TubeClash is an animated original web series by German YouTube channel Darkviktory.The series' concept resembles that of Battle Royale, a group of seemingly random chosen persons being thrown into a strange and often hostie environment in which they must try to both survive and eliminate their rivals to come out as winner. In TubeClash however, the participants are avatars of popular german Youtubers, divided into two group, or rather two "Clashes", Clash A and B. Each team's goal is to eliminate the entirety of the rival Clash first, then fight amongst each other until only one remains. It should be noted that both the plot and characters of the series are more comical in tone than the premise might suggest. This is a deliberate choice of the designers, who favoured producing a parody with drama elements over an outright drama.
The series' first episode aired on the 22th of August 2014. The first season consists of ten episodes of varying run times.This is mainly due to the unique nature of the series, mainly the participation of it's spectators. Rather than writing the entirety of the plot beforehand, the producers instead pick comments and suggestions which they consider benefitial to the overall story and implement them, causing them to write every new episode shortly after the previous one was uploaded.
In addition, the series' fans get another way of influencing the plot by voting for certain Clashers, namely voting whether or not they want them to survive another episode. The two Clashers with the least amount of votes are in danger of being the one to die in the episode following the vote, a coin flip ultimately decides their respective fates.This is the series' primal unique feature and the main cause for it's large popularity amongst the german Youtube community.
Darkviktory has stated that the series is slated to be a trilogy.
TubeClash provides examples of:
- Animation Bump: The second season's animation is noticeably smoother and more detailed than the first season's.
- Art Evolution: The second season expands upon the Comic/Anime style of the first season and makes it more detailed and realistic, allowing for even more impressive visuals.
- Audience Participation: One of the main gimmicks of the series and the main reason why it is insanely popular among the german Youtube Community. Being able to both influence the plot and decide over the character's fates makes this series stand out from most Web Animations/Series.
- Big Bad: The Master, a classical villain resembling a crazed showmaster, who set up the whole thing and forces the Clashers to fight each other, all for entertainment's sake. Uses a voice distorter to disguise his identity. His appearance slighlty changes in Season 2, as does as his secret identity.
- The Cameo: Several other german Youtubers, who are not part of the Clashes themselves make appearances as inhabitants of the island.
- Cartwright Curse: Happens twice, once in each season. In both instances, the greatest badass among the Clashers loses his love interest shortly after we learn of his crush on them.
- Cliffhanger: Season 2 ends with one, most likely to set up the events of the planned Season 3.
- Crapsack World: Subverted. While at first, it seems that the island the Clashers are on is nothing but an oversized death trap, it eventually turns out to be quite the pleasant place to live.
- Creator Cameo: Couchman, an animated Alter Ego of creator Darkviktory appears during each episode's recess to share his thoughts on the events. Also counts as Author Avatar.
- Darker and Edgier: Season 2 is this compared to Season 1, the implementation of blood being one reason. The deaths of the Clashers also get progressively more dark throughout the second season, as does the entire story. It also ends on the darkest note of any episode up to that point.
- Deadpan Snarker: Each season features several of these, mostly Clashers.
- Death Is Cheap: None of the "eliminated" Clashers stay dead, either because they never died in the first place, as it is often the case in Season 1, or because the other Clashers find a way to revive them in the end, as seen at the end of Season 2.
- Downer Ending: And how. Season 2 ends on a much darker note than any episode up to that point. After everyone comes back to life and they happily reunite, it is revealed that the massive influx of data from the previous year/season has caused the system to freeze, causing the entire environment to literally be engulfed by ice. The final sentences of Julien Bam via offscreen-narration say it all:Julien Bam: Denn Zeit ist ein unaufhaltsamer Fluss, der für den zum rachesüchtigen Raubtier wird, der versucht, gegen die Strömung anzukämpfen (...) Und uns reißt dieser Fluss... in den Krieg. ("For time is a relentless current, a merciless predator to anyone trying to swim against it (...) And this rapid now drags us with it... to war.")
- Dwindling Party: Given the premise, this is self-explanatory.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Season 1 has the bad habit of using a particular upbeat soundtrack during certain scenes despite it not fitting the mood. Season 2 fixes this, the track is never used once.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Stegi goes through utter hell before he is finally able to revive everyone and reunite with the one closest to him. However, turns out the ending is not that happy after all...
- Evil All Along: Coldmirror in Season 1, the Master Hunters in Season 2. However, both also end up being Good All Along.
- For the Evulz: Appears to be the Master's motive in both seasons. He even states that it is simply entertaining to watch in Season 1.
- Good All Along: What the Master in both seasons turns out to be. Coldmirror also qualifies.
- Happily Ever After: Implied for all the Clashers in Season 1's epilgoue: Subverted in Season 2. And how.
- Island of Mystery: The setting of the first season. A hermit with dreadlocks, a horde of Zombie Wookies and an ape oracle are among the less curious inhabitors of the island.
- Mad Oracle: The members of the Youtube channel Apecrime make a cameo appearance as one, especially fulfilling the "mad" factor.
- Man of a Thousand Voices: Series-Creator Darkviktory voices several of the animated Clashers, impersonating their real life counterparts. In the case of Taddl, his voice is so spot on that many people were wondering if the real Taddl had been recording the lines.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The first season's trailer/preview contains scenes that never made it into the season, like Clash B taking down a gigantic Creeper together. The second season's trailer does this as well. Then again, they are not really trailers in the traditional sense, therefore they get a pass.
- Played for Laughs: Since it is a comedic/dramatic parody, most of the jokes and even many of the more serious scenes are this.
- The Power of Friendship: One of the central themes of the series.
- Reaction Shot: At the end of Episode 6 of Season 2, the Master summons a truly gigantic and intimidating robot seemingly out of nowhere, namely the recycled Hater-Bot from Season 1. The screen then splits in five, each section showing the horrified look on each of the five remaining Clashers' faces.
- Red Shirt: Averted. While some Clashers get very small screen time and are killed off very early, each one has a very unique and distinct personality and has at least some relevance to the plot. Justified, since the voting system makes it possible for literally anyone to die first.
- Robinsonade: The premise of the plot. The Clashers are stranded on the island without hope of escaping it. Unless they outlive everyone else, that is...
- Rule of Cool: A given since it features real-life people doing things like battling Titans.
- Rule of Funny: Humor is the central aspect of the series, sometimes more so than the story itself.
- The Scrappy: A rare case, where literally anyone can be this, depending on the viewer. Since all of the Clashers are real life Youtubers with their own channels and fanbase, it is entirely possible for a Clasher to be despised by fans simply because of their real life counterpart, regardless of their actual demeanor in the series. This is especially notable with Dagi Bee, who was despised by a large part of the viewers despite being absolutely likable and relatable In-Universe.
- Shout-Out: There are more references to the Youtubers themselves as well as other pop culture than can be counted here
- Those Two Guys: Herr Bergmann and Izzi aka the Master Hunters.
- Tragic Villain: The Master aka Manu in Season 2. The Master Hunters turn out to be this as well.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The trailer/preview shows Julien in the Season 1 trailer and Melina in the Season 2 trailer, so both their surprising entrances in each season's first episodes are not all that surprising.
- World of Ham: Justified, since the entire series is primarily a parody of both anime and the featured Clashers.
