A month's worth of culture

 Last month was exhausting. Oscillating between work and laziness is a burden one must not carry!

Here's something I delved in during the last 30 days:

Rewatching: Hunter x Hunter

I would put this anime among my Shounen favorites like One Piece or Bleach. We follow the protagonist Gon on his journey to become a hunter just like his father. Gon is our typical shounen hero who believes in friendships and not hurting someone and the usual rigamarole. 

But we do not go through the usual arcs like we encounter in other manga/anime. This is like a shounen manga on video game adrenalin, with good fast-paced plots, quick but apt developments and interesting cliff hangers or climax. 

The characters are always developing and that is the USP of this series. Gon and Killua and the posse are always attaining new levels and it is a delight to watch them get new skills in every arc. From the Hunter card arc to the Arena arc, winning is not just a given for some and the fights are fun to watch as you do not know what aces do they have up their sleeve.

Obviously when we talk about cards, Hisoka deserves a mention. He is the grey man, anti-hero or anti-villain or let's just say the Snape. We do not know who he supports as his intentions are shrouded in mystery. However, we all know that he is attracted to (ahem..) power and talent. I guess competition and upskilling really lights a fire in his belly. 

This series is a must-watch for all Shounen fans. I would rate it as high (or maybe more?) as Bleach but maybe less than Naruto.

Watching: Psych

This series is fun, and light hearted. A bit like Brooklyn99, but without the entourage. I thought the jokes might fall flat as they are not topical, but that was not the case. Being a mystery fan, I had a lot of expectations. However, it is better to view this series as a comedy rather than a detective series. 

It's a fun watch and tickles your funnybones. But as a mystery standalone genre watch, it might not be the best pick. 

Reading: Gyakusatsu Happy End

This is a dark manga. I am almost halfway done but it gets darker with each chapter. 

This manga is about Makoto Kusakabe who works part-time to earn money for her ill younger sister's treatment while being tormented by his abusive father, a mother who left him and bullies. But when he is told that his sister has only a short time left to live, he is desperate. And in such a state he goes to a dark side of himself which cannot be undone. 

If you are fond of time loops and Death Note, this manga will definitely appeal to you.  

 There are other things in offing as well, but for now Toodaloo.