The Dark Side of Pikmin 😈

Beyond its whimsical exterior, the Pikmin series packs a lot of thematic punches. Once you start digging, there's seemingly no end to the many dark implications one might draw. And I'm not talking of the post-apocalypse variety here! Hugs and kisses, love you. Enjoy, babe!
00:00 Opening
03:21 Resources & Exploitation
11:45 Capitalism: Unleashed
27:35 Emerging Humanity
45:09 The Proto-Apocalypse
1:06:09 Epilogue
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#pikmin #pikmin1 #pikmin2 #pikmin3 #pikmin4 #nintendo #olimar #nintendoswitch #explained #videoessay
BONUS MEME:
Pikmin, Pikmin, Pikmin, eat up, my children. While we may have mentioned most Pikmin games in this video, we didn't bring up Pikmin Finder because we didn't find it relevant, but most crucially we never mentioned Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard, a game that is practically Pikmin in all but name. We certainly could've discussed it in relationship to vampire's and cruise ships, but the video was starting to get a bit long so we neglected it. Our friend Nichtschwert also brought up Overlord, where you have goblins instead of Pikmin. It seems the Piklike genre is overflowing! We're Pikmin'd out now, though. I don't wanna talk about Pikmin anymore, sorry. Have fun, friends. If you see this, write a comment that includes the word "breadbug". Bye!

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you for watching! If you liked this video please consider supporting us on www.patreon.com/transparens. By doing so you get access to our Discord, Audio Companions for every new video as well as your name in the credits. Have a good one! 💕

[@scribbleslol1566]

Can you talk about how the president was GOING TO DIE IF THE DEBT WASN'T PAID and doesn't ACTUALLY run the business, but HIS WIFE does and DOESN'T LET HIM COME BACK UNLESS HE GETS EVERY TREASURE.

[@Transparencyboo]

@@scribbleslol1566 I mean I guess that's what happens when you get a loan from actual loan sharks that have the "loan shark" part in their name, haha. Like, this mistake does not give him the right to send Olimar and Louie to the Pikmin planet to solve this whole mess. In fact, he sends them BEFORE he gets that loan from the loan sharks that will kill him. So if we want to be pedantic he will not be killed for not paying the debt, but rather the bad loan that he took out. It doesn't change the fact that he indeed does send them back there again and again despite having repaid the debt. Clearly, the debt part is not the most important thing here. His wife sure is a bad person too (maybe he should just divorce honestly), but I don't think that changes much of what is going on here - as in him treating his workers terribly and sending them out to a death planet to solve his issues. Also, his wife is not the president of the company - he is. She does indeed state that she is the "REAL boss" in one email, but that's only in jest. He is clearly just being pushed around by his wife who sees herself as the one doing all the work around there. But even if she was, we have to acknowledge that your asshole boss might be standing under someone else, but that surely doesn't make him less of an asshole boss.

[@scribbleslol1566]

@@Transparencyboo yeah dat tru

[@SKIN121]

With the capitalist Angle, what Louie wanted most was to be free from the capitalist cogs. He says the Pikmin planet offers everything he could ever want (yummy bugs). He has found true happiness out side of the system yet we always fight him to not escape what brings him down.

[@Transparencyboo]

Yes, especially in Pikmin 4. He just wants to be left alone in the wilderness outside of the capitalist systems, yet we force him back against his will.

[@Net_15]

I did not expect a Kirby 64 Queen Ripple pfp in this video but thats a pleasant surprise

[@FrokenKeke]

Can't believe Alicia actually walked outside.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

Green screen

[@psychic-paranoia8020]

I'm scared

[@Nyadlabaoth]

wait how did she do that i thought she lived in my computer

[@annefiber8571]

@@noneofyourbusiness4616 I SWEAR TO GOD, I WAS ABOUT TO TYPE THIS EXACT COMMENT.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@annefiber8571 Trivia: for the first six hours or so, it was a phone-typing fumble that read "Gwen screen."

[@autumnwyvern489]

i always poke fun at the thematic difference in pikmin bloom with its complete lack of danger or breadbugs and focus on collecting pikmin with funny hats, no crash landing necessary, but perhaps with me and checking on my pikmin mushroom battles while wasting away at a minimum wage job makes it the most thematic of all.

[@Transparencyboo]

Pikmin Bloom truly is the perfect ideal of a Pikmin game. No one gets hurt and you plant flowers everywhere.

[@pimscrypt]

The true horror of Pikmin is how it reminds me of the mess that currently is my kitchen.

[@Transparencyboo]

One day, we may finally wash the dishes!

[@TheGlooga]

Man as someone who knows pikmin primarily as "the game from that one stage in brawl where a weird bug can eat you" its fun to learn that the games have like, an entire worldview and approach to labor. I feel like with Nintendo, given how they consistently tried to present a clean, sanitized image for a decade, its easy to forget that their games can have tons of personality and specific points of view

[@Transparencyboo]

They are usually fun games to make interpretations of since they also tend to give a lot of room for it. Especially through the unique mechanics themselves.

[@gusteen3292]

I kinda always find the concept of Candypop buds kinda scary to think about like you enter a flower and suddenly your a new person, does your old identity get erased, just how many times were you converted, that is just a cosmic horror story.

[@urgeintheicebox]

Touching grass...in the obscenity of the jungle.

[@Transparencyboo]

Alternative title to the video.

[@my_kneecaps7706]

45:27 This is legitimately the first defense of Hey! Pikmin I've seen online. Respect.

[@Transparencyboo]

Legit had a lot of fun with it when I first played it this year. Brilliant game in my opinion, really beautiful too.

[@DoneRandomLee]

Lovely video as always. Also I loved the characters in pikmin 4. From ms mika frizzle who is bringing kids on a magical field trip to olimar basically going through the bad ending of the first game by becoming a pikmin.

[@Transparencyboo]

They are a funny bunch. Some of them absolutely ridiculous.

[@n14c0]

The unsuspecting title hides a fascinating and lovingly put together video. Thanks for the companion for my long shift.

[@Transparencyboo]

Glad to accompany you through your work day! 🧡

[@GermanPeter]

Okay, so I finally watched it, here's my thoughts: While the series is definitely about exploitation of life and labor (especially 2, where the return to the planet and subsequent exploitation of the Pikmin is completely unnecessary), the Pikmin benefit from this arrangement just as much. They were on the brink of extinction, and at the end of Pikmin 1, it's shown they're actually able to fend for themselves now, especially since you helped grow their numbers. In the credits of 3, it's shown they're able to live their life peacefully and without (many) worries, just frolicking around like children. So you definitely don't leave them "empty-handed". You also really didn't have a choice in Pikmin 1, 3, 4 and Hey!, being forced to use their labor to escape. And honestly, the Pikmin aren't completely stupid (as you point out halfway through the video), they just WANT to follow Olimar. This isn't even just an interpretation or a one-sided view on the Pikmin by Olimar and co., it's constantly made evident that the Pikmin benefit from him just as much as he does from them (perhaps even more). Heck, they even try to follow Olimar at the end of 2 with their onions and choose Moss as a new leader at the end of 4, so they do have a demand for someone to guide them. And they also seem to want to genuinely help Olimar and the gang out of their own free will. They turn him into a Pikmin at the end of 1 (and in 4) so he doesn't die, which they will also attempt to do in 2 if you use the "nap-sack" item to go limp. So they really do care for whoever controls them. You can also interpret it as them realizing that their "leader" has run its course and they're trying to turn them into yet more Pikmin, as they would with any other dead creature. That theory holds no water (because of how they treat you normally), but it'd mean that they don't consider this whole relationship as one-sided. So if they didn't like him, they'd attack him just as they would attack other animals. We also can't forget that player actions don't necessarily translate over into story implications. For instance, each time I lost too many Pikmin, I was DEVASTATED, to the point where I continuously reset the game. Not because it'd be harder for me, but because I didn't want to lose them. If they had been an HP bar, I wouldn't have cared, I can beat games on 1 HP, no problem. But not if they're creatures I care for. So in MY version of the game, I'd have at least been a caring leader that tries to minimize casualties (I was probably more careless towards Oatchi than them). And I'm not the only person to feel this way. Even the characters in the games will woefully comment on how many Pikmin have been lost. Olimar and Charlie even give a moment of silence at the end of the day if you lose too many. They do care about them greatly, beyond just how cute and useful they are. They're not trying to dehumanize them, they're constantly trying to understand them, ESPECIALLY Olimar. You mentioned the logs in Pikmin 3, but what about the Piklopedia? Or the entries at the end of the day? Sure, they explain game mechanics, but a lot of them are also about the biology and personalities of the creatures on the planet. I will not deny that the colonialst themes are there (especially in 2), but Nintendo absolutely tried to not portray the Pikmin as helpless slaves. It is a co-dependent relationship more than anything. I do agree with the rest you've said, though. I liked the part at the end. Honestly, I have a lot more to say, but I'd really like to keep that for my video on the topic. I'm happy that while yours does touch up on a couple topics I wanted to discuss, it doesn't talk about everything. So keep your ears peeled for mine, which will release... sometime :D Sorry if my comment was a bit all over the place, I wrote and re-wrote it while watching constantly. P.S: Hey!Pikmin is indeed great and I will kill anyone who says otherwise. It's a spin-off, of course it's not the exact same as the others, cry about it. P.S.S: Alicia, your outfits are STUNNING. You look gorgeous, really great fashion sense!

[@Transparencyboo]

The thing is that we mostly don't agree with the interpretation that they a co-dependent. I am not even sure it is true that the Pikmin were about to go extinct in the first game, it is quite unclear and mostly Olimar's musings if anything. And I don't think he is correct, he is incorrect about a lot of things when it comes to the Pikmin world anyway. And I guess the ending scene is basically the same way, we just don't interpret it as the Pikmin learning to defend themselves because of Olimar. If anything we are leaning more towards the idea that the Pikmin have always been there and that they are capable on their own. However it honestly strengthens the colonialist reading if we interpret Olimar as the representation of the typical enlightened savior who comes to a foreign land and teaches the local inhabitants his ways. We didn't want to do that though, because... man, it just makes Pikmin even more distressing to us with all these colonial motifs. And in the end we just don't think that they are justified in what they are doing. The Pikmin are wrongly made to believe that Olimar and the other space travellers are gods and would follow them into the darkest pits of hell if they wished them to. And these travellers use that to their benefit even if they don't necessarily mean to do so maliciously. I think there is a clear dissonance between what all of these characters say and what they in the end do. They claim to be distressed and feel bad about Pikmin being put in dangerous situation, and yet they repeat this cycle over and over again. Nothing is learned in the end. But that is just our perspective. If we are to apply the colonialist lens there sadly is not much room to justify, excuse or hand wave their actions, at least in our opinion. Oh and thanks for the compliment, haha.

[@GermanPeter]

@@Transparencyboo I can definitely see that, I just disagree with it. We often see the onions in a poor state, only dispensing a single Pikmin as if it's the last thing it was able to do. In fact, when you experience "Pikmin extinction", the onion does exactly that again. In 3, the red Pikmin even seem to lead you towards the stuck onion at the start, as if they want you to take it down. Ultimately, you're right, we see these games through the lenses of aliens and all that, but I really feel like if Pikmin REALLY didn't want to go through with any of this, then they definitely wouldn't. The power IS being abused somewhat, but Pikmin are very much capable of fending for themselves (even more if we believe that the few Pikmin we see aren't the only ones) and could just ditch you. Heck, they even completely disobey Olimar in the intro of 4 and will also attack other players in the battle modes, so it's not like they have no free will or won't go against the Hocotatians/ Koppaians. Not even mentioning that it's likely the Pikmin can't really die (as evidenced by the Glow Pikmin who are heavily implied to be ghosts), so maybe dying isn't even that big of a deal for them, who knows, It's certainly a different perspective and I do agree with a lot of what you said, just not all of it.

[@Transparencyboo]

@@GermanPeter It's just a disagreement of interpretations and what we put more emphasis on in the end. It's all good. But just to be clear - we are also saying that the Pikmin are capable and can fend for themselves. A lot of our understanding of the games are based on that general idea. But anyway~

[@cannonballking7]

The amount of quality on display and the way your points flow from one another, is simply a delight. Keep up the great work, and have a lovely day :)

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you! We'll do our best!

[@alipludepom]

oh no video games

[@pedronunez6888]

I'm awed by the amount of love you put into the production quality of the video! It's always a treat when a new video of you both pops up :)

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you, we're happy to provide you all with fun videos :)

[@realsalu634]

If i had an nickel for every game franchise about aliens with the themes of capitalism and enviromentalism, i would have 2 (Pikmin and Oddworld) Hell, maybe even Pokémon somewhat enters into it, somewhat

[@Transparencyboo]

Not to mention colonialism. Space travel games are just ripe for these things. Has all the ingredients necessary. Oddworld is cool by the way, even if I am horrendous at it, haha.

[@mark_eire]

Great video. Enjoyed some Hey Pikmin mentions! Only one I've played (so far). Will look forward to the scene of the Pikmin overlaid on the planet shouting out to the cosmos "Yes I am here" when I play them.

[@Transparencyboo]

Hey Pikmin is a fine first game. (And just to be sure, that scene is not actually in the game, that's Kiki voicing the Pikmin, haha.)

[@kalebbjorkman5070]

Thanks for the wild and thorough analysis! Love your videos.

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you 🧡

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

As I finish this video I wanna say one thing: Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag is really cool from how it manages to use pirate thematic to better explore concepts of freedom from the first game, and to this day is the best one to actually do so. Tho, a general video on tropes of swashbackling advenures, including exploration adventures, like Atlantis: Lost Empire and Uncharted, would be dope.

[@Transparencyboo]

I really liked Assassin's Creed 4 back when it came out. Not sure I could get Kiki to play it, she doesn't like the series, haha. But maybe? Stranger things have happened!

[@basedchimera5859]

Listening to these is like being under a cosy blanket. Love you guys

[@Transparencyboo]

Happy to provide the blanket entertainment!

[@Furore2323]

Maintaining a perfect streak, [number of videos] = [number of masterpieces].

[@Transparencyboo]

You're too kind, thank you 🧡

[@Net_15]

This video is an amazing analysis of the series with new (albeit... unfortunately realistic) lens, and its incredible to see one of my favorite series seen through new angles like this. Loved it! You deserve more views!

[@jdunn3765]

I find it interesting that the very name of both the Pikmin and the Pokemon betrays the fantasy by which their exploitation is made palatable. The naturally free pokemon is beaten and caged, but we are assured that the cage - this "pocket" - is preferable to the tall grass from which the monster was stolen. Not only are we asked to believe that the pokemon's labor and freedom are favorably exchanged for comfort and purpose, but the invisible nature of its new pocket home conveniently saves us from the burden of examining its condition. The Pikmin, meanwhile, is quite literally "picked" from the ground as a flower or a crop. It is thus relegated to the Kingdom of plants - endlessly renewable, casually discarded, and wholly lacking autonomy. I don't know where I'm going with any of this except to say that I loved the video. Brilliant as always!

[@Transparencyboo]

Doesn't have to go anywhere really. It's always nice to see that we got people thinking about things like this. It's neat. Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@nicholaszacharewicz693]

I'm glad that Miyamoto's finally getting credit for Devil World🤣🤣🤣 Seriously though, thanks for another great analysis video! I've only played Pikmin 1, but only ever really paid attention to the post-human earth and possible environmentalist themes that game hinted at. The way you've explored the labour and exploitation issues that have been there since the first game here is deliciously in-depth! And congrats on making excellent videos for four years!

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you! Hopefully we can create even more fun things over the next year!

[@PanthalassaRo]

Its always fun to listen to your videos! Thank you for the upload I will watch it during lunch at work :3

[@Transparencyboo]

Enjoy your lunch! 🧡

[@Ancusohm]

Ooh, I don't know much about this series, but I'm excited to learn about the dark side!

[@Transparencyboo]

😈

[@Aviplotbunny]

Your videos are always the perfect vibe for me. Thanks for all the hard work!

[@alexandcrackers]

really feeling the werner herzog influence in this one

[@Transparencyboo]

Just gotta drag the S.S. Dolphin over a hill, you know. Almost there.

[@scylla1772]

I'd like to touch on Olimar as a scientist, and Louie as a chef. I read the piklopedia as a kid over and over because it developed both the world and those two as characters... it's clear that, however good or terrible our beloved "aliens" can be, their spirits remained (partially) unbroken by their terrible boss and job. It's a beautiful silver lining in their otherwise difficult lives. We also know that Louie is a psychopath with an invincible stomach, who's either impeccably good at commanding pikmin off- screen, or can kill every enemy in the game with his bare hands, dissect it, eat it, and not die.

[@Transparencyboo]

Fun fact - in the Swedish manual for the original game they referred to Olimar as a renowned scientist on his planet. They probably thought that made more sense than him just being a long haul trucker. If only they knew it would become relevant in the second game.

[@aneonfoxtribute]

"Captain Olimar has once again crash landed for the first time" lmfao

[@Transparencyboo]

It's a pretty funny line. Glad we could bring out a chuckle :)

[@baphoof1529]

can't wait to watch this soon. my breadbug brain is ready.

[@Transparencyboo]

Breadbugs going wild!

[@Ancusohm]

Great video essay! I never realized the background/implications of the Pikmin world was so dark.

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you. It's a very colourful and fun franchise, but it is also easy to interpret it in ways beyond that. We had a lot of fun making it :)

[@Belowaveragedogo]

It is crazy how much work yall put into these videos and yet you only have 15k subscribers. I you guys get to at least 100k, yall deserve it.

[@Transparencyboo]

We are admitedly pretty weird and esoteric, haha. I think the effort pays of in the end though with all the nice comments, support and Patreon pledges. :)

[@nichtschwert3307]

I'll write a better comment tomorrow. But I just wanna say: This was good. I enjoyed it a lot. Oh also definitely talk about Monkey Island.

[@Transparencyboo]

We'd probably need your help, haha. Our expertise is certainly not point and click games.

[@Hunter-et3iy]

Blown away by the quality of this video, so glad I clicked on :)

[@Transparencyboo]

You're welcome, glad you liked it :)

[@shakibrahamani4583]

Pretty sure she just saw through my screen to me raising an eyebrow about Hey Pikmin and then immideatly told me to shut the hell up lol

[@Transparencyboo]

We see you guys, lol.

[@mehpainter]

It's always interesting to learn about games I know nearly nothing about, it's even _more_ interesting that said game happens to be Nintendo game which is odd since Nintendo's one of my favorite developers

[@Transparencyboo]

Pikmin is not the most popular franchise around. It's easy to overlook. I'd say give it a try on an emulator if you like. They can be a bit stressful for some people, but I personally find them pretty relaxing for the most part.

[@diorse1167]

ive had such similar thoughts about the series so it was awesome to see soemone talk about it what a wonderful video

[@Transparencyboo]

And thank YOU for watching and commenting 🧡

[@leslieelizabeth3024]

"Ancient artifacts" a flip phone 😂💕

[@Transparencyboo]

The most ancient of times!

[@star-rock6466]

I mean, idk what olimar could have give the pikmins after he rebuilt his ship Especially since he was gonna die if he stayed-

[@Transparencyboo]

It's more about the fact that we exploit the Pikmin and then leave. I suppose it is especially curious since Olimar indeed returns to the planet several times and does the same thing over and over again. He is not alone though, this is what all of the travellers do.

[@HeroOfLegend115]

Ending the video with a mention of Claw, I feel extremely seen right now.

[@Transparencyboo]

Only the finest of pirate games for our viewers! (Also, thank you for watching literally ALL of the video, haha!)

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Pikmin truly is the cutest series in which you use slavery as main method of progression./j

[@Transparencyboo]

lol, you are correct though

[@Titleknown]

...I mean, I think the problem is the fact that I think it ignores the spec-evo angle and how major a part of the series it is, and the fact that that has implications of how Pikmin relate to the captains. Like, specifically the citing that they do naturally desire a leader, which we have direct evidence of by them taking Moss as one in the best ending, the way the Glow Pikmin's bioluminescent attraction of enemies specifically invites violence as a part of its life cycle, the fact that Pikmin are basically eusocial if we count the Onions as "queens" and how such creatures interact with the world (IE, while they do have their own individual thoughts, they still work as a collective for the percieved goals of the whole colony), and the fact that the Leaflings are pretty much based on a scenario from the Bad Ending of the first game that they do of their own accord and the large amount of implications that this is a nightmarish hazy dream of an existence and a thing that was the Pikmin's idea, the idea of the Leaflings seems less like a Colonel Kurtz situation and more like a re-enforcer of the idea that there's a mutualistic relationship between Olimar and the Pikmin, and at the end of the day Olimar isn't the one on top. It seems like the intended implication is that Pikmin; while they may be sapient to some degree (Which is supported in the animated shorts and by them playing with Oatchi) it is a very alien kind of sapience that is adapted specifically for mutualism with other species (With implications that they and possibly some of the planet's other life may be semi-artificially created), akin to real life like those gobys and shrimp, or badgers and coyotes, or Oklaholma Brown tarantulas and the frogs they keep as pets to keep away ants. A big recurring motif in the series is speculative biology and it's through that lens it emerges the idea that they are wondrous and intelligent creatures, capable of joy and wit and art, but not as analogous to humans as you say, akin to many types of life on our world. As much as I can get the idea of the colonialist reading (because every game about exploring an uncharted place inevitably gets one, see also Minecraft discourse), and while I can see elements of what you mean (especially in 2) that follow out of the ludonarrative one might read ungenerously from this, I think that the greater theme both conveyed and intended is kind of the opposite, that of the vastness and unknowability of nature and how tiny we are amongst it; especially in the face of Deep Time. Olimar only survives in multiple ways via a symbiotic relationship with the planet's life, and the devices he retrieves are beyond his comprehension from eras far before him; even before we get to the implication in Pikmin 4 that Hocotatians/Koppaites/ect are actually the spacefaring descendants of humanity. The people looking to exploit the place in 4 still all got their asses stranded and assimilated, with no implications of them being able to actually capitalize on it. I would not be surprised if an attempt to sell real estate on PNF-404 went horribly wrong in a survival horror-type way. There are multiple extremely unsettling enigmas, such as the -Wraith enemies or the Smoky Progg (Until 4 revealed its origin at least), or the enemies that have seeming biomechanical elements like the Titan Dweevil's utilization of mechanical objects or the Gattling Groink or multiple types of Arachnorb, or the implications that the reason for all the crashes is not coincidence. Hell, the final boss of 4; terrifying and extremely powerful; would be approximately the size of a shitzu in our world. Imagine what something the size of a sheep would be like to them, if it ever took notice. Or the size of a bear. You do not really change much "for the better" because you're literally a tiny blip on the radar compared to something far vaster and older than yourself. That is where I think the "post apocalyptic" theme is vital for the series, as at its core it's about being very small in a very big world, and the element of deep time and the unknown I think adds to that. And, while themes of colonialism can interact with that, I feel as if in this case a colonialist reading cheapens it because it de-emphasizes the alienness of the world and the smallness of your characters therein by crudely placing it as an analog over our situation IRL.

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

Never played a pickle man game in my life. But your commentary is always sooo good to listen to : )

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy our ramblings this time too!

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

@@Transparencyboo lololol I did. But ramblings my arse you're spot on. I have however played tons of star craft 98, age of empires 2, and cnc yuris revenge. Pikmen is small colonizer potatoes compared to that crap lololol. In yuris revenger the resource gathering unit is literally called the slave miner and the slaves come out of it and collect everything and if you click on them they talk about how being a slave sux azz and if you click on the mining structure itself the guy is a cruel pos who loves making the slaves work. And it's more efficient than the other factions which is also.... Super problematic now that I think about it. Game is telling me SLAVES GOOD lol. wtff??!?!? Good thing those are just games and not real life. I don't know how I'd live with myself if I was ACTUALLY a slave driving pos IRL lololol.

[@Alkimodon]

Lovely video! Adored it! Never gonna get tired of: Coincidentally,...

[@Transparencyboo]

It just keeps on giving!

[@kimaster5893]

Amazing video Pikmin is so underrated and i love watching videos on it

[@Transparencyboo]

Pikmin is doing pretty alright for a Nintendo series, but it certainly isn't one of their most popular ones. In one way that is good. I think Pikmin is just not as appealing to a general audience as other Nintendo franchises, and I am not sure I'd like them to scrub the games of what makes them so unique and quirky just to make them gain a bigger audience. Silver linings and all that. Sorry, I am rambling, but thank you for watching and enjoying ♥

[@GermanPeter]

I've been mulling it over, and I think making Pikmin games more cutesy was both a success, and a mistake. It made the games more marketable and palpable for all kinds of gamers, and overall added a much more whimsical and easygoing nature. It's really fun to just vibe in Pikmin 3 and 4, and even Hey!Pikmin. 1 and 2 have their moments (like the resting floors in the caves or the overworlds), but not nearly to the same extent. However, in regards to the themes and motives, it might have been a mistake. 1 and 2 had kind of a dark humor, with Olimar's wife originally being quite a nag and irresponsibly spending his money, his boss being extremely demanding and ungrateful, Olimar not having seen his family in months, and so on. I mean, you JUST survived getting shipwrecked, come home, only to have to return to the same planet you were stranded on. Ouch. So in that context, someone going to another planet and "enslaving" the natives and using them to kill other natives at least fits the theme. Olimar is overworked and underpaid and has to slave away for his boss, so it's not out of the ordinary for him to do the same to others. So in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, it's far easier to excuse or at least rationalize the crueler subtext. It's dark and messed-up, but it's a pretty messed-up world in general, almost like the Pikmin universe has its own rules and morals. Think of games like Oddworld. Or how so many older cartoons like Looney Tunes have extreme violence in them, but it's fine, because that's just how those worlds are. Disturbing, yet kind of endearing because of it. However, by retconning all these things and making the games more about altruism and wanting to help and be a better person, they inadvertently shined a light on these dark aspects. Suddenly, making Pikmin kill other creatures for you is less dark humor and more questionable. In a world with exploitation, doing the same to others isn't out of the ordinary. But now you're an intrepid explorer or a rescue officer, so surely, you should know better! Olimar had no choice, he was being whipped around. But the Rescue Corps? Who goes to another planet without being in any way prepared to rescue the people you were sent to get? At least pack a forklift or something. So I think that's where the dissonance comes from. They made the games cuter, which is good, but also accidentally made them more messed-up. If they had stuck to "You're exploiting these creatures because you're being exploited yourself"-angle, at least they could have kept a sort of level of (dark) humor to it. It's like if they made a Tom and Jerry episode where Tom gets bonked on the head too hard and has to spend time in the hospital for 3 episodes. Suddenly the balance has been shifted and it's not quite so comical anymore.

[@yourcaptaincal1169]

this is really good :)

[@Transparencyboo]

Glad you liked it! 🧡

[@GermanPeter]

Damnit, I was afraid this was going to be the topic of your video :D Well, this does put a damper on the video I've been meaning to make, but perhaps I can cut out a couple parts and instead refer people to this one!

[@Transparencyboo]

We usually advocate for people to reference each others videos. It really just benefits everyone involved. :)

[@WannabeMarysue]

Louie has never done anything wrong.

[@Transparencyboo]

Blameless man!

[@WannabeMarysue]

​@@Transparencyboo😇

[@blahbliff9726]

a type of... Onechanbara Bikini Samurai Squad👀It couldn't possibly be that, but that would be incredible. Anyway, yet another banger video! Naoto Ohshima and Arzest absolutely smashed it out of the park with Sonic Superstars and I'm very proud of them. I wonder if maybe Trip is him and Fang is Yuji Naka.

[@Transparencyboo]

We'll never tell, hehe. Arzest killed it with Hey Pikmin too, so I wouldn't expect less from them ;)

[@borealmarinda4337]

Pikmin 5 should be rescue team rescuing a rescue team rescuing a rescue team rescuing a rescue team, until the whole planet gets stranded on the Pikmin planet and they decide to fully settle on the planet.

[@Transparencyboo]

Sounds good to me.

[@Prinny9000]

wasn't it mentioned in pick Pikmin 3 that the Koppains might a lack a chemical in their brain that tells them that their full?

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Finally found time: gonna binge watch this one.

[@johanandersson8252]

But it is soo good to go out in nature

[@Transparencyboo]

Glad to basically have a forest in our backyard, let me tell you.

[@sonofmustangborb]

21:10 bad moon rising❕❕❕ and going blank again❕❕

[@Transparencyboo]

Kiki is just too cool~

[@smoogieboogie1694]

45:26 OMG THANK YOU!

[@Transparencyboo]

Haha, you're welcome! 🧡

[@fungalcactus8286]

I came up with a random theory while watching this beautiful work: Could the people invading the planet be the distant descendants of humans, so far removed from their own history that most of them don't know they're cannibalizing...their own culture? Is this anything? Regardless, I feel glad but also upset that a breadbug Nintendo franchise has so much to offer. Most of the games' developers won't ever know the true value of their labor, since they won't see the profits from their products. When it was mentioned in the video that the channel just turned 4 years old, I was kind of shocked. You've already made some really fantastic stuff! Your voices are truly special.

[@Transparencyboo]

It would be funny to know how humans evolved to become so small then. Not that Nintendo would ever explain something like that, but it is a funny thought. Thank you, we're not huge even after 4 years, but I think we're trucking along and making fun things in the meantime. I hope people appreciate our wacky voices.

[@AngelicDirt]

~4:25 - Huh, Moomintroll AND Klonoa in the BG. Okay, yeah, we goin' DARK here... :v Also, OMG, THANK YOU. PIKMIN 2 IS ABOUT CAPITALISM... ... I mean, um... ... ... Hai, I've had arguments with people. :V Let me say that I find most RTSs and Town Builders this bleak, weird, and cruel. It's just they way they are. You are given a view from far high up, looking down on a world where you command little troops and builders to go do a task, wait a little bit, and then tell them to do something else, wash, rinse, repeat... Even if it's suffering, I'd rather be one of the ground grunts lugging the pellets and building the bridges. Because then I know I had DONE SOMETHING. Even as a point of amusement, why on glob's green earth would you want to be some idiot schmuck doing nothing but pointing and telling people what to do? -Sidenote: That was metaphorical, I know EXACTLY why people like barking orders and acting like it was work...-

[@Transparencyboo]

I still have a hard time believing anyone would think Pikmin 2 isn't about capitalism, haha.

[@theophrastus5380]

I played the original pikmin as a child, i could never beat the game for fear of the pikmin dying

[@Transparencyboo]

The only right way to play 🧡

[@mygills3050]

Trickledown Pikminomics.

[@Sincald]

Funy carrot gaem, let's go! I've owned Pikmin 2 & 3 for ages but I've never finished them. One day after I get around to hacking my WiiU I might start the series from the beginning (including Hey! Pikmin 😈)

[@Transparencyboo]

Good luck on your smol adventures!

[@DigiMatt52]

If humans were made a part of the setting, whether as figures to be avoided/confronted or simply made narratively aware of the presence and actions of the players/NPCs, I wonder how they would characterize this. Invaders to be rebuffed, as they are "stealing" from -insert country here-'s land? Creatures whose technology should be captured and studied because they have achieved interstellar travel? Or potential cogs within our own system?

[@Transparencyboo]

When we talked about this I wrote a line that didn't make it into the video "The space travelers are not just short, but also short sighted" regarding them never seeing humans ever. I think adding humans simply complicates a lot of the basic structure of Pikmin though. It would be interesting to see how Nintendo would handle it, but I am sure there would be some hands swatting after us like flies or something.

[@sweetchalupa6733]

Cozy!

[@Transparencyboo]

A video to put on a blanket for.

[@mmmokana]

Yes, feed us MORE PIKMIN VIDEO ESSAYS

[@Transparencyboo]

Omnom nom nom nom

[@AlmightyDoubleHelix]

1:07:19 When I saw the house in pikmin 4, my first thought was that it was too clean. There's no way anyone has ever lived there.

[@Transparencyboo]

I am sorry to say that a lot of people living like that do in fact clean at least once a week and keep their kitchen clean all of the time. We're personally extremely dysfunctional neurodivergents who sometimes forget to clean up as much as we should, so we can't relate either, but this is genuinely the reality for some people. Somehow. I don't understand it either. (It's also a pretty video game, I suppose Nintendo just didn't want to make it all dirty and destroy the aesthetics of it all, lol)

[@popstarrowlet]

new opaquecy video no way

[@Transparencyboo]

Our evil alter egos!

[@anthonywheeler2082]

Love these deepest of deep dive videos

[@Transparencyboo]

We'll have to be careful we don't go so deep we drown.

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

There's this belief that media that has problematic content endorses it if they don't send the message to its audiences on why said problematic content is bad. Here's to hoping Pikmin 5 does this, so the franchise doesn't get accused of endorsing colonialism with its narrative.

[@andreworders7305]

17:34 well, at least until the second half, then he becomes player 2

[@MrHombreLaser]

Good video!, still, I kinda disagree with your vision on Pikmin 1, while at first glance it does seem that the relationship is one sided and the love the pikmin have for Olimar is unrequited, the more you play the more you realize is actually more of a mutualist relationship: the pikmin help you on getting your ship's parts and you help them by increasing their numbers, that's why Olimar is kinda seen as a god by them in Pikmin 3, and also why Pikmin don't seem to thrive when Olimar isn't around. Both endings of Pikmin 1 are, therefore, bittersweet: Olimar's good ending is the Pikmin's bad ending: Olimar leaves and they are left alone to fend for themselves again, and the Pikmin's good ending is that Olimar "dies" and they get to revive him as one of their own, to forever lead them in survival, and well, I don't need to explain why this is Olimar's bad ending :P This relationship with mutualist undertones kinda fades away with subsequent entries, while one could argue that the player grows more pikmin out of self interest, one could also argue that Pikmin 1's a story about two species cooperating for survival: if Olimar doesn't leave the planet he dies and the pikmin seem to need the leadership of someone like him, while Pikmin 2, 3 and 4 are about extraction and do paint the relationship between the player and the pikmin as more one sided.

[@Transparencyboo]

It's all up for interpretation anyway, it' good that we don't necessarily need to have the same one. We're very aware of the idea that Olimar helped the Pikmin to survive and become stronger, but we're just leaning more towards the Pikmin always being capable on their own. He did however indeed make them grow in numbers exponetionally, but we also think that is part of the exploitation, since he did it simply to be able to gather the missing pieces and so on. But yeah, we of course admit in the video that the first one has more room for Olimar to be forgiven for his actions. It just becomes harder to accept with subsequent games as they return again and again to use the Pikmin. I am sorry I am rambling now, haha. I just ate a lot of quesadillas and fell asleep for a bit, so I am not all there. Thank you for liking the video and thinking about all of this anyway, wooo 🧡

[@MrHombreLaser]

@@Transparencyboo Yeah, it's a pretty interesting view nonetheless, and does show the expression capabilities the medium has. I remember that the darkest interpretations I had playing the game was how pikmin mass death being the consequence of your incompetence was really depressing and how Olimar gets more and more desperate day by day when you're off schedule hahaha. Yeah I was a pretty bad 10 year old gamer so the first ending I had was the bad one.

[@COlimar788]

Great reading and great video as always! Unfortunately I am forced to throw the whole thing out because you said Hey Pikmin was good. (joking) The point about the space explorers being human analogues in the series is especially good. Like it's one thing to say, hey, these little guys act like humans, but another when it comes to their relationship with the planet acting as a direct analogue as well.

[@clarfonthey]

Have you seen this boy?

[@Transparencyboo]

We'll find him soon!

[@diribigal]

Klonoa is so good.

[@Transparencyboo]

@@diribigal the best!

[@jamesrule1338]

It's unfortunate that most games that lean into exploration also lean into exploitation of the environment that's being explored. Not to say these games aren't fun. Minecraft is great, but at the end of the day it's less about enjoying the majesty of the environment (though that is a part to be sure) and more about domination of the environment, bending it to one's will.

[@Furore2323]

It stands for OLIgarchical MAnageR

[@Transparencyboo]

Lol, that's great.

[@howdyimhowdy]

i think the idea that pikmin are forced to work for the captains is just...not suported by the game,the very cutscene you show at 11:05, is literally there as storytelling to tell the audience that olimar helped the pikmin grow in numbers and learn how to hunt better,it's a little dishonest to outright ignore the text for the sake of your interpretation like in 42:25 you will use logs for evidence for your reading,while completely disregarding the logs of the first game where it's made clear olimar dosen't just see the pikmin as tools "The Pikmin have all perished because of my own carelessness. I am an utter disgrace as a leader... How can I continue to collect parts without them? Still the Onions join me in low orbit, as if this Pikmin extinction had never happened. I shan't sleep tonight.." .of the fact that there two whole songs made about olimar's and the pikmins relationship to one another. i do think your reading as an accidental colonizer savior narrative is better,because you can reach that reading without having to ignore the text. still well done vide

[@Transparencyboo]

I wouldn't say it's necessarily ignoring, but rather that there is a clear dissonance there. All the travelers say that they care, but still continue to use the Pikmin with the same disregard either way. And we know of the idea that Olimar helped the Pikmin in some way, but I genuinely don't think that means they aren't forced to work in some sense, or that it changes much about the game itself. Clearly Olimar being perceived as a god would have them willfully help, but that power imbalance puts them in grave danger for things that they don't even comprehend. I'd say their labour is very much exploited through all of these facts, no matter what Olimar supposedly did to make them more competent at fighting (I don't necessarily even believe that is true either.)

[@andreworders7305]

I think the juice is just for their survival, the seeds are what they need to bring back to Koppai

[@Transparencyboo]

Yes

[@Transparencyboo]

Although it is a bit silly to imagine that they would plant these seeds on their planet where oxygen is toxic to all of them. I don't think it would work, haha. At least they have some juice with them then.

[@wastelandlegocheem]

Olimar is a good man.

[@Transparencyboo]

A bit of a doofus for sure, but he tries. I wish he had a better job, lol.

[@diribigal]

"Their budding civilization" 😂

[@Transparencyboo]

We really appreciate that you noticed our little pun, haha.

[@sumguy63]

I think pikmin must have a small influence from our real-world social hymenoptera, and Olimar is their acting queen. Hail ants.

[@Transparencyboo]

I love ants so much!

[@kipame]

this is a great video when i view it as a teaching of this class struggle in a form of a game explaining, but you still ignored and completely missrepresented a lot in the game, such as, the Pikmin were EXTINCT in the first game, Olimar actually helped them repopulate and even taught them to defend themselves to survive, with the "marking the planet with a flag" is just them marking which caves they've explored fully and not exactly a mark of "this place is mine", the Pikmin are also not only seen as fighters because im the Piklopedia they show a lot of how they study and try to understand more about the Pikmin, like their biology and even how the act and feel. i do believe Pikmin consider those themes into the game, but its great to not forget such details or completely say them as something else

[@Transparencyboo]

The thing is that this is just our interpretation in the end. Several people have mentioned the extinction and Olimar teaching the Pikmin, but I think they forget that this too is just an interpretation of what is being shown in the first game. It is certainly not explicit about this being 100% true. I understand however that throughout the years this has become a very popular interpretation, but we simply don't agree that this is necessarily the case. And in the end, I just don't think it matters that much. We still run down the same path with the later games, as the space travellers keep coming back and exploit the Pikmin for their own gain. If we are to read the game through a post-colonial lens there is unfortunately not a lot of room to excuse their actions, and I frankly don't think that we should. Olimar does however have the vague excuse of being stranded, but it is not necessarily a strong one, especially not with subsequent games in mind, and we say as much in the video. In fact, I think the colonialist motifs of Olimar being the savior of the Pikmin, an enlightened man from a faraway world who teaches the indigenous people to survive just makes the implications somewhat worse in the end. That's one of the most common tropes, and I think we already touch upon that idea when we present Olimar as having been interpreted by the Pikmin as an actual god. Which of course, is not true, in fact him being a false god who then uses that pretense to exploit the Pikmin further is quite the pickle. We never claim that the Piklopedia (the logs, but whatever) is only about how they fight, we say as much in the video. We however do say that a lot of it is about game mechanics - as in how they can be used as tools for the teavellers, and subsequently the player. I don't think it is that much of a stretch to say that how these people document the Pikmin is severely lacking in real research about them. That is of course because it's just a video game, but I think it makes for pretty easy interpretations of how the Pikmin are perceived. In the end our whole problem is not mentioned chronologically in the video, it comes up as we flow through the video. We simply do not believe that there is much room to excuse the exploitation of the Pikmin, it simply is what it is. We believe there to be a clear disconnect between the space travellers words and their actions. So no, I still don't think we have misreprented anything through our personal interpretation of the games. We appreciate that other people see it differently, though. That's fine. The flags shown in the footage is also more of a visual metaphor, it is not meant to be literal. However I do think that it is pretty clear that Hocotate Freight see themselves as entitled to the land, so it certainly works as a shorthand for what they are doing on the planet. Anyway, I hope that explains more where we are coming from. Thank you, have a nice weekend now! 🧡

[@kipame]

@@Transparencyboo Oh yeah, i do agree with most of the video and i do see it more with this explanation, thank you Though the Piklopedia in Pikmin 4 does a lot to understand what the Pikmin are and not just simple game mechanics, such as behaviors and activities they like, Olimar in the games is a lot like a biologist and he loves studying the creatures of PNF404 im very extensive details, so much so he does feel bad about what he does to the Pikmin in some of the letters and even compare himself being overworked by his boss to the Pikmin (at least, if i remember correctly) so while i do agree with most of the video i think it would greatly benefit to add those pieces of information to it, that i honestly think only makes the points you bring up even stronger! specially on Pikmin 2 on how Olimar talks a lot about being exploited by his job. I really loved the video is its very well put together, the lack of mentioning those just got me thinking if it was just missed out information since most people never bother to go out for the Piklopedia entries or completely ignored.

[@andreworders7305]

34:42 eh, I'd give that to Pikmin short movies

[@Transparencyboo]

We were mostly just talking about the games, haha. Although the Pikmin shorts game out after Pikmin 3, so ;)

[@MrRaivokasMagma]

So Pikmin decipts of stages of hell?🤔

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Would love to play Pikmin...... if at some point they get us a PC port.

[@Transparencyboo]

Nintendo releasing PC games is sadly not something I would count on ever happening. Dolphin is your best friend in that case honestly.

[@Odium_DOB]

reminds me when I play webber in don't starve... I steal their land for my needs and throw their lifes away whenever I need. or eat them... but maybe that means I'm just acting like a female spider. :P hahaha ahhh... that a dumb joke anyway. I love pikmin

[@Transparencyboo]

We love Pikmin too, haha. Glad you enjoy your silly spider adventures in Don't Starve too!

[@Odium_DOB]

oh thanks I died to vegan bunnies now... either it because I'm a monster or I had meat and that triggered their vegan rage... I'm gonna go ahead and relax a moment than do college work than stay up to play a pikmin 2 hack I have.@@Transparencyboo

[@gregorycarlson6445]

YO!

[@Transparencyboo]

Those gosh darn hip Pikmin.

[@Furore2323]

Finally, I understand what is a 'Pick-Min Girl'.

[@Furore2323]

Also: She said it, she said the thing, my favourite thing for a person to say.

[@Transparencyboo]

Coincidentally the best thing for a person to say!

[@Furore2323]

Except maybe 'breadbug'.

[@Transparencyboo]

@@Furore2323 they are fun guys

[@IanNotChris]

did yall get a new microphone or change your settings or something? i feel like its very... bass heavy? muffled? like, my phone is vibrating when you talk, it never does that.

[@Transparencyboo]

Nope, same settings as usual.

[@robinforsgren]

Wow

[@Transparencyboo]

Thank you.

[@MishaHivemind]

I love pikmin the purple one is m yfavourite

[@Transparencyboo]

A big and strong pik friend!

[@khole5809]

LETSSSS GOOOOOO PIKMIN!!!!

[@Transparencyboo]

Heck yeaaah, friend!

[@HobbitTanoo]

The pikmin proletariat must rise up and crush olimarism!

[@Transparencyboo]

Hell yeah! Haha!

[@andreworders7305]

Still annoyed about 4 being a reboot

[@Transparencyboo]

The way to somewhat alleviate that is probably to take a step back and appreciate it as a sequel beyond how it chronologically continues on from previous games. There's a lot of things that still clearly makes it the next in line. I mean we touch upon that in the video of course. Not being to worried about canon in Nintendo games is probably the best thing to do, because most of the time it's not very important to them either. It's one of those things where we have to understand the way Nintendo makes games and whatnot. Although I'd say Pikmin 4 could've easily continued from 3 without any changes whatsoever, but maybe that just shows how arbitrary it is to begin with, haha.

[@Vallam23]

if I had a nickel for every time miyamoto was like "okay but what about the universe where the player just completely fails in a previous game,"

[@Transparencyboo]

@@Vallam23 He knows what's up.

[@shonwolfbark]

I understand capitalism sucks. i think the pikmin planted is a living a eldritch being that is actively fighting is colonization. this is a fun look into the series

[@Transparencyboo]

The planet should stop making people crash on it, that's for sure.

[@shonwolfbark]

@@Transparencyboo its like veins fly trap and then sends the unholy beings