Fandom Post Radio

It's been awhile since we did a really good list episode! Today's topic is Anime Character Designers. What are character designers, what do they do, and why is it so important? Who are our favorites? Who are YOUR favorites? Perhaps Akio Sugino, or Masashi Ando? Maybe even... *gasp* CLAMP? We have answers for all that and more in this episode!

Shakedown, 1979?  Nope, 2025! Everything old is new again this spring, and the usual crew of Kestrel, Cain, Kate, and Brandon take in a stacked season of new old shows! We've got a Gundam that quacks, we've got Anne Shirley being a red-head, parkour Lazarus, To Be Hero X, and so much more! Truly a season with something for everyone no matter what your tastes might be. Plus one highly anticipated bit of news and recommendations. What are you watching this season?

Spring is almost sprung which means it's time for a check in of how the Winter anime season went. Kestrel, Cain, and Kate run through what they watched along with a ton of news. Some good, some bad, such is the way of anime. We cover Apothecary Diaries, Dragon Ball Daima, Solo Leveling, Re:Zero, and more! Plus recommendations featuring plenty of video games.

A new year, and we're just hanging in here doing what we know how to do, which is talk about anime. The usual crew is back to talk about the shows we are watching, anime adjacent news, and recommendations for anime and anime adjacent things! You know the drill. Featured this time around are Apothecary Diaries, Sakamoto Days, Solo Leveling, and more Dragonball. Plus some other stuff. What are you watching this season?

It's that time of year when the Post crew gets together to discuss the anime of the previous year in one big swoop. This time it is Kestrel, Cain, and Brandon running down their top picks. So if you are the type to not watch a ton of anime (present company excluded) then you won't want to miss this ultimate recommendation list!

The regular crew is nestled all snug in our podcasting studios, ready to mostly cap off the Fall 2024 anime season. The ghosts of anime properties past are haunting the season while visions of crunch are ready to pass judgement... okay, so my metaphor is failing apart. What's been naughty and what's been very nice, we discuss. Plus some recommendations and news. Have a safe and happy holiday! See you next year!

A great soundtrack can elevate any work. Cain, Kestrel, and Brandon have compiled a list of favorite anime composers, both theirs and yours, to discuss their work and impact on the industry.  Selected music excerpts include: Joe Hisaishi: One Summer's Day (あの夏へ) from Spirited Away Yoko Kanno: Tank! from Cowboy Bebop Kensuke Ushio: lit (var) from A Silent Voice Kenji Kawai: Making of Cyborg from Ghost in the Shell Yoshihisa Hirano: The World of Adventurers from Hunter x Hunter, and Beyond the Seas from Hunter x Hunter

This is Fanzenshuu... Okay, that's not a thing. We may not be fusing with Kanzenshuu, but we wished upon the Dragon Balls to summon them for the task of discussing Akira Toriyama's legendary franchise as it hits 40 years strong. Between Toriyama's passing and the first new TV series in 9 years, this year has given us a lot to think about for this big anniversary. Kestrel is joined by Cain, Brandon for the first time in a while, and of course the respective founders of the highly detailed Dragon Ball fan sites that would fuse to become the all-encompassing Kanzenshuu. We cover the franchise as well as Kanzenshuu and its predecessors, and like any good battle in DBZ, it takes way longer than we expect.

So... it's been a minute but we're back from our late summer break. We have new fall anime to talk about, including the return of some favorites. We discuss Uzumaki, Orb, Blue Locl, Dan da Dan, Ranma 1/2, Natsume and more! Plus some more passings in the industry and other lighter news, and some recommendation! ---AIRHORN SOUNDS---

The dog days of summer are a bit slow this year. So slow that half our regulars aren't even watching anime! Good thing we have a bunch of Otakon news to talk about, as well as the biggest anime leak in years. YEARS. Then we cover what everyone has been watching, such as Tower of God, Spice & Wolf, Nekotan, DeadDeadDemonDedede... well, you get the point. Got something you've been watching that's been getting you out of the summer doldrums? Let us know! 

Anime Expo 2024 happened, and Kestrel was there kicking ass and taking names, and by taking names I mean getting autographs.  We go over all of the news we cared to share from AX. Cain ponders why anime is invading baseball. Kate is just trying not to melt or melt down over a Rayearth remake. Summertime, everybody! We also cover the rest of the end of the spring that we glossed over last week, and a few recommendations.

Spring, we hardly knew ye. Summer is almost here but we do have some thoughts on some of the shows we've been watching. Did the dungeon remain delicious? The wolf still spicy? The campfire stay lit? Why was Kestrel watching a show about booze? We ponder the results of our watching, along with a chunk of news about books and tv, and other analog media. Plus, wait... Ice Cream Man! ICE CREAM MAN!

Spring 2024 is here and we have plenty of anime to talk about! Everything old is new again, just like long-dormant seeds sprouting from the earth. We get the return of everyone's favorite economic power couple in Spice & Wolf and continuing adventures in bartending in Bartender. Konosuba is back, and so is Reincarnated as a Slime. Plus Jellyfish, Sand Land, Windbreakers, and a whole lot more! Also one bit of news and a few recommendations!

The 2024 Winter Anime season has come to a close. If you've been paying attention then you'll know what shows the crew have placed at the top of their lists. Kestrel, Cain, Brandon, and Kate are gonna tell you again, anyway, because that's what we do! Plus some news and recommendations. What was your favorite anime of Winter 2024?

We have a full house for a rather depressing episode of the podcast. It's an all-news special cumulating in the marking of the passing of two figures, one lesser known and one an absolute giant. We tip our hats to Tales Of illustrator Mutsumi Inomata before we dedicate the majority of the run time to Akira Toriyama. We go over the impact that Toriyama had in the manga, anime, and video game industry both at home and across the entire world. Then we try to brighten the room a bit with some recommendations. 

The groundhog didn't see his shadow, and for a brief moment this episode features all of the regular podcasters! The winter season is in full swing so we catch up on impressions of the current slate of shows. We check in on our favorite girls, Maomao and Frieren. I (Kate) am ready to throw hands in support of Dungeon Meshi. Kestrel is about to flee the country. DJ flees the podcast. Cain and Brandon try to hold everything together. Plus news, weird localizer beef, and recommendations.

Winter 2024 Anime! It's a season of.... isekai... and isekai... and Dungeons! Cain, Kestrel, Brandon, and Kate are gonna talk about it! Delicious is Dungeon, Solo Leveling, Metallic Rouge, BUCCHIGIRI?! and much, much more! Plus, what Chris and DJ are watching via words on paper... but read out loud. PLUS, some SHOCKING news and recommendations.

As is tradition, the votes have been tabulated and a consensus has been reached! If you are like DJ and hid under an anime rock for most of 2023, then this is the episode for you! Kestrel, Cain, Brandon, and DJ break down their top ten lists of anime from the 2023 anime year. PLUS, we have reader-submitted lists and even a list from our fearless leader, Chris Beveridge (spoiler, it's both exactly and not exactly what you'd expect.) Settle in for a long one, and thank you for listening! 

The Holidays are here but we have time for one last newscast before the season and year wrap up! And that news is one whopper of an announcement that we spend the majority of this episode discussing. That's how crazy it is! Plus a few last minute gift ideas for yourself or a loved one. Have a safe and happy Holiday everyone!

We might be short on people this week, but we aren't short on discussion! Cain, Kestrel, and Kate are here to talk about this season's shows now that we're a few more episodes in. Spoiler: It's a pretty great season of anime. Plus we have some recommendations and the news. Remember when Crunchyroll had manga? Yeah, me neither. 

STOP THE PRESSES! DJ is HERE! So is everyone else. The Fall 2023 anime season is so stacked that we barely scratch the surface of what is out there, but we think we're hitting most of the bangers. Frieren, Pluto, Spy x Family, 100 Girlfriends, Apothecary Diaries, and more! Plus we have the usual news and recommendations.  What are you watching this season?

Fall is here but we have to wrap up these summer shows before we can dig into the early entries for the fall anime course. Kestrel, Cain, and Kate have a ton of news to run through including the end of Right Stuf because we can't have nice things. DJ sends us his regards from his mansion by way of  list of what he's been watching. Plus we have recommendations. 

WE ARE checking out the live-action One Piece! Years in the making, did this series do the impossible and break the live-action to anime curse? Kestrel, Brandon, Skyler, and Kate bring their collective decades of fan knowledge to the table to break down what we liked, what we didn't like, and where everything can go from here. We front-load the podcast with the non-spoilery bits so you can take the plunge regardless of your exposure levels. 

The sleepy days of summer are drawing to a close. Kestrel, Kate, Cain, and Brandon are on board. We have a tiny bit of catching up to do with the summer season news and shows, but our focus is starting to shift towards thoughts of fall. We cover some of the news that came out over the last month before catching up on what folks are watching. Plus some recommendations on what we've been playing. But... as you well know, the pirates are coming.

The summer doldrums have arrived, and with it a slew of shows which are mostly sequels or otherwise known entities. Cain, Kestrel, and Brandon tackle what they have been watching while pondering the list DJ submitted and the glut of average or below-average scores. It is a thin buffet table folks. HOWEVER, we have a ton of news to cover from recent announcements, some One Piece LA talk, and of course a few recommendations.

How big is too big? Well, Kestrel, Skyler, and Darius might have the answer for that as they get together for a massive recap of Anime Expo 2023. From reports of the conditions of the venue to the panels, wild announcements, and just the general vibe, they have a lot of ground to cover. Battle scars and all.

One final check of the Spring 2023 season is at hand. We wrap up the season with some final thoughts on all the bangers and ponder the mystery of how taste works. Be prepared for more Vinland Saga, Oshi no Ko, Demon Slayer, Hell's Paradise, and the rest. Plus we cover some of the news and recommendations, which are heavy on the games this time around. 

Ah, Summer is just around the corner but we are checking in with the Spring season of anime to see how things are shaking out. That means we get to dive back into Gundam: Witch from Mercury, Vinland Saga, Hell's Paradise, Skip & Loafer, and more! Plus news and recommendations! Also, I (the engineer) put in timestamps now so you can skip discussions of shows you're behind on! See, always room to learn!

Ahoy! It's a list episode, and this time it's Kestrel, Cain, DJ, and Darius breaking down their and your favorite anime studios! Who do we love? Animators! Who puts their blood sweat and tears into every production to make us smile and cry? We shall tell you! There's a whole lot of love an appreciation to spread around as the guys make their cases for their favorites. Who comes out on top? You'll have to listen to find out!

SPRING! It's HERE! The usual gang of five arrives to discuss all things anime airing (well, streaming really) to your watching device of choice! Oshi no Ko, Mashle, Gundam, Hell's Paradise, Skip and Loafer, and more! So much more! Which is good because we're light on news this week but there are a few recommendations. Plus you get to find out what the hardtack version of a whoopie pie is! 

The winter season has come and gone and we are going to talk about it! Where does the gang rank the Winter 2023 season anime? Well, you're just gonna have to listen and find out. Plus we have the news and some view, and recommendations, of course! Drop in and listen.

It's that time of year! AWARDS SEASON! Kestrel took one for the team and actually watched the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. We go over the nominees, winners, and ultimately try to decide where this award show lands on the spectrum of legitimacy and prestige. (spoiler: not very high) Plus we have some news and some recommendations.

Is it the winter mid-season already? Well, this season is anything but mid! Cain, Kestrel, Brandon, and Kate catch up on what they've been watching and we get some last minute input from DJ as well. Find out who is thinking outside the penalty box, who's a Trigun Stan-pede, and Thorkell's live reactions to Vinland Saga Season 2. Plus licensing news, sad news, happy news... all the news! And recommendations! You know, the usual! 

After ending 2022 with a bang, 2023 starts off feeling like 2020 with one COVID hiatus after another. With half of the winter season missing, half of our hosts are missing as well, but that doesn't stop DJ from loving his most packed season yet. Kestrel is close in numbers if not enthusiasm, and even with a relatively small slate Brandon still has about ten shows to talk about. Add in some more Attack on Titan seasonal fragmentation absurdity and we still manage to exceed two hours as always.

It's a quiet new year around here but we aren't neglecting our duty to our listeners to go over the best of the best of last year, anime style. Kestrel, DJ, Cain, and Brandon sit down to discuss a lengthy and detailed set of lists covering damn near everything worth watching. Plus the submitted lists we got from listeners like you! Perhaps even one of your own lists! Settle in, its a long one!

The end of 2022 and the end of the Fall 2022 anime season is upon us. Kestrel, Brandon, DJ, and Kate are here to discuss the shows of the fall and how they stacked up. Turns out there was a lot to like this season! We talk about Blue Lock, Chainsaw Man, To Your Eternity, Gundam Witch, BLEACH, Spy x Family, and more! Which old favorites are way better than they have any right to be, which shows let us down? Tune in and find out! Plus a bunch of news and some end-of-the-year recommendations. See you next year!

As the first flakes fall here in the northern hemisphere, the 2022 convention season is drawing to a close and the fall shows are creeping toward a quiet close. Kestrel and Darius touch upon AnimeNYC, while Brandon, Cain, and DJ have thoughts and feelings about the fall anime season. Plus we have some news and the usual banter and recommendations and such. So grab a hot chocolate and have a listen!

The regular crew is here to talk about the Fall 2022 anime season! Chainsaw Man! Spy X Family is back! A new Urusei Yatsura! Mobile Suit Utena! BLEACH IS BACK! Insanity! Plus some other stuff that is also great! What a season, what a season! So much season I don't think we even scratch the surface, but hey, it's a start! Plus some news and recommendations. Join us, won't you?

One Piece is an unstoppable juggernaut that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. After a quarter century and over 1000 installments of the manga and anime each, it's about time we spend a few hours on it. Kestrel is joined by our top One Piece fan Skyler, a sea-worn Brandon fresh off of a six-month thousand-chapter binge, and special guests Zach and Ed, founders and hosts of the One Piece Podcast itself. There's plenty of great discussion all around, and all relatively spoiler-free. Enjoy!

The boys are back, in podcast form, to discuss the Summer 2022 anime season! Kestrel, Cain, Brandon, and DJ dig through their lists to separate the wheat from the chaff. (That means the good from the bad, I haven't forgotten you, non-US and under 30 listeners! - Editor Kate) Made in Abyss, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Lycoris Recoil, Overlord IV, Prince of Tennis and so much more! Like news, and recommendations! But all eyes are on the horizon as the fall season comes in like a hurricane of anticipated anime, so stay tuned...

Dust off the cobwebs, and fire up the potatoes, we are back baby! Yes, after an unexpected, unanticipated, and uninspired break in which at least two hosts were down for the count with plagues of various sorts we have returned with TWO MONTHS OF NEWS. From industry head-spinning purchases to somber stories of industry legends passing, we have the full gamut of announcements, new and cold. Plus a couple of recommendations and a promise that we want you, the listener, to hold us to... which is making sure we stay healthy in mind AND body. Uuuu-foh-tah-blay!

Hot enough for you out there? Well, it's about to get hot in here! (Eh, not really.) We're here to talk about the summer 2022 anime season! Shows like Funslinger girl, Made in Abyss New Jersey, CVS in Another World, My Step Sister is my Rent-A-Girlfriend... wait.... wait... something isn't right here. How about some real shows like Teppen!!!!!!. The Devil is a Part-Timer, Lycoris Recoil... you know, the real show titles sound almost like the joke ones. Well, we have a whole team here to talk about it! Plus recommendations! 

Aye captain, off the starboard bow, we have ourselves a white whale of anime licensing! Quick, grab your harpoons, as we've got a big ‘ol licensing round-up from Anime Expo 2022! Plus a con wrap-up from the gentlemen who attended and what the future holds for crowded events with no room clears! Plus a tragic tale of a life lost at sea and the return of the 60 billion dollar man.... or is it only 6? Plus a whole ton of other news, from the con or otherwise, and recommendations in this info-stacked cast.

The end of the spring anime season has come and gone. Kestrel, DJ, and Brandon get together to discuss the shows they watched and the thoughts they had about them. Spy x Family, Kaguya-sama, Komi, Ya Boy, and many more go under the microscope. Which shows passed their scrutiny, and which shows dropped off? You'll have to listen to find out! Plus some news and recommendations and the usual banter. You know the drill.

We have a full podcast to take on the news before the big spring wrap-up next week. Brandon, Cain, DJ, Kestrel, and Kate come with a full slate of announcements. News of the untimely passings of voice actors from the anime industry. News of the return of series that we know and love. And news of the passing of a torch to continue on in the face of loss out of love. A whole emotional gamut, you could say. Plus recommendations because sometimes the best cure for a broken heart is amazon breaking your merchandise. Wait... that can't be right...

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Spy x Podcast! I'm your .... wait, we already spoofed this title last week? Well... crap. This week we have a midseason update on the spring shows, a short news segment, and the usual recommendations. Kestrel is about to ship himself to another dimension (please excuse the natural echo), while the rest of us are just trying to make it through another week of the nightmare of life. That doesn't mean we can't have some levity, so please enjoy and remember to take care of yourselves!

STACKED CAST. We have the usual crew plus Brandon here to talk about the spring 2022 season of anime! Do you like espionage? Golf? Other upper-class pursuits of recreation? What about romance and sweets? How about some good, old-fashioned space opera? How about a superhero show sequel to a show from during the recession? We have all of that, plus some news and a bunch of reviews! 

The end of the winter season is here, and so are we! Cain, Kestrel, and DJ are here to share final or near-final thoughts on the winter anime season as our eyes already turn towards spring. Demon Slayer, My Dress-up Darling,  Ranking of Kings, Akebi Sailor Uniform, Attack on Titan, Platinum End, and more. Which shows pass the test, which are tests, and which are doomed to bargain-basement status. Plus some recommendations and more!

The news waits for nobody, and while we've been dealing with Real Adult Life things have been happening! Sometimes long lost anime and manga titles get licensed, courtesy of two of our favorite publishers. Sometimes the party on top in a merger or acquisition isn't who you'd expect! We have a long list of fun things, sad things, and just things to get through and only two hours to get to it, so buckle in!

The Winter 21-22 season is in full effect and Kestrel, Cain, DJ, and Kate are inching across its frozen wastes. Yes, it's a slow season, or so the lads tell me. Titans still rampage and Kings still need Ranking. Cain catches up just in time to participate while Kestrel schools us about invoking Holocaust imagery and DJ has very DJ-esk thoughts about things. Plus the news, because there sure was a lot of it, and recommendations! 

Kestrel, Cain, DJ, and Brandon have weighed and measured their watched anime of 2021. There will be drama, rankings, anecdotes, old jokes, and most importantly, beef. Find out which shows came out on top and which shows got pushed out of the top ten. It turns out that, at least anime-wise 2021 was alright.