Realized Personal Social Media Experiments with Pokémon

About two months ago, I wrote up a post about some personal social media experiments involving Pokémon. That post was actually a hint to a few of those experiments actually being conducted, and I'm happy to say that they've been realized in some form with the efforts of myself and friends. The experiments involved all the social media venues I mentioned in that post, being video, podcast, and this blog. With these advancements in mind, I thought I'd take this post to update on those experiments.

The first to come was a podcast - a video podcast, to be precise. Since current conditions took effect, my friends at Hyakushiki, one of the bands that helped to guide my musical forays in events, have not had much to do, with potential gigs in events gone along with the events themselves. So, they decided to start a little something unique on their YouTube channel: a podcast that involves them talking with their friends. I got the honor of becoming their first guest, and the post about social media experiments was actually made a couple of days after I met with them to record the podcast. The episode with me has been released in two parts on their channel, and I do suggest checking it out; the podcast is in Indonesian - a given, since these are my local friends - but I'll plan on making an English summary later for the benefit of my readers. It's a nice idea for a podcast, and I'm glad to be a part.

Next came a clip-based video experiment. A friend whom I've known since the early days of my cosplaying has recently dealt with promotional/parody clips on Instagram using its Reel feature, and I got invited to participate in one of them to promote the localized TCG. We got together one morning with a script and recorded the whole thing on that morning; I spoke no lines - the narrator spoke for me - but I did wear my new first-generation Ash costume and thereby "sent Ash to do the job". The clip has an interesting storyline that could apply to anyone considering the TCG, but I won't detail too much about it; I suggest watching the Reel clip on Instagram... and maybe later on Ash and I can break it down. Interestingly, the band above also has planned on having that friend of mine on their podcast, so things are coming into a full circle - but that's not a bad thing, if I may say so.

Yet there is one experiment that hasn't been realized, and that involves my blog - at least tangibly. Readers might recall a comment on a post on this blog regarding this blog that I noted in a certain post, and that comment is actually more significant, as the commenter actually offered to make a background for this blog. However, nothing has come out of it, and my response in an e-mail has gone unanswered. At this point, I'm tempted to simply consider it a lost cause. Even so, the offer to make the background has led to the realization that I've had this blog for more than four and a half years, but I have never bothered on touching up its appearance. This is a delectable experiment that I want to undertake, but the results might not be borne out for some time. Still, the thought experiment has been realized, and that may lead to the tangible experiment at some point.

With two months having passed, there is a sense of accomplishment that the Pokémon social media experiments that I've discussed previously have (mostly) come to fruition in some form. The fact that they involve friends further affirms what is - and always has to be - at the core of social media: good communicative links with good people and good things. I've got good people, evidently, and I've got something good - Pokémon - and it doesn't take an experiment to affirm that as well as the good communication that occurs.

One year ago: Let's Talk About Events, Conventions, and Beyond

Two years ago: A Tale of Two (OK?) Performances

Three years ago: Ode to Magikarp

Four years ago: Snorlax's Awakening