iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 6h

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) remains a great early horror comedy. Despite the title, you get multiple Universal Monsters for the price of admission, including Lugosi's Dracula and Chaney Jr's Wolfman. It's also a template for later horror-adjacent media. #spookyseason26

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 11h

Spooky season viewing resumes tonight with a film that I haven't seen since the family rented it on VHS in the 90s. I *may* have acquired a special set with all the Abbott & Costello Horror-themed films:

youtube.com

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Official Trailer #1 - (1948) HD

YouTube video by Movieclips

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Decided it was time to dust off this collection of Dr. Ruth Musick's collated volumes of oral tradition horror stories from West Virginia and into Appalachia.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Remember to take the time to enjoy the little things that excite you about the world. I mean that now, more than ever. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a book to dive into.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Honestly, it was probably a 1955 Frankenstein-Mr. Magoo special I rented on VHS as a child. Most of it is fine, but there's a sequence where the Creature knocks out the doctor, and he has a fever dream of the monster rampaging while groaning, laughing and organ music soars while the screen swirls.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

While I don't usually name a 'game of the year' (I'm usually playing catch up), after 7 missions, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is making a STRONG case for itself. AC7 was my first title, and this is making me keen to dive into the series proper. Also, THIS track's vocal section at 2:00...

youtu.be

A Lifeline in the Desert - Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Soundtrack

YouTube video by Zaptroxix

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

That's a wrap for Onimusha. Up until the last stretch, I adored this game, its use of historical/mythological figures and its story, but baffling choices in the final stretch of the game progression and difficulty-wise hurt it a bit. I still had a great time with most of it though. Thoughts below.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I'm in the final stretch for the new Onimusha, and honestly, there are progression, padding and boss-related design choices that may make me sour towards it, sadly. The game is sublime when it's doing it's own thing, but when it starts to crib from Sekiro, it begins to lose me.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

最近『流暢と機能的なレベルの隙間』に考えているんだ。確かに、約『中級』のレベルで、蓄えた能力で色んな日常生活と会話の事が出来るようになれるけど、それは『基本な流暢』と呼ばれるかどうか、色んな意見があるよね。まあ、逆に、約『上級』のレベルはもっと『流暢』の月並みな定義と似ているけど、専門によって、また変わるよね。学界の為とか、小説の読書の為とか、雄弁に話せる為とか、営業の為でも、『流暢』の形は状況によって、変わりやすいものだね。とにかく、『流暢』の道は簡単に定義出来る事じゃないかな。そして、この道を歩んでいる人はそんなに心配しないで、成長しながら、この旅を楽しもうか。

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

To start off the spooky season tonight, I'll be watching the original 13 Ghosts (1960), which I haven't seen, and its remake Thirteen Ghosts (2001), which I haven't seen through in a good twenty years. Thoughts below (when I'm done with the films, of course)!

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Hubris, a story in three acts, from Gamera (1965):

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I must say, Gamera, the Giant Monster's original Japanese version (大怪獣ガメラ, 1965) is a surprisingly fun monster B-movie that's surprisingly competently made as a film. It's a fair bit fluffier than the original Godzilla, but it has more kaijuu-per-minute that most films of its type. Worth a look!

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's officially the start of the spooky season on this side of the world! Last October was a very... complex time in my life, so it's time to make this one count.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Honestly, the more I've started to watch tokusatsu, the more I'm impressed how the production teams work with their limited budgets. There's a seriously fantastic level of craft in making all these hero/monster costumes, and have them actually be functional for fighting/brawling scenes.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Flipping a coin whether I do a long overdue rewatch of Yojimbo tonight, or finally watch the first Gamera film. For context, the most Gamera I've seen is this:

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Safety Dance Gamera

YouTube video by countblockula

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Reposted by MarionetteCreep

🎃 Zack o' Lantern 🎃 @zackdavisson.com · 29/09/2026

This is excellent advice, particularly about the books by Zack Davisson. I wrote THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO JAPANESE YOKAI for exactly this reason. It is a one-volume reference for anyone watching anime, playing games, etc... and wants to know "What the hell is that weird thing?" link.amazon/B06nbtR7A

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Update on the Denshi Jisho: I'm still looking at whether it has cross-reference features, but the Kanji drawing feature (with a stylus) and access to both the E-J/J-E Genius Dictionaries on the fly have been fantastic so far. Still looking at the best way to find Kanji combos/reading list look ups.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Figured it was time to do one of these. This is not so much a 'Top 9' and more of a 'series that have been personally significant'. There's a bit more formative stuff than recent (even if there's been some awesome stuff lately). I had to disqualify one samurai anime, sadly for... reasons.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Side note on Onimusha, but reading Alexander Bennett's unabridged translation of Yoshikawa's Musashi epic parallel to playing the game is an interesting experience. The game, goes in its own direction, but there's subtle references to things like Mount Oe, an early key location of Yoshikawa's work.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If you've been enjoying Onimusha (or similar media) and want to learn more about oni, various youkai and yuurei, I can recommend books by Zack Davisson, Matt Alt & Hiroko Yoda, Michael Dylan Foster and the website (yokai.com) of the wonderful Matt Meyer. It's all well-researched stuff too.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The past two years have been deeply challenging in a lot of ways, but the push for Japanese reading has been one of the absolute, positive highlights of this stretch. I decided it was time to invest in a new EX-Word Denshi Jisho to minimise my use of phone apps, and just have something handy.

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Reposted by MarionetteCreep

Tim Gaedke @timgaedke.com · 24/09/2026

in the age of AI, making art is a radical act

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

As a result of Discord's latest 'age verification' push, Australians are further impacted, as it's now linked to account-side data. The only option around this is giving personal data to vendor with a less than stellar reputation. Great job there...

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Tonight's film is an adaptation of a classic kabuki ghost story, The Ghost of Yotsuya (東海道四谷怪談, 1959). The tale of prideful Iemon and the vengeful ghost of Oiwa is still powerful, and this film version is fantastic for a variety of reasons, ranging from its horror visuals to its social commentary.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Been thinking a bit about the 'why' aspect of language learning, particularly when you're at intermediate and beyond stages. Sure, there's some fantastic goals that you're gradually realising, but on a fundamental level, it becomes hard to imagine yourself without that language being part of you.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Today it was revealed a major tech company, through use of a product it developed and actively pushes, engaged in potentially willing criminal activity, or criminal negligence, in a breach of government systems. Speaking as an Australian, this needs proper investigation and legal consequences.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Seems an emu escaped and went on a mini-rampage in Shiga. Take it from an Australian, don't mess with emu. We lost a whole war against them. Also, an Australian zoologist once briefed me on the working theory that emu may be distant cousins of t-rexes.

youtube.com

一時脱走した体長約2mの「エミュー」は去年ふ化した子ども　移動動物園の関係者が自宅の庭でペットとして放し飼い　約2時間後に捕獲　滋賀・守山市（2026年9月23日）

YouTube video by MBS NEWS

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Warning: Onimusha 2026 may have side effects, including but not limited to cravings to read works by Eiji Yoshikawa or Takehiko Inoue, a sudden interest in the Genpei War, and compulsive watching of chanbara films starring Toshiro Mifune.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This is very much a year where a cottage hidden in the deep, dark depths of the woods sounds appealing. That being said, unless it has a fully stocked library, no dice.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Onto the second Obake Techou book! When I finish this one, I intend do a write up recommending the series (4 books to date) for intermediate learners, as they're the right mix of being accessible, while featuring worthwhile, vocabulary-rich, entertaining reading.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A timely article, and a solid rundown of the issues the passive learning methods apps use that do not lead to lasting results. My early Japanese was through classes, but I can say that whatever experiments I made with French, Norwegian and Spanish through apps, have faded from memory.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Side note to the Nue joke, it has come to my attention that the supposed burial mound of the Nue is in Ashiya, Hyogo. I think that's definitely a stopover point whenever I'm in Kansai next.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Finally getting back to Onimusha, and I had this lovely exchange with a very dear friend: Friend: Let me know how you go with the Nues. I hate the Nues. Me (an amateur folklorist): You had to say the word 'Nue', didn't you. And yes, the Nue in-game live up to their folkloric equivalents.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Here's a fantastic article that's worth your time, and it captures an idea all language learners should hold on to: "the accumulation of precious moments" in our own journeys. It's an important philosophy to embrace, and one that helps us all on our journey as lifelong, enthusiastic learners.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Been chipping away at the first Obake Techou (おばけ手帳) book and honestly, I may have to do a proper write up recommending it for intermediate learners. It uses strings of passive form and a variety of N3/2 verbs actively, without Kanji density. It has potential as a bridging text for novels.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Even in the most challenging of times, there are little things worth appreciating, and these things are important ways to keep us grounded. A small example, but I've absolutely adored this song after stumbling upon it several months ago.

youtube.com

Sonotoki

YouTube video by Hitsujibungaku - Topic

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Next up in my sequential viewing of the Showa Godzilla films is Mothra vs. Godzilla (モスラ対ゴジラ, 1964), and honestly, this is not only a great tokusatsu film, it's the first case of the 'versus' format actually working with a properly realised, functional narrative. Definitely a fun one.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Figured it was about time to revisit Jurassic Park (1993), and I'm surprised how much I still remember of it. I haven't seen the film through in a good 10-15 years at least. The set pieces still hold up pretty well for a breezy, fun film. I think the 90s burned it into my brain, haha.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

My general impression of Kamen Rider Kuuga so far (4 episodes in: Seriously though, I'm enjoying the narrative as it's unfolding and the slightly darker tone to a lot of tokusatsu stuff I've seen.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A timely reminder to all human translators: you're awesome, talented and vital parts of our world. Your hard work means we can access, appreciate, and maybe even grow to adore all these amazing pieces of media. Machine translation... just defeats the purpose of it all.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I haven't locked in a potential Super Sentai series, but I've opted for Kuuga for my first Kamen Rider series (W might be next though). Along with Ultraman Tiga, I'm also playing around with the idea of a 'programming block' for winding down after work.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Much to my surprise, Ultraman Tiga has a Halloween episode (#8), featuring a childhood dream-consuming witch, and some visuals that aren't far off an episode of Are You Afraid of the dark. Definitely a fun episode.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

We apologise for the disruption in posting, I seem to have tripped a spam filter thing. I've appealed/contacted support, but I'm just going to wait this one out.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Revisited an old favourite tonight, Godzilla (ゴジラ 1954), which remains a bleak exploration of post-war and nuclear trauma via one of the most iconic monsters ever made. Ishirou Honda's original film is still a great science fiction creature feature, and a key part of post-war, anti-war fiction canon

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

You hear the phrase 'Japanese is endless' here and there and honestly... that's pretty reassuring in a way. It means there's always something new to learn, new depths to explore, and that milestones/growth on this journey NEED to be celebrated as they pop up.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Messing around with mediums and working on features/proportions. Feeling a bit rusty.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

One of the biggest issues with language learning is that most assume it's a linear process. It's messy and even the most determined push can be derailed by just... life happening. You CAN come back to it and make leaps and bounds that the time in-between helps with. Seeds need time and nutrients.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Played around in the sketchbook today. It's the first real art/drawing I've done in the past few months.

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MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Winding down with some light reading from the wonderful Tanabe Seia.

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