Anime is Lit
A podcast exploring what makes anime meaningful to people. Hosted by Krissy and Danny—two weebs who talk about anime like it's literature, except fun and not boring.
Come on, come on! On a journey!
We're back again with a real anime, an underrated gem from creator Natsume Ono titled "ACCA: 13 Territory Inspection Dept." for some jazzy good times, joined by special guest and ACCA expert CC. The first half of the episode is spoiler free and covers much about the setting, style, and background behind the show and manga, and the second half dives into the symbolism and foreshadowing woven throughout the series, with spoilers.
Timestamps:
4:16 - Intro to anime & production
26:53 - Explanation/Discussion of the various 13 Districts
53:17 - Manga vs Anime and Natsume Ono's other works
59:44 to End - SPOILER WARNING
Follow us on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening/Ending music: "Shadow and Truth" by ONE III NOTES
Links we mentioned in the show:
Compilation of Nino saying "Jean"
Carabinieri uniform the ACCA uniforms were based on:
Is The Witcher anime? It's definitely literature, and we decided it's anime enough for this podcast! K and Danny are joined by our friend Elise to talk about the recent Netflix adaptation of The Witcher. Elise helps us compare to the books and games, and we talk about themes, writing, amazing female characters, the difference a female showrunner makes, and our excitement about the series (and Geralt's ass).
[Contains mild spoilers for the Netflix "The Witcher" series, but is spoiler-free for the books/games.]
Follow us on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening/Ending music: "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" from Netflix's The Witcher OST (and now it's stuck in your head, too)
It's the ultimate Chihayafuru cast, brought to you right at the dawn of Chihayafuru Season 3's airing! We assembled the biggest fans of this anime that we know (AnimatedInk of Anigamers, and returning guest Heidi) to talk about its masterful uses of genre, character, gender, history and poetry itself to create an unforgettable story. If you're looking to start Chihayafuru or are a longtime fan, both are welcome for this discussion!
We really dig into the history and nuances of karuta itself, as well as the 100 Poems that the cards are based off of. We each share our personal favorite poems and gush about our favorite characters and elements of the story. Join us for a rich exploration and a fun time!
Ink on Twitter, his podcasts Oldtaku no Radio and Taiiku Podcast, and the Anigamers website.
Heidi's Twitter, Tumblr and Tesla Cosplay, (the cosplay group all 3 of us belong to)
Follow us on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Online resources we used for English translations of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu/100 Poems:
1 | 2
Links to articles Ink has written on Chihayafuru (check them out!)
"Poetic Propaganda" | Interview with Masao Maruyama | Chihayafuru Review
Link to the Crunchyroll "Anime vs. Real Life" article Danny mentioned
Intro song: "YOUTHFUL" by 99RadioService
Outro: "STAR" by 99RadioService
We were pleased to guest on Oh No, Anime! with our longtime podcasting friend Marc for a series about the Lore of Evangelion. This is a deep-dive into a synthesized understanding of the construction of the world and events that make up the NGE series. Here is Part 2!
From the Oh No, Anime! feed:
"I'm joined once again by Danny and K of Anime is Lit! to finish our outline of the timeline of events leading up to the Evangelion TV show.
You can find the soul timeline/chart we talked about HERE."
Where to find Oh No, Anime! -
Website | YouTube | iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Twitter
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
We were pleased to guest on Oh No, Anime! with our longtime podcasting friend Marc for a series about the Lore of Evangelion. This is a deep-dive into a synthesized understanding of the construction of the world and events that make up the NGE series. Here is Part 1!
From the Oh No, Anime! feed:
"In the first part of a new series celebrating Neon Genesis Evangelion's addition to Netflix, I sit down with our friends Danny and K to begin creating a definitive podcast guide for the lore of the Evangelion TV series.
You can find the soul timeline/chart we talked about HERE."
Where to find Oh No, Anime! -
Website | YouTube | iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Twitter
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
Part 2 of our episode on of Mob Psycho 100 (please start with Part 1 if you haven't already! **Spoiler warning for seasons 1 and 2 of Mob Psycho 100).
Marc of Oh No, Anime and TheSubtleDoctor of Warui Deshou continue the conversation with us about the types of philosophy found throughout the story, the definitive debate on Internet Sex Symbol Sensation Reigen Arataka, and we close out with listener Q&A from Twitter Q&A.
Opening Theme - "99.9" by Mob Choir, feat. Sajou no Hana
Ending Theme - "Refrain Boy" by ALL OFF
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
TheSubtleDoctor on twitter and podcast Warui Deshou
Marc on twitter and podcast Oh No, Anime
We're back in the saddle with old pod pals to bust open seasons 1 and 2 of the Mob Psycho 100!
Marc of Oh No, Anime and TheSubtleDoctor of Warui Deshou join us to talk about what makes this show so incredibly special, as well as the show's emotional allegory, morality and ethics, and the best of the Body Improvement Club. Join us for another shot at something actually recent!
**Spoiler Warning starts at 46:26**
(This is Part 1 of 2, the second half of our discussion will be released in a few days as Ep 12, Part 2)
Opening Theme - "99" by Mob Choir
Ending Theme - "Gray" by Sajou no Hana
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
TheSubtleDoctor on twitter and podcast Warui Deshou
Marc on twitter and podcast Oh No, Anime
K and Danny had an amazing time at Kumoricon 2018 and sat down the next day to record their thoughts!
We have a conversation about what it was like watching Yoshitaka Amano paint, and why his entire philosophy of art and artistry made us so excited about what we do. His rare perspective got us talking between ourselves about the value of art and about career artists overcoming the limitations of their industry, so we recorded a bonus episode of our experiences. We also share convention highlights and how this con reminded us of the reasons we podcast, and why art is so awesome.
Compilations of videos we took of Yoshitaka Amano painting during the panels
Our previous episode with Warui Deshou episode on Angel's Egg
Warui Deshou site and podcast feed
Our contact info:
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
Intro music - "Grove" from the Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust OST - Marco D'Ambrosio
Outro - "Tokeidai no Kane" by Eastern Youth
BARA WA, BARA WA! Danny and K assemble a super crew to discuss the 1979 classic anime Rose of Versailles, joined by Dawn from the Anime Nostalgia Podcast and GrantTheTheif of Blade Licking Thieves/Super Senpai Podcast.
Part 1 (Beginning - 1:01:43) is a spoiler-free discussion of themes, historical fiction, what we love about the show, and the story's place in anime/manga history.
Part 2 (1:01:43 - end) **SPOILER WARNING** We go more in-depth themes of power and opression, Oscar's gender and queerness, the anime direction, and RoV adaptations through the years. [Includes mentions of sexual assault and LGBTQ oppression]
Join us on our thorough expression of love for OSCAAAAR!!
Contact Info:
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
Dawn/Usamimi - @BunnyCartoon | tumblr | Anime Nostalgia Podcast
Grant - @GrantTheTheif | Blade Licking Thieves Podcast | Super Senpai Podcast
Celtic Mythology meets poignant recovery allegory in the 2017-2018 anime "Ancient Magus Bride". Returning pod friend Shadon and our good friend Bethany join us to discuss this beautiful anime that's very personal and meaningful to all of us.
This episode is a long one, but it's packed with discussion about the surprisingly intricate narrative the show builds about healing and learning to build healthy relationships. The first half of the episode is a spoiler-free introduction to the anime and themes, and Bethany gives much insightful history and context for the show's representations of creatures from actual Celtic mythology. From 1:53:45 begins the in-depth spoilery discussion of story and themes.
***Content warning for respectfully nuanced, but involved discussions including trauma, abuse, suicide, mental illness, recovery, and drug addiction.***
Shadon on twitter and podcast Warui Deshou
Bethany's Twitter | Cosplay Instagram
@AnimeisLitPod on twitter
animeislitpod@gmail.com
Timestamps:
0:30 - Guest Intros/Preface
3:32 - Spoiler-Free Show Intro
17:10 - Our personal feelings on the show, overview of themes & favorite characters
1:03:35 - Spoiler-free discussion of the mythology of the show
***1:53:45 - SPOILER WARNING - In-depth narrative and themes discussion (Content warning for respectful discussions of trauma, child abuse, suicide, drug addiction, mental illness, and recovery)
2:47:30 - Cartaphilus and the show's ending
3:06:50 - Remaining Twitter questions
3:11:27 - Outtros, Where you can find our guests and us on the web
Link to the blog Bethany referenced on the robin story in the mythology section
Opening theme - "Here" by JUNNA
Ending theme "Iruna Eteluro" イルナエテルロ (Lindel's Song), sung by Daichi Takenaka
Your favorite anime podcast crossover is back! We team up again with the Warui Deshou podcast to dissect and gush over Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano’s 1985 masterpiece art film, Angel’s Egg.
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of stillbirth, miscarriage, possible anxiety-inducing subjects such as loss of faith.
***The first half is spoiler-free, see timecodes below***
(This episode follows Warui Deshou's format, which uses more clips and sketch segments than we do, so be prepared for intermittent wackiness)
———
We discuss the film’s gorgeous aesthetics, the lives and other works of the principle creatives, their personal relationships to Catholicism and/or faith in general, and try to interpret what is perhaps the most inscrutable anime film ever made.
Interpretations provided are our own, and we don’t claim them to be definitive, exclusionary or authoritative in any way.
This episode is very personal, we spend a good deal of time talking about our personal histories and feelings about things beyond (but not unrelated) to the anime itself. We also tried to mix it with moments of laughter and some funnier discussions throughout, but we feel the insights and personal discussions in relation to the film proved very worthwhile.
This is a long podcast that covers a lot of topics, so please use the timecodes below to jump around in case, say, you already know all about Oshii or haven’t seen Angel’s Egg and don’t want to be spoiled.
Warui Deshou's Podcast Feed | Twitter
EPISODE TIMECODES:
00:00:00 – Opening Bits and Bobs
00:10:54 – The Budget Grail: Which Anime Character Would you Want As A Dad?
00:26:40 – All About Oshii and Amano
00:54:29 – Plot Summary & SPOILER-FREE Discussion
01:37:17 – Personal Relationship To Faith & Ideas In The Movie
02:01:20 – SPOILER-IFFIC Discussion
03:16:21 – Correspondence
03:25:00 – Outro
Playlist:
Nobuo Uematsu – Tina’s Theme
N.E.R.D. – Maybe
David Pringle and Bob Heatlie – Spin to Win
Wild Beasts – Albatross
Massive Attack – Angel
Modest Mouse – Dramamine
Kyrie Eleison
Agnus Dei
kensuke ushio – Devilman no Uta
Argume – Realize
Milo – Sanssouci palace
Chance The Rapper ft. Saba – Angels
Zero 7 – This World
Sources Cited:
Brian Ruh – Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii
Sean Hartlieb – Humanity in Anime: Analyzing the Films of Mamoru Oshii
VaatiVidya – Dark Souls 3 Lore: Angel’s Egg & Filianore
Yoshitaka Amano: Illustrations
Welcome to our episode on Princess Tutu, the classic 2002 anime about ballet, fairy tales, and a duck who turns into the magical Princess Tutu to fight for the ones she loves! Our friend Heidi joins as our guest to talk about her experience training in ballet and music, and her love for the anime that celebrates them both. We dive into the lore of ballet literature, fairy tale subversion, and the role of metanarrative in this surprisingly complex anime.
The first half of the episode is spoiler-free to give an intro to the show and what makes it well worth watching. The second half contains many spoilers, so please go see Princess Tutu first if you haven’t already!
Link to the AMV here: Håll Om Mig (Hold Me Now)
(The perfect introduction to why Princess Tutu is cool)
Opening song: “Håll Om Mig” (Hold Me Now) by Nanne Grönvall
Ending song: “Morning Grace” by Ritsuko Okazaki
Heidi's Tumblr and Tesla Cosplay, (the cosplay group all 3 of us belong to)
Follow us on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Earlier in February we guested on Oh No, Anime with our friends Marc and Patrick, and other guests GrantTheTheif and TheSubtleDoctor to discuss more of Devilman Crybaby! Marc had some fresh insights on the unique production details of the project, and we discuss our thoughts on it as a whole.
Oh No, Anime! Podcast on Libsyn and iTunes
@OhNoAnime on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
@TheSubtleDoctor on Twitter
His podcast Warui Deshou on iTunes
@GrantTheTheif on Twitter
His podcast Blade Licking Theives on iTunes
We were thrilled to get the chance to talk about Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju with Giancarlo on the Subtitled Anime podcast! In this episode we get emotional (and analytical) about this brilliant show laden with themes of identity, family and the artist. Enjoy this episode and check out the rest of the Subtitled Anime podcast!
******HUGE SPOILERS FOR ALL OF SHOUWA GENROKU RAKUGO SHINJUU Seasons 1 & 2********
Original Episode Shownotes:
Welcome to The Subtitled Podcast, a biweekly anime podcast hosted by Giancarlo Navas with a rotating panel of members from around the anime community.
In this episode Giancarlo is joined by Danny and K in discussions that involve:
• Rakugo and its race for AOTY
• Discussions about Rakugo's central themes and prodcution
• How gender is portrayed in Rakugo
• Gianni shares his experience watching the Silent Voice dub
• K and Danny tell Gianni about "reverend Vic Migniona"
• Gianni volunteers why he loves Eupho
… and so much more
_ _ _ _ _
Link to the Silent Voice video on composition
Rakugo video on death
Contact us:
@animeislitpod and email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
This episode we cover "Tales from Earthsea", the Goro Miazaki-directed adaptation of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels. We talk about what Ursula Le Guin means to us and then dive in to the film's unique production, story and thematic shortfalls.
***Spoilers for the movie and bits of the Earthsea cycle books***
Link to Ursula Le Guin's blog post of her reaction to the film
Follow us on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Ending song: "Theru no Uta" from the Tales From Earthsea sountrack
We were delighted to guest on Warui Deshou with our friends TheSubtleDoctor and Shadon about Devilman Crybaby! This is a more free-form discussion with lots of laughs, but together we hit some moments of real discovery and depth. Discussions include the running metaphor, what the ending means, the show’s depiction of Satan, LGBTQ+ representation, the nature of the show’s violence, character acting, who is best boy, the show as cautionary tale, dope music, Donald Trump’s cameo, and a whole lot more.
It was a blast to record, so it ended up quite long, but see the timestamp outline for a guide and the link to the original shownotes here.
***SPOILERS FOR ALL OF DEVILMAN CRYBABY***
Follow @waruideshou on soundcloud & twitter!
Contact us:
@animeislitpod and email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Opening Bits
00:02:42 – Introductions
00:06:12 – Ice Breaker Game – Which anime title would you be embarrassed to say out loud, “I am watching _______” to a non-nerd you respect?
00:19:30 – Devilman Crybaby Historical context – Go Nagai, Masaki Yuasa, Netflix
00:34:53 – SPOILER FREE plot summary and We Sell You On Crybaby
01:07:57 – [SPOILERS FROM HERE ON] Discussion Topic 1: Favorite Scenes
01:55:01 – Discussion Topic 2: Satan!
02:13:50 – Discussion Topic 3: Akira And Miki
02:29:30 – Discussion Topic 4: Some Dude Dissed Crybaby On The Internet
02:34:56 – Discussion Topic 5: To Run
02:47:34 – Discussion Topic 6: The Ending
03:14:32 – Discussion Topic 7: Post Credits aka TIME LOOP
03:27:26 – Discussion Topic 8: Final Thoughts & Why Crybaby Impacted Us so Much
03:36:36 – Correspondance
03:54:45 – Outro
This month we couldn't resist taking a bite out of the recent Netflix phenomenon, DEVILMAN Crybaby. We talk about our personal reactions, the show's surprisingly optimistic thesis, horniness, queer elements, and why we're glad we followed the hype down this incredible rabbit hole of apocalypse and love. On the literary side, we also dive into the show’s relation to Satyr Plays in Greek Tragedy and its use of Greek Chorus through Wamu’s hip-hop crew.
SPOILER WARNINGS for all of Devilman Crybaby.
Content Warning for discussions of the show's treatment of violence and sexual assault.
Intro: Devilman no Uta / AVU-chan by アヴちゃん
Outtro: Konyadake by Takkyu and Tavito
Link to the interview we referenced: https://blog.sakugabooru.com/2018/01/08/devilman-crybaby-interview-with-director-masaaki-yuasa/
Next month we will be back on schedule releasing our episode on Goro Miyazaki’s Tales From Earthsea.
This month we're covering Time of Eve (Eve no Jikan), a short but fantastic ONA series from 2008 about a cafe where both androids and people are welcome and indistinguishable from one another.
This episode is spoiler-free for those of you who have yet to watch!
We talk about the laws, social structure, and culture of the show's setting, and what it says about human perception and interaction.
Follow on Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening/Ending song: "Eve no Jikan" (main theme) by Tohru Okada
Welcome to our Drunk Evangelion bonus episode! This time we get personal, talk about our feelings, and wax drunk-poetic about the purpose of art and literary criticism.
**SPOILERS for Evangelion**
Link to full gospel choir ending theme video:
https://www.facebook.com/MyACGG/videos/1307544232610550
By request, this episode is a podcast version of the panel we presented at Kumoricon 2017 on the Evangelion Mythos and trying the plot arcs together. We try to give some context to the more vague plot elements, and talk through the psychological narrative, which fuels the story's climax from beginning to end.
Drunk Eva is coming next as a bonus episode!
**Spoiler warning for the Evangelion anime and films**
Links to the visuals/timeline from our panel: https://animeislitpod.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/episode-5-evangelion-resources/
Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening song: "Cruel Angel's Thesis" by Yoko Takahashi, Ending song: “Fly Me To The Moon”, Megumi Hayashibara
This time we’re diving into Natsume Yuujinchou, also known as Natsume’s Book of Friends, with our very special guest Ethan. We discuss why the show resonates with us, how it uses short story techniques to build the overarching emotional storyline, and the use of mental illness allegory. Join us as we talk about one of our favorite shows and unpack what make it so meaningful.
*Note: the name of the Eastern story technique Ethan described is "Kishōtenketsu".
Ethan's Twitter @autonomousbagel
Follow us @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening song: "Floria" by Tomohisa Sako Ending song: “Natsu Yuuzora Sky” by Kousuke Atari
Narration in Anime: The Tatami Galaxy and Beyond
aka "This Podcast is (Not) About Evangelion"
Welcome to our jam-packed episode on narration in anime! Starting with The Tatami Galaxy and branching from there, we cover different techniques and styles of narration including the minimalist, overbearing, unreliable and even fourth wall-breaking. We discuss how these styles affect the show and the viewer, and why they shape the story's meaning and enjoyment. Emotional contextualization IS storytelling!
All shows mentioned are spoiler-free, so don't worry if you haven't seen them all!
Titles in order of discussion:
The Tatami Galaxy
Princess Jellyfish
Princess Tutu
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Kino's Journey
March Comes In Like a Lion
His and Her Circumstances (KareKano)
Space Patrol LuLuCo
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Baccano!
UtaKoi (Chouyaku Hyakuninissu: Uta Koi)
[Evangelion, unavoidably]
"What Is Art?” = SOLVED
Contact Info:
Twitter: @animeislitpod
Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Opening song: "Kamisama no Iutoori" by Juuji Ishiwatari & Yoshinori Sunahara + Etsuko Yakushimaru
Ending Song: "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat" by Asian Kung Fu Generation
Everything Thunderbolt Fantasy! Even though it's not technically anime, we talk about the creation of Thunderbolt Fantasy, how medium affects storytelling and why the show watches like a good DnD campaign.
Our web page with articles and extra info on Budaixi, PILI, and Thunderbolt Fantasy:
https://animeislitpod.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/thunderbolt-fantasy/
Intro/Outro music is "Raimei" by T.M.Revolution
Twitter: @animeislitpod Email: animeislitpod@gmail.com
Welcome to episode 1 of Anime is Lit, where we get hyped and nerdy about why anime is awesome. We talk about the art and storytelling in anime and why it makes people love it so much. For our pilot episode we do a mini-analysis on the most profound and important anime from 2016: Bananya.
We'll be at Anime Expo in LA next week, come say hi, and let us know if you're listening!
Opening song is "Lay Your Hands on Me" by Boom Boom Satellites, and Ending song is "ColorfullWorld" by Tomohisa Sako
On Twitter @animeislitpod and email at animeislitpod@gmail.com
