Rebecca's Thoughts

originally from The Battle for Glory: esports, TV, and media I like (and don’t)

Video Game High School is an American web series and is probably the series I have the least amount to speak for. This isn’t because the show isn’t good or somehow an inferior product, but rather the series is short and is not the most accessible show. Despite being the easiest-to-watch show on this list, Video Game High School (VGHS) is a show made by gamers for gamers and it doesn’t hold back on the lingo, vibes, and general storytelling. There is some prerequisite knowledge that is required to understand the show to enjoy it. This isn’t to say that it is completely indecipherable but there will be way less cringe if you can enjoy it with nostalgia and understanding of lingo and references.  

I think that VGHS deserves a spot on this list as it is one of two American productions that I can think of. It is also the oldest on this list coming out in 2012 and that makes it a product of the esports boom that happened post-2008. Additionally, lots of people have watched this show with about 110 million people watching season three alone.  VGHS is about high schooler Brian D, a below-average gamer, who lucks his way into beating the number one ranked amateur of the in-universe first-person shooter game Field of Fire. This victory earned him a spot in the prestigious Video Game High School a school where teens learn the ins and outs of Field of Fire. Starting at the school ranked last, Brian D must prove his worth and status in the school and among his classmates. VGHS uses all the tropes of teen high school shows and video games to build the lore and story of the show. This show has a degree of camp and comedy that can only come from an indie production. Like Lawrence’s “The Law” Pemberton is a villain straight out of Scooby Doo. In season one, the main character BrianD, has literal nightmares about The Law and his psychological warfare.  In Nicholas Cervania’s article about why you would watch Video Game High School, he says: Part of Brian’s struggle is to stand out amongst a team that’s exactly like him. While being one of the strongest players on his team, Brian still isn’t the star player. He’s the fish-out-of-water protagonist — he’s the everyman. His role is for the audience to project onto him and experience the world through his eyes. The star player role belongs to his love interest and team captain, Jenny Matrix. As the show goes on, this role ends up driving a wedge between her and Brian when she’s offered a chance to fulfill her life-long dream of joining her favorite eSports team. These types of subplots exist for everyone, each character is faced with different motivations and conflicts that are impactful and long-lasting throughout the show. I think this summary tells a lot about why this show is so charming and engaging. I think that the general appeal of VGHS is the characters. Within the show, the characters depict a lot of sentiments that young people have regarding their hobbies, friends, and interests. The characters in VGHS are complex and they have challenges outside of videogames. I also think that this show attempts to show the impacts that things like bullying, low self-esteem, and family conflicts have on people and how those affect things like hobbies. I also think that, unlike some of the other shows on this list, it is somewhat grounded in reality. The people in this show face challenges that are contemporary and translate into real-life struggles. Like obviously a high school where kids only learn about how to play video games is a little outlandish, but I think that the underlying story and message of the show can transcend video games and apply to everyday high school troubles. Like, Brian D is insecure about his abilities and skills. He wants to become better but feels held back by his surroundings and the people he is forced to interact with. These are real struggles that teens face and I think this show does a good job depicting the highs and lows of high school.  On a side note, I think that the representation of women in this show is also great. Jenny Matrix is shown to be one of the best players in the school and in no way is the fact she’s a girl disparaged or tokenized. The fact that there is more than one girl character is another plus and I think that the diversity in personalities and portrayals makes the show more inclusive and friendly to women fans. I also like the fact that this show discusses games outside of the typical scope of esports and touches upon other genres of gaming like fighting, rhythm, racing, and social gaming. I think a lot of the time these games are often thrown aside and considered not “true” gamming so the fact that this show is inclusive of them is cool.