This year, I’m splitting up my “annual faves” and my reflection on my goals into two separate posts. I’m still finalizing my 2024 goals, so I’m putting this post out first.
Note that this is based on my personal tastes, which are subjective. This is not meant to be a debate-sparking “this was better than other things and you’re a bad person if you don’t agree” post. If you’d like to share your favorite things for each category, feel free to comment or DM them!
Movie: Past Lives
There’s no movie that got me twisted up in my feelings the way this one did. The story nails the ambiguous nature of “what-if” exes, decisions, and versions of ourselves from our pasts. The writing of all the characters, and the dialogue and body language, is just painfully relatable.
You’ll definitely think about one or more people from your past, and what you could have had if things turned out differently.
Honorable mentions:
- Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
- Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Barbie
Show: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2
Thanks to travel, I didn’t watch as much TV this year as I usually do. Of what I’ve caught up on, Strange New Worlds is what ranks highest for me.
I can’t say much without spoilers – it was the themes, character development, and the format for one very special episode that really did it for me. IYKYK.
Honorable mentions:
- SpyxFamily
- Alice in Borderlands season 2
- Dream Academy
Game: Tears of the Kingdom
Having played 300+ hours of Breath of the Wild, I had high hopes for it’s successor – which have been exceeded. The creativity of the Zonai tech and fuse abilities make the game that much more of a creative and analytical challenge.
The open world format feels even more expansive with the addition of the sky area and [spoiler redacted]. They somehow made my favorite game even better, and I’m completely infatuated.
Honorable mentions: Coffee Talk 2 (I didn’t play any other games this year)
Music: The Rise & Fall of a Midwestern Princess (Chappell Roan)
Normally, I try to pick one song that best represents an album. In this case, it’s impossible to choose.
Six years in the making, Chappell’s long-awaited debut features a variety of sounds – from melancholy ballads like Coffee to dance-pop anthems like Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl – that make it fitting for any occasion.
Her Cindy Lauper-esque vocals, unapologically queer, feminist glamour, and relatable lyrics make her my #1 artist of 2023.
Honorable mentions:
- Capable of Love (PinkPantheress)
- I DO (G-IDLE)
- Will I Ever See You Again? (Red Velvet)
- Gods (NewJeans / League of Legends)
Book: The Kamogawa Food Detectives
I’m a little embarrassed to share that I only read a few books this year (again, because travel). I impulsively picked up this one based on the cover.
It’s a lighthearted and sweet story about a father-daughter duo who solve “meal mysteries” from the comfort of their diner in Kyoto. It will make your heart swell ten sizes, and will also make you crave Japanese food.
Honorable mentions:
- The Woman In Me (Britney Spears)
- The Invasion: A Graphic Novel
Other media: Dua Lipa: At Your Service (podcast)
This year, I got back into podcasts as way to pass time while traveling. My standout so far has been Dua Lipa’s At Your Service. I started it because, as a fan of her music, I wanted to know about her as a person, and because she featured some of my favorite musical acts as guests.
I decided to listen to it in chronological order, and was pleasantly surprised by how well-paced her show is, how thoughtful and deep all of the discussions have been, and all the interesting people I’ve learned about.
It gives me Humans of New York energy in how she brings out something really relatable about each guest.
Honorable mentions:
- Song Exploder (podcast)
- Dissect (podcast)
Local spot: Yokohama Iekei (Daly City ramen shop)
I’m adding a new category this year, which is my favorite new local spot of 2023. I’ll try to stick to places that newly opened in the year so I can signal boost them to others.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love a good bowl of ramen: at one point in time, I had tried all of the ramen spots SF Eater’s top 50 ramen spots in the bay list. I’m most particular about noodle texture, broth flavor, and the softness of the egg.
Historically, I’ve had to venture north into San Francisco, or south into San Mateo, to find a bowl that met my standards. With the opening of Yokohama Iekei (in Daly City) those days are no more.
I’ve eaten there twice so far, and my standouts have been the classic ramen and the potato croquettes. Since it’s next to Century 20, it’s a perfect pre-movie date night spot. Here’s a link to my full Google maps review where I talk about everything I loved about this place.
Honorable mentions: None this year since I was gone so much; I’ll have some next year!
That’s all for now – I’ll be back with a post where I look back on my 2023 goals, and share my 2024 goals, in here soon!
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