HOMESTUCK: A 10th Anniversary Retrospective

A young man stood in his bedroom. It just so happens that today, the 13th of April, 2019, is the tenth anniversary of that young man's 13th birthday. Though it was ten years ago his story was given life, it is only today that we will talk about it!
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Read Homestuck: www.homestuck....
Official NezumiVA Subreddit: / nezumiva
Song List:
Nannaquin - Homestuck OST
Harlequin - Homestuck OST
Calamity - Homestuck OST
Karkat's Theme - Homestuck OST
Trepidation - Homestuck OST
Umbral Ultimatum - Homestuck OST
Doctor - Homestuck OST
Constant Conquest - Homestuck OST
Heir of Grief - Homestuck OST
Do You Remem8er Me - Homestuck OST
Would You Like To Talk About Homestuck - Ken Ashcorp
Ascend - Homestuck OST
Special Thanks to:
The Members of Trollian.Space
Heartcade
All copyrighted material belongs to that of the original owners, and I am not affiliated with any of them in any way. This video is made purely for review purposes and is protected under fair use law.
#NezumiVA #Homestuck #videoessay

[@NezumiVA]

Before y'all comment about me getting something slightly wrong, the epilogue was posted _today_ and I made this in a mad dash during all of 4/11 and 4/12 so get your facts OUTTA HERE.

[@Jacob53e]

R word?

[@Jacob53e]

R-word? And ending song? :33

[@MathewRenfro]

a year ago today.

[@nicegoodstylish]

WE HAVE LIFDOFF Of a really great video. This needs more views, like JEGUS.

[@sybiliminalSyntax]

Troll jegus or human jegus?

[@nicegoodstylish]

@@sybiliminalSyntax Yes.

[@sybiliminalSyntax]

@@nicegoodstylish WHICH ONE

[@nicegoodstylish]

@@sybiliminalSyntax YES.

[@sybiliminalSyntax]

@@nicegoodstylish NO

[@tzisorey]

One does not simply _re-read Homestuck_

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

This.

[@FiSH-iSH]

Yes.

[@honkofvoid7419]

aa but i have done it tho

[@keatonmullen3435]

Wait.... Did you just accurately summarize Homestuck?

[@NezumiVA]

Honestly I'm just as surprised by the notion as you are.

[@FiSH-iSH]

yes.

[@batteredthem]

This is the most comprehensive plot summary I think I've ever seen. XD

[@frontierdustice]

Me: watches video about HS’s 10th anniversary KZbin: so I heard you like 4/13 Me: no don’t do it KZbin: A 10th Anniversary Retrospective Me: Cod damn it

[@gabrote42]

Man, first time I experience a video like this one about Homestuck. Also, moment of silence since the Flashes will now be limited to archival videos since Adobe Flash will stop existing in december.

[@EBThisThat]

Your explanation helps me make more sense of Homestuck. Kudos to you ! I used to have a ton of OCs but my favorite character has been and always shall be Eridan. I have a sticker of John, Jade, Rose and Dave on the back of my car. I always have to grin when I see it. I'm proud to be a Homestuck fan. I'm one of the more levelheaded ones and someday I hope to cosplay as a genderbent Eridan. :D

[@Emisop]

I just finished Homestuck about an hour ago, and it was such a ride. I love it a lot. And there's someone I've been speaking to that's planning to make a Homestuck comic dub (as the last person doing it stopped) and I auditioned to be my favorite character, Aradia Megido and got the part! I'm really excited for when we start working on it. Right now I only cosplay Aradia and Dirk, but I'm planning to cosplay fancy prospit dreamer Kanaya with my friends doing a fancy dreamer group, and Meulin. Those are my next two Homestuck cosplay plans. (but I do plan to try and cosplay as many versions of Aradia as possible.)

[@cookiebombcasualemail5284]

***LINK PLS***

[@Sinetheballwoman]

That's cool please send links?

[@bexiewoo]

This is so well made what the helllll

[@OChan263]

Great video! haha oh god it's been years since I've listened to that song by ken ashcorp? (I forgot smh but it's buried in my subconscious) I honestly forgot about some things featured in this vid, and it's good to reminisce

[@drpickleton]

homestuck will always have a place in my heart

[@someoneweird6915]

10 Years without a soul, Good days. :)

[@guster-animations]

the homestuck archives have a downloadable slur removal mod. i’m reading with it installed and it’s barely noticeable aside from “karkat can’t believe he’s talking to an autistic girl” and the f slur joke. i did not notice it any other times. 10/10

[@VegaNorth]

Basically Homestuck advocates for embracing Absurdism! Calliope's arc is the best. great video!

[@themailneverfails2992]

I see that batter on your shelf >:^)

[@grimtsk]

- I'm scared of the dark - From now on, there will be no more darkness.

[@lovelyfma]

such an amazing review ~

[@tabom385]

What a fantastic video

[@imlatefortea]

THANK YOU.

[@AymiChyan]

seems fitting for something so long to have the essay be long as well

[@KD6-3005]

I haven’t finished homestuck but I’ve read far enough to get the references

[@ROWDYFLOWERGIRL]

TheHumanBicycle I haven’t even read far enough to get the references and I get the references

[@kpun48]

Oh my god I want to like this so badly, but I have 413 liked videos right now, so I just want you to know that this video gets 5/5 hats!

[@ZebraOnYourNose]

I saw that Remilia figurine. You're a man of culture as well, then?

[@KazzieBB]

Woman

[@crypticcorvid]

Has anybody else read the epilogues yet? I'm not quite sure about how I feel towards them yet, lol.

[@tetrisdood]

There isn't a ton to talk about quite yet

[@katnerddd6223]

Everyone needs a hug.

[@crypticcorvid]

@@tetrisdood Lol, true.

[@sketchyecchiakechi]

candy was pretty funny that’s all i really have to say since neither of them are very conclusive

[@robertwatts7894]

One really small thing you got wrong the planet was going to get destroyed regardless if they play the game or not it wasn't them that caused it

[@NezumiVA]

You're right about that, although I was aware of the error - I just thought delving into the logistics of the inevitability of said situation would be complicating the plot summary a bit, lol.

[@robertwatts7894]

I'm literally just nitpicking lol I haven't even gotten through the video all the way so far I like it a lot! You get a 10/10

[@NezumiVA]

@@robertwatts7894 Lol, no problem at all. Thank you though! I appreciate that.

[@AwkwardHypernerd413]

And then the fucking epilogue happened, and everything goes to shit (again)

[@TanukiBuki]

I spotted a little acrylic(?) OFF/Batter thing on your shelf...where could I get one?

[@NezumiVA]

I apologize, it was a gift so I honestly can't remember u_u; If at any point I'm able to find it though, I'll link it to you!

[@dianab8423]

16:16 What’s what I just did right before I clicked this video

[@candelamarin4708]

I didn't end reading homestuck

[@lordbuss]

What's the point in spoiling the entire plot and then saying "give it a shot"?

[@NezumiVA]

Well the video is a retrospective, not a review, so it isn’t meant to be spoiler free. I say “give it a shot” to people who ended up watching the video without having read HS, because I’ve watched plenty of videos about things I similarly haven’t seen or read before.

[@flygawnebardoflight]

Plus, as mentioned in the video, the journey is worth more than the end :P

[@TheWeirdoClub]

Honestly I found certain parts of the archival Homestuck reading experience to be moderately improved upon being spoiled. The narrative is SO deep and SO dense that it is kind of *impossible* to spoil the whole thing. Plus, it's damn confusing to try and read the first time, so some idea of what you can expect and what a lot of the esoteric hints actually mean can actually enhance your appreciation of it as you read.

[@NezumiVA]

@@TheWeirdoClub Having reread it recently already knowing a lot of small things despite all I had forgotten prior? Can confirm. It's very helpful.

[@katnerddd6223]

I mean, I watched a lot of Homestuck videos before actually reading. It actually kinda helps because it is so... complicated.

[@andrewormerod7741]

Reading your silly criticisms on homestuck I would assume you hated the epilogues.

[@NezumiVA]

I didn't actually.

[@andrewormerod7741]

@@NezumiVA wouldn't mind making a vid about your opinions on them, I personally enjoyed them although they never concluded.

[@somesaysofthands]

Your audio mixing is terrible in this video.

[@melovepeas]

something something epilogue bad

[@LunNightMoonLight]

I wish all the homestuck music was on Spotify already.

[@hubster3055]

You mean Spoofy?

[@pkaz12345]

Hubster Heckins KEHN I LEESTEN TO THE EH HOMESTOCK MUSIC ON EHHHHHH SPOOFY?

[@bewitchedbird7541]

its on bandcamp ya big nerdi

[@thepolicedepartmentunited1543]

Now the ending is a ending but... *MEAT OR CANDY*

[@yalkn2073]

MEAT

[@pendragonchen]

MEAT.

[@lecanoscoptical3455]

What kinda nerd doesn't eat candied hams?

[@yalkn2073]

@@lecanoscoptical3455 Candied ham tastes awful

[@alexlau5146]

Petition to reopen the MSPA forums and make a poll to put an end to this neverending conundrum

[@GiggsVids]

10 years since I asked whats a home stuck??

[@bugjuice0413]

R/whooosh that.

[@NezumiVA]

Quick secondary pinned comment to say: the full epilogue _JUST_ came out yesterday so _PLEASE_ keep epilogue discussion and spoilers *elsewhere* - this video is about Homestuck the comic, and not "The Homestuck Epilogues", which imo, basically reads like licensed fanfiction. And I'd rather people coming to this video without having read Homestuck not have to wade through odd and potentially confusing epilogue discussion.

[@lapaba1236]

NezumiVA I read it, and because of that, I completely agree.

[@lapaba1236]

NezumiVA After reading those, I completely agree with you. That thing is full of...well it's quite different. Let's say that. Thanks for the video, and the warning to the comment section. Good luck!

[@gabrote42]

Moment of silence for the demise of flash in four moths time

[@ghost_kicks7479]

Don't you hate it whenever you're trying to text your crush, but instead you accidentally send them the entire can't fight the homestuck song lyrics, no? just me? . . . . . . . No joke, it actually happened, dont ask me why i had 'can't fight the homestuck' lyrics copied to my clipboard

[@LulligesLulu]

I don't know why but this video made me ridiculously happy. Just hearing that intro with John, your humor and _finding out there are books that I never knew about_ and something about this that I can't really put into words had me grinning like an idiot all the way through😂 So... Well, thank you! Thanks a lot actually! I'm glad there are still Homestucks out there and such sweet tributes to the fandom come out in April 2019 is awesome! I'll be scrollimg through your channel now to see what else you're up to! Have a swell day, good sir!

[@lugialover09]

Dude, reading Homestuck was a trip. I didn't even hear about it until 2013 and didn't start actively reading until late 2014. Then, much like Hussie, I took a ton of breaks until literally about a week or two before the comic ended. I actually read from the introduction of Eridan and Feferi to Collide in less than a week. I spent 13 hours straight just reading one day, and I actually still hadn't caught up. But I 100% don't regret it. I just will always wish I had gotten into it so much sooner.

[@instantnoob]

21:20 "When someone leaves your life those exits are not made equal... Some are beautifu and poetic and satifying. Others are abrupt and unfair. But most are just... unremarkable. Unintentional. Clumsy." -Griffin McElroy Quoted from the 66th episode of The Adventure Zone, 3 months before this video was released. I could hear the influence and I know Nezumi must have been a fan.

[@NezumiVA]

Truth be told I still haven't listened to TAZ, but I _was_ made aware of the quote before making this, and it definitely did slip into my brain, lol.

[@elizabethpait9279]

"Modern day creation myth"? Then.. then does that mean we can turn this into a religion? Cause I feel like we could actually make this work.

[@NezumiVA]

With enough elbow grease I'm sure you could try to make it work!

[@elizabethpait9279]

I better get working then eh?

[@yalkn2073]

We can make a religion out of this

[@elizabethpait9279]

Funny enough I told my friend about making this into a religion and she asked "isn't it already a religion?" My eyes have been open.

[@katnerddd6223]

Have you heard of our Lord the genesis frog?

[@oliveralien.]

It literally boggles my mind that's someone, could come up with something so elaborate and brilliantly crafted as homestuck, like its crazy how this webcomics has been so different than any other thing I have read. I love it!

[@NezumiVA]

EDIT: The Epilogue Video is *done* - it will be up on Monday, 4/29! Thank you to everyone who voted in the strawpoll. The Mirai Nikki and Castlevania videos are still in the process of being made. The former is in the note taking stage while the latter still has some gameplay recording and live action shot pickups to do. As always, thank you for watching my stuff!

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

i like how you start the video and pan across a Remillia Scarlet and then go on

[@GoneZombie]

Ah, yes, Homestuck Flashes: Self-Imposed DDOS Attacks.

[@dirkdanmus2450]

We are doing this man

[@NezumiVA]

We're makin this happen

[@yalkn2073]

@Vox3l-Gl1tch Didnt look at replies

[@DementedDuskull]

When Lord English started drawing anime was when I said to myself "Okay, this clearly is the most evil person in existence"

[@drewmigita3437]

5:08 That time is now. The epilogue is apon us.

[@noiseinsidemyear]

Yes, this is all well and nifty, but dOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT THE DON'T BLEED ON THE SUITS INTERMISSION?? AM I ALONE? Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk.

[@NezumiVA]

Rook Birdy The intermission is one of my favorite parts of Homestuck actually!

[@noiseinsidemyear]

@@NezumiVA ack thank gog

[@katnerddd6223]

The midnight crew intermission is one of my favorite parts.

[@forthy831]

I skipped it.

[@noiseinsidemyear]

They skipped the intermission so I skipped their funerals

[@f1lthybra1nz]

holy shit you made this whole video 2 days before 4/13?? this video is really well made! great job i adore this.

[@frogman1]

i was five minutes in when i noticed it was thirty minutes long. thought, okay, i'm not gonna watch this. and then i watched it.

[@NezumiVA]

Haha, I guess I should be flattered? Thanks for sticking around.

[@frogman1]

@@NezumiVA aha yeah it was a lot better than i expected (thought it would be just a recap and explanation of the events in homestuck)

[@NezumiVA]

@@frogman1 Oh hopefully not LOL I feel like that might would be a little boring a video to make...

[@matthewflorio2705]

Where doing it man. *WHERE MAKING THIS HAPEN*

[@alexlau5146]

THE HOMESCUCK MAN IT KEEPS HAPPENING

[@unnamedcat1316]

im 1/4 of the way through of the first plot and god this is fun

[@kaelmic7476]

Ah...homestuck. Cant say im a fan anymore. I think the emphasis on metanarrative over character and story turned me off. It felt like characters became more guided by fandom demand and many story beats felt to be written purposely unsatisfying. Perhaps it resonated less with me as i grew up, but really, early homestuck was a completely different monster to late game. "Rose we dont have character arcs" isnt something pre act 6 dave wouldve said. You cant string me along with this narrative that doesnt take itself seriously, and all of a sudden expect me to take a deeper meaning for what is essentially a pretentious commentary on storytelling. I loved the friendship those 4 teenagers had and their adventures felt like a loveletter to videogames. Ah, at least some people are happy. Good video.

[@Happygate]

This is a very important video. Thank you.

[@ittapupu7719]

hey HEY IT'S ME J A K E YOUR FRIEND FROM TRO LLIAN

[@TheFangirlOtaku]

I love Gamzee, he's my favorite character, and I will take this opinion to my freaking grave. I feel like different perspectives on him are all immediately demonized because there's a lot of touchy subject matter in his arc. How about instead of abusing people for their opinions we start a dialogue on the subjects brought up by his story? No, that would be too organized for the internet.

[@NezumiVA]

I think Gamzee has a lot of character potential, but I think there were a lot of things about his arc that Andrew handled somewhat poorly. That being said I do understand why people would enjoy him.

[@TheFangirlOtaku]

@@NezumiVA I'm of the somewhat unpopular opinion that our entertainment shouldn't always have to be politically correct, that's ridiculous to me. I don't care "how Andrew handled it" because I feel like he shouldn't have to be held to a politically correct standard, especially when his does so many other things right. I feel like there should be more focus on how he handled racial/cultural matters, growing up, LGBTQ+ youth, and what he got right in mental health. And if there has to be focus on the bad, how about instead of shaming people we talk about what doing it right could look like in future media? We learn from characters like Gamzee. Thanks for reading, I know I ramble sometimes.

[@NezumiVA]

@@TheFangirlOtaku Well, I'm of no desire to shame people for liking Gamzee at all. I just think being critical of the things you enjoy is a necessary component of analyzing media. My problems with Homestuck don't make me like it any less, they're just things worth noting that could be improved upon in future creative endeavors.

[@TheFangirlOtaku]

@@NezumiVA Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant by that last part about what doing it right could look like. The issue is that not everyone thinks like you. There's also an important difference between constructive criticism and shaming, but on the internet the line is unfortunately blurry for a lot of people, so they end up being hurtful without even realizing it, even those of us with good intentions.

[@snowyvoidd]

We need 413 likes people, 413!

[@Sunspot9522]

Rereading Homestuck are you Mad! The first time I read it took an entire year! And it was already done at that point!

[@NezumiVA]

Haha, I mean: _am_ I mad? The answer to that is probably. But rereading only took me about two weeks of chipping away at it.

[@amayayee2041]

5:38 to 8:24 is the summary of the plot of Homestuck

[@NezumiVA]

The idea that people think I did enough job with summarizing it to link here is spectacular.

[@Lopemine]

Homestuck 2 is out (like no joke) homestuck2.com/

[@virgoscribblez2045]

“You have to brag to all your friends that know what the hell a homestuck is.”

[@hiroaritillwhen4581]

>2hu on first seconds Alright I subscribe jeez.

[@eileenkwon631]

The summary was really easy to understand, which I'm grateful for. I never got to read homesick because I thought it was much too confusing but this helped me get a boost. (I don't mind spoilers so it's alright.) Great video!

[@MiaTyrnfae]

Even all these years later I detest the power of John retconning Game Over, it was just too meta. But goddamn if Collide isn't one of the coolest things I've ever seen. You're right though - Even if the quality of the writing dipped heavily toward the end, the journey there was still worth it.

[@sybiliminalSyntax]

help i watched a few markiplier vids and my recommendations are nothing but markiplier

[@Jessee11_Production]

Ho no ho no ho noooooooo!

[@Kissingerzones1311]

I didn't like act 6

[@Kirbyster]

This video was amazing! I LOVE the analytical perspective that you looked at Homestuck through, and I really wish there was more available content that viewed Homestuck through that lens.

[@Gigadramon6]

So, what you're saying in the opening is that you can't wait to be a useless piece of shit all day and read all these books?

[@helious5056]

Elliot gose to school also turns 10 this year

[@helious5056]

@viewmonster yeah it's hard to believe.

[@ryne3622]

Hey, guys. Remember to like, comment, and subscribe. Don't forget to ring that notification bell! This has been the coolest guy on the block, me, reminding you of all things you should do in relation to this guy. My guy. The guy who made this video. About a thing we have all read and sometimes loved. Cool guy, me, out. Yo.

[@ukyoize]

I think that Homestuck using a lot of swearwords and being edgy is a good thing. It feels real, on the background of filtered and PC stories, you feel like Andrew was telling honest thruth, though quality of A6I3+ homestuck have sparked rumors that it was ghostwritten.

[@1000drman]

To be fair shakespear used an f-bomb on Romeo and Juliet

[@pointblank2890]

Yeah, it encapsulated the teenage feeling of being on the internet back then, with throwing of gay insults and the word retard with recklessness abandon. Of course, it's fair to think that a lot of us have grown past that kind of behavior, but it really was a story that not only resonated with the youth of the readers, but with the youth of the internet as a whole, before it grew to be cleaner, saner, and more corporatized

[@seere8906]

God damn I finally understand what the fuck happened

[@ethanrajczak3041]

Very good introspective.

[@poprocks6576]

Watch let’s read homestuck it’s amazing karkat’s voice actor is a god amongst voice actor and all the other voice actors

[@NezumiVA]

Yeah, Paul's a nice guy, we know each other, lol.

[@poprocks6576]

Tell him thanks for sacrificing his vocal cords to really bring KarKat to life also thanks for noticing my comment

[@manyyoumas]

i'm soo late to this but i just got recommended this and it was so enjoyable. i can't believe how well you explained everything + it was a great nostalgic reflection. i had to subscribe and realized youre posting a danganronpa video tomorrow which is my favorite series! awesome.

[@samuel-rw3xt]

I should have read it earlier now the flash's dont work

[@NezumiVA]

Search "homestuck archive", someone made an offline archive that converts all the flashes to HTML5 !

[@samuel-rw3xt]

@@NezumiVA thanks that is so helpful

[@imreplyingtothiscomment2378]

Hell yeah

[@achillesdykeza2063]

meat or candy choose neither please

[@milesstock2943]

A masterpiece

[@crazydragy4233]

I wish I could like this thrice! A great summary that wouldn’t feel out of place in literature class. I enjoyed this essay very much and it was not too long at all :D

[@davidrigdonrigdon4848]

or did it....GYBHJNKML

[@dorkblood5087]

SHIT JUST GOT DEEP, YALL

[@stormichigura]

stuck the fuck is homewhat

[@rhodes3c563]

YES!! This is done so well!! Thank you!

[@MathewRenfro]

two days short of a year from this video's premier, which incidently as filmed two days prior to that (filmed 1 year from today.) ... Ive only recently Heard about HOMESTUCK, being stuck at home CoronaVirus 2020.

[@ieatpie315]

... is homestuck?

[@miga1018]

Who drew the avatar in the bottom left at 31:00 ?

[@NezumiVA]

The bottom right you mean? :P It’s a dollmaker template I used from Picrew.

[@scout1925]

you did *not* discuss the fact of all things ending while heir of grief played in the background... You didn't do it, it didn't happen, it's not real, nope nope nope! (In other words, excellent choice!)

[@aaliyahrae01]

21:15 thanks for playing heir of grief now im crying

[@instantnoob]

"When someone leaves your life those exits are not made equal... Some are beautifu and poetic and satifying. Others are abrupt and unfair. But most are just... unremarkable. Unintentional. Clumsy." -Griffin McElroy Quoted from the 66th episode of The Adventure Zone, 3 months before this video was released. I could hear the influence and I know

[@ElyjaGaming]

I like homestuck but I wasn’t into it back then because I only saw meme of it back of the good ifunny days. I regret not looking at it more back then and I wish knew more about it. As a fellow artist and gamer that have my universe, from watching this I actually want to redo the universe and make it better.

[@datamancy138]

is that the batter i see

[@wyatt960]

Her describing homestuck as a creation myth hit me harder than a train

[@NezumiVA]

Her, please! But I appreciate the comment ;3c

[@toads13]

Wow this was really beautiful, and I think it was somehow a true summary of Homestuck???? How you managed to make this in 2 days is actually beyond me omg. For some unknown reason I got back into homestuck recently and this is such a lovely video that really hits why it worked so well and the end clip was awesome to include

[@Dan-zc3ou]

The davekat tho.

[@wuvumgywgy]

9:44

[@IndirectCogs]

[minor spoiler redacted]

[@NezumiVA]

With all due respect, let's please keep anything resembling epilogue spoilers out of the comments please? It just came out yesterday and is fairly long, so I'd rather a video centering primarily on the canon comic to be without that for now.

[@IndirectCogs]

@@NezumiVA You got it pal.

[@ROWDYFLOWERGIRL]

0:03 Instantly liked. I saw Remilia.

[@redlikesskittles]

Yes!! I love this. I hope this blows up, it's really well done!!