A view from Lomnicky Peak, Slovakia, April 2017
A view from Lomnicky Peak, Slovakia, April 2017
Aside from exploring new features of Cinema 4D and After Effects, and experimenting with new software such as Cavalry, Rive, and Unreal Engine, I love nature. I enjoy hiking, and I used to ski every winter when I lived in Europe.
One of my current main hobbies is learning Japanese. I've been trying to study it on my own with textbooks since (roughly) 2004, though my experience has been somewhat sporadic. What has really helped me progress the most is attending an in-person course at City Lit school in London since January 2025. I also love reading Japanese manga, watching J-dramas and anime, and I'm a big fan of Studio Ghibli, especially the works of Hayao Miyazaki, as well as the films by another great Japanese director: Makoto Shinkai.
Additionally, I enjoy reading fiction, particularly historical and urban fantasy genres. As a film buff who loves sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, crime, horror, and drama, I took classes in drama and screen acting, and have created a few comedy sketches and a short film between 2021 and 2023. However, I haven't yet had the time (or motivation) to clean up the audio or complete the final edits, so these acting and filmmaking projects remain unpublished.
When I find time, I like drawing and painting, but I haven't found the focus for these hobbies in a long time. For any older creative work, please visit my old DeviantArt profile.
FAVOURITES
Some of my favourites, categorised.
FILMS
• Lethal Weapon 1 - 4, dir. Richard Donner, 1987 - 1998
• Back to the Future trilogy, dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1985 - 1990
• Dead Poets Society, dir. Peter Weir, 1989
• Dark City, dir. Alex Proyas, 1998
• The Lord of the Rings extended edition, dir. Peter Jackson, 2001 - 2003
• Million Dollar Baby, dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004
SERIES
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 144 episodes,1997 - 2003
• Firefly, 14 episodes + 1 film, 2002
• Battlestar Galactica, 76 episodes + 2 films 2003 - 2009
• Blue Eye Samurai, 8 episodes, 2023 -
JAPANESE LIVE FILMS & SERIES
• Battle Royale ( バトル・ロワイアル ), dir. Kinji Fukasaku, 2000
• Zatoichi ( 座頭市 ), dir. Takeshi Kitano, 2003
• Crows Zero (クローズ ZERO, Kurōzu Zero, Crows: Episode 0), dir. Takashi Miike, 2007
• Azumi ( あずみ ), dir. Ryuhei Kitamura, 2003
• Azumi 2: Death or Love ( あずみ 2, Azumi Tsū Desu oa Rabu), dir. Shusuke Kaneko 2005
• Confessions (Kokuhaku, 告白), dir. Tetsuya Nakashima, 2010
• GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, 12 episodes, 1998
• Nodame Cantabile ( のだめカンタービレ ), 11 episodes + 2 films, 2006 - 2010
• Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradaisu (To You in Full Blossom; Hana⭐Kimi, 花ざかりの君たちへ〜イケメン♂パラダイス〜 ), 12 episodes, 2007 - 2008
• Stepmom and Daughter Blues (Gibo to Musume no Buruusu, 義母と娘のブルース ), 10 episodes, 2018
• Light of My Lion (Raion no Kakurega, ライオンの隠れ家 ), 11 episodes, 2024
JAPANESE MANGA
• Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne ( 神風怪盗ジャンヌ ), Arina Tanemura, 1998 - 2000
• Paradise Kiss ( ParaKiss; パラダイス・キス ), Ai Yazawa, 1999 - 2003
• Rurouni Kenshin ( るろうに剣心 ), Nobuhiro Watsuki, 1994 - 1999 (unfortunately, the mangaka was charged with possession of around 100 DVD items he shouldn't have (!) in 2017; 😔🤮)
JAPANESE ANIME SERIES
• Full Moon o Sagashite ( 満月をさがして, Looking for Full Moon), Arina Tanemura, 52 episodes, 2002 - 2003
• Wolf's Rain, Keiko Nobumoto, 26 + 4 episodes, 2003 - 2004
• Attack on Titan ( 進撃の巨人 ), Hajime Isayama, 94 + 3 episodes, 2013 - 2023
• The Apothecary Diaries ( 薬屋のひとりごと ), Huyganatsu & Touko Shino, 48 episodes, 2023 -
• Lethal Weapon 1 - 4, dir. Richard Donner, 1987 - 1998
• Back to the Future trilogy, dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1985 - 1990
• Dead Poets Society, dir. Peter Weir, 1989
• Dark City, dir. Alex Proyas, 1998
• The Lord of the Rings extended edition, dir. Peter Jackson, 2001 - 2003
• Million Dollar Baby, dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004
SERIES
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 144 episodes,1997 - 2003
• Firefly, 14 episodes + 1 film, 2002
• Battlestar Galactica, 76 episodes + 2 films 2003 - 2009
• Blue Eye Samurai, 8 episodes, 2023 -
JAPANESE LIVE FILMS & SERIES
• Battle Royale ( バトル・ロワイアル ), dir. Kinji Fukasaku, 2000
• Zatoichi ( 座頭市 ), dir. Takeshi Kitano, 2003
• Crows Zero (クローズ ZERO, Kurōzu Zero, Crows: Episode 0), dir. Takashi Miike, 2007
• Azumi ( あずみ ), dir. Ryuhei Kitamura, 2003
• Azumi 2: Death or Love ( あずみ 2, Azumi Tsū Desu oa Rabu), dir. Shusuke Kaneko 2005
• Confessions (Kokuhaku, 告白), dir. Tetsuya Nakashima, 2010
• GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, 12 episodes, 1998
• Nodame Cantabile ( のだめカンタービレ ), 11 episodes + 2 films, 2006 - 2010
• Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradaisu (To You in Full Blossom; Hana⭐Kimi, 花ざかりの君たちへ〜イケメン♂パラダイス〜 ), 12 episodes, 2007 - 2008
• Stepmom and Daughter Blues (Gibo to Musume no Buruusu, 義母と娘のブルース ), 10 episodes, 2018
• Light of My Lion (Raion no Kakurega, ライオンの隠れ家 ), 11 episodes, 2024
JAPANESE MANGA
• Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne ( 神風怪盗ジャンヌ ), Arina Tanemura, 1998 - 2000
• Paradise Kiss ( ParaKiss; パラダイス・キス ), Ai Yazawa, 1999 - 2003
• Rurouni Kenshin ( るろうに剣心 ), Nobuhiro Watsuki, 1994 - 1999 (unfortunately, the mangaka was charged with possession of around 100 DVD items he shouldn't have (!) in 2017; 😔🤮)
JAPANESE ANIME SERIES
• Full Moon o Sagashite ( 満月をさがして, Looking for Full Moon), Arina Tanemura, 52 episodes, 2002 - 2003
• Wolf's Rain, Keiko Nobumoto, 26 + 4 episodes, 2003 - 2004
• Attack on Titan ( 進撃の巨人 ), Hajime Isayama, 94 + 3 episodes, 2013 - 2023
• The Apothecary Diaries ( 薬屋のひとりごと ), Huyganatsu & Touko Shino, 48 episodes, 2023 -
JAPANESE ANIME FILMS
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1984
• Akira ( アキラ ), dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988
• Ghost in the Shell ( 攻殻機動隊 ), dir. Mamoru Oshii, 1995
• Perfect Blue ( パーフェクトブルー ), dir. Satoshi Kon, 1999
• Paprika ( パプリカ ), dir. Satoshi Kon, 2006
• 5 Centimeters per Second ( 秒速5センチメートル ), dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2007
• Your Name ( 君の名は ), dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2016
• A Whisker Away ( 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる ), dir. Junichi Sato, 2020
STUDIO GHIBLI
• Mononoke Hime ( もののけ姫 ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997
• Spirited Away ( 千と千尋の神隠し ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001
• Howl's Moving Castle ( ウルの動く城 ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2004
BOOKS
• Farseer trilogy, Robin Hobb, 1995 - 1997
• Tawny Man trilogy, Robin Hobb, 2001 - 2003
• Fitz and the Fool trilogy, Robin Hobb, 2014 - 2017
• The Witcher (Wiedźmin) saga, standalone books and short stories, Andrzej Sapkowski, 1990 - 2024
• Ring series, Koji Suzuki, 1991 - 2013
• The Shining, Stephen King, 1977
• It, Stephen King, 1986
MUSIC
~ Oldies Goodies: I don't listen to these bands/artists very often any more:
Linkin Park, Evanescence, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Hanoi Rocks, X JAPAN, Yoshiki Classical
~ Newer artists whom I listen to more often:
• Carpenter Brut: Trilogy (2015), Blood Machines Movie OST (2020), Leather Teeth (2018)
• +DéspairsRay+: Mirror (2007), Coll:set (2005)
• abingdon boys school: abingdon boys school (2007)
• Matenrou Opera: Kassai to Gekijo no GLORIA (2013)
GAMES
• The Witcher 1, 2, 3, CD Projekt Red (yes, I like the first two, too!), 2007 - 2022
• GRIS, Nomada Studio, 2022
• The Elder Scrolls Online, ZeniMax Online Studios, 2014
• Pokémon, Nintendo 3DS **
** I haven't upgraded to Nintendo Switch yet
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1984
• Akira ( アキラ ), dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988
• Ghost in the Shell ( 攻殻機動隊 ), dir. Mamoru Oshii, 1995
• Perfect Blue ( パーフェクトブルー ), dir. Satoshi Kon, 1999
• Paprika ( パプリカ ), dir. Satoshi Kon, 2006
• 5 Centimeters per Second ( 秒速5センチメートル ), dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2007
• Your Name ( 君の名は ), dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2016
• A Whisker Away ( 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる ), dir. Junichi Sato, 2020
STUDIO GHIBLI
• Mononoke Hime ( もののけ姫 ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997
• Spirited Away ( 千と千尋の神隠し ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001
• Howl's Moving Castle ( ウルの動く城 ), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2004
BOOKS
• Farseer trilogy, Robin Hobb, 1995 - 1997
• Tawny Man trilogy, Robin Hobb, 2001 - 2003
• Fitz and the Fool trilogy, Robin Hobb, 2014 - 2017
• The Witcher (Wiedźmin) saga, standalone books and short stories, Andrzej Sapkowski, 1990 - 2024
• Ring series, Koji Suzuki, 1991 - 2013
• The Shining, Stephen King, 1977
• It, Stephen King, 1986
MUSIC
~ Oldies Goodies: I don't listen to these bands/artists very often any more:
Linkin Park, Evanescence, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Hanoi Rocks, X JAPAN, Yoshiki Classical
~ Newer artists whom I listen to more often:
• Carpenter Brut: Trilogy (2015), Blood Machines Movie OST (2020), Leather Teeth (2018)
• +DéspairsRay+: Mirror (2007), Coll:set (2005)
• abingdon boys school: abingdon boys school (2007)
• Matenrou Opera: Kassai to Gekijo no GLORIA (2013)
GAMES
• The Witcher 1, 2, 3, CD Projekt Red (yes, I like the first two, too!), 2007 - 2022
• GRIS, Nomada Studio, 2022
• The Elder Scrolls Online, ZeniMax Online Studios, 2014
• Pokémon, Nintendo 3DS **
** I haven't upgraded to Nintendo Switch yet
