While I tease my daughter about watching other people play video games instead of playing them herself, I’m guilty of similar viewing habits myself. Notd other such arcade games. I mostly view these while at work, as I find them both relaxing and interesting. My day job can be stressful and tiring, so sometimes it’s nice to watch videos that have nothing to do with politics, news or anything negative that might be going on in the world.
One of my favorites is Plush Time Wins, featuring a couple named Crystal and Angel, who travel the world playing cranes and other arcade staples. My favorite videos of theirs take place at Japanese arcades, where there are an assortment of crane game types the likes of which I’ve never seen in American arcades. Also, many of the prizes are exclusive to Japan.
As a fan of Japanese culture who hasn’t had the joy of visiting the country myself, I get a fix of second-hand enjoyment watching them explore Japan’s arcades and do the same thing I would probably be doing if I was there, play hours of arcade games. I also like learning about thinks like kujis, which are basically lottery tickets for geeks where you buy pull tabs to win prizes from anime and video games. If you’ve never heard of kuji, you may soon, as it looks like they’re finally starting to make it to the U.S. market.
The reason it’s fun to watch Angel and Crystal from Plush Time Wins is that they’re positive and energetic and really seem to enjoy themselves. I feel like I’m hanging out with them at the arcade, and I get that same adrenaline rush when they win a plush out of the crane machine that I get when I win something myself. Watching one of their videos is a relaxing way to blow off steam for a few minutes in between tasks at the office.
If this seems like something you’d like to check out yourself, their main Youtube channel is Plush Time Wins, and they have several other similar channels as well, including Plush Time Extra, Plush Time Vlogs, and Cute Cuddly Cris. They’ve been at this since 2014, apparently, although I only recently discovered their videos myself.
