▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Interview #199 - @Yorozuya-no-Yume ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬  The Disgusting Metalhead “There are no limits, you are only limited by however far you want to be limited.” Interview conducted by: @Mimurona Reviewed by: @Skittles Could you tell us more about yourself? Primarily, I'd like to say that I'm flattered to be nominated for an interview. However, I apologize in advance if it won't be conducted as expected. I occasionally feel that applying comprehensive thinking can be extremely difficult, and failing at it can be a little frustrating. But let's see how it goes, haha. Firstly, I want to clarify a certain ambiguity that seems to be confusing a significant number of people, which I blame my enigmatic self and (supposedly) music preference. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a bearded metalhead. I am, in fact, a female, currently 21-years-old. Among MAL users, I’ve been known as Yume or Yoro, though I suppose you can call me whatever you want. I'm a student of Modern Applied Languages, and in case you're wondering, that is applied linguistics with a focus on translations, interpretations, and relationships between language and discourse, culture, society, and technology. I'm studying two core languages: English and German. One question I am frequently asked is where exactly I am from, so I feel like this is a suitable opportunity to answer it. I am of Romanian descent, although I've spent most of my life in Serbia. I constantly circulate between those two countries. Thus, in order to avoid confusion and nitpicking, I prefer to say I'm Eastern European, which is, of course, a matter of fact, haha. As most of you probably already presupposed, I have an enormous passion for languages. Among a number of lifetime goals, being able to communicate in as many languages as possible is one of them. I have this goal for obvious reasons, although I'd like to mention one personal motive as well. Being constantly exposed to absurdly high expectations of my family and surroundings has severely affected my self-confidence, and I believe achieving this goal could be one of the methods to help me recover. For the time being, I'm able to communicate in five languages, including Romanian, Serbo-Croatian, English, German, and Spanish. In my opinion, fluency is a relative thing and it is, to some extent, similar to perfection—which does not exist. I would describe myself as an introverted, reserved, diplomatic, tolerant, open-minded, perfectionist, disorganized, and weak-willed individual. In regards to beliefs, I'm agnostic. As everyone has already noticed, being a metalhead is what pretty much defines me the most, but I'll touch upon it later on since it's one of those topics that I could easily talk about for hours. I’d also like to elaborate one more thing. I had people asking me whether I’m a friend collector. I'm really not as I never really add people unless we talk a lot. The thing is, I used to be an admin for several big clubs on MAL back in the day, so many people wanted to add me. I accepted them since I had no friends on MAL back then, so I was like "Heh, why not," but that kind of got out of control. I considered it would be rude to refuse those random friend requests because I feel doing so would make it seem like I have a strong ego, which definitely isn’t the case. The last thing I'd like to mention is that I'm not too fond of people, but a big animal lover. How did you choose your username? Yorozuya is an organization that the main characters from Gintama are a part of. They would basically do any job for the right amount of money. I can't really relate to that, but when I was trying to come up with something, I was leaning towards something Gintama-related since that's my favorite series. Yume means 'to dream' and yorozuya means 'jack-of-all-trades,' so my name could be translated as 'Yorozuya's dream.' However, this is a bit far-fetched since Yume is a nickname jokingly made up by my friends many years ago due to my love sleeping, so it can also be translated as 'Yume of Yorozuya.' Of course, at some point, I’ve considered changing it, but I’ve been known as Yorozuya-no-Yume for so long. The name has become part of my online identity, so I have no intention of finding a different name. Could you give us a brief history of your time on MAL? I joined MAL back in 2011, though I only started updating my lists around 2012. I feel like my level of activity was at its peak between 2012-2015 when I was involved in card-making. Around that time, I was devoted to certain clubs, including the one I formed together with a friend of mine. Eventually, I lost interest and lacked the time for an active online life. Each time a MALpocalypse happened, I temporarily left. I must say, I’ve recently become an active Forum Games user. Back then, I didn’t really get the appeal; I’d post every once in a while, but I feel like it was mainly because I didn’t bother to interact with any of the Forum Games users. Any users you like/dislike? Why? Ooof! Get ready for a long list, haha. I’ll apologize in advance for not including some users. There are a number of people that I enjoy seeing around, but they are barely active on MAL anymore so I've decided to omit them. However, the links to their profiles have been available in my bio for quite some time. First off, I just want to mention that I genuinely care for all these people and enjoy their company. Likes: @saamarium – Ahhh, another disgusting metalhead. The best way to describe him would be my male counterpart *Varg smile*. On a serious note, we have so many things in common and share a strong passion for music. He’s also really kind, savvy, and empathetic. @Shinah - She’s light-hearted, tender, and amiable. Fun fact: we’ve known each other already for about three years. I’m really glad she’s still around. @Mimurona – Someone laidback, frank, and solicitous. On top of that, he's my kouhai, haha. @GayBoi6969 – Quick-witted, introspective, and reliable. Someone you can always count on. @Deathko – Behind that mysterious persona is an artistic individual who’s very insightful, knowledgeable, and attentive. @Lore – I think she’s basically impossible to dislike; compassionate, amiable, and trustworthy. @mindstate – Someone sympathetic, kind-hearted, and who never fails to make me feel at least slightly better by sharing cute animal photos. @TyraMisoux – Witty, childlike, and proficient, he would also help me improve my rusty German skills. @Tangerine – He tends to pull a Houdini. Nonetheless, a profound, phlegmatic, yet considerate individual I like seeing around. @ASlicedBread – Perhaps among the warmest and friendliest individuals I’ve ever interacted with, who never fails to put a smile on my face. @-Shinzo – Someone extremely supportive, humorous, and affable. As for the people I dislike, I see no point in mentioning or devoting any attention to them. Even though I’ve interacted with a great number of people throughout these years, it’s hard for me to dislike anyone; I’m usually just indifferent. As a matter of fact, only about a handful of people are aware of them, so I prefer it stays that way. How did you get into anime/manga? This will be a very mundane story. I basically started watching anime on TV when I was a kid. I didn’t know the difference between anime and western cartoons for the longest time. When I was around nine or 10, I started digging into the medium, and I’d say that’s when my interest in anime actually began. I’ve been watching anime ever since, but with different intensity. Although, there's one fun fact: when I was a kid, I mainly watched anime in German. As for manga, I don’t read as much since I prefer physical copies, which I barely own. Could you recommend us three of your favorite anime/manga? Ooof, this is a tough one, especially because tastes differ a lot. But I’d have to go with my top three. The first would be Gintama, considering the fact it’s my favorite series of all time. It’s mainly a comedy that satirizes historical figures, famous people, characters from other series, and so on. However, it’s pretty dynamic, too. It has its serious arcs, many great characters, and much more. Another would be Monster. Again, a longer series, but in my opinion, a real masterpiece that is slow-paced, yet not boring at all. It has some really amazing characters, including one of the greatest villains of all time, Johan Liebert. And the third would be One Piece. I know, it’s a very long anime, but unlike most other shounen, it’s well-written, unpredictable (at times), and has awesome characters. All these shows are pretty long, but they are definitely worth watching or reading in my opinion. What are your hobbies outside of anime/manga and MAL? Ohh, there are so many things... I'll start off with music since that's no doubt my biggest passion. I've loved music since I was little. As a kid, I was very ambitious and I'd daydream about becoming a musician one day. Here's one funny thing: there's actually a video of me "playing" a toy electric guitar when I was around six and jumping around like a monkey to "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. At least it wasn't "Smoke on the Water," haha. But by the time my parents considered enrolling me to music school, my ambitions have decreased, and I slowly became an insecure kid who avoided unnecessary social interactions. Going back, I do regret it since I'd really love to learn to play certain instruments. I still think it's never too late, so that's one of my goals. In fact, I can play a few instruments, although I don't want to brag since I wouldn't consider myself particularly good at any of them. My older sister is a violinist, so I had the opportunity to take some lessons from her, though I'm mostly self-taught. I can play the pipe and ukulele, and I would occasionally play the guitar, but I don't own one so I always have to borrow. I still want to improve, especially with the guitar. I'd love to learn how to play the bass, drums, piano, and cello. But everything requires time, strong motivation, and, of course, money. I also absolutely love singing, but I'm too shy to let others hear me sing. This is a little paradoxical since I used to be a part of a choir for about 5-6 years, but I refused to be a soloist. As obvious as it is, my biggest hobby is listening to metal music. I consider myself a metalhead since that's my favorite genre. From my own experience, the metal community is overall not toxic as opposed to most others. I've been exposed to it at a very young age mainly because of my three metalhead uncles who are former musicians and band members. I actively started listening to metal when I was around 10 or 11. I must say, I'm not an elitist and I appreciate all metal subgenres. Lmao, I'm expecting some metal-related questions, so I'll stop myself here. I like rock, classical, jazz, folk, pre-90s pop, and blues. I also collect CDs, and I plan on purchasing Vinyl records in the future as well. I love reading books, with psychological and fantasy titles being my favorite. I'm also really into mythology, and I own many books regarding various mythologies and folklore. Psychology is another field I really like, to the extent I considered studying it at university. Since I'm a huge animal lover who unfortunately doesn't own any pets, I absolutely love spending time with animals, be it stray creatures or those belonging to someone else. I don't consider myself a gamer, but I do occasionally play video games, mostly RPGs and multiplayer titles. Also, I still enjoy watching some western cartoons from my childhood. I like going to museums. I also like to draw, but I'm not good at it. Another thing that relaxes me is going for walks late at night when the only thing you can hear is the wind blowing. I also like to observe buildings and admire their architecture. Writing is another one of my pastimes. I discovered my passion for it when I was in elementary school, and I've enjoyed it ever since. However, I only write when I become inspired or feel the need to jot down my own thoughts. And of course, I absolutely love traveling and trying new cuisines, but unfortunately, they're not something I am able to afford currently. Still, I find swimming and cooking quite relaxing. How do you feel about how the site is run? Especially in regards to your fellow moderators and admins. This site is far from perfect and everything could always improve, but I feel it decently serves its main purpose. Other than that, I’m not in the position to comment on this subject further. Each time I needed to address to moderators, they helped me out. From what I’ve seen, most of them do their job fairly well. On one hand, it’s not like I don't have any complaints, but on the other hand, it’s not really something that affects me, so I wouldn't go out my way to criticize them. Which band helped you pull through those rough times? from @saamarium Oh wow, that’s a great question. I’m not sure if I can determine just one band, and the only thing I am certain of is that metal helped me through those difficult times the most. Perhaps it's because heavy music combats negative emotions like anger, solitude, depression, and sadness. It’s funny how metalheads often have a reputation for being vicious animals when the truth couldn't be further for the most part. I assume most people can relate to this, but the songs I’d listen to usually match my emotional state. I’m a reserved individual, so I can never really reveal my emotions whether they are positive or negative. When I feel some sort of aggression or anger, I never take it out on someone. I prefer to isolate myself, perhaps listen to some death metal in order to purge my emotions. While listening to music, my body may respond to the stress I'm bottling up, but it does not inflict harm to anyone. Of course, this does not mean when I'm sad, I just listen to some metal and *boom*, I'm happy. When it comes to music, lyrics are not essential to me, but I do appreciate those that are meaningful. In my opinion, Chuck Schuldiner is one of the greatest lyricists of all time, and many of his lyrics are relatable. I think it always depends on the situation. For example, a certain band may help lighten a sour mood while other times, not so much. I think we all need to learn how to feel the music; it’s not always about the lyrics. I think that’s the real challenge when it comes to creating music. It’s relatively easy to write some lyrics and a melody, but it takes real talent to awaken emotions without adding any words to the song, or if listeners can't understand because of language barriers. But to answer the question, I think I’ll go with Pantera. They're one of my favorite, if not my favorite band of all time. All the members are extremely talented and they managed to offer something new to the whole metal scene. I think they had everything, from great lyrics and vocals to amazing riffs, breakdowns, and solos. Just listening to Dime’s guitar solos slowly regulates my mental state. I’d like to include many other groups that are successful as well, but I suppose I should stop right here. As you can see, talking about this can go on forever, haha. Lastly, I just want to reiterate that metal as a genre truly pulled me through those rough times, so I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I’m so passionate about it. I can’t see myself ever getting bored with metal. Perhaps I won’t label myself as a metalhead for the rest of my life, but I’m sure it will remain a part of my identity. How and when did you become interested in metal music? from @yerue Oof, another good one. I’d say when I was around 10-11. That’s when I started digging deeper into the genre and discovered some amazing bands. Before that, I’d listen to pretty much any music genre, though mostly rock (I owe my father and uncles for that). As I’ve already stated, my uncles are metalheads, so I was exposed to their own music and was infected by their passion. On the other hand, my father has a very diverse and great taste in music. So, I grew up to Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Status Quo, Simon & Garfunkel, Jethro Tull, ZZ Top, The Beatles, Queen, Scorpions, X Japan, Michael Jackson, Prince, ABBA, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Blondie, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, and many other amazing artists. Strangely enough, the subgenre that actually got me into metal was death metal. What was your first ever favorite band? from @ASlicedBread Hmm, that’s a good question. I believe it was The GazettE, a Japanese Visual Kei band. I mean, I still like them and I still really appreciate Visual Kei, but I must admit it’s been quite some time since I’ve listened to them. Do you travel a lot? Which countries have you visited? from @ASlicedBread Unfortunately, no. I wish I could travel more, but I can’t really afford it. So far, I’ve only been to—okay obviously—Serbia and Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Greece. Each country has its own beauty, but I can easily say I fell in love with Greece the most. What artist or band are you listening to the most right now? from @ASlicedBread There’s more than just one, but lately, I’ve been in the mood for progressive rock. Since the new Tool album is coming out, I’ll go with Tool. Have you ever had any pets? from @ASlicedBread Oof, sadly never. My parents wouldn’t allow it since we don’t really have the proper conditions. I am that weirdo who always spots animals and enjoys playing with stray dogs and cats, so I’ll blame it on my parents, haha. However, I’m really attached to my grandmother’s pets. Your favourite type of cheese? from @ASlicedBread I love cheese. I could pretty much eat them every day and all day. I don’t really have a favorite type, though the only one I don’t like is gorgonzola because of its nasty aftertaste. Around how many hours a week (or per day) do you spend listening to music? from @ASlicedBread Haha well, the only time I don’t listen to music is when I sleep and attend lectures. Do you prefer sweet or sour food? from @ASlicedBread Sour, definitely. I don’t have a sweet tooth. Of course, I love chocolate, ice cream, and various other types of desserts, but it’s not something I have to consume on a daily basis. I’m also very picky when it comes to cakes, especially because I absolutely detest whipped cream. Also, I usually drink my coffee without sugar. What made you interested in learning different languages? What do you like the most when it comes to hearing and speaking? from @Deathko I think it’s a very useful ability to have and also raises your self-confidence. Just the idea of going somewhere and being able to understand people sounds very appealing to me. In addition, by learning languages, you often get introduced to different cultures and traditions. Hmm, I can’t really tell what I like the most, but I just like the idea of being able to communicate with people who can’t speak English, or aren’t able to express themselves the right way in any other languages besides their mother tongue. What are your favorite dishes? Do you cook? And if yes, what is your favorite recipe? How about your go-to food when you just want something simple and good? from @Deathko An interesting question. Hmm, the funny thing is, I used to be very picky when it comes to food, but now I’m pretty much quite the opposite. I don’t think I have a favorite dish. I can say that I absolutely love Italian and Indian cuisine. Also, seafood in general. I must say, I’m not too fond of fast food, but I like to have it every now and then. I really like spicy food and grilled meat. Yes, I genuinely enjoy cooking, and in fact, I find it relaxing. I’m not particularly good at it, but I’d say I am a decent cook. Oof, I don’t think I have a favorite recipe, although I enjoy making this one Eastern European dish called sarmale (sarma in Serbian), which is a type of cabbage roll. I was recently visited by a few foreign friends, and they absolutely loved it and even asked me for the recipe. Not gonna lie, it felt really good being asked, haha. Hmm, I also like making omelets. Between Shinpachi, Kagura, and Gintoki, who would you save from a terrible death if forced to make the choice and why? from @Shinah Hmm, interesting. Despite Pattsuan a.k.a Shinpachi being my least favorite among the three, I'd have to go with him. Mainly because he's not a fighter, so I feel like he would be the only one in desperate need of help. What was the deepest thought you ever had? Hmm, this is a good one. Unfortunately, I like to overthink, so various deep stuff passes through my head. It's really hard to determine just a single thought, but I think it was that one time I got really wasted and started philosophizing for half an hour about the purpose of chewing gums. If I recall, I was holding and staring at a package of chewing gums while I was doing so. I kinda feel bad for my friends who witnessed that. Joking, sorry, but I have no idea, haha. What makes you happy besides music? As pathetic as this will sound, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced real happiness, or perhaps I failed at recognizing it. I suppose I should list the things that cheer me up or put a smile on my face. I mean, I really tend to appreciate small things, so sometimes a stranger being very polite can make my day. Although firstly, I’ll say that people I like and care about make me elated. They literally don’t have to say anything, just be around, since I constantly have that awful feeling of solitude. Secondly, animals, which is why I try to be around them as much as I can, or even watch cute animal videos that make me grin. Describe your life in nine words! An endless roller-coaster with many ups, but mostly downs. Being an admin for different clubs, do you wish to revive those old times? Going back, those were some good ol’ times. I would lie if I say I didn't like them. However, being an admin requires a lot of time and effort, which nowadays I don’t have as much. Another issue would be finding people who are up for it since I’d definitely need someone’s help in order to maintain those clubs. Finally, something that everything in life requires and most of us lack as we age: motivation. Why do you think Varg Vikernes is the best meme of all time? Well I 'em crispy! Do you consider yourself Romanian or Serbian, considering you lived in two different countries? This is a really hard question and I’ve wondered about it before. I feel like Romanians and Serbs have a lot in common despite being part of the Balkans, from their temper to traditions. However, I was told many times that I am not a typical Eastern European. Thus, this makes it even harder for me to answer. Believe it or not, it depends on the location. Generally speaking, I really can’t tell. All I know is that I don’t feel like a foreigner in any of those countries. An outsider? Yes, but that’s a whole different story. Do you think metalheads are often misjudged? Definitely. There are so many negative stereotypes about metalheads. Like, I often get asked how am I that quiet (after this interview, you might think otherwise, haha) for someone who’s into metal, which is completely absurd. I’ve been a part of this community for many years and I tend to attend gigs, so I’ve interacted with a great number of metalheads and can say for sure that the majority fit into the same category as I do. Another thing: people often get surprised by how nice metalheads can be. From my own experience, the majority of metalheads are actually nice, and I’ll illustrate that from one of my recent experiences. I went to a music festival in July and I was lucky to be able to stand in the first row. However, during Phil Anselmo’s performance, there was a girl in a wheelchair and her boyfriend whom I decided to let pass and stand in front of me. While the crowd was moshing, a group of metalheads stood right behind us and built a wall in order to prevent that girl from being pushed. Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s no toxicity within the metal community, but I’d say those toxic individuals are a vocal minority. Sexism is unquestionably something I have to confront, but it does not really affect me and I’m sure every female metalhead can relate. Is there a reason why you're not into K-pop? I simply don't get the appeal, but then again, I don't like easily consumable music. My main issue with the genre is that the fanbase really repulses me. I had roommates who were Koreaboos, so I'm talking from experience. Each to his own, and I try not to judge someone based on what they listen to, but I just wish more Koreaboos could be objective and acknowledge that K-pop is far from good. This does not mean that every metal is objectively good, but hope you get the idea. How many languages do you want to learn? I’ll just quote Chuck Schuldiner once again, “There are no limits, you are only limited by however far you want to be limited.” Do you see yourself leaving MAL in the near future? Permanently, I doubt anytime soon, but generally speaking, I don't like to plan things out or keep empty promises. I prefer when things happen spontaneously. As some people already know, I tend to pull a Houdini, but I always end up coming back after a long hiatus, so I don't see why I'd change the pattern. Any feedback on the interview format? It's pretty solid and fun, so good job! Is there something unasked you would like to talk about? I'd like to try to raise awareness regarding mental health since there's something that upsets me so much. People tend to turn a blind eye to those afflicted and wake up when it's already too late. It's one of the worst things you could possibly do when someone timidly tries to call for help. Thus, the last thing I'd like to say is to observe closely and dare to do something about it. Could you recommend us three users from which we can choose to interview in the future and why? Hmm, many users seem quite like the interesting choice. Honestly, I’d nominate certain users I’ve mentioned above, but I’m positive they wouldn’t be interested in doing an interview. @Tangerine – I have an impression he would like to do an interview. Since he’s really passionate about music and even majors in the field, he could easily produce an interesting interview. @Feiticeira – We haven’t talked that much, but from what I’ve seen of her, she’s really friendly. Also, being a fellow musician is reason enough to intrigue me. @Fruitlass – She’s one of those users I’d like to get to know better. She seems to be into science and is eloquent, so I think she’d do well. That's the end of the interview. Thank you for your attention. |
SkittlesSep 5, 2019 12:18 PM
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| Metalcore is the greatest metal sub-genre to ever exist. Come at me. |
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