Oooooh! Based on what I know, I think you’ll really enjoy Midnight Diner! Each episode tells its own little story about a person who visit the diner. There are a bunch of regulars and it’s just so cosy and lovely. I used to snuggle up in bed and watch an episode before going to sleep. It’s that kind of show!

Hirayasumi definitely made me cry a whole bunch of times. Not necessarily in a bad way - it’s emotions are just so pure and strong! I’m also very invested in the female lead (pictured in my avatar from the manga, haha). Early on the show and manga suggest (imo) quite strongly that her story might head a certain direction, but I’m still awaiting that plot! The manga is ongoing, and lovely also!

I’ve not seen any of the other jdramas you mentioned, which means I have another list of recommendations from you to look forward to!

If you like slice of life jdramas, you’ve probably heard of/seen Midnight Diner! There’s a new season (finally) in production. I’m very excited for it!!! What other slice of life dramas have you seen? We usually have a couple of dramas on the go. Our appetite for them is neverending!

I can’t believe how many episodes of the Initial D anime there are!!! That is crazy! It’s so interesting because here in the west, it’s rare that anyone has any idea what Initial D is. But clearly in Japan it was a huge deal to have so many episodes!

I hope your weekend was as chill as planned! I am very much looking forward to going to bed early. I’m beat!

She is involved in the book cover process! Ultimately the publisher has the final word, but they do want her to actually like the cover! It’s definitely a very exciting and surreal part of the process.

Haha, I was definitely thinking about Initial D when listening to Cologne! It’s very different to the actual soundtrack stuff I’ve heard, but the mood still fits! I haven’t seen the Initial D anime, but I have read some of the manga (it’s so amazing!) and played some of the PS2 game. There’s just something so fun about that boxy little car drifting down mountains!

I’m still pondering the ipod replacement… Maybe I’ll get lucky and have some birthday money later this month!

I’ve written down your list of music recommendations and I am going to slowly explore it! Cologne is definitely going to be keeping my ears busy for a couple of weeks!

I like your new avatar also! Do you draw them yourself? I like the wobbly style!! My avatar is just a screenshot from a wonderful manga called Hirayasumi, which I 100% recommend. It also has an absolutely perfect live-action adaptation that succeeds in being probably the best slice-of-life J-drama I’ve seen!

i do! here it is:

thank you, i am

Yes, fantasy has SO much variety!!!! I think that’s what made me such a big fantasy reader. There’s so much to explore, and so often I find myself reading something that feels entirely new. I like some sci-fi too, but struggle with it when it just feels like… I dunno - metal objects in cold, black space?

So my wife publishes traditionally! We have heard about the struggles of independent publishing too, though. It seems like both sides have challenges and suffering of different types…

I just looked at the Snowsky Echo Mini! It really is seriously cute… and it has nice buttons too… My main deal-breaker is that I don’t want a touchscreen device that feels like a phone. The Inioasis scroll wheel is appealing (and retains that ipod feel!), but the Snowsky buttons are appealing…

I’ll definitely overthink this! At the end of the day, I just want something to enjoy my music on. SPEAKING OF ENJOYING MUSIC, I just listened to the first of your recommendations - Cologne by Kaoru Akimoto!!! I need to buy this ASAP because I’m astonished at how perfect it is. In an alternate life I probably race tiny cars on mountain roads (exclusively at night time, of course) and this album is the soundtrack they use in the anime adaptation of my autobiography.

In this life, however, I am just tired. Our son woke me up before 6am and I want to sleep… But at least this music energised my brain a little!!!!

Thanks again! I hope you have a fun weekend ahead

I absolutely have the same experience of getting to read chapters as they are written. My wife writes fantasy, and it has been so fun to play my small part as first-reader. Sometimes I have ideas that help her to figure out the direction of the plot, which is fun Unfortunately the publishing world is tremendously demanding, which certainly makes her creative process feel a lot more like WORK. I’m sure you understand that feeling!

Thank you for the innioasis recommendation! I really like the ipod’s scroll wheel, and so this is very appealing. Looks like there might be an innioasis Y2 in the works? I might be tempted to see what improvements that brings… but regardless, my ipod needs replacing. I love that I still have it, but it’s definitely an elderly device ready for retirement

I’m excited to listen to your music recommendations tomorrow! I’ll let you know what I think!

Yeah, one day while using Spotify I just realised there was no joy in discovering music anymore. It was too much all at once! By stepping away from that, discovering new music now feels actually exciting. Like… I’m sure Spotify could have generated a playlist with much of the music you recommended, but now I have the joy of “cleanduck recommended this to me!”, which I think is special.

As for my ipod, I am using my ipod nano from my teenage years! It has held up pretty well, but the battery is definitely on its way out and is apparently quite hard to replace. Plus I’m reaching the limits of its storage size. What fake brand one do you use? Do you recommend it?

I definitely understand your struggles as a professional illustrator, just a little bit! I am married to an author, and so I’ve witnessed the struggle of monetising a creative passion. It’s rough!!!! I do feel somewhat fortunate that any of my attempts to “actually” be an illustrator have flopped. I appreciate the luxury of being able to make “bad” art, and whatever the heck I want!

That said, I am rooting for you

Oh, and we are just officially friends now by the way. You can message me or leave me a comment any time, about anything!

MY HEART IS SO FULL! Thank you for all the wonderful music recommendations. I’m working from home on Friday, so I’ll enjoy listening to them! I quit Spotify earlier in the year, so I’ll save up my pennies and buy any I like to listen to on my ipod. Thank you!

I’m really happy you enjoyed Bendith! It’s so so good and just feels so magical and rich. I really love it!

It’s so cool that you’re an illustrator! For me it’s really all just a hobby, but I really do love the feeling of something I’ve created connecting with people. I’m really grateful you read my Hiraeth comic and played my SILLY GAME! I feel really motivated!!!!!

Also… how did I never spot the common kissing theme between the two?! I guess I just find it funny when someone kisses something unconventional? Jeez… I didn’t even know that

Seriously though, thank you for the really wonderful music recommendations and for being so kind about my silly stuff. I’ve interacted with the internet void (social mediaaaa) for so many years, it actually feels really quite significant to interact with an actual human being online in this way!

Oooh, The Gentle Good is so good! I’ll look up Cynefin and Gwyneth Glyn. Diolch yn fawr (thank you very much)!

As for city pop… I just grabbed my ipod to try and get some recommendations, but it’s out of power. I’ll do it from memory! The main city pop album I’m super into right now is Tokyo Sniper by Ryuneskei. I’m kind of addicted to it, and I have it on whenever I’m driving or studying!

There’s also a whole bunch of random one-off songs that I really like. You’ve likely encountered many of them! Seiko Matsuda’s ‘Blue Lagoon’, Tatsuro Yamashita’s ‘Ride on Time’ and ‘Love Space’, Mariya Takeuchi’s ‘September’, to name a handful. It’s just such a good genre of music. I love the hopefulness of it. Like… the vibes of walking down a city street at night and somehow (impossibly) feeling entirely safe. What a fantasy! Do you have any recommendations?

(My music taste is all over the place! As well as folky music and city pop, I love things like shibuya-kei, shoegaze, dream pop, post rock… and probably a whole bunch of genres I don’t know how to name!)

Thank you for reading and enjoying my comic! It has been ages since I made it, but it still lives actively in my mind. I definitely want to write more of it someday! I saw on your website that you’re an illustrator? What kind of things do you do?