Closing up on 2024

Prelude

Here we are again, at the edge of the year—the other end. It felt like I just started 2024 and my age also hits 25 ("traditional" people would call this pretty old). Unbelievable how quickly the days flew by, each one a mix of routine, surprises, growth, and challenges.

As I sit down to reflect and looking back, it’s not just about the accomplishments but the journey, the shifts in perspective, and how even the smallest moments shaped the bigger picture.

Let’s dive into the year that was and see what's been happening:

1. Appointed as a service owner (3 services, in fact) at AccelByte
2. Learning more on how to deal with demotivation due to massive layoff in the office (twice!)
3. Starting to go out and visit the Arcade more (mostly, to play Maimai)
4. First time starting a playthrough on JP-only video games: Kai no Kiseki

I have some regrets here and there, but it's mostly been a great year.

A Surprising Turn: Becoming a Service Owner

One of the biggest surprises this year came from an unexpected shift in my career. I had been steadily working on my usual tasks, focusing on doing my job well and contributing to the team. It was rewarding in itself, but I didn’t anticipate that my efforts were being closely noticed by leadership.

This new role came with its own set of challenges: balancing strategic oversight with day-to-day operations, understanding the broader vision for the service, and stepping up as a point of accountability. It was daunting at first. I questioned whether I was ready, whether I could deliver on the expectations.

This moment also marks where I also got another promotion to Software Engineer III.

Navigating Demotivation: Lessons from Tough Times

Even after all that, it didn’t come with all happiness. The reality of work this year was shaped by moments of uncertainty and challenge, especially after surviving not one but two massive layoffs in the office. Seeing colleagues—some of whom I worked closely with—being let go was heartbreaking and unsettling. It’s hard to stay motivated when the environment feels so fragile, even more so when you’re tasked with leading and maintaining stability amid the turbulence.

Through this experience, I realized that demotivation isn’t something to fear. It’s a signal—a chance to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. It taught me to prioritize self-care, to seek support without shame, and to find meaning even in tough circumstances.

The layoffs reminded me of the importance of gratitude: for the opportunities I have, the skills I’m building, and the relationships I’ve forged. Most importantly, they reinforced a lesson that will carry into the future: resilience isn’t about avoiding challenges but about learning how to navigate them with grace and determination.

Rediscovering Joy: Arcade Visits and the Magic of Maimai and Chunithm

Amidst the challenges and responsibilities this year brought, I found myself gravitating toward an unexpected source of joy: the arcade. It started as a casual visit—a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a break and disconnect from the weight of work. But soon, it became a regular escape, a slice of carefree fun in the middle of everything.

These visits weren’t just about the game, though. They were about finding a space to unwind, to reconnect with a more playful side of myself that often gets buried under adult responsibilities. The arcade became a reminder that fun doesn’t need to be complicated or planned.

I also hits Rainbow Rating in both Maimai and Chunithm this year.

A New Frontier: Playing Kai no Kiseki with OCR Translation

This year marked another first for me: diving into a Japan-exclusive video game before it's being localized, Kai no Kiseki. It’s a title I’ve always been excited about, but the language barrier kept me from exploring it—until now.

To make this experience work, I needed more than just the PS4. To navigate the language gap, I set up a capture device to passthrough the game feed to my PC, allowing me to use OCR (optical character recognition) tools to translate the text in real time.

This experience also opened my eyes to the possibilities of technology bridging gaps in accessibility. OCR wasn’t perfect—it sometimes misread characters/pronouns or struggled with unusual fonts—but it was a tool that made something previously out of reach completely doable.

Kai no Kiseki itself was everything I’d hoped for: rich storytelling, complex characters, and a inter-connected world that felt alive with detail. Playing it in Japanese added a layer of immersion and challenge that I hadn’t encountered before. It pushed me to engage more deeply with the game, not just as a player but as someone learning and adapting.

Lastly, Kai no Kiseki is a Falcom's breakthrough game and I got caught off guard by the ending. I knew what was coming and yet… when it finally happened, it still struck me hard. Needless to say, tears were shed. What a masterpiece.

The OCR tools used: Gaminik

Wrap-up

As 2025 approaches, I find myself unsure of the perfect closing words for this year. My hope, above all, is to stay healthy and grounded in the year ahead with how bad the "economy" looks to be. Looking further to 2025, one goal stands out: to make meaningful progress in the realm of relationships—something I’ve been putting on the back burner for far too long. Everything else can follow in its own time.

Song of the year: Mitsuo Singa - 女神の唄 (Song of the Goddess)