics remaster, and wow, I absolutely love it. FFT is one of my favourite games of all time, and in general, I think the Ivalice Alliance games are some the best in Square Enix's catalogue for the rich world-building and stories. There's so many fun classes to pick from (I went with a mutli-classed ninja-monk Ramza) and the added compendium that catalogues Ivalice lore is a delight for any fans.

This game was truly addictive to play and has one of the most deeply tragic yet beautiful stories ever told. I really appreciate the new translation as well - I definitely think this is the definitive way to play. It might be heresy to some, but I don't hold much nostalgia for War of the Lions (sorry!).

Personally I think the new script is gorgeous and adds a lot more depth to characters that wasn't there before - particularly Agrias, who has much more dialogue now. The script flows well and in a way compliments the evolution of Matsuno's writing, as seen in Final Fantasy XIV. I'm also very pleased with the voice acting!

While we're on the topic of Ivalice, stumbled across this cool decompilation project in the works for Vagrant Story. project that is ongoing. I've always wanted a Vagrant Story port (currently, the only ideal way I have to play it is on my modded Playstation Vita), but I can imagine that source code is well and truly lost. That said, one can always dream!

COMICS

Shockingly, I started reading DC comics again.

I recently finishing re-reading Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's iconic Catwoman run. Really enjoyed the first two volumes a lot, though the third was a bit of a dud as things often become when DC editorial gets in the way and crossovers are happening left and right. Such is the way of comics...

I'm also all caught up on the brand new Cassandra Cain Batgirl run. I'm so happy to see Cass as Batgirl again - she's my absolute favourite! So far, this series is everything I could have ever asked for as a Cass fan.

In between issues, I'll also be re-reading Batgirl 2000 to tide me over.

MUSIC

I recently saw TWICE in at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne with my dear friends who flew in from nearby countries and interstate on the weekend. Holy fucking shit, what an absolutely amazing concert. The 360 stage concept felt incredible to see because no matter where you were in the arena, you got a good view.

I've never seen a kpop concert on this scale before and I get it now. I really do. I was not prepared for Sana with her clip on bangs or Jihyo throwing cold water at me. It is absolutely wonderful to see a girl group thriving after so many years - and their lineup hasn't changed at all! Can't believe how beautiful they all are.

I also wanted to say - I thought it was absolutely adorable to see so many little girls there with their mums having the absolute time of their life. I can imagine that the success of Kpop Demon Hunters definitely had something to do with this, and it's just really nice to see young girls enjoying a concert like this!

Thank you Ange, Lydia, Bats, Zep, Kayla, Caitlin and Tegan for making this happen for me. Words can't stress how much I love you guys.

I really hope that the success of Twice proves that there is a market for kpop in Australia.

K-DRAMA

I haven't been feeling well lately, and there's nothing like returning to your favourite k-drama to make you feel better. Healer is my favourite k-drama of all time, and I really can't quite put my finger on why. It just makes me feel good. No other leading man does it for me like Ji Chang-wook does, that's for sure! In my ideal world, he'd be Batman.

Healer has just about everything - mystery, dual-timelines, action, romance, found family and a generous slice of Daredevil vigilantism in between. I also think it is a painfully relevant story, too, given the state of journalism and censorship in the current political climate. The plot is heavily centered around grief and love, and what people are capable of doing because of that.

All of the main characters are messy, frustrating and sometimes outright despicable, but at the end of the day, all of them are motivated by love in some way. It's a beautiful and important story to me!

I also think it's awesome to see a k-drama where there's a badass middle-aged female character that isn't someone's mother. Shout out to my fave virtual angel, Ahjumma, and all her multiple computer screens <3

I highly recommend you check it out if you want an emotional, but ultimately feel-good ride.

After I've finished watching Healer, I know exactly what I'll be getting back into: Beyond Evil. Prepare yourselves for the most unhinged posting you'll ever see.

DROPOUT

Lastly, Brennan Mulligan on Last Meals. What a delight! I could listen to this man talk for hours. Kick back for an hour and twenty minutes for a lot of emotional vulnerability and feel good laughs in between.

See you again very soon (I have quite the backlog!)