Looking back: Nov '25, Week 3

What a week! It feels so strange being reminded every Monday that just a week ago, I was in a totally different head space. 🤔 Let's talk about it! 💜

✨ Projects -- Finally finished the karaoke medley I've been working on! And I have a full body rig now! 🥹

It's done and dusted! 🥹 This project was finalized only recently, but the plan had been sitting in my project list since the start of the year. 💀 There were so many iterations of it. Maybe I'll list them here, just in case I ever want to revisit them:

1. DJ Mix of some catchy songs that I like (this is how I did the medley for my Live2D model debut)

   1. First set had mainly hip-hop (?) vibe, because I wanted to do something chill and different from my usual

   2. Second was rock... because I thought that listeners just wanted to hear me belt high notes... 🥺

   3. Third was whatever worked in terms of BPM and song key

2. Acoustic guitar medley of a few songs I've always wanted to cover, but can't obtain the instrumentals of (Was either going to do it myself, or with Yuraia's help)

3. A mix of anime theme songs that I enjoy, but wouldn't have done a full vocal cover of

   1. Like this song that I'm still obsessed with it almost 2 decades later. Am I old? 🙃

4. The one I settled on in the end: A tribute to some of my favorite 2D idol songs

   1. I considered a medley of Japanese pop idol songs too, but I didn't enjoy singing those as much as dancing to them. 🤔

I'm happy with my final choice! Even considered dancing to my karaoke medley, but it felt like a shame to not do the whole choreography of each song. 🥹

I truly enjoyed myself throughout the production process. 🥹

I can finally show off the full body artwork! ✨

Anyway! I spent the first half of this week working on the visuals for the mix. I've been obsessed with LED and VJ VFX loops since the Vtuber Showcase that Ari and I did for AMG 2024. But I learned from experience that YouTube's bitrate would start suffering if I overdo it. 🤣 So I have fewer LEDs in the video this time round. 🤣🤣🤣 Also, I finally did Mama Fei's artwork justice and rendered the video in 2K, 60FPS, 15mbps. 💀 When she saw the debut video last year, she asked if there was something wrong with the video... 🙃 Yes there was, and the mistake has been haunting me ever since. 🤣

As for the Live2D rig update, Manjuu started working on it on 6/7 Nov, and after some to and fro regarding touching up some details, sent me the finalized model on 18 Nov. She works so fast!

Throughout this whole process, I wasn't sure how I felt about having an updated rig. I don't stream (or rather, I have no more plans to), and I seldom use the model, so it almost felt like I was investing in something with little to no ROI. Even after piloting the updated rig, I didn't feel the same excitement as the time I got the half-body rig. I didn't feel inspired to make new content.

But I did feel like my vision of Mimi finally became a reality. Maybe that's more than enough? 🥹

I LOVE MY MAGIC CIRCLE.

Unfortunately the medley video isn't doing very well, but that's okay! I'm happy to have done something for myself! I just hope that those who look forward to content from me enjoyed it too. I did try to show off my different vocal tones, but I'm not very sure if that's what people like. 🙃 Oh well!

I'm still me! 🌙🐰

✨ Gaming -- Played For The King II with friends, Baldur's Gate 3, Judgment, and checked out Spirit City's Christmas update!

I played For The King a few years back, but didn't enjoy it enough to get the second game. So when For The King II was free to play for a week, I decided to give it a go!

Game was fun, and better with friends! But like the first game it became apparent after the first game (the campaign is broken up into several story missions) that it has the same problem as the first: requiring players to grind earlier missions to upgrade their character load-outs. I don't enjoy grinding for the sake of it, so I stopped after failing the second game.

Was fun while it lasted, I suppose!

This hat cracked me up so bad. 🤣🤣🤣

After we were done with For The King II, my friends went off to play their solo games, and so did I! I got to play BALDUR'S GATE 3. What else is there to say??? It was a fantastic week!!!

Felt weird seeing my usual equipment being worn by a different character. 🤔

Seeing as that I enjoyed playing other CRPGs like Avernum (I wanted to replay the whole series, but the game is so dated now.), Divinity: Original Sin (1 & 2), and Dragon Age Origins solo, my partner recommended me a few other CRPGs to try. I might try Pathfinder or Pillars of Eternity someday, but for now Baldur's Gate 3 is still my happy place. 💖

Found some time to play Judgment on the weekend too. I'm resisting checking how many chapters I have left, because I don't want to risk getting spoiler-ed, but maybe I should lock-in and finish it this week -- I didn't play Judgment for a week and already forgot some story details, so either the story isn't engaging enough, or I'm GETTING OLD??? 🤔🤔🤔

Turns out sometimes thugs carry presents in their pockets?

I also played a little FFXIV, D4DJ, and NekoAtsume. But the most memorable "game check-in" was Spirit City!

Check out the Christmas vibes! Also, I like the new UI update (not shown here)!

I haven't been booting up Spirit City as often lately because I've been actively working on music projects. But now that I'm done for the year I'm back to having it open! 🎵

✨ Something interesting -- Finally arranged my face tracking set up for my new desk!

Featuring: My FFXIV Paladin Job Stone. 🤣🤣🤣

I want to tweak my parameters a little more because Mama Fei pointed out that my eyes close way too fast now. I wanted it to be snappy, but maybe I've gone a little overboard. 🤔 Will do it before the next time I use my model!

✨ Snack corner -- Went out for high tea!

This frog sticker is so cute. 🥹

My partner and I enjoy TWG very much, but haven't gone in a long time! So we headed down after the lunch crowd on Friday to have a late lunch.

10/10 would recommend buying TWG tea blends because not once has their teas disappointed, and they are reasonably priced if you buy just the tea leaves. 💖 They make for great souvenirs from Singapore too! (The founder of TWG was not Singaporean, but the company originated from Singapore!)

BUT I was so full (we shared a plate of linguine too) that I couldn't stomach the thought of buying more to consume... so I left without taking home some tea for brewing. 🙃

I shall convince myself that I have more than enough TWG teas at home already... Although they're old by now... Yes, I have enough. Yes... y-yes... 🥺💔

~💜~

Hopes for this week

♪ Maybe practice the song I have planned for 2026 Q1? Or maybe not! :P

☆ Play Judgment!

☆ When I don't hope to play Baldur's Gate 3 I get to play it, so... (IT'S WORKING!!!🥹)

☆ Decorate my home for the Christmas season! ❄️

Thank you for reading! 🌙🐰