PATREON : www.patreon.com/maraganger TWITTER : twitter.com/maraganger Didn't expect to get so emotional and personal with a pair of games but sometimes, Milk is all you need, both inside and outside.
“I’m the remains of a gifted child, now turned overly emotional adult. I see things, it makes me feel emotions, I put words on paper. Simple as.” just like me fr, that hit so hard
I found the first Milk game by accident on steam. Saw it was cheap, bought it and despite it's short length. I decide to buy the sequel, and despite it also being relatively short, it is one of the most interesting games I've ever played and really opened my eyes to how some people suffer with mental health. Genuinely, a masterpiece of a set of games
Same, one day in 2020/2021 steam was just like "here's this shit, we think you might be into it" and y'know they were right, that was one of the best spontaneous purchases I've made.
Milk inside a bag of milk didn't hit with me as hard as Milk outside a bag of milk did. But to see how it affected someone who did have it hit hard is a great experience. It made me realize how other people view media and it is really neat. Milk outside, hit me so much harder, I was looking for games with surreal visuals and they Milk 2 had it. The scenes where it took place outside, how the milk girl views her everyday life. I don't think I am mentally ill but some things that she said and some views of the game totally hit me, I've felt the exact same way the girl does, especially back when isolation was it's strongest (Covid 19 outbreak.) I have no clue if you will see this or read this but it makes me so happy to see someone make a video on this game. I just wanna say thank you.
I'm really glad to see more people talking about the Milk games on TH-cam. There are maybe four video essays about Milk 1+2, and this one is without a doubt the best. I really liked you mixing in a bit of new insight on the character, along with with your own personal experiences. Good stuff. Big Hazel fan, huh?
Hurting from media really do be a fun way to feel your way through the world. In all seriousness loved the video. It definitely had some wild twists at the end that broke your formula and gave a us a new experience. I really want to see you cover "Oyasumi PunPun" you definitely sold it to me. Last note, awesome take on objectivity versus subjectivity. Who cares if the game isn't perfect if it evokes a reaction/response from me! Great vid as always Mara, keep up the good work!
19:20 I remember my sister used to watch the "Crash Box" tv show on HBO when we were really young. And she always had that same obsession with bizarre/weird content even as an adult. I always thought of that tv show Crash Box being the cause of why she loves weird stuff like OFF and LISA so much.
Phenomenal video, it's clear how much you love these two games. I've been meaning to make a video on Milk 2 for a while now, and your video has given me the motivation to do so, so thank you!
I just finished my first playthrough of Milk Outside a Bag (I fully beat Milk Inside a Bag prior) and I am fascinated and looking forward to going through the other endings later. In a search for other insights to the game I found this video. Loved this video and was humored a little with mentions of Goodnight Punpun and Evangelion. I read and watched both last year. I don't typically enjoy the more unsettling kind of medium but stories told through those lenses always seem to leave a greater impact. Milk has made me jump back a couple times because I'm a scaredy cat, but I keep pressing forward because I'm enthralled by it. Anyhow, spectacular video!
maybe it's a bit too mainstream of a anime/manga but i do always go back to NHK when i think the things i shouldn't for whatever reason at the time. Also fuck yeah pun pun. Stuff like Bokutachi ga Yarimashita, flowers of evil, Himizu or Yakedo Shoujo all help me face things i don't want to talk to actual people about but probably should to get over things and come out at the other end. I'll give Milk a try sometime... when i muster up to go and buy a steam card.
The fact that you mentioned so much media in this video that I absolutely adore and then put into words a common aspect thay draws me to them feels like a really important momemt of personal understanding for me. Thank you for that 💜
this channel is one of the best discoveries I made in the last months: every video is so interesting and deep and focus so much on those aspects I value the most in the videogame medium but also in every kind of works of art. thank you. about "milk", one of the things that shocked me the most when I first played "milk inside" is how this game makes you feel bad not only for the text-choices you click on, but also for the way it shows you a person who is suffering: it's really like you can do just so little to help her and this inability become something that kind of upsets you through the gameplay. I like the fact that a short game like "milk inside" successes in conveying so much in a couple of minutes. P.S. somebody knows the game at 19:01?
Woooooooooooow this one hits so hard!! Love the changes you've made to your style!! Insanely good and can't wait to see more from ya!! Also hurting me with that punpun 😭
I love your review! Very differentiated and deep analysis of Milk and comparable media. NGE was also the first title that made me feel the way you describe. "It is not about objective facts, but the heart of the work and up to everyone to find their own meaning and interpretation." I couldn't agree more, very well said! 🙂
Woozers, it's crazy cool seeing just how much your overall style, both through writing and editing you've honed in the past few months, it's absolutely stellar! The "milk" series is really splendid and both it and this video really resonated with me. There's something so touching about how much more personal/deeper indies have gotten when talking about mental health. I mean, and I don't mean to take the piss out of my game dev colleagues, though if you just look back to the early 2010's a majority of indies in the indie horror sphere were using mental health just as a way to villainize, and antagonist a character. And I think such a depiction couldn't be further from the truth. In fact I'd argue that people dealing with poor mental health, are more likely to be targets and victims. I don't necessarily think that, that villainizing of mental health is.. intentional. But rather, I think it's akin to myths or fairytales to some people. Mental health can be intangible, indescribable, and unknown, so people merely equate it to being insane. That's why I do think video games are a great way of exploring mental health though, because the added layer of interactivity from the medium can help people who don't deal with and don't know what mental health looks like, experience it in some way. As well make people who are experiencing it, understand that they aren't alone. So I'm grateful for both milk and this video. That said, amazing job as always Mara!
these games are great. i was waiting for a video about this, glad to finally see one! always nice to see someone else's perspective on something. i adore Nikita's work so much, from the OST to the storytelling of the series, it's all quite down-to-earth, cryptic, and just oozes soul to it. this series has definitely made a *huge* impact to me, and watching this video just reestablishes that. thank you for this amazing video, you've earned a sub!
I love the fact that the endings are dreams yet milk chan had stated ever since she had gotten ill she hasn’t been able to dream I like to believe that she is recovering some were even in colour something she hasn’t been able to see either
Incredible Video i love the Milk games as well!!! P.S. When i Heard the Luminous Lake theme from Yume 2kki play i stopped for a Moment because i Rarely hear its music used In videos such as these!!!!!!! Yume 2kki is one Of my favorite games ever!!!!!
I really never played those games before, just briefly heard about them from other people, but it never really interested me that much, at best it seemed to be a very unique and strange game, one that depicted in details the struggles of a troubled mind (in situations that seems pretty standard for a non neurotic individual), that suffers with the smallest and simplest social scenarious, never feeling strong enough to let all the anxiety dissipate as they try to act more racionally and objectively. You know, it really felt special to learn in more detail the emocional value and complexity this game presents, it never really intested me when people talked about it in a more general light, not exploring the meaning that experience had to them, so, it feels way more intense and genuine to hear such an introspective view in the game's story and general atmosphere. Because I never really experienced it by myself I didn't know what the game had to offer, so it was really special to see myself in the protagonist, and also in you, someone that obsorbs so much of the emotions a piece of art gives off, and someone who also seems to be socially paranoid most of the time (not that I am assuming that, I just felt it though the words you spoke, and in general, your extremely cautious approach to communication, at least for me it seemed like you would think about a perfect way to express what you mean before saying anything, that also aplies to me)... As someone who is mostly the "quiet one", it's powerful not only to see a characters that values their memory from the distant past and has a very introspective behavior over their life and actions, but also to see someone who takes so much out of the art they consume, and values way more the emotion compared to only the experience, the fun you can have in a game, their objective value. I've never really consumed more unconvetional media, in the world of games, music, films, books, all of that, what I mostly connsumed throught my life was more conventional, but that can't be said about what I created over the years, I always felt like I had an unconventional aproach to storytelling and tha creative process in general, so it is really special to hear about games like this, games that I've never heard before, it really makes me wanna try them out and dive deeply into those niche unknown games that really hold a lot of value, and always have something to say. In all honesty, this channel was a lucky find, I never found such a content that resonated so deeply with me, just the way you talk about how a piece of art effects you seems so personal, it hits differently compared to the objective analises I hear most of the time... Also the ending genuinly gave me chills, comgratulations, you did an amazing work as always 👏
Thank you for this review. This video really make me happy there are others who share the same niche interests as me. I love your not only review but also kind of deconstruction of why you like milk, lain, yume nikki and punpun along other media. It really gives a personal touch, which is really refreshing to see over the hyper-sterilized game reviews with graphics and whatnot in the forefront. Milk isn't about that, even if the music and graphics are fantastic, I think it ultimately was about the experience.
Thank you, glad it resonated with you ! I really wanted to make sure not to bore folks with the very surface level stuff even though sometimes my tangents tend to go for a bit too long. ; w ;
@@maraganger I thought your tangents were really interesting! Also I'm mighty impressed since English isn't your native language (I presume, correct me if I'm wring) yet your vocabulary is phenomenal!
@@maraganger Oh I see! I'm also bilingual (sorta trilingual but I've forgotten most of my German) so I really get the "translating things all of the time" thing you brought up
I just found your channel and it has scratched an itch left in my brain by the absence of my other favorite channels uploading. I remember seeing the first game a while back and being intrigued by its… definitely interesting title, but I put it off because of the content warnings and I wasn’t in the state of mind for it at the time. Maybe I’ll get around to playing one of them. Loved the video and I’ll be scrambling off to watch more
Thank you so much, it means a lot to hear this. If you do pick it up eventually, I hope you have a great time. It's a little tough to go through sometimes but it was worth it in my opinion.
great video, the niche personal touch and tangents remind me of ThorHighHeels' style I am yearning for a third installment in this series as it touched me somewhere deep as someone who struggles with severe mental illness especially one rife with misconceptions and, as of recently, the butt of many jokes (which can be kinda funny I will admit)
That final line hit hard. Considering most of this stuff is pretty relatable, it made me realize that the stuff ive been watching and relating to are made by people going through the same things. Its like a secret underground community of people sharing their experiences. pretty validating.
I loved this video! Just finished the first Milk and it had me feeling...well, the Lain feeling. That's one of my favourite series so I knew I'd found something special and it's wonderful seeing other people enjoying them so much too ^.^ I love stories that allow themselves to just be and seep into their audiences. I mean, while I enjoy games with complex lore to piece together I definitely get tired of the objectively correct analysis thing. Stories aren't puzzle boxes to crack the right answer out of most of the time. What does it want to tell you and how does it do it? How does it make you feel? It's about the conversation with the game as well as the game. I'm rambling but yeah, thank you for making this!
Just subscribed. Your voice and the way you articulate yourself is superb. Currently binging your videos lol. Love how you talk dude it’s so chill. Great videosss
Great video! These games as VNs are much more of what I would like to digest. Outside especially impacted me on the part where *SPOILERS BELOW* the endings are basically all different versions of the worst kinda dream you can have in a moment like this. The fact that they don't really have any conclusions and feel like you just woke up out of it really sells it. Those parts had the biggest impact on me that many games/media in general haven't done for me before. I could probably go on and on about those segments on their own lol.
I'm glad you've enjoyed ! The endings definitely were what sold me on the entire experience. After the first one I got, I kinda just sat there and waited for a while, gathering my thoughts lmao
Came across this channel by chance and I couldn't be mote ecstatic. Your style of video is really nice to watch and you have a great voice for commentary! Niche game coverage like this is something I love to watch and I can't wait to check out more of your videos. Great vid!
Beautiful video. I always wondered why I am drawn to media like Milk and Evangelion and Punpun and I really like the idea that it is a way of facing reality and trying to learn about myself. If you haven't already, the manga Homunculus fits exactly into this idea in a very interesting way, I highly recommend it based on the media mentioned in this video!
i dont comment often on videos but... YES!!! A VIDEO TALKING ABOUT THE MILK GAMES THAT ISNT JUST ABOUT THE ENDINGS!! this game fucking broke me. i still cannot get over the pure EMOTION that washes over me every time i replay the second death sequence, or hell, even just death music?. now i really gotta wonder. have u dabbled into the hello charlotte games? it starts off as a standard quirky rpg maker horror game, but it becomes so.... wow. i would love to see you talk about it, or any of etherane's games for that mater! their art is so... ethereal!
I’m in the same boat as you! I love weird shit or stuff that’s just not the A typical thing that’s Why I love David lynch and suds 51 just so different. I love playing games like yakuza or persona sure they may be JRPG’s but you can do stuff in them that a normal person would think is stupid like I love the idea of singing karaoke or playing video games to up your status it’s just so different.
I recently picked these games up and I'm still kinda processing what I played. Absolutely loved it though! Your video also very much helped when trying to find out what I like about the game. I'm personally a huge fan of meta elements in video games, when the game itself wants to talk to you, the person. So when the MC is talking to *you* from the getgo makes me pretty happy. That meta stuff reeled me in so much, and as a massive fan of visual novels, this approach to the genre is so refreshing. It's wonderful. Now I'd love you to do a review of sweet pool. It's by the same people that did DRAMAtical Murder, but it's like if the bad ends from the latter game were the entire game. It's horrifically beautiful and I feel like you'd have an interesting perspective on it! (of course, read the trigger warnings before playing) **also sweet pool is considered the shortest of the nitro+chiral catalog which should help with your goopy goblin gamer brain ^^
@@maraganger you definitely should! But I can't stress enough about checking the content warnings. There's some very serious stuff that will be hard to get through if you're not prepared for it, no matter how well written it may be. For context, people like to call this a "spiritual successor" to Saya no Uta, so you might be able to know what you're getting into from that! ^^
@@maraganger really liked the bit on how youtubers write their perspectives as the definite interpritations of things and how thats not how it should be. (especially with stories like these). i think a lot of people, myself included, were taught in school to write essays as if youre trying to win an arguement about your point, but i dont like that type of thinkin. anyways, loved the vid as a whole but that bit resonated with me cuz i love surreal and open to interpritation stuff :)
@@yoppimedia Oh yeah that's fair. You can definitely tell in my older videos I still had that mentality of trying to have a complete, objective view of a product and it might be why they weren't as good as the new stuff. I'm glad you vibed with it though, I had a feeling people would probably feel that specific part. B)
@@maraganger hey weve all done it ^_^ ur old stuff still slapz, i was just watchin ur one old vid and it made me wanna play dot hack. i read a dot hack manga as a kid not knowing it was a game at all lol
The content warnings make me think it might be a bit much for me right now... I'll absolutely wishlist both games, though, they look super interesting and I will definitely play them someday. Great video!!
@@maraganger There's a very fine line between being pushed a bit beyond your boundaries and being uncomfortable to the point where it's bad for you :( I tried playing OMORI recently and had to stop for the same reason, which is kind of a shame as well!
I have to admit I try to be diametrically opposite to you in media consumption, I always tend to get somewhat defensive when I know someone who is so deeply attached to these kinds of hopefully depressive/transgressive kinds of media they relate solidly towards. But I think your words kind of made me understand why it happens and why some people need to consume media this way. It will always be a clear red line for me, but it doesn't have to be so for everyone.
Well that's good to hear ! It's definitely not for everyone but I hope my words could hopefully convince you that there's some value in stuff like that. :>
@@maraganger Yeah, I admit they have a lot of value, but I rather listen to it safely from people who have connected to that media in particular and try to understand it from there than testing my fragility and gullibleness against such harshly written media.
I loved this video, definitely the kind of thing I've been looking for and haven't been able to find enough of. Does anyone know what the guitar music in the intro was?
@@maraganger hey! I've been watching your channel a ton lately, even breaking the rule of watching videos on games I haven't played yet, good stuff keep it up. also I'd recommend you try out a game called fallow feel like you'll love it.
Games's good but Katawa Shoujo defo has a reputation, especially coming from the chan or having a crowd of folks who unfortunately heavily fetishize disabilities because of it.
@@maraganger That's really unfortunate because past that reputation of being involved with 4chan, it's a fantastic story. There's an LP of it on lparchive that really delves into the game's layers. The LP even disables the erotica aspect of it if you're not a fan of it.
@@atpsoldat6108 Oh I know, I've played this game years ago, I'm just saying I don't fuck with the crowd it attracts, not that I dislike the game or anything ! ; w ;
@@maraganger Wait no, I mistyped the timestamp. I meant the anime at 19:11 where there's a cat with a purple stream of... something... going into their head and another cat trying to pull them away.
hold on, "mara"... are you perhaps that person from the sewercord server? (back when it was called like that anyway). i don't know if that name/nickname is common or not but its worth asking.
@@maraganger ah, i see. well, it was a sewerslvt dedicated discord server, but its probably no use getting in detail about what it is or things will drag on lol. still, thx for answering quickly.
Hmm lot of these videos kinda have trend of at some point getting overly defensive towards strawman who hates niche games. Which is in turn making me overly self aware of how defensive I can be about niche stuff I like too :'D But yeah, either way, I do enjoy these videos that go through obscure stuff most people don't talk about. Previously I have to have found those channels by finding who talks about Pathologic x'D (lot of survival horror focused channel seem to touch upon niche games at times, RagnarRox for example, I guess its because horror is inherently somewhat niche genre despite being overally popular?) But yeah, wasn't particularly surprised to learn this game was made by russian dev since lot of stuff about type of darkness and anxiety in this one is familiar. Oh hey Fear and Hunger Termina spotted :D Wasn't also expecting random segway to Goodnight Punpun (one of those manga I could never read because everything I've heard about it sounds like it goes pass level of anxiety I can tolerate.) But yeah, I have kinda hard time dwelling into darkness that feels like something that could or does happen in real life. My own problems are just variety of feeling of "will I ever accomplish anything I want to do" and etc, but I think in general I have hard time getting any form of catharsis from suffering whether its similar to my own problems or not?
PATREON : www.patreon.com/maraganger
TWITTER : twitter.com/maraganger
Didn't expect to get so emotional and personal with a pair of games but sometimes, Milk is all you need, both inside and outside.
Thank you so much for the video and big thanks about your thoughts on ost!
It's a pleasure, and thank you for making something that resonated so deeply with me. Absolutely love your work. ♥
"...that will most definitely appeal only to the nichest and coolest of gamers."
*blushes*
“I’m the remains of a gifted child, now turned overly emotional adult. I see things, it makes me feel emotions, I put words on paper. Simple as.” just like me fr, that hit so hard
real
I found the first Milk game by accident on steam. Saw it was cheap, bought it and despite it's short length. I decide to buy the sequel, and despite it also being relatively short, it is one of the most interesting games I've ever played and really opened my eyes to how some people suffer with mental health.
Genuinely, a masterpiece of a set of games
Same, one day in 2020/2021 steam was just like "here's this shit, we think you might be into it" and y'know they were right, that was one of the best spontaneous purchases I've made.
@vthesnail I would hope for another sequel but I'm honestly unsure if it's necessary, they're both gems
i just wanna say, as that kid with the milk2 steam profile picture finding myself right now, this video means a lot.
It means the world to know that my work has resonated with you in such way. ♥
I think the "room temparature IQ" line is going to be one of my new favorite phrases now.
Glad to see it stuck haha !
Milk inside a bag of milk didn't hit with me as hard as Milk outside a bag of milk did. But to see how it affected someone who did have it hit hard is a great experience. It made me realize how other people view media and it is really neat. Milk outside, hit me so much harder, I was looking for games with surreal visuals and they Milk 2 had it. The scenes where it took place outside, how the milk girl views her everyday life. I don't think I am mentally ill but some things that she said and some views of the game totally hit me, I've felt the exact same way the girl does, especially back when isolation was it's strongest (Covid 19 outbreak.)
I have no clue if you will see this or read this but it makes me so happy to see someone make a video on this game. I just wanna say thank you.
I'm glad to hear it resonated with you so much, thank you ! :>
There is just something about the visual novel genre that I love. The way it tells the story is just so unique and different than other genres.
I bought both games after watching the first two minutes of this. An absolutely wonderful video essay.
Thank you ! ; w ;
and now, a year later, the milk-chan pfp.
it was inevitable.
I'm really glad to see more people talking about the Milk games on TH-cam. There are maybe four video essays about Milk 1+2, and this one is without a doubt the best. I really liked you mixing in a bit of new insight on the character, along with with your own personal experiences. Good stuff.
Big Hazel fan, huh?
Aw thank you so much, you're flattering me ! ; w ;
Also ye, I'm a fan of hers but my work takes inspiration from a lot of other youtubers I admire.
Hurting from media really do be a fun way to feel your way through the world. In all seriousness loved the video. It definitely had some wild twists at the end that broke your formula and gave a us a new experience. I really want to see you cover "Oyasumi PunPun" you definitely sold it to me. Last note, awesome take on objectivity versus subjectivity. Who cares if the game isn't perfect if it evokes a reaction/response from me! Great vid as always Mara, keep up the good work!
Aw thank you ! ♥
19:20 I remember my sister used to watch the "Crash Box" tv show on HBO when we were really young. And she always had that same obsession with bizarre/weird content even as an adult. I always thought of that tv show Crash Box being the cause of why she loves weird stuff like OFF and LISA so much.
Never heard of Crash Box before but if your sister likes OFF and Lisa, she's cool in my book. B)
“I’m the remains of a gifted child turned overly-emotional adult. I see things. It makes me feel emotions. I put words on paper. Simple as” 👏👏
Phenomenal video, it's clear how much you love these two games. I've been meaning to make a video on Milk 2 for a while now, and your video has given me the motivation to do so, so thank you!
Thank you so much ! Best of luck on your own creative process. B)
I just finished my first playthrough of Milk Outside a Bag (I fully beat Milk Inside a Bag prior) and I am fascinated and looking forward to going through the other endings later. In a search for other insights to the game I found this video. Loved this video and was humored a little with mentions of Goodnight Punpun and Evangelion. I read and watched both last year. I don't typically enjoy the more unsettling kind of medium but stories told through those lenses always seem to leave a greater impact. Milk has made me jump back a couple times because I'm a scaredy cat, but I keep pressing forward because I'm enthralled by it. Anyhow, spectacular video!
Aw thank you, glad you've resonated with it ! :>
maybe it's a bit too mainstream of a anime/manga but i do always go back to NHK when i think the things i shouldn't for whatever reason at the time. Also fuck yeah pun pun. Stuff like Bokutachi ga Yarimashita, flowers of evil, Himizu or Yakedo Shoujo all help me face things i don't want to talk to actual people about but probably should to get over things and come out at the other end. I'll give Milk a try sometime... when i muster up to go and buy a steam card.
ah dang can't forget about 3 days of happiness
the best essay i have seen of this game so far, i really liked the analysis
Yeah, you can definitely read the "4chan retiree" in the text.
Loved this essay.
The fact that you mentioned so much media in this video that I absolutely adore and then put into words a common aspect thay draws me to them feels like a really important momemt of personal understanding for me. Thank you for that 💜
i found this game a while ago, me and my friend both agree this is the best 99cent game ever
God you ever just stumble on a channel made just for you
Aw I'm glad you feel this way ! ; w ;
This channel is definetely a keeper, good video. Also nice voice!
Fool! You think I wouldn't notice Serial Experiments Lain soundtrack right at the start of the video? 💕
To be fair, there's a lot of Lain's OST used in that vid lmaO, someone was bound to notice. B)
this channel is one of the best discoveries I made in the last months: every video is so interesting and deep and focus so much on those aspects I value the most in the videogame medium but also in every kind of works of art. thank you.
about "milk", one of the things that shocked me the most when I first played "milk inside" is how this game makes you feel bad not only for the text-choices you click on, but also for the way it shows you a person who is suffering: it's really like you can do just so little to help her and this inability become something that kind of upsets you through the gameplay. I like the fact that a short game like "milk inside" successes in conveying so much in a couple of minutes.
P.S. somebody knows the game at 19:01?
Aw thank you so much ! Also the game at 19:01 is the demo for Fear & Hunger : Termina. :>
Woooooooooooow this one hits so hard!! Love the changes you've made to your style!! Insanely good and can't wait to see more from ya!! Also hurting me with that punpun 😭
I love your review! Very differentiated and deep analysis of Milk and comparable media. NGE was also the first title that made me feel the way you describe. "It is not about objective facts, but the heart of the work and up to everyone to find their own meaning and interpretation." I couldn't agree more, very well said! 🙂
I found your channel from this video and now I'm obsessively watching all your videos. Its so cool to find people who are into the same niche :)
Aw thank you, hope you enjoy ! :>
Woozers, it's crazy cool seeing just how much your overall style, both through writing and editing you've honed in the past few months, it's absolutely stellar!
The "milk" series is really splendid and both it and this video really resonated with me. There's something so touching about how much more personal/deeper indies have gotten when talking about mental health. I mean, and I don't mean to take the piss out of my game dev colleagues, though if you just look back to the early 2010's a majority of indies in the indie horror sphere were using mental health just as a way to villainize, and antagonist a character. And I think such a depiction couldn't be further from the truth. In fact I'd argue that people dealing with poor mental health, are more likely to be targets and victims.
I don't necessarily think that, that villainizing of mental health is.. intentional. But rather, I think it's akin to myths or fairytales to some people. Mental health can be intangible, indescribable, and unknown, so people merely equate it to being insane. That's why I do think video games are a great way of exploring mental health though, because the added layer of interactivity from the medium can help people who don't deal with and don't know what mental health looks like, experience it in some way. As well make people who are experiencing it, understand that they aren't alone. So I'm grateful for both milk and this video.
That said, amazing job as always Mara!
Thank you so much, I'm glad both games and this video found a way directly to your heart. ♥
Love the style is substance argument you seem to have presented in a good handful of your vids
I don't know why, the sentence stuck with me and I just keep poppin' it back up in every vid haha
The Maraganger tagline lol
Man, this was a great video on a game I feel is really, really underrated. Thank you for making it, have my sub
Aw thank you, glad you've enjoyed ! :>
these games are great. i was waiting for a video about this, glad to finally see one! always nice to see someone else's perspective on something.
i adore Nikita's work so much, from the OST to the storytelling of the series, it's all quite down-to-earth, cryptic, and just oozes soul to it.
this series has definitely made a *huge* impact to me, and watching this video just reestablishes that. thank you for this amazing video, you've earned a sub!
Aw thank you so much ! I'm glad my work was able to resonate with you, as much as Nikita's work did to the both of us. ; w ;
I love the fact that the endings are dreams yet milk chan had stated ever since she had gotten ill she hasn’t been able to dream I like to believe that she is recovering some were even in colour something she hasn’t been able to see either
Incredible Video i love the Milk games as well!!! P.S. When i Heard the Luminous Lake theme from Yume 2kki play i stopped for a Moment because i Rarely hear its music used In videos such as these!!!!!!! Yume 2kki is one Of my favorite games ever!!!!!
I really never played those games before, just briefly heard about them from other people, but it never really interested me that much, at best it seemed to be a very unique and strange game, one that depicted in details the struggles of a troubled mind (in situations that seems pretty standard for a non neurotic individual), that suffers with the smallest and simplest social scenarious, never feeling strong enough to let all the anxiety dissipate as they try to act more racionally and objectively. You know, it really felt special to learn in more detail the emocional value and complexity this game presents, it never really intested me when people talked about it in a more general light, not exploring the meaning that experience had to them, so, it feels way more intense and genuine to hear such an introspective view in the game's story and general atmosphere. Because I never really experienced it by myself I didn't know what the game had to offer, so it was really special to see myself in the protagonist, and also in you, someone that obsorbs so much of the emotions a piece of art gives off, and someone who also seems to be socially paranoid most of the time (not that I am assuming that, I just felt it though the words you spoke, and in general, your extremely cautious approach to communication, at least for me it seemed like you would think about a perfect way to express what you mean before saying anything, that also aplies to me)... As someone who is mostly the "quiet one", it's powerful not only to see a characters that values their memory from the distant past and has a very introspective behavior over their life and actions, but also to see someone who takes so much out of the art they consume, and values way more the emotion compared to only the experience, the fun you can have in a game, their objective value. I've never really consumed more unconvetional media, in the world of games, music, films, books, all of that, what I mostly connsumed throught my life was more conventional, but that can't be said about what I created over the years, I always felt like I had an unconventional aproach to storytelling and tha creative process in general, so it is really special to hear about games like this, games that I've never heard before, it really makes me wanna try them out and dive deeply into those niche unknown games that really hold a lot of value, and always have something to say. In all honesty, this channel was a lucky find, I never found such a content that resonated so deeply with me, just the way you talk about how a piece of art effects you seems so personal, it hits differently compared to the objective analises I hear most of the time...
Also the ending genuinly gave me chills, comgratulations, you did an amazing work as always 👏
Thank you for this review. This video really make me happy there are others who share the same niche interests as me. I love your not only review but also kind of deconstruction of why you like milk, lain, yume nikki and punpun along other media. It really gives a personal touch, which is really refreshing to see over the hyper-sterilized game reviews with graphics and whatnot in the forefront. Milk isn't about that, even if the music and graphics are fantastic, I think it ultimately was about the experience.
Thank you, glad it resonated with you ! I really wanted to make sure not to bore folks with the very surface level stuff even though sometimes my tangents tend to go for a bit too long. ; w ;
@@maraganger I thought your tangents were really interesting! Also I'm mighty impressed since English isn't your native language (I presume, correct me if I'm wring) yet your vocabulary is phenomenal!
@@memetal5094 You would be right, I was raised bilingual, so I've learned both English and French as my sorta, yet not so native languages. B)
@@maraganger Oh I see! I'm also bilingual (sorta trilingual but I've forgotten most of my German) so I really get the "translating things all of the time" thing you brought up
I just found your channel and it has scratched an itch left in my brain by the absence of my other favorite channels uploading.
I remember seeing the first game a while back and being intrigued by its… definitely interesting title, but I put it off because of the content warnings and I wasn’t in the state of mind for it at the time. Maybe I’ll get around to playing one of them. Loved the video and I’ll be scrambling off to watch more
Thank you so much, it means a lot to hear this. If you do pick it up eventually, I hope you have a great time. It's a little tough to go through sometimes but it was worth it in my opinion.
great video, the niche personal touch and tangents remind me of ThorHighHeels' style
I am yearning for a third installment in this series as it touched me somewhere deep as someone who struggles with severe mental illness especially one rife with misconceptions and, as of recently, the butt of many jokes (which can be kinda funny I will admit)
Thank you, glad this resonated with you ! :>
Genuinely one of the best videos I watched and also one of the most underrated 👍
Aw thank you !
This channel is so dope, played the game today because of this video and it was great. Mad respect
That final line hit hard. Considering most of this stuff is pretty relatable, it made me realize that the stuff ive been watching and relating to are made by people going through the same things. Its like a secret underground community of people sharing their experiences. pretty validating.
I loved this video! Just finished the first Milk and it had me feeling...well, the Lain feeling. That's one of my favourite series so I knew I'd found something special and it's wonderful seeing other people enjoying them so much too ^.^ I love stories that allow themselves to just be and seep into their audiences. I mean, while I enjoy games with complex lore to piece together I definitely get tired of the objectively correct analysis thing. Stories aren't puzzle boxes to crack the right answer out of most of the time. What does it want to tell you and how does it do it? How does it make you feel? It's about the conversation with the game as well as the game. I'm rambling but yeah, thank you for making this!
Glad you've enjoyed ! :>
HEAVEN SMILE LAUGH??
(Also, I'm very very happy to see another upload from you!)
It felt very fitting at the start haha ! Glad you've enjoyed. :>
finally someone covered this game! this is one of my all time favorite games!
I’ve never played this but it looks cool and I might look into playing it :>
I love games like these, Class of 09, Milk outside and inside a bag of milk, and DDLC are my favorite games. I need more like them.
*_"oh she just like me fr 😭"_*
same
Just subscribed. Your voice and the way you articulate yourself is superb. Currently binging your videos lol. Love how you talk dude it’s so chill. Great videosss
thanks !
Great video! These games as VNs are much more of what I would like to digest. Outside especially impacted me on the part where *SPOILERS BELOW*
the endings are basically all different versions of the worst kinda dream you can have in a moment like this. The fact that they don't really have any conclusions and feel like you just woke up out of it really sells it. Those parts had the biggest impact on me that many games/media in general haven't done for me before. I could probably go on and on about those segments on their own lol.
I'm glad you've enjoyed ! The endings definitely were what sold me on the entire experience. After the first one I got, I kinda just sat there and waited for a while, gathering my thoughts lmao
Came across this channel by chance and I couldn't be mote ecstatic. Your style of video is really nice to watch and you have a great voice for commentary! Niche game coverage like this is something I love to watch and I can't wait to check out more of your videos. Great vid!
Thank you so much, ! ; w ;
Beautiful video. I always wondered why I am drawn to media like Milk and Evangelion and Punpun and I really like the idea that it is a way of facing reality and trying to learn about myself. If you haven't already, the manga Homunculus fits exactly into this idea in a very interesting way, I highly recommend it based on the media mentioned in this video!
I've been waiting for this!!
LAIN OST !!!! i luv u for that
ofc the video is really good too pff sorry i got really exicted when i heard the song and had to comment about it
i dont comment often on videos but...
YES!!! A VIDEO TALKING ABOUT THE MILK GAMES THAT ISNT JUST ABOUT THE ENDINGS!!
this game fucking broke me. i still cannot get over the pure EMOTION that washes over me every time i replay the second death sequence, or hell, even just death music?.
now i really gotta wonder. have u dabbled into the hello charlotte games? it starts off as a standard quirky rpg maker horror game, but it becomes so.... wow.
i would love to see you talk about it, or any of etherane's games for that mater! their art is so... ethereal!
Aaah thank you ! I have played Hello Charlotte but idk if it'd make for an interesting vid'. Maybe in the future ! ; w ;
AYYYY New Mara video!!
I can't decide if I hate the titles or I love the titles of these games
I could've probably gone in-depth about the pyramidal structure of the titles but y'know, it's easier to leave it at "Milk In or Out" lmao
Hi , i just found your channel and i really like what you do 😊
Bless you!
I’m in the same boat as you! I love weird shit or stuff that’s just not the A typical thing that’s Why I love David lynch and suds 51 just so different. I love playing games like yakuza or persona sure they may be JRPG’s but you can do stuff in them that a normal person would think is stupid like I love the idea of singing karaoke or playing video games to up your status it’s just so different.
I still need to properly play them, but I just wanted to say that I call these games "The Milk Bag Games" lol
I recently picked these games up and I'm still kinda processing what I played. Absolutely loved it though! Your video also very much helped when trying to find out what I like about the game. I'm personally a huge fan of meta elements in video games, when the game itself wants to talk to you, the person. So when the MC is talking to *you* from the getgo makes me pretty happy. That meta stuff reeled me in so much, and as a massive fan of visual novels, this approach to the genre is so refreshing. It's wonderful.
Now I'd love you to do a review of sweet pool. It's by the same people that did DRAMAtical Murder, but it's like if the bad ends from the latter game were the entire game. It's horrifically beautiful and I feel like you'd have an interesting perspective on it! (of course, read the trigger warnings before playing)
**also sweet pool is considered the shortest of the nitro+chiral catalog which should help with your goopy goblin gamer brain ^^
Glad you've enjoyed ! I'll make sure to check Sweet Pool out. :>
@@maraganger you definitely should! But I can't stress enough about checking the content warnings. There's some very serious stuff that will be hard to get through if you're not prepared for it, no matter how well written it may be. For context, people like to call this a "spiritual successor" to Saya no Uta, so you might be able to know what you're getting into from that! ^^
@@GiornoGiovannaGangstar Aaaah yeah, I definitely get what you mean now haha, ty for the forewarning. :>
Room temperature iq is probably the biggest insult I’ve ever heard
I wanted something that would hit hard and it was the first thing that came to mind haha !
blown away by this really well written video!
Aw thank you ! ; w ;
@@maraganger really liked the bit on how youtubers write their perspectives as the definite interpritations of things and how thats not how it should be. (especially with stories like these). i think a lot of people, myself included, were taught in school to write essays as if youre trying to win an arguement about your point, but i dont like that type of thinkin. anyways, loved the vid as a whole but that bit resonated with me cuz i love surreal and open to interpritation stuff :)
@@yoppimedia Oh yeah that's fair. You can definitely tell in my older videos I still had that mentality of trying to have a complete, objective view of a product and it might be why they weren't as good as the new stuff. I'm glad you vibed with it though, I had a feeling people would probably feel that specific part. B)
@@maraganger hey weve all done it ^_^ ur old stuff still slapz, i was just watchin ur one old vid and it made me wanna play dot hack. i read a dot hack manga as a kid not knowing it was a game at all lol
The content warnings make me think it might be a bit much for me right now... I'll absolutely wishlist both games, though, they look super interesting and I will definitely play them someday. Great video!!
Oh yeah that's fair, always prioritize your own well being over playing stuff that might make you uncomfortable.
@@maraganger There's a very fine line between being pushed a bit beyond your boundaries and being uncomfortable to the point where it's bad for you :( I tried playing OMORI recently and had to stop for the same reason, which is kind of a shame as well!
@@arthurjeannin3357 Ah yeah that is a shame, but I don't blame you whatsoever. That game can also be quite a lot.
You, sir, have the objectively best taste in games and shows- stayed through this whole essay. Hope to see more from you
I'm more of a ma'am but thank you haha, it means a lot to hear this ! ♥
your videos are so fking raw
Aw thanks !
Generation of milk profile pictures rise up
I have to admit I try to be diametrically opposite to you in media consumption, I always tend to get somewhat defensive when I know someone who is so deeply attached to these kinds of hopefully depressive/transgressive kinds of media they relate solidly towards. But I think your words kind of made me understand why it happens and why some people need to consume media this way. It will always be a clear red line for me, but it doesn't have to be so for everyone.
Well that's good to hear ! It's definitely not for everyone but I hope my words could hopefully convince you that there's some value in stuff like that. :>
@@maraganger Yeah, I admit they have a lot of value, but I rather listen to it safely from people who have connected to that media in particular and try to understand it from there than testing my fragility and gullibleness against such harshly written media.
Nice use of Lain music
I loved this video, definitely the kind of thing I've been looking for and haven't been able to find enough of. Does anyone know what the guitar music in the intro was?
Aw thank you ! The intro song is Lain's theme from Serial Experiments Lain. B)
Milk is the only VN is can actually enjoy. I played the Steins Gate VN ans while I liked the content, it took me over 1 or 2 months to finish.
milk time
I am a wretch of a human
Dude, your sub count is 666!
Sure is, haha !
She's literally me
i played inside with my cousin
Good video. I have subscribed.
Good video thank you
Thank you ! ; w ;
splendid
Nice vid
very good video!
Thank you ! :>
@@maraganger hey! I've been watching your channel a ton lately, even breaking the rule of watching videos on games I haven't played yet, good stuff keep it up. also I'd recommend you try out a game called fallow feel like you'll love it.
@@waste3128 Aw thank you, glad you vibe with my stuff ! Will defo look up Fallow. :>
I was wondering if you'll talk about Oyasumi Punpun again ? I'd love to hear your thoughts about the manga
can't promise when but defo in the future
you should watch maduka majika
I did when it originally released ! Though I never went out of my way to watch its more recent movies. ; w ;
I'm confused, why don't you want to talk about Katawa Shoujo? It's a great visual novel that really delves into the theme of disability and ableism.
Games's good but Katawa Shoujo defo has a reputation, especially coming from the chan or having a crowd of folks who unfortunately heavily fetishize disabilities because of it.
@@maraganger That's really unfortunate because past that reputation of being involved with 4chan, it's a fantastic story. There's an LP of it on lparchive that really delves into the game's layers. The LP even disables the erotica aspect of it if you're not a fan of it.
@@atpsoldat6108 Oh I know, I've played this game years ago, I'm just saying I don't fuck with the crowd it attracts, not that I dislike the game or anything ! ; w ;
Welp, time to buy these games, my wallet keeps getting lighter because of you 😂
Aaaah my bad haha ! If it makes you feel any better, they go for pretty cheap. B)
i know the video is old and i prob wont get a reply but i would love it if you made a video on a movie angels egg
i'd love to talk about angel's egg or mamoru oshii's stuff in general but no promises
So I have to ask, what's the name of the music that plays in the beginning of the video
It's Lain's theme from Serial Experiments Lain. :>
@@maraganger humn it did sound familiar
Please may I have the name of the intro song? Very fire
Lain's Theme (Track 01) from Serial Experiments Lain OST. :>
@@maraganger Ah! Thank you
@@andreslastiri8979 My pleasure !
oh my god you're so smart that's really hot thank you so much i love this video
Will u be trying Digimon Survive?
Not sure yet if I'll cover it on the channel but I'll probably be playing it at the very least.
Nice ill be looking forward to your take on the game
9:11 What's this with the cats? I really want to know what's going on here.
Aaah it's a clip from the Japanese point and click game Garage Bad Dream Adventure !
@@maraganger Wait no, I mistyped the timestamp. I meant the anime at 19:11 where there's a cat with a purple stream of... something... going into their head and another cat trying to pull them away.
Oh my bad, that's Nekojiru-so ! The OVA specifically, it's one of my faves. B)
@@maraganger Okay thank you ^^
hold on, "mara"... are you perhaps that person from the sewercord server? (back when it was called like that anyway). i don't know if that name/nickname is common or not but its worth asking.
Not sure what a sewercord is but you might have the wrong Mara ! It is an uncommon first name but it do be mine. ; w ;
@@maraganger ah, i see. well, it was a sewerslvt dedicated discord server, but its probably no use getting in detail about what it is or things will drag on lol. still, thx for answering quickly.
@@winthelottery4685 Ah no problem. Hope you eventually find the Mara you're looking for !
7:50 the fact that i am pulling an all nighter right now to make a video about this game is insane lol
Hmm lot of these videos kinda have trend of at some point getting overly defensive towards strawman who hates niche games. Which is in turn making me overly self aware of how defensive I can be about niche stuff I like too :'D But yeah, either way, I do enjoy these videos that go through obscure stuff most people don't talk about. Previously I have to have found those channels by finding who talks about Pathologic x'D (lot of survival horror focused channel seem to touch upon niche games at times, RagnarRox for example, I guess its because horror is inherently somewhat niche genre despite being overally popular?) But yeah, wasn't particularly surprised to learn this game was made by russian dev since lot of stuff about type of darkness and anxiety in this one is familiar.
Oh hey Fear and Hunger Termina spotted :D Wasn't also expecting random segway to Goodnight Punpun (one of those manga I could never read because everything I've heard about it sounds like it goes pass level of anxiety I can tolerate.) But yeah, I have kinda hard time dwelling into darkness that feels like something that could or does happen in real life. My own problems are just variety of feeling of "will I ever accomplish anything I want to do" and etc, but I think in general I have hard time getting any form of catharsis from suffering whether its similar to my own problems or not?