Porter Robinson & Madeon's "Shelter" is an Actual Work of Art.

     Just over a week ago, I tweeted out that I thought my love and appreciation for pop music was an often overlooked -- or perhaps simply an understated -- part of who I am. [1]
     That type of over-emotional statement is what Twitter runs off of, but I meant it. I didn't care elaborate on what that meant (partially because no one inquired, which is fine; I tweet too much anyway). I felt it was a statement worth figuring out.

The picture sources will be very obvious, if not already, later in the post. 

     I think we find ourselves overexcited for art. Our culture (generation) is often criticized for needing constant meaningful stimulation, and I share that sentiment. It seems like every conversation I have with my peers manifests itself as this over-dramatic flood of expression, and it stems from this need for everything to be validated, and to prove its "meaning," whatever that may mean.
     That's a hard concept to explain, but what it comes down to is this: Sometimes, we enjoy something simply because it's enjoyable, and it needs no further validation. 
     This is why I love pop music -- to an extent. Pop is shallow and fun. It doesn't get unnecessarily caught up in being complex and innovative! 

     Perhaps I'm off topic.

     Porter Robinson released a music video today for a song that I've really liked for a while now. When I first saw it, I thought little of it. "It's just an A-EDM (Anime Electronic Dance Music) song, the video is probably just some stills of cute anime girls," were my thoughts at most. 

     I write this now firmly believing it's one of the most artistic works I've experienced this year. 

What is Art?
and
The Music Video for Shelter

Before we go any further, I hope you watch this video: 

     Art is frequently summed, using this vocabulary or other, as "expression incarnate," and that's a great starting point. One of art's greatest drawing point (no pun intended) is that it's relatable. It's notorious for stirring emotions and "making you feel."
     I think it's a mistake to stop there, though, because I believe that art doesn't have to be emotional; this is where I butt heads with many of my peers, but I feel I have a sound argument, and it's incredibly relevant to this topic. 

     Michael Jackson's Thriller is iconic; there's no worming around that. It's widely believed to be the first song to tell a story with its music video -- but it wasn't an emotional story.
     If you're going to argue with me that "portraying fear is literally an emotional angle," then I think you're missing the point.
     Thriller doesn't make people sad, or lonely, or feel romantic, and it doesn't make you reminisce for anything other than the time when it was released. The King of Pop made a royal pop song, and it was perfect--
only it wasn't.

     --because art isn't perfect, and I think that's more important than emotional weight. That may be cheating, however, since I think that relating through emotions is in-and-of-itself relating to human imperfection. 
     Of course, I wasn't alive when Thriller was released, and by the time I was brought into this world it was already iconic. However, I can pretty safely assume that when its music video was released, there were a great many people who didn't understand it, and didn't feel so fond of it -- who rejected it and said that "It wasn't what music was about." That's only natural.

Credit: Michael Jackson's Thriller
We'll be bringing it up again later.

     I could go on and on with this point, but It'll get messy. Instead, let's move forward.

     Shelter has had similar woes on its release date. It's loosely categorized as an EDM (again, Electronic Dance Music) song, but when you get to specifics, it gets a little muddy. 
     I'm ready to, and already do, call it A-EDM. Other people might be more literal with their categorization, calling it "chill" or "electronica", but even that comes down to a degree of subjectivity. However, despite this specific woe and how head-scratching it can become, I think it was overshadowed by an even bigger problem.

     r/Anime, a subreddit (or specialized forum) on reddit, didn't believe that Shelter was considered consistent enough with what its population defined as "anime" to be allowed on the subreddit. The decision was ultimately made to remove the post linking to the video, despite the fact that it held 98% upvotes (essentially a 98% approval rating) with enough votes to be automatically placed on the front page. Their reasoning was, though debatable, technically and objectively sound.
     There was a bit of an outcry. Much like thriller, this seems to be a piece of art that expands over, not excludes itself from, multiple art forms. Simply because we can't cleanly categorize it as one thing or another does not invalidate its quality, and an overwhelmingly large amount of Shelter's intended audience would be found on r/anime -- almost exclusively.
     I'd like to say this though: I do not believe the moderators of r/anime were in the wrong to remove the post initially. They found themselves faced with a decision that could become divisive in the future, and it's their job to keep the community forum operating smoothly. With anything that pushes boundaries, it's won't always fit in everywhere. Let it also be said, however, that I am incredibly glad that they allowed it to eventually stay. 

     I think that everyone knows these things define art, but I also think that they're hard things to see in the moment. This is a unique situation where we're realizing the implications of this work while it's actually taking shape.

     Alright, time to put an end to the ambiguous praising. Let's get to the real stuff.

A Dissection of Shelter

  

     There's nowhere more obvious to start at than with the song itself.

Music
     It's a good song! As I've said earlier, I've been listening to the song for quite a while. I frequently request in during song request days on The Fence, and it's got its spot on my AEDM playlist. 

      That in no way means that you will like it, of course. It's got all of the qualities of EDM that people who don't like the genre... well, won't like. It's a bit repetitive, and there aren't a lot of lyrics for example. 
     I think the song is very pretty, though. I like the movement from section to section, though it may be low energy a lot of the time. It also has a basic structure, so you prog-snobs (I mean that as a meme, not as an insult, I promise!) are going to have plenty to complain about! Again, drawing a comparison to Thriller, if you don't like the type of music, I doubt this will be a miraculous exception, but it executes its art well.

The Video & The Story
     Initially, I wanted to separate these sections, but I'm starting to think you can't talk about one without the other. Again, I really hope you watch the video (I even embedded it above for you!) before you read this; I don't want to spoil it!

     "Shelter tells the story of Rin, a 17-year-old girl who lives her life inside of a futuristic simulation completely by herself in infinite, beautiful loneliness. Each day, Rin awakens in virtual reality and uses a tablet which controls the simulation to create a new, different, beautiful world for herself. Until one day, everything changes, and Rin comes to learn the true origins behind her life inside a simulation." - Porter Robinson, original story.

     The story is so beautifully told that I'm having trouble completely conveying it. I think I'm going to do it backward, start with the reveal.

     Essentially, Rin is living in a simulation via a machine constructed by her father in a space capsule. He created this device in order to guarantee a quality of life for his daughter far surpassing the one she would face in the wake of the impending fate their home would soon suffer... though this part's a bit hazy.

     Throughout the video, we see Rin's father constantly updating himself on what's happening to Tokyo, and it's incredibly bleak. However, wherever he and Rin are is nowhere near as catastrophic. They're seen going to outdoor festival and parks, though these scenes are admittedly small, and they seem to be the only one everywhere they go. Perhaps they're simulations running the prototype of the technology that will eventually be used in Rin's space pod?

     Edit: After giving my brain a little rest, I think I've decided what I want to believe here. Since we already know that the exact instance we're viewing is a simulated re-telling of her or her father's memories, it's pretty easy to conceive that they're "touched-up" memories -- think "nostalgia glasses." Perhaps at that point in time, there were crowds, and the scenes possible weren't as clean as they're presented to us. But these are cherished, positive memories. In other words, it's not so important that the memories are correct, but it's how they're remembered.

     Whatever the case, they're not in an Earth in the same state ours is now. In the simulated scene where Rin views her pod's departure from her father's (3rd person) perspective, there's a gigantic planet/moon/satelite in view, pretty obviously falling into the Earth. This is probably what's causing the destruction around Tokyo, and it's possible that the disaster area simply hasn't spread to them yet.
     Regardless, that's a technicality that's not so important. 
     Before the reveal, Rin is our protagonist, and she seems to have no recollection of these events taking place, and the reason I gather is incredibly tragic.

     Rin, at the beginning of the video says, "After some time, I stopped thinking about that. Maybe I forgot how to think at all." What could be inferred from this is that Rin has, possibly consciously, blocked out these painful memories of leaving her father, who showed his incredible love in saving her. She chose to live in fabricated ignorance, and by choosing to ignore these thoughts and heartache as they show up, she eventually forgot about them altogether -- her naivete eventually causing forgotten memories.
     "But I'm not lonely. It doesn't bother me at all," is probably the lie she tells herself that she eventually came to believe.
     After that is established (though I don't believe it can be without knowing the

Who says you can't have
flower pedals underwater?

ending, but I digress) the song starts and the story starts playing out; Rin starts creating her simulated worlds.
     The first time we get a real look at what the narrative is leading us toward is when a part of the world that Rin did not create appears in a world otherwise created completely by herself, That item, of course, is the swing set. 

     The animation up until this point is great in a lot of ways. Because the story is so short, Toshihumi Akai (the storyboard animation director) is allowed to create scenes and settings that don't have to be explained. The video starts with Rin submerged in water (though that can be easily explained by it being a dream). The immediate cuts between the water, Rin's bedroom, the pure white, blank simulation walls, the rocky pillars with blue skies, icy cliffs --
     In the first two minutes of the video, so many settings are explored, and in spite of the fact that they may not be completely original[ly inspired] locations, they create such a beautiful contrast between each other. 

     The way simulated matter is created and adjusted is extremely playful as well. It's all incredibly fun to watch, and it's a joy to experience. You can begin to understand how Rin was able to allow herself to be happy despite the incredibly relevant tragedy. I was smiling throughout this entire segment, even the second, third and fourth times watching the video. 
      And the colors, oh goodness the colors! I can't speak highly enough of their use. Everything is cool when the tinge of loneliness is present, or when things aren't satisfactory; it's all warm when Rin feels cozy, and it makes us feel cozy. It strikes an incredible balance at every turn, and conveys every emotion we're led to feel, from an adventurous playfulness to a stinging depression. 
     Side note: I think this will become yet another example people refer to when claiming how to correctly use CGI in anime. I love it. 

     I also really like Rin's character design.
    

Rin, and warm colors vs. cool colors

     This adventure eventually (it's a fulfilling 2 minutes!) lead us to the catalyst, again, the swing set. Without using words, it's so excellently conveyed that it's unusual that something Rin didn't create showed up -- heck, it's impressive that we can even tell she didn't create it!
     The chorus is in the latter half at this point, and Rin is forced to view some memories of her father, though initially it's not a stretch to say we won't know exactly who he is. As the music falters out, Rin is left lying on her bed, abandoning the simulation, obviously sombered. 

     A lot of the rest of this section -- between the swing set scene and the uncontrolled simulation (effectively the second verse) is more of driving the same point home. Through even more beautiful animation and noteworthy directing, Rin is obviously dealing with the [re]emergence of these feelings she's trying to escape. 

Seriously, this whole section looks like a "best of Pixiv" album, only animated. I particularly like the bit that's mostly black & white with blips of red, and Rin's portrayal there is just icing on the cake.

     Anyway, things start happening out of Rin's control, and I think it becomes pretty obvious that she's being subjected to someone else's simulation. I'm torn on what I want to believe here:
     A. in line with my theories up to this point, Rin's father scheduled this program to run, expecting Rin to be having trouble coping with her situation. The simulations are his memories of them together, reenacting everything that happened up to until he sent her away. 

     B. Rin's mind is forcing her to remember the events. This could be for any number of reasons, but the romantic in me says that she understands that it would be a remarkably terrible thing to ignore the sacrifices her father made for her. 

     I really like the idea that B. is the case; that her falling is symbolic to how even in this world completely encapsulated by her mind, she can't control everything. 

     I definitely get a heavy heart at this point; kids get to me. 
     Seeing Rin wordlessly, hopelessly calling out to her father hurts to watch, as well. The desperation is almost tangible.

     But I love how the video ends. In stark contrast to the insanely imaginative scenery that monopolized the beginning and most of the middle, the place Rin finds herself is incredibly plain. It's bleak, but somehow, that quickly becomes a non-factor to the setting. Rin, through the tears and sadness, comes to terms that the memories are a part of who she should be. This previously overwhelming sadness somehow becomes easily acceptable -- right in line with the movement of the song.

     "Even when I realize my loneliness and am about to lose all hope, those memories make me stronger."

     Just as complex as that thought it, the scene reflects it. It opens up to a vibrant, grassy field. It's not glamorous, but it's nice. Rin breaks down to tears in the middle of it, but it's somehow comforting. It's emotional, but it's raw, and not completely one thing or the other.

I better stop here.

Is There Even Anything to Conclude?

     I dunno. It's a good video. 

     Shelter by Porter Robinson & Madeon did in 6 minutes what many full-length films and series fail to do. I am absolutely confident in calling it a work of art, and one of the best pieces of art to come out of 2016. It thrives in its mediums' strengths, and reminds you how you can love the shortcomings of it's methods. It's strangely human, but all the same fabricated and unrealistic. 

     The song itself was good enough to me to make it onto a playlist I frequently played, but it always seemed just good enough. I do think this is incredibly important though. Many people believe this is how anime will have to adapt in order to thrive -- I'm in no position to evaluate that point, but many people will use this work to push that agenda one way or the other.

     Congratulations, Porter Robinson, Madeon, A-1 Pictures and Crunchyroll. You made a masterpiece. 

All uncredited pictures are property of Porter Robinson, Madeon, A-1 Pictures and Crunchyroll.
Additional credits here.

I Liked Seinfeld, I Didn't Like Slice of Life -- One of the Biggest Hypocrisies I've Lived.

     I'm coming to understand many things about myself lately. These aren't particularly meaningful things I'm learning -- in fact I think it's the opposite -- but the fact that I am learning these things at all speaks to something.
     To be more specific, I'm relearning these things about myself, only correctly this time. 

I hope you get so far into this piece without figuring out what the heck the title's about.

Assumptions
  

Zachary Kanin, The New Yorker

     Assumptions are universally understood to be terrible, and there's that fantastic, popular saying that conveys that idea: "Never assume, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME."
     And yet every day, I assume, and I'm not sorry for it. As much as I love it, the quote fails to relay the fact that assuming works almost all of the time (if you're looking for the numbers to support that, google "hyperbole").

I'm going on loads of tangents, so hang with me.

     One of the most powerful elements of language is connotation. Ever wonder why there are so many words that mean the same thing? Oftentimes it's because each word carries a different connotation with it. 
     For those who may recognize the word, but not the meaning, "connotation" is the non-literal, emotional attachment that a word carries with it. It's the difference between being "youthful" and "juvenile." If someone were described as "youthful," they're depicted as being innocent, energetic and fun; there's a charm to "youthful." If the same person were described as "juvenile," the polar opposite image would be created -- an image of immaturity and failing socially as a person in a way that a troublesome child would. However, literally speaking, the words mean exactly the same thing: showing traits of a younger person.

     So back to my point on assumptions: the word "assume" itself carries a negative connotation, or more correctly, it's earned its negative connotation. Assuming often leads to trouble and misunderstandings, and that's what we remember.
     What we fail to remember is the times when assumptions worked in our favor. When you deeply understand something, you inherently should start assuming some things in relation to it.
     To give an example, I live with two dogs right now. Every couple of hours, they need to go to the bathroom. If I fail to take them outside and realize the fact five hours later, I assume they've had an accident somewhere in the house, so I begin looking for crime scenes and treading the apartment cautiously -- taking extra care not to place my foot in a puddle. 

     Assumptions are good. They save us time, heartache, irritation, etc. There's an interesting dynamic that it plays in relationships, too. 

Assuming in Personal Relationships

     I have a couple of friends that I can talk to more personally than others; I think most of us do. What this means is that I can remove some of my public filters that are in place to avoid misunderstandings. Part of this is because when I talk to these people, I can assume that they understand the intricacies of my mind, my humor and my experiences. They don't know all of me, but what they do know is enough context that if I use words typically tied with a negative connotation, they can understand if I mean to use the word omitting the baggage.
     **In other words, when I talk with these select people, I speak without regard for whether or not they misconstrue what I say as something more aggressive than I intend. I can openly express my thoughts in their raw, unrefined state.

     **I almost deleted this section, but since we're on this topic, I figured I'd explain why; this is something that I hope Extra Pulp OJ reflects: 

     When I write for you, I make it a priority to stay genuine. If I write something and it sounds phony, it goes out the window. I delete a lot of sentences that are crafted too perfectly -- no one can relate to that. I believe there has to be a better way that I can explain this thought, but in this case, I'll allow it.

     I haven't always had these specific people in my life, but I have always had someone I've connected to similarly. 
     I believe it's incredibly important to have these types of relationships, too. We as humans cannot possibly achieve a higher level of understanding in any area without a vulnerable dialogue, and these are the people we'll have these dialogues with. 

I know, I'm getting preachy, I'll truck through this section.

Unearthed Comics

    We have these dialogues to learn and grow -- to be tempered. What you learn through them is so specific to too many factors that I can't possibly generalize this for you, but here's a thought:

     Do we need to have this type of relationship with ourselves?

     I have no idea. I claim to know and believe a lot, but I don't here. I do have this relationship with myself, though.

     I haven't always, and this kind of [obviously] ties in with my last piece. Lately I've pushed my boundaries in a lot of media-indulging areas of my life. I have conversations now with people who don't immediately interest me, and I watch television and listen to music that I initially wrote off. 

     Before I did these things, I lived many contradictions. When any one of my beliefs were challenged, I defended them instead of allowing a challenging dialogue to happen. 

     I know this sounds incredibly general. I need it to because what I'm about to talk about is so much more shallow than the life-altering choices I made with this philosophy. That's another post for another time; possibly not for here. 

     Anyway, here's the title.

I Like Slice of Life

     ...but for a long time, I believed that I didn't.
     The concept of a slice of life show contradicted so many things that I found I valued in a story.  A slice of life show, by definition, is a show about nothing spectacular. It's a show that mimics the minutiae in life, and I understood that I couldn't possibly find that interesting.

     I saw a lot wrong with the genre, and unfortunately, I assumed that I didn't like it based on this viewpoint. Again, I don't believe that I was wrong to make this assumption (even if it was wrong), the blame instead falls on my persistence to stay ignorant. But can you blame me? If I listed off some of my favorite television shows, I think you could make the same case:
     I like Steins;Gate, a drama and tragedy that asks questions of morality and what makes an experience carry weight; Scrubs, a touching comedy focusing on the specific hardships tied to balancing life and relationships with an overwhelming work life -- I could give you an innumerable list of shows that seemingly prove that I valued things that slice-of-life couldn't possibly offer me.
     And yet, I never considered a favorite show of mine -- one that shaped my taste of comedy:

     I very recently realized that Seinfeld may be the epitome of a slice-of-life show. I mean, the point is made in the most meta of fashion in an episode of the show.

Owlturd

     As I type this, I can't believe I never realized it. It's a brilliant show, and it's one that I felt has never been replicated. Though it seems contradictory, I still believe that. How many other show about nothing have surpassed 180 episodes? Regardless, the broad idea isn't unique [any longer]. 

     Seinfeld does however mimic a very important set of experiences that we have throughout our lives. To bring up a previous point, we should have relationships where we remove filters and disregard social standards in order to grow, and though it may handle these relationships in a purposefully crass way, Seinfeld does offer the viewer a look into other people constantly having these vulnerable dialogues. 
     Every single one of us starts out ignorant, and that makes these conversations and experiences messy. We as humans are initially wrong (and inherently evil) so often. Whether it's because we're tied to our own experiences, or that we were raised in a specific culture -- statistically we're going to be wrong a lot more often than we're right. (Rather, we'll never fully understand anything completely without being introduced to the ideas in a consumable way.)

deep breath

     By the finale of Seinfeld, the audience realizes the cast of characters were really terrible people. Though that may be viewed as a concept that eventually led to the "unlikable protagonist" phenomenon that our culture is obsessed with (examples: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, our obsession with the Joker, Breaking Bad, Deadpool, the list is huge), I confidently believe that wasn't the intention. The characters were designed to reflect the nastiness inside of us.
     Again, connotations. It's okay to be ignorant at first, and it's also okay to have nasty bits in yourself if you're bringing them to light and dealing with them (we're inherently evil, not doomed to be so).
     The cast of Seinfeld is shocking at times. They express ideas and act out mundane plots that would be despicable in real life, but I think we can all relate to that. Luckily, most of us were set straight privately before it got to that point [publicly].

     This is a concept that I believe can only be represented in a mundane setting. Perhaps it's different for other people, but I personally am very cautious when it comes to accepting seemingly unnecessary change. I find myself pumping the brakes when an alternate to a system that already works for me is suggested.
     This isn't an epic tale either, it's in the basic, daily decisions I make. I can immediately think of a handful of times where a new idea has been brought to a group and I've been the only one to ask the "why change?" questions. I first ask "What has caused our current situation to work as well as it has?" and questions similar to it. I think there's value in consistency, and I live by a couple of philosophies that challenge change for the sake of change (ie. "Don't fix it if it isn't broken").

     Seinfeld shows instances where this frame of thought fails -- where the obvious is placed before the characters, and they stay fast in their original thought. I missed the value of the genre because I was stubborn in the same way the characters in the show were, and refused to accept it.

What Are We Living?

     As I've said before, I don't know if broadening horizons and expanding your tastes is objectively good or bad -- there's plenty to value in assumptions and leaning on what you already know -- but I think that being narrow-minded is bad.

     I lived this hypocrisy for a long time (that I didn't like Slice of Life, despite adoring Seinfeld). It was too specific and under-examined to ever be questioned, and yet I regret that it wasn't. I've put my foot in my mouth on this subject so often that I'm legitimately afraid to admit my hypocrisy to my peers.
     Coming to this conclusion wasn't as quick as I've made it seem, either. In fact, I put the "Seinfeld is a slice-of-life" pieces together after I had already understood the value I find in the genre. It was a process, where I justified "this", and made an exception for "that" before finally, I understood that I was denying something that I loved. 

     I said earlier that I'd go on a lot of tangents, and this is far from my cleanest piece, but they are my raw thoughts. 

• I think it's okay to assume things, it just sucks when your assumptions are wrong. 
• Connotations are going to affect you communication whether you realize it or not. I would hope that you're mindful, and forgiving of them.
• I still believe everyone should talk about their opinions with someone they trust -- even weak opinions. You need it.
• I constantly reevaluate my stance on things. That may cause me to appear unable to take a solid stance; I haven't figured out how to deal with that yet.
• Seinfeld is a great show, and it's somehow more meaningful than the masses realize.

     Thanks for reading, guys. I hope you enjoyed this glass.

Final Note: I've had a lot of trouble getting these #XPOJ pieces to come together lately. My mind has felt chaotic and impossible to organize. Everything I'm writing seems to envelope an incredible number of things, and I seem unable to explain that depth coherently.
Mostly, I'm just unsatisfied with how my deep understanding of specific things comes out as unorganized ramblings. My mind feels like one of those "detective's crazy walls" where everything is so interconnected that I can't properly express one idea without fully explaining the intricacies of another which relies on separate knowledge of it's own. 

It's as hard to explain as that is to read.
So anyway, I am deeply sorry if you get lost in this piece! I feel like I wrote it lost.

And yet, I think even that has value. I think someone could possible read this and connect with it on a level only a messy work can reach.