Martin Freeman was perfect casting as Bilbo. It's one of my favorite casting choices across the 6 LotR films and movies in general. I'm curious to see how TDoS and BotFA hold up. I liked Smaug at the time, but even as a 13 year old I wasn't hot on Five Armies.

Pearl Jam and Sunny Day Real Estate are both in my personal Top 10, Soundgarden is good too, but the rest is so boring. I haven't willingly put a Nirvana song on since I was probably 14 years old. The rest of America was doing so much cooler stuff than the West Coast was.

Kind of related, but I never got the Samwise minifig. I had all of the other members of the fellowship, but I think Sam only came in the Shelob set. I got Moria and Weathertop, plus Gandalf's cart for Christmas that year.

I've always loved going back to Tolkien stuff around Christmas time. Whether it's getting the LotR lego sets as presents or going to see The Hobbit movies with my dad during the afternoon on Christmas Eve every year of middle school, I have so many memories tied to December and Middle Earth.

This means I've finished my Fugazi vinyl collection! Super hyped to have all of them together.

I'm fairly certain the first year I watched was the 5th special in 2012 when I was 11. The holiday season isn't complete without watching through all of them.

In the anime, I really love that Goku feels something is off, but he isn't sure what. The anime chooses to build tension VS the manga surprising reader. Both are excellent and work well for their respective mediums.

It's great in the manga too of course. It seems like he's going to come right back to Goku and the gang, which makes his death so shocking.

Possibly the best he ever looked, if I may say so.