Nine Essays About Characters That Matter

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  • čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
  • FIND THE ESSAYISTS
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    AZRIEL: Malacalico (he/him) ‪@malacalico‬ // malacalico.carrd.co/
    TAMAMUSHI UNIVERSITY: ‪@tamamushiuniversity4159‬ // / @tamamushiuniversity4159
    BRIAN LAZAROW: ‪@brianlazarow2206‬ // / @brianlazarow2206 // / theraelbrianl // / dragonlazarus // / brianlazarow // lbreel.com
    ZEPHYR CAULFIELD (he/they): ‪@ZephyrCaulfield‬ // / @zephyrcaulfield // / caulfielder
    CHOCCY PROPHET (he/him): ‪@choccyprophet8691‬ // / @choccyprophet8691 // Devil May Cry analysis: • Devil May Cry 2: Why D...
    ACE AT WRITING CLUB (he/him): writingaceclub.neocities.org
    MOMENTS IN MEDIA: Timo (he/him): ‪@momentsinmedia‬ // / @momentsinmedia // Companion video: "Persona 5 Royal is a sequel to itself": • Persona 5 Royal is a S...
    DANNY MOTTA (he/him): ‪@DannyMotta‬ // / @dannymotta
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    Shorts and hot takes: / tbskyenshorts
    Let's plays & gameplay: / 2bskyen
    Twitch: / tbskyen
    ---
    Merch store: www.redbubble.com/people/TBSk...
    Tip me on Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/TBSkyen
    Support the channel on Patreon: Patreon: / tbskyen
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    As a video essayist, I obviously love to go on and on about my own silly opinions, but I also love to watch video essays and hear about other people's ideas
    Timestamps:
    0:00 Intro
    2:52 Azriel: Twilight Princess Zelda
    8:52 Tamamushi University: Rabsca
    15:25 Brian Lazarow: Percy Jackson
    23:24 Zephyr: Chainsaw Man
    32:04 Choccy Prophet: Mechanicus Adeptus
    41:18 Ace: Spamton
    47:18 Moments in Media: Goro Akechi
    57:12 Danny Motta: Rengoku Kyojuro
    1:06:49 TBSkyen: Cloud Strife
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    Royalty free music in my videos sourced from filmmusic.io, incompetech.com, and composed by Kevin Macleod. Used under a Creative Commons license ((creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
    Additional music by Stevia Sphere
    steviasphere.bandcamp.com/
    Used under a Creative Commons License
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 278

  • @TBSkyen
    @TBSkyen  Před rokem +165

    *FIND THE ESSAYISTS HERE:*
    *AZRIEL: Malacalico (he/him)* @malacalico // malacalico.carrd.co/
    *TANAMUSHI UNIVERSITY:* @tamamushiuniversity4159 // www.youtube.com/@tamamushiuniversity4159
    *BRIAN LAZAROW:* @brianlazarow2206 // www.youtube.com/@brianlazarow2206 // twitter.com/TheRaelBrianL // dragonlazarus.tumblr.com // tiktok.com/@brianlazarow // lbreel.com
    *ZEPHYR CAULFIELD (he/they):* @ZephyrCaulfield // www.youtube.com/@ZephyrCaulfield // www.tiktok.com/@caulfielder
    *CHOCCY PROPHET (he/him):* @choccyprophet8691 // www.youtube.com/@choccyprophet8691 // Devil May Cry analysis: czcams.com/video/DFV_MOJrVDY/video.html
    *ACE AT WRITING CLUB (he/him):* writingaceclub.neocities.org
    *MOMENTS IN MEDIA:* Timo (he/him): @momentsinmedia // www.youtube.com/@momentsinmedia // Companion video: "Persona 5 Royal is a sequel to itself": czcams.com/video/iT1UojxPwlM/video.html
    *DANNY MOTTA (he/him):* @DannyMotta // www.youtube.com/@DannyMotta
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    Thank you to all the contributors, I have enjoyed putting this collection together _a lot_ and hopefully it won't be the last time I do something like this. Also, making the animations for the in-between segments finally spurred me to update my avatar and channel branding, so consider this a Last Hurrah for the old avatar :)

  • @teradul2480
    @teradul2480 Před rokem +581

    "All of my Oddities adorn me into adulthood" is such a metal line.

    • @writing-ace-club
      @writing-ace-club Před rokem +26

      Thank you! I feel like signs of aging are used to demonize transitioning (and most unconventional self expressions like tattoos) so why not embrace them? If I’m going to live in this body might as well enjoy the decor that I have and will come with time.

    • @Of-lf1rd
      @Of-lf1rd Před rokem +11

      ​@@writing-ace-clubYou went hard as fuck, yours is probably my favorite essay out of all these (and man do i love Goro Akechi), nice job.

  • @josuezepeda1313
    @josuezepeda1313 Před rokem +496

    man, i sure hope that this well crafted piece of media does not change my perspective in any meaningful manners

  • @Cat-eu2rc
    @Cat-eu2rc Před rokem +36

    When I first played FFVII at the age of seven, my strongest reaction was to Tifa. I loved the game, but I loathed her. She lied about being Cloud's childhood friend; she hung around with his bullies and wouldn't be seen with him during the day. She knew Cloud was wrong about the events in their hometown, and if she'd have just said something sooner perhaps he wouldn't have broken at such a crucial point! She was consistently weak willed, and consistently compromised herself to keep the peace and avoid confrontation. Naturally, when everyone else leaves the ship to tie up lose ends, she has nothing. She just clings to Cloud and begs for a little attention. Pathetic. Selfish. Cowardly.
    As I grew up, I gradually pulled back from a fandom that seemed determined to set the two female leads against each other, and learned more about trauma and empathy. Tifa's desperation and self-erasing coping mechanisms began to make sense. I learned to give her credit for the moments where she did stand up and take direct action, and especially for the kindness she shows towards Aerith, and Cloud. I began to realise just how rare it was to see a woman with such flaws be given the space to work through them. So often media condemns women like Tifa, or frames her self-sacrificing nature as a positive. With Tifa, we see the loneliness, we see the damage she causes to herself and to others, and we see her fix it and grow into a hero. More than that, she grows into a person who can properly voice what she wants.
    She does regress horribly in Advent Children but so does everyone else. >.>

  • @alix8503
    @alix8503 Před rokem +347

    I am currently stuck with every fiber of my being on Arcane's version of Viktor and when you said sometimes a character just digs their nails into your soul I FELT that 😭

    • @carlas1984
      @carlas1984 Před rokem +17

      I can truely relate to that feeling. For me personally it’s Sevika from Arcane and I can’t tell why. But overall many Characters in Arcane give me nearly those feelings, they made a really good Job in Character design.

  • @ApexGale
    @ApexGale Před rokem +112

    What I love about Cloud is that the climax of what happens at the reactor at Nibelheim shows he always had the potential to be a hero. Not some sort of major hero of Midgar, not the face of some ideal SOLDIER. He is a hero to Zack, and a hero to Tifa. That desperation to stop Sephiroth and keep his friends safe made him what he wanted to be. The failed ambition, the shame, the insecurity all go out the window in that one moment because they don't constrain him. They don't need to define him. When Cloud's memories are restored and he comes to understand that, it's such a great emotional catharsis as you see that facade crumble away. He's awkward, but friendly, and he embraces who he is around people he is happy to call friends.

  • @hasturthekinginyellow5003

    One character that always stayed with me through all of my life is Rubeus Hagrid, the half giant, because of his personality. Throughout my childhood i always was this chubby kid too tall for my age, too clumsy to play sports (and with no interest in them either) to out of shape that i never had any chance in any fight,with more interest in painting my imaginary monsters, cooking with my mom and reading scary books with scary stories, which means that i was the stereotypical weird kid that everyone else either ignored or tormented with my only friends being the nice bookeepers.
    And then i saw the first Harry Potter movie and Hagrid appeared; this giant man that can be intimidating but with hearth of gold and clumsy, caring hand, this giant man that loves strange and scary things, this gaint man that is lonely, and i saw myself and i loved him, i loved him so much that i hated that Hagrid didnt appeared for much of the movie, and Hagrid alone was the reason i saw the rest of the movies. And i hated Harry so much when he choosed to name his firstborn after the man who wanted him to die and the simp of his mother, instead of the first person who ever baked him a birthday cake.
    And yet, Hagrid is a bad character, written by a bad writer as a comedic sidekick that no one takes seriously, but no one, not even Rowling herself, can take away that first impression where i saw Hagrid as the confirmation that i wasnt alone in this world, that i wasnt a freak, as the confirmation that i was gonna be ok in the future.

    • @cabinetman7124
      @cabinetman7124 Před 6 měsíci +2

      I love this comment so much. One of my favorite quotes, I can’t remember where it comes from, is “When you create something and you put it out into the world, it isn’t really ‘yours’ anymore.” Part of the reason I want to make art and stories is to create characters that matter to people, even if it’s in a way I never intended in the first place.

  • @kaylichow8430
    @kaylichow8430 Před rokem +61

    For me its Evelynn. The damn chokehold this woman has on me is crazy, and as a woman myself its not as typical for this type of femme fatale character to fascinate me as much. Maybe I should also think about my obsession in the essay way.

  • @thesheepwhisper5068
    @thesheepwhisper5068 Před rokem +47

    Talks about Percy Jackson, Warhammer 40k, and Persona 5?! Man this video was tailored quite well to my tastes. Thanks to Skyen and everyone who contributed to this essay. It was well worth a watch!.

    • @ExpandDong420
      @ExpandDong420 Před rokem

      Percy Jackson and Pokémon are the twin roads that inevitably lead to SMT

  • @teafairy6959
    @teafairy6959 Před rokem +66

    The video left me in emotions I can't really explaine. Since childhood I connected far better to fictional characters than real humans. And the video reminded me again why.
    I could name so many characters who deeply effected me in my time: Cloud Strife the first character I felt understood by or Sasori from Naruto I looked up to and seeked comfort in when my emotions got to troubling. Even if I now know that pushing your feelings away is not the right way.
    Or the time I started to take interesst in Dark Souls and the whole concept just... stuck with me and a bonfire now is tattooed on my arm with a massage of "Keep fighting through life even if it's hard."
    There are so many that could fit the mold of "a character that matter to me" because... every character helped me in a time of my life I needed them.
    But right now I actually would say it is a character from Genshin Impact that saved my life. Wanderer.
    He had a life full of trauma, a feeling of not being wanted and because he is a puppet no heart and so no emotions. Even tho he has emotions but just can't understand and deal with them. Like me.
    He did terrible things to others because of his hurt and to fill that void. Until he got stopped as a villain and did the only thing he saw for himself: Erasing himself from all the lives he ruined. A wish I had. But it didn't worked and he was still in this world as the Wanderer. An empty Vessel that traveled through the world seeking meaning. The Fates of all hadn't changed even after is own erasure from history and the Wanderer stand before a choice: Should he embrace his old memories and all he did or not?
    He could have lived a live without the guilt, the pain and everything but... he choice not to. He remembered what he did and understood that the only way to deal with the pain, emotion and guilt is not to throw it or himself away but... to finde his own path with it. To open a new chapter and atone for his sins and finde new meaning and happiness. And it gave me hope that I could be my own Wanderer. Rising from the ashes of my past and find a way that brings me happiness.
    This comment is probably way to long and emotional. I could talk so much more about the topic, maybe I should write and make my own video.
    Thanks to all who did this amazing work on the video.

  • @saguierdimas
    @saguierdimas Před rokem +259

    The Skyen origin had me in tears. This was an amazing video, please do more of this. I love to see all the different perspectives taken from the same prompt.
    Also the leprosy joke made me cackle out loud

  • @ZeekarPRIME
    @ZeekarPRIME Před rokem +25

    The Ace: Spamton one was so enjoyable to watch, it was at the same time silly, funny and serious, and it had me hooked for that segment

  • @truckerdave8465
    @truckerdave8465 Před rokem +230

    Danny talking about his mom made me ugly cry. As a disabled single mom who’s poor, I always worry that I’m not enough.
    I watch Demon Slayer with my kid. It was perfect. It was all just perfect.

  • @EvilShadow7777
    @EvilShadow7777 Před rokem +14

    This video is honestly so profound and reminds me of why when I was a child, I wanted to be a video game designer and to create media. My journey is... nothing like what I expected. I still struggle everyday, and my career path has pivoted entirely away from that. It could pivot back. But seeing all these discussions of masculinity, what it means to be a hero, the dark sides of ourselves, and all these deep topics does remind me that media that makes you think is always worth making no matter the risk. Keep making your essays, they matter to people and help us all think :)

  • @AymarMaluenda
    @AymarMaluenda Před rokem +62

    I find It very funky that Cloud in Danish is literally Sky, what a coincidence

    • @pisscvre69
      @pisscvre69 Před rokem +7

      i swear every language in northern europe, scaninavia, and english, are just the same language with the words mixed up to be similar things but not the same word LOL

    • @Hemlocker
      @Hemlocker Před rokem +2

      Probably not a "coincidence" per se, but yes very cool1

    • @pepi7404
      @pepi7404 Před rokem +7

      @@pisscvre69 If I remember correctly, that's because they're all Germanic languages. Danish is a north-germanic language and english a west-germanic one.

    • @sebastiannettles9076
      @sebastiannettles9076 Před rokem +3

      @@pisscvre69 i wonder why countries right next to each other would have similar words in their languages 🤔

  • @GreyAgma
    @GreyAgma Před rokem +19

    I could talk a lot about how much I loved this video, but I'm just going to say it was so comforting in a weird way, I love listening to people talk about things they are passionate about, and this was a whole hour of just that. Amazing

  • @skylarhernandez2578
    @skylarhernandez2578 Před rokem +33

    Danny's story about about his mother was so beautiful

  • @Worgak
    @Worgak Před rokem +10

    Strongest because of the battle he looses.
    Such a perfect way to summarize it, that it makes me cry.
    Love that carrachter. Nothing more noble than the spirit of selfsacrifice.

  • @bluebill7
    @bluebill7 Před rokem +15

    First off, this is one of the coolest videos I've even seen. I love when creators provide platforms for smaller creators, and this video is probably one of the best I've ever seen on CZcams. Talking about how writing what you are passionate about helped me a lot too. I've always been a strong writer, but writing about stuff I don't really care about for school has always been tedious.
    The video is helping me right now, as I'm taking a shot at making a video essay for the first time. This video has helped me to look back more on my writing, and just find subtle ways to change my writing style to fit my personality more, instead of coming across as a school essay. Once again, great video.

  • @ZephyrCaulfield
    @ZephyrCaulfield Před rokem +67

    I am so grateful I was able to be a part of this! Everyone did such an amazing job and I had an absolute blast. Thanks, TBSkyen :)

    • @tobiasarboe5753
      @tobiasarboe5753 Před rokem +2

      Can I just say - your unbridled joy when talking about Chainsaw Man was absolutely phenomenal and I loved every second of it? It brought such a giant smile to my face

    • @ZephyrCaulfield
      @ZephyrCaulfield Před rokem

      @@tobiasarboe5753 thank you! that really means so much to me

    • @eIIedritch
      @eIIedritch Před 7 měsíci

      I'm very late to finally getting around to watching this, but I genuinely think your essay is my favorite of the bunch! You put words to everything that made me love Chainsaw Man, and I'd love to watch more rant essays from you in the future!

  • @dreim5
    @dreim5 Před rokem +10

    Skyen, The Cloud, thank for for featuring these stories and for adding your own. They were beautiful and resonant and inspirational for us (me, at the very least) to ponder our own relationships with the characters and influences that shape us. Cheers to your wonderful content.

  • @mas8705
    @mas8705 Před rokem +28

    Just finished watching the videoand I did enjoy everyone's essays. Going to definitely check out a few of the channels that caught my attention (and it was definitely fascinating to see the origin story of "Skyen" at the end.
    I'm sad to say I don't really have much of a story I can think of for myself of a character who I have personally connected to. The best I can think of is Cecil from FF4, but that is kind of more "broken thinking" from childhood, but overall just a character who I enjoyed greatly. The idea of someone starting off a dark knight and then becoming a paladin; someone who wishes to do the right thing and still follows the orders of those he would call family in spite of knowing what he is doing is wrong. And how the dissidia games seem to promote the idea of Cecil not really cowering away from his days as a Dark Knight, but rather embracing it and allowing him access to more moves than the good chunk of the cast. Still, I wish I could elaborate more on it, but I'll leave it at that.
    Definitely would be interesting to see a sequel to this in the future come up. I know for myself, I would like to try and toss my hat into the ring should another opportunity come up for a "TBSkyen Presents" showcase (but perhaps for another time. Might just ask about it in the monthly Q&A maybe...) Thank you as always for the lovely content Skyen. Always proud to support you over on Patreon.
    -Mike Sol

  • @IsaiahXZY
    @IsaiahXZY Před rokem +10

    One of my favorite moments from the Percy Jackson series, is when Percy and Annabeth return from Tartus. I just can’t forget what they had to go through, and the relief I felt after they escaped. Definitely one of the best adventures that came from the books.

  • @snipperjoey1151
    @snipperjoey1151 Před rokem +28

    That ending for the Rabsca segment will live rent-free in my head forever.

  • @Evergreen_Trees_are_cool

    As someone who spent their preteen years (and a lot of teen year tbh) as a almost rabid Percy Jackson Fan, I Knew as soon as he said "demigod who's too loyal"

  • @wingsofinsanity42
    @wingsofinsanity42 Před rokem +8

    I've been thinking on this for a couple days now. Video games were a huge refuge for my abused, abandoned, confused non-nurotypical young self.
    They were a world of escape and a sense of control. But the question is, what character. Kefka for his isolation from society? Cloud for his attempts to fill a mold? The no-name hero for the self insert? The mysterious God hand separated by the fourth wall, but with all the ability to fit the bits into place and make them work?
    I've decided that it's none of those. It's the video game ability to let me be something anything, everything other than what I am for a moment. A change to imagine, breath, succeed or win, under conditions infinitely more understandable and simpler than the meatspace I'm imprisoned in.
    It sounds weird, but when I look in the mirror in the morning and this 'meat machine' that houses me stares back, I no longer hate it in a haze of overwhelmed confusion.
    I've had my chances to be a million things. Amongst those, I can be myself.
    Video games give me a chance to be a stranger or a strange thing, where it's my results that matter. It's a lot easier to look into a mirror and look into the face of a stranger if I've looked into a monitor and seen a stanger, but it's the effort that defines what matters.
    Anyway.... I should give this more thought, run it out and edit the crap out of it, but meh. I'm tired and this is going to get lost.
    Anyway, a million forms, but the effort that matters, it's all just skins until you try real hard and that's you applied to game and then you could flip it to life.
    But maybe I'm drunk and this should get deleted.

  • @NotMirrors
    @NotMirrors Před rokem +6

    OH MY GOD HE HAS LEGS

  • @zerareota1560
    @zerareota1560 Před rokem +2

    I’ve noticed that if a character appears very collected/happy but is secretly depressed or very insecure they will always become a new favorites

  • @Eukleides89
    @Eukleides89 Před rokem +2

    Oh my god that Akechi Goro essay is so on point. I’m super glad that someone else saw the duality in him, and his tragedy.

  • @Dormant_Chrysalis
    @Dormant_Chrysalis Před rokem +9

    I loved this and hearing about these extremely personal experiences. None of the characters talked about in this video were like this for me, but being touched by characters (and maybe even obsessed by them) really struck a chord with me. For me, the most recent example of this is Mollymauk Tealeaf from Critical Role. I don't even really know why. He is not the kind of character archetype I usually like best (I like the less sociable, quiet, borderline antihero types with a heart of gold most of the time). But Molly, for some reason, just wouldn't let me go, even now, way after the campaign has ended. I think some things about his characterization were just so novel and intriguing for me. He might have been the first character I consciously thought about who combined kindness with confidence and loudness without being arrogant or full of himself. I usually saw kindness combined with insecurity or at the very least gentleness, but Molly is such a vibrant ball of energy and motivation and simple ideals, all the while not taking himself or anything all too seriously. He could be a person doing kind things in his own, small way without expecting gratitude or without the story rewarding him with having saved someone important or getting a reward later. As a character, he is both designed not to be the coolest, the most dramatic, the most impressive, but to leave every place a little better than it was before all the same. I like him both from a writing and from a personality standpoint, and someone like him was completely new to me. The reason might be gendered, since more female characters get to be kind and nice and not prideful at the same time than male (or, in Molly's case, male representing) characters do. Either way. I don't think Molly will let go of me anytime soon. He is my blorbo and my poor little meowmeow and you can pry him out of my cold, dead hands.

  • @DianaHatter
    @DianaHatter Před rokem +9

    Man, I love how the mini skyien moves, that's good animation

  • @cyaneye5098
    @cyaneye5098 Před rokem +3

    HE'S GOT LEGS 😮

  • @bloomins8088
    @bloomins8088 Před rokem +2

    That person talking about his mom had me weeping. What a wonderful thing.
    Excellent video. I would love to see more of this. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

  • @ViniciusSilvestre0
    @ViniciusSilvestre0 Před rokem +4

    That character for me, would be link, specifically the one from ocarina and majoras. Since childhood i always admired that style of heroism. Link is a chosen one, sure, but for most of the games you spend time helping others for no reason other than, you are there, you can help them. From simple quests like: buying a mask for the daughter of a guard who cannot leave his post or kafei's questline. Neither of does are required quest to finish the game and neither of them gives you an amazing item that helps you. You just help them out of a sense of doing good just for the sake of doing it. You are making the world a better place for those people even if reality looks grim.
    And this stuck with me until this day. To help others you don't need to have super powers, you don't need to be a chosen one. You just need to be there and do something, anything that can make that persons life easier or just be there for her

  • @MandosDestiny
    @MandosDestiny Před rokem +17

    I'd LOVE to see more videos like this; these more personal deep dives and discussions feel so much more impactful and interesting to engage with than a lot of other content on the platform.

  • @user-bo9yp9kc5i
    @user-bo9yp9kc5i Před rokem +2

    My friend, its a sad truth that in the constant onslaught of content most creators on CZcams loose track of themselves in order to raise their chances to win the lottery of the algorithm. Thank you for being different in asking interesting questions to yourself and other people, you have been a big part of me becoming an adult in interaction with video games. Bless your heart and bless your channel. Please do what feels right to you and
    i hope that you always find meaning in what you do because at least for me it is extremely meaningful to me and i believe the rest of your audience as well.

  • @autumnavalanche1097
    @autumnavalanche1097 Před rokem +3

    i saw that there was a percy jackson section and I'm too weak to do this right now percy was such a big part of my younger teenage years I Will Get Emotional :'D but just wanted to drop a comment because this is such a cool idea for a video!! I love seeing people wax on about their favourite characters :'] nothing more heartwarming than someone's pure and unadulterated love for a fictional person that has significantly altered their brain chemistry (affectionate) thank you for compiling this!! I will watch it when I am more well rested and less fragile feeling HAHAH always love what you're putting out and so cool that you always spotlight other creators as well! thanks for creating mr skyen :]

  • @sailorenthusiast
    @sailorenthusiast Před rokem +6

    For me, my special character that has stuck in my head for as long as I’ve known him is Malleus Draconia from Disney’s Twisted Wonderland. Among a cast of goofy, Disney villain inspired characters attending what is basically hogwarts, Malleus just sticks out to me in a deeply relatable way. He struggles with making human connections and is a nerd with specific niche interests that only he really understands. He is an incredibly powerful dragon fey prince that is feared and respected by most of the cast, and yet he is also deeply human. He is playful and likes teasing others, yet will typically present in a reserved manner because of his responsibility as the heir of a whole nation. He tries his best to make nice with the other students, yet his attempts tend to be misguided due to his lack of understanding about how people work. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve rewritten this comment over and over again out of fear of being misunderstood in a similar fashion. For seeming dumb or shallow for liking a gacha game character this much.

  • @KelsieJG__they-them
    @KelsieJG__they-them Před rokem +5

    I feel so super validated right now for my borderline obsession with a certain video game character that changed my life by sparking my latest journey of self-improvement and self-actualization, like some of these folks with their characters. It took me a while to figure out why I love him so much, and I've come to realize that it's because he represented so many things that I wanted to be but didn't realize I wanted to be until I got to "know" him. He's inspired me to become confident, strong (in more ways than one), and in touch with my masculine side (I'm AFAB and nonbinary, and had been struggling with how I wanted to understand and define my gender identity before I "met" him). Much love to all the incredible essayists. I cried multiple times. And thank you to TBSkyen for elevating trans voices ❤

  • @Killroy007
    @Killroy007 Před rokem +22

    I really liked the part about percy jackson and it really spoke to something that I as an aspiring writer and long time reader find to be hurtful: The amount of self insert based media there is really really hurts creativity and someones perspective on art. The people I have seen that would be able to appreciate media more when not wanting to self insert is painful.
    And while writing this I realized what helped me to not have this perspective: Eragon. Christopher Paolinis work, having his characters change, be incredibly different and making their self identity a massive part of the final conflict was something that led to me respecting and celebrating everyone for their uniqueness. Its something ive realized to help me both in my day to day life and when reading media.

  • @lathalassa
    @lathalassa Před rokem +11

    For me violet evergarden is such a character. Turns out, i am on the spectrum and have cptsd.

  • @Word0fBird
    @Word0fBird Před rokem +6

    I've not yet worked up the courage to actually start posting video essays. I hope some day I do, and I likewise hope that you do another video like this. Because there is definitely a character who I could write an essay or two about

  • @thestic6349
    @thestic6349 Před rokem +3

    Fuck it's so gratifying to see someone impacted so similarly as i was to Cloud, who reached such similar conclusions, especially someone's whose analysis and opinions I've grown to respect over the last year or so (your Bloodborne analysis series was absolute fire, btw). It hits all the moreso when the character's perception by the public and treatment in spinoffs and cameos have mutated so far away from their initial characterization.

  • @MyxelPyxel
    @MyxelPyxel Před rokem +1

    I never really thought about Rengoku in the mind of Danny, it is amazing hearing what he has told him about his mom while realizing what the beauty of Rengoku is. Ace's Spamton essay is amazing as someone who is still in the process of discovering one's identity, and yours was a great one to listen to as I never understood FF games until I heard your perspective on the matter. Great video!

  • @dtoonergames7450
    @dtoonergames7450 Před rokem +4

    I adore taliyah because of how she makes me so secure in my gender, I adore sableye because of how that lil critter is so mischievous and the gimmick of gem eating, and i adore how aloy is able to be both feminine and masculine, both leader and lone wolf, and still be a woman, and a brilliant character in a medium so dominated by cis guys

  • @fedoragent0077
    @fedoragent0077 Před rokem +3

    THIS WAS A FANTASTIC VIDEO!!! I find it very admirable that you used your platform to give more of a voice to smaller creators, and what each of them said resonated with me in some way. What a great way to reveal something about yourself, while also giving the space to others to share some of themselves too.. This is what essays and art in general should be striving for, and I think this is very important criticism to be making in media nowadays, which can so easily become "content" and fodder to the great capitalist machine.

  • @TheOtakuDude326
    @TheOtakuDude326 Před rokem +3

    I cried at some point during every single one of these essays. It meant a great deal to see characters represented from both franchises I've experience myself and franchises I've never wanted to touch, obscure and unpopular characters to primary protagonists. It made me think about my own media favorites, and about the characters who, for better or for worse, shaped me into the person I am today. The bit at the end where you reveal that detail about your name- what a fantastic example of us literally crafting our identities from the media we consume and the characters- no, people, who influence our lives.
    Thank you, TBSkyen. And thank you to all the other creators of this video. You've given me a lot of insight into my own life with this.

  • @ThePunkina1
    @ThePunkina1 Před rokem +2

    A character that will always make me feel hope and just like I can eventually be myself is lake from infinity train seeing them struggle to gain their own identity and own independent both warms my heart and brakes it *spoilers* the first time we see them they are stuck mirroring someone else's life I won't get into to much detail but it reminded me how I felt in my abusive relationships like I was only mimic and I had nothing outside of them and the moment in that episode where they are running and they starts to step out the door and falls down because they are stuck every time that hurts to watch the other part is when they finally get off the train the first time but is chained to a fleck and even though he is dying he still takes the time to them they will never be a whole person there are several scene like this when they about to leave with their new friend they can't go through the portal and is left behind but the part that just makes me ache everytime is they finally get to machine that gives their passengers thier numbers they don't even recognize their presence more or less recognize them as a person and they quite literally rage against the machine and start breaking it apart it's so heartbreaking to watch but ultimately makes the resolve more impactful when they finally get to get off the train in the show the flecks are beings that manifest through reflections and that's what has been stopping them this whole time so when the first thing they see when getting off the train is a lake they name themselves after that lake which is another reason why I relate to them so much I'm non-binary and to see them reclaim something that held them back and choose it as their identity it just made me cry like a baby anyways sorry for the long message but this video just made me think about them and how much this show in general means to me

  • @towinandsave1520
    @towinandsave1520 Před rokem +2

    Hf Danny's mum cracked me up 😭 She's so strong

  • @mas8705
    @mas8705 Před rokem +4

    I'm going to enjoy listening to all of these essays, but I just want to say that I find myself stumped at seeing Skyen with Legs. Been so used to seeing just the upper body and suddenly seeing legs threw me off.

  • @TornioD
    @TornioD Před rokem +2

    this is a masterpiece of a project. if feels pretty self-conclusive, but i really hope you make a second episode at some point.

  • @elanaevelyn5150
    @elanaevelyn5150 Před rokem +1

    "SHE JUST GOT LEPROSY" QNSHSJSNJS ICONIC. QUEEN SHIT.

  • @ManjerArt
    @ManjerArt Před rokem +4

    Oof, even by watching it again, certain parts got me still.
    Thank you for every person who worked on this video

  • @makehappyfaces2542
    @makehappyfaces2542 Před rokem +18

    TB SKYEN AND WH40K WAS NOT THE CROSSOVER I EXPECTED BUT THOROUGHLY LOVE. If we could get Skyen to start dipping his toes into the gargantuan lore would just be delightful

    • @aerickmon3350
      @aerickmon3350 Před rokem

      He’s brought it up many times before
      Mainly using as an example of something so extreme and in your face somehow makes it loop back around into subtly and genius

    • @aerickmon3350
      @aerickmon3350 Před rokem

      Last time he brought it up was in passing about aesthetics I think

  • @datguy6745
    @datguy6745 Před rokem +3

    I think for me, the most lifechanging character was Yoshimitsu from Tekken.
    Not because of his Lore, but because of how much time i've put into learning him. Dancing around the Opponent, Playing with their heads,
    not only reading the opponent but also forcing them to think of doing X, just to counter exactly that. And all of this being NECESSARY for success.
    When ive finally gotten pretty damn good at him, i wondered what else i could achieve in my life. Now im 3D modelling, creating a videogame myself
    and doing the Textures, Programming, EVERYTHING at a decent level. I still come back to Tekken 7 for this character alone and he still is THE greatest
    Videogame Character if you consider Gameplay. It helps that his Lore is amazing too haha

  • @ankydarkness
    @ankydarkness Před rokem +6

    What a great idea to have others talk about their favorite characters. I love Skyen for opening the floor for others to speak.

  • @withainsley
    @withainsley Před rokem +3

    I love when channels with great content use their following to spotlight other channels. Been seeing a lot more of it lately, and the number of channels I subscribe to has been skyrocketing. Love it!

  • @OccuredJakub12
    @OccuredJakub12 Před rokem +6

    For me, a very small but important character for me is and was Remy from Street Fighter III: Third Strike
    On the surface he very much looks and acts like a typical mid 2000s emo edgelord. Tight, black leather jacket, long, turquoise flowing hair and a permanent sour expression were very much the style at the time. I didn't have many early experiences with Third Strike, though. I played it on Fightcade years after it's been already cemented as a legendary fighting game.
    But I rarely played it online with other people. What I'd do is usually to just go through the arcade ladder over and over again.
    I gravitated to Remy partially because of his slender looks and because I enjoyed his gameplay. He's a very defensive character who also has moves which allow him to both maintain a constant flow of motion and to react to the enemy with sudden aggresive bursts.
    It's later that I took interest in his character. He appeared in only one game, so there was very little to gleam. But I found the fact that he was a fighter who hated fighting a fascinating irony. Not a hypocricy, because I don't think he was ever unaware of it. Another aspect was that in his ending he is shown swimming into a cave and cradling the body of his sister, frozen in a block of ice before he leaves her forever, his disposition and desire for some kind of revenge dissipating. There really isn't much to work with, but my mind always keeps coming back to him for some reason. His design reflects this kind of duality with the icy look and the turquoise blue hair and his stance and animations and charge moves leaning him towards a calmer playstyle, but the fiery red pants and some other moves and this deep inner hatred for everyone else in the cast making him much more aggro. So there's this very special kind of duality that I guess I feel in myself as well. A calm demeanor which can sometimes break down and just explode with anger.
    And it reflects in the final boss of SFIII too. Gill, the man who also has a blue-red color scheme, but on his body. And unlike Remy's wiry frame, he is muscular and confident, a cult leader who preaches harmony and acts like a Messiah. I guess now that I think of it, Remy is like the logical and pragmatic part of my brain, my thoughts on how the world is and how I should act, and he is fighting against Gill, my own desire for a Messiah, for someone else to guide me and to finally give me peace between the two inner sides of my brain and make it feel like there's something in life more valuable than my own base survival. Maybe it's even as simple as my inner atheist vs the Christian values I was somewhat raised on, but it seems to have manifested in a strange way.

  • @makehappyfaces2542
    @makehappyfaces2542 Před rokem +8

    I am loving animated TB Skyen, it adds so much character for such a small thing and it's just glorious

  • @howdyimhowdy3751
    @howdyimhowdy3751 Před rokem +11

    i really hope zephyr essay turns out to be a little bit of a twist in that it's about the chainsawman and not just denji,but a denji essay is cool too

  • @thiagoc.santos9856
    @thiagoc.santos9856 Před rokem +1

    I fucking love just seeing people talk why they love a character so much, please do more of this, it's amazing

  • @aldric2252
    @aldric2252 Před rokem +1

    The Denji essay was really cool to listen to, it’s a really unique perspective to Chainsaw Man that I haven’t really seen! Awesome video too :D

  • @AverageTrainEnthusiast
    @AverageTrainEnthusiast Před rokem +1

    It took me a solid minute to realize this was not an April fools joke but an actual legit video that just so happened to be posted on April first. It was good though, in a lot of ways that can’t be summed up in a comment but I did vibe.

  • @sethtruesdale1848
    @sethtruesdale1848 Před rokem +2

    Honestly i think as i'm watching through one piece luffy has kinda become this kind of character for me. I'm currently just past the marineford arc.
    Something i feel that arc and a few of them before it really showed is that no man is an island. As strong and resiliant as luffy is he's lost without the rest of his friends. Where i am in my life i feel one piece is definitely helping inspire me to push forward. And the marineford arc helped me feel better about asking for help when i know i can't do this alone.
    I am autistic and sometimes i need support, it happens, and i see a lot of my own behaviors in luffy. His hat being a comfort object, his tendency to be a blunt instrument, his selective empathy, and a lot more. So i feel seeing him stubornly press ahead and try again and again has definitely helped me do the same over the past year.
    The quote that cements this i feel is this
    Luffy: i can't use a sword, i can't cook, i can't navigate, i can't even lie
    Arlong: what can you do?
    Luffy: i can beat you

  • @angelroacamargo6202
    @angelroacamargo6202 Před rokem

    Ace section was SO SELF AWARE and memeish with huge and horrible production value fluctuating, it had me at the edge of my seat every second, great job I loved it.

  • @alchem_ie
    @alchem_ie Před rokem +2

    Thank you guys so much for doing a video like this! I think this is one of my new favorites on your channel. I really loved listening to everyone talk about how these characters have impacted their lives, and I loved gaining a new perspective on a lot of them! Skyen, it would be so great to see you do another one of these sometime and, if you want to- if you can, I'd love to see you do some analysis videos on the aspects of Final Fantasy 7's story that you mentioned at the end of your essay. You seem really passionate about it!

  • @saguierdimas
    @saguierdimas Před rokem +9

    Omg an hour and eighteen minutes??? Is it Christmas already?????
    Edit: first

  • @user-bo9yp9kc5i
    @user-bo9yp9kc5i Před rokem +1

    Thank you for shining light on different aspects of writing and essays. It was beautiful!

  • @grantluberda7097
    @grantluberda7097 Před rokem

    Feeding the algorithm so this kost deserving channel can keep growing. Love your content: it's never low effort, insightful, and always worth the time.

  • @Ceracio
    @Ceracio Před rokem +1

    The character who has always been bouncing around, somewhere in my head is Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. And yes, I know, TERF bad, etc. etc. - but that doesn't change the fact that this particular resonated with me quite hard. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of parallel to be drawn because I was always the oddball kid who talks to (or rather 'at') people about weird things and who somehow knew stuff that always made people ask "how tf do you know that?", but I'm no psychologist.
    In any case, I really enjoyed this video, so thank you Skyen and everyone who participated in this collaboration for creating it.

  • @Ymryrth
    @Ymryrth Před rokem +1

    Thank you for sharing your experiences and analysis ❤

  • @pacnat_9069
    @pacnat_9069 Před rokem +1

    Whew, this has been me with Mohg from Elden Ring for about 1 year now!! The whole phenomena of hyperfixating on one character is such a crazy ride. Im glad you made this video Skyen! Makes me feel seen 💕

  • @unfairdani
    @unfairdani Před rokem +6

    That last part really made me cry at 3 am, why must you do me like this
    I,,, guess I'm morally obligated to finally play FF7 now.

    • @horuho245
      @horuho245 Před rokem +1

      you can also watch his gameplay he made of the old ff7, or the remaked ff7

    • @unfairdani
      @unfairdani Před rokem

      @@horuho245 I think I want to play it by myself first. To feel all the gut punches as they are, y'know? But that won't stop me from watching like three playthroughs after, starting with Skyen's

  • @undefinederror40404
    @undefinederror40404 Před rokem +1

    Thanks Skyen, and everyone who participated. I've learned a lot from this! This video brings very valuable and human information to the forefront which otherwise would have gone unnoticed, and it's prompting me to think (again) about why I like certain characters. Sometimes those reasons only become clear when you're older and are better able to see underlying themes in characters and your own life.

  • @sprot3464
    @sprot3464 Před rokem

    I loved the video, thank you and all the creators for it!

  • @kayteaandbiscuits
    @kayteaandbiscuits Před rokem +1

    holy cow this was awesome - love the deep analyses and hearing from different people - so reflective and eye opening

  • @cartoonishidealism582

    Absolutely fascinating. I’d love to see more content like this from you.

  • @ccessy21
    @ccessy21 Před rokem +2

    Words cannot describe how unfathomably in love I am with this video. Truly the only character on here I have any real interest in is Princess Zelda but I was so endeavored in the fact that other people on this Earth also share a real passion and nuanced understanding of these concepts, I couldn’t help but watch from start to finish. There’s something so profoundly satisfying about someone who’s just unapologetically and unabashedly discussing something specific they care about that not many others do. Makes me wanna analyze the story mode for Super Smash Bros Brawl or examine every theme for every Destiny season or something along those lines. Thank you Skyen. God I love it.

  • @edgarrodriguez7733
    @edgarrodriguez7733 Před rokem

    Skyen, thanks for this video, its an amazing compilation, and it reopens my eyes to other perspectives, and it makes me appreciate characters more than ever before. Much love from Mexico

  • @jacksondominique4518
    @jacksondominique4518 Před rokem

    So much warmth and feel good vibes! I really needed it, that's the best way to get to know new creators!!

  • @BloodmoonRises
    @BloodmoonRises Před 11 měsíci

    Great essays, all of yall. Thank you for sharing.

  • @giovanni20798
    @giovanni20798 Před rokem

    I enjoyed it and it made me cry quite a bit. I love these essays and hope you can do this more often too

  • @chlo_3
    @chlo_3 Před rokem

    This is amazing, please do more of these!

  • @rub2685
    @rub2685 Před rokem +2

    This was such a fantastic idea for a vid! I am always up for hearing why a character resonates with a person. And it made me rethink many of the characters that have dug their claws into me for whatever reason. My personal consistent top one will always be Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks. I have never experienced so much dread and hope from watching her story. I would be totally down for part 2 of this if ever that were to happen (-:

  • @danielquinones1771
    @danielquinones1771 Před rokem +1

    Perhaps this format would fit well as some form of yearly tradition.

  • @rasmusmalmberg6468
    @rasmusmalmberg6468 Před rokem

    This video is so cool! Thank you for inspiring me!

  • @fernandozavaletabustos205
    @fernandozavaletabustos205 Před 6 měsíci

    Great video and I love that you gave a shout-out to other great content creators! More videos like this please.

  • @user-dt2uv8ej2i
    @user-dt2uv8ej2i Před rokem

    Amazing video! I love hearing of things people are passionate about. I'd love to see more collabs like this, maybe on other topics?
    Like scenes or lines that matter. Or, stories in general.

  • @Dracobyte
    @Dracobyte Před rokem

    Great video as always!

  • @darkmatter9651
    @darkmatter9651 Před rokem

    this is so cool! I love this type of content :D

  • @friendoftheoyster3906

    Thanks for introducing me to these cool creators

  • @certifiednolife
    @certifiednolife Před 9 měsíci +1

    rick Riordan has always been really good with his characters and their development over the books if they're not developed in one book they're developed in another if they're not developed in that book they're given their own series or miniseries and Jesus christ his ability to web out connections between every book and series is just god tier. villains are fun, characters are engaging, exposition is subtle but not impossible to spot, and overall everything is just so fun
    his title the "Storyteller of the Gods" is absolutely deserved

  • @Lugiaskr
    @Lugiaskr Před rokem

    I love this idea and the character selections! I don't agree with all of the essays per se but I don't have to. it was neat to hear :)

  • @TroyColey
    @TroyColey Před rokem

    Thank you for your hard work, we all appreciate it. You’re an incredible, wonderful, and amazing person. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

  • @troycoley-cn5bb
    @troycoley-cn5bb Před 11 měsíci

    Another Incredible Video!!

  • @keylockmvp
    @keylockmvp Před rokem

    Wow this is fucking wild and i love everything about this formatting.

  • @doomdoot6731
    @doomdoot6731 Před rokem

    Aww man, I hate how I had to skip the part on Akechi (Persona 5) because I'm in the middle of my first playthrough right now and it went deep into spoiler territory. Definitely going to come around to listen to that part again once I beat this behemoth of a game.
    Also this video really touched something in me and brought me to think. Because both Genji and Cloud are characters is absolutely somehow resonate with, inspite of them not really being like me. (Only exposure to FF7 is through your Remake playthrough btw, Skyen; hope we get a playthrough of the second part once it drops.) For some reason those deeply tragic characters resonate with me on a level where I'm not just sitting at a "ohhhh that's cool", but more of a "he just like me frfr". This video made me think back to characters that impacted me a lot, and I personally have to give those lorels to Guts (cliche, I know) and Rickert/Judeau from Berserk and Nagato/Pain from Naruto. Honorable mention to Sasori, who also had an absolutely sick design and an incredibly touching backstory.
    The thing that gets me though is, that I don't even know what resonated with me in Nagato specifically. That character is written pretty specifically as a trauma survivor who has lost everything time and time again and turned to extremely crass solutions to his own problems (becoming a different person, taking over a country, handing out nukes to everyone to stop all-out wars) - and none of those are really me? I feel like this is where a media-literacy degree would come in absolutely handy, because I genuinely can't express what makes him resonate so much with me and what made him so cool in my teenage mind back when. Absolute props to this video for making me think about the "why" after making me go for the "who". Now onto the search in the deep-wide web to find someone who expresses why Nagato is such a relatable character such that I can actually understand.

  • @JoaoPedro-wv8yh
    @JoaoPedro-wv8yh Před rokem +4

    now I want to write my own essay and send it to Skyen. Damn.

  • @rubyseverinwhitworth9066
    @rubyseverinwhitworth9066 Před rokem +13

    Yuka from Blue Period and Cheryl from I Want To Be An Anime Girl literally changed my life and I don't think I can truly articulate how they changed my life, apart from just saying the word Gender

  • @marethyuplays544
    @marethyuplays544 Před rokem +1

    This video is so good, it really got me thinking of characters that I would do this for and the only thing I can think of is the main character from hyper light drifter. They have little character of their own but it was the first game that I saw the main character deal with a terminal illness in the middle of the game, not just in cutscenes, and while I don’t have a terminal illness, struggling with some disorder or illness like that felt very similar to what I deal with and is something I hope to see more in characters, that these type of problems aren’t just for story, it’s what the character has to deal with, just like I do.