What!! What a funny coincidence! Thank you I will link back also xx

Aaaah, those kind of shows are so comforting! Especially when you can snuggle up in bed while watching. It's on my list!

Nothing wrong with crying over something that depicts such pure human emotions. Those are the best kinds of cries imo. They reach your core hahah. I think Hirayasumi will also make me cry.. A LOT, lmao. I'm a crybaby when it comes to watching shows but especially these kinds. So I def understand.

The Jdrama's I listed are relatively new! I especially love Cinderalla Closet. Because it's a bit out of the norm from the japanese standards in society.

I hope you're doing well!

Hi! I just came across your website and I think it is very cute. Your header images are aspirational I am inspired x

Oh wow, here in the anime community people often do know what Initial D is. But not as well as the mainstream ones obivously. It is definitely on the nicher sides other than in Japan hahah.

I have no heard of Midnight Diner! But I will also check it out. I've watched the first ep of Hirayasumi. And it was already pulling on my heartstrings. Old folks are a weakness of mine.

As for slice of life Jdrama's I have not seen that many or remember many though here's a few from the top of my head. Kimi wa Pet (2003), Kimi ni Todoke, I Will Be Your Bloom, Good Morning Call, Cinderella Closet. I did also start watching the adaptation of Kotaro lives Alone but I don't know how to feel about it yet. We mostly also have a few shows on the go! Hahah

My weekend was super chill! I hope you've managed to rest as well or at least had a good night sleep! ♡

Oh that's great to hear! The cover after all is like the book's business card hahah.

The Initial D anime is definitely a great watch (81 eps though hahah) I can vow for that myself. I've not yet read the manga myself, or played the PS2 game. But I do know the manga looks amazing. I'm always very intrigued by how well the scenes with so much action are captured in drawings.

And no worries for now about your iPod! As long as it's still working! If not, there are also tons of cheaper options than the ones I recommended!

Haha, once again I did change my avatar. It's not made by me but I found it on pinterest. Buttercup has always been my favorite and it looked so cute! I did try to search the original artist but I couldn't find anything sadly. Thank you for that recommendation! Because I LOVE slice of life jdrama's. Especially the feel-good ones. When I searched it I also found out Hirayasumi is getting an anime adaption coming in 2027!

HAHA Omg yesss, I have the exact same thing with the Sci-fi genre! Usually the vibe or atmosphere just feels so cold to me. And it's great that your wife is able to publish traditionally. I bet there's a lot of less worrying over things like editing, designs, printing, and distributing! Does she get to choose her own book covers though?

I think the snowsky device is not touchscreen though, hence the buttons. I'll keep an eye out for any (new) music devices I come across! Touchscreen is definitely something I also avoid when it comes to any music devices. I remember once owning a super small squared mp3 player where I had to skip through each song without knowing what would come next lmao. Can't imagine having to go through that nowadays though hahah

AAAA IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE FIRST ALBUM! ♡ Cologne is one of my favorites! I couldn't help but cackle at your description about your alternate life because I could SO imagine it HAHA♡ It also made me think of the street racing manga/anime Initial D.

And aaahh yes, the battles of being a (tired) parent, where your sleeping schedules will now be dictated by them hahah. I remember reading on your site you have a toddler indeed. That's so lovely! I'm not a parent (yet), but these are things that roam in my head a lot.

Despite the tiredness I'm glad the music gave your brain a little boost! I'm excited to hear your thoughts about the other albums (but tyt ofc!)
I'll be having a chill weekend for once! Just catching up with some old friends online. I hope you also have a fun (but restful) weekend ahead!♡

Ah I love the fantasy genre! Definitely one of my favorites. Also because the genre is so broad there is always something for someone. And yesss! It is very exciting being a first-reader to experience it all from the beginning and being able to give little suggestions here and there. Or even check for spelling errors.

And man, I can only imagine how demanding the publishing world is.. I've done some research before about traditional publishing and self publish, and the demands for traditional publishing seems so restrictive to me. Does she also have this issue or does she self publish?

They are indeed making an innioasis Y2! I'm not sure what improvements they'll make but I hope your Nano can hold up until than and wait a bit for its retirement. Another device that's sorta the Y1's competitor is Snowsky Echo Mini. It doesn't have a scrolling wheel but it has buttons instead. If we're speaking aesthetically-wise, I think this one is so much cuter. It has the whole retro walkman cassette player vibe going on.

And I'm excited to hear your opinions about the music! I sent a lot so don't feel pressured to listen to ALL of it in one day or something hahaha. Take your time enjoying it!

I totally understand! I'm glad you made the choice to step away when it became too much. If there's no joy in discovering new music (because of a platform like SP).. well if it were me, I might as well be dead. Dramatic much but its true HAHA 

I also prefer it when people have recommendations or find it myself! When I first discovered Citypop a looong time ago, it still wasn't populair and mainstream so there wasn't too much on SP either. I discovered a lot through youtube, discogs, and just googling. The LPs, CDs and cassettes were also way less overpriced on discogs.. 

As for your iPod, I love Nano's! They're just so colorful. I always had a boring grey iPod Classic. And yeah the battery not holding up.. same here. But still I'm surprised both of our iPod's still work. If you do want a new one, I bought a INNIOASIS. They were kinda pushed onto my algorithm because of the whole y2k aesthetic. I must say it's pretty easy to use and it has it's ups and downs. If you're thinking of getting one, I suggest just looking through reviews if it's what you're looking for.

And omg, when I read your message you got me all excited about the fact you are married TO AN AUTHORRR. I LOVE THAT. Love the fact that you are both so creative and share the love for it. It's also really funny to me because again, just like the dyscalculia we have in common.. I have a boyfriend that writes books. He's not an author though (yet, i hope!), but he really wants to become one! When he writes and finishes chapter drafts I always read them and give him some feedback. I'm curious to know if you also do this! 

And despite not having any succes in your attemps to become an illustrator as an occupation, it doesn't define your skills and work you produced at all! I am in fact a bit envious of having the luxury you described hahaha.

I'm also rooting for you, friend!✧ 
PS. I really missed this form of messaging. Really brings back a sense of nostalgia and joy to just take time to write messages that gradually become longer hahaha.

You're most welcome! And tell me about it.. I'm glad that there are platforms like this where the internet void feels less.. void-y, HAHA. And that connecting like this is still possible. I'm so happy that we connectedby chance just like back in the days! And totally understandable why you quit Spotify. Especially when everything is subscription based and expensive afff. Is it an old apple iPod you use? My own iPod is super old and fragile, so I got a fake brand one for music as well! 

Haha thank you! Yeah, it is cool being an illustrator butttt, it has it's downsides.
Having it as just your hobby is honestly a lot better in my eyes.. Having it as a job honestly asks a lot from your mental capacity. After a long day of drawing I'm just so tired that I don't even wanna draw for myself.

And that game was seriously SO funny. To come up with an idea like that.. AH♡ gotta love creatvive freedom! I really hope to see more creative projects from you in the future!! who knows, perhaps there will be a kissing theme again

↓*So 80s+Japanese=