Read on Twitter
I watched the Gorillaz videos years ago (yes chronologically) and much like any other animated bands the extent to which a cartoon band can peak my interest under the premise of an anthology series where the characters go on various adventures is rather limited
This is why I'm not into a band like Mystery Skulls, or Studio Killers, as I find ''story videos'' to be a deficient storytelling medium lacking the runtime and narrative resources necessary to effectively develop a proper cast at which point I'd much rather watch a show instead
Likewise this notion prevented me from engaging with Gorillaz for a long time as its easy to play into this cliche from the outsider eye. Videos like Dirty Harry cement the idea that Gorillaz is out on this rescue mission one day then the next day off doing something elsewhere
Whilst videos consisting mostly of the band simply performing in a concert offer very little in therms of what their relationships with one another are, or how they navigate their every day lives, and as such cannot provide a lot of long therm engagement by themselves
This is when Gorillaz' usage of it's crossmedia platform really subverts the appeal of its characters with the introduction of the stage element into their videos, parting off the premise that the cast are musicians with power and autonomy over the things we see and know
in turn opening the door for character interviews, radio shows, their autobiography etc to retroactively expand on what we as an audience perceive, paving the way for narratives that, whereas not conventionally told, unfold through a more linear and organical route for the medium
With these newfound rationale for the project the characters are grounded into a realm where they have motivations, backstories that drive them to do the things they do, everything is for a reason, and nothing goes without saying.
The final realization is that Gorillaz is an interactive experience that makes use of its resources to the best of its ability in order to make the band's presence tangible to an audience, in a way MVs alone cannot suffice.
The extent to which Gorillaz exploits its format with its reach and reputation is revolutionary for cartoon bands and a very impressive feat of the medium and yet, people arent as familiar with virtual bands as they are with other forms of media, after all-
Gorillaz taking on a different BTS approach doesnt make them any less renowned to the average person or even fans, so long as there's music and so long as there are visuals, so long as the characters are regularly checking in, the idea of a cartoon band remains a novelty
This cultural disadvantage plus a lack of archival resources and the failure of the source material to commit breeds a fanbase that fails to entertain the intrincacies of the inner machinations that distinguishes Gorillaz from /other/ virtual bands when evaluating its strengths
Never getting past that initial understanding of what Gorillaz is, that you get from watching Dirty Harry and seeing Gorillaz on a rescue mission, before heading to the beach to become pirates.
