The Best of 2024

 The last week of the year, so it is time yet again for that most subjective of lists around, namely my personal Best Of list for the past year.

And as usual, with the strange way my brain tends to work, this is a list often people don't agree with at all, guess that's the thing when you read the musings of a weird bloke hehehe.

Now, on the other hand, it has already steered some people to things they didn't know about before, so I guess my broad spectrum of niche intrests does have some merit at times, but without further ado, here we go again for a list of strange choices in what I liked the past year.

Best Movie: We start out with an odd one then: Iris Warriors.  While not the most spectacular of movies, I never thought I would be so touched by a fantasy story told by... ballet.

Best Series: Star Trek Picard s3, a worthy wave-off to a very influential cast from my youth years, and which largely formed me into the man I am today.

Best Music: This would have been I Like the way you touch me by Artemas, that videoclip is so awesome... but then in the last week of November, our "biggest Belgian" made a reappearance on the music scene.  After years from the publix eye, Stromae returned to the charts together with Pomme, and performed My Meuilleur Ennemie, included in the series Arcane, trashing the worldwide streaming charts (and that includes Mariah Carey).  The song is not only fantastic, but a bit of chauvinisme at time is welcome being a Belgian.

Best Book: the 10th volume of the Blue Period manga, it hit some very personal chords with me and caused me to make some personal decisions due to it that I had been mentally struggling with for a long time.

 

 

Best Toy: I am going to put my driver's license here.  While not a toy in essence, it did allow me to enjoy and get more of my toys overall

 

Best Performance: perhaps the hardest one to pick this year, as I can't decide between 2 different personae, so I'll just throw them up all together.  First there is the beautiful Adele Exarchopoulos from Volueses, who like french wine ages gorgeously with the years.  Then there is Antonio Borghi from Supersex, who put down a smashing performance as Rocco Sifredi, the famous adult movie star, in the series based on his way to the top. 

 

 

Best Anime: My Home Hero, due to busy calendar I'll be posting the review soon, but this was finished the last week of december, literally yesterday before I made this list, and wiped the other nominees from the slate.  Because how far would YOU go to protect your child?

 

Best Game: Warhammer Underworlds.  Not only did it bring my first tournament victory ever, it was a great ride with a fine bunch of people.  I'm curious what the second edition will bring as I still have to play that, but the first one will definitly be memorable to me.

 

Best Videogame: Sex & Blood Vampires.  Yes, it is from the 18+ section on Steam, but it actually had an arousing story behind it (again, pun intended).

 

 

Best Wargame Figure: Spinefin.  The little fish brought many a victory in my tournament and casual games over the past year, but also that I opted to paint it pink to go with my little boy's favorite toy, a plastic pink fish.

 

 

Best Trade: that free library I got from my mother in law's theatre group.  We are 7 months down the line now and I am still sorting through the stacks of them.

 

Best Convention or Event: That will be the Underworlds Tournament in Halle, which as mentioned above, after heaps of podiums finally brought that elusive first victory.

 

 

Greatest Disappointment: the massive burn-out that hit me in September, and forced me even to gather all my mental might to go out and play some games with friends.  I never knew that it could be such a dirty bugger, and I have gained a LOT of respect for people struggling with this disease ever since.  I'm not there yet completely, and it certainly rocked over my world, but we are on the way back up. 

And so the year ended with this list, now it is time to look to new things, and be back in 12 months with another collection of perhaps strange choices!