Shelter By Porter Robinson and why sometimes you shouldn't watch the video

Anime is an interesting art form. I grew up with it. I sometimes say to people, "Oh I love anime because that was all there was on TV when I was growing up," but that's a lie: there was GI Joe and My Little Pony and The Smurfs and I'm sure something educational. But nothing caught my imagination like anime.

There was something dark and sinister happening in anime that wasn't happening in any other animated TV show. There was a constant feeling of dread, and there was always — ALWAYS! — someone looking out in the distance sadly while the wind swept their hair and flowy clothes. Me and my depressed child mind latched onto that feeling of loss and longing, that feeling that something good might happen, but probably won't. Well, not so much "latched on" as "felt it deeply within my psyche".

I also liked the red/blue oni thing (like a lot!) and the aesthetic of it all (also a lot! men wearing lace cravats and lipstick who can also vanquish enemies? sign me up!).

Anyways.

Now, as a fully grown adult I have not done the anime thing as much because my existential angst needs to be kept at bay to actually be a productive member of society and get up out of bed and go to work so that I don't end up living in a tent city. But I still love it.

OK so now here we are at Shelter by Porter Robinson which is melancholy and wistful, but not entirely anxiety inducing:



See? It's a good EDM song with a melancholy sound. Nothing that will keep you up at night while your brain screams "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

But then you watch the video and %^#TYURYTRYRUT&*%SDFGHJ my brain breaks and the anxiety takes over and I can't sleep and all I'm thinking is HSJDYEIRY97674923IREFUWWYIU

I'm not watching the video. I want to sleep tonight. I want to be able to function tomorrow without an overarching sense of crushing existential anxiety. Watch this at your own risk. The animation is really well-done.

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