(Goodbye, Yandere Simulator) "Memories" by Maroon V - Piano Cover
My last video was me addressing all of the allegations around YandereDev, how I felt about it, and if I’d continue supporting the project. As you can probably guess by that video’s nature, and the title of this video, the answer to that question is obvious: no, I won’t be supporting Alex Mahan or his game anymore.
I said then that I wouldn’t even mention Yandere Simulator again. But then why am I making this video? Why am I still focused on this game?
This game has been in my life for basically as long as I can remember- I was young, really young at that, when it first became my hyperfixation, and as the earlier videos on my channel will show, that stayed the same for that entire period of time.
Of course, I can see now, as a mature and developed person, that this project, just like its developer, had persistent flaws that I couldn’t just ignore. Looking back on it now, this game was, to put it mildly, creepy. It was inappropriate and atrocious and generally something a kid shouldn’t have been watching.
But like I said in my previous video, I will never shame young me for liking what he liked. He was naive and trusting and would cling onto anything that seemed remotely interesting. It made him happy, and I will never try to take that away from him.
Besides, this game, for all its flaws, shaped who I would eventually become. This game was a major reason why I got into art or the internet or Japanese culture or storytelling or any number of things, and though I wish all of those things had been introduced to me by another piece of media, maybe produced by a respectable and competent creator, I can’t deny that all those parts of me were created by this game.
I will stick to my word: to me, Alex Mahan is nothing short of disgusting and so much as talking about his game in a somewhat positive light after all he’s done feels like supporting his vile acts. But it still hurts to have to let go of such a huge part of my development and life, and I didn’t want the last time I’d speak about it to be entirely negative.
So, that’s what this video is- a final send-off to a game that made me who I am, for all my flaws and strengths.
There’s a song sung by Adam Levine from Maroon V called “Memories”. It’s a song about mourning the loss of a close friend. He said himself, though, that the song was really for anyone who had ever experienced loss in any way.
This video is my way of “mourning” my “loss”, if you can even call it that. It’s actually more accurate to call it a loss, because after the past week, I have no doubts in my mind that this game is unquestionably and definitively dead.
I feel gross even comparing my loss to that of Adam Levine- after all, a person is much more worthy of grief than some poorly-made video game. But for as silly as it may seem, for all its horrific qualities and nightmarish circumstances… I am going to miss this game. A lot.
But still. I have to move on.
So, I decided to use my piano to say what I couldn’t say directly.
To Yandere Simulator, thank you. You’ve inspired me and millions of others for nearly ten whole years and I will never be able to overestimate the impact you’ve had on my life. You tried to be something beautiful, and I am so sorry that your developer squandered your true potential.
This is my final farewell to you. I hope that someone out there sees you the way I do, but I know that, in whatever way, you will be missed. Thank you so much for everything.
Goodbye.