A Diamond in the YouTube Rough: An Interview with Branden from Just the Gems
YouTube is the best and worst thing to have happened to video game criticism.
If you stumble across an obscure title and want to learn more, chances are someone has probably made a four hour video essay about it. That’s a good thing. Sadly, it feels like hate is becoming big business (it always has been, but business is booming these days) and for every thoughtful deep dive there seems to be two rage bait reports from people with no respect for the medium–the kind with bold fonts, fiery backgrounds, and screaming faces on their thumbnails.
You have my permission to skip those.
I love video games–so I’ll always prefer content made by people who also love video games. And if you’ve ever played an RPG, you’re going to love Just the Gems.
I’ve been following Branden’s work for close to a decade (no, seriously–I met him a lifetime ago when we were both writing novels) and watching the continued growth of his channel over the years has been inspiring. He took a break from his prolific upload schedule to talk with me about YouTube, building a community, and how he’s a die hard cheerleader for a game you might not have heard of.
Who are you and how would you describe Just the Gems?
Hey! So, I’m Branden, and I run the YouTube channel Just the Gems, which I would describe as my middle-aged attempt at finally creating something out of my lifelong passion for Japanese role-playing games. As a YouTube watcher for years, I always thought it seemed fun, and especially in more recent years it felt more doable than ever, so a couple years back I decided to just go for it.
So I do commentary about games, reviews, previews, that sort of thing.
Do you remember the moment you fell in love with video games?
For me, it was Super Mario Bros. on the NES. I know I must have been three, maybe four, and I was at my cousin’s house, watching him play this thing on his television, and it was paradigm shifting for me. Like, that moment somehow broke through the muddled mess of my early childhood and managed to stick with me all these years. Just the idea of being able to go on an adventure like that really blew my mind. I spent hours and hours playing it when we got an NES of our own. I remember one day playing and beating it something like six times in a row. I couldn’t get enough. Suffice to say, that was the beginning of a lifetime of games that’s only gotten richer over time.
What is your workflow like? Do you finish games completely before you begin writing? And what do you think the trick is to staying so consistent with your uploads?
I’m not a procrastinator when it comes to things with a deadline–even if that deadline is self-imposed. So since I’ve given myself the whole “weekly upload” schedule, I just decided I’m sticking to it. I’ll PROBABLY need to take a break at some point to avoid burnout, but I’m gonna keep up the pace as long as I can.
As for when I start writing, typically I’ll start before the game is finished. At a certain point, you’ve seen everything the game is going to be offering, and while it’s possible something near the end of a game could completely change my opinion on it, that’s super rare and unlikely. But I always leave myself the option of revising my thoughts, of course.
Is there a specific video that you’ve released that you’re especially proud of–one that, to you, represents a creative breakthrough or significant step forward?
Shortly after the U.S. presidential election, I noticed there was a lot of anxiety on social media, hopelessness, just a really bad sort of negative sense from a lot of people I follow. So I put together a video on games that can help combat anxiety. It showed me that there are ways to conceptualize a video that goes beyond the games themselves, to sort of find ways of doing something in the “real” world that could possibly do more than just entertain.
Even though I maintained a dutiful lack of political bias in the video itself, of course I had many people upset that I would “bring politics into it” (which I did not do) or that I would show empathy for people they disagree with (which is pretty disturbing). But I think it was the right move to make.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to build a community around their content?
I would say, get involved with people. Don’t just throw content onto the internet and hope people find it. Communities rarely just happen organically–you really need to be proactive. Share other creators’ work, engage with viewers (especially when they’re taking the time to engage with you). Try to find existing communities of like-minded creators and get involved. You can all support each other, and that’s crucial, in the beginning in particular, but really it’s important all the time, no matter the size of your audience.
Sphere Grid, License Board, Materia, or Job System?
Materia. I like to keep it simple.
If you were to get stuck with a lot of work but not a lot of time to do it–what three video game soundtracks are you throwing on to maximize productivity?
Harvestella. Go Shiina is a god. Chrono Cross. Yasunori Mitsuda is my long-time favorite and that’s the best album he ever put together. And interestingly…The Longest Five Minutes. The battle tracks in particular on that soundtrack are blood-pumpingly intense.
What is your biggest gaming blind spot?
I’d say Pokemon. Technically I have played Let’s Go, Eevee! when I reviewed it for a site I was writing for, but that feels a bit outside of the main Pokemon experience. I think I just missed the boat when it hit Game Boy back in the day, and so it and the monster-hunting genre in general just never clicked with me.
As a collector, what is your current Holy Grail?
I’d LOVE to have all the Working Designs Saturn games. I have a couple, but with Magic Knight Rayearth being SO MUCH MONEY, I have a feeling I’ll be chasing that grail for a long time.
Last question, what is a book, movie, video game, or album you feel everyone should experience?
Harvestella–it was overlooked when it came out because it was marketed as a fantasy farming sim, which is such a gross exaggeration as to be almost false. The farming is minimal and unobtrusive, but if you like it, you can do as much as you want. It has an incredible story, beautiful graphics, and one of–or maybe THE–best soundtracks I’ve ever heard. I’ve kinda made it my mission to get as many people as possible to at least try it.
I want to thank Branden for being one of the chillest people I’ve ever met and tolerating my questions.
For further updates, you can follow him on X (@_justthegems), Bluesky (@justthegems.net), and of course, YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@JustTheGems).
Are you working on a small project? Or are you a content creator that spreads positivity through video games? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, reach out on our contact page. We’d love to set up a chat.