The Opening of the Umineko Analysis, a Draft and Discussion

Hello everyone. I've reached the final stages of editing for the Kara no Shoujo video and I'm planning to release it on February 14th, a nice little Valentine's Day present. Since you'll be seeing that soon, I decided to center this month's update post on the Umineko analysis. People who are newer to the channel may not know about this but I've been working my way through a gargantuan analysis video for the game Umineko no Naku Koro ni for quite some time. Those of you who read my community post from a few months back when I returned to YouTube will know that I scrapped the original version of the Umineko analysis and decided to restructure it, essentially from the ground up. If you missed that post then quick recap, I did have the first part of the Umineko analysis ready to go prior to my sudden hiatus. However, when I was able to return to YouTube some months later, I found the Umineko video pretty unsatisfactory, and that's what led to the aforementioned decision to restart. I'd like to take some time here to elaborate on all of this; In particular I'd like to talk to you all about the past state of the project, the current state of the project, and some wider thoughts on the Umineko analysis as a whole that you might be interested in.

The Analysis: Past and Present

So, like all of my videos, the Umineko analysis went through quite a few different forms during the initial planning stages. The Umineko video is really a beast of its own in that regard; if you've read Umineko then you know that it's a gigantic and complex tale, at least in terms of presentation. As such, the Umineko analysis is saddled with some unique problems that my other projects don't suffer from, which is why the question of the video's structure is of particular import. In the scrapped version of the analysis, I had settled on dividing the project into a series, with each of the eight story arcs receiving their own video. Part of this came from seeing the creation process of other YouTubers with prodigiously long analysis videos; if you watch a video game or such analysis/retrospective that's hovering in the 8-12 hour mark then there's a good chance that the version you're watching is actually a compilation of a series of smaller videos that had been uploaded previously. This seemed like a solid plan for me to replicate; splitting the analysis up episodically meant videos could come out at somewhat regular intervals, which is what the YouTube algorithm prioritizes. The issue I later ran into is that an Umineko analysis at my standards necessitates a nonlinear approach, something the episodic structure neuters my ability to do. Making videos "for the algorithm" also weakened my scripts, as I didn't feel I could go as in-depth on certain subtopics in the video as I wanted to. All in all, I wasn't making an analysis I was happy with. Call me pretentious, but I've always approached the notion of "video essay" as an art form, and I wasn't doing that with the original Umineko analysis. I was making content.

This is also why I think Patreon is a good pivot. I want anything I upload to the channel to be a genuine reflection of stuff I want to delve into, serving in equal parts entertainment, education, and invitation to discussion. With that in mind, the Umineko video I'm currently working on is not only a much more personal project but also one I've been investing an ungodly amount of research in. Weaving in so many books, essays, movies, games, etc has been really fun, as is the balancing act of keeping it all cogent to my discussions of Umineko. While I'm excited to one day show it to you all, it is going to be a very long time in the making. And that all dovetails into...

My Thoughts on the Very Concept of "The Umineko Analysis"

In actualizing the notion that YouTube is a form of creative release for me more than anything else, I'm cognizant that I don't want the Umineko analysis to be an obstacle to that release, if that makes sense. That was kind of the issue I put myself in when I uploaded that trailer for the Umineko analysis way back when; if the next video I uploaded wasn't the Umineko analysis then I'd be putting myself in an awkward position. So even if there was something else I wanted to talk about, the Umineko video would loom as a kind of spectre over me until it was done with, and that wasn't a healthy way to approach the video or my YouTube channel in general. This is why I'm trying to be as transparent as possible with you about the direction of the channel in the wake of this return, so I can manage expectations and ensure understanding. This is another thing I mentioned in an old community post but the Umineko analysis is something I want to put my all into making and sharing. I first read it at a crucial juncture in my own life and, even though nowadays I have a pretty mixed relationship with Ryukishi07's output in general, Umineko occupies a special place in my heart. The reason I'm so invested in the Umineko analysis is because, for me, it's something I have to talk about, and I have to talk about it right.

On the Challenges of the Analysis

As mentioned, there are a number of unique issues facing the Umineko analysis, in part due to its scope. So, again in the interest of transparency, I want to keep you in the know regarding these challenges.

• First, the section of the analysis that will likely be among the most popular/most anticipated is a section on the music of Umineko; everyone who's played the Umineko games has fallen in love with the music of the series so naturally I'll be discussing the music and how its composition is used to augment the storytelling. However, you may or may not know this, the entirety of Umineko's music is in YouTube's systems already, meaning that playing more than a few seconds of any track will result in the video being flagged for copyright. Now, since I used Umineko music in my Raging Loop video, I've had experience with this. Assuming nothing changes with YouTube between now and the upload of the Umineko video, I shouldn't receive a formal strike for using the music, however I will 100% be demonetized. As I mentioned when I first announced the opening of this Patreon, that's not really an issue because I don't expect virtually any of my videos to be monetized and don't want to rely on that in any way. I want whatever success I see on YouTube to come from the support of my viewers, not from third parties. At the same time, it would still be wise to be aware of these potential copyright issues in case they become something we have to deal with in the future.
• Second, or really as an addendum to the above point, the potential risk of other visuals resulting in more severe copyright strikes. The Umineko video includes a number of supplementary media used for various forms of analysis. Some of these are films or television shows, which are much more prone to dangerous copyright strikes, even if I manage to later remove them for fair use. Again these are things we may have to work around, so it's important to keep in mind.
• Third, the balance of scope. A proper analysis of Umineko requires some in-depth discussion of the mystery genre and its history, specifically Japan's own history with detective fiction and how it contrasts with the Western evolution of the genre. But what I'm most concerned about, and what I'd like your opinions about, is how much discussion to place on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None specifically. You likely know that Legend of the Golden Witch, the basis from which the entirety of Umineko builds from, is essentially a retelling of And Then There Were None. I want to address the book, given how important it is to understanding the more basic tenets of the series, but I don't know how much time should be dedicated to it because I don't know how many people have read it. Granted, it is the best-selling novel of all time, but at the same time you would be surprised at how often I've seen people talking about Umineko who are aware of the novel but haven't read it themselves. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

Having said all of that, I realize I should probably address the video linked at the top of this post. That's the intro video that was going to open the Question Arc episodes of the original Umineko analysis. I might end up still using an altered version of it, because I really like it and I spent so much time on it. It was definitely an unnecessary indulgence in the context of the wider video essay but hey, where's the fun in art if I can't have a few unnecessary indulgences.

So yeah, Umineko video is chugging along, I'll post an update about it every now and then if I have something to say about it or if I'm particularly proud of a certain bit I'm working on. In the meantime, I've got a ton of video topics I want to get to, lots of things to discuss. And, once again, I'm incredibly thankful to you all for giving me the opportunity to make the videos I make.

Ozzy