Some YouTube Channel Recommendations (Part 2/2)

Well, it doesn't look like the social distancing wave is quite over yet. We're still unsure for how long this pandemic is going to last, and as long as we're all (hopefully) staying safe indoors, a good way to pass time is to of course, browse the Internet. A while ago, I made a list of some YouTube channels that I thought were worth checking out, but it wasn't finished. Today, the other half of that list arrives, so without further ado, here are some MORE YouTube channels for you to explore!

1. Oneboredjeu Mashup

One of my favourite things to listen to as of late are mashups - there’s something extremely satisfying about taking two songs that, by all accounts, shouldn’t really blend well together and mixing them in such a way that results in a completely different experience. However, good mashups are hard to come by - either the transition between songs isn’t smooth, one song is favoured over another, the songs themselves don’t mesh…there are many ways it can go wrong. However, oneboredjeu mashup is a channel that has avoided every possible problem that could arise and has combined the most unlikely of songs to create some of the best mashups I’ve ever heard.

I stumbled upon this channel in September of last year completely by accident when I saw a video that supposedly combined ‘I Hate Everything About You’ by Three Days Grace and ‘Cheap Thrills’ by Sia. Upon seeing the thumbnail, I was intruiged as to how well the songs would fit together, but all my worries vanished once I heard the first verse of the song. After finishing the video, I screened the other videos on the channel to see if there were other songs I recognised, and lo and behold - there were many. Some of my favourites include:

• That's What I Like by Bruno Mars vs. Mr. Brightside by The Killers,

• Car Radio by twenty one pilots vs. Mr. Brightside by The Killers

• Sebi by zalagasper vs. Numb by Linkin Park

• Radio by Lana Del Rey vs. Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park

• Chandelier by Sia vs. Going Under by Evanescence.

This is now one of my favourite channels to browse when I need some new music, and it’s definitely a channel that deserves many more subscribers, so go check it out - I guarantee you’ll find at least one mashup that’s to your liking.

2. CinemaWins

Reviewing movies and analysing them is one of my favourite pastimes (as you might have gathered from some of the channels I put on the last list), but that only means that when a movie does something dumb or something that drags it down in some way, I would pay extra attention to it. This is why, when I discovered the now well known channel CinemaSins in 2013, I was delighted at the prospect of going through a movie and finding out all the little mistakes in it, even if some of them were a little too pedantic. However, after ardently watching the channel for a while now, I found that there were two main problems that I had with the channel. Firstly, it got rather tiresome (and quite frankly, irritating) to spend 20 minutes criticizing a piece of art that people have obviously poured plenty of time, money and effort into (not to mention most of the ‘sins’ tend to be bordering on overthinking things or needlessly deconstructing the movie). Secondly, it became disheartening to see movies that were genuinely good be the subject of a 20+ minute video that picked out the most obscure flaws in order to extend runtime.

Thankfully, the channel that comes next on this list, CinemaWins, does the exact opposite, and it’s one of the most uplifting things I’ve seen on the Internet as of late.

CinemaWins started out in 2015, using a format that was the exact same as CinemaSins, only to praise movies instead of criticize them. The amount of pure positivity that one can derive from this channel is astounding, and it’s not like the ‘wins’ are arbitrarily handed out - each win has a valid reason behind it, and the narrator does a good job of telling you why that moment in the film deserved it. Some of them are simple of course, but you’d be surprised at the amount of thought that goes into some of the points.

On a more personal note, lately it seems like everything on the internet and social media is negative. In recent times, the main cause of this has been the pandemic, as we don’t know when this is all going to end, but in general, the Internet can be really mean. On its worst day, Twitter can be a cesspool of the worst of humanity and certain YouTubers make quick cash grab videos that don’t give you any meaningful content. It’s nice to see a channel that tries to spread positivity and happiness, and tries to make us remember why we turn to the world of movies in times of strife - they are one of the mediums that allow us to revel in fantastical worlds, if only for a few hours. I strongly encourage everyone to check this channel out, especially now, when we could all use a pick-me-up.

3. Glass Reflection

One of the mediums of entertainment that has seen an exponential growth over the past decade is none other than anime, and it is slowly but surely entering the realm of ‘mainstream entertainment’, being placed right alongside movies and TV series as potential ways for people to get immersed in new worlds. Of course, this wasn’t always the case - anime was mostly seen as a somewhat secluded medium that had a sort of select following. However, it has seen an emergence in the wake of several popular shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia and Black Clover, among many, many more. Naturally, this means that just like how movie channels that do movie reviews have blossomed on YouTube in the past decade, in the past 5 to 6 years or so, channels that talk about anime have also seen substantial growth, and one of the very best of them is none other than Glass Reflection.

At the outset, it needs to be said that one of the biggest plus points of his channel, and what gets it on this list, is that you don’t have to worry about if being new to anime will affect your enjoyment of the channel; even if you’ve just started and are looking to get into it, or even if you have absolutely no idea about anything anime related - you will still have a great time here, I guarantee it. Glass Reflection is best described as a YouTube channel that lives and breathes anime. From first impressions of different series, to full fledged reviews, to anime recommendations - you name it, this channel probably has it. All of Arkada’s videos are well scripted - they’re humorous and filled with jokes, but also informative at the same time, and you can always count on him to give you a measured opinion on whatever anime that particular video is discussing.

The only drawback (and believe me when I say it is a VERY minor drawback) is that some of the jokes made in his videos might go over your head if you’re not at least a little familiar with the inside jokes of the anime community in general. However, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter, and I honestly can’t think of a better channel that can help you get acquainted with the world of anime. So if you’re looking to join in the fun, this is the perfect place to see why so many people all around the world love it!

As a final note….Arkada has great dressing sense. No, seriously.

4. Wisecrack

One of the main reasons I’m so drawn to movies and TV shows is that more often than not, there’s always more in them that meets the eye, and I know I’m definitely not the only one who feels this way. Now more than ever, there are so many pieces of pop culture that one can examine in a new light by using philosophy or drawing parallels to other academic endeavours, and to save yourself the trouble of having to do the research yourself, the delightful folks over at Wisecrack have you covered.

I stumbled upon this channel when one of my friends told me that I would really like the content on the channel, and he showed me the video that they did on the movie Black Swan. I instantly knew that this was a gem of a channel, and I proceeded to watch almost all of the videos on franchises that I knew, which consists of Marvel movies, various anime, TV shows like Rick and Morty and Game of Thrones, among others. One of their most popular videos, and one that's helped me out a great deal, is their video tackling the problems in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, showing that while the film is great, it may be lacking from an academic perspective. Their most popular segment is a video format called ‘The Philosophy Behind’ where they critically examine a series or movie in an attempt to uncover deeper meaning behind what is shown on the screen. Another popular type of video is a series called ‘What Went Wrong’, where they examine a movie or series that didn’t quite hit the mark and see what could have been improved.

The best thing about this channel is that the sheer variety of movies and TV shows means that there’s at least one video that everyone will be interested in. Wisecrack even has occasional livestreams where the members of the channel get tog ether and discuss aspects of movies they liked, and a podcast called ‘Show Me the Meaning’ where they go into more detail with videos that they’ve already done on their main channel. This channel is a rare gem that has the potential to grow so much more than what its already at, so definitely check it out!

5. Laymen Gaming

While video games have always been one of my main interests, something that’s come to catch my attention more and more as of late is how the gaming industry has evolved over the years. However, I found it difficult to find a single place where I could reliably get information about the goings on of various companies - this proved to be a real problem when I wanted to learn more about the micro transaction controversy that surrounded EA in late 2017. However, I found a video explaining everything in detail, and even found follow ups posted as more and more information was released. I subscribed to Laymen Gaming, and since then, it’s been a near constant presence in my watch history.

Laymen Gaming is a relatively new channel that started in 2017 by two brothers - Ralph and Sam. Over the past couple of years they have gained a substantial fan following, with their aforementioned video about EA’s aggressive micro-transaction policies paving the way for a much wider audience. Each of their videos provide funny and insightful commentary on the gaming industry as a whole. The channel also does game reviews for the most popular titles, and they also provide live coverage of any major gaming events such as The Game Awards or E3. Ralph and Sam have great chemistry and its always hilarious to see them rip on each other in almost every video they upload. Perhaps the biggest positive of the channel is the upload schedule - a new video is put up almost every day, so you’re never at a loss for gaming news.

If the world of video games isn’t your cup of tea, then this channel probably won’t be one that you’ll like all that much, but if you’re looking for a channel to get quick information about one of the entertainment industry’s most dynamic sectors, this is definitely the place to get it.

Well, that wraps up the list! I hope all of you are social distancing and staying indoors - hopefully you have plenty of things to occupy yourself with while staying at home. The world is going through a difficult time right now, and it's very important that we play our part by doing everything we can to stop the spread of the virus and make sure we can return to normalcy as soon as possible. Stay safe, everyone!