I wrote an article called “Capturing the essence of ‘Taihen na Touchu Gessha’ [Train Otomads] as someone who doesn’t know much about trains” for the Otomad Advent Calendar.

I wrote it in a hurry, so I may not have gotten across all the finer points I wanted to. What I wanted to convey in the article is:

1. The Otomads that I had just been listening to on the pleasantness of the music alone took on a deeper impression when I watched them with their visuals.
2. Even a line that I ride regularly stretches out beyond what I know, and I was surprised to find people trying to explore said line.
3. When I was thinking of how to use trains in my videos, I realized that I was free to interpret the background and vibes the trains suggest and use them that way.

I am not sure if I have been consistent with this, but I wanted to convey that I made a train Otomad without knowing much about trains.

I also mentioned Battle Dome in the same article, and it’s quite true for that source as well: I didn’t make Battle Dome Otomads due to any prior love or knowledge of the material. What I wanted to convey in the article is the impression one can receive precisely because they lack knowledge regarding specific materials, and the resonance that can create.

I have experienced this sort of profound impact several times over the past year.

One such time was encountering Otomads posted to Bilibili. Despite not knowing Chinese, I was strongly drawn to these videos based solely on the words and impressions conveyed through them. It’s not that I simply found them to be pleasant to the ear or visually appealing - I was deeply engrossed in the experience of watching them, almost breathlessly. I cherished this sort of experience regardless of personal preferences, and it made me think why the video made me feel the way it did.

One video that left such an impact on me was .sousaku. I wrote about it elsewhere, so the next paragraphs might seem familiar, but bear with me as I am writing this down for my sake as well.

My initial impression was that this video is about the frustrations that come with making an Otomad. However, I struggled to find the words to express my subsequent thoughts. I realized this might be a more complicated subject than I initially thought, and that I need to understand the exact wording in the video to fully understand it.

And so I reached out to FFFanwen and Snaur, with whom I have maintained contact since, for information about this video. I was able to talk directly with the creator and hear their thoughts and explanation about the video, as well as ask them about their intention when making it. I will omit the details, as I think it would be inappropriate to convey them secondhand, but to my understanding, my initial impression was not too far off.

I remember being very happy to hear that, as the impression I had and the details I got were similar. Of course, since this was being conveyed through layers of translation, I would have to verify the linguistic accuracy, but I think I’m at a point where I can internalize this as a personal insight.

This process of overlapping the self that did not know with the self that does know and experiencing the doubled charm was a profound experience.

I believe that not knowing or understanding something isn’t a barrier that prevents us from enjoying its charms. Rather, the initial shock we experience as outsiders can serve as an entry point to immersing ourselves in this world.

This is quite a digression, but I feel similarly about approaching a series like Saki.

When I first started watching this series, I was told that it’s enjoyable even if you don’t know the rules of mahjong; and that if you do know the rules, you can appreciate just how absurd the matches get, which adds to the enjoyment.

I first watched it without knowing much about mahjong, and I was able to follow along by focusing on the character’s emotions. Once I gained some knowledge of the game, I noticed there were truly unbelievable plays being made. By the end of the show it becomes almost like a superpower battle show, and you can’t really apply the standard enjoyment of mahjong to it, but even so, there is a huge difference in how you watch it depending on your knowledge of the rules.

What I want to argue here is that we shouldn’t assume the feelings we experience when we aren’t familiar with something are inferior to those we experience when we are. There is no need to be so negative about the different interpretations that may arise from lack of knowledge. “The emotions we experience at that point remain in their impact as our first impression, and that point gets harder to return to the more pertinent knowledge we gain.

For example, when I watched Otomad: Huá, there were quite a lot of unfamiliar subjects and contexts. However, that allowed me to avoid overthinking and simply focus on the powerful audio and visuals. I believe the message I received through these lenses isn’t that far off from the creator’s intentions.

All that said, misinterpretations can lead to misunderstandings, so sometimes it’s good to be aware of one’s lack of knowledge. Preventing or avoiding situations like this depends on each individual case, so I will not discuss that here.

In a way, not knowing something can lead to valuable insight in itself. When you consider your perception at that point, uninfluenced by others, the moment of ignorance is in fact the most powerful. Especially in mediums like Otomad, where direct connections lead to fascinating depictions, our misinterpretations can result in something truly unique and original.

This article isn’t meant to be a specific suggestion. But if you’re like me and would like to dispel some feelings, then I hope these experiences will give you a comforting insight.