What do you think of the YouTuber Totally Not Mark's analysis videos?

[Matches Malone]

The only one whose content I still watch regularly is MistareFusion, because DBD is a fantastic series.

What helps his content stand out for me is that he's one of the few who still go in depth while talking about the original manga and anime. Everyone else for the most part just focuses on Super and what's coming next.

[Draconic]

I make sure to always avoid even accidentally click on his videos when they pop up in my recommendations and roll my eyes when his tweets appear in my feed because someone posted them.

[Lord Beerus]

I make sure to always avoid even accidentally click on his videos when they pop up in my recommendations and roll my eyes when his tweets appear in my feed because someone posted them.

I take it you don't like him?

[Draconic]

I make sure to always avoid even accidentally click on his videos when they pop up in my recommendations and roll my eyes when his tweets appear in my feed because someone posted them.

I take it you don't like him?

I like his artwork.

[Sadala Elite]

I agree with Matches that Toriyama's humble "I just wrote by the seat of my pants" act doesn't fly, Toriyama clearly cares much more about the franchise than he lets on in interviews. Otherwise, why would he come back to it after seeing the atrocity that was Dragonball Evolution? Why would he write a 3 hour script for the Super: Broly movie? I think he likes to create this cool image of himself, like he created a timeless work of art without even trying. You hear any behind-the-scenes talk from other creators and it's clear that Toriyama is very passionate about the universe he created and wants it left in the best hands possible.

Incidentally, I'm just watching Mark's review of the Goku Black arc and I've got to the bit where he talks about "stupid Super" Goku forgetting to bring Senzu, and Mark claims that Android arc-era Goku would never make any mistakes regarding Senzu beans... Yes, Mark, Goku has never, EVER made mistakes involving Senzu beans, ever. I can't-

Seems to be a decent review so far all in all though, but I can't wait for him to get the original Z anime and realise just how much pointless filler was in that beast.

That's a false analogy, because Goku giving Cell a senzu bean had zero impact on the Perfect Cell vs SSJ1 Gohan fight (Cell was still much stronger even fatigued) and Goku knew that Gohan's hidden power would still be enough to overcome Cell regardless, and he was right.

None of that compares to DBS Goku simply forgetting the beans during a major conflict.

[TotallyNotMark]

Lots of really great criticism on here for me to work on! So first of all, thank you

I don't come on here regularly at all. So little in fact, I forgot I had an account and I tried to register the name again, haha.
But more to the point of this post, I've definitely made bad videos in the past, and I've most definitely made videos that could have used another draft or two. I don't make excuses for that. It's become my job to be as professional and entertaining as I can. Sometimes I fall short in that mission. I try to be as accountable as I can for the videos I make. For that very reason, I don't remove or take down videos I think show me in a way I don't think is representative of who I am now. I have videos I am not proud of but I won't delete them. I think it's important to see where I came from and to have a reminder that I make mistakes and like everyone else, changes over time.

So I thought it might be fun to write up a response to some of the things you all have mentioned.

- How I Market my Content

I understand it might be annoying or at the very least undesirable for you guys to see the titles of my videos, the thumbnails of them or what have you in your recommendations. Unfortunately as a content creator I have to play the youtube game. If I don't... I lose money. Which means those that depend on me in real life lose out too. I wish youtube worked differently. But that's not something I can control. So if you hate the sight of my videos popping up. I'm sincerely sorry but there's little I can do besides actively trying to sabotage my channel I think youtube has a function where it allows you to block certain channels from popping up in your recommendations feed. So I hope that helps

- The Buu Saga Rewrite

This is a funny one because I never realised so many people hated it . Ajay had to bring it to my attention in passing late last year and while I was upset hearing that, I had to laugh because it shows how out of the loop I can be at times. I usually totally forget about a video once it goes up so that I can focus on the next one. Typically my work week only has a few days allocated for research, script writing and recording for a video (Once again because of the YT Algorithms). As for the Buu Saga rewrite I made, I thought it was okay when I uploaded but even at the end of the second video I mentioned in my narration that I started to see lots of problems with it. Many of which I've seen pointed out since. If I was to write a second draft, I would change a ton of things now. So, those of you that don't like it... I guess we agree? But just because I don't necessarily think it's a good or fully realised rewrite doesn't mean I'm going to take it down either. My channel is a full library of what I've done right and wrong. I'm not perfect and I don't want to try and pretend that I am. If that makes any sense... In a weird way my failings help teach me where I can focus my efforts next time to do a better job. And that's how I've developed my channel over the years.

- Circular logic (Vegeta Video)

This is an interesting one. And to be honest, this was the criticism that inspired me to write this post. I'm definitely a very flawed content creator. I'm proud of certain video's I've made but I by no means think I don't make mistakes a little too regularly. With that said, regarding a particular argument made about a video I wrote concerning Vegeta's character and how it was handled in Super, I will try to explain my thought process for that video for those that are interested.

In the video I pointed out that I think Vegeta's significant moments during Super didn't further anything for the character, with the small exception of mentoring Cabba (if you want to even include that). During the research and script writing phase for this video I was aware that there was a large chunk of my audience that have since been following along with my videos and because of that, they don't enjoy being told the same things over and over again. And so, during that video I didn't anticipate the audience to think of Vegeta as a flat arc character. So with that in mind, here's what I should have said.

Vegeta in Super clearly doesn't conduct his life as if he knows the truth. He's still constantly chasing Goku. And because of that fact, narratively I think it creates a desire for him to develop into a more fully realised individual. Especially for the audience watching. And so when Super ultimately did nothing with the character I thought it felt like a very hollow and superficial outing for Vegeta. Considering little if anything had changed from the beginning of his stint in Super to the end. Keeping in mind that I don't believe Vegeta to be a flat arc character because he does still believe a lie, up until then end of the series where he chooses to stop chasing Goku... again. Which I mentioned in the video that the most significant change he undergoes is a carbon copy of what he did during the end of the Buu saga.

As for providing an alternative for the character, while I appreciate that that would be something to help further the conversation. It isn't necessary for the overall point I wanted to make in the video, which was to suggest that Vegeta was really boring to me, for reasons x, y and z. This isn't to suggest however that I believe that their situation with the character is a simple fix. With him being one of the most realised charcters in the series, I can appreciate that changing him comes with the fear of hurting his fanbase, but keeping him the same as he was in super is like trying to strike a balance that solves neither problem.

I make plenty of mistakes in my videos and I certainly in this instance should have expanded more on a particular premiss I assumed would be understood. Which I shouldn't have.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I hope this helped answer some of the questions floating around or at the very least was somewhat interesting to read. Thank you all for leaving comments on this thread. I'm usually burried in my own work and I don't get out as often as I'd like to, to answer or respond to these posts. Because of that I lose sight of how many people discuss or talk about my work and so whenever I make a video I don't see it as that big of a deal. It's just a little thing I made. And given that I live in the middle of nowhere Ireland, I don't exactly feel like I have any influence. So seeing this thread critically discussing my videos is always an eye opening read and I thank you all for taking the time!

Thanks friends

[Ajay]

On the subject of thumbnails and titles, I'm just gonna link LinusTechTips' take on it.

Can tell you as another YouTuber who's gone through this stuff, Mark is bang on the money, and nobody likes it, but it is a necessity.

Even your high-brow content creators like Tom Scott have to do it. The YouTube game is an annoying one, that's for sure.

[LoganForkHands73]

Lots of really great criticism on here for me to work on! So first of all, thank you

I don't come on here regularly at all. So little in fact, I forgot I had an account and I tried to register the name again, haha.
But more to the point of this post, I've definitely made bad videos in the past, and I've most definitely made videos that could have used another draft or two. I don't make excuses for that. It's become my job to be as professional and entertaining as I can. Sometimes I fall short in that mission. I try to be as accountable as I can for the videos I make. For that very reason, I don't remove or take down videos I think show me in a way I don't think is representative of who I am now. I have videos I am not proud of but I won't delete them. I think it's important to see where I came from and to have a reminder that I make mistakes and like everyone else, changes over time.

So I thought it might be fun to write up a response to some of the things you all have mentioned.

- How I Market my Content

I understand it might be annoying or at the very least undesirable for you guys to see the titles of my videos, the thumbnails of them or what have you in your recommendations. Unfortunately as a content creator I have to play the youtube game. If I don't... I lose money. Which means those that depend on me in real life lose out too. I wish youtube worked differently. But that's not something I can control. So if you hate the sight of my videos popping up. I'm sincerely sorry but there's little I can do besides actively trying to sabotage my channel I think youtube has a function where it allows you to block certain channels from popping up in your recommendations feed. So I hope that helps

- The Buu Saga Rewrite

This is a funny one because I never realised so many people hated it . Ajay had to bring it to my attention in passing late last year and while I was upset hearing that, I had to laugh because it shows how out of the loop I can be at times. I usually totally forget about a video once it goes up so that I can focus on the next one. Typically my work week only has a few days allocated for research, script writing and recording for a video (Once again because of the YT Algorithms). As for the Buu Saga rewrite I made, I thought it was okay when I uploaded but even at the end of the second video I mentioned in my narration that I started to see lots of problems with it. Many of which I've seen pointed out since. If I was to write a second draft, I would change a ton of things now. So, those of you that don't like it... I guess we agree? But just because I don't necessarily think it's a good or fully realised rewrite doesn't mean I'm going to take it down either. My channel is a full library of what I've done right and wrong. I'm not perfect and I don't want to try and pretend that I am. If that makes any sense... In a weird way my failings help teach me where I can focus my efforts next time to do a better job. And that's how I've developed my channel over the years.

- Circular logic (Vegeta Video)

This is an interesting one. And to be honest, this was the criticism that inspired me to write this post. I'm definitely a very flawed content creator. I'm proud of certain video's I've made but I by no means think I don't make mistakes a little too regularly. With that said, regarding a particular argument made about a video I wrote concerning Vegeta's character and how it was handled in Super, I will try to explain my thought process for that video for those that are interested.

In the video I pointed out that I think Vegeta's significant moments during Super didn't further anything for the character, with the small exception of mentoring Cabba (if you want to even include that). During the research and script writing phase for this video I was aware that there was a large chunk of my audience that have since been following along with my videos and because of that, they don't enjoy being told the same things over and over again. And so, during that video I didn't anticipate the audience to think of Vegeta as a flat arc character. So with that in mind, here's what I should have said.

Vegeta in Super clearly doesn't conduct his life as if he knows the truth. He's still constantly chasing Goku. And because of that fact, narratively I think it creates a desire for him to develop into a more fully realised individual. Especially for the audience watching. And so when Super ultimately did nothing with the character I thought it felt like a very hollow and superficial outing for Vegeta. Considering little if anything had changed from the beginning of his stint in Super to the end. Keeping in mind that I don't believe Vegeta to be a flat arc character because he does still believe a lie, up until then end of the series where he chooses to stop chasing Goku... again. Which I mentioned in the video that the most significant change he undergoes is a carbon copy of what he did during the end of the Buu saga.

As for providing an alternative for the character, while I appreciate that that would be something to help further the conversation. It isn't necessary for the overall point I wanted to make in the video, which was to suggest that Vegeta was really boring to me, for reasons x, y and z. This isn't to suggest however that I believe that their situation with the character is a simple fix. With him being one of the most realised charcters in the series, I can appreciate that changing him comes with the fear of hurting his fanbase, but keeping him the same as he was in super is like trying to strike a balance that solves neither problem.

I make plenty of mistakes in my videos and I certainly in this instance should have expanded more on a particular premiss I assumed would be understood. Which I shouldn't have.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I hope this helped answer some of the questions floating around or at the very least was somewhat interesting to read. Thank you all for leaving comments on this thread. I'm usually burried in my own work and I don't get out as often as I'd like to, to answer or respond to these posts. Because of that I lose sight of how many people discuss or talk about my work and so whenever I make a video I don't see it as that big of a deal. It's just a little thing I made. And given that I live in the middle of nowhere Ireland, I don't exactly feel like I have any influence. So seeing this thread critically discussing my videos is always an eye opening read and I thank you all for taking the time!

Thanks friends

Wow, I didn't expect this! Thanks very much for commenting!

This is very insightful. Your laidback approach is almost Toriyama-esque (that's a compliment). I absolutely think it's good to keep everything you've made available so you can look back at how you've progressed artistically.

As for my main point about the Vegeta video, I now have a better idea of where you were coming from with it. I think Super has primarily been an exercise in consolidating Goku and Vegeta's relationship, since most of their chemistry as comrades in Z that we knew of only really came from the early and late Buu saga - it's weird to think that their interactions after the Saiyan arc were pretty sparse. It's funny that you popped up with this since I actually have a whole topic discussion about this point in my drafts about whether or not this site's users are tired of this dynamic. Personally, I think Vegeta has reached a certain "truth" in that he's more-or-less come to terms with who he is while keeping Kakarot as a rival to aspire to, but I think the key difference is that he goes about it in a much more healthy way than before, in the same way that Goku keeps Beerus as his yardstick. Super may not outwardly expand his character much within that series, but I'd say he's expanded a lot from the guy getting his skull crushed in by Buu on the Kaioshin planet I'd say it's not always perfectly conveyed and I certainly agree that Resurrection F spat in the face of any potential development Vegeta could have had.

I agree that the Vegeta Final Explosion recreation in Super is bad for a number of reasons but I think it does serve a purpose in showing how far Vegeta has grown compared to Toppo, who has a similar mindset to Majin Vegeta at that point. I think the main problem is that it's awkwardly and hamfistedly conveyed, plus just a really lame way of eliminating Toppo. Apologies if any of this was addressed in the video, I haven't seen it in a while. Some have argued that Vegeta surviving it foreshadows 17 doing the same... I don't quite buy that one though

It's strange, thinking about it... I never expected this topic or this forum would have the influence to reach you (I don't use Twitter, rip) in the same way you say you don't expect your videos to have the influence they do. They have boosted the discourse about the show pretty impressively - I've seen loads of people cite your points about Goku's flat arc, for example. So yeah... never thought this would be how I have a talk with Mark of Totally Not Mark fame. Have a good one

[TheGodfather93]

- The Buu Saga Rewrite

This is a funny one because I never realised so many people hated it . Ajay had to bring it to my attention in passing late last year and while I was upset hearing that, I had to laugh because it shows how out of the loop I can be at times. I usually totally forget about a video once it goes up so that I can focus on the next one. Typically my work week only has a few days allocated for research, script writing and recording for a video (Once again because of the YT Algorithms). As for the Buu Saga rewrite I made, I thought it was okay when I uploaded but even at the end of the second video I mentioned in my narration that I started to see lots of problems with it. Many of which I've seen pointed out since. If I was to write a second draft, I would change a ton of things now. So, those of you that don't like it... I guess we agree? But just because I don't necessarily think it's a good or fully realised rewrite doesn't mean I'm going to take it down either. My channel is a full library of what I've done right and wrong. I'm not perfect and I don't want to try and pretend that I am. If that makes any sense... In a weird way my failings help teach me where I can focus my efforts next time to do a better job. And that's how I've developed my channel over the years.

Ahh, so you're on here too. That's cool.

Anyway, your Buu Saga rewrite didn't make for a bad story. It had a lot of problems, such as characterisation and an over-reliance on cliches, but it was serviceable.

Now, I'll admit I was a bit biased to begin with, because while I don't like Toriyama's take on the Buu Saga either, I loved Gohan's character throughout most of it (I hated Ultimate Gohan and the Kai ritual), so I'm predisposed to dislike peoples' attempts to change him, unless they do an incredible job with it. But that's just a personal grievance, and I tried not to let it cloud my judgment because I respect everyone's right to tell the story they want to tell.

My biggest issue with your rewrite was that it didn't feel like Dragon Ball. It didn't match the lighthearted, goofy tone of early DB, nor did it match the more serious but occasionally comedic tone of post-Raditz DB. It felt like something out of a gritty graphic novel, or a comic book starring some edgy superhero, and that was incredibly jarring.

On a more positive note, I've really been enjoying your One Piece videos. They actually made me sub to your channel. It's incredibly refreshing to see someone approach the series for the first time and analyse it in depth, but with the manga instead of the anime.

The vast, vast majority of people who start One Piece do so with the anime, and are instantly put off by the obscene amount of episodes they have to slog through. On top of that, while the anime starts off great, it eventually goes downhill and never recovers, mainly because of Toei's laziness and greed, so anyone trying to binge watch it all is in for one hell of a rough time. The manga, on the other hand, is largely consistent the whole way through.

[Matches Malone]

I've really been enjoying your One Piece videos. They actually made me sub to your channel. It's incredibly refreshing to see someone approach the series for the first time and analyse it in depth, but with the manga instead of the anime.

Same here, as it's not very common to come around people who aren't familiar with these big franchises. Hopefully he looks into other series like Naruto once he's done with One Piece.

[LoganForkHands73]

I never had the effort to get into the behemoth that is One Piece until I saw Mark's videos which have given me some interest to properly check it out.

[Koitsukai]

- The Buu Saga Rewrite

This is a funny one because I never realised so many people hated it . Ajay had to bring it to my attention in passing late last year and while I was upset hearing that, I had to laugh because it shows how out of the loop I can be at times. I usually totally forget about a video once it goes up so that I can focus on the next one. Typically my work week only has a few days allocated for research, script writing and recording for a video (Once again because of the YT Algorithms). As for the Buu Saga rewrite I made, I thought it was okay when I uploaded but even at the end of the second video I mentioned in my narration that I started to see lots of problems with it. Many of which I've seen pointed out since. If I was to write a second draft, I would change a ton of things now. So, those of you that don't like it... I guess we agree? But just because I don't necessarily think it's a good or fully realised rewrite doesn't mean I'm going to take it down either. My channel is a full library of what I've done right and wrong. I'm not perfect and I don't want to try and pretend that I am. If that makes any sense... In a weird way my failings help teach me where I can focus my efforts next time to do a better job. And that's how I've developed my channel over the years.

I remember liking the rewrite back then, being refreshing compared to the whimsical official saga. I can't recall what where the problems people talked about but it couldn't be worse than the actual Buu saga lol. That saga could give a playwright a heart attack.

[Matches Malone]

I never had the effort to get into the behemoth that is One Piece until I saw Mark's videos which have given me some interest to properly check it out.

It's definitely worth it. The journey these characters go on is simply breathtaking, especially the world they live in. If time is an issue, you should stick to the manga as the anime takes forever to move forward.

[DBTurnip]

He's good at criticism but his humor is cringy and forced.
Seriously, WE GET IT THAT SUPER EPISODE 5 WAS ORIGINALLY BADLY ANIMATED! Stop spamming the same fugly Goku each time like that's the best joke of the century!

Also, he seems to have his own specific way of looking at Goku that differ from Toriyama, yet he pretty much assumes it IS factually like that.
And let's not talk about the Pokemon video...

[TotallyNotMark]

He's good at criticism but his humor is cringy and forced.
Seriously, WE GET IT THAT SUPER EPISODE 5 WAS ORIGINALLY BADLY ANIMATED! Stop spamming the same fugly Goku each time like that's the best joke of the century!

Also, he seems to have his own specific way of looking at Goku that differ from Toriyama, yet he pretty much assumes it IS factually like that.
And let's not talk about the Pokemon video...

That Goku face isn't "fugly", it's perfect and beautiful. I love it more than I am comfortable with.

[Mad Swami]

He's good at criticism but his humor is cringy and forced.
Seriously, WE GET IT THAT SUPER EPISODE 5 WAS ORIGINALLY BADLY ANIMATED! Stop spamming the same fugly Goku each time like that's the best joke of the century!

Also, he seems to have his own specific way of looking at Goku that differ from Toriyama, yet he pretty much assumes it IS factually like that.
And let's not talk about the Pokemon video...

That Goku face isn't "fugly", it's perfect and beautiful. I love it more than I am comfortable with.

I was more surprised you never used his RoF face

[DBTurnip]

He's good at criticism but his humor is cringy and forced.
Seriously, WE GET IT THAT SUPER EPISODE 5 WAS ORIGINALLY BADLY ANIMATED! Stop spamming the same fugly Goku each time like that's the best joke of the century!

Also, he seems to have his own specific way of looking at Goku that differ from Toriyama, yet he pretty much assumes it IS factually like that.
And let's not talk about the Pokemon video...

That Goku face isn't "fugly", it's perfect and beautiful. I love it more than I am comfortable with.

It's not funny to abuse it like it's the only joke you have.

[IAmTheMilkMan]

I've always enjoyed your videos, Not Mark; they're well put together, informative, entertaining, and often times make me think of things in a way that maybe I hadn't thought of before.

The only bit of constructive criticism that I would offer up is that, in your videos that compare different ways a scene has been dubbed (and other videos of a similar nature), I actually do want to hear your thoughts about each version, and which one you ultimately prefer. I'm guessing you "leave it up to the viewer to decide" in an effort to not potentially alienate your audience, but I knew damn well which version I preferred before even clicking on the video, I'm watching it because I want to hear your thoughts. Still entertaining videos though.

I'm currently loving your One Piece reviews (One Piece is my favorite thing on the planet). Keep it up.

[TotallyNotMark]

He's good at criticism but his humor is cringy and forced.
Seriously, WE GET IT THAT SUPER EPISODE 5 WAS ORIGINALLY BADLY ANIMATED! Stop spamming the same fugly Goku each time like that's the best joke of the century!

Also, he seems to have his own specific way of looking at Goku that differ from Toriyama, yet he pretty much assumes it IS factually like that.
And let's not talk about the Pokemon video...

That Goku face isn't "fugly", it's perfect and beautiful. I love it more than I am comfortable with.

It's not funny to abuse it like it's the only joke you have.

Hey man, I was only kidding. I'm really not trying to be confrontational on here. In fact I'm trying to be reasonable. I thought by reacting to your comment in a lighthearted manner it would translate to an easing of tension. So here's my attempt at approaching what you said a different way.

THE EP 5 GOKU

I do not and have not edited my own videos in well over a year. Almost 2 now that I think about it. My editor really likes that image, and so do I. I don't think of it as a lighthearted way of having fun. I genuinely like that image. It holds a special place in my heart as it was for me, my gateway into the online Dragon Ball community. If you don't find it funny, that's totally fine. You're absolutely entitled to your opinion. I'm not trying to make everyone laugh, I'm just doing what I think is funny and if others enjoy it then great. I can't do much else. I don't consider it the joke of the century. I don't even really consider myself funny. I am who I am. That's it.

GOKU

I do not and have never said that Goku is factually any which way on my channel or anywhere else online. I am very specific with my wording and the art of storytelling is entirely subjective. I try to explain my reasoning for believing what I believe about different characters in as much detail as I can. That doesn't mean I think someone elses opinion is worth less than my own.

POKEMON VIDEO

I've actually addressed the shortcomings of that video a number of times and I've even apologized for it. But I'd like to think the merit of my work is judged as a whole and not by the shortcomings of a single video I made over a year ago.

I hope this was helpful or shed some light on my situation that might now have been known to you. If not, I'm sorry. I tried.

[TotallyNotMark]

I've always enjoyed your videos, Not Mark; they're well put together, informative, entertaining, and often times make me think of things in a way that maybe I hadn't thought of before.

The only bit of constructive criticism that I would offer up is that, in your videos that compare different ways a scene has been dubbed (and other videos of a similar nature), I actually do want to hear your thoughts about each version, and which one you ultimately prefer. I'm guessing you "leave it up to the viewer to decide" in an effort to not potentially alienate your audience, but I knew damn well which version I preferred before even clicking on the video, I'm watching it because I want to hear your thoughts. Still entertaining videos though.

I'm currently loving your One Piece reviews (One Piece is my favorite thing on the planet). Keep it up.

I kept it open because I really wanted to have a series where the fans got to choose their own. I tried to keep my biases to a minimum. Sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I didn't. I made the videos because I wanted to know what everyone else though about the versions if they were all put side by side and described. It also gives everyone a great excuse to listen and to try and figure out for themselves which they prefer if they the video is approached as I intended. I thought the series was fun and might do more in the future. But for now I am have a mountain of One Piece to get through! Thanks for the support with my OP stuff friend