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It's February, the month of love, and we're celebrating it in style, first by talking about one of our most beloved (and oft-referenced) movies, Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane, and then by having Sean count down the Top 10 Weirdest Anime ‘Ships he could think of, complete with original fan-fic excerpts for each and every one. We also pay tribute to David Lynch, a filmmaker both Sean and Jonathan loved dearly, after his passing at the age of 78 in January; talk about Nintendo's first unveiling of the Switch 2 console; the rapidly approaching death of the Xbox brand with news of more key franchises going multiplatform; and give first impressions of Dynasty Warriors Origins on the PS5, which is absolutely incredible. Enjoy!  Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:25News: 0:04:25 – 0:51:58Show n' Tell: 0:51:58 – 1:34:39Topic (Citizen Kane): 1:34:39 – 2:52:47The Monthly Ten: 2:52:47 – 3:25:18Outro: 3:25:18 – 3:26:05  Read Jonathan Lack's movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.comRead Jonathan's book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastSupport the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffOriginal Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman

For our December episode, we go deep with Atlus' outstanding new JRPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Like Persona 5, the team's previous game, this is a work deeply involved in the political and existential questions of our present time, and gives us a lot to chew on as we break down what is easily one of 2024's best games. In our Show n' Tell segment, Sean gives his first impressions on Sony's PS5 Pro and the range of games upgraded to work on it, Jonathan reviews Square Enix's incredible Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and special guest Thomas Lack gives his thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Thomas sticks around to play a special, very silly game celebrating the music of Atlus' video game library – particularly those songs by rapper extraordinaire Lotus Juice – and for The Monthly Ten, Sean ranks the Top 10 Media that Most Embody Christmas, helping us to learn the true meaning of the season.  Enjoy, and we'll be see you in the new year when we count down the Top 10 Video Games of 2024. What kinds of things do you think we're going to learn next time? Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:11Show n' Tell: 0:12:11 – 1:33:03Topic (Metaphor): 1:33:03 – 3:12:05Game Time: 3:12:05 – 3:31:10The Monthly Ten: 3:31:10 – 3:58:51Outro: 3:58:51 – 4:00:23  Read Jonathan Lack's movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.comRead Jonathan's book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastSupport the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffOriginal Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman

For the first episode of this new incarnation of the podcast, Jonathan and Sean introduce (or reintroduce) themselves to listeners by interviewing each other, with a mix of questions equal parts insightful and ridiculous. Then for our first ‘Show ‘n Tell' segment, we discuss what we've been playing and watching recently, with Sean discussing HoYoverse's Zenless Zone Zero and his ongoing adventures with Ultraman, while Jonathan shares his thoughts on the recently localized Tsukihime remake and what it was like seeing a LiSA concert film in an American theater. And finally, for the debut of our new ‘Monthly Ten' segment, Jonathan ranks the 10 best episodes of our previous podcast, The Weekly Stuff, and challenges Sean to make a very strange top 10 list for next month. Enjoy, and we'll be back Friday, October 4th for an exciting episode reviewing the recent David Gordon Green Halloween trilogy. What kinds of things do you think we're going to learn next time? Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:15Topic – (re)Introducing Ourselves: 0:07:15 – 1:58:33Show n' Tell – Zenless Zone Zero, Tsukihime, Ultraman 80 & More: 1:58:33 – 2:40:45The Monthly Ten: 2:40:45 – 3:02:14Outro: 3:02:14 – 3:04:54  Read Jonathan Lack's movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.comRead Jonathan's book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastSupport the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffOriginal Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman

This month, The Weekly Stuff Podcast is reaching its 500th episode, and we're celebrating with two massive episodes counting down our Top 10 Favorite Anime Opening & Ending Themes. The former is the main topic of today's show, as Sean and Jonathan share their respective 10 favorite Anime Openings, from obvious favorites like Dragon Ball Z andNeon Genesis Evangelion, to deeper cuts including Maison Ikkoku and Patlabor. It's an extremely fun countdown, with a few big surprises along the way, and it's only one part of this massive, 5-hour episode! We also review the latest two episodes of Doctor Who, “Dot and Bubble” and “Rogue,” talk about recent games we've been playing and movies we've been watching, and break down a bit of news from the Xbox event at Not-E3 2024. Enjoy, and be sure to come back in two weeks for our landmark 500th episode, where we'll be counting down the Top 10 Anime Endings, reviewing the Doctor Who season finale, and making a big announcement about the future of the podcast! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:30Stuff: 0:07:30– 0:57:34Not-E3 2024 News: 0:57:34 – 1:20:22Our Top 10 Anime Openings: 1:20:22 – 4:23:52Doctor Who S14E5-6: 4:23:52 – 5:16:09Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

After many months and hundreds of hours of play, Sean and Jonathan have finally both finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment in Square Enix's remake trilogy, and … we didn't really like it. So today, we're going to tell you why, diving into a game that starts out promising but turns out to be a very flat, frequently frustrating, extraordinarily long experience that ends with an unbelievably frustrating series of narrative decisions. We also review the latest episodes of Doctor Who – “Boom” and “73 Yards” – and talk a little bit about Furiosa and some recent books we've been reading. Enjoy, and be sure to listen to the end to hear all about our big plans for the very special episodes 499 and 500! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:26Stuff: 0:05:26 – 0:34:52Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 0:34:52 – 2:43:04Doctor Who: 2:43:04 – 3:23:07Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Doctor Who returned this week for its new season (Series 14, Season 1, or Season 40, depending on who you ask), the first full run starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday. And the first two episodes were a ton of fun, particularly the formally off-the-wall “The Devil's Chord,” which proves returning showrunner Russell T Davies is taking the show in a very different direction than anything we've seen before! But before that, we have to talk about the awful news from Xbox, where we learned Microsoft's game division is closing two beloved studios: Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. It continues a terrible trend from Xbox that keeps pushing the console maker in worse and worse directions, the culmination of a long series of frustrations we've been tracing for most of the lifespan of this podcast.Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:58Stuff: 0:06:58 – 0:24:18Xbox News: 0:24:18 – 1:06:27Doctor Who Reviews: 1:06:27 – 2:37:19Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

The New Year and the THIRTEENTH SEASON of The Weekly Stuff Podcast (whoa!) begins with a lot of catch-up on what we've been doing over the holidays – playing Alan Wake II and Pokémon, watching anime, and more – and our review of the Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” Introducing us to Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as new companion Ruby Sunday, this Christmas-day extravaganza was a blast, with amazing creature effects, outstanding performances, and a full-blown musical number. It's a great way to ring out 2023, kick off 2024, and start a new year of the podcast!  Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:46Sean's Remedy Adventures: 0:09:46 – 0:39:53Jonathan's Stuff & Anime Talk: 0:39:53 – 1:07:36Doctor Who: 1:07:36 – 2:13:24Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Doctor Who is back! Both in the sense that we got our first new episode in over a year this weekend, and, more importantly, in the sense that we got our first new good episode since 2017! This week marked the 60th anniversary of our favorite TV show here at The Weekly Stuff Podcast, and brought with it the first in a series of specials reuniting David Tennant and Catherine Tate, writer/showrunner Russell T Davies, composer Murray Gold, and more, and the resulting episode, “The Star Beast,” is indeed a cracking good time, and a tremendous return-to-form after the Dark Ages ushered in by Chris Chibnall since 2018. Sean talks about finally catching up with the end of the Chibnall/Jodie Whittaker run at the top of today's show, then we talk about some our favorite stories we've been revisiting for the 60th anniversary, and finally we've got a spoiler-filled review of “The Star Beast.”Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:06The Sad, Pathetic End of Chibnall's Doctor Who: 0:10:06 – 1:12:21Doctor Who 60th Talk: 1:12:21 – 1:45:27“The Star Beast” Review: 1:45:27 – 3:18:31 Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! While the main podcast is off this week, we still wanted to give you something to show our gratitude for another great year, so Jonathan busted out a microphone, broke open a copy of his new book, 200 Reviews – available now on Amazon! – and read 5 reviews as requested by listeners! The ones chosen were Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, the latest Fast & Furious film Fast X, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III, Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return. Jonathan reads all of those and gives some insight into the book on this special Thanksgiving bonus episode!Enjoy, and come back Monday for a big Doctor Who 60th anniversary extravaganza! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:00Death Proof: 0:12:00 – 0:18:49Fast X: 0:18:49 – 0:30:14Godfather III: 0:30:14 – 0:42:17Nausicaa: 0:42:17 – 0:48:36Twin Peaks: 0:48:36 – 1:01:20Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

It's a giant episode with many topics today, led by an in-depth discussion of Insomniac's fantastic Spider-Man 2 for the PS5. We break down the gameplay and story in spoiler-filled detail at the end of today's show, mostly praising it but also debating whether or not the controversial MJ missions are bad – please take to social media and use #JonathanWasRight (they suck) or #SeanWasRight (they're great and there should be more) to sound off. Jonathan also gives final thoughts on Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Nintendo Switch, Sean shares more thoughts on Baldur's Gate 3, we talk some major Hollywood news including Marvel's latest misfire and the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and we spend more time than we have in a long while talking about our favorite show, Doctor Who, as we both find ourselves watching through parts of the series in advance of this month's 60th anniversary specials. Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:35Baldur's Gate 3: 0:04:35 – 0:08:55Doctor Who: 0:08:55 – 0:57:52News: 0:57:52 – 1:40:28Super Mario Wonder: 1:40:28 – 1:49:22Spider-Man 2: 1:49:22 – 3:15:52Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Happy Halloween! Last year, we celebrated the spookiest day of the year by talking about John Carpenter's original HALLOWEEN from 1978, and this year we're jumping ahead 30 years to talk about the remake directed by Rob Zombie in 2007, and its sequel from 2009. These films have a mixed reputation, but they're worth revisiting and taking seriously. The 2007 remake is trying to be two movies at once and never really coheres, but the 2009 sequel – especially in its Unrated Director's Cut – may just be a genuine masterpiece, a truly powerful depiction of PTSD and the way trauma can swallow a person whole. Zombie is a real auteur, a singular filmmaker with a compelling voice, and these films are worth engaging with on that level alone. We also talk about Sean's recent experiences catching up on Doctor Who and Jonathan's October adventures binging all 10 Saw movies (and ranking them over on JonathanLack.Com). Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:30Doctor Who: 0:04:30 – 0:25:07Saw: 0:25:07 – 0:40:16Rob Zombie's Halloween: 0:40:16 – 1:29:29Rob Zombie's Halloween II: 1:29:29 – 2:46:13Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Two of the most anticipated video games of 2023 launched this week, with Sony and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 and Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Nintendo Switch. We've been extremely excited for both, and so far, they haven't disappointed. We give initial spoiler-free impressions of both games on today's show, discussing how Mario Wonder delivers a deliriously fun re-invention of 2D Mario platformers and Spider-Man 2 serves as both a compulsively playable superhero game and the PS5's best tech demo to date. Sean also talks about finally diving into Baldur's Gate 3, and we remind everyone to listen to Japanimation Station's Kyoto Vacation,the amazing new season of our anime podcast that just launched last week! Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:13Baldur's Gate 3: 0:06:13 – 0:24:43Super Mario Bros. Wonder: 0:24:43 – 0:48:58Spider-Man 2: 0:48:58 – 1:21:00Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffRead the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comMusic by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

It's a big week with lots of news here at the Weekly Stuff, including Jonathan's announcement of his new book, 200 Reviews, which releases this Sunday! He tells you a little bit about it on today's show (and you can pre-order it on Amazon now for Kindle, with a paperback version coming soon!), and we'll discuss it more next week. On today's show, we discuss the triumphant end of the writer's strike, lots of Xbox news courtesy of a historic document leak, and review Capcom's Resident Evil 4 DLC, Separate Ways, an outstanding extension of a wonderful game that leaves us wanting more from Ada Wong and her awesome grappling hook. Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:07Jonathan's Book, 200 Reviews: 0:01:07 – 0:11:25Stuff: 0:11:25 – 0:28:53News: 0:28:53 – 1:36:25Separate Ways: 1:36:25 – 1:56:15Pre-order 200 Reviews by Jonathan Lack https://a.co/d/efTM4zp  Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comEnding music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

Today's podcast, should you choose to listen to it, is all about one of the finest films of the summer, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Jonathan reviewed the film in non-spoilery details at the new JonathanLack.Com last week, but on today's show, he and Sean dive deep with the story, characters, action sequences, and much more, and while there are a few disagreements, overall we're very much fans of what Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie continue to achieve with this series. Before the big review, though, we also talk a little more Final Fantasy XVI and discuss SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA in striking Hollywood's abhorrent treatment of its workers, in a segment that becomes a larger conversation about what a raging dumpster fire the non-Mission: Impossible parts of this industry have become.  Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:13 Final Fantasy XVI: 0:08:13 – 0:23:37SAG-AFTRA Strike: 0:23:37 – 0:49:21Godzilla News: 0:49:21 – 0:56:23 Mission Impossible Review: 0:56:23 – 2:44:41Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comEnding music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

After checking in on all the recent video games we've playing – including Diablo IV, Street Fighter 6, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Final Fantasy XVI – and hearing a very funny Ultraman anecdote from Sean, we dive back into the Weekly Suit Gundam waters with our review of the second and final season of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. This season brings the story to a close with a rousing, jam-packed set of episodes that's darker, richer, and more action-filled than the first season. This is the first mainline Gundam series besides Reconguista in G to tell its story in just 2 cours, but that doesn't mean it's a thinner or less complicated show, as our super-sized conversation in today's episode attests to. With so many amazing characters, stellar animation and music, and a story that revisits classic Gundam scenarios and iconography while also challenging and moving beyond them, Witch From Mercury is a show with a lot on its mind, and a lot to break down.  Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:10Video Games (Diablo, Zelda, Street Fighter): 0:05:10 – 0:24:52Final Fantasy XVI: 0:24:52 – 0:39:36Ultraman: 0:39:36 – 0:49:53G-Witch: 0:49:53 – 3:47:35 Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comEnding music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

It's a good ol' fashioned grab-bag this week as we prepare for the launch of Japanimation Station Season 3 tomorrow night, July 4th, with the first episode of The Classic Adventures of Lupin the 3rd – shameless plug, yes, but you should totally listen to this new season! Here on The Weekly Stuff, Jonathan talks about going through all the Indiana Jones movies for The Weekly Stuff Wordcast, and we chat about the disastrous new movie, Dial of Destiny. Sean gives first impressions of Final Fantasy XVI and gives continued thoughts on Blizzard's Diablo IV, while Jonathan talks about getting back into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and we also go off the beaten track for an exploration of how out-of-control movie budgets have become, and why Sean is obsessed with Ultraman. Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:40 Indiana Jones (w/spoilers for Dial of Destiny): 0:05:40 – 0:38:50Movie Budgets Are Crazy: 0:38:50 – 0:50:04Ultraman: 0:50:04 – 1:02:41Final Fantasy XVI Impressions: 1:02:41 – 1:18:04Diablo IV: 1:18:04 – 1:39:07Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: 1:39:07 – 1:58:22 Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comEnding music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

The third season of the hit anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba recently wrapped up its hotly anticipated third season, adapting the “Swordsmith Village Arc” of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga, and as big fans of the series who have reviewed all the prior arcs, we're here for a deep dive with another amazing season. This set of episodes introduces us to a cast of largely new characters, and is also where the story fully starts to lay out its biggest themes and ideas, before arriving at a pivotal turning point leading to the start of the series' endgame. Before we dive into Demon Slayer, though, we also recap this week's surprise Nintendo Direct, which revealed Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a remake of Super Mario RPG, and several other interesting games, and talk a lot about the glory of Elephant Mario, our new lord and savior. Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:43Nintendo Direct: 0:01:43 – 0:40:08 Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village: 0:40:08 – 3:16:03Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffSubscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation  Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:https://weeklystuffpodcast.comFollow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.comEnding music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/ 

It's our final podcast of 2022 before we take a little hiatus to work on other projects, and it's a supersized episode featuring three video game reviews for the price of one! First up is Sonic Frontiers, Sega's new 3D Sonic game combining open-world exploration, collect-a-thon objectives, and linear platform levels, a weird but compelling package that may well be the best 3D game the blue hedgehog has ever enjoyed. Next is Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the technically troubled but creatively superb 9th generation of Pokémon adventures, which Jonathan can't stop playing despite the presentational flaws. And finally, we go deep with God of War Ragnarok, in full spoiler detail, to break down one of the greatest video game sequels ever made and the amazingly moving story it tells. Enjoy, and we will see you all in January for a new year of The Weekly Stuff, and in February for Season 2 of Japanimation Station – Ufotable/Moon Works! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:11:20Sonic Frontiers: 0:11:20 – 0:43:10Pokémon Scarlet/Violet: 0:43:10 – 1:23:06God of War Ragnarok: 1:23:06 – 3:14:46Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

This week saw one of the highest-profile video game releases of the year with Sony's God of War: Ragnarok for PS4 and PS5, a direct sequel to the outstanding 2018 God of War reboot. We give spoiler-free first impressions on the opening hours of this extremely ambitious game, from the jaw-dropping graphics and presentation to a story that's immediately rich in character and world-building. Before that, though, Jonathan shares a piece he published over the weekend with his take on what films constitute the ‘greatest' ever made, and we both remember the great Kevin Conroy after his passing at age 66. The iconic voice of Batman for 30 years in various media, from The Animated Series to the Arkham video games, Conroy is the definitive Batman, and a much-loved figure in the fandom and industry, who will be deeply missed. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:11:45Greatest Films Ever: 0:11:45 – 0:35:42Remembering Kevin Conroy: 0:35:42 – 0:49:58God of War Ragnarok: 0:49:58 – 1:28:18 Batman TAS Oral History - https://www.vulture.com/article/oral-history-batman-the-animated-series.html  Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

It's a very special Halloween episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, as we're here on this very spooky day for a deep-dive retrospective review of one of the greatest films ever made: HALLOWEEN, the original John Carpenter classic from 1978 that introduced the world to The Shape, to Jamie Lee Curtis, to one of the most iconic film music themes of all time, and to a hilariously unwieldy franchise that has only gotten stranger over time. But this original film stands very tall on its own as one of the greatest triumphs of American independent filmmaking, a note-perfect exercise in pacing, cinematography, editing, and every other fundamental that makes film great. It's an absolute joy to talk about, but that's not all we have on this episode! We also review the campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Here We Go Again! in depth and talk a little about the multiplayer, before discussing some Doctor Who news and puzzling over what's going on with Henry Cavill and The Witcher. Enjoy! Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:37Modern Warfare II: 0:02:37 – 0:32:42News: 0:32:42 – 1:03:43Halloween: 1:03:43 – 3:09:39Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

After giving initial impressions of the campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Here We Go Again! and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, we give a live reaction to the latest regeneration on Doctor Who and discuss the series' exciting future now that Chris Chibnall has returned to the chasm from whence he came. Then it's time to finish our series of Fullmetal Alchemist reviews by rounding up the remaining theatrical feature films. First, there's 2011's The Sacred Star of Milos, an animated spin-off of Brotherhood made by the same crew, but with entirely different creative leadership, leading to a radically different aesthetic and the best animation Fullmetal Alchemist has ever seen. The live-action Fullmetal Alchemist trilogy consists of three films – 2017's Fullmetal Alchemist and this year's The Revenge of Scar and The Final Alchemy, all streaming worldwide on Netflix – that are a surprisingly faithful recreation of the manga (maybe too much so at times). Bouncing between hilarious B-movie oddity, boring recitation of the original story, and a few genuinely affecting performances and scenes, these movies are uneven but extremely interesting, and more than worth taking the time to discuss here.Enjoy!Time Chart: Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:32Modern Warfare II & Other Games: 0:01:32 – 0:24:18 Doctor Who: 0:24:18 – 0:34:46 Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:34:46 – 3:04:04Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

Our journey through Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood comes to an end with the second half of the second anime, now in fully uncharted territory as it adapts the final stretch of Hiromu Arakawa's original manga. Diving deep into the Briggs and Promised Day story arcs that conclude the series, we discuss all the many ups and occasional downs of this last run. The manga is probably at its most uneven during this portion, but Brotherhood fully comes into its own as an anime, its pacing finally relaxed enough to fully tell the story, its ludicrously stacked voice cast fully in place, and its animation and aesthetics frequently on point as it approaches the end. As we go through the good, the bad, and everything in between, we find no shortage of topics worth discussing, and Brotherhood proves extremely rewarding to talk about all the way up to its all-time great ending. Enjoy!TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:42Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:03:42 – 3:38:27Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

We were planning on a very elaborate podcast for Jonathan's 30th birthday this week, but some unforeseen travel problems led to us breaking glass in case of emergency on a topic we've been keeping in our back pocket for over a decade now: ranking the Top 10 Video Game Controllers of all time! From the NES to the PS5, we go through several generations of gaming consoles to pick out the best controllers from over the years – and make fun of the worst – to determine which are the best, most influential, and all-around most enjoyable to use. And we even rank the Top 5 D-Pads of all time, just to cover all the bases. Hot takes abound and fierce debates are had as we try to reach consensus on the best controllers in the history of console gaming. Enjoy!TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:40The Inevitable Death of Google Stadia: 0:08:40 – 0:31:08Stuff: 0:31:08 – 00:44:38The Top 10 Video Game Controllers: 0:44:38 – 1:59:37Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to Japanimation Station, our Anime Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

When our other, ‘mothership' podcast, The Weekly Stuff, turned 10 years old last month, we celebrated with a whopping 10-hour podcast celebration, each hour devoted to a different topic we've covered over the years. One of those, of course, was Gundam, and we wanted to share that segment with Weekly Suit Gundam listeners as a standalone episode, because it's a very fun conversation about a corner of the Gundam world we've never discussed before: SD Gundam! That's right – on today's show, we're talking all about the super-deformed world of chibi Gundam comedy by looking at the original theatrical shorts from the late 80s and early 90s, including SD Gundam Mk. 1, Mk. 2, Mk. 4, and SD Gundam Counterattack! Do they hold up 30 years later? Are they funny? Are they weirdly offensive? Are they kind of boring and annoying? It depends! We talk all about it before finishing up the episode with a look at the insanely surreal FMV cutscenes from Gundam 0079: The War for Earth, an obscure but also kind of iconic ‘video game' from 1996. Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of the new Gundam movie, Cucuruz Doan's Island! Time Chart: Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:31 SD Gundam Mk. 1: 0:02:31 – 0:18:41 SD Gundam Mk. 2: 0:18:41 – 0:28:51 SD Gundam Counterattack: 0:28:51 – 0:33:07 SD Gundam Mk. 4: 0:33:07 – 0:45:39 Gundam 0079 – The War for Earth: 0:45:39 – 1:03:11 Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter @JonathanLack Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter @SeantheChapman WeeklySuitGundam.Com http://weeklystuffpodcast.com

After hundreds of hours, countless deaths, millions of runes collected and dozens of demigods slain, Sean and Jonathan are both finally finished with FromSoftware's incredible open-world RPG masterpiece Elden Ring, and that means it is, at last, time for our in-depth spoiler-filled review and discussion. After discussing the game in bits and pieces along the way over the past two months, we dive deep with the surprisingly rich storytelling and mythology, the many fabulous boss fights, the seemingly endless assortment of dense, surprising areas and images, and so much more. Before the spoiler chat begins, Sean also talks about reading through the Fullmetal Alchemist manga for the first time, Jonathan review Robert Eggers' outstanding new Viking epic The Northman, and we collectively take a look at the upcoming ‘second season' of Halo Infinite, and why the game is in such a bafflingly miserable state. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:33Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:02:33 – 0:16:52The Northman: 0:16:52 – 0:25:00Halo Infinite Is a Mess: 0:25:00 – 0:52:22Elden Ring: 0:52:22 – 2:44:33Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

This week's episode is all about the Shonen anime sensation Jujutsu Kaisen, which recently saw its first film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, released in American theaters to surprising levels of success. It's one of our favorite anime in recent years, and we're finally taking the time to break down the first season, all the amazing characters, the best fights, the killer music, and the unholy amounts of swagger embodied by Gojo Satoru-sensei. If Kimetsu no Yaiba – which we've talked about plenty here! – is the archetypal Shonen anime elevated to new dramatic heights, then Jujutsu Kaisen is Shonen anime distilled to almost dangerous amounts of weapons-grade fun. And the movie, a prequel based on the 4-chapter ‘pilot' manga Gege Akutami wrote before the main series, is pretty damn good too. And you'll also hear about Jonathan's absolutely nightmarish week of travel, which, on the plus side, gave him a lot of time on planes to binge the first 3 seasons of Attack on Titan. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:29Jonathan's Travel Stories: 0:06:29 – 0:31:47Jujutsu Kaisen: 0:31:47 – 2:57:13Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

We celebrate the 420th episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with absolutely no marijuana – but listeners are encouraged to blaze it – and instead stick to what truly gets us high: Mobile Suit Gundam and life-consuming video games. For the first hour, we continue recounting our journey through FromSoftware's Elden Ring – which continues to be incredible – primarily discussing our time in the red wastes of Caelid and our glorious battle with Starscourge Radahn. Then, it's time for another Gundam extravaganza, as we talk all about the Gundam: The Origin manga by the legendary Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. Serialized over a full decade, Yasuhiko's manga is a virtuoso ‘comicalization' of the original Gundam anime, realized in loving detail with some of the most incredible art one will ever lay eyes on. The ‘flashback arc' from the middle of the manga was adapted for the OVA, but there's much more material here, and for this episode, we talk about how Yasuhiko's telling compares to the original TV series, what changes we like or dislike, and why Yasuhiko's heavily ‘decompressed' style is so immersive and involving. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:16:20Elden Ring: 0:16:20 – 1:02:24Gundam The Origin Manga: 1:02:24 – 3:12:56Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

This week saw the release of Matt Reeves' The Batman, the latest cinematic interpretation of the Caped Crusader, and by far the best one Hollywood has created to date. It's the first Batman film to get essential parts of the character right – like the hard-boiled detective roots, commitment to not killing enemies, and even some genuinely aspirational heroism – Reeves' film is a genuine neo-noir fueled by great performances from Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, and more, with jaw-dropping cinematography and one of the best superhero musical scores ever written courtesy of Michael Giacchino. We have a very fun time gushing over this excellent film, but we might be even more enthusiastic in our continuing coverage of FromSoftware's Elden Ring, as we recount another week of play with what's clearly establishing itself as one of the greatest – and most consistently surprising – games ever made. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:46Elden Ring: 00:07:46 – 1:13:54The Batman: 1:13:54 – 3:49:55 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

This week brought the first Nintendo Direct presentation of 2022, and if it wasn't the most earth-shattering event ever, it sure brought a lot to love for fans of obscure JRPGs and/or sports games. We discuss all the news in depth, talk a little more Genshin Impact, and even spend a good 15 minutes gushing over the recent run of classic Doctor Who Blu-ray sets, before diving into Part V of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. “Clash at Loum” delivers not only the OVA's finest episode, but one of the single most memorable and powerful installments in the 40-year history of Gundam. Dramatizing Zeon's disastrous colony drop operation, Sayla Mass making a stand at Side 5, Ramba Ral and Crowley Hamon bemoaning the loss of a world that's passed them by, and Char Aznable taking the final, ultimate step towards becoming the legendary Red Comet, this episode is absolutely overflowing with pantheon-level sequences that are among the greatest Gundam has ever given us, all combining to paint a deeply affecting portrait of a world spun entirely out of control. This is as good as it gets.Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:47Stuff: 0:04:47 – 0:33:45Nintendo Direct: 0:33:45 – 1:19:02Gundam Origin V: 1:19:02 – 3:15:44Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

We've finally arrived at the most recent mainline Gundam TV series on our Weekly Suit Gundam journey! But before diving into that, we also give thoughts on Halo Infinite's multiplayer launch, Jonathan's early impressions of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, and more news about the unfathomably awful environment that is Activision Blizzard. Then it's on to 2015's Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Tackling the theme of child soldiers more directly than Gundam ever had before, Iron-Blooded Orphans is one of Gundam's darkest and most violent hours, but also one of its richest and most rewarding, a unique blend of daily life coming-of-age storytelling with hard-edged military fiction that leaves a huge impact. Season 1, which we're discussing today, follows the formation of the child-mercenary group Tekkadan – the eponymous Orphans with Iron in their Blood – and their journey to bring Martian independence activist Kudelia Aina Bernstein to Earth. It's a stupendous season of television with tons to talk about, and a pleasure to finally reach and discuss. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:02Jonathan talks Forza and Pokemon: 0:04:02 – 0:16:39Halo Infinite: 0:16:39 – 0:38:30Activision Sucks: 0:38:30 – 0:49:00Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans: 0:49:00 – 3:47:27Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

This week's show is another Weekly Suit Gundam spectacular, but before reviewing Reconguista in G, Jonathan gives some final thoughts on the outstanding Metroid Dread, and we discuss some recent Nintendo news, including the addition of Sora from Kingdom Hearts to Super Smash Bros., and the unveiling of Nintendo's laughably expensive Switch online expansion. Then it's on to Reconguista in G, the latest Gundam entry from franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, and perhaps the strangest and most formally daring of all Gundam series. Dense, complicated, wildly fast-paced, and persistently challenging, Reconguista is a divisive entry among the global Gundam fandom, but here at Weekly Suit Gundam, we are in awe of it. There is simply nothing quite like Reconguista in G, which sees Tomino turning up all his thematic and stylistic interests to 11, resulting in one of the purest auteur statements in modern mainstream media. With the best action sequences in the history of Gundam, arguably franchise-best TV animation, amazing and vibrant characters, and a structure that practically re-invents the language of anime before your eyes, Reconguista in G is an endlessly rewarding artistic gauntlet.Enjoy, and come back next week for our very special landmark 400th episode!Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:08Metroid Dread Final Thoughts: 0:06:08 – 0:12:59Nintendo News: 0:12:59 – 0:40:36Reconguista in G: 0:40:36 – 4:20:29Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

For the first time since before the pandemic, we're devoting the show to a brand new Hollywood movie: James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, the standalone sequel/very expensive apology for 2016's atrocious, definite-article-lacking Suicide Squad, and while it's not a film we both like equally, it's definitely one we each enjoyed, and which offers a lot of fun things to talk about. Before the movie review, though, you'll also hear Sean review some recent anime he's been watching – including Godzilla: Singular Point and Violet Evergarden, both on Netflix – and Jonathan invades the Beta Corner to discuss this weekend's Left 4 Dead 3 – er, Back 4 Blood – beta. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:12Sean Talks Anime: 0:07:12 – 0:24:11Stuff: 0:24:11 – 0:31:06Back 4 Blood Beta: 0:31:06 – 0:42:58The Suicide Squad: 0:42:58 – 2:19:51 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Our ongoing Batman on Film series reaches perhaps the single most iconic and influential film the Caped Crusader has yet starred in with 2008's The Dark Knight. 13 years later, neither of us quite feel the way we do at the time, and find the movie ripe for reevaluation in a lot of ways. There are plenty of inarguably great elements on display here, from Heath Ledger's epochal portrayal of the Joker to Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's incredible score, but there are also a lot of structural and narrative shortcomings, and the movie's Bush-era apologia really doesn't sit right with us as adults. It makes for a complicated and compelling discussion, and before all that, Jonathan talks about Mario Golf: Super Rush, Sean belatedly plays Nioh 2, and we both take a few minutes to discuss the joys of Mechagodzilla. Time Chart:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:40Stuff: 0:03:40 – 0:32:35The Dark Knight: 0:32:35 – 3:22:52Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

We've got two big topics this week, starting with a wrap-up of E3 2021, which we mostly covered in last week's show, but wrapped up on Tuesday with Nintendo, by far the best showcase of the event. With big surprises like Metroid Dread, welcome new entries in the WarioWare and Mario Party series, our best look yet at Shin Megami Tensei V, and our first gameplay footage from the Breath of the Wild sequel, it was a great show that put everyone else at E3 to shame. After that, we dive deep with Insomniac's incredible Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, an outstanding PS5 exclusive that offers great storytelling, nigh-perfect gameplay, and some of the most amazing technical accomplishments we've ever seen in a game. It gets our highest recommendation, and it's a ton of fun to talk about.Enjoy, and come back on Thursday for a second podcast this week, with our Weekly Suit Gundam2-Year Anniversary Celebration! TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:46Stuff, including Sean's Beta Corner: 0:05:46 – 0:30:06 E3 News & Nintendo: 0:30:06 – 1:22:01Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart: 1:22:01 – 2:52:34 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

After being cancelled in 2020, E3 – the Electronic Entertainment Expo, aka “That Week With All the Video Game Trailers” – is back, sort of, for 2021, in entirely online form. And as we've done since the beginning, we're covering all of it, with today's episode going over the shows from Ubisoft, Microsoft/Bethesda, Square Enix, and the Summer Games Fest, with Sean's traditionally exhaustive and/or obsessive notes as our guide! It's not a particularly good E3 so far, but with looks at Elden Ring, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Forza Horizon 5, Babylon's Fall, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 and more, there's still plenty of interesting stuff to talk about. And before we dive into the E3 news, we also break down some interesting news from the world of Gundam, and give first impressions of Insomniac's PS5 exclusive Ratchet + Clank: Rift Apart, which is pretty wonderful so far. Enjoy, and come back next week for the rest of our E3 coverage, including Nintendo's showcase!TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Impressions: 0:18:33 – 0:36:52Jonathan's Resident Evil Adventures: 0:36:52 – 0:46:35Gundam News: 0:46:35 – 1:00:26E3 2021 Analysis: 1:00:26 – 3:16:47Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Our BATMAN ON FILM series starts catching up to the modern age of superhero films this week with Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, the 2005 franchise reboot that marked a new degree of seriousness – not just in theme and tone, but also in production value, casting, and direction – for films about the Caped Crusader, and set the stage for Batman's biggest moments of mainstream global popularity in the years to come. The movie was undoubtedly a refreshing, impressive change of pace at the time, but 16 years later, how does it hold up? Nolan asks us to take Batman seriously, not just as a character, but for the first time on film, in how he relates to something resembling the real world. That means this film's ideas are worth taking seriously, and not all of them sit right with us today, nor do some of the structural and plotting choices that have always felt awkward. It's an impressive movie in many ways, but does it really hold together as a good one? All this and more makes for another great Bat-Podcast. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43Batman Begins: 0:07:43 – 1:57:46Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

After going through some big pre-E3 video game news – including events about Dragon Quest, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Horizon: Forbidden West – and some other odds and ends, we dive into Part 7 of our BATMAN ON FILM series, with the 2000 direct-to-video feature Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Produced by the same team behind the classic Batman: The Animated Series (and earlier film reviewed in this series, Mask of the Phantasm), Batman Beyond broke bold new ground for the caped crusader on television, and this film is no exception. Originally edited for violent content in the wake of the Columbine school shootings before releasing an uncut version a few years later, Return of the Joker is one of the darkest and most brutal Batman outings, but also one of the richest and most rewarding, a story about the past, present, and future of Batman's world that brings a surprising amount of closure to this incarnation of Batman and the Joker, and cements Will Friedle's Terry McGinnis as a worthy successor to the cowl. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:09Stuff: 0:04:09 – 0:16:51News: 0:16:51 – 1:01:06Batman Beyond: 1:01:06 – 2:10:52 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter! Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

This week's super-sized podcast offers two in-depth video game reviews for the price of one, as we break down this month's outstanding Resident Evil Village and last year's Yakuza: Like a Dragon – which we've both finally finished! – in long spoiler-filled discussions. A fantastic balance of the terrifying and the silly, Resident Evil Village hits the absolute perfect sweet spot for both of us when it comes to this series, and is a total joy to discuss in this format, given how many surprises are hiding around every corner of this extraordinary game. And while Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a very different game, it's no less fun to talk about, with its rich narrative and wonderful characters, and makes for an especially fun conversation as we're coming at the series from two different directions – Jonathan as a franchise newbie, and Sean a grizzled Yakuza veteran. Before the reviews, Sean also talks about reading the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga, while Jonathan reviews gaming journalist Jason Schreier's new book Press Reset, before talking about his very belated playthrough of the excellent Titanfall 2 campaign. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:55Stuff: 0:03:55 – 0:39:57Resident Evil Village: 0:39:57 – 2:06:53Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 2:06:53 – 3:25:50 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

After a bit of a delay due to Sean and Jonathan being extremely reluctant to watch the actual movie, our ongoing Batman on Film series is back with the last Batman film of the 90s, and one of the worst movies ever made: Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, a flop that's just as terrible if not worse than Batman Forever in a whole host of ways, while offering a few improvements thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger and especially Uma Thurman that can't counteract the awfulness of the main Batman story. It's an extremely bad movie and a painful, joyless watch, but makes for an entertaining conversation – and the Batman series is definitely looking up from here. We also cover a few pieces of stuff, like Jonathan playing Resident Evil 7 and Sean getting further in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, before paying tribute to the great Shunsuke Kikuchi, composer for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, who passed away this week at the ripe old age of 89, and leaves behind a timeless legacy of incredible, series-defining music. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:55Stuff: 0:04:55 – 0:23:34News, including Shunsuke Kikuchi: 0:23:34 – 1:01:02Batman & Robin: 1:01:02 – 2:56:31 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

After reviewing the first season of the anime in last week's show, we're back to review Demon Slayer ~Kimetsu no Yaiba~ The Movie: Mugen Train, the highest-grossing film in the history of Japan, and one that's already making waves after its debut in North American theaters this weekend. It was both of our first trips back to a movie theater in over a year, since the start of the pandemic, and we couldn't have picked a better film, because Mugen Train is an outstanding movie, not just as an ongoing part of the Kimetsu no Yaiba story, but on its own merits, and breaking it all down makes for one of the richest movie discussions we've ever had. Before that, we also talk about recent updates to The Weekly Stuff Podcast's new YouTube channel, discuss Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer, and Sean tells us about finally playing Resident Evil VII ahead of the upcoming Resident Evil VILLage. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:30Stuff: 0:09:30 – 0:51:58Mugen Train: 0:51:58 – 3:05:03Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

We're talking about anime again this week, but for once, it's not Gundam! It's Kimetsu no Yaiba, also known as Demon Slayer, the most popular anime/manga franchise in Japan right now, and increasingly one of the most discussed around the world. With the record-breaking movie, Mugen Train, making its way to North American theaters next week, we go in-depth with the first season of the anime from Ufotable, based on the first 6 volumes of Koyoharu Gotouge's best-selling manga. It's a spectacular 26 episodes, one of the most perfect seasons of Shonen anime imaginable, featuring not just terrific storytelling, characters, and acting, but significant technical breakthroughs and breathtaking filmmaking that feel like they're pushing the entire medium of anime forward. We also touch on the news that Gundam is getting a live-action film from Legendary Pictures and Netflix, and Jonathan tells you all about the exciting things happening on The Weekly Stuff Podcast's brand new YouTube channel!Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of the Kimetsu film, Mugen Train!TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:16:17Stuff: 0:16:17 – 0:31:30News: 0:31:30 – 0:44:18Kimetsu no Yaiba: 0:44:18 – 3:44:41 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe to the WEEKLY SUIT GUNDAM Podcast!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

In this special BONUS episode, we’re bringing you an installment of the mothership show, The Weekly Stuff Podcast, where we’re talking all about Kimetsu no Yaiba, aka Demon Slayer, the most popular anime/manga franchise in Japan right now, and increasingly one of the most discussed around the world. With the record-breaking movie, Mugen Train, making its way to North American theaters next week, we go in-depth with the first season of the anime from Ufotable, based on the first 6 volumes of Koyoharu Gotouge’s best-selling manga. It’s a spectacular 26 episodes, one of the most perfect seasons of Shonen anime imaginable, featuring not just terrific storytelling, characters, and acting, but significant technical breakthroughs and breathtaking filmmaking that feel like they’re pushing the entire medium of anime forward. We thought this topic would be of interest to Gundam listeners, especially since we also touch on the news that Gundam is getting a live-action film from Legendary Pictures and Netflix! Jonathan also tells you all about the exciting things happening on The Weekly Stuff Podcast’s brand new YouTube channel, which you should definitely check out! Enjoy, and come back next week for another bonus episode with our review of Mugen Train! TIME CHART: Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:15 Weekly Stuff Intro: 0:04:15 – 0:19:56 Stuff: 0:19:56 – 0:35:08 News: 0:35:08 – 0:47:57 Kimetsu no Yaiba: 0:47:57 – 3:49:16 Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter @JonathanLack Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter @SeantheChapman WeeklySuitGundam.Com http://weeklystuffpodcast.com

After covering a few pieces of recent news – including the trailer for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and reports that Sony might be sunsetting digital game sales for PS3 and PS Vita – we dive right into our latest Weekly Suit Gundam discussion, this time on the second season of the fantastic Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The show has a lot to live up to in its back half, and we find it more than rises to the challenge with an incredibly smart, exciting, affecting, and entertaining second season, bringing the TV portion of this Gundam experience to a rousing close. With amazing animation, outstanding mobile suit designs and action, tremendous characters, and one of the best voice casts the franchise has ever assembled – including the very surprising return of one of Gundam's most iconic voice actors – Gundam 00 truly is one of the franchise's finest hours, and we had even more fun talking about it the second time. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:24Stuff: 0:01:24 – 0:17:02News: 0:17:02 – 0:38:25Gundam 00 Season 2: 0:38:25 – 3:24:51 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Better late than never, this week is our annual ‘Year in Preview' episode, where we look over all the video games and movies coming in 2021 and assess what looks good (New Pokemon Snap, yay!), what looks bad (oh God, Disney's Cruella movie is real), what baffles us (who the hell thought Six Days in Fallujah was a good idea?), and what's likely to even come out (is Halo: Infinite ever gonna be a thing?). Before all that, we also give some quick updates on Genshin Impact and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, puzzle over the weirdest video-game tie-in Pringles ever, and Jonathan gives some thoughts on Zack Snyder's Justice League – which he also has a full written review of you can read right now!TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:12Stuff: 0:03:12 – 0:17:32Justice League: 0:17:32 – 0:29:23 2021 Year in Preview: 0:29:23 – 1:57:21 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

After a little break, we're back with an episode full of exciting topics, from first impressions on the outstanding Yakuza: Like a Dragon (now out on PS5, and which we'll definitely do a full episode on soon), thoughts on the demise of Anthem at Bioware, and most importantly, another Weekly Suit Gundam discussion, this time on Mobile Suit Gundam 00, the series that brought Gundam into the era of HD, widescreen, and 21st century geopolitics. It's a terrific show that's wickedly smart, wildly exciting, and features some of the best characters and world-building of the entire franchise. It's also the first Gundam series to split itself into seasons, so on today's episode we're covering Season 1 – Episodes 1-25 – which work pretty splendidly on their own, as the story of the rise and fall of Celestial Being, a stateless military organization aiming to eradicate war through armed intervention. We discuss the story, world, themes, characters, and so much more, including the incredible production values and remarkable batch of theme songs, for a Gundam show that's definitely worth the deep dive treatment. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:00Stuff: 0:05:00 – 0:17:22Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 0:17:22 – 0:30:52Gundam 00 Season 1: 0:30:52 – 2:42:11 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

This week brought our first full-length Nintendo Direct since September 2019 (!), but was it any good? Do a few far-off announcements for 2022, a Mario Golf game, and a low-effort Zelda port make up for Nintendo's months of erratic communication? We discuss all this and cover a few pieces of exciting Diablo news from BlizzCon, before diving into our main topic, another Weekly Suit Gundam discussion in which we tackle a curious oddity in the history of Gundam: Yoshiyuki Tomino's Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation film trilogy from 2005 and 2006, which saw the Gundam creator returning to the classic sequel series and compiling it into three feature films. There's probably no Gundam series more difficult to condense in to three 90-minute movies than Zeta Gundam, with its enormous cast of characters, heady and challenging themes, and dense, complicated storytelling, but A New Translation is nothing if not a valiant effort, worth examining even if it never quite overcomes the sheer weight of factors working against it.Enjoy! TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:05Blizzard News & Nintendo Direct: 0:10:05 – 0:49:27Zeta Gundam: 0:49:27 – 3:10:09 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

This week brought one great new video game in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury –a Nintendo Switch package including a Wii U classic and, in a wonderful surprise, a brand new 3D open-world Mario game – and two high-profile stories of bad behavior in Hollywood, with a number of accusations against Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon and Disney disinviting The Mandalorian co-star Gina Carano from future Star Wars productions after a series of anti-trans and anti-semitic posts. Today's episode is primarily concerned with these dark news stories, and in the case of Carano, some of the terrible takes that have surfaced comparing, offensively, Carano's firing to the dark days of the Hollywood blacklist. Sean also talks about finishing Yakuza 6 – and his entire journey with Kazuma Kiryu over the last three years – and we continue to talk incessantly about the wonders (and dangers?) of Genshin Impact. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:38Stuff, including Bowser's Fury: 0:08:38 – 0:32:30News: 0:32:30 – 1:18:50Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #365Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter! 

Our BATMAN ON FILM series continues with the film all you sadists in the audience have been waiting for us to suffer through: 1995's BATMAN FOREVER, the third and, thus far, worst film incarnation of the Caped Crusader, marking a shark break from the dark and stylish Tim Burton films in favor of the garish colors, wild tonal inconsistency, and porn-quality cinematography of Joel Schumacher, terrible qualities only matched by the abysmal failures of Akiva Goldsman's horrible writing. A hit in its day and nostalgic to some, Batman Forever has very little going for it, with a bland and confused lead performance by Val Kilmer, Chris O'Donnell as a very miscast Robin, a nearly unwatchable turn from the obnoxious Jim Carrey as The Riddler, and a deeply inexplicable left-field turn in the career of Tommy Lee Jones. It is a bad, bad movie, but at the very least it's interesting to talk about. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:21Stuff: 0:04:21 – 0:31:10Batman Forever: 0:31:10 – 2:32:14Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

It's a loose and laid-back week on the show as we catch up on life events, cover one weird and frustrating piece of news, and discuss a few really great games, including our first spoiler-free impressions of Hitman 3, the triumphant capper to IO Interactive's outstanding ‘World of Assassination' trilogy, which has been one of our favorite series to discuss on the show ever since this incarnation launched in 2016. We also gush over the many wonders of Genshin Impact, and Sean tells us about coming full-circle on Yakuza with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. We also cover the stupid GameStop stock story, which is the first and hopefully only time we ever have an extended discussion about fiscal markets on this show. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30Stuff: 0:01:30 – 0:33:37News: 0:33:37 – 0:46:47Yakuza 6: 0:46:47 – 0:59:04Hitman 3: 0:59:04 – 1:33:55Genshin Impact: 1:33:55 – 1:52:54Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Ranking at #2 and #5 on Sean and Jonathan's respective Top 10 Games of 2020 lists, Vanillaware's 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is undeniably one of the most singular gaming experiences of the last year – an incredibly compelling, blissfully confusing, wickedly intelligent mix of the visual novel, adventure game, and real-time strategy genres into one unique package that is absolutely unlike anything we've played before. A mecha and kaiju story with aspects of just about every anime genre under the sun – from high school shows to mystery dramas to magical girl series – 13 Sentinels is more than worthy of a deep dive discussion, especially considering it was a podcast listener who turned us onto the game in the first place! Consider this episode our thanks for the recommendation – and a strong encouragement for those who haven't played it yet to take the plunge. TIME CHART:Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:5013 Sentinels: 0:06:50 – 2:19:23Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in Apple Podcasts!Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!