The part where you’re just listing off waifus you missed with your patrons scrolling in the background almost makes me think you’re thanking the waifus for becoming patrons lol. Great video as always.
@natetheaverage5270
Жыл бұрын
This has nothing to do with your comment, I just wanted to say Super Mario Galaxy 2 is awesome and it's cool to see another person who likes it.
@DakotaofRaptors
Жыл бұрын
@@natetheaverage5270 as is Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
@CringeAnimePFP160
8 ай бұрын
He mentioned griffith💀
@bioticsla
7 ай бұрын
@@CringeAnimePFP160 thats the one that made you comment? 😭
@CringeAnimePFP160
7 ай бұрын
@@bioticsla Of course, I love Griffith. He's the greatest waifu of all time and I love seeing him get the attention he truly deserves. He's so relatable.
@mrgodzillaraptors8632
Жыл бұрын
It is incredibly ironic how Evangelion, the show were all the characters are sick and have issues, the show that’s all about how escapism is bad, became the main reason waifus, one of the bigger examples of escapism imo, became popular.
@ryderreychavez7643
Жыл бұрын
exactly! the and the funniest part is that when the rebuilds are made and anno makes them about everything the fans wanted and made they all hated it!
@GabrielCosta-xt1dv
Жыл бұрын
I mean, I think that kinda makes sense actually By showing deeply flawed and vulnerable characters, you establish a deeper connection with the audience That's why so many people like Asuka, Misato, Rei and Kaworu
@mrgodzillaraptors8632
Жыл бұрын
@@GabrielCosta-xt1dv and they still miss the whole point
@AlexEternalChamp
9 ай бұрын
everything he said about evangelion is flat out wrong except for the part about the show being successful neither Asuka nor rei have been popular in any anime fan poll in well over a decade. In fact i've never see either of them be popular since i started watching anime around 15 years ago. Clearly, they had their moment of success but it didnt' last nearly as long as he claims it did furthermore, sailor moon was released several years before evangelion and was a massive success. To claim evangelion popularized waifus is objectively and hilariously wrong
@irisheartt
9 ай бұрын
@@mrgodzillaraptors8632 Did they miss the point, or did they see the point and still feel things for the characters anyway? It's not like logic can stand in the way of emotions.
@drtaverner
Жыл бұрын
In 2005 I was in an abusive relationship with an older woman who had basically groomed me (very long story). That year the Ah, My Goddess TV series came out. Belldandy was portrayed as a kind, loving person who literally cared for everyone and everything. She was depicted as close to my own age (my wife was 13yrs older) and was a literal avatar of kindness and compassion. I had a picture of Belldandy on my desktop as a kind of cheerleader w/ the caption "You Can Do It!" My wife hated it. I was so badly starved for even a shred of kindness that I had to get it from an animated TV character. Four years later, I was on my own and now have actual healthy relationships. I look back and honestly think AMG saved my life.
@NodokaHanamura
8 ай бұрын
The goddess Belldandy, patron saint of the downtrodden and misfortunate. Good to see you're in a better place now, dude.
@drtaverner
8 ай бұрын
@@NodokaHanamura Cheers. IMO she's the best Verðandi representation and lives on in my personal head canon.
@azhuransmx126
8 ай бұрын
Oh man I recomend you the Redpill, don't allow biological woman betaize you, be rude and maintain always Alpha till the AI waifus become real in 2030 and bring you a kind and tender Beldandi 😂👍 and yesss Belldandi is one of the best waifus of all times, she has all what men around the world want. She deserves her own Waifuism religion
@bificommander7472
8 ай бұрын
Good to hear you're doing better man.
@UndeadGirlCyber
8 ай бұрын
Very happy for you :)
@mewhentheballs7689
Жыл бұрын
having casca, guts, griffith, speedwagon and levi on that end list makes this even better. great analysis overall.
@MrKynzer
Жыл бұрын
It's insane to me the amount of research and dedication put in these videos
@refkiriswansyah2830
Жыл бұрын
This guy the equivalent of anime & games version of JxmmyXHighroller for basketball/NBA. He is just THAT dedicated to perfection in data research for his video.
@valorfarrell3030
Жыл бұрын
King shit
@brianfitz1604
11 ай бұрын
Yeah I just found him this morning and I think my day is booked up already lol. Solid vids and thanks!
@C052-ip9zs
9 ай бұрын
how is a waifu video 1 h long wtf
@Taruby
8 ай бұрын
As someone who has been translating Japanese articles and interviews about the history of this topic, there's way more than the sources for this video. You can find these translations searching for 'Fusion Product' and 'Azuma Hideo'. While Patrick Galbraith has done a lot of good work that's cited by Japanese scholars, he's still just a single man, and he hasn't painted an adequately accurate picture of the origins of the Otaku subculture, which is largely split between the actions of 4 editors: Kawamoto Kouji (he's the most important figure no one talks about; he's also friends with Yonezawa Yoshihiro, the person responsible for Comiket, and a member of their circle 'Labyrinth'), Takatori Ei (an older editor part of the third-rate gekiga boom), Ogata Katsuhiro (he's responsible for Fusion Product and the co-editor of Manga Burikko who allowed Nakamori Akio to write his Otaku Research columns), and Ootsuka Eiji (the other co-editor of Manga Burikko, and the only editor out of these four who stuck around through the 1990s to 2000s writing books about the subject of Otaku). Kawamoto Kouji transitioned from manga editing and photography to become the president of a company that cleans up the environment before he passed away due to Covid last December. Takatori Ei, while still being a prominent figure in manga, mainly transitioned to theatre, and Ogata Katsuhiro moved on to writing about his true passion, which is typesetting. Much of what Patrick Galbraith knows is due to him being on speaking terms with Ootsuka Eiji, and as Ootsuka Eiji pointed out in his retrospective nostalgia magazine, Comic Shingenjitsu, back in 2005, he wanted others besides himself knowledgeable about the past to come forward to write their perspective; otherwise the history of the prime origin of Moe would be tainted by his own bias. Later, there was a presentation at the Yonezawa Memorial Museum in 2011 where Kawamoto Kouji went over his entire history regarding the Otaku Subculture: 'Science Fiction and Bishoujo: From Peke to Shoujo Alice'. After his passing, one of my Japanese research acquaintances, Kera, got everyone, including Kawamoto Kouji's family, together to do a research zine about him and their relationship, and it's through this zine that Ogata Katsuhiro finally spoke about his involvement in a long 13k~ character interview (which I'm translating for Kera right now).
@ja6896
Жыл бұрын
"I am not any sort of professional that would have any credible opinion... I'm a college dropout talking to my camera" I've sat through thesis defenses that didn't put in a tenth of the research you do for your videos. Keep up the good work.
@Vinzmannn
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, just because people don't have credentials, their opinion or research isn't worthless
@prosandcons-fl2cc
Жыл бұрын
@@Vinzmannn based opinion, based video
@s1nistr433
Жыл бұрын
@@Vinzmannn What would you be certified in to begin with? "Yeah I'm a professional waifu researcher"
@enoch13th85
Жыл бұрын
@@Vinzmannn Indeed. People gatekeep so many discussions because you have to be an, "expert" with credentials. In reality there's many people with no credentials whatsoever that can provide far more insight into a topic than the, "experts".
@enoch13th85
Жыл бұрын
@@s1nistr433 Exactly lol.
@kaiser1one
9 ай бұрын
Loli's being left out of the whole anime history equation is actually quite a common thing. Kudos for actually including it cause people like to deny it had a hand in anything we've enjoyed growing up. It's an integral part of anime and erasing it cause "muh feelings" does a disservice to the history of all anime-dom.
@robinchesterfield42
7 ай бұрын
Exactly! Also, his calling the section of the video "The 'L' Word" and translating it as "lemons", makes my brain go: Scott Pilgrim: "I'm in lemons with you!" Or possibly "in lemonade with you." Not sure. Either way, that's the way my stupid brain works sometimes. XD
@newturtle3
7 ай бұрын
Most people who deny them are the irl pdf files.
@EneTheGene
7 ай бұрын
@@newturtle3 You spelled paedophile wrong.
@thecompareablezombie
7 ай бұрын
@@EneTheGene Its wording to avoid the automated bots of KZitem.
@EneTheGene
7 ай бұрын
@@thecompareablezombie Should stop fearing.
@tsukino_mahou
8 ай бұрын
I avoided checking out this recommendation for a long time, and so now that I finally gave in this comment is incredibly late and sure to be buried, which is probably fine. As someone who is quite a bit older and witnessed many of these historical moments in real time (or as close as that got before the Internet), I was sure it was just going to be another video full of misinformation and conjecture from someone outside Japan. And as someone who has been following...lemon art for decades, I started the video off almost sure I was right that you were off the mark, but the specific _way_ in which it was off kept me watching all the way to the twist that makes it all make sense. You still got me, even knowing all the details you were purposefully leaving out, and proved you really did find the facts (even mentioning the early Clarisse stuff!). Indeed, I remember some people in Japan later in the 2000s express irritation that "moe" started to be used for all bishoujo characters when it was originally applied mostly to lemons. I wrote all this just to say, if you even end up seeing this at all, I'm really impressed by your ability to remain compassionate and understanding even when the subject is something you find distasteful. I expected the usual "my sexualized high schoolers are totally normal and good actually, but the people who like something else should just die" take I see all over the place, and instead was kind of blown away.
@thecompareablezombie
7 ай бұрын
Based response.
@Soulkinthehuman
Жыл бұрын
Deep down, we all know that Speedwagon is the best waifu.
@rin77823
Жыл бұрын
When you're right you're right
@FrenchFries2
Жыл бұрын
All I'm wondering is where is all the love for men and Tobey Maguire? Also I have a problem.
@spencerwhittlesey8226
Жыл бұрын
Speeedooo waaaagooon
@katback1678
Жыл бұрын
I just started watching JoJo (I'm at the part where the Germans awaken the first "Pillar Man" and Speedwagon is in a straight jacket thing) and I already agree
@mrahaman0307
Жыл бұрын
@@spencerwhittlesey8226 DOITSU NO KAGAKU WA SEKAI ICHI!!!!!
@refkiriswansyah2830
Жыл бұрын
Like some people said to me in 9gag said: "If you could feel sad for Mufasa's death in Lion King or Little Foot story in Land Before Time, you & your feeling admit that a fictional scene from fictional character in a drawing has emotional value, which is sad. So why can't it be attractive/hot? Arousal & love is also a feeling". Love for anime character is as real as love for food or friend or lover...the difference is in the amount of magnitude & the way you show/manifest that feeling.
@xtosu9643
Жыл бұрын
Land before time mentioned LETSGOOO
@GodwynDi
Жыл бұрын
The real difference is reciprocity. No matter how much someone loves a waifu, she isn't real. Safe rejection, but also insulated from growth.
@animefan2454
Жыл бұрын
Love Land before time
@daisukegori2112
Жыл бұрын
@@GodwynDi And insolated from being REEEMED in divorse court. The cost of anime and waifu stautues can be pricey but she doesn't demand half.
@xcidgaf
Жыл бұрын
''growth''...
@wesleywyndam-pryce5305
Жыл бұрын
this is the kind of dive into anime history i started watching gigguk for and I think you may have out done him with this one. I'm not sure I can give you a bigger compliment.
@Crusader3454
7 ай бұрын
the use of lemonade as a cover word made me think this was gonna step into some piss kink phase that i wasnt aware of
@Dr.PicklePh.D.
Жыл бұрын
Listen. I'm an adult American woman who's not into women and I love K-On! Does it accurate reflect anything about my lived experience? No. I've never been to highschool in Japan, I'm not an overly cutesy person, I'm no longer a teenager, and I can play an average amount of piano. But the themes of friendship, the music, and the fantasy of some girls just messing around and having a good silly time are something that transcends gender and preference. The OG moe show is popular because it's moe. But it's as long-lasting as it is because it's well written and beautifully animated. The characters are delightful. It's a perfect example of how a show can excel at the moe waifu thing and still be something beyond it and appeal to a wide range of people.
@cthulha_north
Жыл бұрын
for me, i like watching shows like k-on because i get to somewhat experience what its like to be able to hangout with friends that arent toxic and enjoy the same things you do. i wasnt able to do those things they did at that age and being able to see it through an anime is refreshing. although at times i do get a little jealous because i didnt get a chance to do fun things like start a band or hangout with friends after school
@heatherharrison264
Жыл бұрын
Same here. K-On is a great example of a show that is designed for a particular demographic but is able to appeal to people well outside of that demographic. Yes, the characters are moeblobs, but they are well written moeblobs. I've seen many anime series featuring moeblobs and have forgotten about the characters soon afterwards, but K-On's characters are still fresh in my mind even though it has been years since I watched it. Furthermore, this show never strays into the creepy territory that some series go into a little too much. I can tolerate a little creepiness in anime (it seems to be necessary to become somewhat desensitized to creepiness in order to experience a lot of what is good about this medium) but it sure is refreshing when the creepiness isn't there.
@GodOfPlague
Жыл бұрын
The only K-ON I saw was four guys redubbing it as an abridged series. It was hilarious.
@aresbarlow-busch8259
10 ай бұрын
K-ON is so good. I started to love it for the music but the relationship between the girls, their friendship, hooked me and for me invested
@lloydlego6088
8 ай бұрын
I think saying K-On only has moe going for it ignores the comedy, writing, direction, and voice acting. I never felt any attraction to the characters, but I do like watching them have fun. Also Sawako was so pathetically funny, but she loved those kids. And the cake and tea.
@InternetPitstop
Жыл бұрын
That comment poking fun at dudes being like “Western women need to act more like Japanese women” being the same as “Women need to act like anime women” because they’re entire understanding of women is from anime killed me man lol loved all the topics you chose to cover within this deep dive, great stuff man!
@ev4n5eli0n01
Жыл бұрын
Ip!
@InternetPitstop
Жыл бұрын
@@ev4n5eli0n01 hey! I recognize your pfp you’re an og viewer of my channel huh?
@andrewgreeb916
9 ай бұрын
Are you sure it's not that feminism killed any attraction to western women to the point people will go abroad to find women.
@ExpertContrarian
9 ай бұрын
You mean the terribly unoriginal joke that people have been saying for decades?
@ExpertContrarian
9 ай бұрын
@@andrewgreeb916 no, they want to blame men for everything
@86fifty
6 ай бұрын
Brooo, this is just GOOD WORK - i came here from the rule-34 vid, and i'm stoked to find a great anime-topics review channel that loves history and acknowledges the good with the bad in a respectful way, takes steps to self-censor for the comfort of the audience, and reads real books! And does green screen editing and uses example clips - that must take so long, fr. I'm happy to stick around and subscribe because getting listen to other people's research on their rabbit-hole of choice for the month is my JAM!
@Ventiwings
Жыл бұрын
Oh! I recall the message board story of a guy saving a girl on the train. I didn’t realize how many spin off medias were made about it! The manga iteration i read was very warm from what i recall as the surrounding characters all felt inspired to go under a personal change for improvement. I might have to look for it again! Thank you for such a thorough and easy to digest investigation of the "waifu" phenomenon!
@newgroundtv
Жыл бұрын
I never know how to feel about the waifu thing. I think it’s cool to admire female characters and why you think they are written well, their appeal, etc. I just think it gets weird when people get obsessive. I can say that real relationships can never be replaced and I’m happy to have a partner who I can share my passions with. Can’t wait to watch this all the way through!
@Lextorias
Жыл бұрын
I’d say that harmful or obsessive behavior is inherent to the person, not the way they express it. People become obsessed and stalk real people they’re in love with all the time, and that’s infinitely more harmful to me than just owning waifu merchandise. The waifu relationship itself isn’t what’s causing issues, some obsessive people just get drawn into having them
@deafengineer
Жыл бұрын
@@Lextorias this
@lankylizard3584
Жыл бұрын
@@Lextorias While I agree that obsessive behavior is inherent to the person, I don't believe that makes it okay for waifu culture as a whole to exist how it does in it's current state. "The waifu relationship isn't what's causing issues" Is partially true. While sure, It isn't what causes people to be obsessive or have obsessive traits, waifu culture inherently tries to make people more obsessed with their waifus. I don't just mean the companies making their anime girls as cute as possible, but I also mean waifu culture as a whole promoting it. This doesn't mean that everyone who partakes in waifu culture is okay with people buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, but they would be okay with someone who has a waifu and is unironically in love with that waifu. This will lead to some of those people, and a larger amount than many might think, falling deeper and deeper into waifu culture. Not to the point where they will spend tens of thousands of dollars on waifu merch, but to the extent where a lot of people are willing to forgo real relationships in favor of a fictional one. While I believe that expressing your emotions and venting them through media can be a good thing, I do not think falling in love with a fictional character is a good thing. Not only does it affect the personal life of someone who is in this waifu culture in a negative way, it also impacts society as a whole. Also, I do believe that anime girls have a very real impact on how otherwise normal people view women. Sure, most won't view women as 2D objects just to fawn over. But if someone who has had very little interaction with women in real life is to view anime and see anime girls act in the way they do, it will undoubtedly form some sort of impact on how they view real women. Also, while violent videogames are not linked to causing violence, they have been linked to a desensitization to violence. I believe that the comparison you made in your video wasn't a very good one. This comment I made is just my thoughts I put together in like 5 minutes, I haven't done much research into the topic. Although I probably will now as this video made me interested in it. TL;DR: Waifu culture as a whole is generally a bad thing as it promotes negative ideas towards women as well as entrenching those who were already vulnerable to obsessive behaviors into even further obsessiveness, and it is made to do that. Great video by the way! I've always been a fan of video essays, and your channel has been a gem for the past few months. I hope you get more subs, cause you deserve it. Honestly, when I first watched one of your videos I thought you'd have like 200k subs because of it's quality. Low and behold I go to subscribe and you only had like 20 or 30k at the time. I hope you continue making videos, as they are very entertaining to watch.
@Lextorias
Жыл бұрын
@@lankylizard3584 In my original draft of the video, I covered all of the problems you're describing. I ultimately cut it all out of the video because I couldn't talk about the problems you bring up in a way that convinced me. None of the arguments (which I originally wrote 4000+ words on) provided any meaningful discussion of a real problem, but rather just conformed to the existing stigma against waifuism. Waifu culture obviously tries to get people to be more into waifus. Every culture tries to get people more invested in the culture. And every culture with a profit motive like waifus and moe will certainly push people to be more obsessed and willing to spend money. The same can be said for video games, movies, celebrity culture, KPop stans, etc. Now I've been consistent across my channel in saying that monetary exploitation like this is not good in any industry, and anime is no different. But anime is also no different. The exploitation isn't a problem that in any way proves waifu culture is more problematic than any other. It is just exploitation after all, same as any other industry. You say that anime does indeed cause misogyny, or at least extreme depictions cause people to treat real women differently. But I can't find anything to suggest that. Even what you said about video games desensitizing violence just isn't true. They desensitize to the idea of violence, but have a negative correlation with desire to commit real violent acts. The main difference being that people can tell the difference between reality and fiction. So yes, unrealistic depictions might cause people to develop fantasies that are more unrealistic. But those fantasies stay within the realm of the fictional. As there is also negative correlation between s*x crimes in Japan and the boom of the anime and waifu industry. People's desires for the fantasy form do not reflect their desires for the physical one. And there's nothing at all to say their treatment of fictional characters reflects their treatment of real people. The arguments you're making probably came from the same place mine originally did, which is that you see people who take waifus too far and are actively hurting themself or others, and you try to reason out why. There are plenty of s*xist anime fans. There are plenty of people who spend too much on waifus. There are plenty of dangerous people who are in the community. And so the common link must be waifus, and there must be some evidence and arguments to prove they are the cause. That was my original line of thinking going into the video. But that line of thinking was flawed to me, because it's constructing arguments around a pre-existing conclusion. "Waifus must be harmful in some way, so let me find evidence as to why". Which comes from that stigma against waifu culture more than anything. So in the video, I tried to form a proper conclusion around the existing evidence and information, as it should be done. And all the information pointed to the idea that waifus are not the cause of the problems you described, but rather a response to them. Waifus did not cause people to reject real relationships. Rather, people already felt rejected and turned to waifus for comfort. Waifus did not cause people to become misogynystic. Rather, people already had harmful ideas of women and looked to anime to support that. Waifus did not cause people to obsessively consume the media and spend on merchandise. Rather, obsessive people turned to waifus as an outlet for their obsession. And these are still things the anime community needs to deal with. But waifus didn't cause any of them, and there's nothing to say they intend to further them any more than every other form of entertainment does. If you deleted anime tomorrow, these same people would flock to the next closest form of media. Which is why I don't think waifus are inherently harmful.
@lankylizard3584
Жыл бұрын
@@Lextorias reading this has honestly convinced me. I did come in here with a pre-existing conclusion. The only point I still kinda disagree with is the one where you say it doesn't make people sexist, only that sexist people are drawn to it. This is from anecdotal evidence, as I have a friend who was negatively impacted by waifu culture and I have seen them go from a normal person to someone obsessed with anime girls as well as treating real women like shit when he never did that before. Although this can't really be used to prove anything, it just seems to me that waif culture can turn people sexist from personal experience. I think this is because people aren't really born sexist as some people might be born more predisposed to being obsessive. People must be convinced to be sexist, and for some I believe anime and waifu culture can do that. But yeah, I definetly came into this with pre-existing conclusions and honestly I'm baffled I didn't realize that earlier. Thanks for responding in depth, I appreciate it. Hope you continue with your channel.
@Sleeper-vs9oq
Жыл бұрын
Although being an anime guy myself I never really was that much into waifus, yet this video has given me a whole different perspective about them and made me understand them much better. You are legit the only youtuber who can make a video about anime waifus that is not just entertaining and of a high production value but also present the topic in a sincere and" human" way so to speak by talking about the actual value they can provide to people and why it is understandable that people can be drawn to them. I am convinced that you are currently underrated and will become big someday. Love your videos ,keep it up man!
@DrZeroPoints
Жыл бұрын
I was about to make a comment about this until stumbling in this one, I whole heartedly agree.
@SleekHeroo
4 ай бұрын
@@DrZeroPoints same, I'm not joking when I say I've watched exactly 281 animes (as of now) and I never got into buying figurines or any sort of merchandise. One of my friends recently bought a gear 4 luffy figurine and I was just like "yeah, thats cool but why'd u buy it?"
@outoforder8791
Жыл бұрын
I'm on the verge of subscribing... You put so much effort and research into your videos each time, even if it's about something you don't personally connect to. That's a great trait to have as a content creator.
@SepSyn
Жыл бұрын
The Moe Boom transition was REALLY well done man, excellent work. I always wondered what the history of this was considering how much it gets memed on
@Kingsquad2011
Жыл бұрын
Hot take: Waifus have always been a thing, dating back to Ancient Greece with the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea
@snipermagoo
8 ай бұрын
The whole chivalric romantic love period was basically the same thing. The woman may have been real but the knight probably knew nothing about her. It was pretty much play-acting from both sides.
@sonicthehedgehog1606
8 ай бұрын
That's don't count. That used to be religious
@FerinitheBloodHusky
7 ай бұрын
@@sonicthehedgehog1606 idk man some people worship characters now too
@seriouscat2231
6 ай бұрын
@@sonicthehedgehog1606, it was actually anti-religious. Knightly love either celebrated adultery or ridiculed the man for going to the lengths he did to get the woman, or both.
@Do_High_Go
5 ай бұрын
@@sonicthehedgehog1606 But religion is Fiction. Think about it. It functions exactly like anime and waifu culture. Groups of people worship a character from a story and buy trinkets(merch) as means of demonstrating their dedication. Candles are nothing but Church Merch
@fenixstellar9148
Жыл бұрын
I really like your nuanced and level headed perspective. quite often when people talk about all these topics they either are only able to look at it with biased rose colored glasses or a quite harsh doomer mentality so this video (besides being very informative) was very refreshing to watch. it was a real treat to watch so I'm kinda salty I didn't get your video recommended sooner. so I guess welcome to being one of the like ten channels I've turned notifications on for lol. keep up the great work, I'm incredibly excited to see what ya make next~
@signe_stilett
Жыл бұрын
I like the way that Animarchy has stated about bias. We all are biased, and shouldn't dismiss it. The best insight is from those who know their bias, and can look into a topic fairly nonetheless
@akibared2048
7 ай бұрын
The history of men being attracted to fictional women dates all the way back to Greek mythology with Pygmalion - a man who detested the promiscuous nature of women, chose to remain celibate, and became a sculptor. Then, he carved out a statue of a woman, named Galatea, and fell deeply in love with her. Aphrodite then blesses him and turns Galatea into a real woman he marries. These things are really not as new as we might think. People have been like this forever.
@kumwagen
Ай бұрын
there's nothing new underneath the sun
@artemisiakyrell7727
23 күн бұрын
Actually Pygmalion more appreciated the beauty of the female form specifically & instead hated how real women talked & had sex. Galatea being capable of doing both of these things as a now human woman does not go addressed in the myth lol
@yuknoom
Жыл бұрын
Really, really glad you touched on waifus in gacha games here. As a former gacha addict myself, I always appreciate a word of caution on the subject. Really good work!
@cobalt2672
Жыл бұрын
You know, I never would have drawn that through line from 'moe' 2000s/2010s culture to the modern VTuber - the moe catharsis for a quarantined world, and inheriting the parasocial problems that come with streaming. Great point! I also had no idea how much of an influence "lemonade" played in the development of 90s/00s/10s anime culture as a whole, and its seemingly innocent intentions in Japanese culture. One thing I'm interested in now is how anime/manga female relationship dynamics developed - it's a bit hard to explain what I mean, but I'll try: you have the tsundere characters who express affection by attacking their affection and you have the shy characters who have feelings but don't express them (or can't explain them properly and cry / scream when the object of their affection ends up in an intimate situation with them, generally leading to Misunderstanding Comedy Punchline 32B: Tsundere Punches Character). Characters who are comfortable with and confident about their attraction to another (whether male or female) are most commonly depicted as perverted and/or promiscuous, and not in a positive light. What's up with this? How did it come about? Is Japan allergic to healthy, mutually enthusiastic relationships in their media? Is it the same in their TV or is it a manga/anime centric thing? Time to go on a Google trip...
@yohannessulistyo4025
Жыл бұрын
You can try to understand the appeal of Tsundere from the massive boom of "My Sassy Girl" back in early 2000s in East Asia and the rest of Asia. Tsundere is basically pushing the female characters from East Asian Confucian ideals while in her vulnerable moments, were brought down to her bare character: a shy, chaste, stereotypical Asian girl. There is a lot of "colours" to tsundere character: since most anime deals with high school or juvenile characters, they always characterise it as "the way Asian female overcomes social challenges". Imagine Komi-san having to switch into her tsundere alter-ego in order to be able to communicate normally. In greater setting, like adult world, tsunderes are typically single women who "hustled" her career to the top. You got plenty of fantasies like sassy boss (I think Americans can relate with this), sassy senior, that in the end, would show her true feminine side when she met her love, who typically enjoys to endure the bullying. In front of the cruel world, preying eyes of strangers, a woman needs to project strength, but she can finally let go of the pretense in front of someone with whom she feels secure to expose her true self. Excerpts from Confucian guide on ettiquete: When being summoned by the Duke to the court, his legs limped and his gaze expresses confusion. When he proceed towards the summon, he skipped gently and slightly bows down. After the consultation, his expression displays a sense of relieve. -- The Analects is chock full of pretense. While Korea forge their own identity, and China is abandoning it, Japan and their Ruist (neo-Confucian) ideals still held the philosophy dear to their heart. When you have maverick character like tsundere girl, it presents quite a unique challenge and a breath of "fresh air".
@Elonyx.studios
Жыл бұрын
I think most of this can be attributed to the fact that volatile relationships make for easy conflicts to write and thus churn out more stories without a lot of thought or effort. Notice how most of the shows that rely on those archetypes as crutches are also shows that have perpetual "will they/wont they" plots that go on for entire shows and end up not getting resolved anyways. This is so the writers can keep the "plot" going as long the show needs to still make profits. Also remembering the point this vid made: moe gets to a point where its no longer about story, but about character appeal. By never resolving the romantic tension it allows the viewer to remain in a Neverland state-of-mind where they can fantasize/theorize about the self-insert main character being with thier waifu of choice. For some reason show runners believe that characters having canonical commitments shatter this fantasy and demotivates people's interest in them. Which has ZERO evidence of being true. People still lust over real-world celebrities who are in public marraiges, and even after Tracer was confirmed to be cononically gay, that did nothing to stop the tidal waves of heterosexual porn made about her. (Yes I know that from experience) TLDR: Japan isnt obsessed with toxic relationships, most writers are just hacks and use toxic relationships as easy story ideas and to indulge the audiance in a non-commital waifu fantasy.
@richardryley3660
Жыл бұрын
The Tsundere archetype in particular is not as exclusive to Japan as you might think. Romantic comedies in the US, and even dramas like Star Wars will often have a romantic couple in a "will they or won't they" situation in which the female lead is aggressive in her denial of the attraction. Really, conflict between the couple is the essence of any romance plot, since if the couple gets together, the plot is over, To keep the story going, there has to be something, external or internal, to keep them apart. Two of the most obvious internal conflict are the couple that are so competitive or mistrustful that they fight all the time, or so shy and oblivious to social interaction that they miss the cues that their partner is interested. Tsundere and Kuudere, or Moe as it is defined here in contrast to Tsundere.
@Treacherous_One
Жыл бұрын
I have been enthralled by Anime since the early 70's ( yes, I'm old, and my kids share this love of the medium with me. ) I just wanted to say that I am in awe of the effort and time you put into this deep dive. Very well done. You should be proud of this video.
@costellaathomegoods
Жыл бұрын
I'm in the middle of producing a webtoon and it's content like this that helps me to understand what it is that I'm doing or trying to do- what I'm failing with, in my opinion, and what can be done to make the story and its characters better- what I feel needs to be avoided, improved upon, or simply discussed. I'm thrilled that anime is so popular now, but I just can't trust that the stories themselves are worth indulging. I hope I'll make a story that people will enjoy, and again, its content like this that will only help me. Thank you so much! This explained a lot to me that I really had no idea about!
@drtaverner
Жыл бұрын
Psychologically it seems to me that a "waifu" is no different than any other parasocial relationship.
@purpleheart3431
Жыл бұрын
He really slipped Levi into the waifu list at the end bahahahaha. I’m all seriousness tho, this was such a good video! I didn’t know anything about waifu culture, but this was facinating. Especially since it gives context to the fan service video!❤
@nathanielmoore5868
Жыл бұрын
I really like your videos, since they allow people (or at least for me) to have a mature conversation about something a lot of people take as a joke or something silly. This is why I also liked your history of fanservice video. Amazing work as always, can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for 2023!
@KBY-og6ht
Жыл бұрын
couldn't have put that any better. topics like these are easy to divide people since they are so heavily memed, this style of essay is refreshing
@badbuddha2359
Жыл бұрын
Very good vid dude thanks for the hard work.. I will say that so far in part 2 of chainsaw man, Fujimoto has come a long way to make a mostly fleshed out female lead and she actually feels like a person. Hope it will continue in the rest of the series.
@d0ubl3d
6 ай бұрын
Fujimoto has been writing great characters of any gender since forever, and all of the female side characters except the spider demon that had zero dialogue have been great
@Shnarfbird
6 ай бұрын
45:10 and 46:24 "An attraction to the fantasy form does not necessarily reflect a desire for the physical one" is a very important statement, especially regarding Unrealistic Depictions and The L Word segments
@Bruh-gq1ne
Жыл бұрын
That transition at 27:45 is just perfect. I love how you make really good transitions. I also like that you are showing up in the videos rather than just your voice, I love your content either way though!
@PandaMane
Жыл бұрын
I've watched that transition at least 20 times now, it's just so good.
@Foxenhut
4 ай бұрын
This
@imSUPERcereal0
Жыл бұрын
I have had emotional feelings towards fictional characters my whole life. For me it’s the ability to suspend my disbelief enough to put myself into the characters, or to try and see the story through their eyes. Like when I play games sometimes I make my character to mirror myself, and others I choose a personality different than my own. I’ve always been able to discern the difference between the fiction and real life. But the place in my brain that holds onto these fictional experiences is much alive. It stimulates the emotional part of my imagination, because I am the type of person who doesn’t display a big expanse of outward emotions. Also it’s like having a dog. The dog loves you and never judges you no matter what. The fictional characters I feel emotions for similarly don’t change, usually. The characters I love don’t judge or leave. And the characters I hate don’t fight back, no matter how high my hatred is. That fiction in my head let’s me explore the deeper parts of my thoughts and emotions.
@pong9000
8 ай бұрын
What you described about owning a dog prompts comparison between Japanese otaku subculture and the North American subculture of having "fur baby" replacements for real children or adult companions. Is a cat lady much different from a hikikomori? And is it more sane to exercise emotional needs on artificial humans, or living animals?
@peachesandcream22
8 ай бұрын
@@pong9000 The difference is that artificial "humans" aren't real, you can't touch them, talk to them, smell them. While living animals are real.
@TheOrian34
6 ай бұрын
Certainly an interesting debate to have.@@pong9000
@V.F.D.DaleSalvador
Жыл бұрын
One of the thing i heard recently about why moeblob characters, especially the Kyoto Animation style (K-On being the best example) is that the faces of the characters are designed after Cats. hence, the eyes, odd noses, etc. they are modeled after something we instinctually find cute, and i think THAT is insanely smart from a character designer perspective. another thing is, when it comes to cats, dogs, and babies, there are certain traits they have that make us want to primely/instinctually protect them, and also just stare at them for a while cause there so adorable. and that has been attributed to the large eyes and foreheads. and what do anime characters have also? big eyes and foreheads. also, even the fundamentals of art, we love symmetry and vivid colors. thus bright colored hair, usually pink, blue, etc. they stand out, as their supposed to. it even plays into the character sometime. how many anime have a hot headed red haired girl, and a distant cool blue haired girl. i can think of 3, already. oh, look. it's Evangelion again. im not saying ALL of these are intentional, some are probably happy accidents, whatever IS intentional are some GIGA Brain moves. Outstanding. you can find graphs of the Moeblob/Cat thing, and my god who ever thought of that wins at life.
@pong9000
8 ай бұрын
I think Japanese otaku are aware of this, but North American cat ladies have no idea.
@Emel_unlegit
7 ай бұрын
watching an overcomplicated video about stuff is my favourite past time activity. amazing vid and absulutely love the music used
@nathanbarkley4216
Жыл бұрын
Dude. Between this and the fanservice video, I've fallen in love with the way you succinctly presented this information. I've been trying to explain to my wife for awhile now why I love anime so much, even while still hating the unneeded fanservice and "lemonade" problem. It's been a hard sell to her, because she wasn't raised watching anime like I was by my father, and in fact I finally got her to watch her first anime, Demon Slayer, which she now completely loves. I'm hoping I can show her these two videos, and she'll understand it enough to start enjoying other animes as well. You do great work, I hope you keep it up, and you've more than earned my subscription!
@condlaeirkrsrma7069
Жыл бұрын
I've watched this video in 4 AM and I confidently say that just like all 4 AM video essays, this is a certified banger. On a more serious note, I really appreciate a lot of things with this video, from the usual history lesson of the video essays to all the lemonade talk that could've been left out (and has been left out by some essayists, altough not necessarily nefarious imo) and most of us wouldn't even judged you for it. Seriously, I always felt like a lot of people really glossed over/sugar coated the nature of its content, even though it might not be strictly harmful In and of itself. I'm a progressive queer person so I naturally tend to consume video essays that views media from progressive or even queer frameworks which compared to its counterparts almost always tend to depict things in a more accurate light. Even then I sometimes felt like those people's biases and sometimes limited framework felt incomplete to me and I'm glad people are making an active effort to help people understand the full story, what kind of relationship to we have with fictional characters and how the current era late stage capitalism affects and unfortunately exploits those relationships. Thank you for all your effort for this video and I hope you continue put out good content in the future.
@Dinklr
Жыл бұрын
go to sleep
@vaclavjebavy5118
8 ай бұрын
It's been late stage for the past 100 years. Who's the one late again..?
@Liravin
8 ай бұрын
i appreciate that you see clearly what you want to talk about and what you don't want to talk about. i believe setting boundaries when it comes to how far one is willing to go to satisfy the audience is key to a healthy youtube channel.
@StoneGiantJake
Жыл бұрын
Bro your waifu choices in the opening screen shots were🫡 top teir. Good work
@Himitsu_Murasaki
Жыл бұрын
In Kishimoto's defense, out of the all the failed female characters he created in Naruto, I think Tsunade is the only female character done right. She has depth, complexity and character development - everything you'd expect from any other good-written character.
@seg162
11 ай бұрын
Also in Kishimoto's defense, _the majority_ of his massive cast is underutilized and underdeveloped-- if not flat. Not that there's anything especially wrong with that.
@acrellama
8 ай бұрын
@@seg162 y e p. Kishimoto has underutilized male and female characters. BUT his key characters (bar kaguya) are like 99% men
@ArtisChronicles
7 ай бұрын
@@seg162 That's true and unfortunate, mainly because the story is focused around Naruto despite having characters people would love to learn more about. The entire cast is way too large for that though. As much as I'd like to see it happen.
@user-cj8wh9tn6f
6 ай бұрын
@@seg162, only Tsunade isn't flat...in both senses! You've set up this joke.
@emma-m12
6 ай бұрын
@@seg162lee got nerfed in shippuden and tentens already minuscule screen time went down even more… and we all know what happened to neji.. team guy had so much potential it’s such a shame that they didn’t get their moment 😔
@kanuos
Жыл бұрын
I can't even fathom the amount of research that went into this. May I suggest a collaboration with Daryl Talks Games for psychological aspects of Anime? I feel like the two of you complement each other perfectly.
@FengLengshun
Жыл бұрын
Feels so weird to have such well researched video and the pronunciation is one of the most painfully American-y mispronounciation I've heard in a while. Still good video though. One thing that should be explored deeper would be the visual novel / bishoujo game / eroge / dating sim genres. That genre is fairly influential in Japanese otaku culture, though they're always on a constant decline from cost and profit issues. Eroge is fairly obvious and you can't really separate that from early hentia industry. The progression of moe is fairly visible there as well, especially with the idea of forming relationships with the characters that has separate routes each. This would eventually become full blown moege genre, best embodied by Yuzusoft which has become a juggernaut in the industry, where the games just have very low stakes and focuses on the MC and heroine's developing chemistry, dynamic, and just them talking and enjoying each other's company. Moege has become sorta my favorite genre. I always liked reading more than watching stuff, and moege is able to get fairly in-depth with it. Moege just fills a hole in the wider otaku media for me as most of otaku media don't like to portray a post-couple relationship, something that has always grated me. Moege relationships generally aren't the most realistic stuff, but they're a lot of fun, and allows the characterization to shine as they're put into various different situations where they'll act differently and both characters gets to banter based on that. It's cute, though I do admit the rarity of strong characterization for the MC/player character has always grated on me.
@Srewtheshadow
Жыл бұрын
I thought this was gonna be cringe and haughty. I am so glad I clicked regardless. This is fantastic! You're way too small for all this work, and all this fucking quality. Have a +1 sub. And a like.
@NrettG
Жыл бұрын
I swear your ability to take something that I know of, stretch it to infinity, and tell me why it's made that way and how it's affected an entire medium and culture is truly amazing. I watched your Fanservice video (which is honestly a personal favorite essay video of mine now) and was blown away how you talked about how it all started but how shows like Kill a Kill use the term to express the story even further. Then you did it again with Waifus. Only knew the term, now I know about why they made so much damn money over the years. I can't wait to see the next video you got man. Just keep going.
@_CNT_
Жыл бұрын
Am I going to spend the last hours of the year watching an essay on anime waifus? Of course I am
@byttercandy
5 ай бұрын
That NGE intro got me so hyped 😂
@j.s.ospina9861
7 ай бұрын
My first (and perhaps only waifu) was Megumin. Back then it was fine because i was 15 yo and a "relationship" with a 14yo girl wasn't something I wouldn't consider. I was just going out of a crush I had over one of my best friends, and, after being kindly rejected, I wanted to redirect my feelings towards something else. Then I watched Konosuba, and while initially Megumin was simply the character I liked the most out of the main cast, after finding out she had a romantic subplot later in the light novels, my heart was... somewhat struck. I could write hours and hours about Megumin (I actually did write a full seven-page essay on her once) but in this comment that's pointless, I think. In truth, I loved her because I saw her as a... better version of myself (a friend of mine pointed that out after reading my essay, kudos to him). She had everything I could wish for, and was everything I could wish to be. She knew what she wanted, wasn't afraid to be herself, loved attention, and cared about her friends. And she wasn't perfect, in fact in Konosuba everyone is flawed, but even those flaws she had were... perfect to me. And of course, in a real relationship expecting your partner to be an upgraded version of yourself is not healthy, but given that this is fiction we're talking about... I could allow myself that. Nowadays I'm 19 and I can't go aroung saying Megumin is my waifu, but in a sense she has remained a role-model for me. She's my motivation when I'm low and my inspiration to keep striving towards my goals. And I'm grateful for that.
@bisdonk
Жыл бұрын
bro you really have a gift at making compelling documentary videos like this absolutely effortless to watch. i felt engaged the entire way through this video and also consumed all of the information you said with ease. i mean really, this video was just incredibly good.
@carolinewheeler77
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely fantastic, you really did your research here. You also had the horrifying realization that I did, that modern anime basically wouldn’t exist without “lemonade” lol.
@RosamanaKK88
6 ай бұрын
Kinda in the similar very scary vain to how we wouldn't have animation in general as we know today without the existence of minstrel shows It's extremely bizarre😢
@bma4372
Жыл бұрын
"A dropout"... Dude, fuck that. Seriously, fuck that. You are a great communicator, and you know how to structure and present your thoughts and ideas in a way that is very ordered and easy to digest and understand. You do a better job at this than most teachers do at theirs. Keep rocking.
@snowcoalRC
8 ай бұрын
As someone with 2 body pillows of the same character (Saber), and a lot of other merch of that same character, I really liked this video. It accurately describes the phenomenon and positive/negative outcomes of it. Personally, I know for a fact that Im a "super weird degenerate weeb", and while I do embrace it, I also keep it in check, and dont let go far enough to the point where Im harming myself over it, or harming other people. First of all, I have very specific things I do when it comes to merch. I liked how you discussed how gacha games are exploitative. I avoid those things like the plague. At the same time, Im fine purchasing merch that has a set price, and is a physical object that I can display in my room. For example, I was more than willing to shell up $3000 for an RC car that I custom designed, built and wrapped with a Saber wrap, but I'm not willing to even attempt to play Fate Grand Order, a game that Saber is heavily featured in. The reason is that I know $3000 is $3000. If I have the money, I can spend it, and now I have the cool RC car and dont need another (at least another one this expensive). But I have no idea how deep I could go with a gacha game. People have been known to spend $100k or more in that game. The spending could literally be never ending. I also liked your explanation of how this can completely warp your view of real women. My personal way of solving this was to separate anime women and real women entirely. Real women do not look or act like anime women, and they never will. If you truly only love anime women, you wont be able to love real women, because real women aren't the same thing. I honestly don't think I could ever be in a relationship with a real woman again. I have in the past, and I dumped my ex because I eventually felt zero attraction or sexual attraction. At this point, I consider myself asexual/aromantic, as its the simplest explanation for the way I feel. I simply don't need or desire physical contact/sex/etc with real people at all. A simple pillow is all I ever need. Is this because of anime? Honestly, at least somewhat. This lack of attraction kicked into high gear when I got into anime, but I always felt that way to some extent. When I got my first body pillow, I genuinely felt that it filled up everything I was missing in my life up until that point. I still feel the same way. Overall, am I happy? Genuinely. I have 2 degrees, a full time job, and at only 24, I legitimately feel like Ive won at life, even though I have no partner and no kids. My "love" for my waifu has helped me discover new hobbies such as drawing, which has been very rewarding. My parents and friends are also fine with it (believe it or not). Sure, they often make jokes about my body pillows, but its all in good fun. So if Im happy, can anyone really complain? Sure, its weird, its degenerate, its not normal, whatever, but who really is "normal" these days? Maybe one day, Ill do a complete 180 on this, but for now as long as Im happy and enjoying it, Im not going to stop.
@cosmicandy4620
7 ай бұрын
honestly, as an aroace women, you put my feelings on how I feel about fictional characters vs real people into words
@snowcoalRC
7 ай бұрын
@@cosmicandy4620 Nice! Im glad at least some people can understand, even though I know most people never will.
@Pudding404
Жыл бұрын
I took a look at the length of the video and the timestamps and chuckled because you basically just proved your point right there. If you wanted to you could go even further and talk about the expanding medium through vtubers and such. Anime as a medium really hasn't been around too long on the spectrum, such a deep topic surrounding something so deeply connected with fantasy and being unrealistic.
@WeebSara
Жыл бұрын
Fantastic video!! I absolutely love the way you make videos - from the research, to writing and production quality, to the editing. It's clear how much energy and love you put into these videos and it's definitely going to pay off! Keep em coming and happy holidays!!
@breebiebreeb
Жыл бұрын
I’m SO glad I found your channel! Your videos are super interesting, keep up the great work
@hopalongjens
Жыл бұрын
I think you’re point about adult characters that are arbitrarily teenagers because of the target audience summed up how I feel watching a lot of anime better than I could have described it. A lot of people I talk to can’t look past their age and I respect it from an absolutist standpoint because it can still encourage disgusting irl behavior, which I’m glad you also touched on is less cause and effect and more so a matter of those people finding refuge in anime. I think it’s still a grey area because it’s easy to be framed as rationalizing something that’s not okay. Ideally, I think it’d be great to see more shows targeted for adults that as such have adult characters, like chainsaw man mainly featuring characters in their 20s, so that it doesn’t have to be a gray area.
@thatbradfordguy
Жыл бұрын
Great video! I especially relate to the quote about “embrace the love, rather than condemn it”. I look and act like a stereotypical dudebro, so people get surprised when I talk about enjoying anime-which can be disheartening to think of the implication that I shouldn’t enjoy it or that I don’t seem like the “type” to enjoy it. While I’m not TOO deep into anime/waifu culture (I just watch the most popular/well made anime, play Genshin/jrpgs and have a modest collection of Funko pops and figures), it’s too bad that it’s not as easy to share that with someone who has no experience. Not to mention it’s super awkward having to explain that I think that anime girl dancing along to an upbeat song is cute, in the sense of the feelings of happiness, innocence and silly joy it brings, much like you would say a puppy is cute. NOT cute as in I feel an intimate attraction to this character. Having said that, icky anime/L word tropes will always exist, but all I can do is roll my eyes when it happens and try to focus on the rest of the content. It doesn’t apply to me or entertain me, so I won’t give it thought or a platform and I’ll speak out against it when given the chance. Glad to see geeky culture becoming more socially acceptable though, hopefully more and more people will take the time to learn about the interesting history behind things, and are able to separate the good from the bad-to experience that great feeling you get when you enjoy a good story. Happy New Years btw! 🎉
@MysteryMedia2001
Жыл бұрын
It’s always so interesting watching your videos, and finding out about the history of anime culture. There are so many women who created series that were massively influential but you hardly hear about their contributions these days. Thank you for the history lesson.
@cuerdencats4151
Жыл бұрын
Another super well made video, and you handled sensitive topics with a lot of class! ✨ Make fun of me all you want, but.... You didn't mention Hatsune Miku!!
@ConvincingPeople
11 ай бұрын
One thing I think you glossed over about K-On! in terms of its appeal is that it was relatable, and particularly that it was relatable to young women in a way that a lot of similar shows weren't necessarily. Conservative estimates suggest that at least a third of the series' audience was girls and young women, and as you allude to in that figure about electric guitar purchases, those were the core fans inspired to go out and play music by the show. A big part of this is, I think, that while the original manga is nothing to write home about, a lot of the creative decisions which made the adaptation work and which fleshed out the characters and made the comedy and emotional beats pop were made by women, the most famous probably being series director Naoko Yamada, who a lot of people in the industry itself genuinely regard as a Miyazaki-level talent. And I say this as someone with no special attachment to the series. I just think it's worth pointing out how the moe boom is so often framed as a strictly cishet-male-oriented phenomenon when the real story is more complex. All that being said: I think that this was actually a really nuanced and reasonable video about a subject which can get really touchy in places, and I really do respect that.
@bornanime3255
Жыл бұрын
Well this was quite the neat suprise to wake up to. Great video on waifu culture and the history. I knew most of everything aside from the "lemonade" aspect of it. I was aware of a few things here and there, but the full picture is quite something to behold
@ブランクスペース
Жыл бұрын
This was a very interesting video and I appreciate the amount of depth and nuance you put into it. I wasn't aware of the influence of the shojo genre on waifus and the bishojo style. What I find intriguing is the shift from "well-written anime girls who happen to be bishojo" to "bishojo/moe anime girls whose entire appeal is to be bishojo/elicit a moe response." For example, NGE's Rei and Asuka, where later series would take their personality traits to create either quiet, timid female characters or tsunderes--without the deep characterisation NGE gave the two characters. This explains why I enjoy Asuka's character yet dislike the majority of female tsundere characters. Kyoto Animation's adaptations of Air, Kanon, and Clannad are an interesting case (to me). All three were originally bishojo games, with the emphasis on emotional storytelling and forging a connection with the heroines in the games. The two artists Hinoue Itaru and Na-Ga were responsible for the character art within the games. The distinctive massive eyes and small mouths in particular are key traits of Itaru's art style. These three visual novels definitely do have the intended effect of evoking a "moe" response from the player. Kyoani's adaptations of Kanon and Clannad in particular, to me, was the start of a shift in the studio's art direction. Then you compare Haruhi to K-On and the art style has changed. The K-On-esque features/proportions carry over to their following adaptations (Hyouka, Tamako Market, Beyond the Boundary, Hibike! Euphonium etc). While there are slight differences, there's an established art style. Smaller, more rounded eyes, and generally a more rounded, softer look (less sharp, angular lines). I can see this art shift happening on a larger scale in not just anime/manga, but fanart too. I believe the moe boom has contributed to what is considered attractive or cute in terms of female character design. And of course, it's only natural for artists new and experienced to incorporate these design elements into their drawings, unconsciously or not. Funnily enough, when you bring up how characters will exist for the sake of being moe to cause people to latch onto the character and potentially be driven to buy merch of these moe characters, I find that for me, I cannot purchase merch of a character I don't consider interesting. I need a decently-written character whose story I enjoy. I can appreciate well-made figures with appealing designs but I won't feel compelled to buy them. That's just me though. The exploitation section actually made me realise I've started to fall into the trap of buying merch for a favourite character of mine, in a way to show my like of the character and some futile way of "consuming" her (for lack of a better word). Didn't mean to type up a longwinded comment. Wasn't particularly going anywhere with it just sharing my thoughts. Anyway, Yotsuba Nakano best girl.
@xZaibx
7 ай бұрын
I dont even watch anime, i'm more of a manga guy myself but thanks for this. As a yuri reader I too am having waifu's.
@quintinjansevanvuuren9638
Жыл бұрын
I want an anime starring Grey Shirts brutally fighting to the death for the favour of Lextorias
@Lextorias
Жыл бұрын
How I Got Reincarnated In A Fantasy World As A Plain Grey Tee Shirt
@quintinjansevanvuuren9638
Жыл бұрын
@@Lextorias I too adhere to grey shirt supremacy.
@davidsabillon5182
Жыл бұрын
"Since K-On no show was able to recapture the magic" Bocchi the Rock has entered the chat.
@realblueswan
Жыл бұрын
Its really nice seeing your channel grow, keep up the good work!
@cyan_oxy6734
Жыл бұрын
I know it's a controversial opinion but until I see some actual evidence that lemonade content leads to actual real life lemons being harmed I don't see anything wrong with it. Like it's not my thing but if they can have this as an outlet I don't see why they should be shunned.
@Joesif_
Жыл бұрын
LETSS GOO MY BOY IS BACK WITH ANOTHER VIDEO 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@SetariM
Жыл бұрын
That waifu list at the end really puts into perspective how many animes I've watched over my lifetime... yeesh. An excellent deep dive though! Also props for mentioning Speedwagon, always the best waifu
@casidelbowen2675
Жыл бұрын
Art isn't harmful. If you're shocked, offended or repulsed, that's fine. It means nothing. No one is responsible for your sense emotional stability. Otherwise, this was a really great video. Well researched, nuanced and argued with a level head and meaningful detail. Great work, dude! 👍
@hiddendrifts
8 ай бұрын
6:48 this intro just this year came out, and i haven't even watched the anime yet, but i still got nostalgia from it. wtf 9:32 i remember hearing of the phrase "moe, moe, kyun" which, wouldn't make sense if you directly translated it to "cute, cute, kyun" ["kyun" being the onomatopoeia for when you get butterflies. something like that, at least]. it'd prolly be better translated as "super cute cuteness" or just interpreted wholly as onomatopoeia actually, the more i think about it, the more i think "a term that describes invoking feelings of endearment" is a good definition for "moe" 12:12 "Moe~?" those guys are me fr. i'd be dying of happiness inside from how sweetly she said that 13:49 my mind has been completely blown. is this where the modern design for anime girls came from? 25:01 what's hilarious to me is how accurate this point is. i, and i'm sure many others, have gotten into many animes purely bc we saw one random clip of a cute girl. so it wasn't that we became fans of the girl bc of the anime, but rather that we became fans of the anime bc of the cute girl 25:57 what is this cursed amalgamation 32:06 well dam, ig fiction does affect reality ... mind you, this isn't a particularly egregious example. it's not like a violent anime aired and suddenly the rate of violent crime skyrockets or smth 34:38 well that's one way to localize "moe, moe, kyun" lmao 37:44 wait, is she the first vtuber?- 40:26 but they're not entirely genuine either. it'd prolly be most accurate to refer to them as "actors", since they're real people portraying fictional characters. at least, i'd assume the people behind the avatars are portraying a character 40:55 for me, it's just as simple as them being cute and sweet. 9 times out of 10, they're what i'd want from a girlfriend 47:41 call it cope, but i've heard that buying merch and stuff does actually cover the production cost of the anime itself. so buying waifu merch would actually help keep the series alive and producing media until it ends 50:52 what feels incredibly ironic about all these descriptors is that i [a guy] feel like i fit them all perfectly. i tend to be quite submissive and timid to the point that i'd do just about anything to make a gf happy, and would try my best to avoid arguments. i try to avoid unnecessary social interactions bc i'm so awkward that i feel like i'd accidentally end up embarrassing myself. i'd also be happy to be the "happy homemaker" and do chores around the house if my partner wants me to. i'm also eager to help out with anything i can, but again, feel totally incompetent with social interactions, to the point that i'd prolly have trouble engaging in a proper conversation with a girl now, i will say, most of these traits probably come from me wanting an anime gf so much that i've somehow internalized all the traits i look for. in a sense, i've become the gf i want. so maybe some of these traits are only bc i've internalized what i see from anime girls 52:57 on that note, maybe i've internalized what i have bc i resonate with girls like that. i've mentioned above that i like anime girls for being cute and sweet, and certainly not all anime girls are like that. but the traits i mentioned internalizing would probably perfectly fit the idea of cute and sweet 53:17 it's only harmful if it bleeds into the real world. as you've said before, most people make the distinction between fact and fiction. they can recognize that the girls in their day to day life are not the same as the fictional characters they see in anime, and not to regard them as such 54:37 i don't think this is a problem tbh. if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. they do better by focusing on a core demographic and targeting them to the fullest, rather than losing their attention and not having any appeal at all. like how violence and crime are the core elements of games like mortal kombat and gta. many people complained about how offensive those games are for their egregious themes, but at the same time, they're so unique and appealing bc of how raw and egregious they are 55:55 exactly, the separation between fact and fiction 56:36 funnily enough, i reckon it goes the other way around too. i'm sure many men have idolized characters like goku and naruto and have felt the desire to emulate their masculinity and perceived coolness 56:54 while yes, this is true, i reckon that the same argument can be made for games like mortal kombat and gta. i don't think there's any claim of harm caused by anime that can't be applied to other media 1:05:54 your definition of -oli seems to be quite broad. i'd agree that kanna and rebecca count, but the characters in k-on?... i can see why, but i don't think i'd agree 1:06:45 i don't personally consume -olicon, and can understand someone being uncomfortable with it or finding it weird, but i'm definitely not a fan of the comparisons drawn to cp or -philia. cp and -edos are so highly stigmatized in society bc they imply the victimization, exploitation, or some other form of sa of a child. no child is victimized in -olicon bc all characters are fictional 1:07:50 lowkey was hoping you'd explain how -oli came from being a term used by a russian book to a term that describes a subculture in the anime community. did some japanese guy read -olita and think "this is a great term to adopt"?
@shade0636
Жыл бұрын
Your channel is very underrated for how much effort you put into your videos.
@otakubullfrog1665
Жыл бұрын
The whole aspect of the life a character takes on outside the official work being as important to fans as the official work itself (if not moreso) actually calls back to how storytelling and mythology originally worked. What I believe changed this was the establishment of copyright which is what created the concept of official work in the first place and allowed for creators to have a monopoly on a character. Since at least the early days of Comiket, Japanese creators and rights holders were smart enough to realize that fan works tend to help sales and popularity of the official product and have rarely gone after them. I think this decision was vital to the development of waifu culture and might explain why you didn't see it developing the same way with western media until the rise of the internet basically made it impossible for creators and rights holders to police their fandoms effectively.
@terrenceswiff
6 ай бұрын
You don't need personal experience to write anything. If you did, stories would often be extremely dull because writers have a tendency to be home-body loners with no drive to explore on their own. However, I don't think you'd say "You can only write a war story that follows the perspective of a US General unless you have been one yourself." Similarly a nerd who has never had a friendship with a woman can still write women, just like a woman can write a male protagonist---See Fullmetal Alchemist as a famous example.
@whollymindless
7 ай бұрын
I just realized that I spent 8 minutes thinking "lemonade" was something I had missed. I guess I need to pay closer attention. This kind of "masking" is going to DESTROY AI in the future. Good work!
@imark7777777
6 ай бұрын
I am glad I'm not the only one who is confused. At the beginning I thought I understood and then I keep flip-flopping back-and-forth going maybe I don't are we on the same page here are we talking about this word ( L oo ) or or another word entirely?
@redgarlicbred6228
Жыл бұрын
I feel like you put wayyy too much effort into this absurd topic and that's why we love you, happy new year lex! Here's to a great year for your channel!
@Viridian084
Жыл бұрын
I have awaited this. Edit: it's an hour long, ah hell yeah.
@UndeadBoi3
Жыл бұрын
The amount of time and research that went into this is mind blowing. I only recently found your channel but it’s definitely becoming one of my favorites.
@Ender11037
8 ай бұрын
"The power of cute compels you" should be a shounen magical girl show catchphrases
@PanzerSparrow
Жыл бұрын
Did my man just say Aqua and Megumin, and NOT mention Lalatina Dustiness Ford?! Loved the video! Fantastic work!
@deltacharlieecho4732
Жыл бұрын
This was a really interesting video for me. The concept of Waifu has always been a very uncomfortable topic. I've never understood parasocial relationships and I've understood the love for a character that doesn't even exist even less. While I understand the situation of finding a fictional character attractive, we all have our favorite Ranma 1/2 girl and don't lie we all know that it's Ukyo, I do not understand spending the money on trying to make that fictional girl a real thing. Maybe it's because I've had real relationships, maybe it's because I was never THAT far into the anime weebdom (no hate I read one piece weekly and am about to start catching up on HXH as well as reading berserk from the beginning). The whole concept of waifu got really creepy to me when I experienced Girls Und Panzer and Elfen Lied which both made me profoundly uncomfortable as I attempted to assess who the target demographic for either of those shows was. For a long time I kinda had a similar feeling about Ranma 1/2 until I read more into it and figured out just how funny the story and production process were and how much of the story was written to be pure fun and poke fun at the audience. But damn, when you find certain shows that set off alarm bells, you realize there are some real creeps in our sphere; and it's a shame. It's a shame because of the 3 relationships, two of which were engagements, I was never able to express my love of anime or invite my fiancees/girlfriends to watch anime with me because I do understand the implication of association with this particular subset of people. I'm glad you got into the 'lemonaide' stuff, because it is important to understand the parallels of with anime. Incredible video, even if I do feel like I need a shower. You deserve way more than 66k subs. I hope we can get you to 100k or more by the end of 2023, I'll be doing my part for you.
@collinbeal
Жыл бұрын
Elfen Lied was targeted at teenage girls going through an edgy phase, even if it got the attention of other demographics. I recommend the video essay on it by the KZitemr Hazel, as it gave me a good insight into the show. I'm perpetually miffed by Elfen Lied, since it has one of the very best OPs in all of anime and the beginning of the first episode was really intense and compelling sci-fi action on par with something one might see in Neon Genesis Evangelion or Trigun, but then the show turned into... that.
@deltacharlieecho4732
Жыл бұрын
@@collinbeal i totally get where they were trying to go with it but it just ended up feeling like an AI trying to pretend to be human wrote the show. That said, it has the all time greatest closing credits music of any anime I think I’ve ever seen and it is so unfitting for the quality of the rest of the show that I can’t even explain it.
@StevenRossRichestManAlive
Жыл бұрын
True If you love an anime girl, you're a loser and should consider dying.
@StevenRossRichestManAlive
Жыл бұрын
Seriously, all weebs are very creepy. There really is no place for them in society.
@kaiser1one
9 ай бұрын
*we all have our favorite Ranma 1/2 girl and don't lie we all know that it's Ukyo,* Sir, I will have you know that Nabiki is my fave.
@Count_Virgil
8 ай бұрын
This was an interesting history lesson, but I think the concept is actually much more simple than this. Humans are not as complex as we think are. Waifus are popular because they embody all the things males wish were easier to broch about dealing with women. You mentioned this in one of your closing segments, that there were authors who didn't know how to write women or depicted the characters as their "Type". People like anime waifu's because they fit whatever niche they think is ideal. Want a girl who short and super bossy? Waifu. Want a cute pink haired girl who just fawns all over you? Waifu. Want a girl who you fantasize about dominating a battlefield with, who then dominates you after the battle? Waifu. And while I'm sure there's some girl out there who meets any of those standards, It would take way more work to find and win-over that girl, than it is to just love a waifu! It is just a culture centered around wish fulfillment, because women aren't going to -just- be super forward, tell us were going on a date, and lock us into a string of crazy adventures, all while being super hot, cat-girl, tsundere or w/e our personal pick is. That's just not reality... people are picky, inacting with real people and treating them like real people (not just fetisizing) is hard, and you can't just swap them out or add them to your collection/harem when you see a new awesome waifu. That's why people like them.
@MirunaNero
6 ай бұрын
so, I've been watching more of your stuff after I saw the piracy video. It's nice to see someone tackle things without being overly venomous overly non confrontational, or overly defensive. The lemonade segment is an interesting one, and while yes it is a heavily morally charged subject, the way you handled it was great. Overall this video was both very fascinating and thought provoking. I'll definitely be subbing and watching more!
@chrismanghane8731
Жыл бұрын
The section on the exploitation and unrealistic depictions perpetuated by waifu culture is nothing but bars. Spitting nothing but facts and I find your point about the correlation between the video games cause violence dialogue and the anime fandom hates women dialogue quite interesting. I personally still find myself thinking that the latter is true even after living through the former and knowing it was false. I find it extremely difficult to share anime and manga with my partner and female-identifying friends because I can't help but focus on pretty rough depictions and poor writing of women characters combined with actions from some folks in the fandom. Good video as usual.
@nathanaellazaro3347
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, having that section is so important to educate people how these things can have negative consequences if their problems are just ignored. I also agree with you that the connection between poor depictions of women in anime and the misogyny within the fandom is a lot stronger than that of video games causing violence. It is already proven that the way groups of people are depicted in media has a very real effect on how people see those groups in real life and how marginalized groups are impacted the most by this.
@johannessguten2527
Жыл бұрын
@@nathanaellazaro3347not if your already pessimistic
@kurodo9926
Жыл бұрын
Idk why, but I generally can not see the difference between those two arguments. At the end of the day, a normal human being doesn't let some anime character change how he perceives the real world, just like how pulling a trigger in a game doesn't teach you to kill real people. The argument itself just sounds stupid and too arrogant as it implies that there is a better "correct" way to create something for a business like anime and videogames
@nathanaellazaro3347
Жыл бұрын
@@kurodo9926 these two arguments (videogames causing violence and poor female representation perpetuating misogyny) have several key differences that determine why the former falls flat and the latter is a very real thing. Videogames causing violence is a stance that has very little evidence and precedent to support it. One of the biggest counters to this argument is that most violence portrayed in games (fighting, killing, etc.) takes place in setting where such violence is already expected (such as war) or have areas where aggressive play is either restricted or discouraged (you can kill civilians in GTA but doing so causes cops to go after you). Games that don't do either of these, such as Postal, tend to be so overtop and unrealistic that it is almost impossible for a reasonable person to interpret the gameplay as an endorsement of violence in real life. Overall, the violence that can be present in video games is almost always too far removed from reality to have any real influence on people. On the other hand, the effect poor representation of different groups in media has on those groups in real life (whether it be women, LGBTQ+, BIPOCs, or any marginalized group that experiences systemic discrimination/oppression) has centuries of evidence. Even sticking to just motion picture media this trend has a long history and an immense amount of evidence supporting its existence. Naturally, this shows that anime is not the cause of these problems but is instead just another form of media that can fall into very similar pitfalls. This also means that even looking into just female representation in anime would require going into more depth than can be expressed in a KZitem comment. Instead, I will just leave a short list of issues with how women are portrayed in most mainstream anime (reminder that these are not exclusive to anime and can be applied to most forms of media): 1. Important female characters are almost always sexualized at some point in the show itself. This reinforces the prevailing societal notion that women's bodies are inherently sexual. Particularly for anime this is partially done to sell more merchandise (the emphasis on anime merchandising is a whole other topic that can be explored). 2. Female characters are regularly sidelined in favor of giving male characters the spotlight. This is a classic case of perpetuating the narrative that men are more capable than women. This has been somewhat changing in recent years to not be damsel in distress plots but even when female characters get their moments, they are almost never the ones that get to solve the main conflict. 3. Female characters are constantly forced into having romantic interest for a male character as part of their core character. This plays into the regressive idea that female characters need to have a reason to justify their inclusion in the story. These are just 3 examples that can be applied to a lot of mainstream anime. I didn't go into detail because each one is worthy of its own in-depth analysis that can and have been explained better by other people. Also keep in mind that acknowledging these flaws doesn't have to ruin your enjoyment of any of these works, but instead just gives you a better picture of said work. In addition, learning more about how misogyny affects people will help you understand media criticism even more. Some good channels to check out would be Contrapoints, Tee Noir, Khadija Mbowe, and FD Signifier (FD in particular focuses on showing how misogyny hurts men).
@kurodo9926
Жыл бұрын
@Nathanael Lazaro idk man, your arguments are reasonable and understandable. But as someone who doesn't live in Western society, most of those issues seem just nonexistent to me as I have never seen those marginalized groups in my country getting less treatment because of media. Btw I think arguments about misogyny for women have big counterparts in man characters, too (I mean unrealistic or harmful expectations, portrayal) but the thing about all of those is that they all want to garner a specific audience and therefore us going against all of those tropes is like hating a certain taste of ice cream, sure we hate it but it doesn't mean that people who liked it are getting brainwashed by the media. I think we give too much attention to a thing that in theory can be fixed by just raising people correctly
@Rotary_Lover_89
Жыл бұрын
Not gonna lie your first big pause during the waifu list scared me because my one and only is Holo the wise Wolf. Loved this video and how you present and discuss the topic at hand. I'll be subscribing for future watching/listening on my commutes.
@goblingirl7248
9 ай бұрын
As someone who’s been trying for so long to find more anime I like, I can’t thank you enough for this video. It’s a pain in the ass just trying to explain some of the points and concerns you express here. It’s really validating to see it come from a major fan of this medium. Not to mention, the history of this stuff I had no clue about before definitely opened up my eyes more to these topics. All around, just thank you for the video, it’s been a great watch! Can’t wait to check out your other videos! :)
@lydierayn
7 ай бұрын
Early internet culture in general is really facinating. It would be really interesting if it could have been archived.
@SagelyHijinks
Жыл бұрын
Next up: A deep dive into casual slavery omnipresent throughout isekai
@Lextorias
Жыл бұрын
yeah maybe not
@zeldrio6079
Жыл бұрын
@@Lextorias If not you, SOMEONE has to. That stuff needs to be called out more.
@jamalisujang2712
Жыл бұрын
Medieval settings have medieval morals. Slaves are mainly used for labor, where machines that aid productivity has not been invented yet, so human labor is exploited a lot more.
@vighneshraja7231
9 ай бұрын
@@jamalisujang2712 Most if not all of those stories have magic. Also most depictions of slaves in isekai rarely show slaves doing hard labor. If is a world that depends on slavery for productivity why don't these stories show more slaves in towns, farms and kingdoms? There's no reason to believe that these settings depend on slave labor when magic exists, and the story does a bad job of integrating slavery into its world building. Also, just because medieval settings have slavery doesn't mean the protagonist shouldn't fight back (or make an attempt) against these systems especially if the protagonist comes from a the modern world that has our morals. From a character perspective, if you have a conventionally hero-like protagonist that saves innocent people then why wouldn't they save slaves by freeing them. Do these protagonists have an arbitrary and thus flawed moral code, that they need to grow out of? Are they unable to free the due to their lack of power? These are actually interesting plot points to bring up and deepen a character, but so many of these isekai authors aren't interested in telling that story. The presence of slavery in these stories mostly serves to make the story feel aesthetically grim and dark and give the protagonist a new love interest. Sidenote: Japan has a history of forcing Koreans into forced labour and sex slavery. Japanese authors should fucking know better.
@jinxtheunluckypony
Жыл бұрын
I’m honestly really surprised how big on an impact lemonade had on anime as a whole. Of course, it’s impossible to ignore how prominent lemons are, I just always figured their existence in so many shows was pandering.
@circejean
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate the insight in your videos. This one gave me a much clearer understanding of something that kept me away from anime and manga for way too long. Specifically, Moe as a genre and character type still can be kind annoying to me personally but I'm glad to understand it better now. Thanks!
@sukairain240sx
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing. This was quite informative as I am someone who is very selective on what anime to watch ( I don't watch many). I liked how you took your info dive from the very beginning and pieced together how things came to be for today. Like your previous deep dive into fan service, it really opened my mind as to how anime is as a genre which was something I dismissed when I was a teen. I look forward to more deep dive videos like these. I really enjoyed it.
@masonskiekonto590
Жыл бұрын
In regards to the lemonade topic, i deep important to note that sometimes you get ~*the vibe*~ when the show introduces a character that their age is mentioned solely as a fetish bait
@Riawashere
Жыл бұрын
Tf is lemonade supposed to be
@howdyimflowey4341
Жыл бұрын
@@Riawashere loli
@GodOfPlague
Жыл бұрын
That's why I liked Gosick. The characters were wholesome and well written so the fact that the female lead was a Loli didn't bother me. Victorique is both adorable and highly intelligent. However what she has in intelligence she lacks a bit in common sense. She's a good character.
@violet-beck
8 ай бұрын
juju's sister in my dress up darling :(
@emergency_broadcast_system
8 ай бұрын
Anyone who actually cares about the written age of fictional characters have a horribly twisted mindset and are better off going to therapy
@ButWhyWasTaken
6 ай бұрын
36:10 it's because luckily the moe bubble has burst. Moe had its spot in the prime but wasn't successful enough long term to keep its massive popularity. Moe characters are still all over the place but series that are all moe fluff without substance are no longer nearly as popular and well, isekai happened. Isekai is basically when you combine the part of naming your silent protagonist in an rpg after yourself and imaging you save the world and get the girl with it not being a fantasy world character but Japanese highschool student, or maybe an overworked salaryman or office lady, _just like you_ *(!!!)* , who ends up becoming the super strong hero that saves the fantasy world and forget getting _the one girl_ you obviously get an entire harem of girls, or in the case of the OL, an entire reverse harem of total studs. Funnily enough this actually fixed a long running shonen issue of no matter how stronger a female character was, ultimately the's _always_ have to be eventually saved by the mc because mc must be the big strong hero and what is left for him to do if he can't save the day AND the girl? But with (almost) all of the mc's party now being his personal harem of anime girls this means stereotypes like the knight, mage, etc. are now girls and occasionally they are allowed to be actually stronger than mc. E.g. Kazuma is not particularly strong in battle while Megumin is literally a walking nuke that can wipe entire villages off the map. Subaru has learned a few things and all but Emilia or even Rem are still a hundred times stronger and he can only win because he literally loads from the last save and tries again and again until he finally gets it right (yeah, I know spoilers this and spoilers that because combat strength is the main point in shonen series). PS: People really don't give K-On enough credit. I hate moeblobs and only watched K-On after a lot of convincing by friends. I was ready to drop it any second but then it just kept making me laugh and before I stopped laughing the final ep had already ended. That's because it's not a pure moe series as it's based on a 4koma comedy manga and the anime adapted the jokes really well.
@alamrasyidi4097
6 ай бұрын
those two are peak isekai tbh. and with the oversaturation of isekai nowadays, i can only expect it to taper off like moeblobs
@RonaldBradycptgmpy
7 ай бұрын
Dude, I’m sorry I didn’t find this video earlier, this is the most balanced take I’ve ever seen on a topic like this one. I appreciate you, my dude, from 1 (admittedly older) college dropout to another lol keep up the great work dude
@sharkray3938
Жыл бұрын
Was gonna watch something before the year ends. Didn't expect that to be a video about waifus honestly.
@nathanielholzgrafe5274
Жыл бұрын
You are a criminally underrated essayist. Onwards to 100k
@delsings
8 күн бұрын
I really enjoyed this deep dive video, thank you for this one! The live action Densha Otoko being mentioned made my heart happy because omg that show was iconic when it came out! Wanted to mention a somewhat obscure anime title nowadays but has a main character that somewhat fits these themes. Her name is Pai from 3x3 Eyes. It's a short series from the 90s that happens over two main story arcs, done by the same creator of Blue Seed. The 3 eyed demon woman has a dual persona going on and one form is absolutely moe, and personality wise naive and pure which is maybe in some ways spiritually "lemon"? In some ways a later parallel comparison is Lucy from Elfen Lied. There's also a somewhat tsundere flaire to the demon side, since the main protagonist is life debt bonded, but I won't detail any spoilers here. I highly recommend watching it sometime, definitely worth the watch.
@animejuicewithjasmine
8 ай бұрын
Fantastic, well researched video and I especially appreciate the reminder that you don't need to spend a fortune to "prove" that you are a fan of a certain character (I say this as someone who loves figures for a variety of reasons and has spent significant amounts on them). However I do have a major issue with what you said about Demon slayer (please hear me out before rolling your eyes). The "Nezuko can be replaced by a dog" argument is one I have heard countless times before and I'll be honest, I hate it more than pretty much anything else you could say about it. People who mindlessly hate on DS I can ignore, since that is a "just wasn't for them" or "their loss" situation imo. But people who enjoy DS and yet miss such a fundamental part of what gives the story heart really makes me sad. One of the major themes in DS is familial love. Furthermore, the whole reason Tanjiro goes on his journey and doesn't give up time and time again (the train arc when he chooses reality over his dream is the best example of this) is because he wants to turn Nezuko back into a human. Nezuko represents a brighter future, the hope that someday you will be glad you pulled through after a crisis. Sure she isn't a developed character in her own right, but to say she could be replaced by a dog is just wrong. If she was the only female character in the series I would at least better understand your basic complaint, but DS also has characters like Mitsuri and Kanao who imo are better written and more interesting than characters like Inosuke and Zenitsu. That said, Kanao's best scenes by far haven't been adapted yet so if you are not a manga reader I hope you will see what I mean later on. I would argue that DS is a very simplistic story and none of the characters are revolutionary regardless of gender. The beauty of the anime is how it nails that simplicity.
@terrenceswiff
6 ай бұрын
100%. I really don't understand how people can read chapter 1, or watch episode 1 of the series and not figure out then and there that this is a series about a traumatized boy refusing to lose the last family he has. It shows up time and again. Nezuko is a mindless monster to serve the point that she was not always such a beast, and Tanjirou doesn't wish to keep her that way. That's his entire goal and indeed, there are other, interesting female characters so focusing on Nezuko is weird.
@Fantasygod930
Жыл бұрын
I really like these deep dives into anime and gaming the very interesting and open up to how a certain stereotypical trip to a game or anime came about it's pretty interesting and every single time I try to look up this type of stuff nobody really did a good deep dive into anime gaming there's plenty to find but anime kind of hard to find deep dive into certain anime tropes
@benedits5206
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You are the only KZitemr who can capture my full attention for a full hour. Love your videos man 👏👏💜
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