History WebVideo / Shadiversity

* FilibusterFreefall: Shad's early videos focused on analyzing historical armaments and buildings, fantasy weapons in light of Historical European Martial Arts, and science-fiction and fantasy tropes, all of which make minimal mention, if any, of his conservative political views. Over time, Shad has become more open about his views over time and freely expresses them in ''Knights Watch'' (he tries to keep his main channel apolitical by being focused on medieval history, fantasy, and weapons). For instance, he has strong views on how [[ActionGirl women who can fight]] are portrayed in media, stemming from his stance on women, like how they, on average, [[WomenAreDelicate tend to be weaker]] and more expressive about their emotions than men are. For this reason, he faults Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} for her lack of emotional vulnerabilities, claiming that it gives her the personality of a stump of wood, whereas Film/{{Alita|BattleAngel}}, while capable of holding off on her own in a fight, has moments of vulnerability, thus making her a more "human" and relatable character. Likewise, Shad made a video touting [[Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]] as a symbol of "Virtuous [[RatedMForManly Masculinity]]" who is worthy of imitation.

''Shadiversity'' is a Website/YouTube-based video channel created in 2013. The host's name is Shad M. Brooks, and he hails from Australia. He has a brother, Josiah Brooks, who runs an art-based [=YouTube=] channel, ''WebVideo/DrawWithJazza''. Shad has a second channel, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/KNIGHTSWATCH Knights Watch]]'', for video games and other media. He also has a third channel, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfvLHflumHs-9VG3qLV6Y3w The Shadlands]]'', which was initially to chronicle his building a castle park that would serve as a home/museum, but it has since been drastically revamped to a be sword content channel that "cuts to the chase and is straight to the point".

''Shadiversity'' is a Website/YouTube-based video channel created in 2013. The host's name is Shad M. Brooks, and he hails from Australia. He has a brother, Josiah Brooks, who runs an art-based [=YouTube=] channel, ''WebVideo/DrawWithJazza''. Shad has a second channel, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/KNIGHTSWATCH Knights Watch]]'', for video games and other media. He also has a third channel, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfvLHflumHs-9VG3qLV6Y3w The Shadlands]]'', in which he chronicles the construction of a castle park that would serve as a home/museum.

* ArmorIsUseless: He does ''not'' like this trope, and in his 'Crimes Against Medieval Realism' series, he calls it a 'lightsaber' moment. Armor was crucial for the survival of any warrior on any battlefield, and it irks Shad to no end to see works either dismiss armor or seem to consider it a waste of time.

** The "double-bladed sword on one sword handle" type, like the one Thanos wields in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', is explored in his videos. He concludes that although it is quite functional if wielded like a polearm, [[AwesomeButImpractical practicality is another story]]. Sheathing or transporting the thing is way more trouble than its worth, especially when compared to a single sword or spear. Plus, you'd need twice as much metal to make it as a sword or a spear, and if you've got that much metal lying around, it would be way more efficient to just make two weapons. Shad says this impracticality is nullified with Darth Maul's lightsaber, since it can be sheathed and provides the option of being single-bladed or double-bladed.

** The "double-bladed sword on one sword handle" type, like the one Thanos wields in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', is explored in his videos. He concludes that although it is quite functional if wielded like a polearm, [[AwesomeButImpractical practicality]] (like sheathing, transporting, etc.) is another story. He says this impracticality is nullified with Darth Maul's lightsaber since it can be sheathed and provides the option of being single-bladed or double-bladed.
** Shad says that the double-flail in ''Batwoman'' is an example of this trope done wrong, resulting in a weapon worse than the nunchucks.

* FryingPanOfDoom: Has a video dedicated to using frying pans as weapons. His conclusion is it's not that great of a weapon due to the pan being off-balanced, but it would be better than nothing. Against flying fairies, however, its wide surface might prove to be rather useful, especially as it could function like a badminton racket hitting a shuttlecock.

* FilibusterFreefall: Shad's early videos focused on analyzing historical armaments and buildings, fantasy weapons in light of Historical European Martial Arts, and science-fiction and fantasy tropes, all of which make minimal mention, if any, of his conservative political views. Over time, Shad has become more open about his views over time, and while he continues to (at least largely) refrain from expressing his views on his main channel, he freely expresses them in ''Knights Watch''. For instance, he has strong views on how [[ActionGirl women who can fight]] are portrayed in media, stemming from his stance on women, like how they, on average, [[WomenAreDelicate tend to be weaker]] and more expressive about their emotions than men are. For this reason, he faults Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} for her lack of emotional vulnerabilities, claiming that it gives her the personality of a stump of wood, whereas Film/{{Alita|BattleAngel}}, while capable of holding off on her own in a fight, has moments of vulnerability, thus making her a more "human" and relatable character. Likewise, Shad made a video touting [[Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]] as a symbol of "Virtuous [[RatedMForManly Masculinity]]" who is worthy of imitation.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: In his "Fantasy RE-ARMED" series, he generally comes down on {{Flynning}} or BladeLock moments found in pop culture. However, Shad also acknowledges that at least a little bit of those things is necessary for the sake of making an entertaining fight scene; if combatants used perfect tactics, fights would be over way too quickly and come off as anti-climactic. When speaking of the Battle of Blaviken in ''Series/TheWitcher2019'', Shad goes over inaccuracies in tactics and movements on Geralt's part, but also praises the camerawork and choreography as "amazing" while he does it.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: In his "Fantasy RE-ARMED" series, he generally comes down on {{Flynning}} or BladeLock moments found in pop culture. However, Shad also acknowledges that at least a little bit of those things is necessary for the sake of making an entertaining fight scene; if combatants used perfect tactics, fights would be over way too quickly and come off as anti-climactic.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: In this "Fantasy RE-ARMED" series, he generally comes down on {{Flynning}} or BladeLock moments found in pop culture. However, Shad also acknowledges that at least a little bit of those things is necessary for the sake of making an entertaining fight scene; if combatants used perfect tactics, fights would be over way too quickly and come off as anti-climactic.

* {{Chuunibyou}}: The mall ninja stereotype is gleefully lampooned in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkYmiZmCPwQ this video]], where Shad looks at weapons that are designed to look cool rather than be functional.

* FryingPanOfDoom: Has a video dedicated to using frying pans as weapons. His conclusion is it's not that great due to the pan being off-balanced, but it would be better than nothing. Against flying fairies, however, its wide surface might prove to be rather useful, especially as it could function like a badminton racket hitting a shuttlecock.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: [[AvertedTrope Not really]]. Sometimes he jokes about the pop culture perception of the katana as a nigh-mythical weapon that can cut through "space and time", and the romanticizing of its forging method. Ultimately, his opinion is that the forging process and design of the katana are an ''ingenious'' way of getting the most out of Japan's generally imperfect traditional steel... but that just helps it be competitive with swords made from good steel in the first place. He notes the design is quite good and that it's a well-engineered sword for the purpose it's made for, but there are European swords that do the same jobs just as well, are just as well-engineered for them, and there are numerous types of sword specialized in various areas (thrusting or chopping, mainly) that far outperform the katana in those areas (and far outperform any non-specialized sword in that task, for that matter).

* SpectacularSpinning: As a subset of {{Flynning}}. Spinning in swordfights is ruthlessly deconstructed. The Anakin vs. Obi-Wan in ''Revenge of the Sith'' actually has a large number of "good spins," where the combatants are going with the momentum of a strike or block, keeping their blades in a position to ward off their opponent, or both, though it does have a few examples of "bad spins," where the combatants withdraw their blades and expose their backs to their opponents as they spin. The Queen of Bad Spins so far, however, goes to [[Series/TheWitcher2019 Renfri]] in the Battle of Blaviken, where her fighting style consists largely of striking to one side, spinning around, and then striking to the other, with no provision made to guard her back as she does so (how much Renfri being potentially superhuman and largely self-taught justifies such a fighting style, and how much Geralt's reticence to kill her justifies the fight lasting as long as it does, is open for debate). Even Geralt has a bad spin or two in that fight (though there are good, or at least "plausible" spins in his earlier battle with Renfri's thugs).

** Gorgeous-looking but impractical fantasy weapons and fancy fortifications are discussed aplenty on his show. He has a series of what he refers to as "mall ninja weapons" being reviewed, where Shad goes over various weapons purchased from stores which are designed to look cool or intimidating but are completely worthless in combat. [[https://youtu.be/xpw4tAz-IHk?feature=shared&t=55 He makes it clear that not ever weapon purchased in a mall is necessarily a bad one]], citing the Sword of Endril from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' as an example of a blade which is design to look like an actual weapon. But once he's getting to swords with holes in them, impractically-shaped blades, or ones that look like they might hurt to use, Shad wastes little time calling such weapons "piece(s) of crap" as he sees them.

* AllThereInTheManual: Shad sees this as a sign of bad writing, especially if the work is an adaptation. For example, if Shad is {{review}}ing a TV show adaptation of a book series, he expects the adaptation's lore to be self-contained and make sense without the viewer consulting the books or having background knowledge of the book series.

* ArbitrarySkepticism: Discussed a bit in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaDoXDMd18 this video]], specifically regarding Cloud using his Buster Sword to block gunfire. His using a gigantic sword is more believable since we don't know what precise amounts of superstrength or ultralight materials make it possible. But as massive as the sword blade is, it doesn't offer enough coverage to protect his entire body from gunfire, so it still shouldn't work.
* ArmorIsUseless: He does ''not'' like this trope, and in his 'Crimes Against Medieval Realism' series, he calls it a 'Lightsaber' moment.

* AuthorTract: Shad is not afraid to admit he's a conservative and a Mormon whenever it is relevant to the topic of his video, and he typically takes positions on politics and gender from those perspectives. He primarily makes his Author Tracts on ''Knights Watch'' and freely expresses them in his reviews of movies, TV shows, and video games (and Shad may bring up his views on politics, gender roles, and religion if said opinions are relevant to his commentary), while he tries to keep his main channel primarily focused on fantasy and medieval history.

** Gorgeous-looking but impractical fantasy weapons and fancy fortifications are discussed aplenty here.

* {{Catchphrase}}:

* CoolSword: He often discusses swords, especially fantasy swords that [[RuleOfCool look cool]] but are, in fact, [[AwesomeButImpractical impractical]]. He also has a really nice collection of them, be they realistic or fantasy-inspired. Notably, he openly admits he had swords at his wedding and even [[PricelessPaperweight cut the wedding cake with it]].

[Beat. Shad looks down, unhappy. Cut to him crying at the corner.]\\
'''Shad:''' ''[sobbing]'' I'm so alone... [continues sobbing until he hacks]

-->'''Shad:''' ''[sobbing]'' I KILLED him! [continues sobbing until he hacks]

** He acknowledges that fantasy barbarians going into battle dressed only in a {{Loincloth}} or ChainmailBikini is a bit silly, but they look AWESOME. [[https://youtu.be/7Iw_RD_h6bc This video]] examines how such characters could be realistic, and how they could be made to work. Wearing a lot of armor doesn't restrict freedom of movement, but it can risk overheating, especially in hot climates (modern athletes are shown as a comparison for this reasoning). A good shield can replace a lot of body armor. Leg and arm armor will fill in the gaps the shield leaves, and barbarians are often drawn with this. A barbarian culture might have a very different modesty standard in which wearing a lot of clothing is discouraged, and warriors in particular may want to show off their impressive physiques to intimidate opponents. In conclusion: go for it!

-->'''Shad:''' '[clearly suffering] This is painful and difficult... I'm doing it for you!

** He will often comment that something is "Very interesting", before explaining why he finds it interesting in-depth. [[https://teespring.com/very-interesting-shadiversity?page=3&tsmac=store&tsmic=shadiversity#pid=369&cid=6526&sid=front Shad]] [[https://teespring.com/very-interesting-shadiversity?page=3&tsmac=store&tsmic=shadiversity#pid=87&cid=2325&sid=front even]] [[https://teespring.com/very-interesting-shirt?page=3&tsmac=store&tsmic=shadiversity#pid=87&cid=2325&sid=front made]] [[https://teespring.com/very-interesting-shirt?page=2&tsmac=store&tsmic=shadiversity#pid=369&cid=6526&sid=front shirts]] to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this verbal tic.

* {{Worldbuilding}}: Discussed when reviewing a creative work's lore and the central topic of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j0mkPEFVIU this video]]. Shad says that the most important aspect of worldbuilding is consistency. A world must have rules that work believably and apply throughout the work. One example is that [[MagicAIsMagicA magic systems must work consistently]].