49 – Funeral

What is it? – Funeral is the debut album from indie rock band Arcade Fire, the album getting its name because many of the band’s members had recently lost family members before the release of the record

Why? – Funeral’s first notes always take me back to one year ago, when I first started writing for this website and had an insatiable drive to get better, to prove something – “I want to be great or nothing” from Little Women was the quote driving me, defining me.  And maybe I still haven’t quite reached greatness yet, but Funeral always kicks that motivation back into me, transports me to a time where I was striving to become a reviewer the likes of David Ehrlich or Roger Ebert. 

48 – Vespertine

What is it? – Vespertine is the fourth album from Icelandic singer Björk, having a softer, dreamier sound than her previous work 

Why? – Vespertine is the most calming album I’ve ever listened to – I often put it on when I’m struggling to fall asleep. This means that I’ve only ever listened through the entire project once or twice, but that speaks to its soothing nature more than anything. Even during my most stressful, sleepless nights, hearing just the first few seconds of the otherworldy sound of “Hidden Place” always manages to subsume my raging emotions and lull me into some peaceful rest. 

47 – The Goldfinch

Why? – The Goldfinch is a painting by Carel Fabritius that depicts an European goldfinch chained to a wooden half circle. No, this pick isn’t for the painting, it’s for Donna Tartt’s 2013 novel The Goldfinch, a novel that depicts teenager Theo Decker chained to an underwhelming life, not through any physical barriers, but through a mental passivity that pervades throughout the entire 700 page epic. Is it any wonder, then, that he finds the 13.2” by 9.0” painting so captivating, enough so that he takes it during a massive fire at an art museum? More than anything, The Goldfinch (the book) is a character study of Theo – we spend hundreds of pages with him numb in grief after his mom dies in the very accident that led to his acquisition of The Goldfinch (the painting), we spend hundreds of pages with him while he lives a hedonistic lifestyle in Las Vegas with his bestie, both ending up blackout drunk every night, and we spend hundreds of pages watching him with a woman he doesn’t particularly care about. But his generally miserable life means that he has a pure, unadulterated obsession with the few things that bring him joy in his life – he sets his entire career path to help his mentor figure, he’ll do anything to protect The Goldfinch (again, the painting), and he has an all-consuming, limerent crush on a girl who lives across the Atlantic Ocean and doesn’t actually care for him all that much. And so, an absolutely fascinating character is created, a passive, obsessive, numb teenager who constantly makes decisions that aren’t logical, but always understandable. Yes, your enjoyment of The Goldfinch (the book) largely depends on how much you’re willing to put up with Theo, but if you’re willing to empathize with him a little bit, it’s a shockingly breezy read considering how thick it is – Tartt does the impossible here and creates a future classic that’s literary and accessible. 

46 – It’s Such A Beautiful Day

Why? – Anti-intellectual memes captioned something like “Cinephiles when the family wants to watch Spider-Man instead of a mind shatteringly slow burning 4 hour black & white Russian art house drama about a boy discovering his sexuality during his 16 year stay in a Polish boarding school, told through the perspective of a dying squirrel” run rampant on the internet. (Admittedly, the joke is pretty funny.) It’s Such A Beautiful Day sounds like a movie entirely made up to become a part of one of these memes – “Cinephiles when the family wants to watch Spider-Man instead of an animated drama about a man going through extreme mental and physical deterioration learning to appreciate life, becoming immortal and living until the heat death of the universe, until his accomplishments are reduced to nothing in the face of all the stars slowly blinking out, all told through black and white stick figure animation.” But it’s films like these that make you realize that maybe the cinephiles are right – Don Hertzfeldt has a remarkable ability to express intense philosophical ideas through a few lines and some stick figures and It’s Such A Beautiful Day is his magnum opus, taking just over an hour to rewire your brain into accepting that death is what gives life meaning. Sam Raimi could never. 

44 (Tie) – Lawrence of Arabia  

What is it? – Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 historical epic loosely based on the real life story of officer T.E. Lawrence, who helped Arab tribes in the Middle East revolt against the Ottoman Empire in WWI. 

Why? – Lawrence of Arabia is, essentially, a stripped down Dune. And as much as I do love that series, this allows Lawrence of Arabia more time to tackle the big ideas of Dune, from its exploration to white saviorism to its warning against believing in messianic figures without having to deal with the less interesting aspects of the complex politics and sci-fi world building. I do feel the second half is much worse than the first, partly because maybe the most important scene in the half is censored in most versions of the film, but mostly because the narrative decision surrounding that scene is highly questionable in the first place. Still, it’s a sweeping epic that deserves its status as a masterpiece because the first half is so impeccable – seeing this in theaters during its re-release this year was an absolutely unforgettable experience. 

44 (Tie) – Seven Samurai

What is it? – Seven Samurai is a1954 historical epic following the eponymous heroes protecting a town from bandits 

Why? – Seven Samurai is the best action film – director Akira Kurosawa takes a simple concept and directs the hell out of it, with the long runtime flying by even for a modern audience with how effectively the script introduces the characters, integrates interactions within and between the groups, and tackles complicated ideas like the cyclical nature of violence and what it means to live honorably. 

43 – Dragon Quest V

What is it? – Dragon Quest V is the fifth entry in the long running JRPG series, following the life of the main character through his birth to him raising children of his own. While it was originally released in 1992, it got its first western release in 2009 with a DS remake. This entry is for that DS remake, which updated the graphics and added some quality of life features. Interestingly, the game predates the first generation Pokemon games by several years and is thus one of the first monster collecting type games, alongside early entries in the Megami Tensei series. 

Why? – I’m not all that attuned with my Japanese heritage, but playing the Dragon Quest series makes me feel a little more connected with my family’s country of origin, with the series being universally beloved over there. Dragon Quest V has always been my favorite because it has the best story in the series, but also because the “epic tale that spans over multiple generations” part of it is more resonant to me than most people because my wonderful dad introduced me to the series. 

41 (Tie) – La La Land 

What is it? – La La Land is a musical that follows the tumultuous romance between wannabe actress Mia and wannabe jazz bar owner Sebastian in the dreamy, suffocating streets of Los Angeles

Why? – La La Land is a film about coming to terms with what could be versus what is, about dreams and romance being synonymous and antonymous, about the heartbreaking reality of meeting the right person at the wrong time. I’ve never understood the general sentiment of this being a “feel good” movie, it’s not a particularly happy film- Mia and Sebastian both go through so much shit while pursuing their dreams, with their only comfort in the cruel world being each other for the vast majority of the film. Yes, this creates some staggeringly romantic moments, but the purpose of that is to make that vicious ending hurt so much more. It’s all undeniably powerful and occasionally magical, but still, it makes me wonder what kind of hurt a person has to go through to consider this jagged mess one of their favorites. 

41 (Tie) – Mulholland Drive

What is it? – Mulholland Drive is an abstract, artsy film about Hollywood. If you think this is a shitty description, you should watch the film and come up with a better one. 

Why? – Mulholland Drive is the inverse of La La Land – while that film captures the outward beauty and allure of Hollywood while showing the intense mental anguish it puts all its dreamers through, Mulholland Drive is primarily about how shitty and farcical Hollywood is, but also about its remarkable ability to create art through its artificiality. 

40 – Chrono Trigger

What is it? – Chrono Trigger is a  1995 JRPG following adventurers using time travel to prevent a global catastrophe. This entry is for the DS port, which adds some extra content and some quality of life features and is generally considered the definitive version of the game. 

Why?  – Chrono Trigger is the platonic ideal of classic JRPGs – the legends behind the other classics, from Dragon Quest to Final Fantasy, came together to create a generational culmination of talent that still holds up as one of the greats even after a few decades of technological advancement. 

39 – The Owl House

What is it? – The Owl House is an animated fantasy TV series that ran for 3 seasons from 2020-2023. The show has become well known for its LGBT representation, with it featuring the first gay couple as a leading pair in any Disney property. 

Why? – The Owl House is a charming, fun, emotionally resonant show that easily filled the Harry Potter shaped void in many hearts after J.K. Rowling came out as a filthy transphobe. It was done dirty by Disney and had an extremely shortened season three, but other than that, it’s just a consistently engrossing fantasy series. 

38 – To Pimp A Butterfly

What is it? – To Pimp A Butterfly is rapper Kendrick Lamar’s third album. While it’s primarily a hip hop album, it uses other styles from the history of African American music, giving it a funkier sound than his previous projects. It’s also an extremely politically charged album, tackling racial inequality in modern day America through the central metaphor of the butterfly, usually a symbol of beauty, being pimped because of the systems working against it 

Why? – Yes, To Pimp A Butterfly is a very generic choice here – #1 on music nerd site RYM, a defining album of the 2010s, generally considered one of the best albums ever. But I couldn’t not pick it – this is an English dork’s wet dream, there’s so much to dissect and uncover with the symbolism and metaphors and how all the songs weave into each other. Even beyond that, though, the album just sounds good, it flows so fluidly that the 79 minute runtime absolutely flies by –  I will say that my favorite Kendrick song is still “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” from his previous album, but nearly every song reaches similar heights in To Pimp A Butterfly. 

37 – Perfect Blue

What is it? – Perfect Blue is an animated psychological horror film directed by Satoshi Kon following a Japanese idol being stalked by an obsessive fan after leaving her group to pursue an acting career. This movie is known for being an inspiration for Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 critically acclaimed film Black Swan. 

Why? – Perfect Blue is my favorite film from the greatest anime director of all time – watching this on a crappy monitor is the most immersed I’ve ever been in a film – the way the movie does as much as possible with its medium to psychologically fuck with you is utterly brilliant. Its exploration of dual identities is also surprisingly prescient for a 90s film – in many ways, it feels like it was specifically made to speak to an audience a couple decades in the future where everyone’s sense of self is more fractured than ever. 

36 – Speed Racer

What is it? – Speed Racer is a colorful racing film directed by the Wachowski sisters following the prodigy Speed Racer trying to beat the corrupt officials at the top of the racing world

Why? – Speed Racer is sincere to a fault. It’s a film where the main character (named Speed Racer) says “No more Mr. Nice Guy” unironically, a film where the main family has a pet monkey lurking around, a film that couldn’t possibly have been filmed here on planet Earth. It looks absolutely ridiculous – the Wachowski sisters probably invented new colors just to throw into this mess of a film. From this sincerity, though, comes a brilliant, anti-capitalist look at the impossibility of creating art and choosing to do so anyways. And Speed certainly succeeds in making capital A Art – the final Grand-Prix race is absolutely transcendental. 

35 – The Lord of the Rings

What is it? – The Lord of the Rings is a story where Frodo, a hobbit (short, human-esque creature) has to get rid of a piece of jewelry by throwing it in a volcano. This entry can be for either the extended film trilogy or the novel, both are equally excellent in my mind. 

Why? – The Lord of the Rings is a universally beloved story because it’s about ordinary people saving the world. Frodo and his companion Sam don’t have any special powers – they make their trek to Mount Doom through sheer perseverance and the power of friendship. Of course, it helps that the book is beautifully written (though, it does occasionally

pull the Tolkien classic of spending a few dozen pages describing a tree) and the films are some of the best produced epics ever. I recently had the pleasure of seeing The Two Towers (extended, of course) in theaters – seeing the Battle of Helm’s Deep in an environment like that was an absolutely sensational experience. 

34 – Synecdoche, New York

What is it? – Synecdoche, New York is a film about a theater director attempting to create his magnum opus after receiving a large grant for his previous project

Why? – Synecdoche, New York is the human condition given cinematic form. No, not just elements of the human condition – plenty of films have tackled birth, philosophy, death, suffering, and everything else that composes our universal human experience. The whole human condition. An absurdly foolhardy task at best, but Charlie Kaufman has the audacity to make it actually work. The struggle to create anything meaningful, the way time passes in the blink of an eye and we’re helpless to do anything about it, art is life and life is art, and so much more is covered in a dense two hours. Perhaps it’s too much to stomach for many people – too pretentious, too miserable, too solipsistic. But for those won over by the absurd metanarrative, Synecdoche, New York is a life changing film, convincing people to ask out their crushes, make the art they’ve always wanted to, and generally become better versions of themselves. This isn’t because this is a cinematic equivalent of a sappy self-help book telling you to “be happier” and “think again”, but because it isn’t. Synecdoche, New York is so, so depressing, nihilistic, and bleak, convincing us to be better to not end up like the main character – so lost in his own anxieties and detached from reality that Synecdoche, New York feels like a blooper reel if blooper meant “overwhelming, unalterable, irrevocable life regrets”.

33 – Kaguya Sama Love is War

Why? – Kaguya Sama Love is War is a romcom with a crazy premise – Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya, president and vice president of the student council respectively, have a massive crush on each other. Unfortunately for them, they’re both too proud to admit it to the other and start to create elaborate scenarios to make the other confess their love. For example, the first chapter follows Kaguya trying to get Miyuki to invite her to the theater. How? Obviously, she fakes a scenario to make the student council secretary think that she won two free tickets in a contest. Unfortunately, the secretary’s parents won’t let her go to the film, considering it inappropriate. This situation is designed to be effective against Miyuki, since he comes from a poor family and can’t pass up anything if it’s free, but the catch is this – the ticket is for a romance film that’s rumored to make any pair that goes to watch it a couple soon afterwards. Essentially, if he asks Kaguya to come with him, it would practically be the same as a love confession, making him lose the “war” the two are having. But what roots the series emotionally is how relatable it ends up becoming – because while the shenanigans the council gets up to are ridiculous, that feeling of overthinking about every little thing your crush is doing is fairly universal. Plus, beneath their antics is a deep vulnerability, with both of them having a deathly fear of rejection from the other. And in the rare moments where they can throw all that away to show affection to each other? Those beautiful flashes are why Love is War is the king of romcoms. 

32 – Revue Starlight The Movie

What is it? – Revue Starlight: The Movie is a sequel movie to the Revue Starlight series, which follows sapphic theater girls duking it out in an underground fight club run by a talking giraffe.

Why? – Revue Starlight is the best modern anime. Nothing else has topped its perfect symbiotic relationship of brilliant fight scenes and genuinely touching drama, the two feeding into each other until they both become greater than they ever could be alone. Revue Starlight The Movie, then, takes the immaculate base of the original series and refines it even further – no longer constrained by a weekly release schedule, the setpieces become absolutely bonkers and the movie is able to follow the theater girls graduating high school and their various reactions to that, turning into a theatrical supernova of pent up teenage angst and lesbian pining. 

31 – Vagabond

What is it? – Vagabond is a manga very loosely based on the life of famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi. It’s been on indefinite hiatus for nearly a decade now, so most have come to the conclusion that it’ll never get a proper ending. (Though, the author did write an ending chapter for a display in the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo if you’re really desperate for closure)

Why? – Vagabond is about a lot of things. Violence, honor, strength, everything you’d expect a long manga about samurais to be about. But more than that, it’s about a philosophy of abandoning hatred and anger to achieve true strength. Miyamoto Musashi wants to become “invincible under the sun”, but what does that really mean? The series is filled with quotes like “All truly strong people are kind”, “Beneath the vastness of these starry heavens, both of us are insignificant”, “All our individual paths – they’ve been preordained by the heavens. And it’s for that very reason that we are free”. The beauty in Vagabond, then, is that it sends you on your own miniature philosophical journey – Musashi and the reader are challenged by dozens of different worldviews throughout the journey, none of which are presented as right or wrong. It’s for this reason that it doesn’t really matter that the series is never going to get an ending – the real ending of Vagabond is how it affects how you go about your everyday life by giving you a more peaceful, zen mindset.  

30 – Enter the Gungeon

What is it? – Enter the Gungeon is a roguelike following “Gungeoneers” traveling in procedurally generated dungeons to kill the legendary High Dragun and to “kill their pasts”. Death is permanent in the game and you do lose all your progress, but a successful run is only ~30 minutes long and new weapons are unlocked the more you play the game. 

Why? – The first few hours of Enter the Gungeon are brutal – you will die again and again to falling chandeliers and massive boss attacks and exploding barrels and spike traps. But what you’ll eventually realize is that you can use every mechanic in the game to your advantage – you can blow up the enemies with the barrels, crush them with the chandeliers, dodge into bottomless pits while you have items that protect you from fall damage. And when you finally use your mastery of the mechanics to pull off a successful run to beat the High Dragun? It’s an unforgettable, euphoric experience.

29 – The Social Network

What is it? – The Social Network is a biopic about Mark Zuckerberg and his meteoric rise to fame after creating Facebook 

Why? –  The Social Network is the defining movie of the 2010s, an exploration of the powerful, misogynistic, fallible people who rule the world, but it’s also such a kinetic film, the perfect screenplay immaculately translated to film to create a whirlwind of a character study/courtroom drama. 

27 (Tie) – Harakiri

What is it? – Harakiri is a 1962 samurai flick following Hanshiro Tsugumo, a samurai who asks to commit seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) in front of an audience, on the condition that they listen to his story about how he was lead to this point

Why? – The latter half of the twentieth century was a golden age for Japanese samurai films- from Kurosawa’s seminal Seven Samurai to Inagaki’s epic Samurai Trilogy to Kuroda’s monumental Lone Wolf and Cub saga, Japanese audiences had very high quality and a high quantity of samurai entertainment. Yet, out of this golden age, one film is the undisputed king – Harakiri. It’s the highest rated film on letterboxd (film social media) of all time, standing at an extraordinary average of 4.7/5 stars. In a community filled with film buffs and cinephiles, most who have watched it have given it a perfect score. It’s also a universal experience thinking “It can’t be that good” walking into the movie and coming out a changed person for the better. Love, family, and honor – all themes commonly explored in samurai films, but never to the heartbreaking extent that Harakiri does. Aside from that, Harakiri is a large departure from the typical samurai adventure. The bloody battles are few and far between – director Masaki Kobayashi is far more interested in an ideological clash: honor vs human decency. No words I write can do Harakiri justice – it’s so deeply devastating and empathetic that it makes one a better person for having seen it.

27 (Tie) – Come and See

What is it? – Come and See is a 1985 Soviet war film following the young Florya Gayshun being sent to fight with the Resistance against German forces. The director originally wanted the film to be called Kill Hitler, but authorities didn’t allow it at the time, so he settled on Come and See, named after the following Bible verse from the Book of Revelation – “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, “Come and see!” And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Why? – Come and See is the most effective, horrifying anti war film ever made – it’s also free on Youtube, so if you want to have the worst date night of all time, I guess I can’t really do much to stop you

WATCH HERE – YOUTUBE

26 – Station Eleven 

What is it? – Station Eleven is a post apocalyptic novel following The Traveling Symphony, a group of people who perform Shakespeare and orchestras “because survival is insufficient”, even in a world where a virus killed off 99% of the population

Why? – Shockingly, this is the first time I’ve properly written about the book that gives this website its name. I’ve tried a few times, but it’s always been elusive because Station Eleven isn’t a story, it’s an ineffable feeling. Because sure, there is a plot, but it’s not particularly interesting or memorable – it’s more a vehicle for the big ideas of Station Eleven. What are these ideas? From the co-opted from Star Trek quote “Survival is insufficient” to the equally powerful “Hell is the absence of the people you long for”, the novel presents a fascinating worldview where the post apocalypse isn’t seen as the end of humanity, but rather a fresh start where we can eschew the menial, pointless habits that make up our daily existence to focus on what really matters. And this is the mindset that has driven the creation of Sufficiency – survival is insufficient, so what is? Now, finally, I have 100 answers to that question, and one of them unquestionably had to be the one that started me off on the journey. 

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. 

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

When I first listened to 1989, I was greatly underwhelmed. I was on a pop high after discovering E•MO•TION (Carly Rae Jepsen’s third studio album) and Dedicated (Carly Rae Jepsen’s fourth studio album) and was looking for another pop album to obsessively listen to. 1989 is decidedly not as good as those albums, so I moved on and never really looked back. Even after listening to the rest of Taylor Swift’s discography, 1989 remains as one of my least favorite albums of hers. Yes, it is the Taylor Swift album, the album that propelled her stratospheric rise to stardom, but it also feels like her album that doesn’t have an identity of its own, an awkward transition between her country roots and Billboard Top 100 pop. This isn’t to say 1989 is a bad album, far from it. It’s a remarkably consistent album (at least if we pretend “Bad Blood” doesn’t exist) and has an all time great in “New Romantics”, but it doesn’t stand up against the slow, therapeutic ballads of Folklore, the pure emotional catharsis of Red, or the authentic self expressive portrait of Speak Now, at least in my mind. 

Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Through all of the calamitous, radical changes in my life, knowing that the same album that underwhelmed me two years ago still underwhelms me now is oddly comforting. There’s a sort of serenity and calmness running through the album, depicting a more mature Taylor Swift. Where the original album art shows a postcard with an obscured Swift on it wearing a shirt with seagulls, the new one shows her happy, outside, hair blowing in the wind, seagulls flying above her. Taylor Swift has found peace within herself, finally content with her lifetime of achievement (including, apparently, going for the world record of carbon emissions), and this energy runs through the album for better or worse. 

On one hand, the resentment that shines through in the originals is missing – the new mixes are fine, but when Swift says lines like “Why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?” in the original, she truly, genuinely means it. On the other hand, it’s this calmness that allows her to pull the ballsy move of making a song called “Slut!” a mild, placid love song – a strange dichotomy, but it makes lines like “And if they call me a slut/You know it might be worth it for once” feel like the most romantic thing an artist whose entire oeuvre is filled with sappy love songs has ever said . 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is a bold reimagining of her iconic album, trading in the kinetic energy of the original for something more meditative – time will tell whether this move holds up in the future, but for now, it’s a move from an industry juggernaut that seems to be paying off commercially and critically. 

The mecha genre – science fiction works generally involving massive robots – has been a cornerstone of Japanese culture ever since its conception. Yet, there’s a large problem with mecha: Watching massive machines battle with each other gets stale after a while. Earlier works such as Mobile Suit Gundam used political intrigue to solve this issue, but director Hideaki Anno figured out a better solution – mecha is a perfect vehicle to explore the human condition. This might seem to be a strange combination, but really, a mech is a culmination of all human advancement and thus works as a symbol for the enormity of what it means to be human. And this gambit paid off – Anno’s anime Neon Genesis Evangelion became massively popular and revitalized the regressing mecha genre. 

Try as they did, no animation studio could recreate the lightning in a bottle that was Neon Genesis Evangelion. Even Anno’s remake of his own show fell well short of the original. For over 20 years, no mecha anime managed to blend action and philosophical musings quite as well as Evangelion, and it seemed like nothing ever would. Then, in 2019, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim came out. 

You probably don’t know about game development studio Vanillaware. They have certainly made beloved games, but they never really managed to have a mainstream presence. If you do know one thing about Vanillaware, it’s the gorgeous oil painting artstyle their games all use. While this aspect of their games was certainly impressive, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim elevates this through its transcendent lighting. Any single screenshot you take of the game is wallpaper worthy because of how perfectly every area is enveloped with light and how effectively the said lighting is used to reflect the emotions of the characters. 

But obviously, being visually stunning does not instantly make a game a masterpiece. Hell, there are so many photorealistic games now that the visual aspect merely places 13 Sentinels at the starting line. What elevates the game to hall of fame status is how effectively 13 Sentinels creates a Neon Genesis Evangelion for the new generation while never feeling like a plagiarization of the seminal anime series. 

13 Sentinels takes place in multiple timelines and follows 13 protagonists, each living in different times with only one thing connecting them – they all have the ability to summon a “Sentinel”, a mech designed to fight “Deimos”, monsters capable of travelling through time. This is where the gameplay comes in – the player controls these sentinels in a hybrid real time/turn based RPG system (time stops while giving commands). While the gameplay never manages to be as enthralling as the story, it nevertheless is quite fun and synergizes well with its narrative half as you truly get to control the outcomes of the battles that the characters experience.  Back to the story – it’s really, really confusing when you first start playing. 13 Sentinels follows in an achronological order of the player’s decision, as they are mostly free to play through the protagonists’ stories in whatever order they wish. This sounds convoluted, but it works because the game prevents players from seeing major events without proper context, requires every single event to be seen before the climactic battle, and provides a useful archive of events, characters, and any important items that can be viewed at any time. The result of this bold choice? 13 Sentinels manages to be just as riveting, as emotionally evocative, and as compulsively bingeable as the best of television. If you still have doubts about video games as an artform, games like 13 Sentinels prove not only that video games are art, but that the merits of video games can create stories impossible to tell in any other way.