74 – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
What is it? – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is the final album from indie band Neutral Milk Hotel and has become one of the most critically acclaimed indie rock/folk albums after a critical reevaluation in the 2000s following its middling reception upon its 1998 release.
Why? – Science Youtuber Vsauce starts off all his videos by saying “Hey, Vsauce, Micheal here” followed up by some absurd statement – “and are you still doing things in the real world?”, “when will you die?”, “and Earth only contains 1066 people”, etc. He then goes through various fields of science to answer a question like “Is Anything Real?”. Recently, he released a short where he talks about finally finding the postcard that’s the source of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea‘s album cover, saying that the album “played a big role in his life twenty years ago”, a fact about this person that makes a little too much sense – it precisely matches the vibe he gives off through his videos, with lyrics like “Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all” sounding like things he would say in his videos. Needless to say, as a big Vsauce fan, I love this album – the lyrical complexity and unique lofi sound has kept me coming back to the album consistently for years.
Listen here – SPOTIFY
73 – Challengers
What is it? – Challengers is a film that follows the relationship between three tennis players, both on and off the court
Why? – 2024 might not be a particularly standout year for film (at least so far), but this and I Saw The TV Glow have been incredible peaks in an otherwise middling period for cinema
72 – Dog Day Afternoon
What is it? – Dog Day Afternoon is a crime drama following the (based on real life) story of two bank robbers accidentally escalating into a simple heist into a massive hostage situation
Why? – Watching this film in a packed college theater in Madison, Wisconsin was a life experience that made me feel I was living sufficiently in a way that few other viewings of a film ever have
71 – Brave New World
What is it? – Brave New World is a dystopian novel written by Aldous Huxley, where advancements in medical technology lead to the elites of the world achieving absolute totalitarian rule while the citizens mute out their emotions and disdain for the system with drugs and sex. It’s one of the most widely taught dystopias, alongside 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 (and sometimes The Handmaid’s Tale, but it’s not as ubiquitous because god forbid we teach a feminist story written by a woman in schools).
Why? – Brave New World details a world in which the general populace is placated by superficial happiness, so much so that they willingly allow themselves to be oppressed. This is an idea that’s perhaps always been relevant, but now more so than ever, Brave New World has become the most prescient (while still being the oldest) of the big three dystopias – as author Neil Postman once wrote to compare 1984 to Brave New World, “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance”. As for the big three dystopia, it’s coming up later on the list.
70 – The First Glass Beach Album
What is it? – The First Glass Beach Album is indie band Glass Beach’s first album, having an unique rock/post emo sound that gave the band a large cult following
Why? – The First Glass Beach Album is on here because of how well it works as an album – the songs, while great on their own, become much more interesting within context, with the project constantly throwing new things at the wall while retaining the core of emotionally resonant lyricism.
LISTEN HERE – SPOTIFY
69 – Brat
What is it? – Brat is Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, mixing an evolution of her hyperpop style with confrontational, vulnerable lyrics
Why? – Beyond the Brat Summer and coconut tree memes , Brat is masterful at capturing the zeitgeist of a generation, a generation that has grown all too good at hiding how much they hate themselves with loose veneers of confidence.
LISTEN HERE – SPOTIFY
68 – Titanic
What is it? – Titanic is a romance film following lower class Jack Dawson and rich Rose Bukater falling in love on the Titanic
Why? – Dear Titanic haters – do you actually hate the film, or have you been socially conditioned to dislike anything that teenage girls like?
67 – Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations
What is it? – Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations is the third game in the Ace Attorney series, a saga that has you play as various defense attorneys trying to prove their clients are innocent in a corrupt legal system that gives prosecutors immeasurable advantages – I’ve only played the original trilogy – Investigations 2, The Great Ace Attorney 2, and Spirit of Justice are all highly regarded and might’ve made it on the list if I played them
Why? – Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations finishes the original Ace Attorney trilogy, which are extremely culturally significant games that nobody has actually played. “Objection!” is a ubiquitous phrase in the gaming community, but not many have actually trudged through Ace Attorney. And really, that’s a shame, but completely understandable – there are certainly better, more palatable visual novels to play now. Lots of Ace Attorney is just a pain to play – finding evidence is so, so annoying, the sequence to present evidence is occasionally nonsensical, and many of the cases are just not that good. But yet, when it all clicks together, when you nail the witness with an “Objection!” after finding a hole in their testimony and the pursuit theme starts playing – there’s no game that has ever managed to match that feeling. Trials and Tribulations is my pick for best in the series – Bridge to the Turnabout, the final case in this game, is widely considered the single best case in the series for wrapping up all the loose ends of the trilogy and finishes off the story of my favorite character, the mysterious prosecutor Godot.
Prerequisites – Ace Attorney 1+2
66 – The Matrix Resurrections
What is it? – The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth entry in the Matrix saga, this time being more of a postmodernist metanarrative compared to the others in the series
Why? – This is one of the most divisive films in modern memory, which is to say that it’s near universally panned and some weirdos really love it. Safe to say, I am one of those weirdos – the film works on so many levels. The most obvious idea The Matrix Resurrections presents is a mockery of a Hollywood that only funds shitty reboots and remasters, but more interestingly, it’s an inverse of the original Matrix’s trans allegory, this time being about the psychological toll of having to detransition. To be honest, I don’t even love The Matrix that much – the first 30ish minutes are perfect, melding action with some genuinely thought provoking philosophical conversations, but then what? Neo takes the red pill and then it’s just another action film – sure, a really good action film, but all the bullet time in the world can’t make it as interesting as it was at the start. The Matrix Resurrections, on the other hand, is practically all ideas, the intro to The Matrix stretched out across a sublime 2.5 hours. The action scenes were definitely an afterthought and are lame as hell, but really, I don’t care when the conversation Resurrections is having with itself is so interesting.
Prerequisites – The Matrix Trilogy
65 – Ágætis byrjun
What is it? – Ágætis byrjun, Icelandic for “A good beginning”, is a critically acclaimed album from post rock band Sigur Rós
Why? – If you, for some godforsaken reason, want to pursue the art life like me and dedicate yourself to finding great art, then the first thing you’ll have to learn is that feeling trumps all – once you reach the truly difficult to understand pieces of art, emotion is often the only thing you have to guide you – stuff like David Lynch’s Inland Empire or James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake are pretty much just nonsense on a surface level, so there’s no plot or characters or structure to ground yourself in the work. But even with simpler pieces, the point of art is to make you feel, and what critics try to do is distill that into words. Sigur Rós’s albums are a great way to learn this feeling over analysis type of criticism – not only do they sing in Icelandic, but they also often sing in Volenska. What is Volenska? It’s a language that the band has completely made up, consisting of only strings of syllables that don’t have any structure or meaning. Thus, there aren’t really any “lyrics” to much of their discography, the only metric you can judge them on is how the songs sound and make you feel. And this feeling? It’s purely cosmic, otherworldly, like this is music from an alien planet – there’s no other band even comes close to sounding like Sigur Rós. Ágætis byrjun and () are both excellent albums, but I do prefer Ágætis byrjun since it was my introduction to the band and an easier, slightly more pleasant listen overall.
63 (Tie) – Classroom of the Elite
Why? – This is really the only light novel really worth reading – most of the others are filled to the brim with shitty anime tropes and abysmal writing or have had adaptations that are as good or better than the source material. Classroom of the Elite, too, is filled with anime-isms that are pretty terrible. The plot follows Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, a student of Koudo Ikusei Senior High School. This high school guarantees access into practically any university or job upon graduation but only to students who graduate while in the top class, class rankings being determined by various skill based events, from surviving on a deserted island to a sports festival. It sounds fairly generic, but what makes it work over other “mind game” type series is how much time is allocated to setting up the climaxes of each event, ensuring that the “holy shit” reveals are all exhilarating.If you’re interested, I would suggest watching season 1 of the anime and then starting from volume 4 of the light novel, since volumes 1-3 are some of the weakest in the series and the event that starts in volume 4 is when Classroom of the Elite goes from generic to great.
63 (Tie) – Danganronpa V3
What is it? – Danganronpa V3 is the third entry in the Danganronpa series, a saga that follows 16 high schoolers with unique talents all trapped in an isolated location. The only way to escape? To kill a classmate and not be convicted of the crime in the subsequent class trial.
Why? –
Dear you (you’ll know if this is for you),
I ran into you the other day. We didn’t say anything to each other, but the glare you gave me said it all. I really hope you’re doing well. My love for this game has certainly dwindled very fast, partly because I’ve started to notice its flaws, but mostly because it was always our game, our secret mode of communication, our way of coping a little while we cursed the Pacific Ocean’s existence. I know you told me not to apologize so much, but I’m sorry. I treated you terribly and I deeply regret it. You would think I would be better at finding the right words – it’s part of the entire reason I started writing – but with you, English has never been sufficient for articulating my feelings. If you’re actually reading this, please don’t message me. I’m not good for you. I just wanted to say thanks for everything. My emotions were always muffled, but you showed me how they felt at full blast. You truly made me a better person with your kindness and I wish I could’ve done the same for you.
On the actual game – it’s great for a few of the cases and carried by an incredibly strong cast through the weak cases. I’m a V3 ending apologist – I think the metanarrative is far more interesting than the underwhelming endings of 1 and 2. That being said, the stretch from 2-4 to 2-5 in Danganronpa 2 is the most enthralled I’ve ever been playing a game. Both are fairly equal in quality , but this pick isn’t really about the game, is it?
Prerequisites – Danganronpa 1+2
62 – Hunter x Hunter
What is it? – Hunter x Hunter is a series that follows a group of “hunters”, people certified to go around the world and do dangerous tasks in order to achieve their personal goals and better society as a whole.
Why? – Hunter x Hunter is mediocre to pretty great for most of its runtime, with the series always being anchored by a magic system that remains consistent with its concrete rules, something that’s shockingly difficult for shonen writers. But what lands Hunter x Hunter on this list is the Chimera Ant arc, which introduces us to the titular Chimera Ants, large insects that eat several times their weight every day, driving many species to extinction, the true brilliance of the arc showing itself at the end when the series makes the argument that us humans are not so different from them through showing their capacity for humanity juxtaposed with our capacity for inhumanity, a payoff so interesting that it’s easily in my top 3 animanga arcs of all time (other 2 are Berserk’s Golden Age and One Piece’s Enies Lobby)
61 – Princess Mononoke
What is it? – Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli film that follows a three way war between the gods and spirits of the forest against the humans using its resources against a young prince looking for a cure for a curse a demon inflicted on him.
Why? – Princess Mononoke is Miyazaki’s environmentalist masterpiece, a nuanced, empathetic work that never truly villainizes any of the characters – if you’re wondering why I hate so many animated children’s films, I’m one of those people that grew up with Ghibli films, gorgeous movies that actually have something meaningful to say, something Western animation studios struggle with all too much.
60 – The Fifth Season
Why? – The Fifth Season is a perfect fantasy novel. Sure, it’s not a perfect book. The beginning is overwhelming with all the terminology being hurled at you, some POVs are certainly more interesting at points than others, and the writing is too experimental for some. But as a fantasy narrative? The Fifth Season creates a fascinating, believable world, complex, human characters, and ties everything together at the end to create a masterful tale of broken people surviving in a broken world. It follows three orogenes, people who have the ability to manipulate the Earth to create or quell seismic movements. Because of these skills, orogenes have become feared and ostracized, as many aren’t taught how to control their powers. Additionally, this world also has a “fifth season” every few centuries, cataclysmic periods of time where natural disasters lead to extreme destruction and poverty. Orogenes are found and forced to work in order to help extinguish earthquakes and mitigate the effects of these seasons or to help with manual labor. We see over and over how terribly the people saving the Earth are treated and this is the struggle at the core of the novel. These people are being systematically oppressed – how do they react to that? They survive. Sometimes, they even feel alive – they find their people, they learn to love each other when the whole planet is against them, they finally start to believe in a better future – but those times are few and far between. And when these brief moments of happiness are taken from them? Maybe this is the way the world ends for the last time.
59 – Bloom into You
What is it? – Bloom Into You is a romance following high schoolers Yuu And Touko. This entry is for the manga – the anime, while an excellent adaptation, is unfinished
Why? –Bloom Into You is the gold standard for yuri (term referring to works focused on intimate (not necessarily romantic) relationships between women, idk, the animanga community comes up with a lot of goofy slang) manga on the pure virtue of it not doing anything particularly wrong, which is an absolute miracle in the genre. The relationship between Yuu and Touko is always (somewhat) believable, the supporting cast has characters that feel like genuine people outside of their connection with the main couple, and it actually has a satisfactory ending. This spot could absolutely be occupied by Casey McQuinston’s novel One Last Stop, another excellent lesbian romance, but I’m far more emotionally attached to Bloom Into You, considering I’ve reread it maybe a dozen times compared to the measly one time I’ve read One Last Stop.
58 – Haikyuu
What is it? – Haikyuu is a volleyball anime following Karasuno High School’s volleyball team attempt to become the best in the nation. This entry is specifically for season 3 of the anime, which is one 10 episode match against the formidable Shiratorizawa Academy. (Yes, I have read the manga, I prefer the adaptation in this case)
Why? – Haikyuu was certainly good up to this point, but season 3 is pure, unadulterated hype. It’s essentially every generic sports film if they were actually good, with 50 episodes of buildup turning a really long volleyball game into a stressful, exhilarating gauntlet that pushes all the characters you’ve gotten to know so well into better players and better versions of themselves.
57 – Tetris Effect Connected
What is it? – Tetris Effect Connected is an updated version of acclaimed game Tetris Effect, which is essentially just OG Tetris with a newly added “Zone” mechanic, which lets the player stop time to clear upwards of 16 lines at once (known as a decahexatris). The game is named after the psychological effect of the same name, where playing Tetris for long enough leads to thinking about it subconsciously even after the playing session is over (e.g. thinking about how buildings would fit together or dreaming about the game).
Why? – Tetris Effect Connected takes the universal video game and pushes it to its absolute limits, overlaying a phantasmagorial, vivid light show with the definitive version of the king of puzzle games. But that’s not why the game is on the list – it’s here because it’s a beautiful reminder that we’re all connected in this world through Tetris, through our attachment to this silly block game, we’re all far more similar than we are different.
56 – House of Leaves
What is it? – House of Leaves is the most famous example of ergodic literature – literature that requires nontrivial effort for the reader to read. It achieves this by having a nonlinear structure with multiple concurrent stories through footnotes and references as well as have some text in nontraditional formats (some is backwards and has to be held up to a mirror, some is sideways and requires turning the book 90 degrees, etc.). The actual plot follows academic studies of the imaginary film the Navidson Record, in which the Navidson family records the happenings in their house, which is somehow slightly larger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Why? – House of Leaves is legitimately one of the most creative efforts in modern literature – from the iconic starting line “This is not for you” to the mysterious blue color of every mention of the word House, the novel is a compelling, unnerving read from cover to cover.
55 – Worm
What is it? – Worm is a web serial that ran from 2011-2013, clocking in at approximately 7000 pages by the end. It follows Taylor Hebert, who develops the power to control simple lifeforms (worms, insects, etc.) and her journey through the morally grey world of the Parahumans universe
Why? – Worm is, unquestionably, the best superhero story. This is because the web serial does three things that no other superhero universe does quite as well – firstly, and most importantly, everyone’s powers are set in stone. There’s no bullshit last minute powerups, with the only way of getting stronger being to constantly experiment with the abilities to work around their limitations. Secondly, the series delves into the inherent moral complexity of “heroes” and “villains” – with most superhero stories, the “heroes” only protect a flawed status quo, so the villains actually seem fairly reasonable, at least until they start microwaving babies on the street. Worm instead follows what other series would call a “villain” – the protagonist Taylor Hebert is not a good person at all. But the genius of the serial lies in the fact that nobody is good in the bleak, murky atmosphere of Brockton Bay. Thirdly, the series is girthy, letting it develop even extremely minor characters and lets us see a natural power progression in its characters. Worm is one of the reasons I absolutely despise the Marvel Cinematic Universe – most of it comes from the saga being a collection of films and TV shows that are antithetical to the entire Sufficiency ethos, all shallow, mass produced, propagandistic, insincere trash that doesn’t make life sufficient, but it also gets knocked down further in my mind because this masterwork outdoes it in every aspect imaginable.
Read free here – https://parahumans.wordpress.com/
Listen to the audiobook free here – https://audioworm.rein-online.org/
54 – Before Sunset
Why? – Before the events of Before Sunset in the film Before Sunrise, romantics Jesse and Celine spend a dreamy evening in Vienna and promise to meet up six months later in the same city. In Before Sunset, the two run into each other for the first time since that evening nine years earlier – their planned encounter didn’t work out for various reasons and they’ve both lived with that regret for the past near decade. They both have partners, but they both secretly wish that they could turn back time to end up with each other. The film, then, is a beautiful, achingly romantic 80 minutes spent watching two people struggle with living in a “right person, wrong time” dilemma that’ll continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives while simultaneously trying to enjoy their precious few minutes they get together, this push and pull creating one of the most compelling relationships in cinematic history.
Prerequisites – Before Sunrise
53 – For Emma, Forever Ago
What is it? – For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut album of folk band Bon Iver, being well known for its origin – singer/songwriter Justin Vernon developed pneumonia, mononucleosis, and a liver infection, during which time he was kicked out of his band and developed a gambling addiction. Vernon, fed up with his life after fully recovering, broke up with his girlfriend, gathered his recording equipment, and drove 18 hours to his isolated, rural childhood home. There, he spent the next 4 months writing and recording the songs that would eventually make up For Emma, Forever Ago.
Why? – Justin Vernon was at an absolute low point writing this album, and all his hurt absolutely survives the transition into song – this is a heart-wrenching, harrowing listen. The comparisons to this being a modern day Walden are apt, though unlike that book, this album is actually emotionally resonant – it’s both as beautiful as the environment it was created in and as harsh as the circumstances that led to its creation.
LISTEN HERE – SPOTIFY
52 – Never Let Me Go
What is it? – Never Let Me Go is a science fiction novel by Kazuo Ishiguro – to say much more would spoil the experience.
Why? – This book is an absolute nightmare to try and write about, so I’ll simply just say that it’s one of the most devastating, thought provoking novels I’ve ever read.
51 – Normal People
What is it? – Normal People is the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name, which follows the complicated relationship between classmates Connell and Marianne through their high school and university years. I have read the book, but I still prefer the show for how expertly the two central actors portray the protagonists.
Why? – The most common complaint lobbed at Normal People is that the plot is entirely driven by Connell and Marianne having a chronic inability to communicate. Yes, this is true, but I would argue that the miscommunication is the entire point of the show. If you want a romance where the right people say the right things at the right time, there’s plenty of vapid wish fulfillment books for you to read – Normal People is real. It’s about doing entirely the wrong things and saying the wrong words and losing the partner of your dreams and that’s the beauty of the story – it’s about how not communicating well destroys relationships, but it’s also extremely empathetic towards that plight, understanding that finding the right words sometimes feels impossible and that sentiment is normal (hence the title).
50 – Avatar The Last Airbender
What is it? – Avatar The Last Airbender is an animated show following Aang, the last of his tribe, mastering control over the four elements (fire, earth, water, air) to bring harmony to the universe.
Why? – Avatar The Last Airbender is such a non-pick for a list like this – for me personally, season 1 is pretty mediocre, the deus ex machina ending is such an asspull, the “romance” is abysmal, and the show overall isn’t as perfect as the fans make it out to be. But even with all that being said, I shockingly really enjoy the universally beloved show. Season 2 in particular is phenomenal, with episodes like “Zuko Alone” and “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” rightfully being recognized as masterful and Zuko being one of the most compelling characters in any of the entries on the list.