Real (1999 - Present)

This is the only manga here on my favourites list that's still running. Despite not yet being finished, it's so good that I had no choice but to put it at the top of the list. While technically a sports manga, the narrative is more concerned with the psychology behind its characters and what playing sports means to them, rather than the matches themselves. This is my favourite manga of all time because of the compassionate way it tells its story. I've gained a lot out of reading and rereading the three protaganists' stories over the years, seeing how they persevere despite the awful setbacks they face and their idiosyncrasies. The manga covers a lot of serious topics such as living with disabilities, but covers them tactfully. The art being stunning and Togawa being a cutie pie are nice bonuses too.

Mars (1996 - 2000)

Some people will tell you this manga is melodramatic and uses over the top twists to keep the story going, and they'd be right. It's still my favourite shoujo of all time regardless. What made me latch on first was Fuyumi Souryo's art. Her panelling is immaculate and her characters are always stylish. However, what kept me hooked was Rei and Kira's relationship and the way that they both helped each other develop. Without spoiling anything, Kira's backstory and her ability to move on from what she went through really inspired me at a time when I needed it the most, helping me to also break out of my shell. She'll forever be one of my favourite female protagonists because of this. Mars captures the messy, heightened emotions that teens go through, which is probably why it spoke so deeply to sixteen year old me. Regardless, I still love rereading it even now.

Blade of the Immortal (1993 - 2012)

Punishing and bleak, but also thoughtful and introspective...Blade of the Immortal contains a lot of contradictory multitudes. This is not something I'd recommend to everyone, especially those who (justifiably) can't stomach a lot of the edgelord tropes common in action-oriented seinen manga. However, I'd be lying if I didn't include this on my favourites list. So much about this speaks to me, between how it tackles the emptiness of violence and revenge, the stunning fight scenes, and all the memorable characters that make up the manga's journey (Rin especially). There's a lot of pain and turmoil in this comic, but it never loses its human heart. Don't let anyone tell you that the ending made no sense. Special mention has to go to the art, as I've watched this video of Hiroaki Samura drawing Manji approximately two trillion times.

Fallen Angels (1995)

A movie that's both vibrant and colourful yet feels like it's set in a world where it's eternally 3AM. Every character is a cool and sexy oddball, but never pretentious. Wong Kar Wai imbued the movie with a lot of humanity beneath all the stylish gloss. The scene with Takeshi Kaneshiro's character watching the footage of his dad from his camcorder made me sob...

To Live & Die in LA (1985)

I was genuinely stunned by this on first watch. I expected a typical eighties action movie and instead got one of the most nihilistic movies I've ever seen. There are no good guys in sight and not a single human life is valued here, cop and criminal alike. There's something so cynical about this movie's point of view, and yet I couldn't look away the entire time, transfixed by every image on the screen. My favourite scene is the money counterfeiting montage.

A Scene at the Sea (1991)

One of the most beautifully ambient movies of all time, centred around a deaf-mute couple and surfing. This is known for being the movie that's the least indicative of Takeshi Kitano's filmography, as there are no wise ass yakuza or gun fights anywhere to be found. Instead, it's a meditative movie that tells its story through body language, music, and cinematography, with little dialogue. It's a really touching film. The OST by Joe Hisaishi is amazing too.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

Saw this on a whim on TV during my eighth grade summer vacation and was immediately drawn to its gritty and downbeat portrayal of early 2000's Korean life. The story then spirals out of control and gives an honest and ugly depiction of the rot that lies at the core of revenge. There's a lot to chew on if you're looking at it through a Marxist lens as well.

Ms .45 (1981)

It's a film that can be read in a myriad of ways, but is also just a simple, no frills, rape revenge movie (with most of the focus being on the revenge). However, this one has stuck with me for a lot longer than I anticipated, so maybe it's not so simple after all...

Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001)

A game that time has been very kind to. I bought this in seventh grade, my first M rated game, and played it totally blind. I know it's a cliche to say "what more can I say that hasn't already been said," but in this instance I do believe that every pixel of this game has been analyzed at this point lmao. However, I will say that I think Rose is overhated and that I wouldn't have loved this game so much if it didn't feature her relationship drama with Raiden. Whatever they had going on was like something handmade by a worker from the problematique shoujo manga factory, exclusively built for my taste.

Also, shout outs to the girlies who loved Raiden before it was cool ♡

Snatcher (1994)

This is as big of a Blade Runner rip off as all the coverage surrounding this game suggests, but there's something very pure to me about Kojima loving Blade Runner so much that he made an entire game to serve as another way to experience its setting. The game system was a bit more robust than the standard adventure game of its time and you can see its influence on games to this day. Seriously, it's very fun! Explore, investigate, and see where the story takes you next. There's a few Kojima-isms that didn't age too well re:women, but I had such a blast playing this from start to finish (yes, even with that ending lmao).

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

My idea of the perfect game. It's one I can always come back to and 200%. The sprites, the combat, the music...I will never tire of it. So many games have tried to replicate this one but I don't think any of them ever reached its heights. I think an underrated aspect is the characters. They don't say much, but what little there is gives this game its atmosphere imo. I think the push and pull between Alucard, Maria, and Richter in particular makes this game stand out from all the games that followed it.

King of Fighters 2000 (2000)

I loved fighting games growing up and collected any that I could during the PS2 era. This was my introduction to the KOF series, and I was hooked the moment I saw this intro with that walk cycle. I was obsessed with the character design and art direction, especially when compared to other fighting games that relied on basic tropes for their characters. SNK's music and sprite work are consistently great, and I have so many images from this game still ingrained in my head all these years later. KOF 2002 is the better game, but 2000 is the one that gripped my heart and made me fall in love with the franchise, so here it is! K', Kula, and everything about the NESTS saga are my favourite.

Ikaruga (2001)

Played this by downloading the ROM and burning it onto a disc to play on my Dreamcast. I love arcade genres like fighting games and shoot em ups, but even then, Ikaruga has something about it that made it a bit more special than every other game in its genre. Firstly, the game's system is one of a kind, with a ship that can switch its properties by changing colour. This gives the gameplay an element of strategy and puzzle solving that makes it satisfying to master. Secondly, the presentation is brilliant. Treasure put so much thought and symbolism into the story, even though it's not at the forefront. Shinra and Kagari still live on in my memory.