Toe Meets Leather

This week the guys discuss the year that was for anime in 2024 and give out their awards for best superlatives and best anime awards for 2024.

This week Ozzy and Logan give their thoughts on the anime from the winter 2024 season before looking at the new 2025 spring season.   This week the manga is Centuria

This week Ozzy and Logan recap what was good and what was bad from the Summer anime season. Highlights include Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines, Terminator 0, and the disappointment that was Tower of God.   We then discuss the the Fall anime season which is well underway. Dan Da Dan is off and running as the clear front runner of the anime season. Bleach, Re-Zero, and Shangri-La Frontier are back with a vengeance. It seems the anime action is not going to slow down this fall.   The manga review this week is for Demon School Iruma, and next time we will review a new manga in Centuria.

This week Ozzy and Logan do a deep dive on a hidden anime gem in Ping Pong the animation. We discuss the unique art style and how the different characters and perspectives make this a masterpiece coming of age story. We highly recommend you check out the anime before listening, but feel free to hear our takes.   We also review the midpoint of the 2024 summer anime season and discuss which anime's are still hot after the first 6 episodes.

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss the shows they watched through the spring season of anime and are looking forward to for the summer season. 

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss the shows they have viewed so far in the 2024 Spring season of anime.  To start things off we actually discuss a western animation in XMen 97 and how it is a worthwhile watch. We then discuss some of our personal watches on the season with Archdemon's Dilemma and Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night. As we continue we discuss Kaijuu #8, Train to the End of the World, Go Go Loser Ranger, and many more anime from the season. This week our manga to review is Kagurabachi, a roaring rampage of revenge with intense action and gritty art style. Next Time we will review The Hero's party want to experience love

This week Ozzy and Logan wrap up the Winter season of anime and look forward to the upcoming spring anime.

This week Colin joins Logan and Ozzy to discuss their thoughts on the Crunchyroll awards. We discuss what the awards are, the problems we see with the awards, and how they can be improved. We also discuss which awards we agree with and which ones either upset or perplex us.   This week the manga is Iris Zero, the manga for our next podcast will be Killer Shark in Another World. 

This week Logan and Ozzy give their thoughts on the Winter 2024 Anime season so far. This season seems to have a bit of something no matter what your anime tastes are.   First we recap the ongoing series from 2023. Ozzy talks about Ecchi Magical girl anime while Logan takes time to focus on reincarnated princesses. We then cover what is some nice mindless action in Solo Leveling and Ninja Kamui. Finally we highlight our favorite easy going cooking anime in Delicious in Dungeon (or Dungeon Meshi).   We will be getting back into manga for our next session. If you'd like to check out Iris Zero which will be discussing in our next episode.

This week Ozzy and Logan take a look back at a fantastic year in anime and give out their superlatives and awards for the animes of 2023. List of Awards: Best OP/ED Combo Best Score Best Couple Biggest Trauma Conga Line Character Best Male Character Best Female Character Best Supporting Character Biggest Surprise Favorite Moment 6th man show of the year Best Western Animation Show Best Action/Fight Scene Best Overall Animation Best Chill Anime Anime of the Year  

This week Ozzy and Logan review the top anime, and a few cartoons, from the fall 2023 season. From Blue eyed Samurai, Shangri La Frontier, and of Course Frieren we cover all the top anime for fall 2023. We then discuss what anime we are hyped for in winter of 2024.

This week Logan and Ozzy take a look at the anime's that have come out thus far in Fall of 2023 and give their thoughts on what is worth watching right now. We discuss some anime which are continuing from previous seasons such as Jujutsu Kaisen, SpyxFamily, Goblin Slayer, Eminence in Shadow, and Shield Hero. We also cover the "Definitely 100% final finale" of Attack on Titan.    In the new anime category we discuss Freiren After Journey's End, Overtake, Apothecary Diaries, Pluto, Shangri-La Frontier, UndeadxUnluck, and a few others.   This week we read UndeadxUnluck to compare the manga to the current anime which is releasing. Next time we will read Daddy and Buddy, a manga about gymnastic based power rangers who protect children from emotion eating monsters.

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss their favorite anime from the summer season, some of which are running into Fall a bit. Zom 100, Undead Murder Farce, Bleach, and Jujutsu Kaisen are a few of the ones on the list of discussion.   After we finish discussing the summer season we move on to the fall and discuss the hot upcoming anime that we are looking forward to. Plenty of sequels such as Goblin Slayer, SpyxFamily, and Attack on Titan. There is also plenty of new things to watch with Frieren, UndeadxUnluck, and Overtake. Plenty of other shows are out there to enjoy in the Fall, lets enjoy the season.   The manga this week is "Tis' Time for Torture Princess" a comedy manga that is not quite what it seems based on the title. The manga for next time is UndeadxUnluck. What will be better the anime or the manga, we'll find out.

With the release of the live action adaptation of One Piece on Netflix, Logan and Ozzy have decided to talk about an anime they generally avoid. For this episode we have brought in a guest, One Piece specialist Colin, to assist in our discussion. Together we discuss the world impact around One Piece along with what exactly this story is that has captured the imagination of so many people world wide. Then we discuss our relationships with One Piece, along with our thoughts on the series as a whole and the live action adaptation.

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss how the summer season is progressing.

This week Ozzy and Logan have plenty to cover as they cover all the big anime of the Spring 2023 season and discuss the anime they are excited for this summer.    From Spring, Hell's Paradise and Heavenly delusion delivered in different ways and Ozzy found some gems in Skip and Loafer and Insomniacs after school. Vinland Saga was undeniably our favorite anime of the season, but Gundam: Witch of Mercury held a special place in our heart.   For Summer we discuss the second season of Jobless Reincarnation and another new season of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. Jujutsu Kaisen is probably our most hype anime for the upcoming season, but there are plenty of new shows to look forward to like Dark Gathering, Zom 100, and Helck.   The manga this week was Beat and Motion, the manga for the next recording is Marriage Toxin. Check it out.

This week Ozzy and Logan review all episodes of the newly released Star Wars Visions 2.

Ozzy and Logan review the first 3 episodes of shows they will be covering this season. There's plenty of good things on the menu and it's gonna be fun to watch in all.

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss what was an underwhelming winter season of anime. Despite there not being as many great anime to choose from Ozzy and Logan both found a few gems to enjoy.   At the end of the session Ozzy and Logan discuss the upcoming anime in the Spring season that they have high hopes for.

This week Ozzy and Logan discuss their anime picks for the 2023 season and how they feel about each series after the first 3 episodes.

Logan and Ozzy take some time to sum up what has been one of the greatest years of anime in recent memory. We also hand out the following superlatives to corosponding nominees.   Best OP/ED Combo (music as well as animations)   Best Hair   Best Couple   Best Glow-up   Most Likely to Survive a Battle Royale (Semi-Human edition)   Most Likely to Survive a Battle Royale Plus Ultra Round   Best Animation (General)   Best action scene / fight   Best Cute Girls (or boys) Doing Cute Things Activity   6th Man of the Year (Forgotten Gems)   Best Original Anime   Best Anime Tune in to see who wins each superlative and the best anime of the year (in our opinion).

This week Ozzy and Logan return from the new year and have much to discuss as they wrap up one of the best seasons of anime in recent memory. With a multitude of good anime on the table, we summarize our favorites. Beware minor spoilers.   We start off with the cheery slice of life anime that can teach you how to do new things in your own life with Do It Yourself   Then we discuss the rare "Isekai Ozzy Actually Likes" in Reincarnated as a sword.   We then discuss nostalagia and rule of cool in Bleach and Mob Psycho Season 3.   We then discuss how much cocaine the creators were on when they made Akiba Maid War   Blue Lock and Gundam: The Witch from Mercury round us out on our final reviews before we hit our favorites of the season.   Chainsawman delivered all the hype and was everything we could have hoped for. We discuss how the anime was a breath of fresh air and what made the anime unique despite its jokey and ridiculous characters.   Finally we discuss Bocchi The Rock which may be our favorite anime of the entire year as it caught us off guard by hitting so many high notes in story telling and art that it could not be ignored.   Finally we discuss our manga The New Dragon Transfer Student Stands Out More Than Me a story about a kid who wants to be well known and make many friends, but is always accidentally outshone by a shy transfer student who happens to be half dragon. A cute comedy story.   Next time will be our year end wrap up, so no manga as we expect to spend a bunch of time discussing all the things that happened this year. Tune in then, and have a good week.

This week Ozzy and Logan take another look at some of the hidden gems of the fall seasons (which aren't that hidden but need all the attention they can get).   First we do a quick recap of heavy hitters such as Bleach, Chainsaw Man, Gundam: Witch of Mercury, and Mob Psycho Season 3.   When we get into the hidden gems we discuss the Sword Isekai and how the cute interplay between two characters have built things in to a surprising action drama that has sucked both of us in.   We then discuss Blue Lock and try not to get cut on THE EDGE. The timing for this squid game style soccer anime is perfect with the world cup as a backdrop and is growing on us week by week.   Then we touch on Do It Yourself, which is the current epitome of atmosphere in anime. Everything about this anime matches the title, from the art, to the story, to the music. Add in some great characters and have a fun chill watch when you need to wind down after a hard day.   Finally we talk about Bocci The Rock, which is probably gonna end the season as our favorite anime. The directing of this anime is fantastic. The way the art styles fall together, combined with a keen ear on how the music should sound has made for a music anime which takes a measured approach we don't usually see. The funniest main character in the past few seasons, along with some great secondary characters and a surprising amount of drama has created a masterpiece that we are hoping gets a second season at this point.   The manga this this time is The Breaker: New Waves, and the manga for next time is That Dragon Exchange Student Stands Out More Than Me.

This episode Ozzy and Logan discuss the other anime's they are watching in the 2022 Fall season that they were unable to discuss in part 1.   These are some of the anime discussed: Akiba Main war is a chaotic mess of, I'm not even entirely sure.   Eminence is Shadow is pure edginess   Do it yourself is a fun slice of life about a club of girls trying to make simple construction projects (benches, signs, tables, etc.). It possibly our favorite anime on the season.   Mob Psycho 100 season 3, Iruma Demon Academy, To Your Eternity Season 2, SpyxFamily, and Bleach (yes, that Bleach) have all made returns this season and have their own unique draws.   manga this week is Kanako Assassin a short comedy manga about a normal cubicle worker who after losing her job stumbles her way into becoming an assassin... and she is very good at it.   Next time the manga is The Breaker New Waves.

In this episode we dive into the fall 2022 anime season. Ozzy and Logan begin their reviews based on the first 3 episodes of the animes out right now, and there are plenty of them so we are splitting this into 2 parts.   We start off with Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and if the first female main character of the series is carving a new path for the series.   We then discuss reincarnated as a sword and how the character dynamics define the show.   We discuss the awesomeness that is chainsawman, and how the anime seems to be delivering on everything its promised.   We Also discuss Bocchi the rock, Cyberpunk, Blue Lock, anime intros, and a few other minor anime that might catch your interest. We will be discussing the remaining big time anime and returning anime in our next cast.

This week on the Triangle Anime and Manga review Ozzy and Logan sum up their thoughts on what was a good summer anime season.

Oh my there is plenty to be hyped about this Fall Season.   Chainsaw Man, Reincarnated as a Sword, Gundam: Witch from Mercury, Do It Yourself, Blue Lock, Akuyaku Reijou Last Boss, Bocchi the Rock, The Eminence in Shadow... and that's just the new anime.   There's also Course 2 of SpyxFamily, Season 3 of Mod Psycho, Iruma Demon Academy season 3, and Bleach is back for some reason.   This episode we talk about all that and more. For the manga we are discussing Rokudo Onnatachi. Next week's manga is "The Isekai World Stands no Chance against the power of instant death".

This time Ozzy and Logan discuss another good season of anime.   Specifically we discuss isekai yakkyoku, Vermeil in Gold, Engage Kiss, Lycoris Recoil, Reborn Uncle, Call of the night, and a few others.   We discuss which anime have got us addicted, and which ones we're dropping like hot potatoes.   For our manga we discuss fire punch and next episodes manga will be Rokudo Onnatachi. 

This week we discuss the final episodes of the spring anime season and get hype for the upcoming summer season.

This week Ozzy and Logan are analyzing what there is to like and dislike about slice of life anime.

This week Ozzie and Logan come back from the Animazement Convention and talk shop about the things they enjoyed about it and the activities to participate in. We also talk about possible future topics for panels or podcast episodes.   We then continue our review of the current anime out this spring season. We then review the manga Dandadan, and Ozzie tells us about his love for this wild ride of a manga.   The manga next time is Boku wa Ohime-sama ni Narenai, a twisted take on Cinderella and a few other fairy tales as a modern day slice of life. Check it out.

This week Ozzy and Logan team up to review the current slate of anime from the 2022 season.

This week we talk about the animes we enjoyed this spring... and there weren't many. Then we discuss the upcoming summer season and all the shows we are looking forward to.

This week the crew discusses anime conventions in preparation for the upcoming Animazement convention which is returning to Raleigh in May. We talk about anime culture in the US and what the draw is for conventions, along with some of our favorite convention events.   This week we review the manga Criminale! Next time we will be reading the manga King Golf

This week Logan and Ozzy discuss writing characters and what makes a good or bad character in a story.

Going slightly out of order, Ozzy and Logan recap how the fall 2021 season of anime treated viewers this year.

This week, after many delays, we recap the 2021 season of anime. What it meant for us and how impressive some of the anime lineups were throughout the seasons. We also give out our superlatives to discuss our favorite things this year.

This week, after warming up with some discussion on hot springs and ramen, Ozzy and Logan begin discussing the 2021 season of anime.   (6:30) We begin by talking about the rating aggregates of anime so far this season per reddit before we discuss what we have already begun watching. (18:15) Ozzy kicks us off on the shows we are continuing with our discussion of 86ers which has continued strong, (23:00) Aquatope on White Sands which Logan wants to see end, and (25:40) Mushuko Tensei which is both Ozzy and Logan's favorite anime. (31:15) Ozzy and Logan start off the new series this fall on Sakugan. A story of battling egos in a smart daughter and an experienced father trying to explore an underground world with their mecha. (40:30) Logan has to deal with the fact that he recommended Faraway Paladin, and that the Paladin isekai has progressed slower than bark growing on a tree. (48:15) We find our darkhorse on the season in Ranking of Kings. an anime of a weak prince who must face many struggles on his road to try becoming a great king. It is so much more than what it sounds like on the surface. (55:25) We discuss Assassin Isekai'd as an Aristocrat (I'm not typing the whole title), and how it is a serviceable isekai with some nice twists that general anime fans may enjoy even though it lacks depth. (1:02:00) We come back to Mieruko Chan. We haven't talked about this series since we discussed it as a manga in our second episode. This story of a girl who suddenly finds herself able to see evil spirits and does her best to maintain her daily life, has been a highlight on the season. (1:06:30) Finally we discuss "Komi-San Can't Communicate" and compare both the manga and the anime to discuss the different things that make them both great and the things netflix can improve upon. Great series, definitely check it out. (1:16:45) To close out the episode the manga we will discuss next time is "Song of the Nightwalkers" which was recently picked up as an anime. The anime translates the title as "Call of the Night", but manga translations show different titles. It's a story about a high schooler who has serious insomnia. He finds peace by taking long walks alone at night. One day he stumbles across a vampire girl... plot ensues. A story neither Ozzy or Logan have read so it will be a fresh experience. be sure to read the manga so you can experience it with us.  

This week Logan and Ozzy discuss anime in pop culture, particularly in the U.S. We discuss the many anime adaptations and distributors (20:00). We go into the movies adapted directly from anime material (33:30). We also discuss the differences between western adaptations of anime and the anime itself (39:10). This time our manga of the week is Komi-San Can't Communicate. We choose this to compare the manga to the anime which is also coming out this season. 

This week, Artem is happy after his Aggies have taken down the number 1 team in the land. We highlight the winning matchups of Georgia Tech and Texas A&M, along with other key matchups from last week in Ole Miss v Arkansas, Oklahoma v Texas, and Penn State v Iowa. We also make our picks for the upcoming week in college football.

This week another big name team in the Alliance went down as Oregon fell to Stanford. BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THAT!!! Andrew, Artem, and Logan have to discuss why their own teams suck. We start off discussing another rough week from Georgia Tech and Texas A&M. Then the guys move on to what they feel the recent losses going into week 6 and what this means for the playoff outlook moving forward. Finally we make our picks for the upcoming week.

This week Logan and Ozzy take some time in the intro to have a brief discussion on the topic of Star Wars: Visions. Visions is an anthology series of various stories in the Star Wars universe which have been adapted by various anime studios. We discuss our interest in seeing more unique stories in the Star Wars universe and our feelings on the art and how the anime style helped make the adaptations unique.   (19:30) following this we discuss the series which we paid attention to over the spring 2021 anime season. (21:05) we discuss the second season of Kobayashi's Dragon Maid and the revival of Kyo-Ani following the arson case a few years back. (25:00) Then we cover the second season of "Reincarnated as a Slime" and how the series changes from more of a drama to an action style anime. (33:00) We discuss the silly comedy of Girlfriend Girlfriend, one of the surprise animes of the season. (40:50) Remake our lives, one of the better dramas on the season. Also one of the more chaotic stories on the season. (46:45) Moon Led Journey Across Another World, an isekai about building a merchant company in another world (to vastly oversimplify). A more tropey but overall fun isekai. This story gained enough popularity to already have a second season confirmed this year. Check it out. (51:00) Itaden Know Only Peace, one of the animes that have flown under the radar this season. A story about gods and demons, with over the top violence and chaos. A unique artstyle and deep story make this one worth checking out. (1:00:25) Iruma Demon Academy, A more child focused anime about a human being brought to the demon world and entering the demon academy. This season the anime had stepped more into full on shonen and is "growing up". If you missed the first few seasons, check this one out. (1:07:45) Aquatope on White Sands, Technically this anime is still underway. This is a deep tale about chasing dreams but not always achieving them. A fun tale about working at an aquarium with beautiful art and fun characters. Definitely a highlight on the season. (1:15:00) We begin slowing down by briefly going over some of the anime we didn't necessarily have time to watch but that got hype on the internet over the season. This included Sonny Boy and Vanitas. (1:19:50) Finally we discuss our manga recommendation from last time "Uchi no Maou Kamimasen Yo". The comedy didn't hit as hard for Ozzy due to the depiction of the demon lord pets as real human looking characters.   For next time the manga recommendation is "A Story About Treating a Female Knight, Who Has Never Been Treated as a Woman, as a Woman" A comedy romance that is basically what it says on the tin. A romance for the ages about, kindness, hope, and six pack abs. Check it out. Have a nice rest of your week everyone.

This week Logan and Artem discuss the chaos that took place last week with Clemson losing in double over time to NC State. We also discuss Arkansas' win against Artem's Aggies and if the Hogs have a chance against uga next week.

This week Ozzy and Logan are discussing romantic stories in manga. In particular how romance in Anime and Manga differ from western romances and how romance anime and manga differ from other anime and manga media in general. We also discuss 5 manga specifically:   To start (12:30) we discuss a more shonen-esque romance with The World God Only Knows. Then (22:45) we get into a more traditional romance, with sports flair, in Namaikizakari. Following basketball (32:50) we find a competitive romance between the two main characters in "SA" or Special A. The we get into Ozzy's favorite genre with the Isekai Romance (43:45) as we talk about "I'm a Villainous Daughter, so I'm Going to Keep the Last Boss" Finally (53:00) we discuss one of the best romances from the 90's in His and Her Circumstances or "Kare Kano" The manga recommendation for next episode (1:04:45) is Uchi no Maou Kamimasen yo, a comedy/slice of life manga about a world where demon kings and heroes are literal pets for normal humans. This story follows the owner of the Demon King and the owner's family.

This week, Artem discusses the near heart attack he had watching Texas A&M. Andrew and Logan discuss the QB situation at Georgia Tech. We all discuss the upsets from Week 2 in the Form of Texas and USC. Finally we make our picks for week 3 of the college football season.

This week Andrew and Logan spend the majority of their time complaining about the results of the Week 1 game for Georgia Tech football and why Geoff Collins is terrible. But that's not all we also highlight some teams that saw some more success in week 1 and cover our expectations for games going into Week 2.

College football is Back! with the start of week 1 on the horizon the TML guys discuss the new "Alliance" formed by the ACC, Big 10, and PAC 12. They also discuss which players they are expecting to see things from on week 1 of the college football season and make their matchup picks.

This week Logan and Ozzy take time away from the summer anime season to discuss the Isekai anime. (4:40) First we cover what isekai animes are and where the majority of the isekai's that are flooding the market seem to be coming from. (13:45) We then discuss different categories of Isekai and their charm. (36:20) Finally we discuss why Isekai has become so popular and what differentiates a good isekai from a bad one. (58:40) Finally Ozzy gives his review of the manga recommendation from the last episode, we talk about Putin and the Ride on King.   (1:07:00) For next week we are focusing on romance manga. We are going to read the first 4 chapters in the following romance manga for review: 1) The World God Only Knows 2) Namaikizakari 3) SA (Special A) 4) Kare Kano 5) "I'm a villainous daughter so I'm going to keep the last boss" Feel free to read along and send us your thoughts on these romance manga at raleighanime@gmail.com

This week the team reviews Durty Bull brewing company, a growing brewery in Durham which seems to specialize in sours. For music we review Weezer: Van Weezer, Rise Against: The Nowhere Generation, Vince Staples: Vince Staples.

This week the Toe Meets Leather team discuss playoff expansion and the games they are most looking forward to in the college football 2021 season. Also we discuss the olympics and more impacts of conference expansion.