I don’t care what you cry at. I don’t care if other people think it’s stupid. I just want to know that people cry at movies because they’re so moved the emotion has to come out.
My favorite movies that have made me cry:
If you want to check out another Science Saru project after watching the Scott Pilgrim anime, Devilman Crybaby is NOT a good choice! It may be visually inventive, but it’s got none of the charming aspects SP is famous for. It’s much too bleak and nihilistic.
Instead, I’d recommend The Night is Short, Walk On Girl or, even more heartily, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! They’re zany and a bit irreverent, there are characters with ridiculous personalities and insecurities, and relationships (romantic and platonic) play out in all their dysfunctional glory. Why go for inescapable darkness or a demon orgy when you can experience a 10-minute improvised musical declaration of love or watch a bunch of friends brainstorm a new fantasy world around them?
I don’t like “Best of” lists, especially ranked ones. In my house it’s kind of a pastime to look at these lists and comment all the ways they’re wrong (or we just don’t agree with the listmaker’s choices). But I experienced a lot of good media this year, and in my case I do want to rank them because – while all of them were worth my time and I would recommend everything here to just about anyone – there is a weighted order of how much they impacted me.
As to why there are 8 in each list and not 10? I didn’t really mean for it to come out that way, but 1) beyond eight picks I stopped having super strong gut reactions to them, 2) 8 is my lucky number and it’s generally an auspicious one, so embrace the power of 8 in your life!
Books
Albums
Movies
If you’re reading this, have a happy and safe rest of 2022 and best wishes/vibes for 2023!
Thoughts From Barbara Yaga 