I basically operate under the assumption that my YouTube videos won't be watched, but I suppose I still need to make the effort to get them seen.

Thalasso hobbyer recently put into words something I had been thinking about for a while.

https://x.com/THobbyer/status/1943223131327599056

I really felt this was spot on, so I’d like to take this opportunity to write about the current issues with my channel, possible solutions, actual data and measures I’ve taken, as well as my future goals.

The Diorama (Model-Making) Video Boom Is Over — We're Now in Normal Mode

┃Diorama/model-making may no longer be in a “bubble” phase

What Thalasso hobbyer said is mostly true. Several overseas diorama-related YouTube channels that used to have around or over 1 million subscribers do indeed seem to be stagnating. Some examples of such channels would be:

• Boulder Creek Railroad

• Boylei Hobby Time

• PLASMO - plastic models

• North of the Border

• Minibricks

• B Hobby (this one leans more towards plastic models, so slightly different)

Even channels like Minibricks, which clearly invest a huge amount of time and money, seem to be struggling with views.

Honestly, it’s kind of scary to think what might’ve happened if someone had gone all-in financially while the channel was still growing and then found themselves unable to back out. In my case, I do everything alone, so that kind of situation won’t happen — but if I had been chasing short-term profit, it easily could have. That thought is pretty unsettling.

Well, to begin with, in my case, YouTube profits have never really been a thing. I believe I’ve mentioned before that my monetization was once suspended, and even when active, the ad rates were abnormally low — so I only ever got a little pocket money from it.

┃The Rise of Shorts & Changing Viewing Habits — Now Most Content Just Feels Informative

This is just my personal take, but I really wonder about this… With the rise of Shorts, it feels like long-form videos have become less popular.

After all, it’s fun to just keep swiping and discovering entertaining clips, right? It’s normal that people don’t want to sit through a single long video anymore.

And with creative Shorts, everything from process to result is crammed into an extremely short span — so while it’s fun to watch them race to the end, you learn almost nothing from them...

All you can say is, “Wow, that’s amazing.” It’s not very motivating in terms of “I want to try this myself.” That’s the tricky part — most people are probably satisfied just from watching Shorts.

But just complaining about this won’t help. In fact, I think it’s actually an opportunity. If many channels are facing the same plateau, then being the first to adapt could be the key to breaking through it.

With that in mind, the latest video I posted has a small change from my previous style — something only those who watch to the end will notice.

In the rest of the article, I’ll go over actual YouTube data, things I’ve tried, what assumptions I’m making, and how I plan to apply all this to future content creation. If that interests you, feel free to read on.

If you're thinking, “Wow, this looks like a lot… are you desperate or something?” Well — wait, are there actually people who aren’t desperate about this? You can't expect results without putting everything into it. You need to get serious — at least, that’s how I see it.

YouTube is My Testing Ground — Only Channels That Adapt Will Survive

┃As always, only those who adapt to change will survive

If I had a style where I could upload videos frequently, I’d be able to test more often and optimize faster. But in my case, even a single video takes at least a month to complete, so I naturally have to prioritize quality more than others. That limits how many iterations I can try — and that’s a real bottleneck.

In any case, I believe it’s best to observe current trends at the time of production and make small changes accordingly. If you can’t adapt to the environment, you’ll just get weeded out — so I think it’s better to persist with flexibility and resilience. And what should we use as a reference? Probably the channels that manage to survive — since in the end, every successful channel seems to converge on a certain formula.

Chasing numbers or revenue won’t yield much anyway, so I’ve come to see YouTube as more of a sandbox for experimentation. I want to try out different things and use it as a space to output my trial-and-error process.

I figure that sooner or later, viewership will rise again like it has in the past. If I can keep stacking up videos and test runs until then, and my content is strong enough to be picked up by the algorithm when that time comes — that would be the ideal outcome.

┃What Should I Change? Everything.

To stand out and surpass others in creating something, you have to go through a fair amount of struggle. Doing the same thing forever just leads to stagnation — and eventually, people will forget about you.

You often hear people say, “The pain of creating…” but that pain means either you’re trying to move beyond your current state, or you’re stuck in it. In that case, the only way forward is to push yourself — even if just a millimeter. Escape route? I don’t have one of those…

┃Deliberately Breaking All the Conventions I’ve Followed

So then, what exactly should I be changing?

Content, titles, thumbnails, structure, even the perceived image of the figure itself — there are lots of things to consider. You know what? All of it. Change everything. That’s the kind of overhaul that’s necessary. After all, here’s what my viewer retention looks like even now…

At first, viewers skip through the video in seconds and only watch the end.
If your content is being consumed like that, the overall evaluation of your channel won't go up, and of course, your videos will be less likely to appear in recommendations.

You need to be more strategic than ever about who your target audience is and how you're going to reach them.

Here’s the basic premise:
In my case, my channel already has around five years' worth of accumulated subscribers. These people are already used to my videos, and the usual thumbnails, titles, and formats no longer excite them. So if I keep doing things the same way, they won’t watch.

Of course, I still want to target new viewers — but I believe encouraging existing subscribers to watch is more effective for improving the numbers.
If existing subscribers watch the videos, click-through rate and watch time will increase, making it more likely the videos will be recommended to new viewers as well.

With that in mind, it might be better to focus first on approaches that encourage existing subscribers to watch.

Both “Niyaniya Professor” and Gorizia’s videos are more or less in the same situation.

┃Viewers are always seeking new stimulation (you must assume this as a given)

What does it mean when people subscribe but don’t watch?
Roughly 80% of my subscribers aren’t even involved with garage kits. So I imagine that—perhaps unconsciously—they feel, “This looks impressive, but there’s nothing left here that satisfies my curiosity, enjoyment, or sense of fulfillment,” and they just instinctively ignore the update notifications.

Humans naturally seek change and stimulation, so it’s probably necessary on our end to evolve how we express things accordingly.

Next, when YouTube recommends a video but the click-through rate is low, it’s likely because the title or thumbnail lacks that instant visual impact that grabs people’s attention.

That’s why this time, I’m using the thumbnail A/B testing feature to check which one performs best.
Honestly, I should be doing this every time.
I only just discovered this feature, and I’m thinking: “Why didn’t I know about this sooner?”

The first one is the usual type, packed tightly with information in a 1280×720 frame.
The second one is a before-and-after style.

This is how they are displayed.

If it was the first thumbnail, here’s how it would look.

Subjectively, I prefer the first thumbnail, but for viewers seeking impact, showing a before-and-after is probably better for click-through rates. I think we'll know for sure once the test results come in.

The third option includes a background. Honestly, I think we should also try thumbnails with text. The text should be problem-solving type that viewers want to know—like how much time was invested or what exactly was done.

In plastic model videos, many channels use strong text, but in creation-type videos, thumbnails often feature photos of the finished work with spatulas or brushes held in hand, which is a distinctive style.

I once tried before-and-after thumbnails on Urugura’s videos, but from an aesthetic perspective, they were a bit off, so I quickly switched back to just finished photos. Maybe now is the time to stop hesitating and just try it out since it has the most impact.

┃Changing Titles to Reach a More General (New) Audience

As for titles, I reverted to the style I used at the very beginning. Strictly speaking, these are garage kits among figures, and "made" means assembled and painted.

My videos usually have titles like "Source Title - Character Name - Garage Kit Assembly & Painting," but I’m thinking about revisiting that. Returning to the basics is important.

I stopped using the original title style because when my old Kashima video went viral, there were weird insulting comments like "Oh, it’s just a garage kit." That made me question if I had to explicitly write "garage kit" instead of "figure," which created a strange mental block.

To reach a wider audience, it obviously makes more sense to use the popular keyword “figure” that general viewers use. So from now on, I plan to mix such keywords into the titles to reach more new viewers. It’s not about whether I can or not — I will do it. Even if someone tells me to write "garage kit," I might still keep using "figure" in titles for a while.

┃Refining Structure and Condensing Boring Parts

The immediate metrics after releasing videos are honestly not satisfactory — to put it bluntly, the numbers are bad. However, after slightly changing the structure and presentation and adding some follow-up content, I received more positive and specific feedback in comments than before, which surprised me.

You know the law of reciprocity? It feels similar. When I directly share my thoughts and feelings, viewers respond with their own thoughts. It’s really helpful and educational.

I feel adding changes is not a bad thing. Although the numbers are not good now, I hope this can be a turning point to create higher quality videos.

At the end of the videos, I mention that what I want to show is not necessarily what viewers want to see, and it’s important not to confuse the two. You might think, “Isn’t YouTube about showing what you want?” That may be true for artists.

┃One Person Trying Hard on Their Own (Let Them Do Their Thing)

But I see myself more as a marketer these days, so I think it’s important to observe what viewers like and adapt flexibly. After all, if more people watch the videos, it promotes the sculptor’s work, increases people starting garage kits—which means the hobby and culture around garage kits expands, growing the market.

That will lead to more people buying niche sculptures and 3D works, so more people aiming to become figure sculptors will emerge, and painters will increase too. Overall, it’s a positive cycle.

At least personally, I think about these things, so I need to reach a wider audience. I spend time thinking about what kind of videos are best for that in a cramped, unpleasant little corner of a run-down house full of bugs.

My own profit is secondary. Even if the videos do well, the income is small — maybe about 50,000 yen at best.

Still, the current situation isn’t comfortable for me, so I plan to work hard for a while with the intention to change my life.