950 Club Anime Podcast

The team is ready to geek out with the current pop culture: Jack, Jamaal and Edwin once again share their critiques on Netflix's business model and debate over Stranger Thing's impact with Netflix as well as general pop culture. From there it's a free for all: from our fascination of the Golden Girls revival to the Living Single being way ahead and better than Friends. We also have a really engaging discussion on the Obi Wan series as it should be a top favorite for all Star Wars fans! Great session!

The 2nd part of our Dragon Special, Jack and Edwin discuss one of the most overlooked comedies out there, the Dragon goes House-Hunting! The show is simple with it's motions and budget but oddly clever and timely with it's humor and character development. So much could be said for this weak dragon but lovable soul Letty, and the suave and charming Dearia...who happens to be a former demon lord! We discuss the shows unique adventures, Adult Swim parody cross-over appeal and it's place in anime comedy with the likes of it's dragon contemporary, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid!And per usual for part 2 of our specials we share our manga recommends, wallet slayers, voice connections and our general recommendations! It's a gatcha for anime stuff to check out so definitely listen in!

Dragon: the most unique, mythical creature. Strangely praised in different ancient cultures lands apart but yet connected by a common lore and reverence. However in modern day Japan, one powerful dragon decides to live the rest of her life in servitude.....as a maid for a very normal, office worker. And that show is Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid! Edwin and Jack fly in with this endearing and hilarious show, from its many quirky characters that resonate and become more relatable each episode to the direction and its impressive handling of tones. We pick our favorite episodes, characters and discuss its high praise and popularity even with the many taboos the show sneaks in. But most important, we talk about the main romance with Kobayashi and Tohru and how this girl love story is one of the most organic and original romances ever! Definitely a worthy listen!

The 950 Club once again has another After Hours Special, where we converse beyond anime with general pop culture, topics and concerns. Jamaal, Edwin and Jack dive into more of the streaming wars with the recent Netflix news of raising their rates and dismal planning. We sneak in some anime talk with Konosuba, Avatar and the similarities with One Piece and Simpsons. Then finally we talk about Book of Bobba Fett which leads into general bashing of J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson...which opens the floodgates to more bashing of people and shows/movies on our list. Listen in to see where we go from there!

Spring 2022 for the anime season has finally come to a close so Edwin and Jack finally reveal their top shows for the season! The season has early contenders for top anime of the year so it was extremely hard to rank the top shows like Komi can't Communicate, Spy x Family, Kaguya Sama: Love is War season 3 and The Rising of the Shield Hero season 2. But we have surprise entries like Ascendence of a Bookworm, Skeleton Knight in Another World, Vampire in the Garden and Ghost in the Shell 2045 Part 2! We also include our surprise catch-ups with Princess Connect Re:Dive, Shenmue, and Sabikui Bisco. Finally, Edwin shares a mini summer 2022 anime preview with returning favorites like Overlord, Laid Back Camp, Made in Abyss, The Devil is a Part Timer along with most anticipated manga adaptations in Call of the Night and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? Secretly this could be early Crunchy Roll Award Winners so definitely check this episode out if you are looking for great anime!

Spring 2022.....where to begin. An overwhelmingly great season has come to a close and the 950 club is ready to share their favorites! Part 1 of our 2022 Spring Review highlights our favorites of in the Isekai and Slice of Life genres. For Edwin's Isekai Round Table he ranks up the best of the season including Skeleton Knight in Another World, The Rising of the Shield Hero season 2 and Ascendence of a Bookworm Season 3. While Jack highlights his Slice of Life Vending Machine Corner with his favorites like Dance Dance Danseur, Heroines Run the Show, and Aharen-san Hakarenai. Perfect episode for people finishing up Kaguya Sama Love is War, Spy x Family and Komi can't Communicate fans that are looking for new shows to check out!!!

Jack and Edwin conclude the Anti-Hero special with the Grandaddy of all anti-hero stories: Black Lagoon. Rokurou Okajima is an office worker that is kidnapped by some tough lookin' pirates. During this eventful day: Rokurou helps these pirates, is running away from a sadistic killer helicopter pilot, and decides to change his name....to Rock. The debut episodes of Black Lagoon definitely set the tone as it dives into the mysterious underbelly of the black market. From its exiled gangster tribe turf wars to its not-so secret love affair to 80's action flicks. And overall our focus on the anti-hero themes from our main protagonist Rock to the mission first leader Dutch and of course, the unforgettable rabid gun wielding ace: Revy. This episode is freaking rad, you gotta listen! Plus we have Voice Connections, Manga Recommends, and our new feature "Best Girl Battle!".....between our sword Raphtalia and our wildcard, Revy. Really cool battle, indeed!

Betrayed by the ones already in power, mistrusted by your companions, and a WHOLE religion that bans your presence, how does a hero rise to power, prominence and respect? Naofumi definitely finds this out the hard way in The Rising of the Shield Hero. Edwin and Jack discuss the many unique story elements that this epic adventure packs in from its Final Fantasy like mythology and battle system to Naofumi's natural gift of trade and craft that makes this isekai extremely fascinating. But ultimately we focus on the anti-hero themes and actions Naofumi does in order to survive and fight off waves of monsters and to ultimately protect his party members and the rest of Melmorac. Episode dedicated to Billy Kametz.

The 950 Club is at full force and ready to talk all things anime in 2022, especially the Spring season. Jamaal is back and ready to discuss his views on Kaguya Sama: Love is War, Ascendance of a Bookworm and even Ranking of Kings! Edwin, Jamaal and Jack cover topics like the rise of Hi-Dive to the similarities of the Mushkou Tensei: Goblin Slayer OVA to Jujutsu Kaisen 0. We even have room to talk about Shenmue! A nice and easy listening session!

Revolution starts it's breath with the dusk; rebellion comes swiftly in the night and the dawn awakens to a changed world. Akame Ga Kill, the manga and show both handle the story in very different routes. The anime, similar to the original Full Metal Alchemist, takes its liberties and creates a fun and enthralling show in which the stakes are forever high and the action is grand. Jack and Edwin share their love and praise for this show, from its modern day anime characters in a monster friendly fantasy world, to its extreme "baddie baddie" in Esdeath, the consequences of rebellion, and yes, the ultimate battle: Kill La Kill vs Akame Ga Kill!!!!

Battles.....Mayhem......Ridiculousness. Studio Trigger since day one had a goal in mind to stretch their limits past the extremes in animation and art. Kill la Kill is definitely a strong debut in a sense that they trusted their very ambitious project which paid off a natural cult following and rise as a top Japanese art studio. Edwin finally checks out one of Jack's top all time favorites as they discuss the tremendous amount of energy this anime has from its very strong stance on anti-conformity and social status to its battle heavy tone and overwhelming amount of epic-ness with the art and music!

Edwin's birthday week comes to a close as he shares one of his top favorite shows: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai with Jack. Adolescent (puberty) syndrome: a case study in which a person in their teenage years experience abnormalities as a result of instability. In a way, adolescent syndrome can be considered a pardox. Sakuta Azusagawa discovers his own paradoxes within his "normal life" in a show that searches for these answers....with relationships, friendships and all that good slice of life stuff in anime! From tackling on split personalities, time travel and even "Groundhog Day" syndromes, this show may seem like a harmless Rom Com with wacky scenarios, but the paradoxes are more than meets the eye as they are represented with modern day problems to the characters quest for identity and love. We also bring back Voice Connections, Manga Recommends, Wallet Slayers and General Recommends, A must listen!!

Love is War, War is Love. Heavy on the artillery are the schemes, charms and misdirection that the lovers use over who can make the other confess in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. The president and vice president of Shuchi'in Academy: Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya have their battle of the sexes over table games, overly-strategized traps and their subordinates changing the air on their perfectly laid out plans of their sweet surrender. This genius of the show is one to really watch and behold as their plans to foil one another and how thoughtful these two can be....they are actually overthinking and slipping their wills with one another, which gives this high school romance into a true pioneer in comedy. This is Edwin's Birthday special so he and Jack go back and forth on why its one of his all-time favorites, from "Mother flippin tsunderes," to it's golden art direction/music and writing and it's secret tenderness that this zany show packs in. A true gift of a show for Edwin!

Do we really ask questions...at least more than we should? A show like Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song looks into those questions because the main character Vivy (Diva) goes beyond her rationale as an autonomous android. Chosen as a savior of humanity by a sassy time traveling robot named Matsumoto, Vivy is reluctant but gradually becomes that heroine as she beats up bad robots and terrorists while maintaining her singing career....yes this show is awesome! Edwin and Jack finally discuss one of the most surprising and overlooked animes of 2021 with it's strong resonance to Ghost in the Shell to it's own subtle viewpoints on the future to the resonance of longing in the search for creativity and memories. This one is extra special, check it out! The fans have spoken loud and clear with this one!!

Our 2021 Fan Special includes two gems that were praised highly but kind of been overlooked by the general anime community (and by Jack ;p)--Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song and the "86." Part 1 focuses on the war heavy "86," an unassuming show where you expect high energy mech battles but it focuses more into a psychological battle with our viewpoints with war and the consequences of loss. Edwin and Jack discuss the many themes this show packs in from its influential origins to the contrast between the characters and how they end up working together. We also have a short and sweet review of the new movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Check it out!!

The 950 Club finally discuss one of their top favorite studios, Studio Trigger, in the Odd Taxi Special! Part 2 includes one of Studio Trigger's prized projects: Brand New Animal (BNA). The story focuses on Michiru Kagemori, a 'tanooki' super girl that teams up with a Batman like badass with the wolf, Shirou Ogami, essentially like a super hero tag team detective show. Similar to Odd Taxi with anamorphic beings living in the city (and dealing with the societal problems), Brand New Animal focuses more on finding your true identity while embracing a communities' goal in becoming a better place for those that seek their true calling. Edwin and Jack discuss the many themes that this show packs in (the only way Studio Trigger can) from it's contrast with art styles to underlying messages that the show enlightens you with. Trust us, this is a must, must, muuuust listen!

Before the debut of Odd Taxi "Into the Woods" movie, we just had to talk about two other anime that are strong influences on Odd Taxi: Paranoia Agent and Brand New Animal. Part One focuses on Paranoia Agent, a surreal thrill ride that was created by one of the most influential directors in Japanese cinema: Satoshi Kon. Jack and Edwin finally dive in to this very complex but worthy anime with it's many themes from pressures in society to creature comforts and it's own subtle criticisms to the anime industry itself. A must listen not only for anime fans but for film lovers as well!

With lousy SchMarch weather settling in, we are in a hurry to share our most anticipated anime for the Spring season! But first Jack and Edwin share their surprise catch-up shows in Heike Story and Case Study of Vanitas along with their top 5 favorite shows of winter 2022. This episode is surprisingly heated as Jack throws in a few curveballs with Edwin, so grab the popcorn! But the fighting stops as Jack and Edwin share their love and appreciation of the Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc!

With winter waning down, the 950 Club catches up with the anime of the season! Our first part highlighting the two strongest genres of the season with "isekai" and "slice of life." Edwin has his "Isekai Round Table," gathering are the other world adventures with Arifureta from Commonplace to World's Strongest, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man, In the Land of Leadale, Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest, Life with an Ordinary Guy who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout, and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Season 2. Then Jack introduces us to his "Slice of Life Vending Machine Corner" a quiet and peaceful place where all of these shows somehow end up. The shows that end up there include Slow Loop, Police in a Pod, I'm Kodama Kawashiri, Shenmue, and his most surprising show Cue!

We continue the lovey dovey season as we revisit Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions! A well regarded fan favorite in the anime community, the show has remained prevalent with its endearing comedy, spectacular art and very original take on the high school romance genre. Original 950 Club member Martin finally debuts in this excellent episode as he joins Edwin and Jack as they discuss the essence of "chunibyo", the lore and fantasies of the characters, and of course the romance that is ultra sweet!

On Valentine's Day week we couldn't help but round up with Toradora! and Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions! Part 1 focuses on "Toradora!"; a well respected novel/manga/show in the anime community. Even though the show is very popular, it's own influence for future high school animes is vastly underrated. Jack and Edwin talk about those reasons why the influence is very high from it's impeccable comedy timing to it's layered and interesting love crosses and the dramatic elements drawn to the core of these great characters.

Sigmund Freud to Sherlock Holmes....Minority Report to Inception.....can a story combine all of these into a manga/anime? Why yes it can! And that is ID:Invaded, an overlooked gem of a show that has tense chase scenes thought provoking villains and one of the most complex anti hero dynamics in anime today.

Entering 2022 we are shocking....the system.....as we review 2 popular sci fi/crime drama shows "Psycho Pass" and ID/Invaded. Part 1 is Psycho Pass, a highly prolific anime that on the surface is a sci fi mystery/procedural forensic show but turns into a movie like ride of thrills and thought provoking dialogue. Edwin and Jack use their dominators on the topics of analyzing mental health in the future, who should really analyze people in trouble, and the Ghost in the Shell undertones that Psycho Pass learns from and bounces off of to make it a worthy successor

Part Deux of our end of the year special as we highlight our honorable mentions, anime we haven't finished and a mini preview of the Winter season/most anticipated 2022 anime. Jack and Edwin share their top favorites in their respectful genres and also their top 10 anime of 2021. What a year indeed!

2021: The new decade of anime has been most welcoming as shows like Demon Slayer paved the way for newer fans to start their journeys with not only anime but also the wealth of manga out there. However, the growth of other anime/manga and their quality has been even more impressive as it shows that the Japanese medium's popularity is at an all-time high and 2021 is the case study. In this section of our episode we are presenting our favorite manga, characters, music, voice perfomances and art direction. Edwin and Jack lay it down as we highlight 2021's highest of highs, definitely a must listen episode for anime and manga to check off your que!

Our final episode of 2021: Part 2 of our Cowboy Bebop Live Action Netflix thrash and bash and mash. We could've ranted more, especially when we found out that Netflix cancelled the show almost 2 weeks after it's debut, so in our minor victory of 2021, no season 2!! Tune in to this great session with Jack, Edwin and Jamaal as we further dissect Netflix's agendas, our plea to stop the upcoming One Piece live action, and the future of Hollywood's stance on anime. I think it's time we blow this scene......

Cowboy Bebop: The Standard anime.....Netflix Cowboy Bebop: The Not Standard show. We talk highest of the highs with the original series and how we adore it ever so much. And yes, we had to confront the elephant in the room version that Netflix debuted. Jamaal, Edwin and Jack cover the high ground with our favorite Bebop characters and episodes, and then the low ground with the most evident flaws of the live action version. This is part one of our bashing of the Live Action version....so there'll be more ammo and bombs in part 2!

Happy Almost Christmas! We celebrate early with another After Hours Special, where we talk about all things pop culture and beyond! Our main focus talking about Hollywood's take on live action anime and how it's still not handled with care, case in point: Ghost in the Shell with Scarlett Johansson (sigh). Also Netflix bashing, Star Wars bashing and Handmaid's Tale bashing, it's a Super Smash Brothers session! Jamaal is back on board and we catch up with his take on Komi Can't Communicate and Mushkou Tensei Jobless Reincarnation . We also share a little preview for our upcoming Cowboy Bebop Live Action Review....a warning if you will. Thank you and enjoy!

Part 2 of our Fall Anime Catch-Up episode. Edwin and Jack surprise each other with two summer shows that really are perfect for the fall/winter season: The Duke of Death and His Black Maid and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom. We also share our top 4 animes of the fall season, highlight The Ranking of Kings and debate over which anime has been better so far: Komi can't Communicate or My Senpai is Annoying. And the usual four segments we share after each episode: "Connections" where we share the talent that voice and produce these great animes, "Wallet Slayers" where we shout out items we buy and want, what manga we are reading and our general recommendations! Going to 2022 in style!

With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, we've decided to share and reflect the gems, pebbles and diamonds in the rough of the Fall 2021 anime season! This season is super stacked, so much so that this special is split into two parts! Part One features our Fall Isekai Round Table, The Heike Story, our most surprising shows that we've grown to adore and our most disappointing shows that are best forgotten. Part 2 will debut relatively soon so enjoy this great catch up!

Autumn has settled. The longer nights are creeping in and before we know it the fallen leaves will be lost in the snow. So to enjoy this calm before the holidays we bring you our Comfy Special with Laid Back Camp and Super Cub! Laid Back Camp is an endearing and total chill anime with most of the episodes talking about preparation and cooking while camping at real locations in Japan. Then there's Super Cub, a slice of life interpersonal drama where the main characters bond over Super Cub riding and maintenence. Both animes highlight high school girls beginning strong bonds, finding passion with hobbies and learning about the little things in life are the biggest things afterall. Edwin and Jack go back and forth on eating eel, traveling all over Japan on super cubs and wishing these relaxing animes would never end! So sit on that chair, grab that blanket, and have that hot ramen ready while you listen in to this very special 950 club session, preferably next to a campfire!

Spooky season continues on as we wrap up the 2nd part of our Supernatual Special with In/Spectre! Mysteries abound! Small time gossip turn into transparent conspiracies. Urban legends that should be nothing more than a fun thrill turn out to be causing more trouble in the world today. That's the ethos of In/Spectre: a modern day detective show that has it's own spin on forensics with a Sherlock like respect towards the mystery genre, a strong appreciation towards Japanese folklore, and the existential themes/fears that are eerily current. Edwin and Jack try their darndest to tackle this awesome anime from talking about mythical yokai creatures and their powers to the very unique romances thrown in this charming and enthralling show. A must listen!

Boo! We couldn't help but give you a surprise episode right before Halloween as we highlight our favorite supernatural anime with Jujutsu Kaisen and In/Spectre. Part one will highlight Jujutsu Kaisen as we really dive into the first season of arguably the coolest and most promising shonen show out there. We talk about the cursed energy techniques, Itadori's "besto-friendo" and the many reasons why Jujutsu Kaisen not only deserves it's popular status with the likes of Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia, but possibly is the most unique of the bunch. We ate our treats early so check this episode out!

The chills, the frights and the spookies are around the corner....so lets snuggle in our blankets and watch some romantic animes! Yes, a belated Sweetest Day special as Edwin and Jack talk about their favorite lovey-dovey animes. HoriMiya is set up as a classic nerd meets the most popular girl type of romance but there are still factors that come into play as this simple premise becomes a true self reflection on how we reveal our true selves to our partners. Then there's Sing Yesterday for Me, a refreshing throwback story that focuses on four characters who grow towards the future but still have lingering questions about the past. We can't help but adore these hidden gems! We also bounce back and forth about high school angst, cliques, OG manic pixie girls, and the many reasons why these two romantic animes are true top favs of ours!

October: the air is getting heavier, students are already thinking of the holidays, and just like how the leaves change colors, the most anticipated anime of the year debuts this season. The 950 club's 2021 Fall Anime Preview! Edwin and Jack go back and forth on 4 of their most anticipated shows of the season as well as recapping summer anime gems and general buzz of the fall season. It's a crucial season as shows like Chainsaw Man, Platinum End and Demon Slayer are abound to hungry fans as well as the second season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. However, Jack and Edwin share their thoughts on their most anticipated show; not just for the season but their most anticipated anime ever! Komi Can't Communicate. Our first ever full-on manga retrospective episode and it is a special one. We talk about how much we've grown with Komi, our fav moments in the manga and the cast and crew for the upcoming anime. Trust us, this episode will make you want to watch ALL the anime this season!

The fellowship is back with an Isekai Special! We'll be diving into top isekai favorites: That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. We discuss the show's various themes and critique the differences in tone and story. Also, we'll be discussing our concerns over sex with anime troupes, what exactly is "fan service" and how isekai uses Reincarnation as a plot device. This episode is very spoiler heavy so be advised, if you want to watch these anime shows, do so now! And then come back and listen! None the less, everyone's welcome in the 950 club!

Our anime news showcase special. We finally introduce Jamaal and hear about his journey with anime from waking up early to watch Pokemon to searching for an advanced copy of Demon Slayer Mugen Train . With recent news of Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll to complete their merger with Funimation, we couldn't help but discuss this hot topic issue with anime and it's place in the streaming wars. This was an excellent discussion as we go far beyond anime and talk about flaws of Netflix, Disney owning the world, George RR Martin, black box hookups, and of course horrible live action anime,

Our follow-up episode highlights two great non-traditional anime! We talk about Ascendance of a Bookworm and Odd Taxi, both very thoughtful and secretly modern day classics. Plus we discuss a better word for book hoarding, hack comedians and bad Japanese rappers.

Our debut episode! What a journey! We set the tone of the show with our first selected shows:Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and How NOT To Summon A Demon Lord(Spoilers abound as this podcast is introspective heavy)We also introduce ourselves and share our beginnings with anime along with general insight, anime news, and recommendations.