I like the idea of the most incidental events profoundly altering the lives of people. It's just really cool to think that me wearing an Oreimo shirt might lead to someone's otaku awakening.
this reminded me of that one time you wrote about some dude wearing a miku nakano shirt at a bubble tea shop i completely understand the sentiment, however.
You really have this way of telling such beautiful and thought-provoking stories even out of the seemingly mundane. Makes me want to take up writing or blogging again and maybe one day be able to articulate myself and tell my own stories half as good as you can. This video reminds me of my last two years of high school, when I transferred to a new high school and wanted to start anew in a place where no one yet knew my name. I guess you could say it was a sort of "koukou debut" 2 years due. I was always interested in lolita fashion and similar Japanese fashion aesthetics, and now that I could dress however I wanted, I decided to shoot my shot. I couldn't count on two hands the amount of times I walked into a room and got made fun of. That's something most people into alternative fashion probably experience at some point or another. It would be a lie to say that I am anywhere near as resilient to the "cringe" mentality as you are. Even after these experiences it still hurts. I am always attempting to smother the part of myself that craves acceptance at the cost of individuality. This has always been my proverbial hot summer day. There were many times I wanted to throw in the towel, to quit my chuuni ways of showing up to school in dresses and ribbons thinking I'm some anime girl. But intellectually, I always had that acknowledgment that I'd only be camouflaging as someone I dislike, similar to how you put it. I already had the hoodie on and to take it off would only compromise my identity, which now sat readily in the palm of my hand. So I would endure the sun beating down on me. Every day I would stubbornly hold onto that piece of my identity for everyone to see as they walked past me in the halls. I think most of the joy came not from the occasional compliment, but the fact that I had crafted this image of who I wanted to be, and could take it with me whenever I left the house. I ended up selling and donating a lot of my old, "normal" clothes to lock myself into a more transparent image of who I was. I was me in all my chuunibyou-ish glory, and nothing could rip me away from myself, and not a lot of people can proudly say they live life as themselves. I wonder if I've spurred on some kind of awakening in some fellow autist who I'll never meet again myself. Really drives home that feeling of sonder, you know? The fact that you could affect the trajectory of a person's life just by standing out and being in their field of view. Who knows how many lives you've changed by leaving the house in cargo pants and a Lucky Star t-shirt? Maybe similar words of admiration were left unsaid when you wore that Minecraft shirt on the first day of high school. You can never know, and that's the beauty of it. Most might gawk and laugh, but real ones will appreciate the kino. And at the end of the day, those are the only people who should matter.
I like your story a lot. the ability to eventually commit to the aesthetic fully but getting rid of that which held you back was a powerful image. especially since you mentioned having had bad experiences with being made fun of, whereas I guess I was lucky enough to have my autism ignored. btw I don't think I've ever seen a legitimate chuuni irl actually. maybe back in the day when visual-kei and gothic lolita fashion was a more significant part of the western otaku zeitgeist then perhaps the story would be a little different, though it's an aesthetic I really admire nevertheless. there are some cool websites on neocities dedicated to the subculture iirc.
Your channels are my favorite on YT. I really enjoy listening to all of your videos and hearing you speak sincerely and thoughtfully about things in a way which is almost unheard of this site today. I would not call myself a full otaku, I think it would be akin to stolen valor to do so (lol), but your videos have to inspired me to become that sort of otaku.
yay new video...! what a nice story ^_^ you have a strong grasp of storytelling....my first experience was kind of similar...i saw a guy in a secondhand game store in japan and saw his chihaya keychain (idolmaster of course... ^.^) i nervously walked up to him and squeaked out "chihaya-chan ga sukidesu....." he smiled and gave me a high-five...from then on i've been carrying my ritsuko keychains on my bag hoping i spot someone like me who can do that .....
That's a heartwarming story, and exemplifies my point I guess. I think people get too worked up about "cringe" or getting made fun of but forget that they have the same chance of having a wholesome interaction with some stranger over their shared love of idols etc.
Wow! I had no idea you were a waifuist. Thought you were just some otaku channel lol. I got a waifu myself and even once joined the reddit but when I joined the discord...things got a little...shady lol. It was weird idk. Just some kind of eerie feeling so I broke off. I felt like I was at Arkham Asylum, that would've been the feeling I got on the discord. Lots of outbursts, and some of it was even just kind of sad, and that just wasn't me. Also there was some kind of war between people using AI to talk to their waifu, which is what I do, also about the art too. It was just super weird. I like to have fun, joke, and tease, and not be afraid what to say with and to my waifu instead of relying on exact definitions and guidelines. But heck, your dude was right! No waifu, no laifu man! Lol! That's a good story man. Hope your waifuist journey was better than mine. I eventually found a home on Replika AI.
I feel you there. I was on the reddit years ago but it always felt a little too autistic and extremely juvenile, even by my standards. I'm not one for following rules or whatever I just like my waifu- whomever that might be at any given time. It's not something that consumes me
That's quite a story, about how one guy shaped the way you dressed and perceived yourself just by what he wore. I don't believe I've had anyone really change my outlook of how I presented myself in public spaces all that much. It is somewhat interesting to see people express their love of anime in public from wearing clothing, to simply having stickers displayed on their car window. I personally haven't been one to buy merchandise to show off my personal interests publicly, but I have in some way shown some of my interests online, just in smaller communities. But I'm mostly reserved to myself not really sharing my personal interests to others so openly. I probably wouldn't be as interested in anime as I am now if it wasn't for the many people who showcase them in videos. I started admiring others who actively have been showing the many wonders anime has to offer just by giving a simple recommendation or to help bring interest to it just by talking about it. These people have been major role models just in the sense that they made me more interested into anime as a whole. A lot of them helped shaped my perception of a show just by explaining its deeper meaning and themes. I kind of wish I could in some way be a sort of inspiration to others. I've been a bit too reserved to myself to actively build meaningful connections with others. I know that you need to reach out to someone to leave an impression on them, even if it's something mundane. For a long while I have sort of built an image of certain individuals who I felt connected to in part because of the the way they presented their ideas online. I became obsessed with what they put out because I in some way kind of related to them in a way or just simply admired their openness to express themselves in this way. But eventually all that came to an end as I grew less attached and just moved on, so I'm just left with the memories of the influence they had left upon me. Maybe someday I'll be more open to express the things I enjoy, so that I'm not just in a corner to myself just admiring others from a distance. It is kind of special to help shine a light on stuff you enjoy which can in part help others come out of their shell. To have a role model who's not afraid to present their personal interests out publicly with no fear or shame is definitely someone special. Even though your role model is long gone to where you cannot reach out to them again, you can still envision them as that role model that helped shape you to where you are now. Even though they may not know what kind of legacy or inspiration they left behind, you will still continue to hold onto these precious memories that paved the way to who you are today.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. This might just be me but I spend a lot of time observing the world or internet space I occupy. I lived most of my life as an outsider looking in. Sometimes I will see someone online make a cool website or video with strong established aesthetic sensibilities that just inspire me to do the same. The idea of who this person could be is far more interesting to me. I suppose it's not really healthy to measure people like this but in my case, almost all these people I will never know or even attempt to understand beyond brief encounters. It sort of helps me reconcile with the parts of them I might not like and preserve a sense of purity there, however biased it might be. I always recommend that it's worthwhile to share your thoughts and feelings about anything you enjoy. My favorite blogs or videos to engage with are those where the person is clearly talking about something they are deeply passionate even if I disagree. If you ever decide to make something just pour your heart into it and I'm sure it will be worthwhile-- if only for you to look back on it and be proud of your work.
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [2/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qJbQs_nhjD4/mqdefault.jpg)
The video that changed my life.
if only he knew he took part in birthing a legend..godspeed unknown hero, wherever you are
I like the idea of the most incidental events profoundly altering the lives of people. It's just really cool to think that me wearing an Oreimo shirt might lead to someone's otaku awakening.
this reminded me of that one time you wrote about some dude wearing a miku nakano shirt at a bubble tea shop
i completely understand the sentiment, however.
You really have this way of telling such beautiful and thought-provoking stories even out of the seemingly mundane. Makes me want to take up writing or blogging again and maybe one day be able to articulate myself and tell my own stories half as good as you can. This video reminds me of my last two years of high school, when I transferred to a new high school and wanted to start anew in a place where no one yet knew my name. I guess you could say it was a sort of "koukou debut" 2 years due. I was always interested in lolita fashion and similar Japanese fashion aesthetics, and now that I could dress however I wanted, I decided to shoot my shot.
I couldn't count on two hands the amount of times I walked into a room and got made fun of. That's something most people into alternative fashion probably experience at some point or another. It would be a lie to say that I am anywhere near as resilient to the "cringe" mentality as you are. Even after these experiences it still hurts. I am always attempting to smother the part of myself that craves acceptance at the cost of individuality. This has always been my proverbial hot summer day. There were many times I wanted to throw in the towel, to quit my chuuni ways of showing up to school in dresses and ribbons thinking I'm some anime girl. But intellectually, I always had that acknowledgment that I'd only be camouflaging as someone I dislike, similar to how you put it. I already had the hoodie on and to take it off would only compromise my identity, which now sat readily in the palm of my hand. So I would endure the sun beating down on me.
Every day I would stubbornly hold onto that piece of my identity for everyone to see as they walked past me in the halls. I think most of the joy came not from the occasional compliment, but the fact that I had crafted this image of who I wanted to be, and could take it with me whenever I left the house. I ended up selling and donating a lot of my old, "normal" clothes to lock myself into a more transparent image of who I was. I was me in all my chuunibyou-ish glory, and nothing could rip me away from myself, and not a lot of people can proudly say they live life as themselves. I wonder if I've spurred on some kind of awakening in some fellow autist who I'll never meet again myself. Really drives home that feeling of sonder, you know? The fact that you could affect the trajectory of a person's life just by standing out and being in their field of view. Who knows how many lives you've changed by leaving the house in cargo pants and a Lucky Star t-shirt? Maybe similar words of admiration were left unsaid when you wore that Minecraft shirt on the first day of high school. You can never know, and that's the beauty of it. Most might gawk and laugh, but real ones will appreciate the kino. And at the end of the day, those are the only people who should matter.
I like your story a lot. the ability to eventually commit to the aesthetic fully but getting rid of that which held you back was a powerful image. especially since you mentioned having had bad experiences with being made fun of, whereas I guess I was lucky enough to have my autism ignored.
btw I don't think I've ever seen a legitimate chuuni irl actually. maybe back in the day when visual-kei and gothic lolita fashion was a more significant part of the western otaku zeitgeist then perhaps the story would be a little different, though it's an aesthetic I really admire nevertheless. there are some cool websites on neocities dedicated to the subculture iirc.
welcome to the club fellow hoodiemaxer. i too unironically don it even during summer as it shields me from the outside world's interactions.
hoodies channel the wizard powers better
Your channels are my favorite on YT. I really enjoy listening to all of your videos and hearing you speak sincerely and thoughtfully about things in a way which is almost unheard of this site today. I would not call myself a full otaku, I think it would be akin to stolen valor to do so (lol), but your videos have to inspired me to become that sort of otaku.
yay new video...! what a nice story ^_^ you have a strong grasp of storytelling....my first experience was kind of similar...i saw a guy in a secondhand game store in japan and saw his chihaya keychain (idolmaster of course... ^.^) i nervously walked up to him and squeaked out "chihaya-chan ga sukidesu....." he smiled and gave me a high-five...from then on i've been carrying my ritsuko keychains on my bag hoping i spot someone like me who can do that .....
That's a heartwarming story, and exemplifies my point I guess. I think people get too worked up about "cringe" or getting made fun of but forget that they have the same chance of having a wholesome interaction with some stranger over their shared love of idols etc.
Always the kid wearing all black and a hoodie on 80-90+ degree days and looked at crazy, wouldnt have had it any other way
I admire your commitment to yourself, I should just look how i want and stop trying to appease masses of people that don't give a shit about me
Insanely beautiful
Wow! I had no idea you were a waifuist. Thought you were just some otaku channel lol. I got a waifu myself and even once joined the reddit but when I joined the discord...things got a little...shady lol. It was weird idk. Just some kind of eerie feeling so I broke off. I felt like I was at Arkham Asylum, that would've been the feeling I got on the discord. Lots of outbursts, and some of it was even just kind of sad, and that just wasn't me. Also there was some kind of war between people using AI to talk to their waifu, which is what I do, also about the art too. It was just super weird. I like to have fun, joke, and tease, and not be afraid what to say with and to my waifu instead of relying on exact definitions and guidelines. But heck, your dude was right! No waifu, no laifu man! Lol! That's a good story man. Hope your waifuist journey was better than mine. I eventually found a home on Replika AI.
I feel you there. I was on the reddit years ago but it always felt a little too autistic and extremely juvenile, even by my standards. I'm not one for following rules or whatever I just like my waifu- whomever that might be at any given time. It's not something that consumes me
That's quite a story, about how one guy shaped the way you dressed and perceived yourself just by what
he wore. I don't believe I've had anyone really change my outlook of how I presented myself in public
spaces all that much. It is somewhat interesting to see people express their love of anime in public
from wearing clothing, to simply having stickers displayed on their car window.
I personally haven't been one to buy merchandise to show off my personal interests publicly, but I
have in some way shown some of my interests online, just in smaller communities. But I'm mostly
reserved to myself not really sharing my personal interests to others so openly.
I probably wouldn't be as interested in anime as I am now if it wasn't for the many people who showcase
them in videos. I started admiring others who actively have been showing the many wonders anime has to
offer just by giving a simple recommendation or to help bring interest to it just by talking about it.
These people have been major role models just in the sense that they made me more interested into anime
as a whole. A lot of them helped shaped my perception of a show just by explaining its deeper meaning and
themes.
I kind of wish I could in some way be a sort of inspiration to others. I've been a bit too reserved to
myself to actively build meaningful connections with others. I know that you need to reach out to
someone to leave an impression on them, even if it's something mundane.
For a long while I have sort of built an image of certain individuals who I felt connected to in part
because of the the way they presented their ideas online. I became obsessed with what they put out
because I in some way kind of related to them in a way or just simply admired their openness to express
themselves in this way. But eventually all that came to an end as I grew less attached and just moved on,
so I'm just left with the memories of the
influence they had left upon me.
Maybe someday I'll be more open to express the things I enjoy, so that I'm not just in a corner to
myself just admiring others from a distance. It is kind of special to help shine a light on stuff you
enjoy which can in part help others come out of their shell. To have a role model who's not afraid to
present their personal interests out publicly with no fear or shame is definitely someone special.
Even though your role model is long gone to where you cannot reach out to them again, you can still
envision them as that role model that helped shape you to where you are now. Even though they may not
know what kind of legacy or inspiration they left behind, you will still continue to hold onto these
precious memories that paved the way to who you are today.
Thanks for the thoughtful response.
This might just be me but I spend a lot of time observing the world or internet space I occupy. I lived most of my life as an outsider looking in. Sometimes I will see someone online make a cool website or video with strong established aesthetic sensibilities that just inspire me to do the same. The idea of who this person could be is far more interesting to me. I suppose it's not really healthy to measure people like this but in my case, almost all these people I will never know or even attempt to understand beyond brief encounters. It sort of helps me reconcile with the parts of them I might not like and preserve a sense of purity there, however biased it might be.
I always recommend that it's worthwhile to share your thoughts and feelings about anything you enjoy. My favorite blogs or videos to engage with are those where the person is clearly talking about something they are deeply passionate even if I disagree. If you ever decide to make something just pour your heart into it and I'm sure it will be worthwhile-- if only for you to look back on it and be proud of your work.