Music Recommendations for November - I Haven’t Posted Here in a While

Uuuuu yes. I’m sitting on a pile of excuses on why I haven’t been blogging lately (or vlogging, or anything else I’ve said I’d do) but I’ll keep them to myself because no one wants to read paragraphs of that :P Instead, I’ll jump right in with something I haven’t done since May, a music recommendation post! 

Since I haven’t posted in a bit, I can’t quite think of a good theme for this month (I guess I’ll have to wait until next year for Halloween…) so I’ll just post my top five (I haven’t listened to much lately!) current favorites! As always, no download links, but feel free to listen via YouTube!

Musunde Hiraite Rasetsu to Mukuro - Hatsune Miku

Sometimes I’m a very avid Vocaloid fan, and sometimes I’m not. Right now I am not, but this song is still wonderful. If you don’t know what Vocaloid is, I highly suggest you look it up, it’s quite a wonderful thing. This song combines pop music with traditional Japanese themes in a very spooky way!

Anime Janai - Arai Masato

The title of this song translates to “It’s not an anime,” as in, what you are dealing with is really happening and it’s not just a cartoon on the television. This song is the opening to the show Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ from 1986, and it definitely has an 80s anime feel. I’ve never actually watched the show (like a lot of music I’m introduced to nowadays, it’s a favorite of my fiance’s), but in looking it up, it appears it will be released in North America next year! Unfortunately, there isn’t a clean version of the extended version on YouTube, so the live version will have to do.

In the Year 2525 - Zager and Evans

This is a song from the 60s, but I never remembered hearing it on the radio when I was a kid and only listened to what my parents listened to. Instead, I think I heard this in a flash video (again, with the fiancé)? I’m not sure. This song is so very haunting and foreboding, and honestly makes me cry more often then not. But I love it. I love it and it inspires me so much.

Can You Feel the Sunshine - Sonic R Soundtrack

I never had a video game console until I was 9 or so, and it was a Nintendo. I’ve never owned a Sega console and only in the past few years have I played a Sega game. Sonic is one of my fiancé’s favorite franchises, and I remember the first time I heard this song, we were driving around with the windows down, one of his hands holding mine. So it has a happy memory attached, plus it’s just ridiculously happy. This is from the American soundtrack of the very difficult racing game. I was told a lot of people preferred the Japanese soundtrack but I kind of like the peppy, if not somewhat corny, songs from the American release.

Nuclear - Metal Gear Solid V Soundtrack

I should rename this the “songs my fiancé introduced me to somehow” list. The Metal Gear series has always interested me, but I never felt I would enjoy playing it too much. I remember watching the video for this song as it aired live, the living room dark, and covered in chills. While this video I’ve linked is not the same one (I couldn’t find it, and also it makes me cry, haha), it’s still very powerful and morose. 

I hope you enjoy!!

Let's Try This Fitness Thing Again//Two Year Life Plan

So back in December, I entered the world of fitness blogs on tumblr (fitblrs). I fell headfirst into pictures of slim and toned bodies, yummy meals, and self love. By January, I had started working out nearly daily and trying to fix my eating habits. But it only lasted for about a month; my motivation slowly dwindled, and eventually I stopped altogether and went back to my old ways. While I was working out, I had lost about fifteen pounds, but after stopping, I gained it all back, plus the occasional extra few pounds, depending on the day.

I've always had issues with my weight, even though looking back, I was perfectly fine when I was younger, just not thin. I've never been thin. I got made fun of in elementary school, but I didn't think much of it. I was always aware I had extra weight. But it wasn't until a car trip where I was stuffing myself with candy where I looked down at my thighs when I thought to myself "Oh...I'm fat, aren't I?" Of course, I didn't do anything to remedy my problem, only covered myself up more. I remember in high school hating my body, but what I wouldn't give to be that size again.

In the past few years, these issues with my weight and my relationship with food has gotten worse. I've gained a lot of weight due to stress, depression, and an unhealthy relationship with food. Food has always been a comfort thing, or a boredom thing, and living on my own in a dorm only reinforced bad eating habits. I had my periods where I would try to eat healthier or exercise a bit, but I never really committed to anything.

In January, I felt like I was committed to finally changing my life, and I was, but...I don't know, I had the motivation, but not the drive to stay constant. Of course, I was upset about it, but I was getting more and more depressed, so half of me didn't really care. The other half of me was trying to accept myself as I was. I still am. I think everyone should love themselves just as they are. But I also believe that if you're unhappy, make a change, and I am unhappy. I am not the shape I want to be. I am not at the size I want to be. I can't fit into the clothes I want. I am uncomfortable in my body. But more importantly, I'm not healthy the way I am. I eat poorly. I sleep poorly. I don't get enough exercise. I'm not strong. I am not the me I want to be. I want to be a smaller, stronger me. For no one else but me.

I don't know if this time will be "the time." I don't know if I will get to my goal weight. I don't even know what my goal weight is. But I'm going to try. I've been really depressed lately, and feeling like I can't do anything. I haven't been motivated to do anything at all. But I want to do something. I want to achieve something. I don't want to be unhappy with myself anymore. I have to change the way I think - where I feel like everything that isn't a major success is a failure. I have to change my eating habits. I have to change how very impatient I am. I have to change how I plan and organize my life (life planning is nonexistent at the moment).

While I am in this period of not doing much, little things are a success. One of these successes was writing out a life plan of sorts in my fancy purple paper notebook. I'm going to constantly be adding little goals to it and taping it to my wall right behind where my computer is so I can always see it and be motivated. This is a list of goals from now, July 2014, until sometime in 2016.

Work on comics

Get comics out there

Get commissioned

Sell art at MTAC 2015

Go to AWA 2014

Cosplay at Colossalcon 2015

Lose weight

Get strong

Live healthy

Do more art

Get a new job

Always have money

Go back to school

Become comfortable driving

Record an UTAU voicebank

Keep up with penpals

Maintain cleanliness

Plan things out

Get things done on time

Get over fear of failure

I am really excited for the changes I am going to enact. I know they will take time and won't be easy. But I'm going to try. I'm going to try as hard as I can. I'm tired of being complacent, lazy, and not the Bunny I want to be. 

Watch me grow. Watch me turn into a magical girl who can do anything. Watch me become strong, lean, and healthy. 

New Sailor Moon Dub and Releases? What Sailor Moon Means to Me~

I'm not going to tell you how many hours I slept last night because it's embarrassing, but it was a lot. But in the middle of this sleep I woke up and scrolled through Twitter, and found the announcements made by Viz Media - that they had the rights to both the original 200 episodes of Sailor Moon and the impending Sailor Moon Crystal and that they were going to be streaming an official sub and releasing that along with a brand new dub on Blu Ray! Of course I was much too asleep to be properly excited, but after waking up from a very dark Sailor Moon dream, I realized just how amazing this all is! 

I have every episode of Sailor Moon in some form or another. I have them all digitally. I have everything aired on Toonami on VHS that I would record obsessively. I have S and SuperS on DVD. And then I have Stars on VHS and VCD. I love them all.

Sailor Moon was my very first anime. It was my first obsession. Not only did (and still do) I try to collect every single piece of merchandise - licensed or not -  that I could, but I would use my imagination to make my own. I pretended I had the largest Sailor Moon collection ever and that I knew the most about it. 

More importantly, it fueled my inspiration to two of my greatest passions - drawing and writing. I would draw every day, whether it be copying scenes from the manga or making my own, and take them to my doors. I would write elaborate scenarios and stories involving all the sailor senshi and even a few I made up myself. I had drawing and writing and storytelling before, but I think I wouldn't have loved it quite as much if Sailor Moon wasn't there for me. 

Now, I want to be a comic book artist. That is my number one goal in life. I draw a lot of inspiration from various aspects of Sailor Moon and other things that it led me to. But moreso the attitude inside the manga and anime..."you can do anything you set your mind to." The lead character is a lazy student, but saves the world over and over again, through hardships and complaining and self doubt. She believes in herself and her friends and family and they all back her up. 

I don't know. Perhaps I'm just rambling because I love it so much and it's such an important part of my life. But Sailor Moon is something that saved me. It was there for me when I felt no one else was. It's a constant inspiration. And, you know, it's just a pretty good show.