“If I do not have belief in my own abilities, I will never come to accomplish anything.” – Yusuke Kitagawa
Archive for April, 2025
Sketches: Persona 5 II
Posted in Art, Games, Hobbies, tagged Drawing, Persona 5, Shigenori soejima on April 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Sketches: Persona 5
Posted in Art, Games, Hobbies, tagged Drawing, Persona 5 on April 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Who’re You Livin’ Your Life For?… Maybe You Should Stop Tryin’ To Live For Them, And Just Try Livin’ For Yourself.” – Ryuji Sakamoto
First Solo Piano Recital
Posted in Music, tagged Bach Invention No.14 in B-flat major BWV785, piano, recital on April 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Although I was not as nervous as I was during my first duet performance with Sky last year, my performance was far from ideal. Despite all the breathing exercises I tried, my heart was still beating faster than normal. I felt rushed during the performance, couldn’t fully focus on the sound, and made more mistakes than usual. The piano was unfamiliar, so I overpedalled on a Baroque piece. If my perfect condition playing at home is a 10, this would probably be a 6 or 7.
How nice it would be, if I could feel time slows down during the performance, allowing me to just listen to the sound and enjoy the music, rather than being carried away by nervousness and fear of making mistakes.
Here’s the recital recording:
And here’s a home recording I did the next day.
Quotes: Skip and Loafer
Posted in anime, Art, Hobbies, tagged Drawing, quotes, Skip and Loafer on April 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“I think the memories of a place are memories of the people there. That’s why…I’m sure I’m going to love this place.” – Mitsumi Iwakura
“But you can put your goals into words. People can have expectations and support you. I couldn’t handle all that. Pathetic, isn’t it?” – Shima Sosuke
“You never know what time will lead to the best things until long after it’s passed. So I think the most important thing is that you choose how to spend that time.” – Tokiko Takamine
“Effort leads to confidence, but believing that effort will always be rewarded is a very, very scary idea.” – Mitsumi Iwakura
“You know, Shima. I might trip and fall in really stunning ways sometimes, but because I do, I’m really good at getting up too!” – Mitsumi Iwakura
“I want to aim higher, but that’s just a side-effect, or a secondary reason…I can’t really imagine myself not thinking about writing a script. So if I can make it my livelihood, that’d be best. Is there a destination for a daily routine like eating and going to work? I still can’t imagine one.” Narumi Kanechika
Movies I watched on recent flights
Posted in Movies, tagged blue period, cottontail, movie review, our little sister, wild robot, worlds apart on April 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Worlds Apart: It’s better than I anticipated, focusing on the intricacies of human relationships, especially for those who have a hard time fitting into society. There are good dialogues, and the film shows how proper conversation plays a crucial role in relationships. Makio’s difficulty in giving feedback on Asa’s first attempt at writing lyrics reminds me to be more delicate in my communication. Here’s a review.
Our Little Sister. I rewatched this on Netflix recently and still like it a lot. Director Kore-eda often focuses on the complexity of family relationships, but this one feels warmer. The movie portrays the kind of relationships I admire, while the small-town setting reminds me of my time living in Beppu, Oita. It’s a nice movie to enjoy with a glass of Umeshu. Here’s a review.
Cottontail is a movie about loss, family, and living in one’s own world. Here’s a review, calling it the sad version of Perfect Days. Perfect Days resonates more with me.
Blue Period live-action movie: it condensed a lot of material into a single film. I think the manga and anime did a better job of portraying Yatora’s struggles and weaknesses, not to mention the other characters’ stories.
Wild Robot is nicely done and entertaining to watch from beginning to end. Here’s a review.
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