Anaconda and The Winter 2026 Anime Season

My wife and I watched Anaconda this week. Personally, I was not expecting too much from this movie and hoped that it would just be fun. January for movies is a movie dump month, where studios put out lower profile and less anticipated movies. However, there are always movies that are mindless fun that come out in these months, and thankfully, Anaconda fit the bill. This was a funny movie that did not take itself too seriously, nor did it have any social or political messaging. The jokes mostly landed, and it even had some heart and relatability with the characters as well along with a twist. The surprise cameos worked as well, but the trailer unfortunately spoiled it. Overall, this was a good movie to just turn off your brain and have fun with it.

This new season of anime has a lot of new and returning titles. Freiren, Jujutsu Kaisen, Oshi No Ko, Hell’s Paradise and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes are returning with new seasons, and many of these titles are highly anticipated. There are a lot of “mid” fantasy anime , which seems to be the norm these days, and they are all within some sort of genre or sub-genre. One sub-genre that is popular right now is the MC getting kicked out of the Hero’s Party. Isekai is still a big one, and this has sub-genres with being reborn as a noble, being reborn as a baby, being reborn as a non-human, otome game villainess, and trapped in some sort of RPG, and all of these are represented this season. One anime that stood out to me though is “Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table.” It is just haunting and artistic in its direction and execution.

Anime is definitely going strong heading into this new year, and there are articles out there saying that anime may be taking over Hollywood. I have been a fan since high school, so anime is just something that I grew up with and now use it as inspiration for my own writing. Hollywood though could come back this year, and when they make movies just to be fun that a general audience could enjoy, then the general audiences may very well come back to the theaters on a regular basis.

The New Year and 2026 Goals

My wife and I just had dinner on New Years Eve with friends. On New Years Day though, we had the day off and did not do anything of note. Considering that we had work the next day on Friday, it was not like we could really plan much. However, on that following weekend, our friends and I stayed at The Welk in Escondido. The Welk has been a go-to of ours for a while now, especially having a timeshare. We played golf there at The Welk, and it was my first time playing. Certain things surprised me though such as how far the golf ball can go even after a relatively light tap with the putter. Swinging a golf club has a particular technique to it, and even how to grip it is unique. I was not particularly good, as expected for a first-timer, but it was fun.

Our goals for the new year involve finances, health, buying a new car, travel and finishing my second book. Financially, we would like to pay off credit cards this year. Health-wise, we’d like to go to the gym and/or exercise more regularly while having a better diet. With the holidays, we did not eat particularly well, but that’s not uncommon this time of year. We hope to buy a new car sometime this year, especially as debt goes down. Also, we plan to travel to the Philippines near the end of the year. I would also like to get The Land of The Wooden Statues out this year, as I am in the editing stage of the book right now. All of these goals are doable, and nothing seems particularly far-fetched.

The new year is always a time of renewal and to refresh. 2025 was a good year for us, but we will try to make 2026 an even better year.

David and A New Television

My wife and I watched David on December 25, as we both had that day off. We were pleasantly surprised to have greatly enjoy the movie. I came in without much expectation, but I tend to support movies from Angel Studios. It was very well animated, and the story was seemingly Biblically accurate. Many know the story of David as the boy who defeated Goliath using a sling, but this movie goes into the time of his life before and after that event. It was very inspirational, especially for a generally religious audience, and generally wholesome as well.

We also bought a new television as well, and it is really big for our living room. All of the televisions that I have were handed down to me, so I never had to pay for a tv until now. The first flat screen television that I was given was a first generation Vizio, and it is much heavier than flat screen televisions made today. Thankfully, we did not have to re-install the mount, as it is an adjustable mount that can extend and move side-to-side. Watching on a much bigger screen definitely is a better experience. I invite friends over to watch UFC, WWE and other events, and the UFC is WWE are going to have some big events really soon, so the timing of getting this could not have gone any better.

We are nearing the end of the year, and watching a good movie and making a big purchase was fun. I look forward to the upcoming year, inviting friends over to watch things on our new television, and watching more good movies.

Paul vs. Joshua and Stranger Things Final Season

I watched the Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua boxing match the other day, and the first four rounds were not fun to watch. Joshua ended up getting the TKO on Paul in the sixth round, really turn it on in the fifth and sixth rounds. Reactions to the fight have been mixed. Some give respect to Jake Paul for getting in the ring with Anthony Joshua despite having so many physical and experience disadvantages. Others did not find respect for him considering that he was not trying to fight. I am of the opinion that a good amount of people would get into the ring with Anthony Joshua if they received a multi-million-dollar purse. Paul went six rounds with Joshua, but we saw that Paul was simply avoiding any real fighting. This outcome was the expected outcome, and while there are some who wished that they could see this end sooner, it ended with Paul not really have much of anything against Joshua.

My wife and I are also watching the new and final season of Strangers Things. It took a long time to get here, but it finally came, and we have enjoyed what we saw so far. Four new episodes a week, and then a movie to finish the series does build anticipation, and ending it all with a movie is an interesting choice. The Demon Slayer anime is ending with movies, so it is not totally unprecedented. One of the main critiques is that the characters are now adults in real life, but they are playing teenagers. It personally does not bother me, and they did the best that they could in making them look like teenagers. The story so far has been good, and there has been a surprising amount of graphic violence. I am curious to see how this all ends.

I do not know what is the future for Logan Paul. Did this loss expose him and make him lose potential viewers to his next boxing fight, or not? Anthony Joshua will probably fight for some titles against some big names. Stranger Things is at the beginning of the end, and I wonder if they’ll limp to the finish line or totally stick the landing.

Zootopia 2 and John Cena

My wife and I watched Zootopia 2, and we both liked it a lot. While I am personally not fond of all the sequels that have been coming out as of late, I always thought that Zootopia should have had a sequel. There is a lot of story and characters to tell with Zootopia, and the dynamic between Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde have always carried these Zootopia movies. They added some new characters to the cast, who positively add to the story. The comedy is still very much there, and it was a generally wholesome movie overall. I am glad that there was no political-social messaging in the movie, and there just seemed to be a focus on making a good, wholesome, family movie. If they made a third Zootopia movie, I would not complain.

John Cena also retired from professional wrestling as an in-ring performer. This was on the same day that the My Hero Academia anime ended. I still remember John Cena’s first match in the WWE against Kurt Angle in the Ruthless Aggression Era. I also have friends who wrestled John Cena before he got into the WWE. I saw his evolution as a wrestler from when he started in WWE, becoming the Doctor of Thuganomics, becoming World Champion, Super Cena, becoming a part-timer, a Hollywood star, his final run that also had him making a heel turn, to his final match against Gunther. I was not one of those that booed him and recognized that he literally carried the company on his back for many years. His work with Make-A-Wish is downright extraordinary. His last match against Gunther was really good and very emotional from the entrance to the ending. Gunther went over, which is not uncommon for a wrestler to retire “off his back” to give “the rub” to someone else. He will be missed, and while there will always have big stars that will eventually come along, there is not anyone quite like John Cena.

There was the return of something with Zootopia, and the ending of something with John Cena. I expect a Zootopia 3 to be announced, as there is a lot more story to tell with Zootopia. However, with John Cena, his story after more than decades as a professional wrestler has ended. While I expect to see him in the future in WWE in some capacity, it will not be as an in-ring performer.

UFC 323 and Parties

My friends and I watched the final UFC pay per view ever, UFC 323, headlined by then-Champion Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan. This was a rematch, which Merab outworking Yan and getting the better of him the first time. This time though, Yan fought the best MMA fight of his life, stuffing numerous takedowns, getting his own takedowns and showing crisp striking. Merab honestly looked unstoppable up until this point, but Yan had the solution to beat him and is not the UFC Bantamweight Champion for the second time. In the co-main event, Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja by TKO (injury) via arm breaking/dislocating off of posting his arm while getting taken down. It was an unfortunate outcome for Pantoja, but it goes to show that anything can happen in the fight game. I would guess that Van gets Tatsuro Taira next, who beat Brandon Moreno on the same card. Also of note, rising star, Payton Talbott defeated Henry Cejudo in Cejudo’s retirement fight, in what was a fantastic final fight for Cejudo.

My wife and I also went to a company party this week. The venue was really nice with free food and free drinks. Everyone was dressed to the nines, but it was quite honestly pretty boring. Everyone was just standing or sitting around talking to each other while music played. There was a stage, but outside of one performance, it was pretty bland. Even the food left something to be desired. I suppose that this is just how things are. At least my wife and I attended our first formal outing. We also went to a Church picnic, and that had games and even better food. They at least tried to keep things fun and entertaining.

The UFC, in my opinion, gave a final pay per view card that felt worth the price of admission. I look forward to watching the UFC product on Paramount+ next year. We can also expect more gatherings and whatnot next year as well.

Thanksgiving 2025 and WWE Survivor Series 2025

My wife and I spent Thanksgiving at The Welk in Escondido with my brother, his wife and two kids. With our timeshare, we are able to get rooms for us, but for family and friends as well. We stayed at the mountain villa, which was particularly nice especially having a fire place in the living room and the bedroom while the rest of our family stayed at another villa. We unfortunately did not get to eat at a local taco place that sells craft tacos in Escondido as we did not have enough time. For Thanksgiving, we had a lunch consisting of Filipino food. That night, we watched Wicked: For Good, which was the second time that I saw the movie. The next morning, we already had to leave, but we got brunch at the Z Café in Bonsall. While it was a short trip, it was worthwhile.

I also watched WWE Survivor Series, which I thought was a solid show. It was not a spectacular show though, as the only real notable bit of news to come from the event was that there was a mystery attacker who performed Seth Rollins’s moves on CM Punk, helping the men’s heel team win War Games. Dominick Mysterio defeated John Cena to win back the Intercontinental Championship with the help of a returning Liv Morgan. The WWE product overall has not particularly stood out as of late with no big storylines save for Cena’s retirement. While this Survivor Series had a lot of star power, the lack of interesting storylines really showed itself. The in-ring product, especially these days, is generally not the problem, but the lack of anything to really sink your teeth into has made the WWE product a bit stale. This next month of December, except for Cena’s final match, has historically been a dead month for WWE. With the new year and the Royal Rumble coming around, hopefully, the product will pick up.

The was a particularly busy Thanksgiving weekend where we were generally on the “go.” Staying in The Welk is always a treat, and having family be able to experience it as well is nice. WWE Survivor Series was fun, despite any gripes I may have with the overall WWE product. While it is back to work, it is holiday season, so it should be a good December.

Wicked: For Good and JR De Guzman

My wife and I had a fun weekend watching the movie, Wicked: For Good, and seeing the Filipino comedian, JR De Guzman. Like with the first movie, Wicked: For Good is for a very particular audience, but it did have a surprising amount of action in the movie. I would argue that the first movie was better as it had the more well-known songs along, and it seemed to spotlight Alfaba more. In Wicked: For Good, it seemed to spotlight Glinda more, but Ariana Grande does a great performance. She switches from the good representative of Oz to a surlier person throughout the movie, and her “fight” with Alfaba is a lot of fun. The transformation of the tin man was also very dark and haunting. Overall, I thought that it was a good movie.

We also watched comedian, JR De Guzman, with our friends who are married. We came straight from work, and I personally was not feeling particularly well with a small headache coming around. However, once we got to the venue, sat down and ate, I felt normal. We have seen De Guzman two times already, but it has been a while since we last saw him. He added some new material to his act along with amping up the musicality of his set. He does many sexual jokes, which is hit or miss for some people. I feel that his comfort with the audience and his quick wit are at a high, or at its peak with him. He always has a fun show though.

It was a fun weekend with lots of good entertainment. The movie offerings as of late have been average at best, but Wicked: For Good already is doing great in the global box office. Watching comedians live will always be a treat, and we are very familiar with JR De Guzman. As long as a good entertainment product is being offered, we are more than willing to pay and be entertained.

UFC 322 and Paramount+

My friends and I watched UFC 322, and it was a very good card with some historic wins, upsets, new contenders rising and whatnot. It did not help though that the last two fights went five rounds that were wrestling and top-control heavy. Islam Makhachev defeated the champion, Jack Della Maddalena, for the UFC Welterweight Title while Valentino Shevchenko successfully defended her UFC Women’s Flyweight Title against former UFC Strawweight Champion, Weili Zhang. Islam is now in an elite class of UFC double-champs while also being in discussions of being the number one pound-for pound fighter. Other standout moments of the night were pretty much all the finishes from Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, Benoit St. Denis, Bo Nickal and other finishes. Prates and Morales are now in contention for the Welterweight Title. There is a lot that came from this card that will set the future for some weight divisions well into next year.

My wife discovered that if we get a Walmart Plus membership, then we would get a free subscription to Paramount+. This is really good for us as we shop at Walmart regularly, having one very close to our place, but also, the UFC is going to have all their content next year on Paramount+. We looked through the Paramount+ catalog, and honestly, did not find anything new that was too interesting. However, looking through their older and classic stuff, that is where the value lies for us, outside of it housing the UFC next year. Old Nickelodeon shows, classic cartoons like Heathcliff, classic shows like I Love Lucy were in the Paramount+ catalog. My wife is currently watching Hot in Cleveland, which started in 2010 (and one of the last good years for television and movies). This deal pretty much pays for itself.

UFC 322 will be one of the last of the UFC pay-per-view era, and with an $80.00 price tag per UFC PPV card, I will be glad to see pay-per-view gone and into streaming with Paramount+.

Physical: Asia and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Progression

My wife and I have started watching Physical: Asia on Netflix, and we are very entertained by it. Eight teams representing different countries compete in different challenges, called quests. One of the main appeals to us was that it had Filipino boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, as a contestant. When they had the teams introduced, the last team was Philippines, and everyone was so surprised and in awe of seeing Pacquiao there. It is unfortunate, but not that surprising, that Pacquiao had to leave in the middle of the season. There are also MMA fighters that I am familiar with on the show like: Robert Whittaker, Yushin Okami, Dong Hyun Kim, and Mark Mugen. It is fun actually seeing everyone’s skills at work and making a difference at times. So far, Team Australia looks like the team to beat, in my opinion.

I am becoming much more comfortable as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt. Upon receiving the Brown Belt, I did not feel like I deserved it. Since I received the Brown Belt, I really am changing my focus and just my overall mental game. As a Purple Belt, I really was just going through the motions and grinding through, becoming very complacent. I would even tap when I could have fought more, showing how lazy I became. I really did not have any sort of goal towards my Brown Belt. With how I got this Brown Belt though, I now have an idea of what this final push towards a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt looks like. As far as the technical side of things is concerned, I have knowledge at what I can and cannot do at pretty much any given position. There is always something new to learn, but I feel that the mental side of things is what I need to work on. There were positions where I would just stay neutral by choice, but now, I really have to put in the effort not to get in a position of complacence. It has actually been working out well for me, and I actually feel that I have leveled up a bit in a short amount of time just by the sheer act of “trying.”

Physical: Asia has competitors at the top of their sport or athletic profession. They have this drive to try as hard as they can, and have reached the top with the right training, skills, drive and mentality. I am trying to get to my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt by putting it all together, physically and mentally.

World Series 2025 and Tire Changing

The MLB World Series final between the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays ended, and the Dodgers ended up winning. It was a very intense series with Game 3 going 18 innings, and Game 7 going extra innings. My wife and I have watched the Dodgers play live, and they are just really good, especially with the roster that they have. Sports are a really good way of bringing people together and finding common ground. I have family, co-workers, neighbors and others who were watching these games with high anticipation, staying up late at times. It is a shared cultural experience.

While the World Series was exciting, the only other notable thing that happened this week was having my tires changed. Having the tire pressure light come on, putting in air, and having it come back on just a few days later is always nerve-racking. All of a sudden, driving on the road just feels a little different, as if the tire can explode or fall off the car at any moment. Also, going to the mechanic for anything just takes so much time and money. What would be the time that I go to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class is now being used to wait for my tires to be replaced, and of course, the Costco where I got them done was particularly busy on that day and time.

Weeks can have a mix of the total mundane and history-making sports events. The World series, and sports in general, is the average individual’s way of getting away from the regular and mundane, and to watch something exceptional.

Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc and Writing Fight Scenes

My wife and I watched the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie, and it was a lot of fun. Words like “chaotic,” “psychotic” and “kinetic” are just a few words that would describe this movie. The first forty minutes or so move at a brisk pace just building the story. Denji meets Reze early in the film, and they have immediate chemistry, but there is always this feeling that something is not as it seems. Once everything gets set up, and we are in the middle of the movie, then it is all action that really does not stop. Everything from bombs, fireworks, chainsaws, a Sharknado and other things are present in one of the wildest battles that I have seen in anime, and it is all animated wonderfully. It is all just kinetic energy on screen with a few comedic moments sprinkled in. The movie ends adding more mystery to Makima. The questions of who is Makima, why is everyone after Denji, and who is the Gun Devil are not answered with this movie, but just another layer is revealed. If there is one criticism with this movie, it is that some of the side characters like Aki or Power are hardly or just not present after the first act of the movie.

Even after writing The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, I am still writing daily. I am working on The Land of the Wooden Statues, a dark fantasy, and there are a few action scenes. Considering that I practiced boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I thought that my fight scenes were top-notch in my stories. It turns out that there is still a lot that I have to learn, and while I can write the mechanics of fighting well and descriptively, I was not writing in a way that would get a reader involved with the fight itself. I was using far too many long, descriptive sentences for my fight scenes, and that actually takes readers out of the fight. I needed to write shorter, more precise sentences to match that pace and action that is going on in a fight scene. Longer sentences can be interjected to build anticipation or do other things, but I was writing only long sentences. It is good though that I know this now, and it goes to show that I am still learning and growing as a writer.

Chainsaw Man had fight scenes correct with so much going on but still allowing the audience to follow along with the action. Everything is quick, precise and the impactful moments are done at the right time. I need to also do that with my own writing, especially with my fight scenes. Thankfully, I have discovered this just with my second book, so I still have time to rewrite the action scenes.

After Dallas and Chainsaw Man

Getting home from Dallas, Texas, we did not really relax. That night that we returned, we had to perform church duties. The next day, we went out with my wife’s cousin. The day after that, we had a family dinner with my family. The day after that, I went to an open mat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with a friend. Saturdays are always busy with church and other errands to attend to. On Saturday night, we slept for almost half a day well into Sunday, seemingly needing sleep. It was just a really busy week coming from all already busy short trip to Dallas, Texas.

My wife and I started watching the anime, Chainsaw Man, this week, and we have already finished the first season of twelve episodes. We both really liked the anime and have already pre-ordered tickets for the movie. Besides the ultra-violence and gore, the characters are also just very interesting. Denji is not a usual protagonist with honorable motivations and sense of good values. His motivations are entirely self-serving with no real morality behind them. Despite a few things revealed about Makima, she is still very much a mystery. The other characters have different motivations with even some pretty major characters dying as well. After twelve episodes, it honestly feels like the series just got started. One of the main villains is spoken about but never seen. New characters were introduced late into the season, and mysteries are still abundant. We are very much looking forward to see what Chainsaw Man offers in the future.

It looks like our schedule for the foreseeable future will not be so hectic. It was nice to already finish the first season of the Chainsaw Man anime television series, and we look forward to watching the movie which will continue straight from where season one left off. I do not mind the busy days, as that is just a part of life, but it does make me appreciate the slow, idyllic days as well.

Dallas, Texas and Choir Day

My wife and I went to Dallas, TX for four days as part of a Choir Day event that our church around the country put together at the Curtis Culwell Center. We travelled with three other friends. It was a very interesting trip, to say the least, with issues starting at the car rental. Going to the car rental place was already new to us as it was not connected to the airport, but we had to shuttle there. Once we got there, they did not have the mini-SUV that we ordered for rental, but instead, just told us to pick any car that was on the lot. There were not many choices, especially for five people, with the only vehicles able to accommodate all of us and our luggage being the Dodge Ram Bid Horns, which are big pickup trucks. We ended up getting a black Dodge Ram, and it was difficult to drive, similar to driving a U-Haul truck. Our hotel though was nice, and it was not a far drive from the venue for the Choir Day.

On all three nights, we had to wake up before sunrise to get early to the venue, and on the last day, to wake up on time for our early flight home. We did get to eat some really good chicken at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, and some fantastic Texas barbecue at Terry Black’s Barbecue, and it was definitely better than anything that we could get here in California. The Choir Day itself was great, with a big majority of our church’s choir from all over the country gathered at the Curtis Culwell Center for a very special worship service. The standout moment for me was hearing the children’s choir singing, as they did a great job and were extremely enthusiastic about it.

By the end of it all, I did get used to driving the Dodge Ram. Southern hospitality is definitely a thing, except in our car rental. After dropping off the vehicle, we ate an early breakfast at a TGI Fridays in the airport. Out server was friendly and went above expectations. We all slept on the flight home, and as someone who has a hard time sleeping in airplanes, this was a first to sleep relatively well in one.

UFC 320 and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt

I watched UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2, and it was a really fun event. I viewed it with a different set of people not at my place, so it saved me some money, which is always nice. Alex Pereira just steamrolled through Magomed Ankalaev in the main event, regaining the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in this rematch. It was a lot different from their first fight, which was more tentative, as Pereira just immediately went forward and put heavy pressure on Ankalaev, who was on the back foot for as long as the fight was. In the co-main event, UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision in an interesting fight. The fight had its moments, especially in the second round when Merab nearly finished Sandhagen, but the fight ended up in a similar pattern throughout the rounds with Merab using his superior wrestling and cardio to get the win. Otherwise, the Khalil Rountree vs Jiri Prochazka was my favorite fight of the night.

I actually received my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt last week. It was an unexpected happening, and with something like getting a belt promotion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there is always the question of whether it is deserved or not. As a purple belt, while we are constantly learning, a practitioner’s style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is more or less established at that point. I was pretty much just grinding away with some days just going because it is routine. I have to admit though that I got really complacent at times, and unfortunately, the roll that I did before getting the brown belt, I was far too complacent and did not try as hard as I could. When I got the brown belt, I honestly did not feel like I deserved it at that moment, but it was a really good lesson for me. Now, with this last stretch to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, I am already establishing a goal of being more mentally ready and attentive each class.

Combat sports has a way of teaching individuals in a very physical and mentally demanding way. I can only imagine winning and losing at the highest levels of combat sports, and even as just a general Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, it is quite draining. It definitely builds character and tells a lot about oneself.

Lea Salonga and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

My wife and I went to see a Lea Salonga concert at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. My wife is a huge fan of hers, and I am familiar with her being the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992). The venue really had no bad seats, and we sat at the top balcony. Despite our seating, we could see the stage just fine and enjoy the show. There was a full band with two keyboard players, a pianist, a drummer, a bass guitar player, a lead guitar player and two background singers. The performances from Lea Salonga consisted of songs from movies, Disney, one Filipino song and other songs. I’ve been to hip hop shows and smaller concerts, but this one felt more professional, sophisticated and elegant. My wife loved it, as it was her first time seeing Lea Salonga performing live. I enjoyed it much more than I thought that I would, and it helps that I was familiar with a majority of the songs that were performed.

We also watched the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle anime movie, and it quite honestly was one of the best movies that I have seen all year. Visually, this movie is just amazing with so much movement and kinetic energy on screen. I own and have read the whole manga series and am up-to-date with the anime series, but this movie just takes the existing manga material and elevates it with the colors, visuals, fight choreography, music and whatnot. The Infinity Castle setting is already a character in itself, and every one of the good guys from the low-level swordsmen to the Hashira were fighting for their lives. The first part of the movie where Tanjiro and the Hashira freefalling was quite a visual. The last part of the movie spent a lot of time on the backstory of the Upper Level three demon, Akaza, which makes him much more human and sympathetic. Overall, I could not recommend this movie enough, but only for those who watch Demon Slayer or have read the manga.

The Lea Salonga concert and the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie were the top of their forms of entertainment. Both were well worth the price of admission, and I am glad that my wife and I got to see them both.

Family Time and the Summer 2025 Anime Season

My wife and I went to The Welk Resorts in Escondido, CA, with my mother and father for a mini vacation. We used our timeshare, and outings like this are exactly why we got it. It was only for two nights, but we got to have family bonding time. The villas were very nice, and we even got to bring our dog. My dad told us how he got into the U.S. Navy from the Philippines and how hard he worked to really achieve the American Dream. We also went to National City where there is a big Filipino community and many Filipino stores. We ate some Filipino food for breakfast and got some halo-halo dessert as well. We even went to church together in the neighboring city, Vista, and we got to get brunch at a local breakfast place there. It was a fun time, and I could tell that my parents enjoyed it.

It was also the end of a lot of anime series this week for the summer 2025 anime season. While a few did get sequels picked up, many others did not. For those that did not, manga or light novels are the only way to continue on with the story, making the anime simply an advertisement for the light novels or manga. A lot of series every season, admittedly, are rather “mid” and really not worth continuing. The fantasy isekai genre and the banished from the heroes party sub-genre have been very prevalent as of late, and many of them are just average at best. Being someone who enjoys and writes fantasy, I cannot help but watch them anyways. As far as series that I really liked this season, there is: Gachiakuta, Dan Da Dan, Kaiju No. 8, Secrets of the Silent Witch, Dr. Stone, and Clevates. Ones that I enjoyed that I would consider good-but-not-great are: The Shy Hero and the Assassin Princesses, Bad Girl, New Saga, Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze, I was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince season 2 and Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant. The fall season anime list came out, and I’m sure that I’ll watch a lot of those.

Overall, it was a much-needed relaxing week, especially considering the tragedies from the week before. Having the ability to have a short vacation via our timeshare, especially with family, is a benefit that we did not think of when purchasing the timeshare. As far as entertainment is concerned, anime is in full abundance with series that range from average to great. Vacationing and entertainment though are there for the escapism, which can very much be needed.

Charlie Kirk and Sarper Guven

It would be difficult not to talk about Charlie Kirk and what happened to him. I am familiar with him, his work, his organization, seen clips of his all over social media, knew that he was parodied in South Park, etc. Politic assassinations of this type are still pretty rare here in the U.S. (thankfully), and while Kirk was in the political sphere, he was not a politician. The reaction to this has mostly been respectful even with some of his political rivals being respectful, but there are those that have shown disrespect, which is sad to see. However, it looks like some have lost jobs because of things said about this. It was a sight to see that people in the U.K., South Korea and Australia, among other countries/continents were, marching praying and keeping vigils for Charlie Kirk, showing how far his reach had gone. It is sad that he died so young, leaving behind a wife and two children, along with the mourning of many fans and followers of his.

On a lighter note, my wife and I went to Escondido in San Diego County to see Sarper Guven from the reality show, 90 Day Fiance. He started to do standup comedy, and after just a few months, he is already headlines shows. My wife and I watch standup comedy regularly, so we have an idea of good comedians and amateurs. On the show, they showed Sarper’s first ever standup comedy on an open mic night, and he was not good, but it was totally understandable. We did wonder if Sarper was going to sound like an amateur during his routine, but thankfully, he was solid and earned his headliner spot. His act mainly talked about being married, but he did insert a few 90 day references. At the end of his set, he brought out his wife, Shekinah, who is also heavily featured in 90 Day Fiance. That was a pleasant surprise, and I hope nothing but the best for Sarper’s career as a comedy and his relationship with Shekinah.

It was a week filled with much tragedy. Something like comedy is there to help soothe and alleviate the tragedy of this world, and seeing Sarper did just that. I can only hope and pray for the family of Charlie Kirk, and I suppose that tragedy and the unexpected are just a part of this world and life in general.

Confidantes and Not Waiting

My wife and I have recently experienced situations where individuals, usually younger than us, have been confiding in us about matters related to life and relationships. Our story is one of long distance throughout the Pandemic, and by the grace of God, we got married. Now, people have been confiding in us with their own long-distance relationships or starting one. It is humbling to know that there are those that are asking me for advice. Admittedly, I never had “game” (or “rizz” as the young people call it now), but I did learn from others’ relationships and from my own mistakes. Having gone through the whole long-distance relationship, dealing with parents, travel, immigration and the like, I do have knowledge that I can pass on to others who are trying the same thing. Also, I have always wanted to be a mentor to others and wish that I had a mentor when I was younger.

For those who are trying the long-distance thing, that is an opportunity. When I was younger, I was not at all opportunistic. It took a while for me to wake up and actually start achieving things. I worked part-time for a while going to college, but once I finished college, I was still working part-time and living at my parent’s house. There wasn’t one thing that made me finally want to get out of my situation, but once I did, I got a full-time job and things just went up from there. I eventually became more opportunistic, but when I hear some younger people talk about what they want to do, a word that I hear from them is “wait.” In my opinion, the word “wait” should not be in someone’s vocabulary if they are trying to pursue new opportunities, whether that entails relationships, housing, employment, etc. The word that I would use is “initiative.”

Being a confidante and mentor to others is something that I have wanted for a while, and it is good that is now happening. I hope that more younger people take opportunities, take the initiative, and do not wait as I have done in the past.

Rob Schneider and WWE Clash in Paris

My wife and I saw a Rob Schneider comedy show at the Brea Improv, and it was really good. We got VIP tickets, so he was right in front of us. Before he performed, we noticed musical instruments and wondered who this is for. It turned out to be for Rob Schneider, who played some covers of Elvis, Paul McCartney, and others. He even acknowledged my wife when he made a joke about being Filipino. Rob Schneider these days has made no secret as to where his political affiliation lies, and there was a good amount of politics in his act. However, I thought that it was funny and not particularly mean-spirited. Besides the politics, he brought up women, marriage, and other topics. At the end, my wife and I got to shake his hand.

WWE also had their Clash in Paris PLE, and I thought that it was a lot of fun. The Rusev vs. Sheamus match was a bar fight, and most of the other matches were good to great. The ending with Becky Lynch helping her real-life husband win the fatal four-way made sense, and I am curious to see how they work together this time with both being heels. The worked together as babyfaces some years back, and it was terrible. However, I think that this time, it can work out. Others like Bronson Reed and even Logan Paul really stepped up to the moment despite losing, with Reed losing to Roman Reigns and Paul losing to John Cena.

It was a fun with some fun surprises. My wife and I were very happy going to the Rob Schneider show and even shaking his hand at the end. WWE Clash in Paris ended with a surprising finish that sets stories up for the future. Sometimes, things just end up well going above expectation.