100 – Folklore
What is it? – Folklore is the eighth album from the largest artist in the world, shifting from her previous album’s energetic bubble pop to a slower folk vibe that puts more emphasis on lyricism. It was a surprise album released a few months into COVID during July of 2020 and was followed up by a sister album a few months later.
Why? – I’m a former Swiftie, and though I left after The Tortured Poets Department debacle (1. The album is terrible, 2. She keeps re-releasing it to block artists from Billboard #1, which is a dick move, and 3. Her current silence on politics is unacceptable (UPDATE: Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris, this point is thankfully now irrelevant), I still do have some fondness for Folklore and Evermore. Both of them could’ve taken this spot – they both represent Taylor Swift working at her artistic peak, but I do prefer Folklore for being more sonically cohesive. Plus, the “Teenage Love Triangle” trilogy is easily the best thing Taylor Swift has ever written (sorry All Too Well 10 Minute Version fans), playing to her strengths of simple, powerful writing and creating a small connected universe between songs to make something genuinely interesting in the pop music sphere.
For those curious:
TS Albums Ranked: Folklore>Evermore>Red>1989>Speak Now>Midnights>Lover>Reputation>Fearless>Tortured Poets>Debut
Top 13 songs: Teenage Love Triangle (August>Betty>Cardigan, counting it as one song) > All Too Well 10 Minute Version > Long Live > You’re On Your Own, Kid > Hits Different > Mirrorball > Champagne Problems > Renegade > Long Story Short > 22 > Cruel Summer > Mr. Perfectly Fine > New Romantics
Listen here – https://open.spotify.com/album/1pzvBxYgT6OVwJLtHkrdQK?si=baMGAQAFTL-GACtdZbFdFQ
99 – Pui Pui Molcar
What is it? – Pui Pui Molcar is a stop motion anime series centering around molcars – guinea pig cars.
Why? – – Pui Pui Molcar is a show about the adorable eponymous molcars. Do I actually think the show is great? Not really, but this manages to skyrocket its way onto the list because of how purely charming it is in a short period of time (three minute episodes), making it a perfect comfort show.
98 – Romeo + Juliet
What is it? – Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 adaptation of Shakespeare’s seminal 1597 play Romeo and Juliet. As much as you might want to deny it, this is probably the most accurate modern Shakespeare adaptation in terms of vibes – were he still alive, he would adore this film.
Why? – I love Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare’s rhythmic writing is so stunningly beautiful that it almost makes me care about the plight of two dumb, bougie, 14th century teenagers. I also love Baz Luhrmann – his over the top filmmaking is so singular that even his bad films are a joy to watch. It’s a miracle, then, that somebody let Luhrmann “adapt” Romeo and Juliet – he manages to take the gravitas of the original text and turn it into a beautiful, romantic, energetic masterpiece of a gangster movie, finally pulling off the impossible task of making Shakespeare interesting.
96 (Tie) – Attack on Titan
What is it? – 2013-2023 anime series following humanity after giant creatures known as “Titans” create a post apocalyptic scenario where everyone lives in cities with massive walls to protect themselves. Unfortunately for them, a massive titan taller than their walls has just shown up.
Why? – I struggled for a while on whether I liked Attack on Titan enough to warrant a spot on this list – on one hand, it’s really good at practically everything. The soundtrack, animation, and storytelling are all in the upper echelon of anime. On the other hand, the ending is relatively weak and I don’t think the show does anything exceptionally well (except for foreshadowing). But being consistently great at everything is good enough to land a piece of art on this list (albeit near the bottom) and this is the kind of show that works as a universal recommendation because of that (plus, watching weekly during Final Season Part 1 was one of the few times being a weeb was worth it – seeing #declarationofwar trending on Twitter was genuinely hilarious)
96 (Tie) – Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
What is it? – 2009 adaptation of manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, following brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric’s journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone to gain their original bodies after losing them in an alchemy accident
Why? – Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the former king of MAL (MyAnimeList, the most popular anime tracking site), being the highest rated anime on the site for years before being dethroned by the excellent Frieren. It’s really easy to see why – much like Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is exceptional at being pretty good in every category, making for another easy universal recommendation (want to get into anime for some godforsaken reason? Watch this – it’s the Avatar: The Last Airbender of anime). Comparing the two, Fullmetal Alchemist lands its ending much better, but Attack on Titan has higher peaks, so really, it’s a wash. Disclaimer – for me, it took me a lot of tries to get into Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – the first 13ish episodes aren’t quite as compelling as what comes later (besides that infamous moment).
95 – The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
What is it? – The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is the first truly open world entry in the beloved The Legend of Zelda series, allowing players the freedom to choose their own path on their way to defeat Ganon at the cost of the intricately designed dungeons that were center to previous Zelda games’ appeal
Why? – I don’t think Breath of the Wild is a great game – its positive traits are all better in its sequel Tears of the Kingdom and its negative traits are far too noticeable. (I don’t like Tears of the Kingdom either, but that’s a different story.) But for all its faults, Breath of the Wild was my pandemic game – any stress from online schooling or the general dread of wasted youth faded away after romping around Hyrule for a while. So, even with the abysmal weapon durability system, completely backwards difficulty curve, and underwhelming dungeons, I regrettably am attached enough to this game that it ended up on the list.
94 – There Will Never Ever Be Another Melee Player Like Hungrybox
What is it? – Youtube video made by EmpLemon about the history and legacy of a major player in an ancient game that still draws new players in every day
Why? – Super Smash Bros. Melee is my favorite spectator e-sport – it’s a brutally fast platform fighter with an infinitely high skill ceiling that has some fascinating history, which leads to consistently interesting, exciting matches. Part of this history is the Era of the Five Gods, where one of five players won every major tournament from 2007-2016, their abilities in the game so far above every other player that once a player finally defeated them all, he was christened a “godslayer”. You probably don’t care about any of this – I certainly didn’t until a couple years ago. But Youtuber EmpLemon has a remarkable ability to make you truly care about something that you didn’t give a shit about a few hours earlier, which shines brightly in his video There Will Never Ever Be Another Melee Player Like Hungrybox, detailing the life and meteoric rise of the most controversial of the five gods. It’s exceptionally well made and requires no previous knowledge of Melee or video games at all, not so much about the game as it is about one man finding solace and glory in a community that utterly hates him.
WATCH HERE – Youtube
93 – Crab Game
What is it? – Crab Game is a free to play multiplayer game that puts players through games based off of the activities in hit capitalist critique television show Squid Game
Why? – Crab Game is an alright minigame collection with the worst, most bigoted playerbase of all time. But even with all that baggage, the game still represents the era of my life when I was just starting high school – countless weekends burnt away on the lobbies with my friends, partying and downing a sickening amount of soda and greasy pizza, the future a distant thought as I grappled with my morality, reality, and any number of other -ality words while developing my concept of self.
Free on Steam – LINK
92 – The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
What is it? – Third album from post rock group Explosions in the Sky, commonly considered to be an example of post 9/11 music (though, the album was recorded a couple years before the attacks even happened)
Why? – Sure, other post rock records are probably better (Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven was very high on this list on earlier drafts), but they don’t make me feel quite like The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place with its beautiful, infectious love of life even in the face of tragedy.
STREAM – https://open.spotify.com/album/49buCcKCJwxvdl0R2dMoIU?si=hO8XGdihQDS0EnuPbMKXVw
91 – House of Hades
What is it? – House of Hades is the fourth entry in the The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel series to megahit saga Percy Jackson and the Olympians. While the series does retain much of the cast from its prequel, the main characters are all offspring of Roman gods compared to the Greek heritage of the PJ+O gang.
Why? – The Riordanverse is filled with children’s books that are much better than they have any right to be, and they reach their absolute apex in House of Hades, the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series. In this one, Percy and Annabeth, easily the most interesting couple in children’s media, have to fight their way out of literal hell together, creating a searingly romantic tale that plays to Riordan’s strengths of creating strong characters and putting them through action packed scenarios strongly rooted in mythology.
Prerequisites – Percy Jackson and the Olympians 1-5, The Heroes of Olympus 1-3
90 – Anohana
What is it? – Anohana is an 11 episode anime following Jinta Yadomi and his childhood friends confronting their guilt over a tragic accident that happened 10 years earlier
Why? – Anohana is a shallow, overrated melodrama, a “meditation on grief” that doesn’t particularly manage to explore the effects of a tragedy because of its all too short runtime. Yet, this is still the show that opened my eyes to the wide world of what anime could be outside of mediocre shonen slop, still the reason I tear up every time I hear ”Secret Base (10 years after)”, still largely my gateway into the entire drama genre – it’s a microcosm of much of anime as a whole with the shallow female characters, absolute lack of subtext, and pure, blunt force emotional impact.
89 – The Simpsons Is Good Again
What is it? – Youtube video where revered media critic SuperEyepatchWolf argues that The Simpsons is actually good now
Why? – In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and modern Simpsons being awful. Or at least, that’s the general public consensus, but YouTube has given millions the ability to articulate exactly why they hold their unpopular stance on certain topics. One of these people is YouTuber SuperEyepatchWolf, who’s become well known for his well written, expertly produced videos on whatever random hyperfixation he has at the moment. In his video The Simpsons is Good Again, he goes through the history of The Simpsons to point out that the “Golden Age” of Simpsons only existed because of the conservative TV culture at the time and that for it to become relevant again, it has to evolve – which, he argues, is exactly what the new seasons are doing. Most of his videos are exceptional, but I picked this one as a standout because he does some audacious things with the script that I have to respect as a fellow writer.
WATCH HERE – YOUTUBE
88 – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6 Stone Ocean
What is it? – The sixth part of the everlong saga following the eternal duel between the Joestar family and the evils that are fated to plague them. Starting from part 3, these encounters take the form of “Stand Battles”, Stands being manifestations of fighting spirit that have special abilities. This placement is for the manga, not the anime adaptation (which is still pretty great, but doesn’t quite replicate the energy of Araki’s insane drawings)
Why? – Stone Ocean is my favorite Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure part – I absolutely love fan favorites Steel Ball Run and Diamond is Unbreakable, but part 6 has my favorite stand battles in the series. The protagonist Jolyne Cujoh has arguably the weakest stand out of the Jojos, which is juxtaposed against the enemy stands of part 6, arguably some of the strongest in the series. And while this occasionally leads to the part being the prime example of the “JoJo fans when the good guy outsmarts the bad guy for the 900th time because he put a frog up his ass or something” meme, it also creates some of the best, most exciting fights in the series. And yes – I am a part 6 ending fan, it’s a brilliant, bonkers way to mark the end of an era and the start of the next.
Prerequisites – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Parts 1-5
87 – The Name of the Wind
What is it? – The first entry in a fantasy series following Kvothe, an orphan who eventually kills the king of the nation that treated him so cruelly all those years ago (not a spoiler, the series is literally called The Kingkiller Chronicles and is framed through an older Kvothe telling a historian the story of his past)
Why? – The Kingkiller Chronicles series has received plenty of backlash since its initial positive reception, partly due to the second book largely being a stupid sex fantasy, but mostly due to author Patrick Rothfuss not writing the third book (which isn’t bad by itself, but it’s really sort of a problem when he takes hundreds of thousands of dollars promising to read a chapter from a book he hasn’t even started writing (SOURCE)). But even with all that baggage, The Name of the Wind is an exceptional novel in how effectively it manages to be a cozy epic fantasy. There’s not much in the way of stakes – obviously, the Mary Sue protagonist Kvothe gets out of everything unscathed, considering that he’s telling the story of his past in a bar. This leads to the focus being shifted towards the fascinating world of Temerant, which then leads to the greatest strength of the series – how easy it is to lose yourself in this universe. As Ursula K. Le Guin (A much better author than Rothfuss) once said, “Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory”, and by that metric, The Name of the Wind is the most glorious fantasy novel I’ve ever read.
86 – Paddington 2
What is it? – A sequel to 2014 film Paddington where the titular bear is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit and has to escape to prove his innocence
Why? – Paddington 2 is about finding the good in everyone while also being an indictment of the systems that destroy our inherent capacity for kindness – it’s unironically an unabashed ACAB film. It’s become the film community’s equivalent of the music community’s love of Carly Rae Jepsen’s E·MO·TION – both are disarmingly sincere, incredibly competently made, and accessible while still having deeper complexity for those looking for it. Paddington in Peru has a lot to live up to. (UPDATE (4/12/2025) – Paddington in Peru is deeply mediocre)
Prerequisites – none, though watching Paddington first is recommended
84 (Tie) – The Stand
What is it? – The Stand follows a classic tale of good and evil during a pandemic. This placement is for The Complete & Uncut Edition, which is around 400 pages longer and is officially Stephen King’s longest stand-alone novel.
Why? – Stephen King is one of the most popular living authors for a reason – for all that he might do wrong, he consistently writes accessible books with fascinating ideas, and this is most evident with The Stand, widely considered to be one of his best books, if not the best. It’s a good vs evil story set in the post apocalypse after a virus wipes out much of the population, using its massive length to build up a large cast of characters, all with dozens of pages of backstory, brings them all together, and makes them all come to the realization that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” , leading to them eventually making a stand against the evil forces that threaten humanity in the climax. It’s a very simple structure, sure, but Stephen King is a great storyteller and somehow makes the story compelling for its entire, colossal runtime, proving that he deserves his popularity, even if lots of his books are of questionable quality.
84 (Tie) – The Way of Kings
What is it? – The first entry in The Stormlight Archive series, which is part of Brandon Sanderson’s larger universe, The Cosmere. If you’re a nerd and the idea of wasting hours away learning about an admittedly really interesting world gets you drooling with excitement, this video is a great primer for the saga: VIDEO
Why? – I’m not personally a big Sanderson fan – I would argue that much of his works are mediocre fantasy slop (Elantris, Warbreaker, Dawnshard, Edgedancer, etc.). And yes – if you ever see a big Sanderson fan in the wild, you better run away as fast as possible or else you’ll be stuck in a three hour conversation about the Cosmere. But even with all that being said, Sanderson at his peak writes the most compulsively readable fantasy in the genre – I read this one in a single sitting daze on a road trip. The protagonist Kaladin, even with his stupid ass name, is a really compelling character here. He’s enslaved, forced to do intense, life threatening physical labor every day, at the lowest point mentally anyone can get, and yet, still finds the willpower to keep living and to start rebelling. At its core, The Stormlight Archive as a series is about broken people finding strength within themselves in order to save the world, and even all the Sandersonisms of occasionally horrendous dialogue and prose of questionable quality can’t dilute the beauty of that core concept.
Prerequisites – None, though some would recommend reading the original Mistborn trilogy first
83 – Cyberpunk Edgerunners
What is it? – Cyberpunk Edgerunners is an anime that takes place in the Cyberpunk universe, most famous for its excellent game Cyberpunk 2077. In this universe, megacorporations run everything and technology has progressed significantly, but quality of life has assuredly not, with most either dying early or living their entire life making meager wages while working incredibly time consuming, labor intensive jobs (If you’re thinking “Hey! That sounds familiar”, that’s literally the point). The events of Edgerunners happen before the events of 2077 and is thus completely standalone and can be watched without any previous knowledge of the universe.
Why? – “Would you rather live in peace as Mr. Nobody, die ripe, old and smelling slightly of urine? Or go down for all times in a blaze of glory, smelling near like posies, without seeing your thirtieth?” – this is the question at the heart of the entire Cyberpunk universe. Quiet life or blaze of glory? In the corporate hellscape of Night City, there is no right answer, but for David Martinez, the protagonist of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, the choice is easy. As a viewer, though, the tragedy of David hurtling himself towards an inevitable fatal ending while pushing his found family away is utterly heartbreaking.
82 – Connections (NYT)
What is it? – Daily word game made by The New York Times where you’re given 16 words and have 4 tries to figure out what words go together to form 4 word categories
Why? –
Dear you (you’ll know if this is for you),
I can’t quite remember how it started, but every morning, I wake up, check my notifications, go to the bathroom, do the NYT Connections for the day, and send my results to you. On my worst days, it’s been my only motivation to get out of bed in the morning. It’s strange – I’m not sure I like Connections that much, it’s just a simple word game that’s always too easy or has the most diabolical categories ever created. But the allure of Connections, or any of the NYT games, isn’t actually playing the game. The point is that they’re all very easily understood and accessible, creating a universal cultural talking point for a whole generation – Connections leads to connections, through talking about stupid categories and flexing over getting the purple category first. We’re eventually going to drift apart, our life trajectories are too different to lead to any other outcome, but I’ll always cherish you and the dumb word game that brought us a little closer.
PLAY FREE HERE – NYT Connections
81 – Final Fantasy VII
What is it? – Seventh mainstream entry in the Final Fantasy saga, a series of games only connected by genre and recurring character archetypes. The game is considered one of the most influential video game releases of all time, with the release marking the start of JRPGs becoming much more popular in the West.
Why? – Final Fantasy VII feels like an old game – the graphics are charming if you’re feeling generous, atrocious if not, and it forces you to play dozens of crappy minigames throughout the length campaign. But yet, even after all these years, VII still has the most powerful moments in the series – every revelation about the protagonist Cloud is crushing and that one iconic scene is still as devastating as it probably was a few decades ago. And all this culminates in a final battle that, while not all that compelling gameplay wise, is the best finale to a JRPG I’ve ever played because of how satisfying it is after the past dozens of hours of plot buildup.
80 – Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
What is it? – A complete retelling of the Harry Potter series, but instead of Harry being an idiot orphan, he’s a brilliant scientist before going to Hogwarts
Why? – Yeah, the author Eliezer Yudkowsky is the type of guy to say “Bazinga!” in every conversation, some of the science in Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is just wrong/outdated, and Harry is, at least at the start, pretty annoying and arrogant, but as a whole, HPMOR does some fascinating things to the Harry Potter universe, turning a mediocre at best series into a tour de force of scientific fantasy.
FULL THOUGHTS HERE – HPMOR Review
READ FREE HERE – HPMOR
AUDIOBOOK FREE HERE – AUDIOBOOK
Prerequisites – Harry Potter 1-7 (films or books)
79 – Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse
What is it? – Sequel to 2018 film Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse where superhero Miles Morales has to fight against the Spider Society filled with hundreds of other Spider-People to try and protect those he loves
Why? – Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse is the rare superhero film that I actually like, which is strange because it’s filled with tropes that I despise, from constant references to stupid one liners. Luckily, it has some insane animation, a fire soundtrack that actually fits the movie, and two central characters that are legitimately compelling outside of their superhero personas.
Prerequisites – Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
78 – Castlevania Symphony of the Night
What is it? – Castlevania Symphony of the Night is the 1997 entry in the Castlevania series, which follows the eternal battle between Dracula and the Belmont family. This is also the game (alongside Super Metroid) that led to the coining of the term “Metroidvania” to describe nonlinear platformers where the path forward is restricted until certain items are obtained
Why? – Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a maximalist video game – there’s so many things that you’re never going to use in a normal playthrough, from dozens of intensely powerful weapons to an entire magic system that most players will never run into. But this turns Symphony of the Night from a pretty decent metroidvania into an infinitely replayable question of “how do I want to be vastly overpowered today?” after you beat it for the first time, becoming a pure power fantasy for a glorious few hours if you have any knowledge of the game’s deeper mechanics. And with the incredibly versatile SOTN randomizers, this is easily a contender for a “desert island game” – games that you would bring if you were in a situation where you had nothing to do but play video games for multiple weeks/months straight.
77 – Clannad After Story
What is it? – Clannad After Story is the sequel to Clannad, a slice of life story following Tomoya, a high schooler struggling with his mother’s death, and Nagisa, a loner who he befriends/falls for, as well as the friend group they eventually form
Why? – Clannad and the first half of Clannad After Story aren’t good at all. This is the reason I’ll never recommend the show for most people. That being said, the payoff for trudging through 40 episodes of slice of life sludge is somehow worth it, with the second half of After Story being the most emotionally devastating thing I’ve ever seen.
Prerequisites – Clannad (23 episodes)
76 – Misery
Why? – Sure, there are Stephen King books that are “better” – namely, his famous epics (The Stand, It, and 11/22/63) all reach higher highs than Misery does. But my favorite from the king of horror is Misery because of how it avoids the typical King-isms of excessive prose, inability to write women, and not being able to create a good ending to save his life. The narrative of writer Paul Sheldon trapped in a house, forced to write by an obsessive fan is very simple, but creates such a suffocating thriller, so effective at putting you into his shoes that you’ll wince every time a key falls off his shoddy typewriter.
75 – My Neighbor Totoro
What is it? – My Neighbor Totoro is a slice of life Studio Ghibli film following two sisters after a move to the countryside and their subsequent encounters with “Totoros”, magical creatures who roam the forest and are only visible to children
Why? – I can’t quite articulate my thoughts on My Neighbor Totoro yet, partly because it’s near impossible to distill the appeal of this film into words, partly because I’m almost out of time to finish writing this article in time for the end of August, so I’ll just say this for now – My Neighbor Totoro is the most calming movie ever made