MoonChannelYT

Can Cake Teach Gamers to Respect Women?

Gacha games are famous for their raunchy character designs and objectification. But can you fight fire with fire? Can you teach gamers to respect women, by wrapping a positive message in lewd imagery?

Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a game that attempts to find out. We'll see just how Nikke teaches gamers to respect women, while also taking a look at the limits of Nikke as a teaching tool, in this relatively short video about the objectification of women in the gacha game space.
--- 2024-08-23 02:45:16 +0000 UTC View Post

The Duality of Nikke

It's 2:00 AM, and I'm exhausted.

I'm about 3/4's of the way through a script that reads like a combination of the Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir, and Das Kapital. This was not originally my intention. This was supposed to be the haha funny butt joke video. I wanted this to be a softer, gentler video. I think it still can be, but there is no discussing the gacha game Goddess of Victory: Nikke without bringing up heavy topics like objectification.

I haven't really hidden my ...

Why Hasn't Nintendo Axed Pokémon Showdown?

Hi Patrons!! Sorry about the slow upload again. I'll make it up to you in the future: maybe with a short podcast style audio recording, perhaps!

Here's the ad-free video for all of you though! The description follows, below:
---
Nintendo has a famously itchy trigger finger when it comes to firing off Cease & Desists. In the past few years, we've seen all kinds of Nintendo fan projects get taken down, from fan games, to emulators, to even strategy guides! In all of the videos...

Thumbnail Art and Commentary

Hello, dear Patrons! I shared this post on YouTube Community, but going forward, I'd like to make this kind of content a Patreon exclusive for you, wherein we talk thumbnails, and showcase both the art and thought process behind some of these thumbnails.

I used to make all of the thumbnails myself, but have found that commissioning art is both a lot less work, and a lot more fun. I love supporting artists, and am privileged to be in a position where the Channel can commission art in th...

A Quick Update

Good evening, dear Patrons. It's been a little while since my last check-in: I'm afraid I've been terribly busy lately, and am only now finding a bit of time to say hello.

The next video is coming together nicely, but the script is a bit longer than anticipated. The video is on Pokemon Showdown, and it'll be a fun video, though I fear it may also be a bit dense at times.

I'm noticing as I write the script though that I've basically said all I have to say concerning intellec...

Is This Topic Too Unhinged?

A friend of mine shared this picture taken from twitter with me today out of the blue, along with the subtle hint that there might be a video therein.

The potential topic we could discuss associated with this memetic bumper-sticker is: Is Rogue the Bat Latina?

Now I, at first, scoffed at this potential topic: it is deeply and remarkably stupid. BUT... you know, I kind of like stupid. And there actually is quite a bit to talk about here: more than, perhaps, meets the eye.
2024-07-01 03:06:38 +0000 UTC View Post

The Evolution of Vivian in Paper Mario, and Trans Rights in Japan

Hello, dear patrons! This year's pride month video is finally ready for you, as is tradition, on the last day of pride month. I think this video came out pretty well, despite how short the run time is!

Please enjoy, and let me know what you think! This video's thumbnail was worked on by a few artist -- if you have any thoughts on it, I'd love to see them, as well!

You are all, of course, invited to the video's public premier, tomorrow at 2 PM Eastern Time. You will note as you w...

Reflections on YouTube, Spin-Off Channel, Merch, and Pride Month

With the anime video now released, I've found that I have a bit more free time than usual, and as tends to be the case when I have free time, I've fallen into the habit of overthinking.

First and foremost, greetings to all the new Patrons! I'm so grateful for your support, and for the support of everyone here. It's not an exaggeration to say that your patronage is what allows me to realize my vision, in Moon Channel.

Vision is a funny word. I might have told the older patrons b...

Kawaii: Anime, Propaganda, and Soft Power Politics.

In modern international politics, it is just as important to win hearts and minds, in one's own country and abroad, as it is to have power by force of arms. We call this power over hearts and minds: the power to sway people by persuasion rather than by force, soft power.

And no country on Earth has mastered the art of soft power through cultural media quite like Japan has. In this video, we'll explore the roots of Japan's soft power initiatives: how modern anime taps into pre-war orie...

The Final Thumbnail

And, it's done! The final thumbnail! I might have our artist @LouritaShine add an emote for YouTube members to use (and for all of you to download, if you like), as well!

The title of the video is -- Kawaii: Anime, and Soft Power Politics

But, I'm a bit afraid that the title lacks punchiness. It seems the thumbnail will be doing the heavy lifting here!

The video should be ready by ... I'd like to say, ambitiously, Thursday. I tentatively promise that I'll get it to you al...

Thumbnail Sneak Peek!

Still hard at work on the video, but here's a sneak peek for the thumbnail: an early sketch done by artist and personal friend of mine, @LouritaShine.

Let me know what you think, and if this one resonates with you! I personally love it!

Kawaii: Anime, Propaganda, and Soft Power Preview

I have a special surprise for the Patreon: a preview of the upcoming video on anime and soft power! The title is a work in progress -- I'm afraid that I've always been terrible at coming up with video titles, so if you can think of a better one, I'd be happy to hear your suggestions.

The full video will be about two and a half hours in length, and this first twenty six minutes or so serves as an introduction and contextual history lesson before we get to the meat of the topic itself. 2024-06-01 16:17:26 +0000 UTC View Post

Concerning Vivian

With the release of the Thousand Year Door remaster just around the corner, I thought I'd do some investigating to see just how the character of Vivian was handled in the remake.

For fans of last year's Pride Month video, you may recall that Vivian's status as a transwoman has long been a matter of controversy, being hinted at only in certain localizations, and outright confirmed in only the Italian localization. The American localization completely excised this plot-point.

We...

How Geopolitically Realistic is Fallout's Great War?

I was walking along, minding my business, when out of an orange colored sky… Flash, Bam, Alakazam! The Fallout TV show came by!

And it got me thinking, well, just how realistic is Fallout anyway? Humans don’t turn into ghouls when exposed to too much radiation and nuclear bombs tend to be a bit more destructive than portrayed… sure. But what about the geopolitics and history of the Fallout universe? In this video, we’re going to explore the geopolitics of the Great War and see...

A Short Update

Hello, dear Patrons! I've been hard at work on the next video, concerning Anime, Video Games, and Soft Power. The script is one of the best I've worked on so far, and the video is going to be a long, winding, historical one, starting as early as interactions between the Han Dynasty and Rome, moving our way through historical orientalism, the opening of Japan, Japonisme, early Japanophilia, the development of animation as an art form in Japan, how that art form was co-opted and shaped by the J...

A Yuzu Post-Mortem: The Great Emu-War

I thought I'd uploaded the video: sorry about that!

Here's the video, presented ad-free. I'll get these to you early instead of late one of these days, I promise!
---
The Great Emu-War continues. Yuzu, once the leading Nintendo Switch emulator, has been sued out of existence by Nintendo of America. In so doing, Nintendo has revealed its complete hand, and we have, arguably for the first time, a clear look at Nintendo's complete legal strategy against emulation. In this episode, ...

Thumbnail Sneak Preview - Nintendo v. Yuzu

The next video is almost ready for you: I've been grinding through jetlag and office catch-up to get it to you before the end of March. I do hope that this isn't arriving too late to the discussion!

I'll be making those cultural posts I promised too, in due time. I lost the draft of the two page long Okinawa post I put together, due to a quirk of mobile Patreon, and so I may need just a little bit of time to get that, and a few other interesting snippets, together for you.

In ...

An intermission

I was going to do a long history post concerning Okinawa, with some interesting photos, but I thought I'd bring up a few curiosities I'd encountered for your amusement.

First, while I was in Taiwan, I actually encountered an American Twitch Streamer of some sort. I took a photo -- he was being followed by a gaggle of other Americans and generally being very loud in Ximending. I'm glad to see Taiwan getting some attention, as it really is a lovely place to visit.

Second, is this. I...

A Few Photos

I've been abroad for almost a month now, handling some responsibilities while ignoring a great deal many more back home. It's been good to take a break, and to reflect, though it will also soon be time to return to the grind. 

I have a number of interesting stories for you, both cultural and personal, each accompanied by photos I've taken. I've selected these three photos to start. I don't talk much about my origins, or background, allowing people to imply what they wish to. I trus...

Apologies for Inactivity/A Short Bream

Hello, my dear patrons. I apologize for the silence on Patreon, and the lack of video releases as of late.

I had a death in the family, and I've been out of the United States for the past week. I will not be back until likely the end of March, and thus the next video also isn't likely to be ready until then.

Your patronage means the world to me, and I hate to disappoint. I hope though that the lack of content might be understandable, in light of the circumstances.

I may take...

Korean Gacha Drama and Gender War Pt. 2 - The Grim Reality of Korea

South Korea is in the midst of a brutal civil war, but it might not be the one you're thinking of.  

In Part 1, we discussed how Neo-Confucianism and foreign oppression shaped Korea into the deeply hierarchical society that it is today. Now that we've seen the historical roots, it's time to examine the trees so that we can finally observe the entire forest for what it is.   

Why is the Korean gender war so bitterly fought? What is life on the ground like for actua...

An Update on Gacha Pt. 2

I'm sorry for the relative quietness of late! I've been grinding non-stop to finish the Korean gacha game video, including resolving some troublesome fair-use issues on the footage used.

I'm aiming to have the video ready by this Saturday, but it may take until as late as Tuesday for the sponsor to approve it.

This is the longest video I've produced for Moon Channel, and yet, I'd still like to combine pts. 1 and 2, and add a part three to make a director's cut someday. Maybe we...

A Quick Update

I apologize for the relative silence, everyone. And please forgive me for not getting to all the private messages: I'm afraid I've been really lost in my work lately, and haven't had time to get to those.

Pt. 2 of the gacha drama video is slowly being edited together: it's the longest video I've ever made, with a run-time of nearly two full hours. About half an hour has been edited so far, which I might release on Patreon as a sneak preview for everyone in the coming days!

I'm c...

Gacha Drama and Gender War Pt. 2

It's been a chaotic week, but I'm back at the video grind! Part 2 of the gacha drama video is going to be very, very long: long to the point where I have to either do another round of material cuts, or make a Pt. 3. At present, I'm about halfway done recording Pt. 2, and just that alone is already weighing in at 50 minutes runtime.

That said, I think it's some of my best work yet! I sincerely hope that you'll enjoy it, and won't find the intense history lessons too difficult to get th...

Gacha Drama and the Korean Gender War

Presented accidentally late to Patreon (again), but ad-free!

Please enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions! This is the first video in a two part series.
---
South Korea is in the midst of a brutal civil war, but it might not be the one you're thinking of. The South Korean gender war is like nothing else in the world, with so-called "male chauvinists" and "radical feminists" clashing online, on the streets, and at the ballot box.   In this two part series, we...

Fighting Evil by Moonlight

I was reviewing some of the messages I'd received lately on Patreon, when I came across a recent comment on the JRPG video by a new Nightingale patron, Brett Turner, concerning Sailor Moon.

Here's his comment, below:

"Hi, so, first, this is my favorite video, because you actually take a moral stance with some message of hope at the end, which isn't so common to hear anywhere.  

Second, speaking of influences on Japanese media, we were watching classic Sailor Moon ju...

The State of the Moonion 2024

It's finally 2024, and I'd like to kick off the year with a new Moon Channel tradition. The link I've attached contains the 2024 State of the Moonion Address: an annual report of sorts, for all of you Patrons.

In it, you'll learn about Moon Channel's beginnings, and get a more in depth look at the ideas, thought processes, and finances of the channel. You'll also get a very intimate look at how YouTube and the algorithm function, if you're interested in starting your own channel!
2024-01-05 05:13:18 +0000 UTC View Post

A Hop, Skip, and a Jobst

So, the new video was released on YouTube, concerning The Completionist and Karl Jobst. I, being rather unexperienced with the whole YouTube thing, very seriously underestimated how upset people would be about any negative treatment of Jobst and Mutahar.

Now, as a lawyer (I hate saying that), being on the receiving end of a little yelling and screaming is no big deal: doubly so if it's internet yelling and screaming. 

But, in hindsight, I selfishly did not consider how a vid...

Jobst v. Completionist: VG Law Review Ep. 2

The "Short" law review episode is finally here! Just in time for New Year's Eve.

Please enjoy this last Moon Channel episode of the year, actually released early this time, unlike usual, for Patrons.

I'll be hosting a premier of this episode later, well, today, I suppose, given the time. I cordially invite all of you to join in and ask questions as we watch the episode together!

I understand that this is a bit of a prickly issue, but I do think we've approached it with the...

And May All Your Christmases Be Wright

I apologize for the radio silence lately! I've been very hard at work, both at the office, but also on two videos: the Korean Gacha video, which is looking like it'll be feature length, and the Completionist Law Review episode, which has ballooned out of control, and will be about an hour long itself. I might release it as a premier so that I can answer questions in real time: we'll see how that goes!

Law review episodes are supposed to be short and easy to edit... but, this one wasn't...