It Was Always Bad

Recovery

John returns to the stream after a difficult recovery from detached-retina surgery. For two weeks, he had to lie on his side, spend most of his time in the dark, and limit standing to ten minutes per hour. His eye is slowly improving, though it still gets sore after about an hour of looking at things. He also has to avoid exercise for several months.

The hospital visit began awkwardly when a surgeon walked in while John was halfway out of his clothes. Then eight surgeons gathered around his bed to ask questions while he lay there “naked and afraid.” Boredom and pain made familiar podcasts and videos a real comfort—and helped him better understand why people tune into his streams.

Recovery-Time Media Roundup

A Link to the Past — 6/7

Revisiting the SNES classic reminded John how satisfyingly responsive it feels: grass flies when you slash it, bushes burst into leaves, and even charging the sword feels great. He praises the soundtrack, bosses, and lovingly detailed moments, while noting that some later dungeons feel repetitive and frustrating.

He jokes that making a “67” joke is now his way of weeding people out of his social circle.

Hell House — 2/7

John picked up the wrong book and found this haunted-house novel poorly written, not especially scary, and full of clumsy writing about women. He found its backstory interesting, though.

Devil House — 5/7

The book John meant to read turned out to be a slow-burn story about a true-crime author investigating a grisly case. John praises the writing—even a vivid description of fish and chips—and says a letter later in the story made the book’s strange choices click into place. He calls it one of his favorite books of the year.

Donkey Kong Country 2 — 6/7

John calls the game an aesthetic masterpiece, especially for its atmosphere, personality, and music. He loves “Sticker Brush Symphony,” which makes the difficult Bramble Blast level easier to endure, and points out the characters’ little victory animations.

The platforming is more about mastering the designers’ intended route than expressing yourself, but John considers that a worthwhile trade-off.

Rent-a-Girlfriend — 2/7

After watching about seven episodes, John says the series was “never good.” He criticizes its protagonist and what he sees as shallow, inconsistent character writing. He’s fine with fan service, but argues viewers should expect more from their smut.

More seriously, he worries the show frames virginity and loneliness as reasons to feel inadequate, rather than encouraging confidence and empathy. His joke advice is to watch American Pie instead—though he admits the pie scene is an exception.

Attack on Titan — 5/7, for now

Having restarted the series and watched through the Kenny arc, John is enjoying its striking aesthetic, distinctive action, and especially its Titans as horror monsters. He has reservations about some character writing, Reiner’s split-personality storyline, and Kenny as a villain, but says he’ll give a fuller opinion after finishing the show.

Chainsmoker Cat

After three episodes, John finds it gross, abrasive, and deliberately unappealing—but likes how committed it is to that tone. He also says its occasional emotional moments work. His verdict: the first five minutes will tell viewers immediately whether it’s for them.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games

John has only seen the first two episodes, so he won’t rate it yet, but he enthusiastically recommends the adaptation. It follows two privileged schoolgirls who secretly bond over fighting games, in a story he calls “kind of gay, kind of great.”

People Mentioned

• John — The host.
• Michelle — John’s anime-watching companion.