2025 In Retrospective

Last Year's Predictions

Last year, I set some goals for 2025. Let me see how I did.

In the final quarter of this year, I met someone through a dating app who really clicked with me. What started as casual conversation turned into something deeper — we could talk for hours about anything and everything. For about a month or two, I genuinely thought this could be it. But fate had other plans. She had something in her life she needed to finish first, something I can't share here and I respect her choice completely.

I wrote 2 blog posts this year (3 including this retrospective). Not as many as I hoped, but at least I kept the momentum going. As for the personal finance web-app, I started building it locally, but didn't get to finish it. Spare time was hard to come by this year. Maybe next year! The cerpen (short story) web-app? I pivoted to something else entirely.

One goal I actually nailed was travel and hiking! I went tracking to Gunung Papandayan and Danau Tengkorak. More on that below!

Personal Life

Same with 2024 nothing major changed in my personal life this year — no big moves or life-altering events. But if I had to describe 2025 in one word, it would be adventurous. I made it a point to get out more, explore nature, and spend quality time with friends. The highlights? Definitely the hiking trips.

Travel

Gunung Papandayan

In August, I returned to Gunung Papandayan — this time with coworker friends. Unlike my first visit in 2024, where I camped overnight with college friends, we did a Tektok (one-day hike without camping) this time around. The whole trip took about 4-5 hours, which made it a lot more manageable. Even though I'd seen it before, the crater and sulfur view still amazed me. Standing near the kawah, watching the sulfur smoke rise against the mountain backdrop, reminded me why this place is worth revisiting.

Danau Tengkorak

A few months later in November, I took another Tektok trip — this time to Danau Tengkorak with my college friends. We started around 10 AM at basecamp and come back again around 6 PM . What made it challenging wasn't just the distance, but the rain that started pouring during the hike. The track became incredibly slippery, and we kept falling over — luckily, no one got injured. Despite all the slips and muddy clothes, the view of the lake made it all worth it. A hidden gem tucked away after a demanding trek. It was great to reconnect with old friends while literally pushing through the hike together.

Work Life

This year brought some major changes at Pavenow. We welcomed a new Director of Engineering, which made things more organized while still keeping the flexibility our team values. Of course, change also meant some core members left and were replaced with new ones — adapting to team changes is always a process, but we're getting there. On the product side, we shipped some major features this year, and there's even more lined up for next year.

In the first quarter, I was appointed as the head of the mobile team — a big milestone for me. It was my first time leading a team, and I learned a lot about management, delegation, and keeping things on track. However, as the year went on and priorities shifted, Pavenow decided to focus more on web first. So I switched gears and took on frontend/web development responsibilities, while still keeping an eye on the mobile team. It's been a balancing act, but I've enjoyed the challenge and got to improve the structure of our frontend project along the way.

Work arrangement also changed this year — I'm now on a hybrid setup, splitting time between remote work and the Bandung office. It's a nice balance between flexibility and face-to-face collaboration with the team.

Fun

Now the best part: the things I enjoyed watching, playing or listening the most in 2025!

TV and Movies

This year I watched quite a lot — both in cinemas and at home. Here are the highlights:

Movies:

• Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning — What an epic finale to the franchise. Tom Cruise never disappoints with the stunts, and this one felt like the perfect send-off. The action sequences were intense, and the story tied everything together beautifully. If this is truly the end, it went out on a high note.
• Fantastic 4 — Loved it. The story was engaging from start to finish, and it finally did the team justice after so many failed attempts. The chemistry between the four was great, and the plot kept me invested throughout. Marvel finally got this one right.
• Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc — Better than expected, and I already had high expectations. The animation quality was absolutely insane — MAPPA outdid themselves. Seeing Reze's arc on the big screen elevated the emotional impact even more. The action, the romance, the tragedy — all of it hit different in a cinema.
• Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku — Hilarious. Even better than the first one. Indonesian comedy at its finest. The jokes landed perfectly, and the cast's chemistry was even stronger this time around. I was laughing throughout the entire movie.
• Avatar: Fire and Ash — Visually stunning, as expected from James Cameron. But what surprised me was how much the characters grew in this installment. The world of Pandora continues to amaze, and the new fire tribe brought a fresh perspective to the story. It's not just eye candy — there's real emotional depth here.
• Sore: A Wife from the Future — This one I want to highlight. The time travel concept is what hooked me — it's not your typical sci-fi approach, but rather uses time travel as a way to explore love and regret. The way the story unfolds, revealing how small moments in the present connect to the future, was brilliantly done. The ending absolutely wrecked me — I wasn't prepared for how emotional it would get. I regret not watching it in the cinema.

TV Shows:

For TV shows, I got into anime this year. Some I started but dropped halfway since they didn't hook me. But these ones stood out:

• Frieren — Beautiful and emotional. The pacing is deliberately slow, but every moment feels intentional. What really resonated with me was how it explores mortality and the passage of time — seeing the world through an elf's eyes, where human lifespans feel like brief moments, really makes you think about how we spend our time and who we spend it with.
• Orb — A unique story that's different from typical anime. It's hard to describe without spoiling it, but it took me on an emotional journey I wasn't expecting. The way it handles loss and identity is unlike anything I've seen before.
• Arcane — Amazing story and visually stunning. One of the best animated series I've ever watched. The world-building is incredible — the contrast between Piltover and Zaun, the politics, the class divide. It's so much more than a video game adaptation. Every frame is a work of art.
• Adolescence — A unique series filmed entirely in one take. The format made it incredibly immersive — you feel like you're living through the events in real time. It's an intense watch that demands your full attention, and it pays off.
• Gen V Season 2 — Same vibe as before, which is exactly what I wanted. A solid continuation of the series that expands on the world of The Boys while giving these characters room to grow. If you liked season 1, you'll enjoy this one too.

Stand Up Comedy

This year I finally watched a live stand up show — Mens Rea by Pandji Pragiwaksono at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta. Me and Farhan made the trip from Bandung to Jakarta by motorcycle, which was an adventure in itself. On the way, we passed by a demonstration in front of the DPR building. It made the show even more relevant since Pandji talked a lot about politics in Indonesia.

Games

I finally bought a PlayStation 5! Originally, I wanted it for GTA VI, but the game got postponed to next year — so I ended up playing PlayStation exclusives instead:

• Spider-Man: Miles Morales — The gameplay and combat are what made this shine. Miles' venom powers add a whole new layer to the combat system, and swinging through a snowy New York during the holiday season was magical. It's shorter than the first game, but every moment counts.
• Spider-Man 2 — Better than the first in every way. The addition of Venom as a villain raised the stakes, and being able to switch between Peter and Miles kept things fresh. The story was more emotional, the combat more varied, and the city felt more alive. Insomniac really outdid themselves.
• Astro Bot — Pure joy in game form. The level design is incredibly creative — every stage has something new and surprising. It's a love letter to PlayStation history, filled with references and Easter eggs. I couldn't stop smiling while playing this.
• Balatro — This game is dangerously addictive. Almost all my coworkers were playing it. It's a roguelike poker game that sounds simple, but the strategy and combo potential keep you coming back for "just one more run." Hours would disappear without us noticing.
• Peak — A co-op game where teamwork is absolutely required. We had to communicate constantly and coordinate our actions. It was chaotic, frustrating at times, but incredibly satisfying when we finally cleared a level together.
• It Takes Two — I just started playing this with a friend, and even though I haven't finished it yet, I can already tell it's one of the best co-op experiences out there. The variety of gameplay mechanics is insane — every level introduces something completely new. I actually started this because Split Fiction came out and I wanted to experience Hazelight's previous work first. Hopefully I can finish this and jump into Split Fiction next year!

But the game I want to highlight the most is

. I predicted it as my Game of the Year in a blog post I wrote earlier this year, and it absolutely delivered. The world and setting are unlike anything I've seen — a surreal, painterly landscape that feels like stepping into a living artwork. Combined with the art, the story, and the combat, everything was chef's kiss. I highly recommend checking out my full review here.

Music

This year, anime soundtracks and game OSTs took over my playlist. Here are the highlights:

• Yorushika — I discovered this band thanks to Frieren and Orb. Their songs for both anime are beautiful — emotional vocals paired with melancholic melodies that stick with you. Before I knew it, Yorushika dominated my Spotify Wrapped 2025, taking up most of my top 5. If you enjoyed those anime, definitely check out their music separately too.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST — The soundtrack from this game became my go-to work music. It's epic and orchestral — the kind of music that makes you feel like you're doing something important even when you're just fixing bugs. It keeps me focused and motivated throughout the day. A great soundtrack elevates a great game, and this one delivers on both.

Below is the embedded Spotify playlist from my Spotify Wrapped 2025, featuring my most listened to tracks this year:

2026 Expectations

Time for the predictions — hopefully I'll get more right this time!

On the personal side, I'm still hoping to find a life partner. Some things take time, and I'm willing to wait for the right moment. The door is always open. I also want to write more blog posts this year — consistency is key, and I want to keep the momentum going.

For work and career, I want to dive into backend development. I've been mostly focused on mobile and frontend, so learning server-side technologies feels like the natural next step to become a more well-rounded developer.

As for side projects, I really want to finish the personal finance web-app that I started this year. No more excuses — it's time to ship it.

I also want to focus on mastering Japanese. I've already built a web app to help me learn, and now it's time to actually use it consistently and improve. Speaking Japanese fluently like a native — let's see how far I can get in 2026.

Wrapping Up

Looking back at 2025, I have mixed feelings. There were highs — the adventures, the career milestone, the games and shows I enjoyed. But there were also moments that didn't go as planned, especially on the personal side. Still, that's life. Not every year can be perfect, and I think the important thing is to keep moving forward.

Here's to 2026. Let's see what it brings.