Otaku Hourly

Lighthearted shows are not easy to find these days, and your backdoor anime hangout had a ball in the movie theaters watching the first three episodes of the upcoming romcom series - Witch Watch. Two childhood friends reunite - one an ogre named Morihito who wants to live a peaceful life, and the other a witch named Nico who strives to both help people and woo Morihito's heart - and live together amidst an unforeseen impending disaster brewing. We give our first impressions from our favorite scenes to our hype for LilyPichu's voice over role announcement as the titular Nico. Witch Watch will begin streaming 06 April 2025 via:NetflixCrunchyrollHuluMore information on Witch Watch via GKids.Crew:Jonathan "Joestar" BeltranJonimagEnShreddyMany thanks to Christian Wiseman for equipment.

Shinichiro Watanabe is a legend amongst anime fans and an auteur who pushes the boundaries of what the anime medium has to offer. Titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy are Adult Swim staples that have defined a generation. Now he's back with an upcoming action series debuting on Cartoon Network midnight 05 April 2025 called Lazarus. A story about a world wracked in chaos due to a “cure-all” opioid becoming lethal and the reluctant rag-tag group of criminals tasked to find the neuroscientist responsible in the hopes of creating a vaccine. It is a race against time on a global stage.Your backdoor anime hangout had the privilege and honor to interview Watanabe-san for his latest title: his inspiration for the title, musical collaborations, and involvement with the John Wick director, Chad Stahelski.Many Thanks To:Interpreter: Takayuki Karahashi of Green Room InternationalInterview Coordination: Jo Ann Faustino of Green Room International Raymond Shipman of Anime Los AngelesOtaku Hourly Crew:Interviewer: Jonathan BeltranVideo: Jonathan Charles GarciaAudio: Matthew AquinoEditor: Christian WisemanResearch: Clifford Sutton“TM & © 2025 Cartoon Network. ADULT SWIM, LAZARUS, the logos and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and copyright by Cartoon Network. All Rights Reserved.”

From seeing Shinichiro Watanabe (director of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) and ribbon collecting we have a lot of stories to share at your backdoor anime hangout! We talk about our ALA 20 highlights, fun con stories, and the potential growth of this personally beloved convention! Topics include (and not limited to): Lazarus Episode 1 Premiere Examining Skeletal Injuries in My Hero Academia Ribbon Collecting V4Mirai Concert feat. VShojo Wiling Out in Karaoke Visiting Nostalgic Cosplay Gatherings Who's Broke After Con Witnessing ALA's Growth and Addressing Hopes & Fears Many thanks to: Anime Los Angeles for allowing us the opportunity to cover as press media Raymond Shipman for press interview coordination Christian Wiseman for audio production of this episode Anime Los Angeles will be coming back 8-11 January 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center!

Your backdoor anime hangout looks back at the year from seasonal anime to major events in the industry and community. Topics including (and not limited to): Convention Coverage (e.g. Anime Los Angeles, Anime Expo) Seasonal Anime (Winter - Fall 2024; e.g. Frieren, Jellyfish Can't Swim At Night, DanDaDan) Akira Toriyama's Death Funimation's Shutdown hololive at Dodgers Stadium The Catholic Church Unveiling its 2025 Jubilee Mascot, Luce Many thanks to imagEn for audio editing this episode. Have a Happy New Year!

An intimate venue celebrating twenty years of a beloved Japanese franchise in Hollywood, California; Go USA! From having the three of the original voice actresses of the titular three characters - Saber, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Matou - to hosting the world premiere, this was an event for only the lucky few. Your backdoor anime hangout had the pleasure to be invited and we hope our resident Fate fan, Ravrath, will fill you in on the lore and importance of the Fate series. Many thanks to Sydney Davis and Aniplex for the invitation. Shout to Josh for being an accommodating presence during the event! Fate 20th Anniversary Showcase Special

High school rom-coms are a tried and true formula and these titles demonstrate in different ways: Koumori's adolescent rom-com Our Aimless Nights is a boy-meets-girl scenario where the two secretly flirt with one another after school and figure out where both of each other lie in each other's lives. It is a dive into the "will-they, won't they" as told in the tune of shy romance. Mao Nakada's ecchi You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei places a part-time working high school boy to work for his new client - his teacher. At the risk of social embarrassment and scandal, they both agree to hide their client relationship in the hopes of making both of their lives a little more organized. Many thanks to Evan Minto of Azuki for the press screeners : Chapters 1 - 11 Our Aimless Nights Chapters 1 - 6 You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei Our Aimless Nights is digitally published by Azuki; translated by Jan Mitsuko Cash You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei is digitally published by Azuki; translated by M. Skeels

Two grim titles with one common motif - the unknown. Sumako Kari in her award-winning title, Since I Could Die Tomorrow, explores the malaise of being in your forties as told in two characters: one a film promoter who experiences menopause for the time and a mother who works part time amidst co workers twenty years younger than she. Masaaki Ninomiya's horror manga, Gannibal, takes you into the mystery of a rumored village known for cannibalism through the eyes of a police officer/family man. As they get closer to the truth, the townsfolk becomes much more hostile. Will the case be solved, and can the family make it out in one piece? Many thanks to Erik Jansen for the press copies for both titles. Since I Could Die Tomorrow is published by Tokyo Pop; translated by David Bove Gannibal is published by Ablaze; translated by Alex Kon

When a robot is designed to have human-like traits and emotions, are these feelings necessarily sentient or programmed? Independent 3DCG animator Gensho Yasuda makes his directorial debut with Make a Girl about a young inventor named Akira who - out of a cheeky suggestion to 'get a girlfriend' - decides to create a humanoid robot named No. 0 with all the physical and emotional capabilities of typical high school girls. However, the looming question remains: is this love real or machine-driven? Your backdoor anime hangout got a chance to watch this at Global Stage Hollywood for its world premiere and will share with you our thoughts and takes! Make a Girl premieres 31 January 2025. Make a Girl Website Many thanks to Kwok Hansen and Kwai of Anime Trending and Douglas Montgomery of Global Stage Hollywood for the invitation! *Apologies for the poor audio quality on the host's end - technical difficulties on his end.

Director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice; K-On) has released a new film - an original story about a girl who can see and feel a person's color joining a band with a dropout and an aspiring medical student in preparation for an upcoming school festival. The Colors Within is an exploration of both the internal struggles of hiding secrets and the joys of creating music as an act of community and worship; all utilizing color and light as a storytelling device. Show Host, Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran, and his guest, Jon, talk about the movie's nuances, themes, and details and feature interview snippets featuring Yamada-san herself. Many thanks to: GKIDS & 42 West LLC for the interview and screening opportunities Alanna Hall and Grace Liriano of 42 West LLC for their help Naoko Yamada for her time and insight Satsuki Yamashita for her interpretation

Join us as we interview Yoko Kuno, director of Ghost Cat Anzu. Ghost Cat Anzu will be released to theatres on November 15 according to the GKIDS official website. Follor @GKIDSFilms for more information!

Join us as we interview Naoko Yamada, director of The Colors Within. The Colors Within will be in theatres on January 24th, follow @GKIDSFilms for more updates!

Join imagEn with special guest hyunicat on their first impressions attending Anime NYC 2023!

This is a story of boy meets girl, and it is not a love story.* Keisuke Uyama's popular novel follows a young couple who fall in love yet are separated due to a fatal illness that causes someone to age rapidly. Death looms over the couple's time and intimacy together, yet what if miscommunication is accelerating their demise? Host Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran and crew member Razelatte delves further into the book and its Netflix film adaptation by the same name as well as whether or not it can become an anime (and by who/what studio). Love Like the Falling Petals novel is published by Clover Press. Love Like the Falling Petals film is streaming on Netflix *For those who know this reference from 500 Days of Summer - kudos!

Hitting the year running, we're starting off with our experiences at Anime Los Angeles 19 (2024) and Anime Impulse Los Angeles 2024. Two VERY DIFFERENT conventions that occur right next to each other. Members on the Show: - Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran - Matt "imagEn" Aquino - Jon "No Jons" Sloan - Jonathan "Ravarath" Garcia Disclaimer: All opinions made are by the respective individuals.

Anime Los Angeles 2023 Highlight. Interview with: Mamoru Yokota - Animation Director of One Piece Film Red Kenji Yokoyama - Animation Director & Key Animator of One Piece Film Red

Recorded originally in late September/early October, Jojo and imagEn have a lengthy hangout with Randy and Rachel; two prominent members of the Anime Impulse staff that have been around since almost the beginning. We talk about their origin, Anime Impulse's origin, their decisions behind the Anaheim Convention Center and expansion, and Jollibee. Haven't gotten tickets yet for an Anime Impulse convention near you? Head over to Anime Impulse's website to find the closest convention and purchase a badge! FYI, Anime Impulse LA is coming REAL soon (January 13-14)

Many in the anime community consider this to be their Christmas movie - starts on Christmas with the Nativity scene and becomes a string of miraculous misadventures of three homeless people simply trying to find the parents of a baby they found in a dumpster. Directed by the late Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, Millennium Actress) this film is a gritty redemptive story of a group of outcasts becoming the unlikely heroes of the Christmas and New Year season. Your backdoor anime hangout went to watch this film in the theaters for AX Cinema Nights. Many thanks to Erik Jansen for the press opportunity! More information at https://www.ax-cinemanights.com/

Our thoughts on the US release of The Boy and the Heron, the latest film released by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Jojo really went hard on this one. First half of the session is spoiler-free until 28:22. Members on this episode: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Matthew "imagEn" Aquino

ANIME Impulse OC (along with K Play and Sneaker Expo) makes its debut in the legendary and expansive Anaheim Convention Center; the event space for D23 and VidCon to name a few). Considering its beginnings as an outdoor venue, your backdoor anime hangout talks about its transition into an airconditioned space as well as its focus on VTubers, specifically Nijisanji EN. Crew: - Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran - Matt "imagEn" - Shirocast Many thanks to ANIME Impulse for this press oppotunity.

This time was a chill time, weather was pretty tolerable for a change and was "the best time to go to AX," according to one of our crew members. As to why - we'll get into that along with: First Year without a premier badge - thoughts? Common Cosplays Notable Premieres including the The First Slam Dunk film and Mecha-Ude series Panels including Hi-Fi Rush and Yakuza/Like a Dragon Many thanks to: imagEn, Rav, Shirocast, and Marvin "Marth" for their time and dedication in covering Anime Expo imagEn for editing this episode Sydney Davis of fortyseven communications for the press media opportunity BringBackTheBubbleZone

We know Hiroshima and Nagasaki, yet have you ever heard of the Tokyo Firebombing of 9-10 March 1945? This event left Tokyo's Shitamachi District in cinders and corpses, leaving 100,000 dead and a million homeless; a toll exceeding Hiroshima. Julia Morizawa's independent animated short film, Dragonfly, is an inspired account of her grandmother's survival from that chaotic night that changed Tokyo forever. We talk: Inspiration for the film Creative process in balancing factual history and personal family testimony Developing her FIRST animated feature Crafting and portraying her grandmother for Dragonfly Clarifying the ending; leaving the conversation in the dark Dragonfly is currently in the festival circuit - release TBD Information here Many thanks to: Julia Morizawa of Infinite Pictures for her time and insight. Deborah Gilels of LA Media Consultants for organizing this interview Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Film Festival for hosting Dragonfly

Makoto Shinkai is a prolific anime director for making deeply beautiful and metaphorical films whether it be his blockbuster smash Your Name or his cult classic 5 Centimeters Per Second. Your backdoor anime hangout got invited to see his latest film Suzume at the Academy Museum of Motion Picture and Arts. We look into: General Thoughts and Impressions How it Compares to His Other Works Japanese Culture and its Impact on the Film Shinkai's Career Shifting from Arthouse to Blockbuster Suzume premieres April 14th Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Christian Wiseman Ravrath Many thanks to: Christian Wiseman for audio 42West LLC and Crunchyroll for the press media opportunity

The controversy here is whether or not this movie should have been released. Not so much for anything pertaining the story or canon, rather its format: a two episode recap of its previous season followed by the first episode of the upcoming season. It begs the question - why does a film like this exist? Moreso, what benefit does it do for the industry? Many thanks to The Cliff for this episode idea.

It's the season of gratitude, and what better way to celebrate it than with your backdoor anime hangout! Jojo, Cliff, and imagEn come together to express thanks to those that have impacted our lives as anime fans - the power of friendship, dark humor, and a radio station to name a few. Regardless it's all love here at Otaku Hourly! Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran The Cliff imagEn Many thanks to 22 West Radio (formerly KBeach Radio) for making Otaku Hourly a reality and the crew - past and present - that have nurtured it to be what is today.

Your backdoor anime hangout got invited to attend and interview at the 5th Los Angeles Animation Is Film Festival. Amidst the selection, we chose and recommend three: Unicorn Wars, Oni, and Summer Ghost; even getting a chance to interview the directors of the latter two - Dice Tsutsumi (Oni) and Loundraw (Summer Ghost). May these recommendations enrich your animation palette! Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Matt "imagEn" Many thanks to: Hilda Somarriba, Melanie Marquez, and Sophia Kandah for the invitation Directors Dice Tsutsumi and Loundraw for their time and expertise imagEn for coverage Unicorn Wars - at the time of the recording - is in theaters. Oni: Thunder God's Tale is on Netflix Summer Ghost is available on BluRay/DVD at GKIDS Films and Shout!Factory

Your backdoor anime hangout recommends some titles for Halloween whether it involves ghouls, monsters, and aliens or more thematic elements like dread, mental health, and self-esteem. The criteria may be broad, yet that just means we have more to tell you! Anime on the Docket: Urusei Yatsura (2022 Reboot) - 2:40 / HIDIVE Chainsaw Man - 14::18 / Crunchyroll Shaman King (2001 & 2021 Reboot) - 21:34 / Crunchyroll & Netflix Soul Eater & Soul Eater Not! - 31:30/32:43 / Crunchyroll & Funimation Drip Drip - 34:20 / VIZ Media To Your Eternity - 41:30 / Crunchyroll Ghost Stories - 54:05 / Crunchyroll Deadman Wonderland - 55:10 / Crunchyroll & Funimation DanDaDan - 1:06:05 / VIZ Media Many thanks to Viz Media for the review copies for Drip Drip and DanDaDan Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Matt "imagEn" The Cliff

You read that right, there is no Goku nor Vegeta in this film primarily AND that is NOT a typo - Akira Toriyama (the creator of the Dragon Ball franchise) overlooked that in development. This one focuses on Piccolo and Gohan this time as well as a familiar foe, the Red Ribbon Army. It is a movie more than just good versus evil, it is how belief in a particular narrative can amplify power and misplace good intentions - and your backdoor anime hangout is here to take it piece by piece with a couple of Dragon Ball fans. Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Jose Salazar Clifford "The Cliff" Many thanks to Jose Salazar for the episode request as well as the recommendation to watch this film.

When all seems lost, where do you turn to? The upcoming film The House of the Lost on the Cape answers that with a combination of community and the supernatural. How does it deliver?

Anime Expo holds a variety of different panels and this is one of them - Anime and Black Culture. Jeffrey of DataFist hosted, organized, and lead a panel - or more appropriately "a show-" of what it means to be black anime fan and how that has shaped the fandom and media we have today. The Cliff takes the helm of this episode and looks into what it means to be "black," the intersectionality between black culture and anime, and the potential it holds for the future community, industry, and medium. Follow DataFist on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook Crew: Clifford "The Cliff" Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Guest: Jeffrey of DataFist Many thanks to Jeffrey for the time and opportunity to interview him as well as The Cliff for making this episode a realtiy.

Music can start a revolution and Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-OH shows that with a glam-rock flare in 14th century Japan - a time of shogun authority in the midst of political upheaval and unification. Through two entertainers - Inu-Oh, a cursed and disfigured performer, and Tomona, a blind biwa priest - we witness the birth of a musical movement and tribute to the fallen Heike clan. From the aforementioned glam theatrics to the supernatural, how much creative liberties are made to tell such a story; and can it get away with that with finesse and style? (If you've seen Samurai Champloo you know where this may be going...) Tickets and Info at https://www.inu-oh.com/ Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Clifford "The Cliff" Sutton Many thanks to GKids as well as Jeremy Augustitus and Sophia Kandah of 42 West LLC for the screener opportunity.

Anime Expo, one of the most popular and renown convention in the North American continent, comes back as an in-person event after two years of going virtual due to the pandemic. Your backdoor anime hangout talks about their experience as attendees, including one volunteer, and see if it was dramatically different or the good old times. Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Coyo Ravrath Jon No Jons The Cliff Tora

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures installed an exhibit of legendary director, Hayao Miyazaki - celebrating his impact on animation and cinema. A walk through the museum reveals the painstaking and breathtaking work that has lead to the movies we know and love; Spirited Away, Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke to name a few. Your backdoor anime hangout took the opportunity to explore this event and this episode celebrates the life and accomplishment of the man's work. Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Christian Wiseman Coyo Clifford "The Cliff" Shirocast Jon No Jons Tora Ghibli Exhibit opens until 05 June 2022 Tickets at https://www.academymuseum.org/en/tickets Stream the Studio Ghibli Collection via HBO MAX

"The thing I like most is that it is 90 minutes long." We all live with imposter syndrome, never feeling we are good enough to do what we set out to do. This movie is a response to that. Nyallywood is where the blockbusters are made and Gene, a behind-the-scenes assistant, is given the task to direct a feature length film - practically his directorial debut. With a dedicated production team, two actors - one legendary and another starring her first lead role, and a script from a famed producer - Pompo - can Gene deliver a film worthy of praise? Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Clifford "The Cliff" Sutton Dex Ravrath Many thanks to GKids for the screener! More info at www.gkids.com

Digimon was a part of our childhood back in the early 90's and 2000's along with the wave of Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade, and more (if you know what we're talking about, welcome to the old people's club). Revisiting it as an older anime fan reveals so much more than what meets the eye - executive localization decisions that have become generational memes at best and nostalgic annoyances at worst. It begs the question, what was the original version like? Your backdoor anime hangout looks into what we saw as children - the Digimon Movie - and compare it to the one in Japan, Mamoru Hosoda's directorial debut. Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Rav Christian Wiseman Digimon the Movie can be purchased on DVD HOWEVER the Mamoru Hosoda version(s) can be found in your local internet.

Social media has become a cultural and lifestyle mainstay for the 21st century. Virtual reality is an ever growing space with users from all over the world. And with both platforms comes a duality - online and IRL. Some like to integrate, others keep it separate. Director Mamoru Hosoda looks into this duality and melds it with the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. More on that coming up at your backdoor anime hangout ~ Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Marvin AKA "Marth" Mythical Misa The Cliff Rav Dex Many thanks to GKids and 42 West LLC for the screener opportunity. Tickets and Info: bellefilm.com

Early childhood is a distant memory colored in rose-tinted glasses: simpler times of eating, playing, and sleeping. Yet take those glasses off and you realize its complications - pure, unprocessed emotions that is much too difficult to handle for both the child and parent/guardian. Mamoru Hosoda's Academy Award nominated film Mirai takes us into the shoes of four-year old Kun who after being an only child, gets a baby sister, Mirai. This new shift has left Kun wanting for attention, simmering into jealousy towards his sister. Once he steps out to the garden he begins to encounter people and places of past and future time - including a teenage Mirai. Consider it a time travel tour of family history and future. Crew: Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran Ravrath Misa Many thanks to Christian Wiseman for producing this episode. Mirai: https://gkids.com/films/mirai/ Tickets for Hosoda's new film Belle: https://www.bellefilm.com/

There's an anime that set the foundations of your weebdom. The Otaku Hourly crew talks about the anime that almost everyone can have a conversation about (Dragon Ball Z and One Piece just to name a couple) as well as the elitism/gatekeeping to being a fan. Originally broadcasted back in 2016.

At the time of this recording is St. Patrick's Day so we asked ourselves - what're some good titles to enjoy while under the influence?

With the recent buzz of Avatar Studios opening, your backdoor anime hangout discusses the studio's creative and business possibilities. Along with the conversation comes a retrospective of the series that started it all "Avatar the Last Airbender" as well as its successor "The Legend of Korra." Many thanks to the Dex for bringing this hangout to life!

Originally aired January 2019 Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran and Christian Wiseman come together to cover Anime Los Angeles 15! From interviews to panels we look into what makes ALA unique amongst the rest. We talk: - with Japanese Culture Scholar, Roland Kelts -with cosplay collective, Chocolat Covered Cosplay -with voice actress, Morgan Berry - ALA's Formal Ball - Night Time Fashion Show - Todd Haberkorn's In-Appropriate Stories for the Children Who Are 18+ - Hentai Worth Reading and much more! Special Thanks to: - Trinity Drayton and Anime Los Angeles 15 for the interviewing and press opportunities - Mr. Kelts, Ms. Berry, and Chocolate Covered Cosplay for their time

Curious about the voice acting industry? From the dubbing process to getting into the field, Eric P. Sherman - CEO of Bang Zoom! Entertainment - will answer those questions! Many thanks to: - Eric P. Sherman for his time and insight. - Sam of Bang Zoom! Entertainment for scheduling and coordinating this interview. Christian, Cliff, Cynical Experiments, Dex, and Donnie K for production and script assistance

The pandemic has tremendously impacted the anime industry and community - shows delayed, conventions going online, and gatherings restricted. The cosplay community got hit hard especially given the former events, yet how have they dealt and adapted to the situation? Crew member, Marvin "Marth," has the story. Topics Discussed: - Cosplay Beginnings - Anxiety - Adapting to Quarantine - #BLM and Cosplay Community - Tips for the Anxious (and much more) Many thanks to: - Alyx - Chuuya - Momo - Misa

Anime is chock full of romances and if you're a grown-up - especially growing into adulthood - it can be hard to relate. Well, what if I were to tell you there is one taking place in an office setting and all the characters inevitably remind you of somebody in your life. That is Wotakoi and your backdoor anime hangout has something to say about it!

What Have You Been Watching? A universal question with many answers for a casual conversation. So what better way to satiate a curiosity than to ask that question, more specifically to a group of weebs. Join your backdoor anime hangout as we talk about a variety assortment of anime, manga, and general topics that pique our interests!