[Weekly Update] I wonder if people will like Chinese mythology now

Have you ever had a case of insomnia bad enough that you can't fall asleep for 24 hour straight?

That's me.

CHANNEL UPDATE

New video is close to finish. I'll be uploading the script tomorrow. Since we are talking about good movies, I suggest giving the films a watch before the video go live later this week! The films are Monster (2023), A Fantastic Woman (2017), Rafiki (2018). If you only have time for one film, I think Monster has the strongest appeal. But any of these movies are worth a watch.

For next month, we are planning on finishing our video on the solar eclipse I filmed early this year. I'll also take some time to finish the bigger videos I have planned but never finished, including a retrospective on Maggie Cheung, and a retrospective on yakuza cinema.

I have yet to see the new Deadpool movie, so I'm not sure if we'll make that series the topic of our bonus video this month. I do have a few things to say about the films, particularly how it breaks the fourth wall but still lacks in self-awareness.

Recent delays, rushed schedules, health issues, and burnouts have made it clear that I need to take breaks. I'm not sure how, but I'll keep you updated on that schedule sometime next month.

Finally, I'd like to remind everyone that Patreon is changing their billing method. You can find out more on Patreon's official blog. Simply put, pledging support through the iOS app may result in additional fee. Please support via the website instead.

MEDIA TALK

I honestly wonder if Black Myth Wukong is as popular in the West as it seems. It was the top game on steam for a bit, but vast majority of the players are from China. Yet, still, I see quite a few YouTubers trying out this game. But more importantly, I see memes of it everywhere. Videos about Journey to the West is going viral on YouTube. It is more than I can say about Lie of P, which is only popular within a small sub-section of the gaming community. In comparison, BMWk is bother line mainstream.

If my intuition is correct, it seemed most people here in North America has the vaguest understanding of Chinese mythology, not as familiar as they are with Japanese myths, but more so than they do with Indian myths. It seemed to be a good middle ground to spark curiosity, which may be why people are watching YouTube videos trying to understand the backstory of the game.

This makes me wonder if Chinese mythology will become a bit more ubiquitous in the west, similar to how Japan and Egypt have been. I'm not too optimistic about it, but I can't deny that there may be a surprisingly high chance of it happening.

One of the major deciding factor is, as silly as it is, politics. Yes, let's get the hard topic out of the way first. Japan has been an ally with the US for decades now. Due to this close relationship, culture exchange is much easier. Elements like ninja and samurai often show up in Hollywood made movies, in both cheap and expensive productions. Films made in Japan also enjoy successes in western countries, further solidifying its ubiquity.

Once upon a time, China enjoyed this same position. After WWI and before the end of WWII, Chinese culture were frequently depicted in Hollywood films, in ways both good and bad. The abundance of immigrants, added with Japan being the common enemy, resulted in this cultural alliance. Since China went communist, however, the popularity of Chinese culture in Hollywood has been flip flopping, perfectly in sync with Chinese-US relation. As it stands, it's just politically inconvenience for the American society to develop a deep love for anything Chinese.

But beyond the politics, there's also the weakness in culture. I have said it multiple times, but there really aren't any good and up-to-date adaptations of Journey to the West for interested gamers to watch. Unlike Japan, which had a long and highly prestigious golden age of cinema, Chinese cinema only recently became commercially healthy. The lacking in cultural strength made BMWk an isolated success that connects to no other cultural products.

Except... Chinese mobile games are taking over the world. And with each update for Chinese games, more Chinese elements are added. I have had read comments on how Genshin Impact was their first successful entry into the world of Chinese fantasy settings. Us boomers may not see mobile games as serious business, but it may well be the future of gaming, when Gen Alpha players take over the world.

It's hard to predict the future. But if I have to make a guess, I think this is it. Unless there are follow ups to Black Myth Wukong, the game will just be an isolated success. But it will plant the seed for future Chinese themed games and movies. It's not going to be immediate, but eventually, we may see wider fascination with Chinese culture.

Anyway, a bit of an incoherent rambling, but I hope I still explained it well. I do wonder what it'd be like, when a western dev make a Chinese game. Will it turn out to be as good as Ghost of Tsushima?

In any case, I'll see with in our next video soon.