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Hi, and welcome to the July 2026 edition of Kimbahly YouTube Newsletter. You know the drill by now; first and foremost, let's talk Otachan. Unfortunately, I've bad news. I'll be upfront with you in that June was a much slower month for the video than I'd hoped it'd be; truthfully, I'm still wrapping up the scripting process, which, given the figures I supplied last month, is not good. Let's talk about that first.
At the time, those figures were accurate. However, they was based on the pace I'd set in May, and that pace didn't hold the way I thought they would. Between now and then, I truly thought I was done with the video's script for a good minute—the t's were crossed and the i's were dotted, all ready to get into recording and editing after I sent it out for peer review for rectification of any glaring errors—but, upon one final personal inspection, there were so many things that I wanted to adjust when it came to style, wording, presentation and tone, combined with some new developments in the OtakuVs story (most notably a new YouTube video titled "The End of OtakuVs," which, contrary to its title, is a merchandise advertisement—but you'll hear more about that in the video proper, as I do have a bit to say), and finally, a couple of small but important factual errors (one of which regarding inexplicably incorrect dates that somehow made it into May's newsletter—fixed now) that I essentially decided to delay the video right there.
These changes may seem trivial, and it may seem like I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but I assure you that they are absolutely vital to getting my point across, as well as just a personal investment in assuring that every video of mine hits a certain standard of quality when it comes to writing. This is necessary work if I want this video to come off the way I want it to, and when I'm dealing with a critical analysis of a deeply personal and ongoing project that is likely to be viewed by its subjects, that's a high priority for me. I really don't want this video to come across the wrong way. However, these revisions also means that the video is being 'delayed,' as mentioned prior, though my estimated release really isn't too far off from what I said last month; I could possibly squeeze it out in July, and I'll definitely try, but August is more likely. We'll see more about that next newsletter, if applicable. Frankly, the temptation to cram is strong here; I seem to just naturally be that kind of girl. However, as I keep trying to remind myself, the only people who will inevitably notice me working overtime on this video are those I care about. At best, it'll play the same no matter how fast I make it; at worst, it'll be obviously rushed. That is the last thing I want. If I rush this thing out, everyone suffers, and I'll be unhappy with the result basically forever. I'll be taking my time with this; I hope you understand. Be sure to follow my Bluesky for updates on when this script is done—I'm hoping for sometime this July. Recording will be swift, and editing is just a big chipping-away job I'd expect a few weeks on that, maybe, but it's hard to say. TLDR: Otachan video's script is being revised heavily, release date is impacted. Sorry, but I hope you understand my thought process here.
Next up, last newsletter, I promised you that I'd supply some updates on future videos, which I said I'd moved most of my creative manpower towards. Well, here are some details. I'm still currently undecided on which of these I'm going to follow through on (I'd like to produce all of them at some point), but like last time, these are all in the "pondering my orb" stage. Don't take them too seriously. Here's an internet-friendly numbered list, in no particular order. All titles are subject to change.
- "Media About Girls Who Kill People." - This one's been on my mind for, like, a year (maybe more, honestly). At its core, the video is to be a feminist analysis of media involving feminine angst expressed in the form of excessive on-screen violence. A "girl who kills people" is a pretty well-defined classification in this video, and I won't bore you with the details here, but it isn't, like, Pamela Voorhees—think of some classic "good for her" films involving murder of some sort. This one's pretty heavy to write about (and yes, I have started writing it, though it's been so long now that I probably need to start over), given that, as it stands, it collectively features discussions of misogyny (obviously), sexual abuse, cannibalism, incest, all sorts of stuff—still, though, I think it's a very interesting topic, and this is sort of my "dream video." You probably won't see it soon (definitely not immediately following Otachan) but you will some day, and when that day comes, I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to recommend me something to discuss at my Bluesky, Tumblr or at sonicsegajp@gmail.com.
- "Why Are Anime Piracy Sites Like That?" - A video inspired by Dead Chat Is Ded* by Eron Rauch (who I held a brief correspondence with over this video months ago—a lovely guy), this video will explore the online communities formed around anime piracy sites. For the gist of this one, I'd recommend checking out Dead Chat Is Ded*, as the works are essentially operated on the same premise—however, they operate in different eras. Rauch's work presents more like an elegy for the community of a bygone era of weeb history, assessing the slow rise and fall of a particular site in a particular time, while my work aims to assess the current state of the anime piracy industry. As Rauch told me himself, "But where I leave off is the question of who starts using bootleg anime sites once you can pay ~$7 for Crunchy and another ~$10 for Netflix and get most content in borderline simulcast seems keen. Watchers in 2026 almost assuredly have a different suite of motivations and inhabit different places on the internet. I'm not sure about the veracity, but I had heard through the industry that some of the biggest bootleg sites [prior to being taken down] would sometimes have more daily anime viewing hours than the legit sites. But on the flip side, 2026 sees an anime industry struggling with low wages and crunch, still not profiting from all this mega global success." This is where I come in. In even a cursory search of forums attached to a single piracy site, I was greeted with a post praising the leadership of Adolf Hitler; digging deeper, I found a great amount of transphobia, homophobia, ableism, racism and, for lack of a better term, incel shit. It's my aim to examine where this community comes from, how it's being sustained, and how it impacts the anime industry along with its own users. Thanks, Crunchyroll. (That's not legally actionable, right?)
- "The Anime Old West." - Inspired by Hazel M.'s The Anime Countryside, this video is an examination of a hand-full of anime set in or inspired by the American west in the 1800s (or, more specifically, the western genre and all the baggage that comes with it). This one's fun, but it's probably the least developed idea of all present here. Ultimately, I aim to explore the history of the western genre, the themes it often touts and why the fuck any of that was adapted into anime. More on this one later, maybe. This is a thinly-veiled excuse to dress up like a cowgirl for a video. Maybe I can use Marty Robins's Big Iron? Well, I wouldn't want to mess up the pacing... Plus, with any long segment, it'd need to be licensed properly... how much is that...? I probably don't even want to know...
- "Scott Pilgrim (Is a Woman.)" - This one is another I've been wanting to work on for a while (and was actually a pretty good candidate for my first video. In this video, I argue that the main character of the Scott Pilgrim comics, Scott Pilgrim (imagine that), is a closeted transgender woman. This is an interpretation of the work that, while most certainly unintentional, is incredibly captivating to me and explains a lot about the series in a very neat way. While starting with the notion that this reading is purely fun speculation, I hope to analyze the way Scott Pilgrim treats its female characters, the way Pilgrim is characterized throughout his precious little life, and the underlying inspirations behind the series that drive me toward this conclusion. It's a pretty well-known fact that I don't like Scott Pilgrim very much (it's something of my "nemesis" series, if I had one) but I'm willing to put that aside to speak my truth, and also talk about Utena a little. (P.S., note that I haven't seen Takes Off, won't be taking into consideration the film adaptation, nor either game. (I like the first game, though.) P.P.S., be on the look-out for an ILU issue about Scott Pilgrim someday.)
Anyway, I've a few more videos in mind, but these are the ones you should know about going into the future. I hope to produce all of these at some point, but who knows—the only one I can basically guarantee I'm going to make is the one about anime piracy sites, since I basically sealed my fate when I told Rauch about it and got him all excited. "It sounds like you've got a lot of great threads to pull together into your video and I'm excited to see the final product"? Yeah, uh... no pressure... haha...
Next, let's follow up on my Patreon. Last month, I floated the idea of starting one up as a way to finance my efforts both here and on YouTube. After gauging some interest, it seemed like people would be willing to pay at least $1 a month for what I do right now, and that was greatly encouraging. Still, I had a lot to think about (that post was more of a philosophical discussion about the nature of accepting such money from an audience, so that's to be expected). Still, I'm happy to announce that, after much deliberation, you can now give me money on Patreon. Sweet! It's pay what you want—as I said, minimum is $1 USD a month—and any amount of money gets you every single perk. As some minor incentive, there are a few benefits—you get all of my YouTube videos a week early (and they're all ad-free and uncensored (if they had to be censored to begin with)), you get to ask questions for postmortem QnA's to be published on a second channel (inspired by Hazel M.'s system, which I really like), and, finally, the obligatory "added to credits." I like Patron credits, they're cool and give the video some weight. These benefits, while rad and awesome, are in no way meant to tempt you to donate—do that if you want to support me, not for anything else—but hopefully they make that decision go down a little easier. Go here to find my page. I'm not necessarily expecting anyone to donate as of yet (truthfully, I don't even have my bank information set up... I'll do it when someone actually gives money, I suppose), and shit's bad financially for basically everyone right now, so save your money if you've got to, but if you've got spare funds and think I deserve them, I'd really appreciate it. Donating makes the continuation of my projects possible. If, one day, this becomes my job, I'd be very, very happy.
As implied earlier, I was actually a little scared to open this Patreon. I mean, do I deserve it? If you haven't noticed, it's been a little quiet on this blog—in all of June (at the start of which I explicitly promised to get back on track and threatened altering my schedule if I couldn't find myself able to) I wrote a staggering two articles. Wow! With that, I was a little hesitant to come back swinging with this of all things. There's a reason I put this at the bottom of the article... June was a bit of a "break month" for me. I'm happy I was able to get out an issue of In Lilium for some pride festivities, but, on the whole, I'm not too bothered by my lack of work on this blog. I've got four KQS issues in the making, three SQZ issues and more; with some time, I'll get back on my feet; it's just that outside arrangements got in the way, and I didn't have as much time as I thought I would going into the month. Even if I'm not personally bothered by this blog's inactivity, and I'm sure you don't, like, SUPER care, I still feel a little guilty immediately asking for money. It really was a sort of ethical dilemma, in my mind—is opening this bad? is now a bad time...? I've thought about this a lot. After some consideration, I found that I shouldn't undervalue my work like this; I deserve to have the opportunity to be paid for my labor, even if I can't produce as much as I'd like to sometimes. This kind of thing is what my philosophy when it comes to this sort of thing is built in consideration for; I wholly believe that my audience should be the ones determining how much I'm paid, so the best I can do is set up the infrastructure and, as the kids say, lock in. From this point on, I'm committed to maintaining this blog with the best writing I can offer to you. Maybe with some money, I'll be able to sustain this better—but that's not your problem, it's mine. The best I can do is work hard and let you decide what I deserve for it.
Well, that's about all I've got for you. As per obligation, an issue of SQZ will be uploaded later today, so keep your eyes peeled for that in this blog's first ever DOUBLE FEATURE; speaking of double features, the next TVT is going to be delayed by a day; Saturday (when the broadcasts nigh-invariably occur) is July 4th, and I, quite begrudgingly, am going to be busy basically all day. As such, the stream is delayed until the 5th, and the article the 6th. Don't worry, though—this one's good. Also, they should make a bullet hell game themed around fireworks. Game Jam-ers, get on this. Toodles!
-Kim