The YouTube channel is facing deletion and other stuff too

Re: Starting over with no YouTube channel?

It's hard to write or navigate this properly since so much of it hinges on developments over the next few days that are out of my control but I think I should at least let you guys know what's going on right now and what my thoughts are, as well as what will happen independently of the outcome. And I guess a lot lot more.

TLDR:

• Currently at risk of YouTube channel deletion

• I'm going to keep making these videos no matter what, but there might have to be some changes

• I will start Orb: Movements of the Earth next week and hold a poll soon for the replacement to Assassination Classroom

• I want to hear your thoughts on what else you would like and think would be valuable (though it's sort of too much for the scope of this post so I will make another one more tailored to the question)

• Love can't be deleted
  
  

The situation

A few weeks ago I got copyright claims on a massive amount of my Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood videos that were posted in 2021, four whole years later.

I contested the claims, leaving the claimant with the option to reject (at which point the videos would just remain unviewable). Instead, their (Aniplex's) response was 5 copyright strikes covering 22 videos. Facing channel deletion, my only real option was to dispute the strikes and open myself up to legal action.

Where it stands now

I have disputed and YouTube has forwarded my legal rationale and consent to liability. Aniplex has 10 days to submit proof of legal action in US courts. If they do nothing, the channel and videos are restored. If they submit proof of having initiated legal action, the channel will be completely erased within a 7 day period unless I can find some (???) other arrangement with YouTube.

For what it's worth, I think my chances are good. But still unnerving since all I can do is wait ^^'

It's a huge wakeup call in a lot of ways.

What does this mean?

If YouTube were to be deleted, that would basically be the end of "THIS" in its current form. Patreon isn't at risk but it would peter out gradually (or quickly) since there is no new discovery possible and there is high turnover schedule to schedule.

There ARE other platforms. There's Rumble, short form media, etc, but no real great substitute for YouTube. (As a side thought, if the channel continues I will expand into those anyway, I should have done it a long time ago, at minimum just as a backup).

If the channel stays alive, that would be amazing! I get to keep doing what I love, though this has been a wake-up call for what else I need to be doing in the meantime to prepare for any future events like this.

Reflecting on it, here's what I know for sure, no matter what happens:

It doesn't change the fact that I want to continue making these videos.

I love doing it and it's important to me, and that's reason enough. It will continue in one form or another regardless of outcome. The only thing that would change is platform and probably upload frequency. There's also no way I DON'T see existing shows to the end, like how could I not finish MHA or Haikyuu???

I think now is the 2nd best time to hyper-focus on ideas for new content.

Ironically, before the copyright strikes, based on a lot of reflection and also numerous discussions in DMs, I was planning on making a post this week sharing these thoughts and asking what kinds of things outside of show reactions you would like to see. This wouldn't be an outright replacement because thinking about media is in many ways my FOUNDATION and origin for ideas, so I always see that as a piece of what I'm doing. But in addition to that...

What I personally would like is to focus on making things that are the most useful and valuable, but in a more condensed form that isn't reliant on copyrighted material. I struggled with this for a long time with the question of, "who am I to think I can provide value?" But what I've settled on is that I should try, and the world can decide if it's valuable or not. If it's not, I will know I at least did my best, and I can always use that as a starting point to keep trying and refining (if I'm average, how can I afford to spend any time looking down?). I don't even need it to be financially viable, I'll be ok one way or the other. I just want to do good things even in my own small, limited way, as much as I possibly can.

This is sort of too much for one post so I think in the coming days I will make a separate post for this. But if you'd like to leave your preliminary thoughts on this below, please feel free.

The Upcoming Schedule as it stands now:

In the meantime I'm just going to continue as usual. This week is going to be very light with just Assassination Classroom and Vigilantes. This is to give me some breathing room for this situation and space to think, and also it's that time again for my quarter-annual visa run.

The following week I will start Orb: On the Movements on the Earth.

A few weeks after that, Assassination Classroom will end, and I will have a poll in advance to choose the replacement show.

This will mean a slight reduction in overall video output from what it's been for the last few months, with 5 videos total, of course leaving room for any returning seasons of shows I'm already watching, returning to what the schedule was before this mega-run of shows.

How I'm doing

Thanks for asking. It's been interesting. Getting the 5 copyright strikes was a rough mix of panic, fear, anger... Then came sadness at the thought of losing something I've spent 7 years building. However small and insignificant it is on YouTube as a platform, it means more to me than I can say! The thought of the Avatar reactions vanishing from the internet, for example, was gut-wrenching. But then reflecting on how much it all means to me, I feel a profound sense of gratitude that anything like this happened at all!

I will navigate this the best I can and I will come out ok one way or the other. But if it all ends today I don’t walk away with nothing. I walk away with the memory of all the love, all the insight, the wisdom, the knowledge, kindness, support, everything that I've been so lucky to receive. And I will move forward with that in my heart and also with every character I’ve been inspired by, all the Dekus and Hinatas and Edwards that are now very much a part of my soul. And that will inform everything I do from now on and for the rest of my life, whatever shape that takes. Aniplex can take legal action against me, YouTube can delete my hard work, but nothing can ever change what that means to me or what took place here, which to me is the biggest thing there could ever be.

Thank you for reading up until this point, thank you for everything you do. I will keep you guys posted of course.

I would love to hear your thoughts about everything and anything you would like to share. Also feel free to DM me if that's more comfortable.