YouTube has grown immensely popular over the last decade, with an influx of content creators flocking to the platform. Different creators attribute various reasons for joining YouTube, but many would agree that the primary incentive is financial gain. Nowadays, people are earning a luxurious living from YouTube.
But what if YouTube were not merely about games and light-hearted content? What if only the creators with the most views earned money, while those failing to gain enough views faced punishment? This concept is explored in “Dead Tube,” a manga series that captivates its readers.
“Dead Tube” is a seinen-manga series that began serialization in 2014. The story is penned by Yamaguchi Mikoto (known for the famous work “Tomodachi Game”) and illustrated by Kitakawa Touta. Today we will explore this manga story.
It is an explicit manga series, so viewers' discretion is advised.
Synopsis of Dead Tube
The series follows Machiya, a cameraman in his high school’s Film Club, known for his passion for filming and capturing everything beautifully. One day, he meets the stunning and mature girl, Mashiro, a member of the school’s swimming team.
Impressed by Machiya’s work, Mashiro hires him to film her for two days. Who would decline such an offer from a beautiful woman? Thus begins Machiya’s intimate filming of Mashiro, covering every aspect of her life.
As the first day passes, the second day brings new developments. Mashiro introduces Machiya to her boyfriend, Yamamoto, who was once Machiya’s Film Club colleague and had bullied him relentlessly. Machiya now films the couple’s affectionate interactions throughout the day.
At night, the scene shifts to an abandoned factory, where Mashiro asks Machiya to film her and Yamamoto engaged in an intimate act. Machiya does so, resenting Yamamoto for winning the affections of a beautiful girl. However, the situation takes a dark and violent turn.
During filming, Mashiro suddenly attacks Yamamoto with a metal rod, resulting in her boyfriend’s death as Machiya captures the horrific event on camera. After the incident, Mashiro inquires if Machiya filmed her “beautifully,” to which he agrees.
Welcome to Dead Tube (The Darker YouTube)
After this shocking incident, Mashiro rewards Machiya with five million yen and informs him that he has now entered the world of “Dead Tube.”
This twisted platform encourages creators to produce gruesome content for views, ensuring that Yamamoto’s murder is pinned on someone else.
Machiya is horrified by the concept and refuses to continue participating. However, Mashiro makes it clear that there’s no escape from “Dead Tube.”
She also reveals that their high view count earned them the money, while creators with lower views suffer dire consequences, even death, with their families bearing the financial burden.
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It’s A Crime Thriller Manga That You Will Love
While “Dead Tube” is primarily known for its explicit content, it’s the engaging mystery that sets it apart. Each chapter unfolds like a crime thriller, filled with gore, violence, and intrigue. In later chapters, the website within the story designates targets for users to kill within a specified time frame.
This unique twist makes the series appealing, especially when compared to typical explicit manga that often lean towards the “Erotica” genre. “Dead Tube” caters to crime-thriller enthusiasts who are in search of something more intense.
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You Can Trust No Character
Unlike many series where character growth is gradual and unfolds over time, “Dead Tube” approaches development differently. In the vein of a crime thriller, characters in “Dead Tube” possess hidden facets that are revealed strategically.
What may initially seem like an honest, well-intentioned character can quickly transform into a villain in a few moments. While this might sound clichéd to some, the execution within the series makes it fit perfectly.
Series Shows The Real Face of Humanity
Beyond the gore and mystery, what fascinates readers the most about “Dead Tube” is its unflinching portrayal of humanity’s dark side. Instead of a platform like regular YouTube, where content varies from gaming to cooking, Dead Tube demands violence and bloodshed from its creators because that’s what its viewers crave.
In a chapter, there is a fight between Mashiro and a very muscular man. All the Dead Tube viewers are around the arena, cheering for the muscular man, and most of the bets are on him to win. They demanded he knock out Mashiro, as they wanted to see gore.
But Mashiro turns the tables over this man and gives the viewers a chance to shift their bets to him winning. However, the only condition is that they have to punch the muscular man’s sister. Well, you would think that the mob would hesitate in this situation for a while before considering it, right?
Well, the mob didn’t hesitate and nearly took her life. The author shows that just for a small amount of money, humans can turn on the innocent showing the dark side of humanity.
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The Series Doesn’t Have an English Official Release Yet
Since it hasn’t been officially translated into English, my exploration of the series has been limited to a few chapters, supplemented by insights from online forums.
What are your impressions? After reading this article, do you believe “Dead Tube” warrants an official English serialization? Your thoughts and opinions are valuable, so please share them in the comments section below.
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