Ok, it’s time! I do this every year, but sometimes it takes me longer to think of a list or get to seeing everything that I might want to consider. This year, I pretty much knew as soon as 2020 started what the list was going to consist of. There are a few cases were I haven’t gotten to the item in question, but I’ve seen enough to say that I’d love it if I had it and I’m glad it exists. So with that in mind, here are the things I liked the most that were released in 2019.

Favorite Game – River City Girls River City Ransom on the NES was not a game that I had played a lot, but this new spin-off title was a must-get, thanks to the amazing 80’s anime style, pixel graphics, and pedigree of Wayforward games. I even sprung for the physical copy from Limited Run.  It’s a fantastic game with a lot of variety and genuine humor that had me laughing out loud. I’ve played it on Twitch a few times and I love it.
Favorite Book – The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles This book is all about the 2012 TMNT animated series. I don’t have this yet, but the fact that a book all about that show is a thing is great. Most shows wouldn’t get a book, but the 2012 TMNT series deserves it. It’s full of interesting art and characters and I’m glad that there’s a book all about how it all got put together.
Favorite Toy – NECA Bebop and Rocksteady I don’t have these either. In fact, I unfortunately don’t have any of the NECA TMNT stuff. But just look at these. It’s like they jumped right out of the original cartoon. They are not easy to find, and being Target exclusives in the US means they might never be released in Canada, but whatever pains it would take to get this set would be clearly worth it. Duh!
Favorite TV Series – The Mandalorian As I type this, the music is playing in my head, and it is in yours too. To think that we got a weekly dose of Star Wars in live action for 2 months. This might be special enough, but they way new characters and elements were added to the story made it especially engrossing. By the end of the first episode, you were hooked, and we all know why by now. I’m looking forward to the next season and whatever other similar Star Wars spin-off series come out. This is the way.
Favorite Anime – Carole and Tuesday A creative and heartwarming story about music, friendship, and authenticity. This might not be the kind of thing people would expect me to like, but I don’t think you even need to like anime at all to love this show. With its diverse cast of characters, universal themes, and excellent animation, I’d say it’s been the closest glimpse of what the future of anime is going to look like. It’s exclusive to Netflix and I highly recommend it.
Favorite Movie – Godzilla: King of the Monsters I don’t care. Fight me. As a Godzilla fan, this movie was my most anticipated thing in all of 2019, and it delivered exactly what I wanted in every respect that I can think of. The depiction of the monsters is what mattered most to me, and not only were they great, but surprisingly full of personality. And the classic music! I was truly moved by the moment when Mothra appears fully formed. They got it right, and if there are people out there who didn’t like this movie, too bad for them. I say it’s freaking awesome.

The only category I had trouble with was for anime, because I didn’t watch a lot of new things for 2019. Instead I was catching up on shows I missed out on, like One Punch Man and Kill La Kill. Once I saw Carole and Tuesday, the choice was clear, and it really is that good. If I were to chose a favorite album, then obviously it’s gotta be BabyMetal. And I know that last year had some huge movies like Avengers: Endgame and Rise of Skywalker, and I absolutely loved Spider-man: Far From Home, but I had to pick King of the Monsters as both someone who loves Godzilla movies and hates stupid idiots that don’t know what they are talking about. Seriously, the same moron film critics who complained that the 2014 Godzilla didn’t have enough monster action also complained that this movie had too much monster action. Give me a freaking break. As if there could ever be such a thing as too much monsters.

So what’s next? Honestly, I’m pretty satisfied with enjoying the things that I have now. I’m not in a rush. But, in thinking to the future, this year we’re getting Black Widow, The Eternals, Ghostbusters, Bill and Ted (!), and Godzilla vs Kong! Ok, I’m in. Let’s make 2020 happen already.

Sayonara.