Happy new year to all! Amidst a topsy-turvy year, what have been your favorite shows? 2017 might go down as a surprisingly robust year for anime, and I hope to see an industry that allows creativity to rise to the top. After all, the better anime is, the more there is for this blog to talk about.
Going into 2018, I’d like to thank my Patreon sponsors, especially the following.
General:
Johnny Trovato
Ko Ransom
Alex
Diogo Prado
Viga
Sue Hopkins fans:
Serxeid
Hato Kenjirou fans:
Elizabeth
Yajima Mirei fans:
Machi-Kurada
New Year’s is of course the time for resolutions, and while I tend not to make them, I want to hold myself accountable this year.
As I’m interested in improving my language skills, most of my resolutions are focused in that area. I want to have true Japanese literacy. I’m fairly fluent overall, but I’m still not technically “reading newspapers without help” proficient—which is how Japanese literacy is officially defined.
I also want to improve my Cantonese, learn Mandarin Chinese, and/or reach a greater level of Dutch. I’ve been practicing the last one in the Duolingo app for a while now, to try and make up for my lack of true fluency when I lived in the Netherlands. My goal is to be able to read Dutch comics. Ik wil lezen Nederlandse strips.
I know they say not to try and learn more than one language at a time, but I just want to do everything, I guess.
My favorite posts from December:
Gattai Girls 7: “Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars” and Moriyama Nayuta [Anime Secret Santa]
A combination Gattai Girls entry and Secret Santa review! Shingu is really good; you should watch it.
Spotted Flower and the Role of the “What-If”
This story about an alternate Genshiken took on some crazy twists recently. But how does its proximity to Genshiken affect our perception of it?
Japanese vs. English Yu-Gi-Oh!: How the Two End Up Being Almost Different Shows
Inspired by the recent Yu-Gi-Oh! marathon on Twitch.
Patreon-Sponsored
Aikatsu Stars! Christmas 2017 Thoughts
“We wiiish you a merry Christmaaas…”
Closing
2017 was a tumultuous year for many. I hope you stay strong. I look forward to a world where reason and compassion defeat hatred and bigotry.
OGIUE MANIAX 
You may have to exert yourself to accomplish your goals but persistence must bring success.
If I could afford the material and was in better shape I would be the same but holding it
to Japanese. Newspaper literacy requires 2000 Kanji and all 80 characters in the
syllabaries.
Happy New Year and Congratulation on your work.
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