Gyokuyoutama
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Status Updates posted by Gyokuyoutama
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It's been two years.
But they still glow in the dark.
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It's really weird seeing people call him 2ManySnacks. He'll always be 2Snacks.
What's next, people start talking about that hot new video creator, Cyber's Hell?
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fuck you SEGA
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Gyokuyoutama reacted to this
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It's Tuesday night.
I've got a can of Dr. Pepper in one hand and my flip phone in the other.
Chicken tendies warming in a microwave I got from a junkyard.
I'm set to tuturu.
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Just accidentally deleted a book I've been writing for three months.
Never been more glad in my life that I've backed something up.
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Pros and cons of becoming known as "that guy who still watches VHS tapes":
Pros: People will randomly give you free VHS tapes.
Cons: People will randomly give you free VHS tapes.
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Someday there will be enough distance in time for people to claim that Daikatana was actually a innovative classic that was ahead of its time.
I mean, if they do it for Omikron it's going to happen eventually for Daikatana.
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John Romero's about to make the future his bitch.
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Somedays I feel like changing my research focus to Geometric Function Theory, with a specialization in boundary values of continuous functions.
If you catch my drift.
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Try "Boundary Functions and Sets of Curvilinear Convergence for Continuous Functions."
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A 1970 Corvette reacted to this
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Ah, I was more familiar with his other works, thanks
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Somehow I legitimately like almost every piece of sonic the hedgehog music.
Except for reach for the stars.
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The five words that stop a bureaucracy in its tracks:
"Is that the official policy?"-
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My official policy is: Kill all sons of bitches.
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The most annoying conversation with IT:
IT: "I'm sorry, what you described is impossible."
Me: "Well, it's happening. I can replicate the problem exactly."
IT: "No, we programmed things so that couldn't happen. You must be experiencing a different problem."
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The most insane idea that I know:
"This company bought the rights to the franchise, therefore they determine what is canonical in it."
Seriously, the more you think about this idea, the less sense it makes.
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This isn't in response to any specific development. I am against the idea that rights holders can change canon, period.
Suppose that Sherlock Holmes was not in the public domain, and that the best mystery author in the world bought up the rights and wrote a book which had an amazing mystery and perfectly extended the character arcs of Holmes, Watson, etc. It would still be idiotic to say that this author used his legal rights to add to the Holmes canon.
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There needs to be some separate term for modern Isekai.
I've previously talked about "Western Isekai" (ex. Narnia, Three Hearts and Three Lions, John Carter, The Dragon and the George, etc.) But even in Japan if you look at classic anime like Dunbine, Escaflowne, Those Who Hunt Elves and so on and you see very little resemblance in terms of plot structure and cliches used when compared to the modern form of the genre.
(Though I'm not even sure if "modern" is the right term here. I haven't seen it, but from what I've heard about the Tanya show it doesn't seem to hit the same notes as other "isekai" shows.)
So there needs to be some new term that refers to specifically this subgenre. This is important because "other world" fiction has a long and rich history, with much of it being very creative. But the modern subgenre allows only the most minor ("gimmick based") innovation.
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Honestly I think you're right on the mark about how they treat the setting. A recent isekai that I think actually does take the world seriously is honzuki no gekkokujou. Not a super serious story and it has a lot of levity in it but it generally takes the world it's set in seriously* which I think gives it a different feel from the more boilerplate isekai shows.
*There's like ONE gag sort of but the thing is that it's both plausible for an alternate universe to have that kind of weird coincidence with the "real" world and also the main character/setting overall rolls with it and doesn't really keep pointing at it and saying "ha ha isn't this so wacky"
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On further reflection, I wonder how much of this is due to genre being a spook.
What I mean is that way back in the 30's or so there wasn't really set "genres" in the way that we think about them today. There were "types" of stories but it was more like "moods": adventure, romance, mystery, wonder, strangeness, etc. If you look at a pulp like "Weird Tales" the stories have a particular "flavor" to them but don't fit particularly well in any modern genre. Some would be called fantasy, some horror, some science fiction, some might be "magical realism," etc. It's not until much later that you get a hard divide between science fiction and fantasy, modulo some people mixing the two and thinking that they are doing something unprecedented.
But even after the initial definition of the genres, they just got more and more specialized. Take fantasy: after Tolkien it got dominated by "high fantasy" or "epic fantasy"; think stuff like Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist or the prolific Weiss and Hickman duo. Always lots of discussions of alternate cultures and worlds, the world is always doomed in some way or other, etc. Something like an old Conan story where Conan simply robs some ruins or fights pirates or something no longer fits, even though you'd have to call that "fantasy" if you're going to give it a genre at all.
And of course the same thing happened in anime. In both the east and the west a lot of the driving force was ultimately video games, with usually the pipeline being future author plays RPG tie in game -> future author makes pnp RPG campaign -> author now sells works based on campaign world. (This is also why D&D gets considerably more "video-gamey" with every edition, even in the 1st to 2nd edition transition.) As a result of all of this popular works narrow the field more and more and more. It's not "wonder" stories anymore, they have to be "fantasy" storeis in magical kingdoms. And you have to have a certain type of epic scale to them. And that epic scale has to be realized basically in a Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy way. And it's only after you do all that that writers even think about filling in their own details. So naturally everything becomes the same.
It's not like Japan is forced to do this; Spice and Wolf is a great example of how to write a story in the same broad "genre" that barely follows any of the conventions, but also isn't trying to destroy them (it's just telling a story with a different mood and focus.) But we've hit a critical mass where aspiring authors only see video games, books, and TV shows that are all in this very narrow subgenre, so they have a difficult time even comprehending that they could do something else.
But as much as I hate Isekai, they're still probably in the better situation, since over here it's the same basic problem but with capeshit instead.
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I think you have things a bit backwards; traditionally "western isekai" were known as "portal fantasy" works, if they were referred to as a separate genre at all. Much like "anime" is distinct from "cartoon" only in the language used from a technical sense, so is "isekai" separated from "portal fantasy" or "other world fiction".
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They're making an Interspecies Reviewers anime.
I'm now convinced that us anime fans deserve all the scorn that has been heaped upon us.
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This was the official website for Galaxy Quest:
https://web.archive.org/web/20000816151056/http://www.galaxyquest.com/galaxyquest/index.html
Sadly the site is no longer active.
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Time for a definitive list of the Top 25 Virtual Youtubers.
25-21:
25: Vangumi
Really he should be lower since there's plenty of VTubers out there better than him, but I want to mention him and I'm not ranking more than 25. He's the host of a Virtual Youtube talk show which is a boring format and so already he isn't great. But I'll never forgive him for taking over Nekomasu's channel, even if it was done at Nekomasu's suggestion.
24: Mirai Akari
As one of the "four great kings" of virtual youtube, it might be a surprise to see her so low. But honestly she was the most bland of the early stars, and she gets lowered for the same reasons that Vangumi does, i.e. taking over the channel of another virtual youtuber (in this case Eilene). She is also by far the most corporate channel now, with many of her old videos privated for being too advertiser unfriendly and even getting a redesign to avoid showing off her midriff.
23: YUA
Not a lot to say here, she's even blander than Mirai Akari but she's never really anything to annoy me. Her Engrish videos are amusing, otherwise there's not a lot to her.
22: Noracat
The virtual cat with a vocaloid voice who got exposed as actually being a guy all along and not a real catgirl. There's not any huge issue with Noracat's content, but it's almost exclusively long livestreams of games and VRChat sessions, neither of which I'm into.
21: Azuma Lim
Decent variety of content, good motion capture, character design isn't annoying. But nothing too exceptional either.20-16
20: Laki
Pretty cute design I guess. Might get you on a watchlist.
19: Siro
The next of the four great kings to appear on the list. Similar to Mirai Akari in terms of how much she is getting pushed, but she has much better gameplay content, generally has better interactions with other channels and speaks in English sometimes. Dolphin noises vary between being endearing and annoying. Her heavy breathing can be great. But her put on voice gets annoying pretty quick.
18: Tokino Sora
The mom of the VTube community. Pretty decent singing voice, can be amusing, never really got on my nerves. She probably just missed being one of the four greats due to the timing of the situation, but I don't think anyone hates her.
17: Natsumi Moe
The first (and only) English language channel on this list. In many ways she's the platonic form a western fujoshi, but somehow I don't hate her. She's better when she is interacting with the rest of the Eilene clan, but unfortunately that happens less and less.
16: Nanahoshi Suzu
This is the channel I go to to wonder what the hell is going on, especially since none of her videos have been subtitled. She has a interest in weird parts of western culture, like the works of David Cronenberg, so much of the time I'm just confirming that she is in fact referencing what I think she is (even if I can't fully understand the reference). Has made so many Watamote videos that this may as well be the second season.15-11
15: Baacharu
His position on this work is not so much because I enjoy his videos, but because I can respect what he's done. He was another early pioneer that didn't get recognition at the time despite being "the first male virtual youtuber." His enthusiasm is always obvious. More recently, he's essentially started acting as a VTube producer (most notably of Siro) and he seems to be doing a decent job of it. It also makes it trivial for him to collabs.
14: Cocoa
(Or is it Coco? Kokoa? Who knows.) She's mainly on here because she's a spin off of game club project, which we'll discuss later.
13: Omega Sisters
First Duo on the list. I've always thought having a group can make things like Let's Plays more entertaining, since the people in the group can play off each other and keep a nice rhthym of the conversation going. (Of course, you can get an even better product through using a premade script which is well researched and revised multiple times, but no one does that). They gave us the "view 100 recommended videos in a row" technique which always leads to interesting results. If you're not going to ask any questions about Rio, I'm not going to bring up that topic.
12: Moemi
The eternally 2D and eternally abused Virtual Wife. Apparently the voice actress has gone through a lot of real life health issues, which has prevented her from appearing more often. She works great as a straight man to the antics of others, but struggles a bit on her own.
11: Shizuka Rin
Aka that vtuber that sang "Country Roads" while playing a bus simulator. I know that I've disqualified other vtubers for essentially just posting livestreams, and she does the same thing, so maybe she should be lower on the list. Honestly, I put her higher mainly because it isn't hard to find highlight videos so that you don't have to sit through two+ hours. I also like that she switches up her character design frequently.10-6
10. Nekomiya Hinata
Probably the best of the VTubers in terms of gameplay skill shown in videos. Additionally this is the only channel I know of which has the ears of the model tied in with the facetracking. Adds a lot to see the ears perk up in surprise or droop down in sadness. While this is another channel with corporate backing, she feels less like a spokesman for a channel and more like someone just playing a game.
9. Hime Hina
Another duo. As usual you have the hyperactive one and the straightman. Some sketches, some games, some songs. They play off each other pretty well whatever they are doing.
8. Ruki Roki
I'll be honest: I could say almost the exact same things that I did for Hime Hina. But they're foxgirls, so they get the higher spot.
7. Fuji Aoi
While she does a lot of stuff, you're here for the singing. She undoubtably has the best singing voice of any VTuber, and it's no surprise that she was the first one to get gigs for public appearances. Her channel has perhaps limited appeal in that her non song videos aren't very good, but when she is good she is better than almost every channel on this list.
6. Kizuna Ai
The big boss. She wasn't the first VTuber, but there's no doubt that without her the fad wouldn't have become as big as it has. Her success isn't accidental: she's a natural entertainer (despite being terrible at pretty much everything else she tries) and she is constantly adding new elements to her videos. Even now rather than simply pumping out the same videos that have served her well, she is going forward with some weird plotline about there being 4 different Kizuna Ais.5-1
5. Eilene
A VTuber denied her channel. Despite being one of the pioneers in the genre, predating Kizuna Ai by over a year, there is no real home for her content. In fact Mirai Akari's channel is her original channel (you'll note that it is actually "bitconnect" which is mentioned in some old Eilene vids). Luckily she originally posted to several channels in different languages, or she would be almost entirely gone. Now you can mainly find her stuff on Natsumi Moe's channel (which used to be for English reuploads of Eilene videos) and Yomemi's channel (which she created and where she frequently guest stars). Anyway, as for an actual review, Eilene's videos are obviously the product of someone passionate about making content, and who isn't afraid to push the boundaries. You aren't going to see Ebola-chan on any of the major channels. Eilene's channels were one of the few VTube channels to try to set up an ongoing plotine, as if it were a TV show, rather than simply mimicking the content of non-virtual youtubers. It's frequently very rough, but clearly a product of love.
4. Game Club Project
This is a group of 4 characters. This is essentially what you would get if you took Eilene's TV-show esque format (mixed with some let's plays) but actually put money into it. I want to say that it's also more grounded and less extreme and bizarre than Eilene's work, but honestly there are some pretty weird videos (I've posted the one where Siro shows up and tries to eat half the cast, but it ends up being a ruse to capture Santa and drink his blood to become immortal.) This channel reminds me the most of SPUF as well.
3. Yomemi
Essentially a replacement for Moemi, who has essentially become a replacement for Eilene. Why Yomemi is up here is her enthusiasm and constant joy. It's impossible to listen to her and not feel at least a little uplifted. She also has a lot of bizarre experiment videos where she tries dangerous or disgusting things, never showing a hint of fear or revulsion.
2. Kaguya Luna
Really I should hate Moon-chan due to her forced zaniness and her inability to take anything seriously. But somehow it's incredibly endearing. It helps that she posts less frequently and doesn't go long in her videos, so it never feels like she's just extending the length to get a paycheck and go home. I know this doesn't sound like a huge endorsement, but seriously, she's great. It's just impossible to put into words why that is.
1. Nekomasu
If you've paid attention to me blabbing on about VTubers in the past, you know this was coming. One of the "4 Great Kings", but the one which really came from absolutely nowhere. In November 2017 he didn't think he'd have even a thousand subscribers, by January 2018, he was a superstar. He wears his heart on his sleeve and you can see how much trouble it is for him to make his videos, which makes their high quality all the more impressive. It also helps that his tastes are almost identical to my own. He's essentially quit the VTube scene, and I understand why. I'm still pissed about his channel being used for other purposes, but I don't hold that against him.
Okay, now the Monkey has to do the real definitive top 25.-
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Today I realized that if I had an HDMI to component adaptor I could record my computer on my VCR. Thus I could record a Vtuber livestream on VHS.
Such a thing would almost certainly be one of a kind and thus in ten years would be worth either a fair amount... or absolutely nothing.
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VERY fast fox moving at incredibly hihg speeds:
https://www.foxnews.com/science/arctic-fox-norway-canada-epic-journey
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WARNING: Spooky content ahead:
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We need a good quick term for ChatGPT and StableDifussion style algorithms other than AI.
Seeing people talk about "AI" as if no one ever used the term before two years ago feels like being gas lit. I've even seen someone say "I want to be one of the first people to make games that use AI."
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WILY
BEAST
AND
WEAKEST
CREATURE
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Work that made people a furry by decade:
20s: BNA, Helluva Boss
10s: Zootopia, Pokemon (there were Pokewaifus before but it hit a critical mass here.)
00s: Star Fox Assault, Digmon Tamers, Sonic Adventure 2
90s: A lot of stuff, but most likely Space Jam or The Lion King. I guess Rescue Rangers goes here too since it debuted right before the 90s. SWAT Kats for kids who got in before Turner canceled it. Hell I could probably add five or six more things; any kid growing up in this decade was doomed.
80s: Fairly safe decade; only real Furry Bait was the Catillac section of Heathcliff and Gadget right at the end. Lots of female animal characters, but I don't consider that inherently furbait.
70s: Disney's Robin Hood. Not much else, but it was enough.
60s: Everything here is either "female animal with slight human attributes" or "female cartoon character with almost no sexual appeal." These things only appeal to people who are actually furries, so it was a safe decade.
50s and Earlier: There's some pretty weird blatant furbait stuff, the most famous of which probably being that "leg of lamb" joke in that Droopy cartoon. But the stuff that would show up on TV was always isolated and unlikely to cause any real damage.
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On reflection, there were some important omissions:
1960s: That squirrel from Sword in the Stone was pretty damn blatant. I mean I guess she's still in the category of "animal with slight human attributes" but when she's hitting on the main character you can't ignore it.
1970s: As a side note this is when the Fritz the Cat movies came out, i.e. the first mainstream-ish adult furry movies. But no way any kid was getting within a mile of that so it doesn't affect this list. A real omissions is that lion chick from the Star Trek cartoon show. I guess you might throw the Rescuers in here because throwing Eva Gabor's voice on top of a mouse is just asking for trouble.
1980s: I don't know how many people actually saw Animalympics back in the day, but it certainly fits here. The Great Mouse Detective should also be included for that burlesque scene. The dogs in Oliver and Company are kind of borderline; I mean yeah furries like them but I don't know if they would have caused confused feelings in children.
1990s: Stuff I omitted: Tiny Toon Adventures, Samurai Pizza Cats, Road Rovers, SatAM Sonic the Hedgehot, Mirri n Magic the Gathering, Animaniacs (I don't know how much Minerva Mink actually made an impact considering how infrequently she appeared but man it doesn't get more blatant than this). I guess we can throw Dragon Tales here as well, and to top things off this is where furry webcomics started to explode. Kids were screwed.
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旅行は良好だった
Understanding this dumbass joke feels like one of the biggest steps I have taken towards fluency.
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"We have not yet received your documents" is bureaucracy speak for "yeah, we don't feel like processing that request, what are you going to do about it?"
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