I’m very pro “post what you enjoy”. It feels like it’s healthier to make that and it’ll bring community for things you actually enjoy. Also definitely want to check out Witch Hat Atelier!
So happy to see a new Otaku video! 🎉 This manga has been on my list and despite you not wholeheartedly endorsing it, this review has still encouraged me to check it out myself. I appreciate the thoughtful analysis you share.
It's such a shame that the youtube algorythm is set up this way... it really stiffles creativity and I'm sure it creates a lot of internal conflict for a lot of youtubers :( Please know that there are a lot of us who genuinely enjoy what you make and your thoughts on what you read and aren't just waiting for the "I hated this popular romantasy book lmao" videos!! Keep doing you 🎉👏
I think the coziness comes from how everything is handled. Like, it's handled with care, while there's a lot of series that handle the darker themes as gotcha moments, throwing it in there without a care in the world. But still, I'm really enjoying it. I love the magic the most. Also, you said the names better than I could. I can't wait for the anime so I can learn.
this was a really nice take to see. i think for me right now witch hat atelier is in a weird spot where i feel like its sort of running out of steam atleast in terms of its current arc and pacing but since its very much ongoing its like things Could come to fruition in the future so all we can do is wait and see. as a personal bias i do recommend reading atleast until volume 8-9 since it has some of the best stuff of the manga in my opinion i think calling wha slow burn is very accurate. it has a LOT of ideas and a LOT of potential but even at this point with around 14 volumes worth of chapters already i feel like pay-off for most of the themes is still a long way ahead (wha does have a monthly chapter release so that also makes it take more irl time, which is fine since its a more humane release schedule)
honestly, i like that you do manga / anime, TV reviews and anything else that you enjoy. pls don't let the algo get you down. for what it's worth, i enjoy your analysis.
i love getting to see a different perspective on witch hat! i’ve been _deep_ in the trenches since 2018 (before the series was published in english), and the community i’m surrounded by is one that raves about it. i hope you enjoy the arcs to come! characterization is a slow burn-you were right about that-but some of my favourite character moments (and some fan favourites) are en route. shirahama is known as a bit of a monster by her friends because of how quickly she can draw the artwork for the series. if you ever have a chance to see a video of her working, i’d highly recommend it
This was helpful because I do like Studio Ghibli and I love character development and this is a series the Amazon keeps trying to recommend me. I feel like this might be a good way to get back into manga for me. I was a big Clamp fan back in the day.
Its probably not a shounen why its not shounen formularized but more shojo sensibilities wise, with still as dark stuff but not action but character conflict driven?
so the series itself is a seinen title! it’s published in the same online magazine as saint young men (which is a slice of life about jesus and buddha in the modern world), devils line (a grim vampire romance), and hiraeth (which follows a teenage girl as she learns about what lies beyond death. it’s by the same mangaka as “our dreams at dusk,” which is prolific as a queer coming of age story) ik lots of people regard certain manga as having “shoujo sensibilities,” but if you compare witch hat to a series like yona of the dawn (a long running shoujo fantasy. it follows a sheltered princess who flees her kingdom after a coup d'état & how she works to change herself and save her country), the characterization and worlds read very differently. this is just because they’re steeped in different conventions more often seen in their respective demographics-yona is in a demo primarily marketed for girls, and seinen (while it does hold titles geared toward adult men, and it’s Very Noticeable when they are) has a lot of titles which are marketed to a general audience, like witch hat. sorry for the long comment! witch hat has been one of my favourite series since i first learned about it in 2018, so i have a lot of thoughts and love for it
I read a non-fiction book with a couple of chapters about why the TH-cam algorithm is designed the way it is. It's kind of sad and definitely manipulative, and boils down to anger/drama/controversy creates more engagement and keeps you on the platform longer which makes more money. Now as much as I haye the whole concept of clickbait-y titlea and thumbnails, I also understand why many TH-camrs use them and I dont really fault the TH-camr so much as the design of the system. They are often enough to feed that algorithm. So if you give a video a click-baity title, the content of the video doesnt actually have to have any drama/controversy, etc. I'm not trying to tell you or anyone else how to run your chanel, just providing some info because I have it.
@dontfretreadbooks Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention-and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari It's not about TH-cam or social media but it has a few chapters on it and why it's messing with our brain abilities. I picked up the book because both my kids have ADHD. I don't know if it was particularly helpful for that, but I still thought the book was interesting. Are you gonna start reviewing non-fiction too? That'd be great! 😂
@AsuraSantosha lol no I just read non-fiction for fun. I’m gonna be branching out a little in 2025 but honestly I’d like to keep nonfiction and poetry for my personal enjoyment.
I think you should focus more on the content you enjoy and talk about it. Maybe you best option for longevity in regards to eant to continue making videos is to focus on things that make you feel good. IT may not have the view count as your other romantasy posts, but the more you do them with more frequency, I feel the more it'll pick up, the more you'll pull in that kind of audience. I'm not on youtube, so take what I just said with a grain of salt. But I'm into your more positive content and want you to stick around and make things you like. I'll watch them and so will others. Maybe a format switch up for those more positive vids may help as well?
I appreciate that you are into my more positive videos! The channel will prolly die if I don’t have a mix. That’s just how the platform works. BUT I am going to strive to have more of a variety in 2025. The channel will suffer for it. But that’s okay.
Honestly its fine to mispronounce these names. The author specifically made weird names that didn't exist on purpose. So there isn't really a "correct" pronunciation.
I can't believe people have been so nasty about your own art. What makes someone do that. I'm sorry on their behalf btw. All your videos are fun, I don't read manga but watch these for your takes
Appreciate you. I don’t think they’re sorry though 😅 I dunno some folks probably think they’re just being clear about what they’re going to watch. Thank you for watching, you’re a real one.
I just picked up the first two volumes of Witch Hat, thanks for the rec Elliot, and like you said the illustrations and the creative use of panels is absolutely gorgeous. I'm also loving the creative magic system and worldbuilding, but my god do I hate Agott. Her elitest and malicious acts were bad enough, but the fact that no one called her out/ punished her for placing Coco in a life threatening situation really irks me. Like there is no amount of character development/ tragic backstory that will make up for Agott endangering other people's lives, Quifrey also takes a lot of the blame for allowing this behavior. Coco is a puppy shapped cinnamon roll, no matter how many times she gets kicked she still has unlimited love (so far as I've read). This limits her potential as a full fledged character cause she's never allowed to be angry or have a negative thought, which is a little disappointing. I'm still intrigued with the series and will continue reading, but I don't think I'll ever love it.
It’s been so long since I read that volume I totally forgot that bit and you’re so right. If I do another video on this series I’m going to mention that.
its very reminiscent of engraving, with all the hatching with the parllel lines in the shading etc.. it can be overwhelming visually when u look close, at least thats what i think engraving can feel like, after having looked at some very closely myself i personally rly love it, i think engraving techniques r so fascinating, n some of my fave art pieces r made with them specifically bc of how meticulous they r, but it does have a very "ants could have made this" feel to it i think lol
I’m very pro “post what you enjoy”. It feels like it’s healthier to make that and it’ll bring community for things you actually enjoy. Also definitely want to check out Witch Hat Atelier!
I think I’ll post more of what I like for sure and I am planning to expand into new territory.
2:19 please continue posting videos about stuff you actually like! I love listening to people when they have something passionate to speak about
I plan to mix things up more
@dontfretreadbooks nice!! I'm excited to see what you have in store
I love Elliot Brooks! I have started reading Witch Hat Atelier from her recommendations as well. I get a lot of my fantasy recs from her channel.
I like the anime & manga videos (I love anime and manga too and am interested in your reviews and recommendations!)
So happy to see a new Otaku video! 🎉
This manga has been on my list and despite you not wholeheartedly endorsing it, this review has still encouraged me to check it out myself. I appreciate the thoughtful analysis you share.
It's such a shame that the youtube algorythm is set up this way... it really stiffles creativity and I'm sure it creates a lot of internal conflict for a lot of youtubers :(
Please know that there are a lot of us who genuinely enjoy what you make and your thoughts on what you read and aren't just waiting for the "I hated this popular romantasy book lmao" videos!!
Keep doing you 🎉👏
I think the coziness comes from how everything is handled. Like, it's handled with care, while there's a lot of series that handle the darker themes as gotcha moments, throwing it in there without a care in the world. But still, I'm really enjoying it. I love the magic the most. Also, you said the names better than I could. I can't wait for the anime so I can learn.
this was a really nice take to see. i think for me right now witch hat atelier is in a weird spot where i feel like its sort of running out of steam atleast in terms of its current arc and pacing but since its very much ongoing its like things Could come to fruition in the future so all we can do is wait and see. as a personal bias i do recommend reading atleast until volume 8-9 since it has some of the best stuff of the manga in my opinion
i think calling wha slow burn is very accurate. it has a LOT of ideas and a LOT of potential but even at this point with around 14 volumes worth of chapters already i feel like pay-off for most of the themes is still a long way ahead (wha does have a monthly chapter release so that also makes it take more irl time, which is fine since its a more humane release schedule)
honestly, i like that you do manga / anime, TV reviews and anything else that you enjoy. pls don't let the algo get you down. for what it's worth, i enjoy your analysis.
I really enjoyed this video! I have read the first couple volumes and liked them and now you've made me want to keep going sooner rather than later!
i love getting to see a different perspective on witch hat! i’ve been _deep_ in the trenches since 2018 (before the series was published in english), and the community i’m surrounded by is one that raves about it.
i hope you enjoy the arcs to come! characterization is a slow burn-you were right about that-but some of my favourite character moments (and some fan favourites) are en route.
shirahama is known as a bit of a monster by her friends because of how quickly she can draw the artwork for the series. if you ever have a chance to see a video of her working, i’d highly recommend it
Yaaaaahhhhhh back from work so I can watch this now
I wanna get into simply because of you and other commenters on this vid 😂
This was helpful because I do like Studio Ghibli and I love character development and this is a series the Amazon keeps trying to recommend me. I feel like this might be a good way to get back into manga for me. I was a big Clamp fan back in the day.
Its probably not a shounen why its not shounen formularized but more shojo sensibilities wise, with still as dark stuff but not action but character conflict driven?
so the series itself is a seinen title! it’s published in the same online magazine as saint young men (which is a slice of life about jesus and buddha in the modern world), devils line (a grim vampire romance), and hiraeth (which follows a teenage girl as she learns about what lies beyond death. it’s by the same mangaka as “our dreams at dusk,” which is prolific as a queer coming of age story)
ik lots of people regard certain manga as having “shoujo sensibilities,” but if you compare witch hat to a series like yona of the dawn (a long running shoujo fantasy. it follows a sheltered princess who flees her kingdom after a coup d'état & how she works to change herself and save her country), the characterization and worlds read very differently. this is just because they’re steeped in different conventions more often seen in their respective demographics-yona is in a demo primarily marketed for girls, and seinen (while it does hold titles geared toward adult men, and it’s Very Noticeable when they are) has a lot of titles which are marketed to a general audience, like witch hat.
sorry for the long comment! witch hat has been one of my favourite series since i first learned about it in 2018, so i have a lot of thoughts and love for it
I read a non-fiction book with a couple of chapters about why the TH-cam algorithm is designed the way it is. It's kind of sad and definitely manipulative, and boils down to anger/drama/controversy creates more engagement and keeps you on the platform longer which makes more money.
Now as much as I haye the whole concept of clickbait-y titlea and thumbnails, I also understand why many TH-camrs use them and I dont really fault the TH-camr so much as the design of the system. They are often enough to feed that algorithm. So if you give a video a click-baity title, the content of the video doesnt actually have to have any drama/controversy, etc.
I'm not trying to tell you or anyone else how to run your chanel, just providing some info because I have it.
What book was it?? You’ve peaked my curiosity.
@dontfretreadbooks Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention-and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
It's not about TH-cam or social media but it has a few chapters on it and why it's messing with our brain abilities.
I picked up the book because both my kids have ADHD. I don't know if it was particularly helpful for that, but I still thought the book was interesting.
Are you gonna start reviewing non-fiction too? That'd be great! 😂
@AsuraSantosha lol no I just read non-fiction for fun. I’m gonna be branching out a little in 2025 but honestly I’d like to keep nonfiction and poetry for my personal enjoyment.
I think you should focus more on the content you enjoy and talk about it. Maybe you best option for longevity in regards to eant to continue making videos is to focus on things that make you feel good. IT may not have the view count as your other romantasy posts, but the more you do them with more frequency, I feel the more it'll pick up, the more you'll pull in that kind of audience.
I'm not on youtube, so take what I just said with a grain of salt. But I'm into your more positive content and want you to stick around and make things you like. I'll watch them and so will others.
Maybe a format switch up for those more positive vids may help as well?
I appreciate that you are into my more positive videos! The channel will prolly die if I don’t have a mix. That’s just how the platform works. BUT I am going to strive to have more of a variety in 2025. The channel will suffer for it. But that’s okay.
Honestly its fine to mispronounce these names. The author specifically made weird names that didn't exist on purpose. So there isn't really a "correct" pronunciation.
I’m just so tired of pretentious nerds getting on my ass about it.
Whar are your thoughts on Frieren beyond journey end
I can't believe people have been so nasty about your own art. What makes someone do that. I'm sorry on their behalf btw. All your videos are fun, I don't read manga but watch these for your takes
Appreciate you. I don’t think they’re sorry though 😅 I dunno some folks probably think they’re just being clear about what they’re going to watch. Thank you for watching, you’re a real one.
And I definitely give a shit about your takes on anime and manga. Please continue doing all the things. Not just the shitty books.
I’mma do ALL the things
I just picked up the first two volumes of Witch Hat, thanks for the rec Elliot, and like you said the illustrations and the creative use of panels is absolutely gorgeous. I'm also loving the creative magic system and worldbuilding, but my god do I hate Agott. Her elitest and malicious acts were bad enough, but the fact that no one called her out/ punished her for placing Coco in a life threatening situation really irks me. Like there is no amount of character development/ tragic backstory that will make up for Agott endangering other people's lives, Quifrey also takes a lot of the blame for allowing this behavior. Coco is a puppy shapped cinnamon roll, no matter how many times she gets kicked she still has unlimited love (so far as I've read). This limits her potential as a full fledged character cause she's never allowed to be angry or have a negative thought, which is a little disappointing. I'm still intrigued with the series and will continue reading, but I don't think I'll ever love it.
It’s been so long since I read that volume I totally forgot that bit and you’re so right. If I do another video on this series I’m going to mention that.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I don't like the texture of the art. I know it's gorgeous but it sets off something in my brain and I can't get past it.
its very reminiscent of engraving, with all the hatching with the parllel lines in the shading etc.. it can be overwhelming visually when u look close, at least thats what i think engraving can feel like, after having looked at some very closely myself
i personally rly love it, i think engraving techniques r so fascinating, n some of my fave art pieces r made with them specifically bc of how meticulous they r, but it does have a very "ants could have made this" feel to it i think lol