Modern Aphmau
Modern Aphmau is a common phrase referring to the general daily release of content posted on the Aphmau channel after the conclusion of her last cinematic roleplay series, Phoenix Drop Days, towards the end of 2019. This content consists of minigames, episodic roleplays, and SMP-style roleplay videos. This also includes content on her Aphmau Shuki channel where Roblox videos are released instead of Minecraft. These videos are geared more child-friendly; cutting out strong language, violence, and innuendos that were present in her other series. Videos are uploaded every day approximately sometime between 3PM and 4PM EST, with some days the episodes releasing several hours sooner.
According to Chris Escalante, videos are recorded about a week in advance before being uploaded<ref>https://www.tumblr.com/thechristopherescalante/703492773318393856/hey-chris-ive-got-a-few-questions-about-video?source=share</ref>.
SMP roleplays[edit]
SMP roleplays refer to light episodic roleplays within Aphmau's SMP server. These videos are still scripted and don't actually take place in a real Survival Multi-Player server as one would in Minecraft. The set almost always takes place in the server, set up with typical houses and sets "built" by the cast as if they were in a survival Minecraft world. There are multiple sets, or hubs, the videos take place in, so they don't always appear to have the same house. The players often die, respawn, and go mining for Minecraft materials, but solely in the realm of roleplay rather than gameplay. The episodes often start out with Aphmau getting pranked or betrayed, testing a "new mod", helping someone out of a bad day, or acting in a scenario with her friends through the episode.
The SMP server regularly includes: Aphmau, Aaron, Ein, Kim, KC, Zane, Pierce, and Noi. Sometimes, MacNcheeseP1z, Gene, Ivy, Michi, Zack, and Sylvanna are present and "log on" to the SMP.
Episodic roleplays[edit]
An episodic roleplay is a roleplay that is concluded within one episode and does not take place in Aphmau's SMP server. They are scripted and contain characters for the voice actors to play; sometimes roleplaying with or as the characters of an existing show, being adopted as an orphan, going on grand adventures, or even jumping into older roleplays such as MyStreet Phoenix Drop High, and much more.
These videos have a broader cast of voice actors, not only starring the typical cast, but including multiple old and recurring characters such as Garroth, Gene, Derek, Travis, Katelyn, Zenix, Blaze, and many more. Even Yourpalross appeared in an episode to play the role of Daniel again<ref>https://youtu.be/rAyWefkk5IQ</ref> after there was long speculation Ross had left the project. There is the rare occasion where other characters appear as an easter egg, such as Janus and Lillian from Diaries Rebirth<ref>https://youtu.be/VdEFZqHCHA0</ref>, and even Zane's jury form from Minecraft Diaries<ref name=":0">https://youtu.be/JeP2B5aGJ54</ref>. Sometimes older characters show up with different voice actors than as they were in their source roleplay, such as Zack from MyStreet, who has had multiple different voice actors. On occasion, the main cast of characters appear in their original skins, like Noi and Pierce may have their outfits and horns from My Inner Demons<ref>https://youtu.be/aLsZJVAuJUo</ref>, and Zane may have his Diaries Rebirth outfit while taking on a fantasy villain role<ref name=":0" />.
Episodic roleplays may sometimes take place in a Minecraft SMP, but not necessarily the SMP server, such as in "The FOOTBALL STAR is in LOVE With Me!" where there is a mixture of episodic roleplay and Minecraft SMP elements. There are also episodic roleplays in which Aphmau is an orphan that gets adopted into different kinds of families, most being less normal than others.
Minigames[edit]
Minigames include the usual SMP cast, and don't appear to be scripted, however everyone stays in character. Minigames include videos might follow the format of 100-players in Minecraft, 10 friends in Minecraft, and more.
In 100-player episodes, they allegedly feature one hundred players competing or participating in the video scenario - such as surviving on 1 block, or the cast goes on 100 dates with them. The 100 players are assigned an array of randomized skins and usernames to hide their identities, and in some video instances, many "players" don't appear to be anything but Minecraft AI or anonymous staff members, making the validity of the video concept questionable.
There are a large variety of minigames, often being common minigame parodies popularized by other games, board games, or parodies following other movies or shows.
Aphmau Shuki[edit]
Aphmau Shuki is the sister channel of Aphmau, where Roblox videos are uploaded. Aphmau Shuki had multiple video hiatuses between uploads, some spanning a few months to over a year. Some fan reception to the channel compares the video content to being more akin to her early MyStreet minigames. This is likely because there is no script to follow or extensive behind the scenes editing generally required from the modded Minecraft videos.
Controversy[edit]
Less fondly called "cocomau" or "kiddy videos", some fans or other observers express dissatisfaction towards the direction of the Aphmau channel, meanwhile her views and subscribers skyrocket. Her use of toilet humor and characters getting pregnant, forcibly getting married, cheating, being used for child labor, or turning into stalker tropes is often a source of criticism - even compared to the Elsagate scandal. However, her content is far from reaching those extremes and remain objectively genuine and child friendly. Her videos feature traits often associated with content fit only for children, like bright colors, silly sound effects, and overly acted, loud performances. The intensity of her videos sometimes garners complaints from parents or older siblings.
A number of fans are unhappy with the turn of content and wish for the return of cinematic serial roleplay series and videos with less scripted acting. Some fans comment that her newer videos are too "childish", with instances like her scripts using "died-ed" or reassuring slain characters will later respawn. Some fans dislike how the characters seem to be 'dumbed down' or entirely out of character compared to their respective roleplay series origins.
Roleplays have not returned, as Jess explains, it's difficult to produce serial roleplays like MyStreet when she's raising multiple children and the team losing access to their studio due to the global pandemic.
Milestones[edit]
In the 2021 YouTube Culture & Trends article, "One Trillion Minecraft Views", Aphmau was recognized as the Minecraft YouTuber with the most views of the year with the following message: "In a world long dominated by male creators, the creator who now generates the most views of Minecraft videos is a woman. Aphmau, who is known for episodic storytelling through role-play, has been uploading videos for over nine years and became most-viewed Minecraft creator in 2020." garnering 3.17 billion Minecraft views.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/minecraft-trillion/</ref>
For more Aphmau YouTube channel achievements, see Jess (Aphmau).
Cast[edit]
The majority of the characters featured originate from MyStreet and My Inner Demons. Their portrayals may significantly differ from their source series because these are not the same characters from MyStreet or My Inner Demons. Characters from other series may make an occasional appearance. While most VAs have remained the same, some have changed.
Other characters such as Sylvanna, Zack, Garroth, Michi, Ivy, and Gene "log on" to play, too. Template:List
Episodic Roleplay Cast[edit]
List of old recurring characters with episodes appearances. Note that this is not a complete list.
Trivia[edit]
- The only day of the year that Aphmau takes a break from uploading videos is Christmas Day. The day before that, Christmas Eve's video is usually guaranteed to be one centered around her and her friends waking up and having fun on Christmas Day.
- An exception was made on July 23rd, 2023, in which the video was delayed until the following day.
- On June 26th, 2022, Aphmau started to upload weekly shorts. The first three where clips from previous videos. The third short was removed from the channel shortly after its upload. On July 21st, 2021, the shorts became animated and featured original plots featuring the characters. It didn't become weekly until the second animated short on March 5th, 2022. However, there are some weeks where Aphmau doesn't upload a short.
- As of now, her second animated short, which was uploaded on March 5th, 2022, has the highest video view count on her channel, being viewed over 90 million times.
- On June 25th, 2022, the shorts received a new animation style that was revealed in "Aphmau Don't Use that POTION!". These are modeled and animated by Achebe Animations on YouTube and Twitter and are animated in Blender.
- Animated shorts have also been put in the start of some videos to encourage viewers to like, subscribe, and purchase new merch, such as toys, apparel, juice boxes, and skin packs on the Minecraft Marketplace.
- As of now, her shorts come in two animation styles: one using Minecraft models and the other using the previously mention animation style.
- As of September 3rd, 2023, her shorts have become a daily dose of content, but with one exception being made of September 12th, 2023.
- On August 28th, 2022, Aphmau started to make Roblox videos on the main channel using a hub-like experience made exclusively for recording her videos.
- On September 8th, the Roblox avatars were updated to look more similar to how they look in Minecraft, but only on the experience.
- Things like gold blocks and TNT retain their appearance from Minecraft.
- As of now, unlike in Minecraft, the houses are immune to explosions.
- Some videos don't entirely take place in the hub experience, choosing to mix in a few other experiences that fit the plot.
- The use of Roblox on the main channel was most likely abandoned after a few videos, with only four being made.
- Aphmau tends to use other IPs in her videos. Most of the IPs are horror-themed, such as the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, Poppy Playtime, Rainbow Friends, Wednesday, Amanda the Adventurer, Sirenhead, and M3GAN, while others are more kid-friendly, such as Encanto, Barbie, Turning Red, Elemental, and The Bad Guys. She also takes partial inspiration from other IPs, such as The Little Mermaid and Spy x Family. Another thing she does is give other IPs cameos without having them being the main focus, such as Shrek and Frozen.
- The resource pack used in the videos alter the shade of the default purple and green dyed blocks, likely to better fit Aphmau and Kim respectively.
- Just like in Aphmau's old Minecraft roleplays, there are exclusive models and mobs modded into the servers, albeit a lot of the mobs and models are blockier rather than the way KamiWasa's models looked. Some models are also imported from other video games.
- Some minigames and roleplay plots are borrowed from Roblox experiences, most of them being what Aphmau already played on her Roblox channel. Even one of her recurring side characters, Mr. Pickles, originates from a Roblox experience, being modeled to look like the way he did in the experience instead of giving him a regular player model. Aphmau also borrowed games she had previously played on the main channel and incorporated them into Minecraft, such as UNO and Ratty Catty. Meanwhile, she also borrowed games like Who's Your Dady even though she hasn't played those games on the main channel before.
- Mac, Joseph, and Julia are the few examples of people playing as themselves rather than voice acting a character.
- At Vidcon 2023<ref>Aphmau & Friends Take the Stage for Their First-Ever Panel at #VidConAN23</ref>, Jess revealed in a Q&A panel that there are still plans to finish MyStreet and the remake of Minecraft Diaries. There are plans for concluding the former and they are still thinking of ways to finish Rebirth after discontinuing it, possibly through a book.<ref>Aphmau & Friends Take the Stage for Their First-Ever Panel at #VidConAN23 (51:28)</ref>
- In a 2019 livestream, Jess says she would want to pitch the Diaries Rebirth concept to a video game or animation company<ref>https://www.youtube.com/live/HbwVPkWzz8A?feature=share&t=3323</ref>.
- In a 2017 Twitter thread following the cancellation of Minecraft Diaries, Jason says the team was debating on releasing the season 3 story through a book or comic<ref>https://twitter.com/JasonBravura/status/828051700342611968?s=20</ref> <ref>https://twitter.com/JasonBravura/status/828051731116220417?s=20</ref>.
- Ein's obsession over gold originates from the early days of the modern videos, in which he seeks to make golden hoes during group speedrun challenges to the Nether simply because they're the most useless tool.
- Aphmau first used her current attire in "Minecraft, but it's DEFINITELY cursed".
- Mac's love for veggies originates to her voice actor being vegan in real life.
- Callbacks to MyStreet and other roleplays are not uncommon. One example being Ein having Aphmau "prank" Aaron off a cliff.
- There was a point in which a YouTube content creator named Skylin was stealing Aphmau's thumbnails and copying her content and characters. This eventually led to "Aphmau has a COPYCAT In Minecraft!". At the end of that video, Aphmau said that it's ok to do the same ideas. Just don't take her art.
References[edit]
<references />