Gundam Anime Corner-Second Half of 2023 Update

Hey there Dear Readers.  With Otakon just around the corner, I’ll admit, some things have been bothering me and some of it has been stemming from this blog that I love quite dearly.  A lot has changed for me in the last few years.  When COVID struck, I was out of two job for over two years, living off what I’d saved to get me by for the time being.  Ironically, all that extra time allowed me to churn out a ton of content for the Anime Corner at a faster pace and it was awesome.  However, I needed a job and late last year I found one again.  Not only was I back in the workforce after a two year hiatus, this also happens to be my first full time 8 hour shift, 5 days a week gig (I know, shocks me to think that too).  This does mean that my free time has been hampered considerably and as much as I don’t want to admit it, it's starting to affect my work on Anime Corner stuff.  When I planned things out for 2023, the 10^th Anniversary Year for the Gundam Anime Corner, I had so many big titles in mind like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and a new Manga/Anime comparison project featuring Rurouni Kenshin.  Recently, I’ve been kicking myself for not having the energy to stick with those plans and also commit to learning about my job and dealing with all the chaos and frustrations that come with it.  It sucks not being able to give my heart fully to the ideas I’ve hard in mind and in that regard…I have to back off on a few things. 

Let me be clear, the Anime Corner isn’t going on any kind of hiatus or being discontinued, FRAK THAT NOISE!!!  I just have to adjust my schedule so I can have some time for myself to recoup, recharge and replan what I’d like to do going into the back half of 2023 and start of 2024 as we head right towards the Blogs’ 10^th Anniversary.  I want to be able to write with love and joy for what I’m working on…or channel frustrations with certain titles to give a proper rant/bashing (see Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise for a current example).  As a wise person told me, “Work shouldn’t define you.  It’s what you do outside of work that should define you.”  My blog and you Dear Readers, deserve my A Game and you’re damn straight gonna get it.
 
Ok, so what does this mean?  Well once I’m back from Otakon we’ll be going back to a One Review A Week schedule, same as always every Monday.  There will be a couple of exceptions like The Super Mario Bros. Movie coming Friday August 4^th.  Oh and Sailor Moon, that goes forward as planned.  Sailor Moon SuperS is all set for September (along with the SuperS Movie) and with the free up in scheduling I can definitely make Sailor Moon Super Stars happen in time for December.  Everything else proceeds normally like Top 5 Wednesday and First Impression Friday will be back as well, so I’ll still be uploading three articles a week as per the norm.  Certain projects I had planned for 2023 will moved to later dates, such as Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, which I had penciled in for November of this year will now kick off 2024 in January.  My hope is that I’ll be ready for two reviews a week again come January and maybe just make that a first half of the year goal before going back to one review a week post Otakon as I have in previous years. 

I know this sounds a bit dramatic and no one probably cares so long as I’m ok.  It’s been weighing on me and I do feel like I’m letting myself down stepping back from this.  But I’ve been dealing with too much mental stress and the only way to get better is to make sure I can be mentally rested so that when I do sit down to watch an Anime show or Movie for review, I’m enjoying it 100% (or hating it but not because I’m mentally exhausted from Real Life but with how bad said program is).  Thanks for sticking with me and rest assured, the Gundam Anime Corner isn't going anywhere and neither am I.