Never thought a word search would become one of my favorite puzzles of all time...
That being said, this experience blew my mind, thinking about how each puzzle was made to accommodate both the beginning and end solutions. Everything beautifully fell into place at the end, and it made me feel smart. (i also liked how the titles subtly alluded to the theme of the puzzle)
Some things I was left wondering though:
On #5, are the blobs on _ _ _ I S _ just red herrings and it's actually only X I S?
On #6, were there supposedly twelve "a1"s hidden behind the blob?
Either way, amazing design! 10/10, took ~4.5h.