Last year at this time, it felt like the world might not ever be the same again. This past month, I became fully vaccinated.
While I’m still exercising caution in a lot of different ways (including wearing a mask in public), the extra safety a COVID-19 vaccine has provided has helped tremendously to alleviate some of the psychological pressure I’ve been feeling since 2020. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I can grasp some sense of the normal again. I’m still undecided if I want to attend the recently confirmed Otakon 2021, though.
I just hope that we actually learn from the mistakes we’ve made on a social and political level, and that we must create a better “normal” than the one that resulted in a global catastrophe powered by greed and willful ignorance. I’m fortunate to be in a place where I could obtain a vaccination after a year and a half of keeping safe, as not everyone has been able to do that. The real failures—whether they’ve been in the US, Japan, Brazil, Sweden, China, India, or elsewhere—are the consequences of poor leadership above all else.
I can’t make anyone get the vaccine, and availability varies from place to place, but I hope everyone does what they can to at least protect themselves and those they care for.
Thank you to June’s Patreon sponsors, with special gratitude to the following.
General:
Ko Ransom
Diogo Prado
Alex
Sue Hopkins fans:
Serxeid
Hato Kenjirou fans:
Elizabeth
Yajima Mirei fans:
Machi-Kurada
Blog highlights from May:
Miura Kentaro, Berserk, and the Pursuit of Perfection
Thoughts related to the untimely passing of the author of Berserk.
Miss Nagatoro and the Teasing Girl as Goldilocks Archetype
An exploration of the appeal of teasing girls.
Witch Hat Atelier: The Fantasy of Science, the Science of Fantasy
My review of one of the best fantasy manga around.
Hashikko Ensemble
Chapter 40 continues to have Jin’s mom, Reika, steal the show.
And here’s more from Kio Shimoku’s Twitter account.
Closing
I just learned that Zettai Karen Children is ending soon after 17 years. It’s amazing to see a series that ran for seemingly forever actually reach the finish line. Authors and artists, take care of yourselves!
