Media Log
I decided to try and ditch media tracking apps and websites such as Letterboxd and Storygraph and instead track all of my media consumption here. Any new album listened to, movie watched, book read, etc., will be listed here and I'll try to give some brief thoughts about them also. I'm not an expert on any of the art forms I'll be reviewing, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
September 2026
Kedi (2016): Documentary directed by Ceyda Torun
This documentary is about street cats in Istanbul, Turkey and the people that love and care for them. It was a cute documentary that really showed the individual personalities of cats. I do wish that it had more substance on how the city's changing infrastructure affects the street cats, however. The topic was hinted at by some of the people interviewed in the film, but it was never truly delved into. I would have also liked to have heard from a veterinarian in the area on how they deal with the over population. As someone who breifly worked at an animal shelter, I'm curious if they have any funding for TNR programs or anything similar.
The Librarians (2025): Documentary directed by Kim A. Snyder
This documentary made me cry a lot. It follows book bans across the US and how librarians are on the frontlines fighting for equal access to information and representative stories. It makes me incredibly sad that library workers are being forced to either comply with the book bans or risk their livelihood. As a queer person too, it's incredibly disheartening to see that many of the titles being challenged and/ or banned are queer stories. I had a conversation a couple of months ago with librarian at a local middle school, the middle school that I attended, in fact. Since I'm from a relatively conservative town, I told her that it was rough to grow up there as a young queer person. What she told me made me worry that it may be getting even more difficult for queer kids at that school and in schools across the country. She said that she has to keep certain books locked up behind the desk, and they can only be checked out if they're asked for directly. Many of these books, she said, have LGBTQIA+ characters and topics. This surprised me a couple months ago, but since having watched this documentary, it unfortunately makes sense. My heart aches for her and every other library worker that's met with these tough decisions, as well as the young children that are caught in the crossfire of having these books pulled off of shelves.
Children of the Sea (vol. 1-5): Manga series by Daisuke Igarashi
I talked about watching the film adaptation of this series last month and being very confused yet intrigued. While the manga series did answer some of my nagging questions, I think it may be the point of this series to leave you guessing. The books seem to beg you to understand that there is so much in the world that we simply don't understand, especially regaurding the natural world. This series was extremely enjoyable to me, and I plan on seeing if my library has any more of Igarashi's works.
August 2026
Children of the Sea (2019): Film, directed by Ayumu Watanabe
I had never heard of this film nor the manga series it's based off of, so I went into this relatively blind. In some ways, I think that's the best way to go into new experiences. I picked up this DVD at my local library and watched it one evening with my girlfriend. The art is stunning, especially the numerous ocean scenes. I did find the overly large anime eyes to be a bit comical, but perhaps that's just because I don't consume enough Japanese media. The story line was confusing throughout, but I found myself still enjoying it and wanting to know more. Luckily, my library also has the manga series, so I know have the first two volumes of that checked out. I'm hoping there will be more clarity and explaination in those, as the film really left me with a lot of questions.
Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. (2026): Album by Harry Styles
This album is, for the most part, a lot more mellow than I was expecting. Not that that's bad, however. I was embarassingly a huge One Direction fan in middle and early high school, but haven't followed Harry's solo career very closely. I saw this CD displayed at the library the other day and decided to give it a go though. Knowing of Harry's boy-band origins, I was expecting this album to be upbeat and have pretty basic lyrics. While there was some of this, sure, the album felt more complex at the same time. I don't know enough about music or lyric writing to really explain why it feels more complex, but either way, I find it quite enjoyable.
