May 2021 Favorites

Another month ends, and I'm a year older. Birthdays always make me sad, if not on the very edge of my sanity. The passing of time has really been hitting me the last few months, with several anniversaries and other reminders. And the publishing of a book that really encapsulates a painful part of my past. But there have been good aspects to all this nostalgia. And new and old favorites to celebrate.

Blue Spring Ride: Lately, romance/friendship anime and manga has been dominating my attention. In this anime, two middle school friends (Futaba and Kou), who used to be in mutual pining love, meet again after Kou moved away for a few years. He comes back as a cold and aloof person, compared to the sweet and sensitive boy he used to be, now keeping his distance from emotions and other people. And Futaba isn't sure she likes this new Kou. But as much as he doesn't want to get close to anyone, he can't help getting involved in Futaba's life again. Of course, as seems to be the case for so many non-fantasy anime, there is way more story to be found in the manga. So, I will definitely be picking that up!

The Fosters: When I first saw ads for The Fosters when it originally began airing, I was immediately struck by how similar it seemed to a story I was developing at the time. Once it made its way to Netflix, I watched the first couple of seasons and fell head over heels for the Brandon and Callie relationship. What can I say? Angsty forbidden love is my thing. But The Fosters is about more than just that. It's about found families and the bond of love being stronger than blood. And in spite of the drama factor, revisiting it has been a nice escape from stress most of the time. I love these characters, and I plan to finish the whole series this time around.

Music Favs: Don't You (Taylor's Version) & the rest of Fearless (Taylor's Version) (Taylor Swift), Slow Dive (CLAVVS), Flux (Ellie Goulding), Sink In (Amy Shark), Holy Water (Now, Now), Fire (Sara Bareilles), Easy to Love (Abi Ocia), Sorry (Meg Myers), Without Me (Halsey), Forgotten Love (AURORA).