Sekiro's Parry and Other Pursuits of Perfection

[@BigUrta]

my roommate passed me the salt during dinner the other day and i accidentally mikiri countered his arm into oblivion

[@JCorLC]

Hahaha

[@tobiaslundqvist3209]

Almost a years gone by, hope your friend learned his lesson 😂

[@EagleEyedWarrior]

Bro should’ve fought back☠️

[@bfittahir7656]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@pajamas3068]

perilous salt pass lol

[@IncBot]

I find that "connecting oneself to someone else's art at the highest possible level" is a fantastic description of this channel as a whole.

[@verybored1261]

fr

[@LadyMapi]

I've always mentally summarized Jacob's channel as "Jacob Geller thinks about [X] a lot", which is _basically_ the same thing if you think about it.

[@sonuvabitch]

I feel the same when he talks about caves and water too - it's just a different artist (physics and/or a higher being if that's your thing) and you don't have to like it, but fear of those things can in that instance be a form of appreciation too. Thalassophobia for example, scares me silly, but the expanse of blue also works as a sensory overload that overwhelms yet impresses.

[@jaredellison326]

Burma Shave

[@Graati]

Except he's wrong on multiple occasions in this very video about the very game he speaks in such imposing terms about. "There is no overleveling, no different build to try or resources to hoard" as one example: in Sekiro on almost every stage of the game you can just go other direction and collect prayer beads and remembrances, which just makes you objectively stronger as level ups do; there are different combat arts and prosthetics, which often give you an ability to jump over fundamental combat interaction, but require spirit emblems; and yeah there are spirit emblems, consumables which increase your status resistances consumables which increase you damage, damage mitigation, buff your weapon, heal you and so much more, hell the most effective way to break opponents posture is to throw a lot of money at them.

[@CletoFrost]

for someone whos experiencing the "stuck" in my art, my studies and my hobbies, ive cried a little when you spoke about it. I really needed to hear that.

[@Daisyisfunny]

I just had that moment too😅. It felt relieving.

[@FSGaasouza]

Me too, i kinda felt "welcomed". That feeling of being "stuck" is something we all had felt, but is nice to see someone able to put this fellings in words, specially due to the fact that words are one of the most limited ways of comunnication.

[@ripdito]

as someone who feels stuck in life “hesitation is defeat” is one of the most potent pieces of advice i’ve received.

[@endertwelve]

"You will begin to touch heaven, Jonathan, in the moment that you touch perfect speed. And that isn't flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn't have limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there." -Richard Bach, *Jonathan Livingston Seagull* I know you read the book already, Mr. Geller. But I wanted to share the one quote from that novella, the one that still gets me teary eyed when I read it, to everyone else here :)

[@spicewitch9115]

Thought that this was a Jojo reference lmao

[@ambrato808]

@@spicewitch9115 me too 🤣

[@alexroy5854]

I read that book in middleschool and it has stuck with me since. Honestly I'm not a huge reader, but that story is so amazing that I simply could not stop

[@jonathangrover3176]

As someone who is named after that particular bird: noice.

[@Shashank7170]

When the sentence has "Jonathan" and "Heaven" in it, I had already thought of it as a JoJo reference. And that quote honestly would fit in.

[@semibreve]

"I can't resist the feeling of getting better" is a great quote to live by

[@hanuman1793]

One must imagine Sisyphus happy and stuff

[@adamlevi87]

its an amazing quote. ive come to ponder about do you really want to play the game or do you only want to get that feeling of being good at anything.. im not saying im not good at other stuff but at some point (im 36), you wonder, what makes you happy and is that something "good" for you. in case thats not clear, lets take sekiro or any "hard" game as an example. personally, i enjoy understanding stuff in real life, you could say i love knowing. at work it translates to deep diving and knowing what my job. in games, i love the progress of not knowing anything to "mastering" the game, sometimes - even more than actually "playing" the game. some games require very little effort to achieve this, Sekiro requires practice. when i played it, i wondered - am i having fun because im mastering the game or am i enjoying the basics (combat in general, visuals, story).. is the time i need to "put" in order to understand the game "worth" it? if its too much time, is it shadowing (ruining the experience) if i actually enjoy everything but the "difficulty". im not sure ive managed to express myself clearly, but its something i struggle with - especially with these "hard" games.. for me they get boring really fast because i dont consider the game difficult - you need to "learn" how to time your parries/jump etc and once i remove the need to "learn", (imo) , there isnt much left for the game - or that this need is so great its foreshadowing every other aspect the game has to offer. (i will admit i am not accustomed to playing Soul games.. i have played DS3/elden ring - and i got bored there as well) i am interested in people's opinions about what i have experienced / their experiences :)

[@AcidFingerCoop]

Read this comment as soon as he said it in the video and I felt that

[@francis5518]

I'm not there yet, but I will be there soon.

[@zotethemighty3707]

Journey before destination

[@oblivious_kawa]

I've literally never done anything in my life that was more satisfying than beating sekiro on ng+7 kuro's charmless, demon bell, no prosthetics, and no mortal blade. Just parry everything perfectly and win and there's no room for error. You simply must play perfectly or you lose and that's why I love this game and really hope we get a sequel

[@dirt_dert_durt]

That is incredibly impressive. The hardest thing I did in a FromSoft game is SL1 on DS3, which all things considered is pretty accessible

[@pidipecan1055]

Geez dude, that is very impressive. I recently completed the severance ending. It was really tough! I'm going for trophies and my first play thru at 56 percent complete. I also beat first Genichiro at the opening without the charm. But since I have three skills to complete to finish the final tree. Accumulating the points is really difficult. I thought I'd certainly beat the ogre without dying. But realized without Kuros charm to achieve my goal of getting the final skill points would be too much. So I got it back from sculptor. NG+ even with the charm is more challenging than I thought. But I'm able to manage my points even at bosses. So to imagine NG 7 the way you did it. Wow just wow. Kudos Shinobi! 🥷 💯 💪

[@oblivious_kawa]

@@pidipecan1055 it's really not too bad cause once the combat clicks it just clicks which for me happened towards the end of my second playthrough and also you get muscle memory for all the bosses to the point where you can just perfect parry everything so it doesn't matter whether or not you have kuros charm and stuff cause you just don't take damage anyways but yeah it's such a fun game and really just gets better and better the more you play

[@AbassAli092]

Using Prosthetic tools and Combat Arts makes the game much better to me. Without them the Combat is pretty repetetive.

[@pidipecan1055]

@abassali0926 I tend to not use them as much or buffs not because I'm that good but because I get confused in the heat of battle by too many options hahahaha that said some KZbin lists certain prothetics as having no use, and that's not true. I've found the spear to be very useful in boss battle like with Owl father the spear worked great for me. I need last two upgrades to complete them all. I still need to use them more I just get so locked in on one style it would probably make my life much easier if I used them. I've definitely farmed enough to earn thr right to use them hahaha

[@lucianojordao9012]

I love how Jacob can transform the phrase "git gud" in a 23 min video essay

[@StrikeWarlock]

Best part is he comes to the same conclusions as Noah Caldwell-Gervais does about these people They're insufferable, and the root of their anger is how the Git Gud crowd is blocking people from experiencing this franchise as intended.

[@FelisImpurrator]

@@StrikeWarlock This is "git gud" not as it ended up, but as, or so Zullie the Witch said in the early days of Elden Ring's release, it began. The way she tells it, it started as a jokey, ironic form of encouragement. Genuinely "just a meme' and intended as such by a small handful of people who were far more ready to give new players guidance and maybe even assistance. But over time, as the Soulsborne community became more mainstream and the games started to accrue a (false) reputation for being "Hard Games" that were about Being Hard, when in reality they're actually about pushing people to succeed, by taunting the player while subtly ensuring they'll never fall too far to overcome the next obstacle - Git Gud changed as the playerbase did. It became a flex. A brag. A mark of elitism and exclusion. It lost its subtle irony and the underlying meaning of "It's okay, we all sucked once, but keep going", and became "I'm better than you". And in doing so it ceased to embody the meaning of Soulsborne as well as it did, because what's more thematically Dark Souls than the aesthetic of unwelcoming hostility and despair that's only there to hide a backbone of cooperation and hope? What's more Dark Souls than the game telling you it wants you to fail while secretly holding a net under every bottomless pit to give you a second chance to claw your way back? This is, I'm told, what "git gud" is supposed to really mean. It means the game won't judge you for using every last method at your disposal to claw your way to victory. It means the game secretly wants you to win even if it says it wants you to fail. It means the deepest, most fundamental set of instructions is actually "keep going" and "you're not alone". Jacob Geller Gets It in a way those guys don't. I like that.

[@Radgerayden-ist]

Honestly I get that the git gud crowd is annoying and pushes people out, but lately I've been feeling a bit sad because every time I see someone doing something incredibly skilled that they practiced for it gets flooded with people calling them try hards or saying that they need to touch grass etc. It makes me super happy to see a video like this coming from someone with Jacob's sensibilities

[@AliceLoverdrive]

@@Radgerayden-ist both are two sides of the same coin. If someone is worse than you, you get to smugly tell them to "git gud, filthy casul". If someone is better than you, you get to smugly tell them to "touch grass, sweaty tryhard".

[@FelisImpurrator]

@@Radgerayden-ist Impressive feats should be celebrated for themselves, not in comparison to others. Not to place people in some kind of hierarchy. Not to put some people on pedestals and look down on others. A cool thing that someone does is a cool thing that someone does. That's how things should be.

[@MorteTheSkull]

the incredible smoothness by which you timed the phrase "there's this stink" with the moment where the guardian ape was throwing poop is truly remarkable, thank you Mr. Geller

[@JacobGeller]

Thank u for noticing

[@peenyyt4921]

​@user-iy2nb7tl6pyay a bot

[@farhanulbashar6562]

Bro… I came here to learn the parry. Instead got an emotionally articulated life lesson I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Incredible video

[@Stefan2010a]

Do you still remember,do you really remember how to git gud at life?

[@adventurousclash6323]

​@@Stefan2010aHe Doesn't

[@Stefan2010a]

@@adventurousclash6323 *grub noise*

[@loganpurdy7851]

It is incredible how this man is able to articulate the feelings produced by some of our favorite games.

[@dopey473]

FINALLY SOMEONE PUT IT INTO WORDS, I felt like this too about his videos but I couldn't explain it.

[@vineet9291]

He already covered two of my favourite game - outer wilds and sekiro . Now I need Doom Eternal next 🥺

[@jesseidfrank]

@@vineet9291 GMTK has a really great video on Doom's fantastic flow in the meantime if you're interested. It's titled "The 4 "P"s of DOOM's Amazing Combat".

[@abirdwitharms]

23hrs ago?

[@StrikeWarlock]

My thoughts exactly, this felt like what if Noah Caldwell-Gervais actually bothered to learn Sekiro's mechanics.

[@Bunkus41]

Years later, the Genichiro attack rush is still ingrained in my muscle memory.

[@Ntwolf1220]

I can feel my left index finger twitching perfectly 9 times

[@Exel3nce]

cant even remember that attack. he felt like an easy encounter....while isshin was a bitch

[@cloudshad0ws]

I was twitching in time to the parries lol... Beat Sekiro earlier this year, I think I might start NG+ very soon. This video is making me crave it.

[@KusunokiSG47]

My ring finger too still remember the sensation (I play with keyboard and mouse)

[@cyborgchicken3502]

@@Exel3nce Isshin was just plain ballz.... probably one of the hardest boss fights I ever experienced and even when I was able to get the time down for maybe the first two states, his third state always caught me off guard....I ended up defeating him by dashing in, taking a swipe and running away, slowly and tediously chipping away at his health bar for almost an hour to finally defeat him because al other methods were just failing me....double Ichimonji did help a lot as well.....as tough as it was, I don't regret not playing it at all, I think that's the beauty of the From Software games, they're tough as nails, they make you rage to no end, but when u do eventually succeed, the experience is unforgettable, it feels fulfilling

[@picaa]

me after beating chained ogre:

[@simranjitsingh1349]

How tf did you defeat that bast*rd please 😭 g

[@MORDKAu]

Newgame+ players after beating chained ogre:

[@Hellwaterva]

i fucking hate that boss

[@toasteroven7683]

How I feel after learning 1 of Lady Butterfly's attacks

[@AltasiaEdits]

Man I just beat it myself a few minutes ago lol

[@Sanjuaro]

You basically describe how I am with lockpicking. I started practicing it more than 10 years ago as a curiosity. It was a "wow, normal people can buy lockpicks?" moment. It wasn't until recent years when it really started to become a huge part of my life and who I am today. When you first start picking you probably have little to know idea what's going on. You probably have an idea of what tools you need, and where to put them, but when you put them into practice you just fumble around in a lock with no success. However there comes a moment when you start to feel it, like something clicks in your head and you start to realize little by little what's actually happening inside of the lock and what these sensations you're feeling in your hand through the pick your holding actually mean. It's after this moment that the lock you've been having so much trouble with before finally opens. You may struggle to get it open on every attempt, but you know that you *can* get it as long as you keep at it. I remember my first lock with security pins, and how excited I was when I finally conquered it, but that was nothing compared to opening my first Medeco. Now there's another layer to the whole thing. It isn't just about sticking a pick in the keyway and lifting the pins until they settle at the correct height. Now you have to learn a new skill and understand new sensations because these pins also need to be rotated into the correct orientation in order to allow the lock to open. Who does that? Who figures that stuff out? It's insane. But to my astonishment one day when teaching a class and mindlessly picking a Medeco cylinder I did it. I didn't quite understand how, but I did it. The following days I analyzed what I did, and soon enough I was able to reliably open it. There are more hills I conquered, like picking open a Mul-T-Lock Interactive. A different kind of beast thought up by an Israeli company that has *pins inside of pins* (like, who does that?!), but that's a comment for another video. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're ever even the slightest bit interested in picking locks, Mr. Geller, let me know. I'll be here.

[@LavaSaver]

How would you say someone should get into lockpicking? Is there a certain kind of lock you recommend, or specific beginner-friendly tools, or online resources?

[@CharlieKellyEsq]

Can you pick my sisters diary?

[@Sanjuaro]

@@CharlieKellyEsq No way, man. I don't want to risk getting cooties.

[@Sanjuaro]

@@LavaSaver Which pick manufacturer you choose can depend a lot on where you live, but I'm a big SouthOrd fanboy so I'll always recommend a SouthOrd C1500 to people starting out, it's also recommended you pick up some top of keyway tension wrenches, which you could get from a number of manufacturers like Sparrows, or if you live in a country with very limited availability even AliExpress has some that work fine if you search for "locksmith turner tool". As for locks you can't go wrong with a Master Lock 3, or really any basic lock. Hopefully one that isn't *too* small. Normally 40-50mm (a lot of manufacturers denote padlock size in the name of the lock. For example you can find one from Abus called the "72/40" the "72" is the model and the "40" is the size in mmm) are a good size for starting out so you can get a better idea of what you're feeling inside the lock. Feedback is key and you're going to be relying almost entirely on touch, though hearing what's going on in the lock doesn't hurt either. As for resources I completely recommend the r/lockpicking subreddit. A lot of great people there, including me that love helping newcomers. We've also got an extremely active Discord as well with lots of great resources for new and experienced pickers.

[@Girrrrrrrr]

*But that's a comment for LPL's next video. FTFY

[@elizabethkasner5799]

I sometimes feel weird about watching someone else play a game or reading about how they beat a difficult boss, but then i remember that my favorite part of games isnt always the problem solving, its the achievement of getting better, because watching a video or reading about someone else's experience does not magically impart those skills onto you, you still are the one that has to apply what you learned on a macro level, and you just kinda really hit the nail on this head with this one.

[@Grimmlocked]

I have the same relationship with spoilers. If knowing the ending of a story ruins the story it probably wasn't a very good story.

[@TheConfusled]

@@Grimmlocked I get that, honestly a story being "spoiled" can introduce a different kind of appreciation and experience. At its best, watching/playing/hearing media I've been "spoiled" on leads to a sense of awe towards the execution.

[@JamesV1]

@@Grimmlocked I agree, sometimes I enjoy reading about how a story will play out, especially in games, because I get to experience it for myself. I recently played through Nier automata and I had no issue being spoiled on the intricacies of that game because it all sounded very exciting to play for myself.

[@alaskaone]

​@@Grimmlocked it doesn't have to "ruin" it to still take away from the experience. Especially if the story is mystery-based.

[@bispeskov1123]

I feel the same way. However, by watching someone else succeed you can learn what success looks and sounds like. Lets say that the same 5 move combo messes you up, because every time you are able to parry one more move in the combo you meet a new one at a seemingly awkward time. Watching a person nail the parries lets you listen to the song of each combo, so you will be able to time your parries by remembering the tune of the clashing blades. It can improve your gameplay but i would suggest to just keep dying so you can learn the stuff on your own.

[@1stbadgamer389]

Bro. Calling each hit from your enemies “the instructions” is the most samurai shit I’ve ever heard.

[@Zakal2]

Well they do call it „Hesitation is defeat“ for a reason

[@LowIntSpecimen]

Doing this game charmless really did feel like a pursuit of perfection. Especially Isshin. I felt like I would never get past him. I think this game will always remain one of my favourites.

[@minecraftgravityguy]

Based.

[@cloudshad0ws]

Hesitation is Defeat.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

Gotta try that fr

[@sanjisins]

Jacob covering Sekiro is something I welcome greatly.

[@hugostiglitz491]

I don't

[@shinyary2]

@@hugostiglitz491 K.

[@hugostiglitz491]

@@shinyary2 I still watched

[@MissPoplarLeaf]

Same, I clicked immediately after seeing the thumbnail. I loved Sekiro and couldn't wait to hear Jacob's thoughts

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

I shouldn't have watched it. Damn, that horrible thing seems like the worst kind of torture and I will never understand how anyone would voluntarily inflicts this to themselves.

[@WeirdAndGeeky]

Hey, piano/music teacher and first time viewer here, just wanted to say how muchI loved the unexpected twist to the video. I had pretty much the opposite experience: learning how to actually practise, which happened pretty late in life, changed my experience of playing games, and I love playing "hard sword games" for what seems like the same reasons you do. In turn, this has changed how I feel about learning music I see as beyond my playing level. It's funny about learning to block all the attacks, it sounds exactly like when I suggest a student could see every note as important. Sometimes it's better to economise effort like in the fourth approach, sometimes it's best to really wrestle with it, as long as you're enjoying it it doesn't matter. Thanks for making this and I hope your playing brings you happiness.

[@maxono1465]

Could you recommend some resources where i can also learn about how to actually practice(music or in general)

[@WeirdAndGeeky]

@@maxono1465 hi! I don't have resources, so you might have to search for those if you want them. Here's some general advice: play, and whilst playing, listen out for things that you would like to be different the next time you play. Be as specific as possible: for instance, "I'd like these three notes to be easier to reach/louder", rather than "I want this bit to be better". Then, you can see what it takes you to achieve that by experimenting, and maybe if you find that your solution tends to be the same one for lots of different problems (like trying it through slowly a few times), you can start to form general rules, which we call technique, and then you'll form good instincts. Remember always that you and your body and your preferences and your ears might be similar to other people's, but they're always unique, so be wary of being told there's only one way to do something. Send me a message if you want to chat or get some more specific advice.

[@maxono1465]

@@WeirdAndGeeky thanks for the helpful tip! I will try out paying attention to the things i would like to be different and being as specific as possible, and see how that works for me.

[@WeirdAndGeeky]

@@maxono1465 Great, have fun! Be sure to stop and take a break if frustration takes over. A break can mean just jamming or stopping entirely - if you build good practising/learning instincts, you may even learn subconsciously during this time even when you don't intend to.

[@awesomenameisepic]

Every video you put out makes me cry. I also took piano lessons until I was 12, and despite having a keyboard in my room all this time it has been collecting dust for years. When you made that "cliche personal story segway" I felt it deep to my bones and I really think I will give it another go. You inspire me to engage with the art in my life to the fullest, and for that I thank you.

[@Katask0p0]

This whole channel is literally "cliche personal story segway". That's... why whe're here!

[@Exel3nce]

mhm sure, yet you will leave it in dust soon after, dont you worry

[@awesomenameisepic]

@@Exel3nce currently bound to sedentary activities because I got a knee surgery, so it just might stick :)

[@ronthorn3]

I did the same thing, I learned when i was like 9 and learned a few classics and then quit because a link to the past came out, god dammit. Lol

[@Exel3nce]

@@awesomenameisepic it might, but i doubt it VERY much^^

[@deschain1910]

The feeling of stuckness you talked about reminded me of when I was in college studying psychology. It was a surprising revelation to learn that in both humans and many animals, the emotion that generates a violent reaction most reliably is not anger, but frustration. That really stuck with me for some reason.

[@sepiasmith5065]

man, I feel that. I'm known to be someone who "never gets angry." And it's true that at least I have an extremely... minimal way of outwardly expressing anger, and sometimes I do wonder if I ever do genuinely feel that emotion. But I'll tell you what I do feel very strongly, albeit infrequently: frustration. And when I get particularly frustrated, that patience that normally comes so naturally to me, can sometimes shatter in a way that shocks myself. THAT is when I explode. That's when I've thrown things and stomped and screamed. Almost immediately it kind of implodes back in and I have a moment of "oh god yikes I don't like that" but still. It's a reminder that I am not infallible and endlessly patient. I'm human. And frustration is very very frustrating.

[@mir1999]

hihi, it "stuck" with you :D

[@FelisLeo_]

Frustration definitely gets that reaction from me more than anger or anything else. I think it's because on some deep, primal level frustration can feel like being trapped and provoke the same kind of desperate fight or flight response as being physically trapped and backed into a corner, except in that situation the inability to have a flight response leaves only the fight response.

[@AliKhan-mg3mj]

Sorry to ask but can I get a source for that? It seems really interesting and I need a reference for when I quote the fact

[@deschain1910]

@@AliKhan-mg3mj I appreciate you asking this question, because in attempting to answer I've found this to be a bit of a rabbit hole (which psychological topics often are unfortunately). I do not have a source on hand because I was simply recalling something from my days as a psychology student that was referenced in a textbook which would have had the sources, but I don't have that textbook anymore. This would have been from around 2010. So, in reaction to your request, I went to look for sources and found that the more detailed results found that in certain situations frustration reliably triggered aggression while in other situations it didn't. People now posit that it requires certain environmental triggers and may also be affected by culture. Look up the "frustration-aggression theory" if you want to learn more. I'm not sure how I feel about some of the objections I read, though. For example, one objection was how in some cultures insults or lack of respect more reliably triggered aggression, but I think it could be argued that what the aggressor in that situation is feeling is frustration at not getting the respect they believe they deserve. This can obviously get a little muddy, as a person could reasonably argue post hoc that any situation that involved aggression had frustration at the base of it. Then the question is, is that valid or just a rationalization? BUT, I would suggest that the average person probably becomes aggressive, including against inanimate objects, much more often from frustration than from any other emotion throughout their lives. Hitting vending machines that don't drop what was purchased, aggression caused by road rage (which clearly has frustration at the base of it), getting angry at technology that isn't working the way it's supposed to, etc. This observation is probably what sparked the frustration-aggression hypothesis in the first place. But definitely look up the theory and its history for more info.

[@timothymiller9067]

When you were describing the feeling of the brick wall becoming an old friend I was immediately reminded of my experience learning piano. Trying to get the timing right to perfect a song and the frustration and feeling of futility that comes with it is just like trying to memorize a boss's timing. When you brought piano up later in the video I was very happy to see it wasn't just me. Great video.

[@amaryllicious]

Absolutely blown away watching this and realizing that the outdoor recorded segments are plain as day recorded at a local park in my town. My place of work is literally less than a minute down the road from there. Jacob's probably come into my grocery store and somehow I'd never noticed. Crazy how small the world is sometimes.

[@Tuftorenix]

Just look for the man with rapidly fluctuating facial hair

[@jmaster2855]

Need to start a "Geller Watch" app that tracks elusive Jacob Geller sightings.

[@thelistener1268]

@@jmaster2855 Nah, let him live in peace.

[@viking8796]

@@thelistener1268 Agreed. Don't be weird guys.

[@str8swishing]

@@dthbdbsfgh maybe if you’re a massive weirdo

[@schazz3929]

Oh my god I’ve been playing the piano for more than ten years now, and also doing some fairly casual speedrunning. Every time I did one of these two things I couldn’t stop thinking about how they were similar. I am just very glad someone independently came up to the same conclusion :) (And that this someone is this guy I admire)

[@AdrianMark]

As a pianist and programmer, who has never played Sekiro but came here because of this strange attraction I feel when I watch Sekiro videos, I found this video completely enlightening. You have an amazing conversational style, and your thoughts are so lucid that I found myself feeling like I was reading a really good book. Thanks for making this.

[@keeferChiefer]

If u haven’t tried the game yet by now you should, just finished my first playthrough and immediately went to ng+ to do it all again lol

[@lucastm844]

my favourite part of each video is when Jacob brings up something seemingly completely unrelated, because you know you're in for some nice analysis. Fantastic as always

[@SOLO.SHAD0W-HAWK]

Yea, it's one of the best parts

[@itsm9818]

👍

[@iamnoimpact]

"Every individual piece of sheet music feels like the process of getting better in miniature," is an extraordinary examination at self-improvement. We can all copy/paste [Sheet Music] and put, in its stead, whatever Sisyphian climb we're engaging in, clawing and falling along the way, and we can find that maybe we need to stop seeking perfection, but seeking that confirmation and validation of "Getting Better In Miniature." Loved the way you put this, man. Thanks for helping me see the Screw instead of taking on the whole Motorcycle.

[@bensaylor9093]

I relate so deeply to this video. Not just returning to Sekiro over and again, but also trying to pursue perfection in my hobbies. I wish I could turn them into careers, but even if I never get to I'm still enjoying practicing all the time.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

If you're good enough at pretty much anything, you can live off it. There's people living off speedrunning Elden ring or doing yo yo tricks or speaking with a nice voice (ie singing). Don't give up, hesitation is defeat

[@financialstablility7196]

This is absolutely beautiful. I feel like Sekiro's message can be taken into account in real life situations (Like trying to cross a fallen log over a stream of deep water while stoned) and be used to conquer what you may not have thought you could. *"Hesitation Is Defeat"* -Isshin Ashina

[@aff77141]

Holy shit, exactly this. It's completely bizarre but just getting through the first several minibosses and Gyoubu especially has made me literally more confident as a person because I realized my overcaution is what's always made it hard for me to do things I'm fully capable of, I'm even finally trying to get into making art my career because of it

[@mdd4296]

Almost like the way our brain get familiar with doing something is mostly similar

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

The game literally throws you its ultimate weakness in the face. Hesitation Is Defeat. Once you truly understand that, it becomes so ridiculously easy. The fear you feel when something like Inner Genichiro just takes away 80% of your health with one swipe you've never seen before is what cripples you in the fight. But if you just stand there completely calm, not mashing buttons, either patiently waiting on the counter or aggressively pressing without any hesitation on what you should do, those fights become almost soothing. It's like you become a third person looking at them wondering how you ever struggled with it so much. It was always a factor in Soulsborne games, but even more so in Sekiro. They took away your dodge. They took away your heavy armors. They took away your health stat. Everything just blasts you to shreds in 1-3 hits, often right through your posture bar either by breaking it, or by thrusting or sweeping through it. The game completely forces that calm in you ironically by making you panic and suffering the consequences. It leaves you no option but to be perfect.

[@styno9295]

@@aff77141 woooo yeah baby, that's what we've been waiting for. I've also discovered that my overcaution also stops my growth in art..

[@modestestmouse4820]

The piano thing made me scream, because of how similar it was to my experience. I too have been playing the piano since a young age, and kept it up as I grew older. In 2020 I played and beat Pathologic 2, which was the toughest game I'd ever played at that point. It inspired me to learn 'Maple Leaf Rag' on the piano which I had wanted to learn for a while, but was too scared. And learning Maple Leaf Rag in turn gave me the courage to play Sekiro. Beating Sekiro was unironically one of the proudest moments in my life

[@ntp5358]

I've played multiple instruments, when I was younger, I of course quit all of them, one day I asked my parents if I could learn the e-guitar, I suck (most likely idk) but it's so fun to do

[@schippai3308]

Oh pathologic, the pains and anxiety of literally walking

[@B0ULLIE]

You reached the End of a Vicious Struggle. Well done.

[@omiddoesnotomit9320]

I love Pathologic 2, keep it up

[@daahorse1652]

I can relate so much that way of thinking of like “You can’t get help from other people, do it yourself because it won’t make victory feel earned.” For me personally, I always relied on practicing for hours playing a fighting game but also looking up videos to see what I should be doing or learn new techniques to get better and incorporate it in my play style. Unfortunately for me I had friends that did not rely on outside sources for help and they kept doing trial and error just so that they find out themselves. I remember a time where I have played Smash Bros with them and they were pretty bashful of my play style saying that I was too much of a sweat and that I shouldn’t play to win. I even told them that I got better playing the game by practicing or just looking up combos or techniques that I can do. They told me that I shouldn’t do that and that “you shouldn’t look up people playing the game for you and then learn because what’s the point on playing the game if you’re not gonna do it yourself?” Needless to say my way of thinking was considered wrong from others’ perspectives but the way that I went about it has given me the ability to be patient, careful, and very acute to small details because I actually put the work in. I’m proud of myself for that and I’m happy that I have that patience and everything. I wanna play Sekiro now!

[@dereklewis8914]

I feel your pain. I still only learn how to play one or two characters per fighting game. Then I can play with my friends by never picking them. My friends were like that with skateboarding, too. Half the time my ollies turn out as pop shove its, but whenever I asked for help or even simple tips everyone just said "figure it out yourself." Then I discovered guitar tabs learned guitar instead.

[@akmhd]

I played Sekiro and the inner gamer in me didn't want to admit defeating one of the hardest bosses of the game in just 2 tries just because I watched someone else fight the boss about 20-30 times online.

[@iamerror]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a formative book for me in high school, and Sekiro was a formative game in my career as a graduate student, so this is like a perfect video just for me. Thanks for that ❤ EDIT: AND I STARTED TAKING PIANO LESSONS LAST YEAR

[@weedy517]

Geller's drive for things like this makes me think he'd be a perfect fit for speedruns.

[@sunbleachedangel]

Somehow I feel the opposite

[@altf4755]

@@sunbleachedangel Yeah lol he would be gushing over the details

[@weedy517]

@@sunbleachedangel In terms of "following instructions to the point of mastery" I feel that it relates in a very similar way. I could see him getting lost in the nuance of it all and making a video about it instead too.

[@meloolelo]

i think hitless runs would fit him more imo

[@tomdrawsstuffs6092]

Jacob doing an essay on speedruns sounds fun

[@remlezar2693]

You found exactly why I'm in love with playing the guitar. Not for the sake of one day becoming a renowned musician. It's to chase that high of succeeding at something that felt impossible before. One of the reasons I absolutely adore souls games

[@fox3.14]

your channel is basically the opposite of "dumbing things down" you take a relatively simple concept and explore every angle. its really interesting and entertaining

[@KethEx09]

So, I’m a musician. Or at least a part of me still is. I’ve lost that piece of me that wants to hear the pretty notes I made. But hearing your story about how you learned to love practice again gives me hope that one day I too can find that passion again. Thank you for your hard work. It never goes unnoticed or unappreciated. You brighten my day every time you upload.

[@strawbebbiejam]

i hear you :')

[@scottjs5207]

As someone who loved sketching, I can relate to losing that passion for an art you loved. Hopefully we both find that joy we used to have once again.

[@kartikayysola]

Tell me something, how does playing your instrument make you feel? Not the music you make, but rather the act of playing itself, whatever it may be.

[@t0ss]

If you haven’t read it, Twentieth Century Harmony really inspired me to play again. Great look at writing, thinking about, and describing composition and music

[@maxleveladventures]

For me, it isn't music, it's digital art. That is the thing which gives me the most creative joy when I'm doing it, but it is still very difficult to convince myself to begin each session. The one tool that has helped me most is a daily journal. It asks only a few minutes of me to dump my thoughts and make even the smallest actionable plan. And it works. After writing a little, I just get started. I have off days, but the daily journal still helps me more than anything else ever has with staying-not motivated, but-progressing.

[@CeleriaRosencroix]

I burst into tears upon hearing about your return to piano. Truly, I applaud you for the beauty of your epiphany.

[@ultramarroonvortex681]

Jacob Geller is making some of, if not the, best and most thoughtful content on KZbin right now. Never before have I see someone able to gather all of these sources and put them together to create a masterpiece. It's like cutting up pieces of other great art and making a modern-day Mona Lisa. Truly greater than the sum of it's parts.

[@ilyan.v]

yes, i love that part where he says "I am Geller Jacob, the modern-Mona Lisa maker, art pieces transformer." Gives me goosebumps everytime. Truly one of the artists of all time.

[@ultramarroonvortex681]

@@ilyan.v Personally, I admire the part where he says "I am Jacob Geller" and then Jacob Gellers all over the room.

[@mf--]

Learning through instructions has a deep resistance for some people. Witch Hat Atelier has a moment when a character learning a type of hand drawn glyph magic learns that even when studying the work of others, the art is always the artist's art. She resisted studying by copying because she only wanted to draw what she wanted. She thought that was the only to make marks that were her own. When she realizes how quickly the main character learned through copying and using unique implementation for her needs, she realizes how much growth she missed out on. This resonated with me profoundly and I started doing master studies of artists that I admire.

[@FelisImpurrator]

I looked it up because that sounds interesting, but I was under the impression that that character's story was less about not wanting to follow instructions, and more about the insecurity artists often feel as a result of overly draconian standards of what construes plagiarism. The idea that art (and really, anything) must necessarily be some kind of perfectly whole-cloth expression of the artist's untouched individual creativity is so pervasive now that people fail to realize the real issue that defines plagiarism - not the act of reference, but rather the absence of attribution. I think a lot of this is owed to the way private ownership as a concept has been reified and extended into near-permanent exclusivity under the current state of capitalism. The idea that the pursuits of knowledge and expression are fundamentally commodified, competitive endeavors has led to the formation of the myth of originality - a notion that ideas should be subjected to sole ownership for commercial exploitation. It can stack up into a sort of Randian egocentrism around a mythologized "auteur" that forgets the point of art entirely - and neglects its fundamental history, which is rooted in sharing and exchanging ideas. Art is always a conversation, between everyone who has come before and everyone who will come after, and I think people forget that in their fixation on "originality" - what makes it plagiarism is the act of silencing those other voices, not listening to them. If you're referring to the blue-haired girl I might be talking about something completely different though, to be fair.

[@mf--]

@@FelisImpurrator I was talking about Riche, the blue haired girl, and this plot point happens between Vol 4 and 5. By copying, I meant "here is the solution, draw the solution" or "here are the fundamentals to practice, draw these a bunch of times." Rochette focused on what she wanted to do so much that she avoided / feared the fundamentals of learning and was showing little improvement. There was definitely something in there about overwhelming teachers not explaining the purpose of the practice or learning points. I do not recall a section related to plagiarism.

[@FelisImpurrator]

@@mf-- Plagiarism is apparently the main driving force of Agott's character, and Riche has a particular reason for refusing to learn from others for a while that has to do with her backstory, apparently. At least that's what the wiki entry says.

[@jwwwun]

The last time I heard of Witch Hat Atelier was from a analytical youtuber named "lines in motion." One thing in this analysis stuck out to me though: that manga is read with a certain rhythm: “Go to the left, to the left, to the left, then, when you read the edge of the page, go down" and repeat until the next page. According to lines in motion, this is a quote from Araki, the creator of JOJO, page 185 in his 2015 book "Manga In Theory And Practice." I realized this is similar to what people mean when Sekiro is a rhythm game. The bosses that control the timings, the metaphorical instructions you have to parry, jump, and mikiri counter to, have variation in attack patterns. Similarly in the analysis of Witch Hat Atelier, techniques like shape design, perspective, and overlapping create variation in pacing. And sometimes, the panels behave beyond what the reader thought was the boundary to emphasize an emotion, like one's reality shattering apart, like seeing the Great Ape get up after you thought it died to prevent readers from becoming bored. It seems Riche wants to do the same, create unique things and break familiarity from other artists since it's more interesting. But you have to throw these "curveballs without abandoning the fundamentals" as Araki said. When I first played Sekiro I thought the game was all luck, most especially when I got to the skill check, Genichiro, because I never wanted to learn how the fundamental mechanic, parrying, works. I basically was using the dodge button a lot like it was dark souls, thinking it reliably gives me s. My experience was similar to Riche, I didn't bother to learn what the game was telling me, but it's partly because the loading screens or the undead training guy at Dilapidated Temple don't emphasize parrying enough. 2 years later only by watching people like ONGBAL, Sekijo, LilAggy did I fully understand that parries were the way to go. I even followed a blender guide to make a character mod for myself to replace wolf with Umi Sonoda, a mature and level-headed character, to remind myself of these values and stay calm -but also because pretty woman make brain happy- I don't know a lot about manga or comics in general but I was surprised seeing Witch Hat Atelier here, I like to see how all arts are connected.

[@kunaldebbarma8086]

Perfect parrying Genichiro's floating passage and the stand off eye contact bw Sekiro and him after that as they both recover their breath is hands down the most badass and satisfying moment i have ever witnessed in a game , just pure orgasm

[@hansdeutscher2441]

Damn this hit hard as hell... I used to play piano everyday got my conservatory. I tore trough music festivals winning many scholarships, I had my sights set high. Myself and my dad scrinped and saved so I could go to university. Then suddenly halfway through grade 11. All we built up, all I built up vanished the same day my mom finalized the purchase of her new house. It demoralized but I was determined I'd go to my local college. A month later the music program got axed. I got depressed, I got cynical and It got to the point where I couldn't play. I just couldn't stand it in my heart. Now after 4 years I look at my dusty piano wanting play but I've become fearful of the beast. Maybe one day, please God someday... Anyway I beat Sekiro.

[@KusunokiSG47]

Won't lie, music is other different beast than any hard games Sekiro, Souls series, any games at "impossible" difficulty I want to tell you too that I left my guitar full of dust... Maybe someday as well, friend...

[@sierrrrrrrra]

I hope you can one day find joy in your old friend, piano. I understand that sometimes, you just can't play though. Cheers :)

[@sierrrrrrrra]

@James Black I wish I could go to a medical professional for the administration of psychadelics as a treatment for my depression. Idk if I would be right for it, because I have a lot of paranoia and might be susceptible to a bad trip, but I've tried so many pharmaceuticals at this point I want to try anything with promise so I can become more healthy and productive as a human being

[@piotr78]

@@sierrrrrrrra I'm in the exact same position. Too prone to paranoia to dare to try it by myself. Even space cake can send me on a trip to hell

[@bielknife]

I love when this man uses his ability to write poetical sentence about the human experience to talk about video games, it lights up my soul

[@AceWolf456]

Imagine, if you will, seeing a brief glimpse of a video on a friend's discord stream called "The shape of Infinity", while putting together a small Minecraft Mod pack for like 6 people. Finding the video, watching it while playing, and then for the next few days on and off watching more of that person's videos. You have a realistic (for Minecraft standards) shader pack on and everything looks beautiful. Then for a minute you're in game, on a beach, watching the sun rise, as you listen to someone talk about the pursuit of perfection and how they connect to art through the total understanding of the art. It hits you how pretty everything looks, and you're having the reverse of an existential crisis. I can't even fathom what that would be called, but suddenly something makes sense. You're not sure what, but you feel it, something clicked, and you feel peace looking out over the ocean at sunrise on a new day.

[@Lambda_Ovine]

in my opinion, doing anything for the sake of the art itself is the highest form of motivation one can have

[@sauceman2saucyboogaloo530]

;)

[@noshutup6617]

@@sauceman2saucyboogaloo530 ;)

[@BoolyK]

I'm gay

[@charlielmoa]

ROACH DOGG!!!

[@jaredellison326]

Burma Shave

[@fyfeierockerzuu]

Whenever im writing an essay for my uni, i always read it back using your voice. If it sounds interesting then it usually is due in part to how high quality and well structured your video essays are. Your writing flow lives in my head and im very grateful for it so thank you ❤

[@datengugod]

I really appreciate this, multi comparison really helps me grasp philosophical ideas. the stripped screw dilemma is great.

[@marinperkovic2117]

When you said "I should play piano again," my heart ripped in half. I've been trying to work through my music school trauma for a while now, but to hear you pulling that one out of nowhere felt like a knife pulled out from my gut, equal parts painful and validating; I could barely hear the rest of the video. I don't think I'll be able to rewatch this one late at night, like I do with all your others. Thank you.

[@alexroy5854]

Hopefully you can get through the trauma enough to have fun with music again! :) You can do this (Edit for spelling)

[@ayneeldesu2221]

My day is always improved by 100% after Jacob uploads a video.

[@ramblingnonsense8030]

The unstuck feeling pervaded my very essence during Colloseum of Fools. Realising safe spots to heal, which enemies to kill in what order, why changing my charms up significantly could help for specific sections. It was a great feeling!

[@lillonerboi504]

“Mayoeba yabureru” “Hesitation is defeat” -Isshin, The Sword Saint

[@PianoIsArt]

It's so oddly fulfilling seeing jacob basically recall my thoughts about piano feeling like sekiro

[@phantaminum630]

"The brick wall of difficulty won't be limiting. It will be liberating" - Jacob Geller, 28/11/22 That's exactly how i felt. The combat in this game is a masterpiece.

[@anomalousbird]

zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance as a book really hits different and kind of falls flat when you're disabled and you spend the whole book watching the man ignore that his son is clearly struggling with *something* and pushing him to keep going even though its unpleasant rather than pausing to help figure out the issue. it's incredibly interesting to hear what jacob got out of the book and it works so well for discussions of sekiro and similar games. it really shines a new light on that part of the book. i can't help thinking though about the man who's son was stuck, and instead of pausing to think the issue through step by step, he stripped the screw

[@anshulkandpal2384]

Wow, I never knew that. What was the actual situation with his son? And how was the father unfairly pushing him?

[@crishealingvtuber8626]

yepyep

[@mxnevermind]

...you have just given me a startling amount of catharsis for a very specific childhood trauma. appreciate it

[@killerbee.13]

I liked ZAMM most when I was in the middle of it. The beginning was a bit slow and the end kind of lost me. It seemed like the themes of the book got undermined by the ending of it and the whole thing felt a bit nihilistic. It definitely left an impact on me but at the same time I've never actually recommended anyone else I know read it. And it's been a long time now since I read it so I've forgotten a lot of it.

[@anomalousbird]

@@anshulkandpal2384 It's been a few years since I read the book so I can't give specifics, but in the book he mentions a few times that his son complained of upset stomachs and not feeling great when they would wake up in the morning and he wrote it off each time as he wrote about it. As someone with similar symptoms for half my life, it really bugged me and he really should have at least talked with his son about it

[@minilabyrinth]

I went through all of this fighting Malenia in Elden Ring. Over the course of 16 hours and 2 days, I got so intimate with her every moveset and animation that by the end I was achieving no-hit runs of her with the game's slowest weapon and nothing else. It feels so good to say I have mastered her waterfowl dance move and can dodge through all 3 of its flurry phases with like a 95% success rate

[@Exel3nce]

god, what a terrible boss. elden ring truly is a downstep

[@rigby8701]

@@Exel3nce no it isn't

[@clover7726]

@@Exel3nce Shes one of the best bosses in all of souls, but shes optional for a reason.

[@vermilion1803]

@@clover7726 it's far from being one of the best, abismally unfair moves + life steal?💀💀💀

[@piotr78]

@@rigby8701 Sekiro is undeniable a better designed game. It's almost flawless in its execution. Not to say one is more fun than the other, that's up to the player

[@adrianguerrero2949]

Ah, my favorite way of doing things." Do, dont think. Just do. " Not because it's easy to do, but because when it happens, it's a beautiful thing

[@Ixarus6713]

I think anyone gets the same urge to perfect their performance. I've always wanted to be perfect-parry good. "The best gamer out there" And I'm working towards that, I've been playing Elden Ring and I'm definitely better than I was before I started. I realised when I was a little older that (obviously) I can't be perfect and I can only strive to do my best. I DO want to make art, I want to create games and show people just how much better things can be, I think my creativity really sparks when it comes to writing and games, so it's interesting to see this from another perspective. I used to beat myself up when I sucked at things and I still do suck (seriously I'm pretty sure I'm a terrible gamer) but I don't need to be good, I just need to do my best. Ultimately my goal is to make art that makes others realise this about themselves. Thank you for another masterpiece Jacob, this is my favourite video of yours yet, I might still suck at parrying, I might still ignore blocking and occasionally dodging, but I'm getting better. And there's always tomorrow.

[@commonviewer2488]

When there's something you love to improve at, you seek perfection, and it feels amazing when you can see the progress you've made.

[@CrazyGamebino]

definitely i can go back to ds3 with my farron greatsword and solo almost all the major bosses and i played the game more than a dozen times to completion and after getting rid of the rust i could go for a hitless run if i tried

[@Medicalguy]

I started Physician Assistant school 11 months ago and could barely properly introduce myself to patients, and now I am confidently diagnosing conditions and carrying out physical exams without fear or lack of confidence. It's tear jerking to think about because of the immense stress that came over me when I would humiliate myself in front of my preceptor in the first months.

[@nixien1496]

It's an interesting element in ourselves. I've recently started playing rythem games so I definitely relate. There is another sabotaging voice within that you confront when you start getting good... like actually good at something. I also do art and I encounter this with my drawing. When your really bad at something there is almost something innocently wonderful about it, "I just want to be good you know." so you train and train... and slowly you go from begin terrible to bad, to nothing special and eventually your good, or even very good. You start to wow your friends. But funnily enough that frustration remains no matter what you do. Before you felt you weren't good so you needed to be better but eventually your frustrated that your not "Good enough." even when you've become a master.

[@aaronjablonski]

This gotta be one of the most relevant videos the algorithm ever pushed my direction wtf. I came here being stuck in Sekiro having picked up the game just a few days ago. Being a gamer and piano player myself I was surprised by your twist at the end lol, synchronicity!

[@zacharynewcomb6382]

Love when we jump from chaotic gaming montages and a lecture, into a brief nature walk+academic monologue.

[@Scapeh]

The thought of "connecting oneself to someone else's art at the highest possible level" feels like love in it's purest form. Art can be, in many ways, the baring of a soul. To connect with that soul deeply, thoroughly, is to love it completely, for everything that it is, as it exists. Often, one does not take the time and the labour to know something so intimately if they do not, in some way, do so out of love.

[@tastytetrahedron2976]

"There's this stink...", and then the ape throws poop. Also, loving the gymnopedie background music. Great video and great topic.

[@fionncogan178]

As a musician I really enjoyed this. I was constantly reminded of my own experiences practicing my instrument in the first half

[@DizzyEyes94]

16:50 hit me like a brick wall. I love the arc of this video and teared up at the thought of this video game inspiring you to pursue a musical endeavor after 15 years. Love it.

[@zzedixx]

I started playing piano last year after four years of not playing. For me as well, the reason I started playing piano again was video games. I saw Stoh Shiba's piano arrangement of Hornet's theme from Hollow Knight, and loved it. It inspired me to start playing piano again, and now piano is my passion. I enjoy learning to play the piano much, much more than anything else, and I spend as much time on the piano as I can. I even started composing a piece, and it feels amazing when I write something that I like. I recommend everyone to try learning an instrument. If you enjoy it, that's amazing, keep going. If not, that's absolutely fine. Don't feel forced to do something you don't enjoy. Also apparently I've been improving way faster than the average person, so that's another motivation booster for me lol

[@sandmanenters4187]

This video is really inspiring man. This is what got me to try Sekiro, and to keep playing after dying so many times to that first mini boss. I am loving it and it's changing my mindset and improving my mood. Thank you.

[@Casual_PKBeats]

The way you tied this video into the process of picking up piano again was insanely inspiring. I've never really been into these types of games, the "spend hours to get insanely good in order to beat it" typed games, but I have ALWAYS been a huge fan of that feeling, the feeling of getting better at SOMETHING, gradually throughout the days, and I think you portrayed that feeling very well here. Even if I don't care to use that feeling for games anymore (usually), I certainly used to, and it's the type of drive that I think really gets people to do insanely cool things. (Big fan of speedruns, and that's basically THE form of that mentality) I was a HUGE fan of how you pointed out that getting assistance or looking things up is actually the NORM for learning new things, and I think this really struck a chord for me too. When tackling these types of games, people always talk about how it's a personal struggle that they unravel all by themselves, no help, no nothin', hurrah! I mean, that's all well and good too, for them, but to me, the process of learning has never been about that hopeless struggle within myself, by myself, but rather has always been about learning from those who've come before me, to optimize my learning in respect of my limited time and energy, and getting the truly best outcomes I believe I can get from that time and energy. So I really appreciate that you mentioned that in relation to these types of games. Excellent video, as always! Good luck with the piano grind

[@BossFightDatabase]

Hey that's me! 12:31 😊

[@JacobGeller]

I've used you as a resource countless times!

[@blackasthesky]

Beautiful! I was thinking "sounds like learning to play an instrument" the whole time, and there it is, lol.

[@slugrancher]

It is an understatement to say that you are my favorite creator on the internet. In an online world full of sarcasm and satire, this channel provides a much needed dose of sincerity, mystery, and discovery that I always find myself coming back to, and I can't thank you enough for that.

[@H3Wbris]

I appreciate how you likened the fights to performing in an orchestra, because the way tend to explain the experience of beating some of the harder bosses is like dancing; you become so intimately familiar with their choreography that it just becomes this perfect flow of attack, deflect, attack, jump, attack, deflect... deathblow! I found I experienced this most strongly in the fights with Genichiro, Isshin the Sword Saint, & the Demon of Hatred.

[@Yeti_Boop]

In Zen we typically try to set aside the idea of perfection or "gaining" anything. Instead, you do what needs to be done in the moment, one thing at a time. However, that obviously leads to good results. But the point is, don't worry about results. They come in their own time. Just do what you're doing with your entire heart because it's what the moment calls for.

[@gentlehoovy5555]

Heya Jacob, great video as always! I just wanted to point out something that you reminded me of in this video. When you beat the game Furi (you included some music from it in this essay!), on its highest difficulty, the devs leave a message for you post credits, thanking you for fully engaging with the game as if it were a musical instrument. Beating Furi and eventually 100%ing the achievements is also what pushed me back into playing the saxophone again, so we're similar in that regard. If you haven't played furi (or have and haven't touched furier difficulty yet, i'd highly recommend it.

[@JacobGeller]

I've done both! Incredibly good game.

[@vogunBurgundy]

I can't believe the impersonation bots have started replying to literally the exact people they're impersonating. That's not even properly obnoxious anymore, it's just _funny._

[@arcanealchemist3190]

beating Fury on furier was a significant turning point in my life. that game shaped the way I handle challenges, and my anger. and it was the first time i connected like that with someone's art. it's an experience that's hard to describe. and people who don't play video games, or only on a very casual basis, just don't understand it. its...frustrating.

[@mastematt]

Man its so validating to see you have the same inspiration I felt after finishing bloodborne. I too thought after i beat the Orphan of Kos, "Man if I can do this, maybe i should try learning guitar again." 2 years later and im so happy I did. I never broke through the wall of Sekiro, but after learning bar chords on guitar, and being inspired by you, Im thinking of going back and trying Sekiro again. Great video as always Jacob!

[@smalljh04]

It's potentially an infinite eploitable loop of motivation. "I learned guitar, I can definitely beat Sekiro", "I beat Sekiro, I can definitely learn French", "I learned French, I can definitely carve a statue" etc ad infinitum. Good luck with Sekiro, and whatever may come after.

[@Jewels456]

I love how this video wen from a video for a game, to a literal life altering lesson. And the last little bit about you learning piano was amazing. Sekiro really is a rhythm game.

[@F-aber]

Ive just discovered Sekiro earlier this year for me as one of my favorite games of all time and you making a video about it is just perfection

[@maxz7775]

It absolutely did not surprise that Jacob would play the song from Arrival: "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter. It is such an emotive and personal song and is inextricably linked to the grand themes of the movie because of how it plays through the reveals at the climax of how time is subjective for the narrator and the song feels like a palindrome like the narrator's daughter's name: Hannah. What an excellent choice of music, Jacob as always makes the world a better place with his artistry.

[@glowerworm]

Tone down the "I'm 14 and this is deep" just a tad, dude. Video games and pretentious language do not mix.

[@d3vitron779]

@@glowerworm wow you’re so cool. 😂

[@siriusql]

For me, on the nature of daylight is from MAx richter, which then reminds me of "The Leftovers" and how freakinglishly and violently emotional this serie was. I think you can only feel it truely if you've lost someone dear. But if you like The Arrival (which is one of my fav movie btw) then I'd suggest you check The leftovers, if you don't have already

[@aronalsaker6102]

@@glowerworm What a weird thing to comment under a Jacob Geller video.

[@glowerworm]

@@aronalsaker6102 yeah fair enough. I've tried more than ten times to watch a Jacob Gellar video, including this one today, but I always give up. I'd rather have Action Button for a person relating video games to real life, or Joseph Anderson for someone talking just about their opinion of a game. Jacob Gellar definitely has a target audience which isn't me. I don't know why I keep trying.

[@defwind5374]

I just got this game after 38 days on elden ring. This type of gameplay is refreshing and thank you for giving me an understanding on how to succeed besides grinding up my levels!

[@sterlinghuntington6109]

Jacob, at first I though this was a clever excuse to show off those 9 perfect parries. However, the vulnerable piano segment tied it together, perfectly fitting your message of progression through sustained application of effort. Also, as someone who's both read Persig's book and play piano, you've inspired me to play Sekiro lol

[@jessevousten5057]

Yooo that denim jacket looks really good. And the thing you said about connecting yourself to someone else's art at the highest level resonated with me so much. I love it when people put weird specific feelings into words and you did just that. Now I have an answer for when my creative friends ask me why I don't really draw or make movies but love watching and dissecting them so much. Thank you for that.

[@samsoneffect]

Coming back to this having gotten into Sekiro now and on another video Jacob says something like 'All action games are rhythm games' and I phrased my understanding and improvement in Sekiro to my brother as 'hearing the music.' Sekiro is a rhythm game. You just need to hear the music through the noise.

[@samsoneffect]

(That's just paraphrasing Jacob talking about Hi-Fi Rush)

[@Darleer]

Jacob, your writing has constantly amazed me. In the years that I have watched your videos, I have grown as a writer myself and I sometimes find myself outgrown from certain styles of essays, games, and just stories in general. But not yours. Your own growth as a writer and a thinker is such a satisfying thing to experience every month on here. If the world doesn't fall apart, I hope it'll never stop

[@TylerJMacDonald]

We are so close to him talking about fighting games 💪 a genre I never liked until being handheld into it by a friend last year. A lot of the points he brings up, especially stuckness, apply.

[@ninjakiller78]

I wasn’t expecting a philosophical discussion on stuckness but wow did it changed my perspective 😮

[@Nefi424]

Playing Furi and Katana Zero music while talking about "difficult sword games" was extremely fitting. As expected by another wonderful essay by Jacob.

[@cheese_buns]

Can you please tell which track is being played at 18:10

[@TheAwkwardSeven]

Everything you said about the feeling of wanting to inch ever closer to perfection and chasing the feeling of effortlessly mastering a work of art is so TRUE and I’m so glad you put it into words for me because I’ve felt that so many times

[@hexagonshorts2186]

That "wall becomes friend" was so fukin beautiful to hear. I literally forgot the whole video and started reminiscing my past while you were saying about it.

[@mercurydrive9720]

When I was struggling against one of the centipede man bosses early in my Sekiro playthrough, a friend told me that Sekiro is actually a rhythm game, and the bosses are there to show you the rhythm. This made it a lot easier.

[@juanesquivel-ts7qs]

This is the only game that made me feel “the one”, when i beat a boss that slapped me around for 30 attempts I felt like Neo putting his hand up and stopping bullets in the matrix

[@larsnyman2455]

Which boss was it for you?

[@juanesquivel-ts7qs]

At first it was genichiro, completely had a deer in the headlights moment, literally felt like an armature against a master. Then i broke it down to a science and muscle memory and now he’s a wash every time. After him no boss was as hard as that first hurdle, then i hit isshin. There was no cheese, no tool that beats him, no snap seed fist full of ash combo, it was just like his grandson i had to bite down and grind out three days of fighting him down to a science

[@comictitan4509]

16:32 I love how you compare a duel to music. It is very, very common for masterful, skilled sword fights to be described as a form of "deadly dancing," and each strike happening to the tune of the music is a perfect analogy.

[@obamabiden]

the sound design of sekiro during fights is so great, i realised during the genichiro fight i would realise i was barely looking at the screen during combos, and that i couldn't fight him properly in silence (i had done most of my "learning" his moves with my brother in the room) it really is the world's least obvious music game maybe i will try and learn to play music again too one day

[@ctographerm3285]

Sekiro is a Rhythm game

[@camelkong]

I love watching videos of other people doing well to show me what I need to do, but also, I think my favorite part of that is the transition from "Whoa! You want me to do what??? There's no way." to "Holy hell how did I manage to do that???" Great video as always, I'll have to get around to Sekiro at some point.

[@pleasegoawaydude]

I've never known what that's like. I'm glad you have that experience, please cherish it

[@thriayehm]

19:10 Recognized 'On the Nature of Daylight' just from those two first chords, you did a great job playing it, keep it up!

[@tyleredge5349]

The watching someone else play is the way for me. I spent more time on Genishiro than any boss I've ever fought in any game. I gave up countless times for months at a time. After like 10 hours of watching someone play and trying myself I finally got it. I still haven't beaten the game but I took that same method and beat the guardian ape on my third try. I'm at owl now kinda stuck again but I know that if I do the same method I'll overcome that in time as well. Those boss experiences are always gonna be in my all time most memorable. This was an excellent video.

[@kreatyboy]

You can do it! It took me 67 straight tries to beat the Demon of Hatred. Even the hardest boss in the game can't beat me 68 times in row.

[@TheGlooga]

alternate universe where the mid video pivot is jacob getting really into osu

[@matsakix1180]

Man what a video, This is something that I honestly needed. Lately I have been feeling that and I was stuck on the brazing bull fight for like 4 years. Seeing that you played piano makes me want to learn sekiro more and get back more playing the guitar. Thank you for that and keep making videos

[@sobinir7933]

Mr. Geller makes some of, if not *the all time* most thought provoking and cathartic content I personally have ever let wash over me on the platform. Every video is a joy to watch and each topic enthralls me completely regardless of whether I have previously pondered it before or am just discovering it's existence thanks to the channel. It is a clearly and exceptionally honed skill that is on display with these essays and I thank everyone involved in the process of their production for bringing them into the world.

[@madtissue3893]

man i loved jacob's jacket, it even has a bridges stamp, i loved that game

[@imjemal]

I think that was one of the single greatest introductions to a youtube video i've ever been pleasured enough to watch.

[@wpk914]

My dad got me a copy of “Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” for Christmas one year, and despite unfortunately losing it years ago, the section on being Stuck is what sticks with me the most. Seeing it in this video applied to tough games as I do really did warm my heart

[@AdmiralButtermuffins]

i have no idea what most of the games geller talks about are but i still find myself enthralled by them

[@PikaGasMask]

skill issue

[@burninsherman1037]

I've watched one of my friends play sekiro enough to get this one. Played it a few times while we were hanging out, but mostly just watched to admire the beauty of the world and character animation.

[@FinickyVoid]

I thought I was the only pervert doing this! Hello fellow pervert.

[@dopey473]

He has talked about anything and everything. Do you just, not play games besides Fallout?

[@Aion1os]

Sekiro is actually one of the most mainstream and modern games he's talked about in awhile

[@whiteboyramen]

This is such a beautiful example of persistence and personal growth. I am so glad I found this video. It is beautiful.

[@Kino280]

God, I want a Sekiro 2.

[@eddieb1995]

There's a guy fighting Isshin and uploading it every day until Sekiro 2 comes out. Madlad is gonna be at it for a while.

[@Humanjobec24567]

Oh? So you want to spread dragonrot to the whole world?

[@longphan7656]

@@Humanjobec24567 whatever the sacrifice