Canuck Otaku

Original record date: First week of December.After a lengthy hiatus that included a babies, career changes, and a slew of other events, we are back! In this episode, we recap what has been going on in our lives, specifically Chris' new job as a high school music teacher and the direction for the podcast moving forward. 

We are long overdue, but we've got valid reasons for it!On the contrary, something in Luigi's life arrived underdue and we talk about the birth of his first child on this episode! More importantly (or not), Chris shares his experience in Calgary's first Otafest since the start of the pandemic, his journey taking part in the convention's singing contest and how it felt to be attending a convention once again!(0:00) - The BABY(23:11) - Otafest: The Good, the Bad, and the Long Wait Times(29:45) - The Ota Factor experience(47:44) - Other Ota experiences (55:00) - Using Anime to connect to others

One of our hosts is a Slice of Life lover, so the upcoming Spring 2022 season is going to be magical. In this episode, Chris gives a rare 10/10 rating, the AoT final season has multiple seasons, bad shows keep on getting sequels, and Chris shares his stories of being a geeky teacher.Timestamps:(8:00) - Takagi-san is a perfect series (15:30) - AoT Final Season: Part 999 (26:35) - Why do bad shows keep on getting new seasons? (30:35) - Spring 2022 shows (57:00) - Teaching as an anime fan: Part 2

Hello everyone, in the spirit of the Oscar weekend, we dive into movie and award-related topics.In this episode, Luigi sees his first anime movie in theaters, which prompts a PSA on personal hygiene and etiquette when attending public events. We talk about recent changes to the Oscars that included a popularity contest, and we criticize the Crunchyroll Awards (again).We also take a sneak peek into the podcast's next episode, which will revolve around Chris' experience as a teacher who also happens to be an anime-fan. We'd love your input so send us your questions!(5:40) - Jujutsu Kaisen in Theatres(10:50) - Personal Hygiene + Etiquette in Theatres and Conventions (and always)(21:20) - Oscar Preview and Crunchyroll Award Rant(32:50) - Definition of Protagonist vs Antagonist(47:30) - Teaching as an Anime fan

Chris and Luigi back in studio with some big news! A lot of things have been happening in our personal lives and we share a little bit about where we are headed in the near future. For one of us, it's nerding out as a teacher; for the other, it's preparing for a life of fatherhood!Chris also announces his entry into "The Ota Factor" which will be a part of Otafest 2022 and we take a sneak peek into what we have been up to anime-wise over the past few crazy months. Looking forward to chatting with you guys soon!Timestamps:(0:00) - Parenting and Teaching (26:32) - Otafest 2022 and Song Suggestions (40:22) - Dress-up Darling (50:27) - Chris Makes a Plex Server (55:18) - CR: Legend of Vox Machina 

Hi everyone, Chris here. Welcome to 2022!In this episode, I explain our absence over the past months and dive into a reflection over the past 2 years of COVID, my mental burnout towards life and anime, and the shows that have helped to bring me back. I hope that everyone is doing well and I hope that my sharing of my personal life can spark you to take action in some way, whether reaching out to someone or watching an inspiring show as I have done many times in my life.Shows mentioned: - Fullmetal Alchemist - Violet Evergarden - A Silent Voice - ReLife

We are finally back to a committed schedule and have some awesome topics lined up for the near future!In this episode, we discuss the shows that we have graced with our attention. We also talk of news of the ending and continuation of some big names in the industry. Chris also shares a short and sweet manga which will lead into a future episode! - End of Kaguya-sama & the Return of Nichijou (6:08) - Assassin Isekai and the Isekai Question (12:18) - The Fruit of Evolution (22:17) - Ganbare Douki-chan does not give its best (26:03) - Luigi watches Komi-san (28:44) - Platinum End (35:04) - Mieruko-chan has weird camera angles (39:48) - Three Days of Happiness (44;05)

A mixture of summer vacation and one of our co-hosts getting married put us on hold for a few months but we are happy to be back!In this episode, we recap some of the summer shows we were able to watch, including Iruma S2, Kobayashi S2, and Great Jahy. We take a quick look at what's to come in the near future, which includes more Komi-san bashing, and Takagi S3 goodness. Keeping things in line with recent wedding events, Chris offers Luigi some nice wholesome series about healthy couples in a relationship which then segues into a list of manga series that he thinks needs to be adapted. Timestamps:(4:56) - Iruma S2(12:31) - Slime S2, Naruto, Bleach(15:39) - Kobayashi S2(21:16) - More Komi-san Ripping(25:33) - Not-so-Great Jahy(32:08) - Couple Romance Manga(37:27) - Takagi-san News(44:14) - Manga that Need an Anime(51:46) - Fall 2021 Teaser  

Hello! We are finally back from our summer vacation and are really looking forward to an awesome 2nd half of 2021!In this episode, we start off by talking about what we have been doing since we disappeared 1 month ago. We then discuss the news regarding the anime adaptation of Komi-san, including our grievances with the storyline and writing. We also talk a bit about some new shows that are airing and are scheduled to be released, including Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, a movie which has been playing in theaters across NA. Finally, as an athlete myself, we talk a bit about the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and some of the anime and video game cameos and references that have been spotted thus far.Timstamps:(8:31) - Komi-san and the series' shortfalls regarding plot, characters, and focus.(24:36) - Aharen-san is Indecipherable slated for 2022!(31:41) - Luigi's re-watching Naruto(45:28) - Josee, the Tiger and the Fish(49:49) - Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

In this episode, we discuss a recent article detailing how many watchers are viewing shows at 1.5x in order to get through their backlog, which begs the questions, are too many shows coming out every season to the point that it becomes overwhelming for us, and why do we feel obligated to treat this hobby like a series of checkmarks?Chris also talks a bit about his recent (6th) playthrough of Mass Effect and why it's been taking up most of his past 2 weeks.We also discuss some news regarding big announcements, including the cast & crew of the upcoming Cowboy Bebop live action, as well as a new Fullmetal Alchemist project that will be revealed on July 12th, 2021! We give our predictions as to what the project might be and if it is a sequel, what the possible plot might look like.Timestamps: (5:44) - Are too many shows being released/Are you watching an unhealthy amount of TV?(21:31) - Everyone, play Mass Effect(41:01) - Yoko Kanno returning to score the new Cowboy Bebop(46:36) - New FMA Project on the horizon/Our Prediction

Links to album and social media located below!This episode is our chat with Natalie London and Taylor Plecity of the indie rock duo, Hey, King! Along with being anime fans, they're also musicians and Natalie is a fellow Canuck so we knew that they'd fit in perfectly!We discuss the band's newest album which was released on April 2nd, including the creation process and their inspiration towards the composition of many of its tracks. Many of the songs on the album deal with issues such as love, resilience, female empowerment, and moving through difficult times and the two share their experiences regarding those themes.On the anime side of things, Taylor shares her love for the artform, her experiences with cosplay, and gives some tips for those who are looking to jump into the hobby. We also discuss topics such as having a partner that's an anime fan, FMA, Super Smash, guilty pleasures, and more. Check the timestamps!(4:16) - Interview Start(5:44) - Album Creation(16:17) - Moving on when your Life has been Put on Hold (28:12) - Introduction to Anime/Cosplay (40:22) - Choosing What to Cosplay/Tips for Aspiring Cosplayers (49:48) - Otafest and Touring to Calgary (54:12) - Having a Partner that's an Anime Fan (57:38) - Fullmetal Alchemist(64:54) - Super Smash Melee + Final Fantasy (72:47) - Interests in Other Nerd/Geek Cirlces (80:39) - Guilty Pleasures + Rapid Fire (92:28) - Anime Easter Eggs in Music Videos (94:45) - Future Projects + Interview End (97:46) - Conclusion Links:WebsiteMusicYoutubeBand InstagramTaylor's InstagramTwitterFacebookNatalie's Book

Episodes 29 and 30 are all about Spring 2021! Listen to our grievances with Moriarty, Luigi trying to explain the plot of 86, us trying to avoid the wrath of Tokyo Revengers manga readers, Chris lamenting the identity struggles of artists, and our complete amazement of To Your Eternity.In this episode, we discuss out general thoughts on some of the shows running this season. The shows in this part are mainly the big-hit, AOTY, Oscar-type shows and include (with time stamps): - Mars Red (4:45)  - 86 EIGHTY-SIX (14:30)  - Tokyo Revengers (27:16)  - Those Snow White Notes (35:30)  - Higehiro (53:30)  - To Your Eternity (76:56) *SPOILER WARNING: This episode was recorded after 3-4 episodes of each show was released so just a discretion*Check out Episode 29 for our thoughts on the lighter, feel-good shows of the season including: - Iruma-kun - My Hero Academia - Koikomo - Osamake - Nagatoro-san

The next two episodes are all about Spring 2021!In this episode, we discuss our general thoughts on some of the shows running this season. The shows in this part are mainly continuations, comedies, and romcoms, including (with time stamps): - Iruma-kun Season 2 (19:20)  - MHA S5 (22:00)  - Koikomo (25:00)  - Osamake, (33:40)  - Nagatoro-san (56:50) Check out Episode 30 for our thoughts on the heavy hitters of the season including: - Mars Red - 86 EIGHTY-SIX - Tokyo Revengers - Those Snow White Notes - Higehiro - To Your Eternity 

How much weight do you put on the visual aspects of a show? To what extent do the visuals and animation affect your enjoyment of a show?In part 1 of our Spring 2021 preview, we reveal which shows we are watching this season, which will be discussed in our next episode. This episode revolves around Gokushufudou: The Way of the Househusband, which has been one of our favourite shows of the season! The show has been marred with polarized opinions over its production choices and we tackle the questions asked above, which results in another criticism of MAL reviews. Our discussion starts at 22:00 of the episode.Updates: 1. Apparently reasoning for the visual style of the anime was as a means to replicate the look and feel of the manga (ie: it was a conscious, stylistic choice)2. The show was marketed in Japan as an animated comic, not an anime.

Message from Chris: Apologies for the wacky audio. I was doing audio tests with RTX Voice and forgot to turn it off when I recorded the episode :(This episode is all about Iruma-kun! We start off by talking about our experiences with the first season, especially when used for a watch party before talking about what Season 2 will have in store (mild but inconsequential spoilers discussed!). Chris also takes a look at ambition, one of the series' central themes.We then did some research on the actual demons that many of the characters were based upon. What were the real Azazel, Asmodeus, Valac, and Naberius like? We share our research on how the original demons affected the names, personalities, and abilities of many of the show's characters. 

In this episode, we discuss the recent news about a second season being announced for The Devil is a Part-Timer, which segued nicely into a talk about why so many series seem to have horrible endings and finales. It also segued nicely into part 1 of our discussion on Iruma-kun, including things we love about the show and going a bit into the lore of the demonology on which many of the characters are based on. Look out for a deep dive on this show very soon!

In this episode, we talk about the pressures faced when talking about the "big" shows in anime and Luigi discusses his hopes for the remainder of Attack on Titan (SPOILER FREE). We also discuss the absolute disaster that is Redo of Healer, the issues around its content and how it could have negative lasting effects before revealing and talking about what shows we have been watching from this season. Shows discussed: AoT, Slime Isekai, Spider Isekai, Jobless Reincarnation (Isekai), Wonder Egg Priority, Heaven's Design Team, Tomozaki-kun

Can you trust the public with objective decision making? Is it alright to force objectivity on a very subjective field? Is it alright to pit the creations of artists against each other? Does "favorite" necessarily mean "good"?While we're doing our preparations for our Winter 2021 preview, we decided to focus this episode on the Crunchyroll Awards, the problems with awards shows in general, as well as discussion on that age-old question: with how many shows that are out there, just how do you choose what to watch?Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates as well as leave your feedback! You can also send us comments, feedback, and messages directly at cotakupodcast@gmail.com

Happy New Year, everyone! What started out as a covid-19 hobby turned into something we never could have imagined and we are so excited to be entering our second season of the podcast. Thank you so much to our listeners for making this possible!This episode is a bit of a reflection on the past year, including what we've learned along the way and what you can expect in the coming months. Of course, we are ALWAYS looking for feedback to please feel free to contact us on Twitter, Instagram or email (cotakupodcast@gmail.com) for comments.  Here's to all the shows we'll enjoy in 2021!

Merry Christmas, everyone! This is by far our longest and most in-depth episode that we honestly spent way too much time, but there was a lot to be said about this classic show that Chris considers "not a romantic comedy." In this episode, we do an analysis on the characters and some of the main themes of the show. Chris compiled our characters into specific roles specified below in our timestamps. We connect our characters to sad clowns, the Matrix, and our own personal lives so we hope you either learn something or are entertained by it. Thanks so much to our listeners for being a part of our first year as a podcast! Since it's a long episode, we have provided time stamps for each section. Overall thoughts on what this show is about (07:20). Ryuuji The Rejector: (24:46). Taiga the Toddler:  (61:45). Minori the Martyr: (81:00). Ami the Adult: (120:00). 

Hashire sori yo.....In this episode, our hosts give some suggestions on how to get into the Christmas spirit, with both anime and non-anime names being thrown on the table......padoru padoru!!!

In this shorter Mundane Morning episode, Luigi gives his grievances with Hunter x Hunter, Chris is ecstatic over recent Iruma-kun OTP relationships before diving into some of his favorite series with short heroes/tall heroines. They finish up with a short talk on cosplaying, including some of Chris' past attempts.

Come join our hosts on a chill Monday(ne) Morning! In this episode, Luigi talks about Formula One before the two give their updates on how their fall season picks are doing, including Wandering Witch/Kino's Journey and Moriarty the Patriot. Chris tries to get Luigi to pick up Avatar and Iruma-kun, and then they give their grievances towards Funimation's questionable user interface.

Part 2 of our Fall 2020 preview is a mini deep-dive into two of our favorite shows from the season. In the first half, we discuss Wandering Witch, including Elaina's character motivation and the show's central themes. We then do a full 180 and talk about Tonikaku Cawaii's charm and Chris includes his own personal theories on the origins of one of its main characters.

Our Fall 2020 preview is divided into two parts. In this episode, we discuss our general thoughts on some of the shows running this season. Luigi watched a lot and his shows include Jujutsu Kaisen, Noblesse, Our Last Crusade, and Yuukoku no Moriarty, while Chris talks Yashahime while complaining about the original Inuyasha series and sports anime.Part 2 will be a full length discussion on Wandering Witch and Tonikaku Cawaii, so head on down to that episode if you want our thoughts on those 2 shows!

We've got a new segment in our podcast titled, "Mundane Mornings". Uploaded on Mondays every now and then, these episodes are more casual and consist of us just talking about random things in our lives. These will tend to be more chill in energy so it can be used as a great sleep aid or if you're looking for something to fill the silence!In this episode, we talk a little bit about our lives growing up, some of the video games we've been playing recently, Narmak's Spongebob anime, and an update on how things are going with the podcast

In this episode, C&L take a look into one of the more interesting shows from the summer 2020 season. They discuss their overall thoughts and commentary on the show, including central themes and characters they liked/disliked. Chris also talks about real life rental companies and how they compare to what was shown in the show!

In this episode, C&L talk about upcoming shows on the horizon and the portrayal, accuracy, and often, absurdity of shows revolving around sports and hobbies. They also talk about Chris' past Love Live gacha addiction and future episode topics to come!

Hello! We are finally back from vacation and are looking forward to getting this podcast back up and running on a fixed schedule, most likely bi-weekly!Our main topic for this episode is talking about how to start an anime watch club at your school and how to choose the right shows. We offer a short list of recommendations for gateway shows that are appropriate and can appeal to most audiences. We also talk a little bit about the subreddit drama, and start a discussion on anime stigma in society (more on that in a future episode)

Chris and Luigi spend this episode giving their in-depth thoughts on one of the most anticipated shows of Spring 2020 including central themes, character analysis/comparison, and how the anime compared to the original source material. Chris' final conclusion: read the manga!

We've been a little busy over the past month but we got enough time (just barely) to get part 1 of our season wrap-up recorded. Part 2 will be out within the next week!In this episode, we talk briefly about Sing Yesterday For Me, as we will probably spend a full episode discussing it. We also discuss some basic thoughts on the shows which we decided to watch this season, including Kaguya S2, Bakarina, Tower of God, and Kakushigoto. More discussion in the next episode!

In this episode, Luigi joins Chris in his studio, and because of coronavirus, that studio was temporarily relocated Chris' garage (hence the change in sound). We try to be as spoiler free as possible, but there will be some spoilers in our discussion.Topics for this episode include potential future adaptations for Kaguya-sama, Ishigami's character progression in Kaguya-sama, and guesses for HameFura's ending. Chris talks about using FMAB and Gintama as inspiration for his DnD campaign and Luigi gets scarred by toothbrush scenes.

Thanks to one of our listeners for giving us the topic for this episode!In this episode, Chris and Luigi talk a bit about the continuing effect that coronavirus has had on their day-to-day lives and what they have been doing to cope with it. They then dive into the main topic which is critics, reviews, and rating systems. Their main topic of discussion is figuring out the answer to what a show has to do in order to move from the excellent 9 to the phenomenal and perfect 10.Episode Notes: I talked about FMAB and the war. The nation I was trying to remember was Ishval not Xing. Duh.

The past week was fairly lethargic for the both of us so we got a little bit of randomness for this week's episode.In this episode, we complain about internet, talk about SoL comedy shows, and lament on how things sometimes don't go our way in romance shows..02:05 - Chris hates Canadian internet and updates his network. 11:15 - Lethargy and weekly watching updates. 13:20 - Slight Yesterday for Me discussion. 18:30 - Chris has been working on Working! (aka "Wagnaria!"). 25:15 - Aoyama-kun and boring comedies. 35:30 - More lethargy, bad shows, and Komi-san Can't Communicate. 44:05 - More bad shows, Nisekoi, and Chris starts shipping. Audio note from Chris:Hey guys! I totally forgot to adjust the gate on my voice and I accidentally overwrote my raw audio recording (stupid). So my voice is a little weird at a few points. Gonna avoid the rookie error next time :p

As of April 24th, we are now on most popular podcast mediums, including Spotify and Google Podcasts! Our submission to Apple Podcasts is being reviewed but we can expect to be on there relatively soon.In this episode, C&L discuss their picks for shows in the Spring 2020 lineup, including a few season continuations and several brand new series! Shows discussed: - Sing Yesterday for Me - Kaguya-sama Season 2 - My Next Life as a Villainess - Tower of God - Shokugeki no Soma - Tower of God - Kakushigoto00:00 - Introductions: Podcast Art and CO Podcast now available on most podcasts sites! |10:30 - MAL Ratings |23:20 - Kaguya-sama S2 |38:40 - My Next Life as a Villainess |55:00 - Bad Isekais |1:05:23 - Tower of God |1:14:08 - Shokugeki no Soma |1:33:55 - Kakushigoto |

We take things a little differently this time. In this episode, Chris and Luigi go in-depth on the first 2 episodes of one of Chris' most anticipated shows of the season.Sing "Yesterday" for Me is as real and relatable as it gets and it gave our hosts a chance to be a little bit more open during this episode. They discuss the show's characters, their interactions with one another, and their internal problems and struggles. They also relate the show to their own lives as they discuss school reunions, high school life, and unrequited love. They finish with C&L talking briefly about Final Fantasy before discussing about what's to come on the podcast, including future episode topics!

In this episode, Chris and Luigi talk about their final impressions on some of Winter 2020's shows. Some shows completely blew them away while some left them completely disappointed. Chris also talks about Gintama again since he will never not talk about it. They then start to talk about shows they still need to watch, which makes them thankful that the entire world is on pause since they'll MAYBE make a dent on their PTW lists.00:00 - Quarantine Update 04:10 - Chris starts Dr. Stone 06:30 - Lackluster In/Spectre 18:40 - Bofuri and Chris' rant on Crunchyroll and Funimation's mobile apps 23:15 - Asteroid in Love 26:30 - Luigi talks Interspecies Reviewers 27:40 - Chris can't keep his hands off the Eizouken 37:05 - Science Fell in Love (but fell in the ratings) 40:00 - SAO, Gintama, and how to create a good antagonist 51:45 - Helpful Fox Senko-San & Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, fanservice for the soul 58:05 - Luigi talks JoJo, Darling in the Franxx, and animemes 1:05:15 - C&L take a sneak-peek at the upcoming season and new series they'll be watching 1:09:40 - Death Note and live-action adaptations 1:14:00 - DBZ movies and more shows we need to watch We're slowly in the process of getting channel art, publishing to Apple Podcasts/Spotify, and getting social media up an running. If you have any questions or suggestions for an episode topic, whether anime/manga/video games, please send us a message at cotakupodcast@gmail.com!

Chris here, reporting with a cold from the confines of my room.In this episode, we discuss the effects of COVID-19, and give some ideas of potential things to do while the entire world is shut down. Topics include workout plans, learning Japanese and of course, recommendations for shows to binge while you have the chance to. No productivity allowed!Show recommendations include: - Cells at Work and its various spinoffs - SAO - Gintama + any other really long series

Chris here! Consider this episode to be a continuation of our introductions.In this episode, Luigi and I go back to the beginning. We discuss when we started watching anime, what we watched, and how our tastes have changed over time. Hopefully it gives you a better idea of who we are and what we like. Shows mentioned include DBZ, Digimon, Pokemon, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Full Metal Panic, Ouran High School. Tldr, I like Slice of Life.

Chris here! We were originally gonna talk about something completely different but we still don't understand the meaning of the word, "organization." In this episode, Luigi and I discuss cocktails and coffee. To keep it relevant, I discuss the topic whilst pertaining to Japanese culture. We talk about the rise in cost of Japanese whiskey, how Japanese bars prepare cocktails, and the various fancy methods of preparing coffee. To keep it even more relevant, we also include some recommendations for shows that revolve around the art of drinking. Kanpai!Show recommendations: - Bartender - Love is Like a Cocktail - Tada-kun Never Falls in Love

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Most of the time, they're really bad. Case in point: us.In this first episode, Chris and Luigi introduce themselves (kind of) and talk about some random stuff like subs/dubs and Isekais, before delving into their current seasonal watch list, including BHNA, In/Spectre, Bofuri, Asteroid in Love, Science Fell in Love, and Eizouken.