MADOKA MAGICA, PAX, AND OTHER CAPSLOCKED ITEMS!
Kyuubei, Kyuubey, or Kyubey. However you spell his (?) name, he has singlepawedly destroyed my idea of magical girls forever.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a show that starts out so clichéd, but slowly develops into possibly the most intriguing, DEPRESSING magical girl show in the history of anime so far. There’s already a list of theories surrounding the show and it’s only up to nine of 12 episodes. I don’t know what kind of stuff will happen in the last 3 episodes, but so far three girls have died, Kyuubei has gone from Luna-like to what psychologists would label as insane, and magical girls have been defined as soulless shells. Since episode three, there have been crying and sunset scenes galore. Despite this fact, I CAN’T STOP WATCHING IT.
People might think it’s an extremely feminine show, but because of its status as a mental thriller (and lolis are abound as well), it’s actually appealed to many guys I know. I wholeheartedly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys having their childhood perception of a genre completely altered by little girls flying around in costume. More info about the show is here.
Besides this, I’ve been working my brains out on a project for a class called Designing a Business. I can’t reveal details of the project yet, but hopefully I’ll be able to at a later time. My other classes are alright, but I’ve been experiencing a severe lack of inspiration for them these days. I guess part of it is due to the length of time I’ve been working on the same project (one issue of a magazine is taking us a YEAR to design) and how tired I am of seeing it. I know that the results will be great, but sometimes the whole process just feels so tedious.
All in all, I’m glad to almost be done with school. After I graduate, I’ll most likely be taking some classes to learn more complicated web languages such as ASP.NET, more PHP, MySQL, Ruby on Rails, etc. I don’t know what I would do in graduate school since there aren’t degrees for web design yet. I’m not really into computer programming, so I think a Computer Science degree is out of the question. I’ll be working wherever in the meantime and hope to sooner or later establish my own business.
Next week I’ll be heading to Boston for PAX East 2011, and I expect it to be awesome.
PAX is basically a video game convention for gamers created by gamers. It’s unlike every other game convention because it’s more about playing & celebrating games than seeing new releases. I might post a recap of the event when it’s all over, but knowing my schedule, I might not have a chance. I have work the next day, so there’s no time for me to have a break. Oh well, such is life!
Until next time, and remember: u watch Madoka Magica, U MAD BRO!
Upcoming talks
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Advancing Beyond Senior Roles: Navigating Non-Management Career Paths
This unique gathering is designed for professionals seeking pathways to growth that don't necessarily lead to traditional management roles. Led by Catt Small, this session invites attendees to share their experiences, challenges, and strategies in carving out impactful, non-managerial career trajectories. Engage in candid discussions about alternative leadership roles, lateral moves that enrich skills skill , and roles that expand influence without the traditional management responsibilities. This is a unique opportunity to connect with peers facing similar career crossroads, learn from the collective wisdom, and envision new trajectories for your career journey. Join us to redefine career success and discover new paths that align with your expertise and passions. Redefine career success with Catt and unlock new paths that resonate with your expertise and passions.
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Moving from execution to strategy as a designer
Designers often find themselves under pressure to create beautiful outputs rather than impact and outcomes. In this talk, Catt Small will share techniques to move herself from execution to a more strategic role over 14 years of in-house work at companies spanning various industries. You’ll learn to add perspective to subjects including product strategy, growth, and monetization — showing the value of design at every part of the product development process. Before you know it, you’ll be your PM’s best work friend!
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