Reading Log: September 2026

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I have no idea what I’ve done this month, really. I remember that optimistic go-getter vibe from the start of the month where I said I was gonna get a bunch of stuff done… and then I think all my free time got eaten trying to catch back up with J-dramas before they expired and finishing off the anime season. And this week even with Seiyu to Yoasobi on break, I’ve been catching up with my YouTube subs and obsessing over Mrs. Green Apple’s new album. I feel like I read considerably less than usual too, but let’s take a look at how that actually worked out.

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J-Drama Snapshot: Summer 2026

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Summer is so busy that I really (I swear) try not to watch as many dramas… but there were so many that were hard to resist this season, so honestly that didn’t pan out as well as I hoped. I was definitely saved by Seiyu to Yoasobi having two Connect periods while I was at work, and Mrs Green Apple’s TV show was off for a lot of the time as well.

I quite enjoyed writing the Spring Snapshot, so figured I’ve have a second go with the summer shows. I’ve watched most of these in Japanese, but if they have English titles through licences or on MyDramaList, I’ll put those in brackets for searchability. These aren’t meant to be full reviews, just a fun way to share my impressions.

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Language Learning Motivation – The Irreplaceable Moments

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Occasionally I get asked what motivates me to keep studying Japanese. Learning a whole other language isn’t easy, and it doesn’t just end (although obviously there’s a plateau somewhere where it’s not constant studying). And the more I answer this question, the more I come to realise it’s just all the irreplaceable moments I’ve been able to enjoy because of it. Little things that can’t be taken for granted, that we all have. But these are mine.

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Reading Log: August 2026

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The busy summer season has finally concluded, and now we go into autumn, where I’m excited to be able to spend more time on hobby stuff and am being completely unrealistic about all the things I will achieve. Still, I feel pretty accomplished this month too. I might not have been as on top of my hobbies as I’d like (just trying to watch my J-dramas before they expired on TVer has been a lot…), but actually when I’m tired I do tend to just read a stack of books, so that works out somehow. Anyways let’s take a look at what I’ve been reading!

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Backlog Conquest: You’re My Sun

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Yuki Fumino is a mangaka I’d known about for a long time due to I Hear the Sunspot, but I never got into her work until I watched the live-action adaptation of the aforementioned work in 2024. Well, I did have the Sunspot manga at that point, but it was in the backlog still… Anyway, this week I finally pulled out ユア・マイ・サン from the backlog (where it has also sat since 2024) and was surprised to find it’s another Yuki Fumino work, just under the penname Yuki Akaneda (which she uses for non-BL works). And what a delight it turned out to be! Certainly one of those hidden treasures that has been waiting for the right moment to surface out of the many piles of books.

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The Convenience Store by the Sea Live Action Impressions

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I am a simple soul. If you tell me someone I like is starring in a drama, I will be watching without question. So, that’s what ultimately led me to The Convenience Store by the Sea, or コンビニ兄弟, as I knew it initially. This is a story about kindness, friendship and the importance of a little community hub.

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Keigo Higashino: A Mystery Fan’s Favourite Author

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I’m not sure a lot of people necessarily know this about me, but I am a huge fan of mystery stories. Ever since I was a small child watching Scooby-Doo, really. I loved Sherlock Holmes and The Famous Five; I used to enjoy watching Columbo and other mystery dramas on daytime TV. I like the Professor Layton series and games like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. And of course, I love anime like The Dinner Table Detective and Hyouka. They don’t have to be a crime drama; any kind of mystery is fine. But having said all that, I don’t talk about this a lot because there are not a lot of these stories, especially those that capture my heart and remain on my mind for a long time afterwards.

Maybe it’s because I spend most of my time embroiled in Japanese media, where it feels like English translations of these kinds of stories are in short supply (starting to read things in Japanese has opened a lot of doors there, to be fair!). And that’s one of the reasons when news broke on Monday of Keigo Higashino’s passing, I was devestated.

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Backlog Conquest: Handkerchief Motte, Time Machine Matte, Last Scene Damatte,

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I’m actually an existing fan of Sagan Sagan’s work, but when I first came across Handkerchief Motte, Time Machine Matte, Last Scene Damatte, (ハンケチーフ持って、タイムマシーン待って、ラストシーン黙って、), I never got as far as the mangaka’s name before being captivated by the opening colour page below (disappointed this never made it into the full volume!). There was that instant sense that this was something special, so I hit pre-order and patiently waited for the first volume to release. So patiently, or perhaps I was simply intimidated by the large page count, this has actually been in the backlog since February. But better late than never!

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