April Updates

Hello!

How are we all? It's been a busy few weeks for me between publishing the last video and various other bits and pieces on here, and travelling back to my flat and getting stuck into the second semester of my degree. I've got a few things to update you all on.

First off, I've gotten lots of nice comments and messages about the guide video which has been really rewarding. Quite a few people have already told me it really helped them, so I feel confident it fulfilled its purpose. It was also good to finally be able to talk about Gou on my channel after having been asked about it for so long. I rewrote that part of the video a good few times as I tried to figure out my own feelings, but I'm really happy with how it came out in the end, and how it allowed the video as a whole to come together--back when I first decided to make it, Gou hadn't even been announced, so that was quite serendipitous.

Otherwise, the poll for the next video just wrapped up, and you guys voted for me to cover Shiki. I'll admit, I was quite surprised by how popular an option it was--I'm not sure if that's because my audience is full of horror fans who have already seen it, or just horror fans in general who want to hear me talk about the genre more. It's a niche I've kind of accidentally stumbled into, I've realised (between videos on Higurashi, Perfect Blue, and perhaps even Babylon), but it is so often a genre that deals with the subject matter I'm most interested in, so go figure. This video will be a great chance to reflect on all of that in a kind of meta sense. It's always at least a little daunting being at this end of a project, not entirely sure what I want to say (or if somebody else has already done it better), but I'll be embarking on my rewatch of the anime very soon in order to affirm that (my third watch overall). One thing's for sure: Shiki is a beautifully crafted anime that I look forward to sinking my teeth into once again (pun intended), and I think bringing this video together under the umbrella of discussing horror in anime at large will take me down more than a few interesting side-paths.

Here's the catch: as I said in the poll post, I'm still aiming to put out at least one video every two months, but this one is likely to eat up a good chunk of that allotted time. This wouldn't usually be the case for a video like this, but the next few months are the busiest of my degree, as I'll be juggling many long lectures, assignments, and a time-intensive research project. Fear not, I'm well aware I need to look after myself first and foremost (as well as my grades). I appreciate that you guys care more about that than how quickly I upload, and I think two months should be ample time to work through this project at the inevitably slowed pace demanded by my other commitments. It will be a longer wait than usual for a video of its size (I think and hope this one will be under half an hour, I don't want it to spiral out of control too much), but it's really reassuring to know that that wait doesn't seem to be at all a concern for most of you. As I've said before, the planning process takes the longest in video-making, so I'll take my time over the next month rewatching the show and pulling together the script when I can grab opportunities to do so.

Thank you in advance for your patience, and if you haven't yet, consider using this as an opportunity to watch Shiki for yourself (though perhaps not if you're not in the mood for something on the bleaker side right now!). I found this stunning fan-made trailer a few years ago and often return to it. Watching it now makes me especially excited to give this gem a spot on my channel.

Until next time!