The 5 best things I’ve watched during quarantine.

Look, I think we all began the quarantine with a lot of optimism about how productive we were going to be. I personally, thought I would have tons of time to clear out all my watch lists and write lots of articles and stories. I do have tons of time to do those things but I have not used said available time to do any of that. Mostly I sit at home staring at my degree wondering wether or not I’ll be able to get a job in my field before the apocalypse hits (which feels like it could happen any day now). So instead of dwelling on all the things I’ve missed out on because of corona-lockdown, I’ve decided to compile a list of some of the best things I have occupied myself with during these past several months.

Full disclosure before we get to the list; when I say “things I’ve watched” I literally mean watched. Like with my eyes. Meaning literally anything I have used my eyes to look at. Yes, usually when people talk about things they’ve watched they’re referring to movies or television, and of course I’m talking about those things too, but also other stuff, capiche? Ok, now that we’re all filed in, here we go.

The Ace Attorney Trilogy. I think my favorite thing that I’ve watched and played during quarantine, is the Ace Attorney Trilogy of games. They are definitely not new, the first installment, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, was released in the US way back in 2005, but they’re new to me. I’m a sucker for any kind of mystery solving game, so Ace Attorney is right up my alley. The game is a visual novel that puts players into the place of defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, as you work your way through investigations and trials where you fight prosecutors to get your clients a not-guilty verdict. The game is creative, hilarious, and tons of fun (I also now think it’s fun to yell “OBJECTION” in the middle of arguments, which is something that absolutely no one will like, you’ve been warned). Screencaps from the trial scenes have also been used as memes on twitter, which proves just how zany it is. I play on my Nintendo 3Ds and I’ve been trying to play slowly, because I love the characters so much I don’t want the game to end, but I’m finally on the last case of the last game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Trials and Tribulations, which feels very bittersweet. There are more additions to the series that have been released on lots of different platforms available. Ace Attorney has quickly become one of my favorite video game series ever, so I think everyone should definitely check it out.

The Umbrella Academy Season 2. I really enjoy the Umbrella Academy but I also forgot all about it until a few months ago, so when season two was finally released on Netflix, I was pleasantly surprised. I will say that I, like a lot of people, am always really wary of time-travel storylines (which was the main plot this season because all of the characters have been sent back in time) because inevitably, at least one character will fail to understand how time-travel should work. I don’t know exactly how many times I yelled “YOU CAN’T MESS WITH THE TIMELINE LIKE THAT, YOU IDIOT” but it was definitely more than once. Aside from that, I thought season two was a lot of fun! It focused a lot more on each of the characters and their individual struggles, but still managed to pack in plenty of the show’s characteristic sardonic humor and brutal action sequences. Hopefully, the next season will avoid another “we have to come together to stop the end of the world” storyline (two seasons was already kind of pushing it), but judging from the way the final episode ended, season three has a lot of potential to be filled with totally new challenges and interesting scenarios, so I’m excited to see where the show’s creators will take things.

Knitting! Remember what I said earlier, watched = using your eyes, so I don’t want to hear anything about knitting not counting (and yes I did say that to justify this exact entry). Perhaps the most productive thing I’ve done during quarantine has been teaching myself how to knit. Sure knitting seems like a boring grandma activity, but needlework is trendier than you might think. I have spent a questionable amount of time watching videos on twitter of young women, like myself, showing cool crochet and knitting projects and I was quickly convinced that I could do it too. I literally cannot do it. I don’t have the knowledge or the skill level or the patience that those girls do. I had to watch three youtube videos just to learn how to do the most basic stitches. At the very least I thought I could make a pair of socks. NO. HELL NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I will never be able to accurately communicate just how complicated and daunting knitting patterns are, but just know that they are not for the weak willed. Despite all of that, I enjoy working with my hands and learning how to knit has been a cool new challenge for me. To date, I’ve knitted two very small baskets, and I’m very proud of them. There’s something special about making something with your own hands. Once you finally get the hang of a craft, you’re left with something tangible and useable. And anytime someone comes to your house you get to point and say “look what I made” and puff out your chest while people tell you how awesome it is (even if they’re just being nice, it still feels pretty good). Hopefully by the next time I write an article, I will be wearing a pair of socks, expertly knitted by my own hands, but until then just remember to hug your grandma extra hard the next time she gives you a hand knitted sweater for the holidays, this shit ain’t easy.

Detroit: Become Human. Having two video games on this list makes me an official gamer, I checked the international gamer handbook and it’s stated very clearly. Detroit: Become Human also isn’t a new game, it was actually pretty popular when it came out in 2018, and for good reason. The graphics are fantastic and the story is thrilling and unique. During the game, players switch between three storylines, in each one you play as a different android and make important choices that determine how the rest of your game is going to pan out. It’s somewhat of an oversimplification to say that Detroit is basically an elaborate choose your own adventure, because there are also concrete tasks and plenty of action. Coupled with a thoroughly engrossing storyline and characters you become invested in almost immediately, Detroit: Become human is immersive and imaginative. It took me a few days to complete the game, and I’m already eager to go back through and make different choices to see where I end up. I purchased the game for my PS4 in a bundle with two other games with similar choice-based structures, but it’s also available for purchase on it’s own. If you haven’t already played Detroit: Become Human, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves creative, innovative storytelling as much as I do.

Devilman Crybaby. I can confidently say that I have never seen anything like Devilman Crybaby, a limited series anime on Netflix. Honestly, I still don’t know whether or not I even liked the show. It was dark, violent and unsettling, but those are also the things that make it so amazing. Devilman Crybaby follows bashful teenager Akira, who is taken to a rave by childhood friend Ryo, where he becomes possessed by a demon. From here the show goes down a gruesome path as the separation between the demons, called devils in the show, and the humans becomes more and more strained. The show’s animation is strange and beautiful, making even the most grotesque scenes strikingly artistic. There are ten episodes in the series, all about twenty-five minutes long, which turns out to be a perfect length, anymore would be overwhelming and any less unsatisfying. One of the best things about the structure of the show is the fast pace of the story, its always direct and rarely gives attention to anything that isn’t pushing the story forward. I was tempted to try to watch the entire series in one sitting, but the existential and sometimes hopeless nature of the show definitely encouraged me to break it up into about four sittings. By it’s final episode, Devilman Crybaby is emotional and shocking and I was nearly moved to tears even though I rarely cry at tv shows. It’s not for the faint of heart but people looking for something quick to watch without compromising depth will appreciate this watch for sure.

That’s it for this one, thanks for reading! If you’ve watched or played (or knitted?) any of the things I talked about, or if you have your own quarantine top 5 please let me know down in the comments, I would love to hear from you!