iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I feel bad for everyone who hasn’t watched Star Wars: Visions. It’s an anthology series where each episode is helmed by a different Japanese animation studio. The final episode of this latest season, titled “Black”, might just be my favorite piece of animation this year.

Screenshot from Star Wars: Visions S3 E9 “Black”. Two stormtroopers are seen in a room with eyes watching them from the walls and ceilings.

Screenshot from Star Wars: Visions S3 E9 “Black”. A lone stormtrooper looks out across the burning remains of a city.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

For added context, here’s some of the monster trucks I’ve been having an almost 4-year-old introduce me to. Here’s Megalodon, Rhinomite, Tiger Shark, and Bone Shaker (don’t know what its actual name is, but this is the name he landed on lol)

Picture of Megalodon, a monster truck that looks like a shark.

Picture of Rhinomite, a monster truck that looks like a rhinoceros

Picture of Tiger Shark, a monster truck that looks like a shark with tiger coloring and stripes

Picture of a monster truck that doesn’t have a name printed on it, but is being called “Bone Shaker” by this kid 🤷‍♂️

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

My girlfriend and I have been on a kick of watching early-to-mid 00’s film and television and decided to watch something that would be “new” to both of us… The O.C. We’re currently halfway through season 3 and honestly? This show has some truly great comedy and heart.

Poster for The O.C. with four of the main cast members posed together

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Enjoy! I went to one of these a few years ago (looks like maybe the same location?) and thought it was an awesome getaway.

Picture of a mini rental cabin with a campfire area.

Picture of the inside of a mini rental cabin.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

How could anyone dislike this absolute QUEEN?

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Witcher 3: Remastered looks gorgeous, but I’m being hit with performance issues, audio inconsistencies (sound effects not playing, voices being whisper quiet, etc.), and Vesemir keeps clipping into the ground??? Probably going to wait for a patch before playing more.

Screenshot of The Witcher 3: Remastered. A character, Vesemir, is seen stuck in the ground.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Just finished the two part LEGO One Piece on Netflix. It’s a retelling of the first two live-action seasons as they’re being narrated by Usopp, who occasionally changes the story to put himself front and center. And… it’s pretty fun!

Poster for the LEGO One Piece special on Netflix showing LEGO versions of the Straw Hat pirates aboard the Going Merry.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I was planning on waiting until November (especially since I have other stuff I’m playing right now) but I just blasted through the first hour of Ocarina of Time like it was nothing. All it took was five minutes running around Kokiri Forest to make me feel like a kid again. 🥹

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

They’re giving “We have La Bubu’s at home”

Photo of knockoff La Bubu’s at the store

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Early thoughts on Star Wars: Zero Company after an hour of playtime. - This is my first X-COM style strategy game, so there’s a bit of a learning curve for me - I like how there’s little battle animations even when it’s not a character’s turn

Key art for Star Wars: Zero Company depicting an array of characters against a black and blue background

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Smaller library haul this week, but one I’m still excited about!

Picture of my library haul.

“The River” by Peter Heller - (Novel)

We Bury the Dead - (DVD)

Star Wars: Zero Company - (PS5)

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Library just got some new games in! I know what I’m getting 😁

Picture of me holding a copy of Star Wars: Zero Company for PS5.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Got into a Keyblade fight with Ned Flanders as Solid Snake and lost. Fortnite rules.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Sorry for spamming the feed, but I also finished “Moan” by Junji Ito tonight. There are a few stinkers in this short story collection, but it also has one called Flesh-Colored Mystery which is truly unhinged and full of some of Ito’s most grotesque imagery. Gnarly stuff!

Cover art for “Moan” by Junji Ito. A collage of characters and objects from the short stories in this collection can be seen.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Dogs make life even better ❤️

Picture of a small black and white dog sitting like a human with a silly facial expression

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

New library haul! MORE Junji Ito! A Tolkien I haven’t read! A supposedly middling Spielberg film! A Life is Strange game that I’ll actually be able to finish! (IYKYK)

Picture of my library haul.

“Moan” by Junji Ito

“Lovesickness” by Junji Ito

“Deserter” by Junji Ito

“Smith of Wooten Major and Farmer Giles of Ham” by J. R. R. Tolkien.

“Life is Strange: True Colors” - PS4

“Disclosure Day” - DVD

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Aliens versus Predator: Extinction on the Xbox. It was my first RTS and I had no idea how that gameplay style or its strategies worked. I replayed the tutorial and the first few missions over and over again, but I could never make it past that.

Cover for Aliens versus Predator: Extinction on Xbox. Both a Xenomorph and Predator are shown with a group of human soldiers.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

For me, 2026 has largely been a year of revisiting and reconnecting with the things that made me fall in love with art and entertainment, so I think it’s time to re-read The Hobbit.

A picture of me holding a hardcover copy of “The Hobbit” by J. R. R. Tolkien.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue doesn’t understand how bodies work.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Legit thought there was a PS5 next to a TV in this movie and had to remind myself this came out in 2006. 😅

Picture of my TV with X-Men: The Last Stand playing on it. The characters in the movie are watching a TV and to the right of it is a device that resembles a PlayStation 5.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Alright, let’s do this. X-Men: The Last Stand is a film I remember not being a fan of when it first released, and this is my first time watching it since the theater. Let’s see if it’s really as bad as I thought it was, or if 14-year-old me was too harsh 🤣

Film poster for X:Men: The Last Stand showing several heroes and villains standing in a line.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Hi, my name is Zack and I’m in love with the character portraits in the Final Fantasy Resonance demo! 😍😍😍 (I stopped playing it after an hour because I want to savor the rest when it launches)

Screenshot of Final Fantasy Resonance. Two characters watch a sky of shooting stars. One (a man with short-to-medium length yellow hair) named Rain says “Geez, look at all these stars. Never seen so many shooting across the sky”.

Screenshot of Final Fantasy Resonance. A man named Lasswell has long, luscious black hair and wears a fancy purple outfit. His text box says “Something must have happened here”.

Screenshot of Final Fantasy Resonance. A woman named Charlotte with medium length blonde hair and thick armor says “Seeing as you were top of the class back in the academy, you should have no problem doing a stellar job. I’ll be right behind you, though.”

Screenshot of Final Fantasy Resonance. The King of Grandshelt (an older man with grey hair, a grey goatee, armor, and a flowing purple cape) says “I have received reports that the magic barrier surrounding the Earth Shrine has been compromised”.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I’m now a few hours into Assassin’s Creed: Rogue (Remastered) and it’s definitely scratching an itch for me. Sailing around, exploring islands, stealthily taking down outposts, and upgrading my gear and ship has all been a blast so far, although, I should probably play more story missions soon 😅

Key art for Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered. Main character Shay is seen walking away from a ship while the silhouette of two assassins can be seen prepping for combat.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

New FF7 art dropped, so of course I had to update my phone’s background.

New art for FF7 Remake trilogy that blends key scenes and characters from all 3 entries into one stunning combined work.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Not to brag, but my girlfriend made a dinner of steak, bacon, potatoes, and green beans and I just fell in love with her all over again 😍

Picture of a pan of steak, bacon, potatoes, and green beans.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

After a few starts and stops, I’ve finally finished Season 1 of Frieren! The Mage Exam arc in the back half of the season took some warming up to, but I now care about several of those new faces and hope they return at some point. Might be my new favorite modern anime?

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Next up from the backlog… Assassin’s Creed: Rogue - Remastered

Screenshot of the main menu for Assassin’s Creed: Rogue - Remastered.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Oops, forgot to add the video in the post! Going up to see this afterwards was awesome!

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Yup. The wait was worth it. The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm was one of the best theater experiences of my life. The size of the screen! The image quality! The sound! Absolutely phenomenal ❤️ Also got to go up to the projector area which was really cool to see!

Picture on a pinboard of the U.S. where people got to leave pins for where they traveled to the screening from.

Picture from up in the projection booth area. Signs on the top say “70MM IMAX” “1 of 40 in the World” “10x Standard Frame” “1.43:1 Aspect Ratio” “18K Resolution” and “7000 Watt Projector”

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I read through all 358 pages of Junji Ito’s “Gyo” in one sitting this morning and it might be rivaled with “Uzumaki” as my favorite of his works. Terrifying, shocking, and features a central mystery that’s enticing from beginning to end. Some of these images will be seared in my mind forever.

Cover of “Gyo” by Junji Ito. It’s hard to make out, but the cover features a man laying down in a ditch crawling with fish that have machine-like legs. A tapestry of spectral faces looms above him.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

What a ride! Today I rolled credits on the Resident Evil 4 Remake and I’ve gotta say, while I think it’s significantly harder than the original, I loved it to bits. Already started a second replay to work toward the Platinum Trophy 👍

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Spent my morning reading The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito. Yet another collection of short stories (he has so many!) but these ones are a little bit longer, which gives them more room to breathe. That extra length helps, but I’m eager to get back to his full length works soon.

Cover for “The Liminal Zone” by Junji Ito. A woman with two faces is holding up her hands while one set of eyes cries.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Just finished David Bowie in Comics. A graphic novel exploration of Bowie’s life, with each era assigned to a different visual artist. The variety in style perfectly matches Bowie’s ever-shifting journey of identity, and while I had some issues (Labyrinth slander!), it was an entertaining read.

Book cover for David Bowie in Comics. A close up of Bowie’s face with the iconic lightning bolt makeup is shown as he holds one finger to his lips.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Just finished Mimi’s Tales of Terror by Junji Ito. A collection of nine short stories involving a girl named Mimi who has increasingly more intense encounters with the supernatural. Lives in this perfect realm of “horror without explanation”, where your own imagination fills in the gaps.

Cover for “Mimi’s Tales of Terror” by Junji Ito. A young woman in a silver dress has her arms close to her body in fright as images of spectral beings hover behind her.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

New week, new library haul! Resident Evil 4 Remake - (PS5) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - (DVD) “Gyo” by Junji Ito (Manga) “The Liminal Zone” by Junji Ito (Manga) “Mimi’s Tales of Terror” by Junji Ito (Manga) David Bowie in Comics - (Graphic Novel) TMNT Return to New York - (Graphic Novel)

Picture of my library haul. Titles include…

Resident Evil 4 Remake - (PS5)

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - (DVD)

“Gyo” by Junji Ito (Manga)

“The Liminal Zone” by Junji Ito (Manga)

“Mimi’s Tales of Terror” by Junji Ito (Manga)

David Bowie in Comics - (Graphic Novel)

TMNT Return to New York - (Graphic Novel)

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Finished reading Alley by Junji Ito. This collection of ten short stories is a significant step down from Ito’s longform work. There is very little buildup to the horrors in each story and the grotesque imagery has been radically downplayed for a more sanitized experience.

Cover art for “Alley” by Juno Ito. A woman with long black hair and bangs is seen amidst an alleyway full of spectral figures.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Just finished Black Paradox by Junji Ito. A group of suicidal young adults form a pact to end their lives together, but the discovery of “another world” leads to mysteries, motives, and more that keeps things creepy. Ito’s art always makes my skin crawl, but this one is especially unsettling.

Cover for “Black Paradox” by Junji Ito. The cover is solid black with a white circle at the center that features the main characters within it.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I know Diana is supposed to be the one you bond with, but I would sell my kidneys for Cabin.

Screenshot from “Pragmata”. A young childlike android is standing next to a robot with a giant screen for a face and a charming little baseball cap.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Alright, time to become a Space Dad.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Just finished Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito. One of the most deeply unsettling manga I’ve ever read with that signature horrifying art from Ito’s deranged mind. It follows a brother and sister who journey across Japan causing havoc and it GOES PLACES. 😳😳😳

Cover of “Dissolving Classroom” by Junji Ito. A teenage boy and a young girl stand in a puddle of melted gooey bodies.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

New library haul! Pragmata - (PS5) Alley - Junji Ito (Manga) Black Paradox - Junji Ito (Manga) Dissolving Classroom -Junji Ito (Manga) Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek - Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy (Large illustrated book)

Picture of everything from my library haul laid out on my bed.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Roughly 5 hours into MIO and it’s steadily climbing up my GOTY list! There are definitely some quirks to adjust to (and the game doesn’t make certain mechanics clear), but I’m at the point where things are starting to click and I’m having the time of my life.

Key art for “MIO: Memories in Orbit”. A robot-like creature with golden tendrils is seen jumping away from a swarm of flying hummingbird robots.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Next up… MIO: Memories in Orbit.

Screenshot of “MIO: Memories in Orbit”. A small robotic character with golden hair is seen standing on a table in a rundown futuristic room.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Whew, that was surprisingly tough! 100% completion on LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy as well as all Achievements unlocked! Whoever decided to make Achievements for beating each level without dying is a monster. I Also managed to become a LEGO billionaire 😎💰

Screenshot of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. I have 100% completion and over a billion LEGO studs.

Screenshot of every Achievement for LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy unlocked on my account.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It’s not as good as the ice cream sundae flavor they had last year, but A&W’s new root beer float soda is pretty good! Tastes like regular root beer with melted vanilla ice cream in it.

A picture of me holding a bottle of A&W’s new “Root Beer Float” soda. My dog is also snoozing on my lap.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

My girlfriend and I finished Elle tonight (the Legally Blonde prequel series) and this might be one of my new favorite prequels! So much fun, so much heart, and Lexi Minetree is absolutely *perfect* as a young Elle Woods/Reese Witherspoon.

Poster for the “Elle” series. A young girl in a pink dress stands in front of a pink locker.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Just 30 seconds outside to get in the car was a painful experience. The smoke from the fires in Canada has made its way here and mixed with the high temps it feels like literal hell out here.

Picture of my weather app. 90 degrees Fahrenheit and air quality at 410, which is classified as “Hazardous”.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Went outside, touched grass (sand?), and saw both a sunset and a pirate ship. Today was a good day.

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Zack Burrows @zackburrows.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

One Piece: We’re going to give you a huge cast of heroes and villains to fall in love with and deeply appreciate. Also One Piece: Here’s the most obnoxious fictional character you’ve ever seen.

Picture of Satori from One Piece. He’s a peculiar man shaped like a ping pong ball with wings.

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