The New Leaf Journal

A two-part visual novel review. First I look at the very melancholy 40 Days and 40 Nights of Rain. Second I look at a short spinoff visual novel which taks place during the story of 40 Days and 40 Nights, A Happy Valentine.

When I saw an NBCU executive talk about her desire to “feed them content” — with “them” being her “customers” — I knew that I had to write an article.

Photographs of the Valentine’s Day bear necessities seen in two Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Somehow, an anime about people playing a virtual reality video game leads into a discussion of the Soseki-tsuki ga kirei legend.

Himari Ishikura in the “I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class” has blonde hair. I studied the anime to get to the bottom of how her hair color is understood in-world.

Let’s check in on how we started 2025 with one of our busiest months to date.

Recalling the time a friend tried to sell me on the TV show “24” by writing a long dialogue in AIM using emojis to depict protagonist Jack Bauer.

Handing out specific category awards for the best anime of 2024.

I rank what I think are the six best TV anime of 2024 along with 15 notables and honorable mentions.

I take a second look at the flagship Pixelfed instance more than four years after publishing a “first impressions” review.

Despite being elected to their second terms 20 years apart, Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush won 44 states in common in 2024 and 2004 respectively. I take a closer look at the top-line results.

We have covered rotting pumpkins. Today I cover a pumpkin in a hat standing bravely athwart the January elements, hanging on longer than any pumpkin should have to.