Good Riddance 2004!

We can finally say good-bye to a year that was most notable for the inception of my blog, some phenominally bungled political campaigns, and me tricking my parents into thinking I actually attended my graduation ceremony. God, what a tedious year.

I rented a movie in anticipation of not getting invited to any New Year's Eve festivities, because I never get invited to any New Year's Eve festivities. Thankfully, I'm not bitter about being annually eschewed. Last year, it actually worked out relatively well — they were showing an Arrested Development marathon on FOX, which I'm sure would've beat out going to see the Harry Potter movie with those geek friends of mine from high school who never write, never call, never IM or anything. Glad I'm not bitter.

Anyway, the movie I rented was Satoshi Kon's recent animated feature Tokyo Godfathers, which, it turned out, was appropriate, as the movie was set in Tokyo during the week between Christmas and New Years. It's about three homeless pariahs who come across an abandoned baby and resolve to return it to its mother, and if that sounds like a primer for a contrived plot, then I guess it is. I didn't mind so much though, partly because the storytelling isn't saccharine and Capra-esque and partly because I think we're naturally inclined to give animated, fantasy films a bit more leeway when it comes willing suspension of disbelief. Still, Tokyo Godfathers was entertaining; it's to me what Bridget Jones's Diary is to my mom — fluff. Although in my case, it's not mindless fluff.