Mech Ado About Nothing

Unfortunately, due to increasing workloads, the pressures of real life, and 15 hour time difference, we have come to the difficult decision to end the podcast. While I know this was sudden, we ended up facing very few other realistic options. In this episode we discuss exactly why we had to end the show, as well as look back on some of our favorite shows and mechs while also talking about some of our plans that never came to fruition. Thank you to everyone who came along on this ride with us! Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We finish up the first season of Aldnoah.Zero, and wow that is an experience. We break down the developing relationships, this show's treatment of mental illness, and also try to unpack what the heck is going on in that ending and if Slaine is even a real character. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

This week we take on the relatively recent Aldnoah.Zero, and Ian naturally takes the opportunity to rant about the Fate franchise. We talk about Aldnoah's strengths (its fights) and its weaknesses (almost everything else), and we still come out the other side mostly enjoying it.Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We go back in time to the distant year of 1998 to discuss this prequel Macross OVA. We talk a lot about this series' use of CGI, its poorly organized plot, and its surprisingly interesting ramifications for the Macross franchise as a whole. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We finish up Getter Robo Armageddon and are left feeling very lukewarm. We talk about the characters (eh), the wayward plot (eh), and the giant robot fights (yeah!!!!). Does anyone ever actually read these? I can never decide whether to use first or third person in the blurbs. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

Fresh off our background reading, we dive into the "standalone" OVA series, Getter Robo Armageddon! We talk through the references, art style, and Extremely Noticeable Director Change of the first half of this show. We also finally have a real, lengthy mech corner. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We take on our second ever manga this week as we prepare to watch Getter Robo Armageddon. Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa's classic Getter Robo series gives us a chance to talk about the ways shonen manga have changed over the years, the early days of super robot, and the ways we think about genre. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

This week we take on our first ever piece of Western animation and Ian reveals that they know more about Disney than previously thought. A favorite from our childhood, we see if Disney's Atlantis holds up, has mechs, and also there's like a Confederate loyalist in this movie. We talk about stylistic differences between American and Japanese animation, storytelling, and influences. Finally, Ian goes on a prolonged rant about Disney's pathological aversion to risk. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

It's the last six episodes of Vision of Escaflowne and they manage to cram like twelve episodes of plot in there. We try to break down the various twists (of varying quality) as well as meditate on exactly how annoyed we are by the final pairings. Also, once again, Ian gets mad about time travel. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecralwer 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

Escaflowne really gets moving this week as we uncover the identity of the villain, find new allies, and have eight back-to-back dream sequences. We talk through the revelations of the plot, Dryden's extreme chad energy, and also the increasingly complicated (and compelling) romance plot. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

This week we ponder the age gaps between Allen and the rest of the cast, and also talk about the rest of the show. Angels, Atlantis, and romance abound on this middle set of Escaflowne episodes. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We embark on the fantasy shoujo isekai mech action adventure romance journey of a lifetime. We break down the genre pile-up that is Vision of Escaflowne, talk through the characters and their tropes, and reflect on late-90s anime production. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

It's our longest episode yet as we cover the end of Gundam Unicorn. We talk about Newtypes, whether Laplace's Box makes any sense, Full Frontal's identity, and then spend a long time talking about the future of Gundam as a franchise, and where it goes from Unicorn. We also answer some fun listener questions! Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

Gundam Unicorn gets unusually tense this week. We talk through how much character development everyone gets, how difficult it is to balance new characters with long-time favorites, and discuss the political ramifications of Full Frontal's plans for the Earth Sphere. It's another long episode, but there's a lot to cover. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail..com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

It's another monster episode as we take on the second two episodes of Gundam Unicorn. We try to break down all the different kinds of Zeons, and how they have evolved ideologically, as well as the split within the Federation. There's some great action, some real Newtype stuff, and we get a little closer to breaking down the themes of Unicorn. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

We finally decide it's time to watch Gundam Unicorn! Fair warning: these episodes are going to be especially long because we have a lot to talk about. We discuss the ways the Universal Century has changed since Char's Counterattack, as well as break down our characters and the major themes of the show. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We finish up our brush with manga with Pluto's finale! We talk about whether we're satisfied with the way things wrap up, make some comparisons to Tezuka's original, and talk about some craftsmanship things specific to Urasawa and manga. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

Pluto takes some serious twists and turns this week as we tackle the running mecha theme of fathers and sons, as well as Urasawa's takes on artificial intelligence, white supremacy, and drawing old men. Things are heating up in Pluto, and Dan is deep in denial about [spoilers]. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe. and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We take on our first ever manga on the podcast, Naoki Urasawa's Pluto! This adaptation series of Astro Boy has a lot going on, so we try to break down both the mystery plot and all the worldbuilding in the first 23 chapters. Watch in wonder as Ian tries so hard not to accidentally mention something that will spoil the story for Dan. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We take on our first ever manga on the podcast, Naoki Urasawa's Pluto! This adaptation series of Astro Boy has a lot going on, so we try to break down both the mystery plot and all the worldbuilding in the first 23 chapters. Watch in wonder as Ian

We wrap up the Giant Robo OVA series! We talk about all the references and origins for these characters, spend some more time talking about dads, and then break down this ending. We have some beef with the way this show ends, in what may be our most controversial episode yet. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We wrap up the Giant Robo OVA series! We talk about all the references and origins for these characters, spend some more time talking about dads, and then break down this ending. We have some beef with the way this show ends, in what may be our mo

We reach the midpoint of Giant Robo, the reckoning with the father, the low point, the bad things happen portion of the program. We talk about the emotional twists this show takes, its preoccupation with fatherhood, and whether this show works for non-established anime fans. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We reach the midpoint of Giant Robo, the reckoning with the father, the low point, the bad things happen portion of the program. We talk about the emotional twists this show takes, its preoccupation with fatherhood, and whether this show works for

We dive into the classic 90s Giant Robo OVA, and are completely blown away. This show has everything: giant robots, martial arts, psychics, and a horse that turns into a lady. We try to figure out all of this shows' influences, how it uses the super robot formula, and then gush over how nice it looks and sounds. Be sure to give this a watch! Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We dive into the classic 90s Giant Robo OVA, and are completely blown away. This show has everything: giant robots, martial arts, psychics, and a horse that turns into a lady. We try to figure out all of this shows' influences, how it uses the sup

For our two year anniversary, we attempt to figure exactly what makes the mecha genre so distinctive, and what makes mechs so crucial to the shows they appear in. Then, Ian puts Dan's thinking brain to the test with a game of "Is It a Mech," resulting in our completely perfect, infallible, syllogistic definition of a mech. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

For our two year anniversary, we attempt to figure exactly what makes the mecha genre so distinctive, and what makes mechs so crucial to the shows they appear in. Then, Ian puts Dan's thinking brain to the test with a game of "Is It a Mech," resul

It's every science fiction movie ever, all at once, as we come to the end of Votoms! Chirico uncovers the answers to all the series' mysteries, and we discuss our overall opinion of the longest show we've seen yet. We cover Rochina's character development, the massive exposition dumps, and whether everything really ties together nicely. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

It's every science fiction movie ever, all at once, as we come to the end of Votoms! Chirico uncovers the answers to all the series' mysteries, and we discuss our overall opinion of the longest show we've seen yet. We cover Rochina's character dev

Another arc wraps up this week on Votoms, and we take some time to reflect on that ever-present question: is this show in the desert? We also talk about our predictions from last week, this show's twists, the start of the final arc, and what exactly Votoms would have to do to stick this landing. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

Another arc wraps up this week on Votoms, and we take some time to reflect on that ever-present question: is this show in the desert? We also talk about our predictions from last week, this show's twists, the start of the final arc, and what exact

We're out of the jungle and into space in this week's episode on Votoms. We cover the resolution of Kummen, Votom's turn at a horror segment, and make some outrageous predictions about where this show is headed. We also take some time to address what makes Votoms so compelling, arc after arc, and look at how well it treats side characters. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We're out of the jungle and into space in this week's episode on Votoms. We cover the resolution of Kummen, Votom's turn at a horror segment, and make some outrageous predictions about where this show is headed. We also take some time to address w

Votoms finishes its cyber-noir arc and heads straight to the Space Vietnam War this week. We talk about this show's genre change, the way it uses or doesn't use its mechs, and where we suspect the plot is going from here. Sorry for the bad audio on this one, Ian was mid-move. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

Votoms finishes its cyber-noir arc and heads straight to the Space Vietnam War this week. We talk about this show's genre change, the way it uses or doesn't use its mechs, and where we suspect the plot is going from here. Sorry for the bad audio o

Ian and Dan begin their journey into this classic, massive series this week by brooding in the depths of a future-noir city. We talk about Votoms unique set-up, its intense vibes, and what sets Chirico apart from other mecha protagonists. Even just ten episodes in, there's nothing quite like Votoms, so check this one out! Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopdocast.

Ian and Dan begin their journey into this classic, massive series this week by brooding in the depths of a future-noir city. We talk about Votoms unique set-up, its intense vibes, and what sets Chirico apart from other mecha protagonists. Even jus

We watch two OVAs this week on the pod because we couldn't find enough to discuss about Detonator Orgun, perhaps the most catastrophically mis-paced show of all time. We break down what goes wrong with Orgun, which is almost everything, and then transition to talking about GM's Counterattack, the airiest Gundam OVA of all time. All your favorite characters are in it, and that's about it. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We watch two OVAs this week on the pod because we couldn't find enough to discuss about Detonator Orgun, perhaps the most catastrophically mis-paced show of all time. We break down what goes wrong with Orgun, which is almost everything, and then t

We wrap up this surprisingly excellent show and reflect on how little sense the ending makes and how much fun it still was. We try (and fail) to break down the plot, talk about the ways our characters have changed, and try to pinpoint the really interesting way this show blends real and super robot. Also there's one last great mech corner. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadopodcast.

We wrap up this surprisingly excellent show and reflect on how little sense the ending makes and how much fun it still was. We try (and fail) to break down the plot, talk about the ways our characters have changed, and try to pinpoint the really i

Overman King Gainer continues to heat up as we discuss the twists in the plot, especially the "buried evil mecha" trope we've grown so familiar with. We also talk about romance in mech anime, what makes a villain interesting, and the unique and effective way OKG utilizes its Overmen in these episodes. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

Overman King Gainer continues to heat up as we discuss the twists in the plot, especially the "buried evil mecha" trope we've grown so familiar with. We also talk about romance in mech anime, what makes a villain interesting, and the unique and ef

We dive into Yoshiyuki Tomino's (!) 2003 anime (!!) that's an adaptation of a French sci-fi novel series (!!!). Overman has a lot of charm and we try to break down its plot and characters, as well as how it manages its wild swings in tone. Finally, we talk about the unique mecha designs and how it applies them to the plot to create an interesting story. Check this series out - you may be surprised. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

We dive into Yoshiyuki Tomino's (!) 2003 anime (!!) that's an adaptation of a French sci-fi novel series (!!!). Overman has a lot of charm and we try to break down its plot and characters, as well as how it manages its wild swings in tone. Finally

Patlabor goes completely off the rails in these bonkers comedy episodes. Asuma sees a ghost, the maintenance squad hunts down alligator kidney stones, and Patlabor indulges in an episode-length Macross-cum-Ultraman parody. We do our best to make sense of these scattershot episodes by reflecting on what makes the show work, and what's holding it back from hitting the big time. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

Patlabor goes completely off the rails in these bonkers comedy episodes. Asuma sees a ghost, the maintenance squad hunts down alligator kidney stones, and Patlabor indulges in an episode-length Macross-cum-Ultraman parody. We do our best to make s

We return to wrap up the Patlabor TV series, and witness both the end of the Griffin Saga and an extended parody about the right to watch porn at the workplace. NOTE: This episode was recording one month ago, and we do not consider the

We return to wrap up the Patlabor TV series, and witness both the end of the Griffin Saga and an extended parody about the right to watch porn at the workplace. NOTE: This episode was recording one month ago, and we do not consider the social implications of a comedy anime that makes topical humor out of policing, and oftentimes police abusing their power. Black lives matter, and we're sorry for not addressing this on the show. Our theme song is Street Dancing by Timecrawler 82. You can reach us at mechadoaboutnothing@gmail.com, our website is mechado.moe, and our Twitter account is @mechadpodcast.

We cruise through Bandit Flower, and break down the major changes from December Sky. We talk about the problem of sequels, how to adapt a manga, and the power of early UC nostalgia. We also have a monstrous mech corner breaking down the designs of