Clannad.

OMG, Clannad is so awesome.

I mean, I liked Kanon, but it was slow, and depressing, and I still haven't felt motivated enough to watch the new version. And I tried to watch Air, but didn't make it through the first arc (or maybe just barely through, I'm not sure). But Clannad. It made me literally laugh out loud, several times. And was touching at the same time.

It'll probably turn all supernatural and depressing, like the other two, but for now it looks to be a pretty fun ride.

And... (you might have seen this coming) Okiayu Ryoutarou has what has already become my favorite of his roles ever. It's something like empty-headed overprotective father yakuza . . . or something. You have to see it to understand it, and to see it is to love it. Man, I hope he keeps getting that much screen time (though sadly I don't think he will).

Ethanol! XD

Among the best.

Random excerpt from a journal entry in 2003 that I stumbled across just now and found interesting:

So for my birthday today, we had lunch at Todai -- free lunch makes for a good birthday tradition.  Our waiter there turned out to be someone I knew from high school, not well, but I recognized him in spite of a very different hair style, and back then he was one of those friendly Asian guys who knew my reputation.  We chatted a couple times when he came by or we crossed paths; he knew I was at "CIT", and he asked me how it was.  When I told him that it was hard, his eyes kind of widened and he asked, "It's hard there?  Even for you?"  It was almost a second before I remembered, 'Oh yeah, back in high school I was considered to be among the best students.'  I guess two terms at Tech, even on pass/fail, is enough to make you forget.  Kind of like, "You mean, there was a time when homework and classes were easy?!"  No, really, I don't even know how I compare to others at Caltech; it's not the kind of place where you bother to tier yourselves very much.  . . . .  It's what I wanted: to be studying with the best minds, to be challenged, to not be singled out as the one to be "taken down" if one wanted to be the best.  And I don't regret that one bit.  It was just kind of weird to be reminded of . . . hm, what?  Who I used to be?  I don't think I've changed that much personally.  Of what my surroundings used to be, I suppose.  I'm in a totally different environment now.

I would muse some more -- about how I'm still in a world that's much like Tech: full of very smart people but not all that competitive; about how I seem to masochistically seek out places where I will feel inadequate -- but I really should get some work done. Not least of which is writing thank you letters to a firm where I would definitely feel intimidated and outclassed by the level of talent and from which I would really like an offer. Somehow, I just can't seem to escape this pattern.