AJ Hartley's 2023 end of year wrap: retirement, writing, music, travel, the future and more :)

Рет қаралды 543

7 ай бұрын

Check out this channels's playlists for specific content (TV/Movies reviews, Book reviews, Japanese music discussions (general and band-specific) etc.
My full review of the Atarashii Gakko DC show: • Atarashii Gakko live i...
My full review of the BABYMETAL Atlanta show • Reviewing my first BAB...
AJ's Patreon Page: patreon.com/AJHartley
AJ's merchandise Page: www.teepublic.com/stores/ajha...
AJ's Website: www.ajhartley.net
Order the US paper/hardback edition of HIDEKI SMITH, Demon Queller from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Hideki-Smith-D...
Order the US paperback edition for collection or mailing worldwide from an honest-to-God independent book store by emailing orders@parkroadbooks.com
order the UK paperback version of HIDEKI SMITH from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Hideki-Smith...
order the UK paperback version of HIDEKI SMITH from Waterstones: www.waterstones.com/book/hide...

Пікірлер: 29

@bleedsmetal 7 ай бұрын

Thank you

@ralfklonowski3740 6 ай бұрын

To see the expression I coined flash up in this video really made my day. Thanks a lot! All the things you said about what you hope your channel would be for us exactly mirror my experience here. A Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! Or, as we put it in German "Guten Rutsch!" (roughly "Good Slide [into the new year]")

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Same to you, and thanks for your phrase!

@keithsowerby8179 6 ай бұрын

Thank you AJ. Of course this is a beginning. Just read the end dedication to Japanese followers and supporters; that got to me, so I’ve just bought Hidecki Smith, my second from you

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Thanks you so much! I really hope you like it :)

@funnytoss 6 ай бұрын

You became a part of my life through the BABYMETAL walkthroughs, but that has since expanded into other interesting things such as enjoying several of your books, and other musings/reviews (really interested in checking out Godzilla after your introduction, for example). Looking forward to whatever comes next! (and of course, spending time on offline things you find interesting is a very worthwhile endeavor too)

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Thanks, man. I need to have you on here again some time. Always a pleasure to chat to you. Happy new year!

@funnytoss 6 ай бұрын

@@AndrewHartley always a pleasure, BM-related or not! We should indeed do it more often as time permits!

@hedobannord1184 6 ай бұрын

I really want to thank you for all your great videos - I usually learn something new or get new insights/aspects and feel entertained too. Perfect. 🙂 And I love that you have a good mixture of analytical thoughts but also emotional reception especially of the music you're covering. So I hope you'll continue with your channel for some time to come (totally selfish reason, I know). I wish you a great start into the new year and a successful 2024! For me 2023 was pretty rough but what kept me going was the music - 2023 I dived completely into the japanese music scene (probably 75% of what I've listened to 2023 was from Japan). I learned to finally appreciate a couple of acts I already knew (Atarashii Gakko! of course, and Sheena Ringo) and I discovered so many other amazing japanese acts, it's crazy. I hadn't the slightest clue that there are so many great artists in this country because as a typical westerner I was stuck in what we usually get to hear in Europe/America. Btw since you like jazzy sounds - probably you know these guys already but if not I'd recommend checking out Gesu no kiwami ottome (ゲスの極み乙女。) who quickly became one of my favourite bands from Japan. I love their style which fluctuates between jazzy elements, even funky at times, but also Rock, Pop or a bit of "Rap" and some experimental and surprising parts. The four band members are all outstanding musicians and their music vids are also very cool (all of them). "パラレルスペック" is a good song to start with I'd say.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! I'm not familiar with hem but on first listen why sound worth exploring :) I hope your 2024 is an improvement on 2023. A lot of tough times around. Hope the music keeps you going.

@hedobannord1184 6 ай бұрын

@@AndrewHartley Glad you liked them - my other favourite tracks from Gesu are オトナチック and キラーボール but as I said imo all of their singles/videos are great, especially their earlier ones where their sound had a bit more "punch" to it (they've gotten softer over the years). Music always come to my rescue when I'm feeling down - f.ex. I discovered BABYMETAL exactly at the right point (beginning of the pandemic) to save the coming months and years. 🙂

@michelm.6033 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for all your hard work this year and to your family for their support. Many blessings to your family in the New Year.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Same to you! And thanks!

@babymetalcountdown5366 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year, Andrew. Thanks for all the good work this year. Looking forward to what’s to come! As an academic myself, I found your musing on transitions thought provoking. The past academic year for me has been terrible, but music discovery has been a bright spot. So in your “story” this past year I pull out instructive parallels for myself. Thanks for that too.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

My pleasure. I'm sorry the academic year hasn't been great for you. I had a couple of those in the last few years and I must say, though I'm still adjusting to not being in school, I don't feel any sense of absence. Onward.

@mikye8876 6 ай бұрын

ありがとう😊　今年初めて拝見し始めました。🎶興味深い考察で楽しく拝見しています。来年も拝見させて貰います。良いお年をお迎えください。⛩🎌

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

ありがとう！また、僕のチャンネルにようこそ。良いお年を！

@flugelhornoldman1362 6 ай бұрын

It is I who should say ありがとうございます from Japan💛。 I did not know that you speak Japanese so well. You and I should have talked in Japanese at Foxgod bar. Next time, we will. Happy holidays and a glorious new year to come for you and your family.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

You are, as ever, too kind. The thing about video is that I can at least plan what I aim to say in advance. Impromptu chat that doesn't make me sound like a baboon? That's much harder. At least we'll have beer :)

@road-runner 6 ай бұрын

Nice recap. Thank you, professor. It's been a crazy year for me as well and I still need to think about it properly. Not to mention that the expectations for 2024 are even higher... 🤭 Happy Holidays and see you next year!

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Best of luck for 2024!

@takataka47jp 6 ай бұрын

今年一年様々な貴方の考察楽しませて頂きました。心から感謝致します。どうかご家族共々素晴らしい新年をお迎えください。来年も楽しみにしております。❤

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

そう言っていただけて、とてもうれしいです。ありがとう！良いお年をお迎えください！

@glenkelley6799 6 ай бұрын

Nice recap. Thanks for the past couple of years, I've always found your talks interesting. Have you considered turning Hideki into a manga? The overall story would make a great anime. Good luck in 2024.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

Unfortunately, manga/graphic novels are very expensive to produce and (in the west) don't generally net much so publishers are warty of them, though they are an excellent spring board into adaptation for the screen. I would love all those things to happen, but it requires a big player to make a massive investment, and there's so much competing for their attention that it's virtually impossible. Thanks!

@olias056 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the time, energy, effort and "love" you put into this. You helped me go deeper into BabyMetal and other Japanese things. I am glad that you want to keep things positive and not do something that's negative. Hope to see more from you during 2024 and best wishes and health to you family.

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

My pleasure, and same to you!

@Killem911 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, AJ, for everything you've done this year, and I hope you had a great Christmas time! I especially appreciated the honesty in all your videos (Monochrome *caugh) and your unique POV. There is always something new I can learn or discover, which is vastly different from just "consuming" YT content, so thank you for that. Keep doing what you do, and all the best to you and your family in 2024!

@AndrewHartley 6 ай бұрын

THanks! Much appreciated. All the best for 2024.