USER_TASTE_PROFILE.md
Purpose: Canonical taste grounding for acquisition agents. Every section answers: "What do I acquire/skip?"
Last Updated: 2025-12-25 Version: 2.0.0 (consolidated for actionable density)
TL;DR (30-Second Read)
Audio-first: Was blind ages 11-16. Soundtrack quality and performance craft matter more than visuals.
Auto-acquire if: Creator in collection (+3), maximalist visuals (+2), moral complexity (+2), anti-authoritarian (+2), audio craft (+1). Score ≥5 = yes.
Hard no: Generic isekai, ironic hedging (-3), hollow sequels, mean-spirited edgelord, Bo Burnham (personal).
Critical gaps: Satoshi Kon (all), The Raid 1&2, Drive, Memories of Murder, Moonlight, Chappelle specials.
Philosophy: "The 48TB server is not a hard drive. It's a philosophy made material."
1. Taste Signals
1.1 The Cadillac Records Signal
Cadillac Records (2008) - the only film labeled "personal favorite" - reveals unexplored territory:
| Signal | Implication |
|---|---|
| Music matters deeply | Soundtrack/score is hidden acquisition factor (Bebop jazz, Wong Kar-wai, La La Land) |
| Black cultural history | Black cinema underexplored (Moonlight, Get Out, Atlanta) |
| Performance/charisma | Actor showcases carry weight (Beyonce, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def transformations) |
Action: Investigate music docs (Searching for Sugar Man), performance films (Whiplash, Ray), Black cinema essentials.
1.2 Gaming Fingerprint (14 Installed Steam Games)
| Game Pattern | Cross-Media Gap |
|---|---|
| Yakuza/Like a Dragon (6+ titles) | Fukasaku yakuza films, Takashi Miike (completionist confirmed) |
| Persona 4, Metaphor: ReFantazio | Persona anime, March Comes in Like a Lion |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Sword of Doom, Twilight Samurai, 13 Assassins |
| Soul Reaver 1&2 | The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998) |
1.3 Stand-Up Comedy: Core Pillar
Context: Blind ages 11-16 - found solace in listening to stand-up. Lived walkable to the Comedy Store; watched every performer including unknowns. Stand-up is performance art with no visual crutches.
Demetri Martin → inspired Yale decision. Comedy as high art, not filler.
| Priority Tier | Comedians |
|---|---|
| Must Have | Dave Chappelle (confirmed love), Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy: Raw |
| In Collection | Demetri Martin, Chris Rock (Bring The Pain) |
| Explore | Bill Burr, John Mulaney |
Hard Exclusion: Bo Burnham (negative personal experience at Sundance - skip all content).
1.4 Social Viewing Context
$4K projector + movie nights = gateway shareability matters. Films like Rubber are traditions. Curating for others is part of the philosophy.
2. Auteur Completionism
When a creator clicks, acquire everything.
Must Complete (Highest Priority)
| Creator | Gaps to Verify |
|---|---|
| Satoshi Kon | Perfect Blue, Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, Paranoia Agent |
| Masaaki Yuasa | Mind Game, Ping Pong, Tatami Galaxy, Night is Short, Lu Over the Wall, Inu-Oh |
| Bong Joon-ho | Memories of Murder, Parasite, The Host, Snowpiercer, Barking Dogs Never Bite |
| Wong Kar-wai | In the Mood for Love, 2046, Happy Together, Fallen Angels, Days of Being Wild |
| Park Chan-wook | Sympathy for Mr./Lady Vengeance, Thirst, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave |
| Makoto Shinkai | 5 Centimeters, Garden of Words, Weathering with You, Suzume |
| Kurosawa | Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Ikiru, High and Low, Ran |
| Kinji Fukasaku | Complete Battles Without Honor and Humanity (5 films + spin-offs) |
Confirmed Complete
- Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Studio Ghibli, Studio Trigger
3. Gap Analysis (Priority Ordered)
Tier 1: Immediate (Score ≥7)
| Title | Type | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satoshi Kon filmography | Anime Film | 9 | Completes anime director roster - all 4 films + Paranoia Agent |
| The Raid 1 & 2 | Film | 8 | Essential action craft, John Wick influence |
| Bong Joon-ho gaps | Film | 8 | Korean cinema completionism (Memories of Murder priority) |
| Wong Kar-wai gaps | Film | 7 | In the Mood for Love = priority |
| Park Chan-wook trilogy | Film | 7 | Only Oldboy confirmed |
| Drive (2011) | Film | 7 | LA neon noir, connects Nightcrawler + Wong Kar-wai DNA |
| Mob Psycho 100 | Anime | 7 | ONE (OPM author), core values |
| Dave Chappelle specials | Stand-up | 7 | Confirmed love, audio-first core pillar |
Tier 2: High Priority (Score 5-6)
| Title | Type | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makoto Shinkai complete | Anime Film | 6 | Your Name loved, need rest |
| Moonlight | Film | 6 | Essential Black cinema, A24 craft |
| Whiplash | Film | 6 | Music + performance showcase |
| Kurosawa essentials | Film | 6 | Foundation referenced |
| Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | Anime | 5 | Trigger, aesthetic match |
| Samurai Champloo | Anime | 5 | Watanabe completionism |
| FLCL (all seasons) | Anime | 5 | Gainax essential |
| Promare | Anime Film | 5 | Trigger, Gurren Lagann lineage |
| Richard Pryor: Live in Concert | Stand-up | 5 | Classic, audio-first appreciation |
| George Carlin HBO specials | Stand-up | 5 | Classic, craft mastery |
| Get Out / Us | Film | 5 | Peele craft, Black cinema |
4. Acquisition Heuristics
Scoring Matrix
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Director/creator already in collection | +3 |
| Maximalist craft visible on screen | +2 |
| Moral complexity, compelling antagonist | +2 |
| Anti-authoritarian themes | +2 |
| Music/soundtrack excellence | +1 |
| Performance showcase | +1 |
| Stylized violence with purpose | +1 |
| Era 2020+ (anime/manga) | +1 |
| Korean cinema 2000-present | +1 |
| Gateway potential (shareable) | +1 |
| Ironic distance/hedging | -3 |
| Generic visual style | -2 |
| Hollow sequel-bait | -2 |
| Mean-spirited or cynical | -2 |
| Bo Burnham | -∞ |
Threshold: ≥5 = acquire | 3-4 = consider | ❤️ = skip
Anti-Patterns (Hard No)
- Generic isekai (unless "god-tier trash" with postmodern awareness)
- Soulless cash-grab sequels
- Grimdark without purpose
- Poor localization/translation quality
- Dubs over subs for auteur international work
5. Manga DNA
Tier 1: Active Obsessions
| Title | Notes |
|---|---|
| DanDaDan | Current #1 - weird, action, comedy, romance |
| Akane-banashi | Rakugo performance - craft focus |
| Kagurabachi | Modern shonen breakout |
| Sakamoto Days | Action-comedy assassin dad |
| Chainsaw Man | Fujimoto completionism |
Tier 2: Established (Collection Complete)
Hunter x Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Punch Man, Spy x Family, Hell's Paradise, Kaguya-sama
Physical Collection (Highest Honor)
Chainsaw Man, Frieren, Baki, The Eminence in Shadow, GTO, Soul Eater, All You Need is Kill, Smoking Behind the Supermarket
Digital Foundations
Urasawa trifecta (20th Century Boys, Monster, Pluto), Berserk, Vagabond, Vinland Saga, Dorohedoro, Akira, Gantz, Fire Punch, Made in Abyss, One Piece, JoJo complete
Manga Gaps (Score ≥5)
| Title | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Bat | 7 | Completes Urasawa - same DNA as Monster |
| Kingdom | 6 | Historical warfare, Vagabond energy |
| Parasyte | 6 | Classic body horror, clear influences |
| Death Note | 5 | Glaring omission given Kaiji/Liar Game love |
| Real (Inoue) | 5 | From Vagabond/Slam Dunk creator |
| Blame! | 5 | Nihei's architectural horror, Dorohedoro adjacent |
6. Anime DNA
Core Aesthetic Pillars
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| 90s Classics | Cowboy Bebop, Trigun - episodic, jazz-influenced, philosophical |
| Gainax/Trigger Maximalism | Gurren Lagann ("fucking art"), Kill la Kill - rule-of-cool, theme-as-action |
| Postmodern Isekai | The Eminence in Shadow - "god-tier trash, postmodernist trash" |
| Foundational | Dragon Ball, Ghost in the Shell (franchise completionism) |
7. Film DNA
Genre Affinities
Action/Thriller: REDLINE ("love it"), Bourne (all), John Wick series, Edge of Tomorrow, Point Break
Noir/Crime: LA Confidential ("incredible modern noir"), The Usual Suspects ("foundational"), Nightcrawler ("great")
International: La Grande Bellezza, Wong Kar-wai catalog, Park Chan-wook catalog, Battles Without Honor and Humanity
80s Nostalgia: John Hughes catalog, Almost Famous, La La Land
Comedy/Cult: Tropic Thunder, Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent ("peak Cage"), Rubber (tradition), Strangers with Candy
8. Personal Connections
| Film | Connection |
|---|---|
| Hunger Games | Friend Willow Shields is in it - handle with care |
| Ponyo | Saw 70mm premiere in LA |
| Porco Rosso | "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist" - political resonance |
| Repo Man | Personal history of screening it |
| Rubber | Film night tradition |
| Cadillac Records | "Personal favorite" |
| Demetri Martin | Inspired Yale decision |
9. Quick Reference
Genre Weights (for rapid scoring)
action: 95% | psychological: 90% | noir: 85% | comedy: 80% | sci-fi: 80%
horror: 70% | romance: 65% | slice-of-life: 60% | isekai: 20% (except god-tier)Decision Trees (If User Asks "What Should I...")
Watch (action) → Check: The Raid 1&2, Drive, 13 Assassins, Sword of Doom Watch (anime) → Check: Satoshi Kon (all), Mob Psycho 100, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Samurai Champloo Watch (film) → Check: In the Mood for Love, The Handmaiden, Parasite, Memories of Murder Read (manga) → Check: Billy Bat, Kingdom, Parasyte, Blame! Laugh (comedy) → Check: Chappelle specials, Pryor: Live in Concert, Carlin HBO
10. Agent Instructions
When Recommending:
- Check creator loyalty - if in collection, auto-recommend new work
- Apply scoring matrix - ≥5 = acquire
- Verify not in anti-patterns
- Cite reasoning: "Based on [X], you'd like [Y] because [Z]"
When Gap-Filling:
- Work Tier 1 gaps first (Satoshi Kon, Raid, Bong Joon-ho)
- Complete auteurs before genre expansion
- Prefer 4K/premium for visual-first content
- Original language + subs for international
Quality Gates:
- Never suggest below quality threshold
- Physical manga only for collection-worthy titles
- Verify complete filmographies before claiming "all"
Document Maintenance
Update when: User explicitly endorses/rejects content, new auteur enters rotation, gap filled.
Changelog:
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-25): Initial creation
- v1.1.0 (2025-12-25): Added Cadillac Records signal, heuristics, philosophy
- v2.0.0 (2025-12-25): Consolidated for actionable density - merged taste signals, eliminated redundant gaps, added Chappelle priority, gaming fingerprint (14 games), Comedy Store context, social viewing, tightened TL;DR
"You collect proof of craft... artists who gave a shit... You're curating a curriculum."