And so 2014 comes to a close (about an hour from now in Japan time as I write this) and what a year it has (and hasn't) been!
Depending on who you ask, the assessment of this year ranges from "okay I guess" to "pretty lousy" and right on down to "an outright unmitigated disaster". I guess I should feel lucky that all things considered, 2014 wasn't a terrible year for me beyond the usual stuff (sick for about half of it, swamped with job responsibilities for the rest.)
But there is a sense of regret as things come to a close, because this was honestly a pretty great year to be a Kamen Rider fan. On TV, at the movies, and most importantly, on the toy and book and video shelves, it felt like someone was tapping directly into the dark recesses of my mind and coming out with movies where Ryō Hayami drives up to deliver lines opposite Kamen Rider Faiz, or they're making toys based on Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider. What an age of wonders we live in!
And... I never found much time to talk about any of it. Heck, I really liked all three of the Rider movies this year, and I only 'reviewed' one months after the fact, which shows you how messed-up things have gotten time-wise. Not to mention a bajillion other things I've been saying I'll get to eventually (it's practically a running joke at this point, but that big Q&A episode of Rider Break! is at the front of this Big To-Do List.)
But a new year is on the horizon, and with it comes a renewed drive (sorry) to push on. Even when real life wears me down, like Taki taking a vicious suitcase beating from a giant flying squirrel-man, I never want to give up. There's so much stuff I want to do, so much stuff I've started that needs finishing, and so many more exciting things in the pipeline I haven't even hinted at.
Can I make it happen this year? Will 2015 be the Year of the Igadevil (we'll think of a better name later)? I dunno, but the next part of the story starts real soon, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it an exciting one.
Thank you for sticking with me on this crazy journey so far, and I wish you all a safe and happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one.
