The Vibes of The Silver Case

[@culIen]

I'd like to cite/shoutout/reference an excellent revision on the video that I watched while writing this one. If you'd like to see an in-depth analysis on the Silver Case's politics, check out this one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4LNgKmwa9aders

[@mackerelphones]

So does this guy you're citing really know what he's talking about? I don't get it

[@culIen]

@@mackerelphones Idk I like the cut of his jib

[@Duskets]

I appreciate the subtext behind the monotony of clearing each and every single tower in Danwa. Repeatedly the HCU find themselves incapable of combatting crime because they fail (or rather, are designed not to) truly investigate crimes. Their one and only recourse is termination with extreme prejudice. In Danwa, Akira does the work. He functions like a detective, slowly and methodically putting each and every piece of the puzzle together, room by room and tower by tower. It’s slow. It’s tedious. It’s boring. But it’s the only way to do the job *right.* And it’s the only way to actually get answers. It tells us that the key to exposing the ailings of society isn’t through bombastic displays of force and a militarized police system, but to truly investigate why and how social systems and institutions influence and affect society as a whole. And you may very well find that the bad guys were the ones pulling the strings all along.

[@Ichigo111293]

I love how Suda has the balls to portray the system for what it really is. Great vid. 👍

[@culIen]

I'm especially glad that it seems like he hasn't lost his "edge" in that regard. Remaking the 25th ward today takes massive balls (even if I have my gripes with that). Big respect. Thanks for watching!

[@MEGAmangaman]

I know you had a lot of trouble getting this video out. But I have to say that it was all worth it because this video is excellent.

[@culIen]

I'm really happy the feedback on this one has been nice so far, the script saw so many rewrites to make sure my words and message were as clear as possible. Thank you so much for your support ^-^;

[@CanoaFurada-uk4lr]

First timing seeing your content and holy shit, this was a really good first impression. Love to see people getting one of the reasons why I love The Silver Case

[@culIen]

Thank you so much! This was definitely a new kind of video for me, but I feel my content has slowly been going in this direction. I think my next couple videos will be less heavy, but I had a lot of fun making this so I definitely hope to make more. Have a great day!

[@alansmithee1412]

24:50-25:25 got me something fierce, as someone who had that experience very recently. This video was expertly written and put together, and I'm glad to at least know someone gets how that kind of feeling can be, even if I'm sorry anyone else had to feel it.

[@culIen]

I'm glad it was able to resonate with you! This new playthrough really just put me right back into the previous times I played it, which where both during my two previous jobs. I've never played a game besides this that *gets* that feeling so well, it's incredible.

[@WorldDj4Ever]

This was a beautiful review/essay and your "vibe" take on the game was on point I just loved it.

[@gregorymansour1763]

I really wish more people understood the appeal of these kind of games.

[@culIen]

I do too, but at this point I've grown comfortable with the fact that Suda's games appeal to a very specific kind of niche.

[@fourtruths3324]

I’ve played silver case case and 25th ward and don’t get me wrong they’re super cool but boring as shit

[@Ghenry]

Great video! It's so cool to see how The Silver Case has so much relevancy to society still!

[@culIen]

I appreciate it 🙏 As you're definitely aware, Suda knows how to make his writing timeless lol

[@mcoupe69]

@@culIen I love both of you guys and I’m glad I found you.. I have to keep starting and stopping your video as I slowly make progress , I’ve been finishing about one transmitter and one placebo chapter per night and I just finished up the 2 part third placebo chapter and kamuidrome and man does this game/story fucking build.. I’m super fixated on what happened to that young girl in the 4 story building at the end of kamuidrome atm .. I’m assuming suicide but I’m probably missing the plot there.. hopefully I’ll find out in AI .. I’m also confused as to the conversations between tetsu and sumio in kamuidrome like how sumio kept disappearing in the car.. obviously the whole world knows sumio was involved in the parade revenge based on tokes memo so I’m confused as to if hes imprisoned or dead or whatever.. obviously I know he’s still alive in flower sun and rain so hmm.. I probably sound stupid right now but this story just gets my brain pumped into overdrive.. I’ll figure it out 😬

[@mcoupe69]

Welp.. no answers to kamuidrome rofl.. what a fucking game though

[@baldured8859]

Babe wake up, new cullen video nah but for real, wonderful video, i know this one's been in the works for a long time, and it's worth the wait, i adore this game and i loved hearing your take on it

[@culIen]

Double thank you, you understood the assignment 👀 This means a lot, I have to say it's been at least in "passive production" since the port dropped when I was trying to figure out if I would be talking about both games. It's so crazy to see it done, and that people like it :V

[@Poruasecas]

Finished he silver case 2 days ago, it was such an amazing experience, so diferent from what I was used to... I'm really glad I played it, I'm playing throu Flower sun and rain before starting with the 25th ward and I'm loving this one too, but in a completelly diferent way. Also, Lifecut's ending fucking sent me, like, WTF is that ending! Thank good Tokio the chad explained it in placebo...

[@CarlMakesVideos]

Play them in whatever order you feel is best, and know that it isn't "canon" to the rest of them (probably) but Killer7 also comes between FSR and 25th Ward in that series.

[@Poruasecas]

@@CarlMakesVideos I'll play killer7 before 2tth ward too, I already have it installed and all, and I'll play them in release order just because I want to play them all so why not.

[@culIen]

@@Poruasecas I also need to sit down and actually play Killer 7, I haven't done more than the first level.

[@KingFossilFER]

something about the HCU unit mocking hachisuka for suggesting forensic research: the 24 wards get rid of profiling alltogether. Motive for crime doesnt matter, you do or you dont, and even a child will be treated the same as an adult for commiting murder.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Wake up honey, new Cullen video

[@KingFossilFER]

I think the point of the end of Transmitter, is that after finding out the truth, Tetsu can do nothing about it because the reality is so outlandish nobody would ever believe it. Like, who would believe this is about politicians killing a guy to gouge out his special eyes that grant immortality?

[@Ozziw162]

I don't know how I only just now stumbled upon this video. And I'm so glad I did! I love how you explore the themes, and I'm so happy to finally hear someone speak about the politics in this game! Every other video I've seen has not touched on that, and I'm so glad you did, because it's a prominent feature and worth discussing!

[@mybrainfellasleep]

this video was really incredible

[@seventhsaint]

Great work, dude! :) This is a super engaging video & a great analysis of the games and the themes in them! :D man, I remember being a 1st grader when I first played killer7 and then after playing through the 1st and 2nd NMH games going on a search for other grasshopper manufacturer games and finding this gem. I was obsessed with it for years super saddened by my lack of bring able to speak/read Japanese until they finally released a US localisation. Lost my mind when I found out, lol. :D

[@KirbyIsANerd]

This was an amazing video!!!! I've been dying for a proper TSC Video Essay ever since I first finished the game- I finished it for the first time (as well as it's sequels, FSR and 25W) during the height of Quarantine, accept I had the added experience of being stuck in possibly the most unfortunate living situations possible at the time. Day in and day out I lived through the same routine, and it was kind of getting to me, going through the monotonous routine when i didn't even know if I'd have a place to stay when I woke up the next morning. Tokio was a character whose struggles I could really relate to, and the "trilogy" of games as a whole were definitely the kind of thing I needed to help me get through the stuff I was going to. The Kill the Past series as a whole means a ton- Hopefully I'll actually get to play No More Heroes 3 soon. You really put a lot of this game into words though, and it was wonderful to see. Definitely a hidden gem among hidden gems not only for the PS1 but VNs as a whole. I'd love to see your thoughts on the games sequels someday, especially with your reference to the 25th Ward near the end of the video. Flower, Sun, and Rain especially is lacking a lot of substantial kind of essay-form content, since the videos that do exists are from the time when the games it was released in-between weren't accessible in the states. Definitely a game with just as much interesting things to say, as well as the 25th Ward, and really, Suda's library as a whole. Really excited to keep my eyes out for anything new you put out, this video was great. ^^

[@culIen]

Omg, this comment was so nice that I kind of struggled brainstorming a response :v I'm very happy that people seem to be taking my (admittedly VERY personal) interpretation so well. This year was rough, and that kind of lack of stability lead to a different read of the game than I expected. It was only until now that I realized that all of the Kill The Past games utilize the idea of routine, especially FSR (which is my favorite). After how much I loved working on this, I think I would like to revisit the other ones. Maybe not FSR, there's just too much to say and I'd be afraid of not doing it justice, but I haven't played Killer 7 so I think that could be next! My cowriter on this said they'd love to play that one with me, so I might take them up on that and see if there's anything there to make a video on. A 25th ward replay would be a bit down the line as it's a bit too fresh, and I wasn't really too big on it? I don't hate it, but it's a bit messier and not always as intended. I'd love to talk about NMH, because I think TSA is one of the best games Suda has worked on. I hope you enjoy NMH3 when you get to it, but more importantly I hope you are able to find safety and stability soon if you have not already. Have a great rest of your day ^-^

[@KirbyIsANerd]

​@@culIen Oh you'll love killer7! It's 100% deserving of the gem status that it has both in general gaming circles and inside Kill the Past itself. Really amazing game in so many ways, it's one of those titles I find recommending to almost anyone. Glad to see you like TSA! It got a lot of slack at release, but I think it really was an evolution of Suda's work and style, and is an amazing game with tons of moments that I think will stick with me for a long time. it makes me much more excited to finally get my hands on NMH3 and to see what else Suda has planned!

[@unhingedvagabond]

Awesome script, Cullen. 9:08 I didnt know I need a silver case meme so much HAHA

[@culIen]

Even if I have things I'd do differently in this vid, I'm SUPER proud of that bit haha

[@dex1lsp]

This is a fantastic review! I love this game. It's truly unique. That word is casually thrown around a lot, but in this case (hehe), it's really not an exaggeration. It's a big, bold work of art. I agree with your interpretation and analysis. Like you pointed out, it's an extremely challenging game to review because the story and the way it's told is anything but traditional, and there is a hell of a lot to unpack from its dense layers. I had similar deep personal reactions to the game as an urban working-class adult with a myriad of struggles in this harsh, ugly, alienating, and unforgiving world. The Silver Case captures that raw human experience brilliantly and with brutal honesty. LOL I know you told us not to do this, but because it was such an important aspect of my experience with the game, I have to point out that was already 14 in 1999 and I vividly remember that era of dizzyingly rapid growth of the internet. The game perfectly conveys the collective feeling at that time when technology was advancing so fast that nobody quite knew what to think or what to do with it. It really was like being caught in an intense crossroads of the past and the future. Another piece of 1999 media that comes to mind on this theme is Serial Experiments: Lain. I also love the aesthetic and vibe of the Silver Case. With all the talk of liminality in the past few years, I realized that The Silver Case totally fits that bill. You never see other people in the environments and only when they appear with their dialogue boxes or in dramatic dialogue sequences. Those environments are eerily empty, especially given the urban setting, and the look of everything is delightfully mysterious, strange, and uncanny. It's so cool and interesting how they designed the remake of the original (as well as the 25th Ward) basically by taking the graphical style of the original PS1 game from 1999 and simply making it much sharper, with minimal changes overall. They retained the general essence of those weird old polygonal PS1 graphics that we now find so strangely fascinating, but sleekly smoothed them out in HD! It makes it all look too real for something that looks so fake (if that makes sense), which is what gives it that lovely uncanniness. Many of the environments have a wonderful soft glow too, which really adds to that mysterious vibe. And of course, the soundtrack by the great VGM composer Masafumi Takada is a masterpiece. It has such a unique sound that's both retro and futuristic in its own way, which of course fits right into the temporal theme of the story. Also, if you haven't seen it, I recommend the short documentary about the remake of the original game. Just search "Silver Case documentary" here on KZbin and you'll find it.

[@KanaevM]

Fantastic choice.

[@ketrub]

when playing it i thought all of the game's themes kind of flew over my head but watching this made me realize how much i subconsciously understood even if i couldnt put it into words exactly well tokio especially since he's just an extremely good character, and all of his chapters are a lot clearer than akira's

[@nn8009]

just beat this game today and you pretty much spoke perfectly on how i felt through the game, good vid!

[@Vampirolol]

Almost one year later, I can't stop thinking about this game (and its sequel) Great video!

[@mefisto862]

Awesome video!! This is one of the best content i have seen in TSC community or fandom. I can't really tell how good it is because i'm not a very good english writer or speaker, but i'm really thankful for seeing this and knowing more things that i didn't notice in my first playthrough! cheers from Brazil and all the ktp fans here!

[@culIen]

Wow, this really means so much to me. While I certainly didn't aim to make a definitive Silver Case video, it's humbled me beyond belief that so many have resonated with such a personal video. I love this game, and KTP, so it's really cool to leave my mark on it in some way. I hope to revisit the series sometime in the future! By the way, your English is good!

[@mefisto862]

@@culIen Thanks! I think that such a personal video must be the answer to why so many have resonated. It's pretty good and lovely to see creators that put this kind of emotion in videos or texts. Your videos are really good! Keep doing the things that you have passion and i think most of the other videos will have the same kind of reception!

[@214MD]

This is the first time I've seen your channel and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward for more.

[@ProN00B97]

Coming to your video fresh off a playthrough of the silver case, after realizing that if i wanted a deeper connection with the nmh series I'd have to start from the beginning of the sudaverse, has changed my mind on the game in real time lol. The explicit text is baffling, and its hard to put together what its trying to say between the lines, but you laid it out very well. My favorite cases were the ones that were relatively straightforward like spectrum and parade, parade being my favorite in the way that tetsu changes his perspective on criminality; he didnt understand his closest friend until he actually did the work and investigated the motive behind this crime, and instead of letting his friend execute himself as what "justice" dictates under the 24th ward, he urges him to live on. But even kamuidrone makes a more sense now. Keep up the good work!

[@NeuroNumattix]

Awesome analysis!! Really enjoyed this one! I never thought about the struggles of conformity from a disability angle but I love that almost everyone has a different take away from the story. Kudos!

[@culIen]

Thank you so much! That part was inspired from a talk with my cowriter on this video, Jester. Their help made that part really stand out and it's definitely one of my favorites :) Thank you for watching, and for the kind words ^-^

[@Road_to_Dawn]

Thanks for this video! I had this game recommended by Amazon a little while back and had no idea what it was. I’m really curious about this and it sounds really interesting! I might have to give this a go.

[@m3llytan]

I'm shook. Thank you.

[@culIen]

Thank you for watching!

[@nottucks]

Great vid!

[@MroxSu]

oh fuck yeah ive been waiting for this thanks cullen

[@culIen]

Hope it lived up to your expectations ^-^

[@MroxSu]

@@culIen oh trust me, it did! You did a really good job!

[@earthbound9999]

Fantastic video!

[@throwawaydetective9080]

Immediately subbed.

[@culIen]

Thank you very much, I hope the next deep analytical video lives up to this one! 🙏

[@jamesorihara9322]

About your issues with Tetsu and Akira and how the end up by the end of The 25th Ward, it wasn't my impression that Tetsu ever legit went back to working for them, he was just a free agent working from the outside (while also still being as undercover as possible) with people he legit trusted (Sakura and Akira), and Akira mainly stayed to clean up whatever was left of the Kamui/Nezu mess, which then lead to them dealing with JOKER and all that. That and if Akira DID leave, considering how worse everything has gotten by the time 25th Ward happens, he'd very likely not last very long outside the system considering how much shit he caused. Not saying it's a good call but I could see why he would make it. (as for whats up with Sumio in all that, that one I have a lot of ideas about but his role in that story is STEEPED in Metaphor that everyone is gonna take differently, plus trying to factor in the info FSR gives us makes that even more insane.) But yeah just my take on it, The 25th Ward i feel gets a bad wrap sometimes because of how batshit wild it is, at points to it's own fault, but i still think it was great in a totally different way then the first game (glad they got that bundle, now suda be a cool guy and remaster FSR like you SAID YOU WOULD, come on it's a trilogy it's fucked up you can only play it in English on the DS, which i still did and loved but still.) Anywho great video, people who make Silver Case content are like, maybe 5 total so i'll TAKE IT (when's my Tokio DLC for NMH3 suda, i mean it come on, i must see meh boi as a 3D model. also red.)

[@culIen]

I think all of this is a completely fair take at it! I don't necessarily love the 25th ward, I feel like it wallows in its own misery maybe a tad much, but I am fascinated at the direction Suda and team took. And that's a great point about Akira not being able to last outside of the system, it's a grim and believable way the character could end up. I just think it's weird for a character to learn how fucked the system is to choose to stay. With Tetsu, I assumed he stayed on to try to work as an internal force for good? They keep that all a bit to vague. Maybe I should just reread that epilogue chapter lol. It just felt like, to me, the characters almost got the message but just barely missed it. I definitely want to give 25th ward another read at some point, maybe for a follow-up video when I clear up my video schedule. I think it goes a bit TOO batshit and that misses a lot of the somber beauty of the original, but I also like that it's doing its own thing. I just don't like a lot of Suda's story on that one, it feels messy... and not always as intentionally. But his focus on a post TSC society is truly brilliant, he nailed the atmosphere. Sumio, I actually do kind of like what they did with him in 25th ward. It feels adequate that he fell back into it after everything he went through (FSR is, without a doubt, one of my favorite video games of all time). After writing this, I softened up on how weird it was and just hold onto Tetsu's arc and messages. I hope this kind of made sense? I absolutely adore responses like this, as there are so many takes on stories as vague as TSC.

[@zombiefriend]

Awesome video. I know this game is hit or miss with most people, but it was definitely a hit with me. Any plans to cover any more early GrH works?

[@culIen]

I don't think I'd be able to accurately convey my feelings on FSR (I've mentioned it elsewhere in these comments, but its one of my favorite games), but since finishing this I've thought about actually playing Killer 7 and maybe replaying 25th ward down the line to see if I still feel meh about it. Glad you enjoyed the video ^-^

[@ZeroZXDev]

Good video man

[@Everythingwillsurelybealright]

I love me some janky janky roots!

[@shadowwwwwwwwwww]

holy shit, that dressing down of akira in his free time is like???? me??????? it's me?????? that's me?????????

[@culIen]

I'm glad you were able to resonate with that! It was my biggest reach, but people seem to enjoy that interpretation of his character which makes me happy ^-^

[@soulx511]

I wonder if you're gonna do a 25th ward one since 25th is TSC turned up to 11 and stuff

[@culIen]

When I wrote this I didn't have any plans since I wasn't the biggest fan, but I think a replay is in order after this new replay of the original. I think a lot of that turned to 11 takes away from the quaintness of the original, but I still really enjoyed a lot of what it had to offer. It'd certainly make for a fun video!

[@brunkopops9321]

Superb video, I hope you’ll do a flower sun and rain video someday.

[@culIen]

That game means so much to me that I might not in fear of being unable to do it justice haha. But if I cover Suda next it'll probably be Killer 7 or 25th ward 👍

[@H-dub]

I've been playing No More Heroes 3, which Kamui Uehara appears in, and I'd heard he was from an hold Grasshopper game, and now I'm glad to know his origins! I might have to see it for myself too.

[@culIen]

Funny enough, the Kamui rabbit hole goes *deep*. If you are super interested in that, definitely also check out the 25th ward when you finish because the Kamui from NMH TSA and 3's origin starts there. I played most of these games and I can't exactly tell you what Kamui is, but I loved him in 3 haha. Hope you've been enjoying it, that game kicks ass.

[@taoa1662]

Does anyone know which game that is playing at the beginning of the video? Because damn that is some nice aesthetics.

[@culIen]

LSD Dream Emulator! It's on the PS1 and there's a fan made remake as well ^-^

[@taoa1662]

@@culIen oh shit thanks for the reply, I'll definitely be checking it out, also amazing video

[@mcoupe69]

I was 13 in 99 and grew up with that weird internet but never really got to see the full impact it had as I was on a total of 3-5 sites max (Had to) 😏

[@sss1029]

*heavy sigh* video essay

[@culIen]

Some times a bitch going through it

[@srijanrawat4014]

More steins gate videos please

[@culIen]

Maybe when Mages manages to put out some new titles, until then I'm just chilling lol

[@srijanrawat4014]

@@culIen you could create some videos on steins gate anime, like deep refelection videos and steins gate videos have your highest views which would help to grow your channel, from a well wisher and steins gate fan.

[@culIen]

@@srijanrawat4014 that's certainly fair, but as of now I'm just not that interested in revisiting SciADV for a bit. I want to continue experimenting and covering other kinds of games so I'm not only known for covering one thing. I'm sure the views would be nice, but I'm having a lot more fun doing the kinds of videos I make now and want to revisit SciADV when I feel I have something new to say. Maybe there will be a Robotics;Notes DaSH review this year, or a Chaos;Head video if the NoAH tl comes out, but that's all I can think of. I appreciate the advice and continued support 🙏

[@srijanrawat4014]

@@culIen ok i can understand then can we expect a video on evil within

[@culIen]

@@srijanrawat4014 haven't played it, seems cool! So maybe! Always looking for weird stuff to cover and I like horror games well enough.

[@jyoutube989]

For the algorithm

[@culIen]

🥰

[@Wombola]

Here from kbash

[@culIen]

What a lad, love that dude 👏

[@misterdaleboomshears8619]

It's a criticism of Japanese culture. Not North American culture. They are vastly different.

[@culIen]

I never said it was a critique of specifically American culture, but there are plenty of general societal complaints all over the work as long as you are willing to read lol

[@jamalgoblinschlong]

Not usually a VN guy, but The Silver Case and Hotel Dusk are some of my absolute favorite games of all time thanks to the phenomenal atmosphere in them. Only just started playing the 25th ward, and it's alright so far, but it lacks the atmosphere that TSC had. Maybe it gets better as it progresses.

[@culIen]

I'm in a similar boat with 25th ward. It doesn't ever try to achieve TSC's atmosphere, and that kept me away for the longest time. I still don't like it as much as the original game, but when I tried to play it again last year and finished it I liked to well enough for doing its own thing. I think Suda has a fitting quote out there that 25th ward is like a beast wearing the skin of the Silver Case.

[@jamalgoblinschlong]

@@culIen Indeed. However, as I get further into the Placebo side of the game I'm starting to like it more and more. It's a lot more like TSC than the other parts of the game.

[@blueroman460]

Great video mate!