A Series of Top 5 Favorites: 2025 Edition (part 1)
That's right it's that time of year where we celebrate what matters most in the world; arbitrary rankings. Similar to last year this is more of a list of "new to me" things I watched/read/listened to. The main exceptions being the wrestling section and the film section, the latter of which will be a "New" and "Old" list because I saw A LOT of movies this year. I'll also put an honorable mention for each list, which I said I'd do last year then didn't for some reason. With all that out of the way, let's begin;
Top 5 TV Shows of the year:
5. Natsume's Book of Friends- A mellow, reflective series on empathy, righting past wrongs and learning to be involved in the world around you. Natsume's one of those shows that you can unwind and go at your own pace with, but once in a while will hit you with something so resonant you can't help but cry. Also I'd kill a man for a Nyanko-Sensei plush. I low ki love that little bastard.
4. House M.D.- probably the show I have the most watch time in, not because I've fully finished but because I've gotten other people in on it and those first 4 seasons are highly rewatchable. A show that lives and dies by its main cast, of which they have a damn good one. Genuinely I can't think of a thing to say about Hugh Laurie's performance of Dr. House that thousands before me haven't already said. One of the most infectiously fun characters to watch in television history. Match this with a supporting cast that are no slouches either and an engaging balance of mystery of the week formula and ongoing character drama and you've got a damn fine procedural.
3. My Dress Up Darling- Sickeningly sweet in its character work and messaging. Dress Up Darling revels in it's love for unconventional and nerdy passions. I also really appreciate it goes for the "follow your dreams regardless of it being untraditionally masculine or feminine" message and actually backs it up with characters who care deeply about things like doll making or cross-play or even raunchier stuff like eroge. At the core of all this is a great love story, one I wish would pick up the pace a bit, but it does an excellent job showing why these 2 fell so hard for each other and how their specific traits support and help the other grow as people and as artists.
2. Gundam 0080: War in The Pocket- Probably the most compact package of a lot of the themes that make the Universal Century such a compelling narrative is found in War in The Pocket. The glibness of war from those who haven't experienced it, a loss of childhood innocence, the cost and futility of war itself. Few things have haunted me as much as Bernie's video and "don't cry, there'll be another war soon." If this list is out by Christmas, ruin your holiday season by watching this OVA.
Orb: On The Movements of The Earth- I have never had a show resonate with my feelings on knowledge, education and how those relate to personal freedom and enlightenment like Orb has. Orb is a show that, like clockwork, said or did something every 3 episodes that hit me in a profound way. It would also do this while regularly rotating in and out characters to convey the forward momentum of progress, passing what information they could from one generation to the next. Its skill in this is making each new cast member as compelling as the ones that came before. I think the moment that sticks with me the most is one involving the character Oczy. Up to this point Oczy was defined by his perception that the world is beneath Heaven, to the point of visualizing the stars in the sky as eyes watching and judging him. After a scene where they find definitive proof of Earth's heliocentric positioning, he talks about how knowing for sure that the world is not beneath Heaven, but amongst it, alleviating this dread he's felt all his life. That science and reasoning has redefined his religious and personal philosophy. There is power in what this series has to say, I implore you to listen.
5. Lies of P- This itches the part of my brain desperate for another Soulsborne game in the vein of Bloodborne specifically. The combat has that faster, snappier feeling I loved in that game with the added wrinkle of the various arms instead of the firearms. I'm also a fan of its clockwork robot apocalypse version of the story of Pinocchio. I still need to touch the DLC at some point though.
4. Absolum- A great blend of side scrolling bet 'em up and rougelike that feels endlessly fun to play. On top of this is a really fun dark fantasy setting and a killer aesthetic. I love seeing all the little details to the character designs and sprite work. I also appreciate the game's variety in its runs, from as little as new encounters in frequently seen areas to whole new characters and areas to traverse. top that off with some couch co-op and you've got one of the best beat 'em up experiences I've had in a long time
3. Dispatch- Similarly to Lies of P, this scratches the itch I've felt since Telltale's heyday. A greatly written character driven adventure game with an excellent crew of Voice Actors and directors. I'm especially impressed by the traditionally non-VA members of the cast. I was not expecting such a fun performance from a guy like MoistCr1TiKaL. It's a game where it feels like your choices genuinely impact the story, which has some solid stuff to say about reformative justice, the importance of community and finding new purpose. Also this game is so casually funny, finding a goldilocks zone of quippy just out of the way of Marvel style bathos.
2. Hades 2- I love how, to iterate on what worked so well about that first game, all they had to do was simply deepen every possible mechanic they could. More involved routes, customization, boon combinations, relationship systems, hell even the run has been fleshed out by simply going "what if you could go up too?" This is one of those sequels so good I'm a little tentative to go back to Hades 1 because I'm worried 2 has made it feel shallower by comparison. Also that Prometheus fight might be my contender for best boss in the series. I love fighting that dude.
Clair Obscure: Expedition 33- Yeah it's as good as the hype around is saying it is. One of the best turn-based RPGs I've played in years and an honest to god contender for game of the decade, Expedition 33 is such a mechanically rich and lovingly crafted game that reminds me how great this medium can be. Every character has a unique system that feels like a send up to another game in the best way possible. Underlining that is a universal perry system that feels on par with the best games the Paper Mario series had to offer. It looks great, it sounds amazing. Its character writing and acting is endearing and speaks on feelings of grief and the future that hit me in particular this year. What a wonderful game, a genuine triumph.
Top 5 Comics of The Year:
5. Icchi The Witch- Probably my favorite of the newer batch of series in Shonen Jump's lineup. Icchi has this fun, frenetic energy and humor, leaning more on the adventure side compared to the magazine's battle manga bread and budder. Watching Icchi, Desscaras and their ever expanding crew deal with a revolving door of foes that force them into games and riddles instead of pure combat has proven to be very fun. I'm still 20 odd chapters behind but I'm sure I'll catch up sooner rather than later
4. Boys Run The Riot- A really solid coming of age seinen manga about preserving your individuality against the tide of societal pressures. Every major character having this restraint to their personhood thrust upon them, and finding a way to loosen that grip with the help of those likeminded. This is also one of the rare pieces of media I've seen that not only has transmasc rep, but has a transman as a main character. A quality and compact read at just 4 volumes (37 chapters), you could probably knock this out in an afternoon.
3. Silver Surfer: Parable- a collaboration between Stan Lee and legendary French artist Moebius, Parable feels concise in length but vast in scope. Lee's famously over grand dialogue feels uniquely in place for a story about blind devotion, the need of humanity's self agency and the conduct of new age religion. It's also a visual feast to see Moebius rendering a figure like Galactus in his style, his sense of scale and detailing making the devourer of worlds feel both impossible and real. A great highlight of the back half of both men's careers.
2. Understanding Comics- A wellspring of information of the craft and historical context of comics as an art form. Scott McCloud packs his book with insight after insight. I had a list of at least a half dozen books to read because there'd be line like "this book is a great example of the idea I'm conveying" and I'd scramble to see if there was a copy in print. Must read material for hobbyists and essential reading for anyone serious about getting into making comics.
1. Assorted Crisis Events- A buzzer beater for COTY for me, ACE left me a wreck issues after issue and cemented Deniz Camp in my mind as one of THE comic writers to watch out for working today. Camp has this vice grip on the pulse of the current American political climate and how it feels to live through it. ACE uses sci-fi and the surreal to tackle grief, the feeling of your life passing you by, suicidal depression and the erosion of trust in society with tact and prose of impeccable quality. On top of this narrative skeleton is the muscle of an art team that can elevate an already great script. Eric Zawadzki, Jordie Bellaire and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou match Camp's words with expressive coloring, composition and panel layout. a tour de force in modern American comics.
Continued in Part 2
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