As one of my close friends told me, I make too many excuses. So I won’t make one right now (although in the future, I just might). I didn’t watch any anime, or much television, for that matter, because I spent the first few days of my vacation here in Davao to read 1Q84 intently and conscientiously. I finished it four days ago. I wish Murakami wins the Nobel Prize next year, because I really think he deserves it. 1Q84 may not be as good as Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but he sure proved his worth as a raconteur, telling stories of two different people that gradually converge through the course of the novel. I find that while there were some overwritten parts, the ending was probably one of the best ones I’ve read from him. I also like the novel because it seemed like a continuation, if not a fulfillment, of his short story ‘On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning.’ The book is filled with colorful and quirky characters only Murakami can paint, but one of the differences between this most recent novel of his and his other works is the hopefulness of the ending in contrast to the rather bittersweet (with emphasis on the bitter) endings his past major novels had.

I highly recommend the novel, not only for Murakami fans, but for all fans of good literature. For the Murakami speculator, however, I suggest that one starts with either Norwegian Wood or Hard Boiled Wonderland, seeing that those are shorter works that also pack a lot of punch. I frankly have no regrets: I will most likely be unable to read any novel after March next year for a whole year, so I made sure by finishing the most recent novel by one of my favorite authors.

I admixed sauntering with purchasing gifts after those four days, leaving me with little time to simply sit down and enjoy anime. Currently, I’m trying to finish Naked Lunch before the necessity of studying for our upcoming exams this January 2. I didn’t lose my love for anime, but I think it would be infinitely easier to enjoy than reading pithy literature, especially during class days. I’ve been there before, after all. With that said, I’m sorry for my belated greetings, although I do wish everyone who reads this blog despite its intermittent updates a very happy Christmas and a joyful New Year. At least I made sure to fulfill one of my New Year’s Resolutions: I made a promise to myself to read 1Q84 prior to my clerkship, and I’m glad I’ve done so even before the New Year arrived! Like 1Q84, I may only offer questions sometimes, but I pray that these questions and positions are interesting to the reader. I also hope that I can keep positing those questions to the readers who have been continually loyal to my site despite everything.

(And yes, I will watch Madoka.)

I haven’t watched any anime lately. It’s quite sad because I’ve had to chase a failed test, so I had to study a lot more than I usually do. I’ll just have to wait for the ending of Mawaru Penguindrum before I continue with it, seeing as I still haven’t watched past the third episode all this time. I was initially planning to write an end-of-the-year post, but it seems I can’t even do that with the dearth of anime I’ve seen this year. I’ve still seen a considerable amount, but I wonder if I have anything to write home about other than Steins;Gate. Madoka’s still on my backburner, and I haven’t really watched a series other than Raimuiro Senkitan in a month. That’ll change when I come back home, however.

What other anime should I marathon, or watch? After the batch of Mawaru Penguindrum arrives, I’ll download it, and I have Usagi Drop waiting for the Christmas break, which is quite near. Any suggestions? I have about a week to download and obtain series that seem to be notable this year, and I have about two weeks to make sense of everything and organize a top five list of anime for 2011.

P.S. I really realized I’ve gotten a good deal older when the people I know marry and get pregnant on purpose. haha!