Apologies for the terrible audio quality btw!! I finally got a new phone after 8 years and since it no longer has an audiojack now I couldn't hook my mic up to it so I had to just record straight from my phone.
Really appreciate the message at the end! After seeing all the discourse about art and creation, I've made it my goal to engage with a variety of art and stories, and to also pursue my own creative projects and hopefully make more progress. Though the year ended on a very crazy and stressful note for me, I'm actually pretty optimistic about the year ahead. Happy new year, I hope the next one will be much kinder to you 🤍
We are getting closer to Colleen's Gaming Recs folks! Love your content Colleen, I discovered your channel at the end of 2023 and I couldn't be happier, you really do a awesome job.
Thank you Colleen for great vids in 2024! I wish a good 2025 to you and your community! My top for this year: manga - Fable (Sesame Salt Pudding strong 2nd, thx for the recommend), anime - Look Back, video game - Path of Achra
I watched Poor Things and Anatomy of a Fall this year too. I pretty rarely watch movies when they're out in theatres these days too. I also rec The Holdovers from last year. Saltburn too.
Great choices! Crypt Custodian is high up on my favorite games list also. Never feel bad about using guides I used them for Tunic and Animal Well also. Some people enjoy beating their heads against a wall for days trying to figure something out and that is not why I play videogames. I would never had made it more than a few hours in with either of those games if guides weren't available.
When you were talking about "The Moon on a Rainy Night" I couldn't help but think to recommend the manga series "I Hear the Sunspot". Definitely one of my favs I discovered in 2024.
honestly in my opinion, since you mentioned metroidvanias i feel like youd love ender lilies, its one of the best games ive ever played and it never leaves you bored
Love your thoughts on Sword of Paros! I had read it earlier this year too, and it really resonated with my own experience as transmasc. I hope more people will come to read it and enjoy it.
I literally had the same thing happen with Dorohedoro. I got halfway through and then took a 6 month break and only finished it a couple weeks ago. I love that manga to death but it’s so complicated with so many moving pieces that it’s hard to binge read
Someone else was also saying they hit a reading slump from it when I mentioned it on Twitter the other day. It's funny that this is killing reading streaks 😭😭
@@ColleensMangaRecs same it me! The way I see it even the mangaka also took a break on her own series so I think we are all just following in her footsteps. When you come back to it do start from the start again. I also completely recommend taking breaks in between volumes to go and do/read something else, it’s just so much otherwise. Like trying to eat an entire mudcake in one sitting on your own without anything to drink.
I think you'd really like Beacon pines! I played it on the switch. It's a narrative game about a town full of little guys where paranormal things start happening. I play lots of metroidvanias and platformers, but I find that games that have more text make me want to go back to reading so maybe it helps with your reading slump!!
I enjoyed this video a lot. Glad to see that I'm not the only one that felt like that about the Frieren demons. Once again, Colleen, thank you for what you do.
One of my New Year's resolutions is to READ MORE MANGA! I have soooo many on my reading list and I wanna finish some! I just finished Kilala Princess and LOVED it, and I just bought Volume 4 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts. I also want to watch more anime; I want to watch at least one episode of something daily (something full-length), because I want to catch up on all the PreCures and watch some other stuff on my list too.
32:08 I started Tunic last week and I have 6.4h on Steam, and I am currently at that state of “I think I’m in the wrong area”. The way I approach Tunic is the same way I approach Hollow Knight and Breath of the Wild, I just go where I find a path takes me. At first I felt like I was missing something, so I restarted but then after figuring out how to get into the Old House, the game started to gain traction. I swear there were moments that had me shocked about how a path wrapped around and made me say “are you serious?!” Now I’m having beef with Crocodiles and debating to go back to the starting area because the game says I’m supposed to be elsewhere. I love little fella games a lot and I am planning on getting Death’s Door after as it’s another little fella game by the same studio. They like little fellas there, I think. Also I am definately putting Sword of Paros and the Moon on a Rainy Night on my reading list. Thank you for the recommendations.
Haven't finished the full video yet but just wanted to scream THANK YOU! Thought I was alone in this feeling. I'm up to date with Cherry Magic but the entire time I just did not care about the other couple. Which is a shame because I like the characters as individuals(I love that they have such clear goals and dreams) but the second they put them together I just don't care.
Awesome video! I'm definitely going to check out some of these reccs. Kinda off topic though--what manga is the one behind you on the desk? It looks familiar!!!
I appreciate that you aren't shy about saying you needed to google things to get through some games, because I'm the same way 🤣 I tend to get plenty of enjoyment from just going through the experience, "git gud" mentality be darned lol
Tunic combat really is brutal, I regret not knowing there's an option for easier combat I hope you didn't spoil yourself the Golden Cross or the Golden Path, because the feeling you get when you figure them out is absolutely incredible
Too bad about Dorohedoro, it's one of my favorite manga ever, but I can see how it's a struggle for some, also just forcing yourself to complete things as 'challenges' can seriously burn one out badly (coming from a guy who tried playing all yakuza games back in 2020, played 3 games in the span of 3 months and barely finished Y7 this year).
Children of the Whales and Sword of Paros sound really interesting. I should get to reading them. Moon on a Rainy Night is great. I've read the latest JP volumes and kept up with every update on the site it's published on, and it continues to be one of the best yuri I've ever read. Very glad to see you bring it up in a video. Kuzushiro has some other good series too, so hopefully more of her work gets official English releases. I soured on Frieren the longer it went on. The character writing is good, but everything else is very hit-or-miss, largely for the reasons you give. On top of its nonsense around demons, I think it's biggest failing is that it fails to deliver on the promised premise of asking "what about after the journey's over" by just being about another journey that happens to not entirely overlap with the previous one. Nine Sols was a big surprise, considering the developer's last two games were both horror titles set in Taiwan, but it sure sounds like they did a good job with the sudden change in genre. Shame to hear about the treatment of the female cast, though. Also, the setting has been described as Taopunk, and the devs have gone into what they mean by that, so you might wanna look into it.
It's definitely a full season i guess I'm more upset about the binge format than anything. Putting something out all at once and especially for an anime just kills any of the longevity of it.
30 yo virgin is kinda funny, gotta get back to reading it, and Paros seems just like my kind of thing, but you are not the only one finding it hard to plan and achieve - the world is in a bit of a mess, every year brings its own unique challenges. But if you do movie reviews now, I just saw War of the Rohirrm and would like to hear your views on it. Here's to a better new year!
They don't speak modern Mandarin in Nine Sols, but a mandarin-like constructed language derived from ancient Chinese. Source: Dev interviews and also knowing Mandarin
If I may ask, what do you think about the Nina The Starry Bride anime compared to the manga? I've been thinking about starting the manga but am not sure whether to just jump in where the anime left off or whether to start from the beginning...
@ColleensMangaRecs Thanks for responding. I'll start at the beginning then🪷... Not to sound ungrateful, but I feel like they've really been dropping the ball when it comes to adapting shoujosei series into anime lately... I hope we get some more faithful adaptations in the coming year.
I have yet to watch Frieren, but I already finished watching the first season of Dungeon Meshi and I enjoyed way too much!! I haven't been this excited for an on going anime in a long time. Those 2 anime + Witch Hat Atelier (when it eventually comes out) are bringing an incredible fantasy storytelling, that doesn't rely on isekai or other overused tropes. Did you get to see it? Or have you tried to read the manga?
Apologies for the terrible audio quality btw!! I finally got a new phone after 8 years and since it no longer has an audiojack now I couldn't hook my mic up to it so I had to just record straight from my phone.
I can't type my joke insult
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess Rent A Girlfriend isn't on this list.
ABSOLUTELY NOT HAHAHAHA
I was shocked it wasn't. For sure thought it would be her new all-time favourite. 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I can't wait for this to become a tradition!
Everyone wake up Colleen’s Manga Recs posted a new video
Really appreciate the message at the end! After seeing all the discourse about art and creation, I've made it my goal to engage with a variety of art and stories, and to also pursue my own creative projects and hopefully make more progress. Though the year ended on a very crazy and stressful note for me, I'm actually pretty optimistic about the year ahead. Happy new year, I hope the next one will be much kinder to you 🤍
I'm glad it didn't come off preachy lol I'm less positive going into the new year but I'm gonna try my best to stay motivated and not become apathetic
Would love to see a deep dive video into Mystery Bonita or Princess Magazine in the coming year! And love seeing Children of the Whales get discussed😊
Some day! Definitely harder to find info on these magazines
The Moon on a Rainy Night is fantastic! I hope more people will read quality yuri like this one.
We are getting closer to Colleen's Gaming Recs folks!
Love your content Colleen, I discovered your channel at the end of 2023 and I couldn't be happier, you really do a awesome job.
Thank you Colleen for great vids in 2024! I wish a good 2025 to you and your community!
My top for this year: manga - Fable (Sesame Salt Pudding strong 2nd, thx for the recommend), anime - Look Back, video game - Path of Achra
absolutely banger video, youve done it once again. also your hair looks so good its insane
Omg thanks, when I was editing this I thought it looked so greasy that someone would think I was sweating lol
Loved Anatomy of a Fall! And the performance of the son was amazing too
I also read Sleeping Dead for the first time this year and yes it was my favorite thing I read all year. So glad to see more love for the series!
I loved the ending illustrations in Kimi ni Todoke season 3
OH YEAH!!! Didn't think we'd get an end-of-year type thing from you, but this is exactly what I was looking for TY!
Thank you for the videos. A year with Colleen is always a goid year.
I watched Poor Things and Anatomy of a Fall this year too. I pretty rarely watch movies when they're out in theatres these days too. I also rec The Holdovers from last year. Saltburn too.
Used my Christmas break to start Chihayafuru, I'm on volume 3 now 🫡
LET'S GO
Great lists. Loved Neva. Want to throw out recommendations for 1000xResist and Mouthwashing as two of my favorites this year from the gaming scene.
Mouthwashing is on my to play list!!
Okay this is my motivation to finally read Sleeping Dead
YES YES YES
Great choices! Crypt Custodian is high up on my favorite games list also. Never feel bad about using guides I used them for Tunic and Animal Well also. Some people enjoy beating their heads against a wall for days trying to figure something out and that is not why I play videogames. I would never had made it more than a few hours in with either of those games if guides weren't available.
Lol thank you, I always feel like I'm cheating using guides but I literally can't figure puzzles out for the life of me
When you were talking about "The Moon on a Rainy Night" I couldn't help but think to recommend the manga series "I Hear the Sunspot". Definitely one of my favs I discovered in 2024.
I've heard good things about that one! I'll add it to my list
honestly in my opinion, since you mentioned metroidvanias i feel like youd love ender lilies, its one of the best games ive ever played and it never leaves you bored
I've actually played that twice now lol it's one of my favorite games
@ YOOOOOOOOO LETS GOOO SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT i started playing three days ago and im deadset on 100%ing this and seeing everything i can its so amazing
HEY I BEAT THE GAME WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME BULBEL WAS THE BEST MILI SONG OF ALL TIME
Omg, I finally found someone who loves Sleeping Dead, too 😍 and thank you for all the other good recommendations
as a HUGE fan of I hear the sunspot, I have GOT to get my hands on the moon on a rainy night
Love your thoughts on Sword of Paros! I had read it earlier this year too, and it really resonated with my own experience as transmasc. I hope more people will come to read it and enjoy it.
I'm really pushing for it to get licensed!!! It's only 3 volumes!!!!
I literally had the same thing happen with Dorohedoro. I got halfway through and then took a 6 month break and only finished it a couple weeks ago. I love that manga to death but it’s so complicated with so many moving pieces that it’s hard to binge read
Someone else was also saying they hit a reading slump from it when I mentioned it on Twitter the other day. It's funny that this is killing reading streaks 😭😭
@@ColleensMangaRecs same it me! The way I see it even the mangaka also took a break on her own series so I think we are all just following in her footsteps.
When you come back to it do start from the start again. I also completely recommend taking breaks in between volumes to go and do/read something else, it’s just so much otherwise. Like trying to eat an entire mudcake in one sitting on your own without anything to drink.
I just commented above that I had the same experience ! I’ll take your advice and maybe pace it out
I think you'd really like Beacon pines! I played it on the switch. It's a narrative game about a town full of little guys where paranormal things start happening. I play lots of metroidvanias and platformers, but I find that games that have more text make me want to go back to reading so maybe it helps with your reading slump!!
Beacon pines was so fun! I played on xbox and loved the story
I enjoyed this video a lot. Glad to see that I'm not the only one that felt like that about the Frieren demons. Once again, Colleen, thank you for what you do.
Anatomy of a Fall was one of my fav films last year too. Loved it!
One of my New Year's resolutions is to READ MORE MANGA! I have soooo many on my reading list and I wanna finish some! I just finished Kilala Princess and LOVED it, and I just bought Volume 4 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts. I also want to watch more anime; I want to watch at least one episode of something daily (something full-length), because I want to catch up on all the PreCures and watch some other stuff on my list too.
Great list of recommendations, and happy new year!
32:08 I started Tunic last week and I have 6.4h on Steam, and I am currently at that state of “I think I’m in the wrong area”. The way I approach Tunic is the same way I approach Hollow Knight and Breath of the Wild, I just go where I find a path takes me. At first I felt like I was missing something, so I restarted but then after figuring out how to get into the Old House, the game started to gain traction. I swear there were moments that had me shocked about how a path wrapped around and made me say “are you serious?!” Now I’m having beef with Crocodiles and debating to go back to the starting area because the game says I’m supposed to be elsewhere. I love little fella games a lot and I am planning on getting Death’s Door after as it’s another little fella game by the same studio. They like little fellas there, I think.
Also I am definately putting Sword of Paros and the Moon on a Rainy Night on my reading list. Thank you for the recommendations.
Haven't finished the full video yet but just wanted to scream THANK YOU! Thought I was alone in this feeling. I'm up to date with Cherry Magic but the entire time I just did not care about the other couple. Which is a shame because I like the characters as individuals(I love that they have such clear goals and dreams) but the second they put them together I just don't care.
for me personally I think it just felt too much like "oh we have these guys let's just throw them together too" and that didn't really work well imo
Loooved Frieren 🥹
Great video 😁
I also had a long reading slump after trying to read dorohedoro even though I was enjoying it too lol what a coincidence
you're now the 5th person I've seen say this 😭 What is going on with Dorohedoro
I hate posting this, but I am an editor looking for work... please don't hate me
Email me on the one provided in my bio. I can't afford to hire someone fit this at the moment but I have been interested in finding someone.
Oh, yeah! It’s always a good day when your favorite manga gremlin posts a new video.
Manga gremlin has become gamer gremlin today
Awesome video! I'm definitely going to check out some of these reccs. Kinda off topic though--what manga is the one behind you on the desk? It looks familiar!!!
it's the art book from Bokura no Kiseki
@ColleensMangaRecs I totally thought it was bokuseki! I didn't realize it was the art book. That's super cool!
Broooooo. My biggest complaint about frieren is that the whole demons=evil thing never gets interrogated. Stale.
I appreciate that you aren't shy about saying you needed to google things to get through some games, because I'm the same way 🤣 I tend to get plenty of enjoyment from just going through the experience, "git gud" mentality be darned lol
Everyone please read the manga Wolf and Revolver!!! Order the 2nd volume right now!!! 🎉
I need to get that so thanks for the reminder
@ You’re welcome! 🎉
Tunic combat really is brutal, I regret not knowing there's an option for easier combat
I hope you didn't spoil yourself the Golden Cross or the Golden Path, because the feeling you get when you figure them out is absolutely incredible
Unfortunately I had to look up with the cross was 😭😭 i just could not figure some of that out but like it was so clever once I realized
Too bad about Dorohedoro, it's one of my favorite manga ever, but I can see how it's a struggle for some, also just forcing yourself to complete things as 'challenges' can seriously burn one out badly (coming from a guy who tried playing all yakuza games back in 2020, played 3 games in the span of 3 months and barely finished Y7 this year).
What language did you read Paros no Ken in? I've been wishing for an English print release for ages. Finally ended up buying it in Italian.
The scans lmao
I didn't know Italy had it so I'll have to see if you can grab one if it never gets an English license
Animal well is on my list but it looks hard
Children of the Whales and Sword of Paros sound really interesting. I should get to reading them.
Moon on a Rainy Night is great. I've read the latest JP volumes and kept up with every update on the site it's published on, and it continues to be one of the best yuri I've ever read. Very glad to see you bring it up in a video. Kuzushiro has some other good series too, so hopefully more of her work gets official English releases.
I soured on Frieren the longer it went on. The character writing is good, but everything else is very hit-or-miss, largely for the reasons you give. On top of its nonsense around demons, I think it's biggest failing is that it fails to deliver on the promised premise of asking "what about after the journey's over" by just being about another journey that happens to not entirely overlap with the previous one.
Nine Sols was a big surprise, considering the developer's last two games were both horror titles set in Taiwan, but it sure sounds like they did a good job with the sudden change in genre. Shame to hear about the treatment of the female cast, though. Also, the setting has been described as Taopunk, and the devs have gone into what they mean by that, so you might wanna look into it.
Nine sols mentioned🗣🗣
Almost finished with it and god it's so good
@ColleensMangaRecs my Indie GOTY 2024
Have you seen the Apothecary Diaries? If so what are your thoughts again it?
yeah idk what's up with dorohedoro, I also got burnt out while reading it this year
Hey Colleen, can you do a video on Nakayoshi?
WOOOOOO
Best way to start the new year is by reading chihayafuru, let's gooooo.....
Absolutely
The cat on the thumbnail looks like Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, ih yeah and thanks for the new recommendations
I'd call Kimi ni Todoke season 3 a full season given the length (technically longer than season 2), though 2 cour would have been nice
It's definitely a full season i guess I'm more upset about the binge format than anything. Putting something out all at once and especially for an anime just kills any of the longevity of it.
@ColleensMangaRecs for sure. Definitely a shame it tends to bury stuff in terms of discourse (hoping this doesn't happen to Dorohedoro s2 🤞)
You should totally read Beyond The Clouds by Nicke
YES children of whales underrated I think
30 yo virgin is kinda funny, gotta get back to reading it, and Paros seems just like my kind of thing, but you are not the only one finding it hard to plan and achieve - the world is in a bit of a mess, every year brings its own unique challenges. But if you do movie reviews now, I just saw War of the Rohirrm and would like to hear your views on it. Here's to a better new year!
Or on the differences between Shonen romance and Shoujo romance
They don't speak modern Mandarin in Nine Sols, but a mandarin-like constructed language derived from ancient Chinese. Source: Dev interviews and also knowing Mandarin
Oh cool, that's really interesting!!
If I may ask, what do you think about the Nina The Starry Bride anime compared to the manga? I've been thinking about starting the manga but am not sure whether to just jump in where the anime left off or whether to start from the beginning...
They have cut some stuff out plus the pacing is much faster in the anime so I'd just start the manga from the beginning
@ColleensMangaRecs Thanks for responding. I'll start at the beginning then🪷... Not to sound ungrateful, but I feel like they've really been dropping the ball when it comes to adapting shoujosei series into anime lately... I hope we get some more faithful adaptations in the coming year.
i got nine sols but i am too bad at games :(
No apothecary diaries?
first we got fruits basket...then kimi no todoki...OURAN NEXT!!!! IM MANIFESTING
nahhh colleen love (and hate) rain world?? she's me
I have yet to watch Frieren, but I already finished watching the first season of Dungeon Meshi and I enjoyed way too much!! I haven't been this excited for an on going anime in a long time. Those 2 anime + Witch Hat Atelier (when it eventually comes out) are bringing an incredible fantasy storytelling, that doesn't rely on isekai or other overused tropes. Did you get to see it? Or have you tried to read the manga?
100
First!
Where’s Kagurabachi
🤷♂️
@@ColleensMangaRecs FIX THE MIC