Animated: Are we really ‘odd ones out’?

At first glance, “Oddballs” may seem like any other animated television show released on Netflix. However, “Oddballs” (released on Oct. 7th) can be seen as the culmination, the magnum opus, of animator James Rallison’s YouTube videos on his channel “TheOdd1sOut.” 

The comments on the YouTube trailer for “Oddballs” reveal the groundbreaking nature of the Netflix show, especially for those who were first introduced to Rallison’s content on YouTube. Many users expressed that they have been watching “TheOdd1sOut’’ for many years and are proud of how far Rallison has come since then. 

One user named Vailskibum wrote, “It’s still WILD that a YouTuber managed to get a Netflix cartoon, this is great.” Vailskibum’s comment has over 44,000 likes, with one from “TheOdd1sOut” channel itself. 

It’s evident that “TheOdd1sOut” has been able to capitalize on the channel’s substantial YouTube base of over 18.3M subscribers at the time of publication to reach Netflix, arguably the foremost global streaming platform. This is a major event that signifies the power of a digital platform like YouTube, as well as the opportunities available for online animators who create humorous videos independent of traditional animation studios. 

Part of what I think made “TheOdd1sOut” so popular is exactly the theme of the title: being odd. A lot of the content on the channel emphasizes being an introvert, being alone and not really knowing how to interact with others. In other words, much of the channel’s videos are about Rallison’s specific experiences growing up, but they’re also about the broader feelings of being socially awkward and uncool in general.

For myself, I was drawn to the channel due to the “Sooubway” series, as well as the videos “My Thoughts on Roommates” and “My Thoughts on the Science Fair.” Although these videos chronicle Rallison’s own experiences, their sentiments are relatable.

Who hasn’t had horror stories about their past roommates? Who hasn’t been able to secure a reliable partner for a group project? Even though I never worked in customer service, I could empathize with the “Sooubway” video about people asking for recommendations and not taking them or the awkward moment where the receipt doesn’t print at the store. 

With the commercial success of the channel, however, criticisms about the content’s shift in subject matter are inevitable. I haven’t been watching much of the channel anymore, but even I see that the more recent videos are either shorts or about going on tour, being on Netflix and getting his animations turned into a mobile game. Of course, we have to praise the channel and its creator for becoming so successful and still offering stories about life. They’re just not necessarily as relatable as they were before.

A Reddit thread posted by a now-deleted user from two years ago is titled “Does anyone feel like James’[s] content is getting worse?” In the post, the user writes that they “feel like [James’s] personality is showing less, his newer videos just feel corporate-like and it seems like he’s becoming more like a WatchMojo video.”

Other Reddit users express mixed feelings on the issue. User r/TheOddArchivesOut writes that the videos do have an “increased corporate-feeling nature,” reflecting how “the gig is very much a business now instead of a hobby.” User r/I-Am-Sleep comments that the change is evident, as the older videos from 2016 would be “simple” and have less background art, which they claim feels “better.”

User r/Pieman1123 points out the paradox of the situation: “Pretty ironic that (at least from what I remember of his older content) one of his biggest inspirations to pick up drawing as a hobby was Jim Davis and Garfield, and now he’s going down the same route as Jim, becoming less of a passionate artist and more of a corporate entity trying to market merchandise.”

Now, I haven’t been tracking all the changes that have happened since Rallison started making his videos, so I admit I may not have the most comprehensive timeline of information. Societally, though, it seems that the case of “TheOdd1sOut” reveals the sacrifices animators must make to “make it.” While it’s an achievement for a YouTube animator to get his own Netflix show, the path leading up to that kind of success is inevitably marred with claims of becoming a sellout. 

That sort of rhetoric arguably comes with the territory. For a YouTube channel that seemingly branded itself with themes of quirkiness and not fitting in, the main draw of it (at least for me) was the relatability of many of the stories. It might be sad that I can no longer relate to a successful person who is getting a whole Netflix show, but I suppose that’s the price I must pay for my mediocrity.

With a plethora of Reddit users raising the question of fame’s influence on Rallison, the debate over YouTube animation and the world of commercialism has become more prevalent. I love that “TheOdd1sOut’s” content will now be on Netflix, and it’s inspiring for YouTube animators everywhere that just by posting an animated video online, they might be able to attain an international following and have their stories developed into other mediums and on other platforms as well. 

Even then, I can’t help thinking: If your branding was about being uncool, then what does it mean that you’re now successful as defined by this new media age? I don’t know, but I’d think that would make you one of the cool kids who belong: not quite odd at all.

Valerie Wu is a senior writing about animation and digital arts from a contemporary perspective. Her column “Animated” runs every other Tuesday.