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Due to the rigors of graduate school and the like, there hasn’t been a new episode of the podcast released in over a month. Despite repeated “let’s record on so and so day” requests, nobody ever actually showed up. Daryl lost this Internet staring contest and decided to record this by himself in lieu of a real episode. If you’re naughty this Christmas, this may happen again. And you don’t want that.
The latest issue of Otaku USA Magazine is out! As web supplemental pieces, Daryl has written reviews of the Redline side story Trava: Fist Planet, the Mamoru Hosoda-directed One Piece Movie 6: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, and…er, actually the Cowboy Bebop one isn’t done yet…
Here’s some timecodes. Remember when we did these all the time?
01:35 – What’s our beef with Takehito Koyasu, anyway?
04:12 – Macross Do You Remember Love vs Macross Frontier Movie 1 (Clarification: Gwyn is actually a GUY. And not just any guy. He, along with former AWO guests Tim Eldred, Patrick Macias, Walter Amos, and some others got to go to Leiji Matsumoto’s house and interview him. Keep your eyes on www.starblazers.com and www.otakuusamagazine.com for the results of that one!)
08:25 – On the ethics of pirating anime
14:00 – One of the only hate mails we’ve ever received! YES
38:28 – Can there be a new show made today that affects anime fans like big hits from decades past did?
45:21 – On the changing face of “otaku” over the years
52:21 – What mecha anime should I watch? Which Gundam series are good and which are bad? (WARNING: 30 minute answer resulting in psychological meltdown)
Another clarification: I am almost certainly aware of [insert mecha show here]. The reason I didn’t mention it is because I tried to limit my answers to what is currently in print in America. Otherwise my first recommendation would have been to watch Patlabor.
Here is a partial list of titles mentioned in this episode:
- Macross Plus
- Area 88 OAV+TV
- Mazinkaiser (with Shuten Doji, but whatever)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy
- Gundam 0080
- Gundam Unicorn Episode 1 (currently Blu-Ray only, no DVD; also I think these are printed on demand so don’t be fooled by the low stock)
- G Gundam Part I
- G Gundam Part II
We should actually be able to record some real episodes again in a few days. Bide your time, and hold out hope. (PS: go see Faster and The Warrior’s Way IN THE GUDDAMN THE-ATER. Links are to scholarly writeups explaining why. Given how badly the latter did, you probably have 24 hours from the time of this posting until it’s gone from theaters.)
Just for the record, this is the 150th podcast file you’ve uploaded. Here’s to 150 more!
I’ve learned I can listen to podcasts and play Gran Turismo, AT THE SAME TIME.
Anyway, interesting podcast, Gerald and Clarissa should do solo episodes as well.
I’ll leave the negative feedback to twitter.
Also, just to clarify, I think more movies should go straight to Netflix, the edgy revenge flick starring the Rock or ok romantic comedies based off of sorta ok comic books NOT anything involving Jason Statham killing and/or driving a car. Maybe fantasy hero Jason Statham fighting evil wizard Ray Liotta can go straight to Netflix, but that’s real iffy. [Everything here is WRONG except for the romantic comedies part. –Daryl]
Daryl,
Your solo show was great, be glad to know you can run the show by yourself atleast I was entertained. I enjoyed Gilbert’s letter because I too have had the same question regarding mecha anime.
Thanks for giving us a good guide to check out to peak our curiosity to such a rabid fan base of anime fans.
I agreed on a lot of things you said about mecha.
Back in 2002-03 I discovered Sputnik9, Manga’s streaming website that had both Gunbuster and Giant Robo constantly, I watch Giant Robo, and the first two episodes of Gunbuster then immediatly switched back to Giant Robo. This past weekend I got the first 4 episodes of Gunbuster from Netflix. The main gimmick of the series (the effects of Faster than light travel on people) hadn’t even shown up in the first 4 episodes, the series had a jingoistic feel to it theirs one American who dies in one episode, a Russian chick who switches between being friends or enemies depending on how naked she is, and the rest of the cast appears to be Japanese. The relationships between characters also appear to be random, the most infamous is when Jung is all of a sudden the characters best friend while they take a bath. Theirs some good ideas like how Ohta is trying to turn Noriko into her father while justifying everything by claiming he see’s potential, but that’s barely their for a bunch of plots shoved in. I can see why a science geek would love it because it does go in depth into how it works, but for a mecha fan or a general anime fan theirs much better anime.
Giant Robo is easily the best OVA series, and the best anime period, 7 episodes of drama, action, and some of the best music in anime history. I mean name me one episode better than episode 7? It is just two organizations fighting each other, with one dramatic scene after another. The fact that it has a brilliant plot twist is just an icing on the cake.
If I would rate Gundam I would put it at G Gundam, Gundam 0080, and Turn A Gundam.
All three are unique, all three put huge emphasis on characters and their relationship with people, G Gundam is secretly ground breaking as it really brought back the whole Super Robot series should be ridiculous and awesome.
I would actually say that Gundam 00 was a bigger disappointment than Gundam Seed Destiny, I mean at least GSD had Durandal, Gundam 00 has the voice of Amuro Ray playing a Crossdressing ace pilot who only goes into combat in the final episode, and spends most of the second season talking about how awesome he is while pushing the “fix the problem” button. Its full of useless characters, and the main rival is reduced to a poor man’s version of Wodan Ymir. Even worse is the series attempt to actually have a point with a message about how war is caused by misunderstanding, then it fails to even prove that when its made clear that Ribbons just wants to control the world. The main mechas are overpowered, and Setsuna basically becomes Mecha Christ by the end of the series.
This is coming from a guy who thinks Gundam SEED is compelling. I’ll admit that Gundam 00 didn’t live up to its potential and ended up being an AU shadow of Zeta Gundam, but you think it’s more disappointing than ANYTHING in CE? Even the original SEED was bland and lifeless, a show without any memorable elements and with a very anemic narrative. It’s soulless. At least 00 has some kind of life to it, even if it trips over itself.
The worst parts of 00 are still better than SEED, certainly better than any part of Destiny.
[Okay, at this point I’m drawing the line and saying this before it spirals out of hand: I’m not letting you and Charred Knight go back and forth on YET ANOTHER thread regarding the merits/demerits of SEED/00. That’s what the ANN forums are for! –Daryl]
No mention of VOTOMS? [I’ve updated my initial post to explain why I left that off. I didn’t forget about it. VOTOMS is out of print in the US. It’s also pretty long, looks its age even more than Gundam does, and the recent remakes that got fansubbed assume you know what’s what. As such, in 2010 I consider it a more “intermediate-level” series than an entry point. –Daryl]
Several years ago, I was able to watch Zeta Gundam without seeing the original (other than the couple I caught on CN before being pulled). Now I’ve watched the original MSG trilogy last month.
What about Heavy Metal L-Gaim? That’s a stand alone show that, yeah, it’s long, but doesn’t require prior knowledge of another show to watch, and IMO it’s Tomino’s best non-Gundam show he’s directed (although I atribute it to Mamoru Nagano’s design talent moreso).
[I edited the original post to preemptively answer that question before you submitted this; “because it’s not in print in the US.” Also, in my mind I always think L-Gaim has to do with all of Tomino’s Byston Well stuff, even though it doesn’t really. It’s that goddamned fairy girl. I reiterate that recommending Zeta Gundam to people without any prior knowledge of Gundam at all is STRONGLY discouraged in 2010. –Daryl]
First time blog commenter:
Thanks for the nice bonus episode. Made my morning during an extra long traffic jam.
The hate mail sure was interesting. Nostalgia really is a powerful force when it comes to determining what we love or hate, though in my mind its potency should diminish over time. I remember the first anime I watched, and I can still watch and enjoy them, but they are no longer favorites. In my mind, that’s what happens when you grow up and mellow out – you still have a soft spot for certain things from your youth, but obsession dies down into simple fondness. Maybe the Internet amplifies the power of nostalgia, both online and in real life (though as Daryl mentioned, no one talks about those 2000/2001 era shows any longer).
I’ve been going through the AWO archives, listening to old con reports, so the discussion of cons fit right in. I’ve lived in or near Baltimore since 2004, and have yet to go to Otakon. I’m not sure if I ever will, either. I’m certain that I’d find plenty to do, but I’ve always been an anime fan who doesn’t really gel with anime fandom (past or present). I don’t think I’d survive long. It’s amazing to see, however, the kind of cult-like passion that is built up around everything BUT the shows themselves.
PS – Just wanted to mention how much I’ve learned from this show in just a year’s time. I was in the FYE near my job, and its anime collection is massive even by FYE standards. In the past, it was just a wall of stuff, but thanks to AWO most of the show names actually mean something to me. Of course, it’s all the same price that it originally was, so I’m not going to pick any of it up, but it’s nice to see how much my knowledge progressed.
I would actually be interested in hearing Gerald review Macross Frontier. I consider myself a Macross fan but Frontier was a slugfest and did not like it at all (never finished it either). Was talking to a buddy of mine recently and he said I should check out the movie as he described it as an improved version of the TV series I might actually like, and should watch that to give Frontier another shot. Would be interested to hear more opinions on Frontier as I’ve just heard you and the CollectionDX guys talk about it outside of my inner circle of mecha fans.
I would also highly recommend Macross Plus as a show to introduce somebody to mech anime. I recently lent my DVD’s to a fellow Transformers fan as he recently showed interest in mecha anime (notably Gundam), so it will be interesting to see if that sticks.
I’m surprised that so many manly mecha fans enjoy Frontier so much. I have a high tolerance for moeshit, but Frontier turned my stomach. I had to finish watching it with clenched teeth. [Every single negative one might bring up about the series is 100% true. On these grounds it is indefensible. That I like Macross Frontier is a result of weighing the bad things against the good things and determining that the good outweighs the bad. Not everyone agrees. –Daryl]
They released all three original Gundam recently in a cheap, sub-only Anime Legends set.
[You mean the cheap, sub-only Anime Legends set that I’ve linked to in this very post? Yes, they did indeed! I would have recommended the Anime Legends set that also included Char’s Counterattack, but that one’s not as readily available. –Daryl]
I’ll have to agree with you about Gundam (even though I’ve not seen everything ever made for it). I consider myself a superficial Gundam fan, who’s more interested in the Mobile Suit designs than the characters. Oddly, I really like 0080 for the story. F-91 is great because it’s non stop MS action. I guess that’s why I’ve liked Transformers way more because the robots ARE the characters.
If getting AWO on a more consistent schedule means every once in a while, I get Daryl Surat, straight no chaser, that’s fine with me. You guys have already proved that any of you can hold a show on your own, in spite of what you say. You guys also have quite a harem, also. Maybe dragging Mike Toole on, or getting Jeff Tatarek to stop riding Kokuoh long enough to record something with you. I do agree that there have been a number of new, quality podcasts that have emerged since AWO’s debut. A personal favorite of mine is Gundamn, an honest to goodness podcast dedicated to mecha. Even the Method to Madness podcast is pretty cool, like a Fast Karate that stays on subject. Hell, they even reviewed Go Lion, which I’ve been dying for you guys to do. I still think that AWO is quite special in comparison to the vast majority out there, and I hope you manage to stay on as long as possible, even if it takes another year to get up to an official episode 100. I still can’t get behind you on Gundam SEED though, Daryl. I thought the updating setting was a good idea…but the characters…oh GOD, the characters…
Yeah thinking back outlaw star is ok, I’ll just continue to fondly remember the toonami mashup video
I’ve been watching Zeta I’m only 25 episodes in but it is good
They don’t want people in japan importing the American unicorn Blu Rays
NEW Theory the more gundam that comes out and you watch the better you understand and appreciate the series that preceded it.
There’s nothing wrong with recommending Mazinkaiser as good introductory material. Even though I’ve admittedly become more of a Shin Mazinger Z fan, in retrospect, it may not necessarily be as accessible for those who don’t want to make a reasonably large time investment in the first place (Imagawa did a good job explaining almost everything, mind you, but 26 episodes can’t really compete with the average OVA length).
Gundam Unicorn is great, no question about it, but I do wish Sunrise and Bandai were willing to take more risks outside of the Universal Century without eventually messing up their execution in ways both small and large.
Turn A Gundam is probably my favorite Gundam series by this point in time and the show does tend to stand on its own in numerous ways…but you do get more out of the experience if you’ve already accumulated a basic knowledge of Gundam’s themes and their main elements. It’s still a Tomino show, for better and for worse, where he does revisit many of the same ideas in interesting ways in spite of the radical setting shift.
Aside from some trolls out there, who like all of their kin tend to be very outspoken and prone to exaggerate, Zeta Gundam still seems to be pretty well regarded in mecha circles. From what I can tell, it’s not that Zeta is really considered that bad, in and of itself, but mostly a sense of disappointment and an urge to lash out at all the accumulated hype. For years and years people kept promoting it as God’s Gift to Gundam, or something along those lines, to such an extent that I actually watched Zeta first back in the day. Did I still enjoy the series? Absolutely, but I won’t deny it has more than a few oddities and quirks that aren’t going to be easy to digest. If anything, I think Zeta Gundam is still worth watching, yes, but it’s not the immaculate Holy Grail.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I own 0083…on VHS, that is. Suffice to say I never cared enough about it to upgrade my copy of the series to a newer format, digital or physical.
And these last couple of comments would be more of a quick jab aimed at Charred Knight up there than specifically at you, Daryl, but I’d honestly argue that Legend of the Galactic Heroes could very well be the best OVA series in existence in addition to just the longest. That is, at least, my opinion. Nonetheless, the fact is that Giant Robo still continues to be one of my favorite shows, by all means, and one I’d also easily recommend to other people who want to get into mecha anime in particular. No real disagreements in this respect.
As for Gunbuster…I definitely like it, not going to pretend otherwise, but aside from the ending (which is still one of my personal favorites to this day) I’ll admit it’s not quite as good as either of the two OVA titles mentioned above. Having said that…unlike CK, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong about the character relationships in the context of what is still a Super Robot show, at heart, only with more “SCIENCE!” on the surface. Besides, they’re intentionally meant to parallel, if not outright replicate, those found in 1970s shoujo titles like (shockingly!) Aim for the Ace! and are not going for realism or rationalism but rather for exaggerated emotion and (melo-)drama. And you know what? This is not for everyone but sometimes that’s absolutely fine.
I’m in a podcast episode! I’m cooler now! Yeah! Anyway.
Thanks Daryl. I will start watching those after O finish reading the 50+ volumes of manga I checked out from the library. I could have just checked the tags, but I’m a real lazy person. I never got those Gaogaigar DVDs, so I got my money back.
Oh yeah! I just finished Crying Freeman……..AWESOME!
I think you should “waste our time” more often. I dislike the AWO inbox being full almost as much as I hate my inbox being full, so it’s good to see a dent in it.
For the woman who gave 8 episodes until she (might have) quit the show, I give her respect for giving it more than an episode to formulate her opinion.
Still, I find people who want programming that just echoes their view is not healthy. It’s enjoyable, sure, but I love differing opinions! I love to get as many POVs as I can.
I don’t really care what fans call themselves. By the way, I didn’t know until recently that geek is not really a catch-all term. A geek is someone who is heavily into computers. [NUH UH THEY BITE OFF CHICKEN HEADS AT THE CARNIVAL –Daryl]
Yes, that is the oldey-time definition.
[Please don’t enter junk information into the comment fields. Your comments are auto-marked as spam if you do that. –Daryl]
I had to write down some of key quotes from this episode.
“I mean, Gerald has tons of Lolita porn.”
“When did being an otaku turn into being a creepy pedophile?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I know I’m right on this one.”
“Other people like Macross 7. Those people are crazy.”
This is what’s great about Daryl. He has lots of knowledge and is an intelligent guy, but he also has MIC SKILLS.
The side effect of having good mic skills is that you have to be a little crazy sometimes, but not Macross 7 crazy.
Only time will tell how far he can/will take it, but I for one would be happy to hear more solo stuff.
… Just as long as it doesn’t get to the point of him exposing his balls on camera while rapping with Jimmy Hart.
I don’t believe I’ve ever commented here before. Just wanted to say thanks for this Daryl. I’ve been listening for a while and have been slightly bummed that the updates have become less frequent (although I understand that you’re all busy). Personally, I’d be happy with episodes of just news or listener mail without any formal reviews.
Regarding the ‘when did otaku change’ question. I wonder if it’s finding expression now in the prevalence of shows that are about being an otaku in one way or another (or have some element of that like Eden of the East). At least with the inoffensive moe shows (like soranowoto for example) you could conceive of showing them to someone who isn’t an anime fan.
Anyway, keep up the good work. I’m always reminded of AWO whenever I’m debating purchasing my local anime shop’s copy of Brain Powered.
Anime is my primary fandom in life. Gaming is way down the list. And since I barely leave home and hole myself in and watch anime, I think I’m sadly a genuine otaku. And that’s not really something to be proud of. I do have other interests, mind you, but anime is in my head constantly. It’s probably a problem.
Zeta Gundam is my favorite Gundam, nay, favorite mecha anime of all time. I realize the writing is a little inconsistent, especially with casual character interactions, but the atmosphere, plot elements, mechanical design, music, character design, and conclusion are excellent. Of course, you really should watch the original series, or at least the trilogy movies. Quite a bit of Zeta Gundam is dependant on knowing on how the scenario has changed from the original television series. 0080: War in the Pocket has better overall writing, though, I’ll admit, and can be enjoyed by people who’ve never experienced any Gundam before.
Turn A Gundam is one of those shows that, if you’ve never seen past Gundam shows, you can watch it, but longtime Gundam fans will find it more enriching due to its references to old Gundam material.
Zeta Gundam is still the most popular Gundam series of all time, so I don’t know why you get the impression people dislike it now. It’s a small minority of vocal haters in North America. Same with Char’s Counterattack. I can see where some of them are coming from, because Tomino has a definitely “love or hate” style. /m/ did a popularity poll recently and a lot of people seem to still love Zeta. Much more lovers than haters.
Gundam SEED is so lacking in personality. I feel about Gundam SEED what you feel about Outlaw Star. I can barely remember it. Except what I do remember is just bland. Gundam 00 is far superior, because regardless if its flaws, it has some sort of passion in it, and the characters have personalities and charisma.
I know what you’re saying about Gundam Unicorn’s price. I’ve shelled out the money for that, because I’m Gundam’s bitch.
Gundam F91 is good if you watch it with the attitude that it’s a long chase scene.
I’ve been editing together episodes of Gundam ZZ to make it more watchable. If anyone’s interested, they can e-mail me.
Outside of Gundam, I love and would reccommend: Giant Robo, Patlabor: The Mobile Police, Big O, Escaflowne, Shin Mazinger, and Tetsujin-28 (2004). Three of those are Imagawa anime, and Imagawa is an excellent director.
Oh, right. And Evangelion.
By the way, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a better OVA than Giant Robo.
I laughed when you said “Princess Jellyfish is the biography of Clarissa.”
IMO I think one of the greatest mecha OVAs was Hades Project Zeorymer (now you can get BD rips!). Maybe needed two more episodes to flesh out the characters but the late 80’s production values made up for it. [In addition to being pretty yet massively flawed, it’s also years out of print which is why I didn’t mention it as a “watch this if you’re new to mecha anime” title. –Daryl]
Depending on the question, this may not always bring about the ideal response for every question, but I liked the format of this bonus installment. Perhaps it would help you guys make it through your email backlog as well (rumors of this backlog keep me from sending in my own email).
I wouldn’t say the only people keeping the Yu Yu Hakusho flame alive are those into the slash fiction. In my short time of being a fan (4 years), I’ve seen plenty of people who are still into YYH. Maybe it’s because I hang out at the FUNimation boards, but even on ANN, people still think highly of it whenever it’s mentioned. FUNimation keeps re-releasing it for a reason (Blu-ray release coming early next year; can’t wait to see those Atsushi Wakabayashi/Akiyuki Shinbo episodes in HD!).
While understandable, it’s a shame these updates are getting farther and farther apart. I recently became a fan of your show, listening to every numbered episode in about a month and a half. I haven’t agreed with everything you’ve said– the few things that stand out were not knowing who Atsuko Fukushima in your Robot Carnival review was (in short, a great animator) and the bashing of Yoshinori Kanada’s magnum opus, Birth. Kanada’s easily one of the most influential Japanese animators ever, so I couldn’t only listen to more than a few minutes of that review before quitting since it drove me up the wall.
Also, anytime Wolf’s Rain was mentioned, somehow nobody knew (or forgot) that Tensai Okamura was responsible for directing it, not Shinichiro Watanabe. The confusion is understandable since Okamura is kinda still unknown even with all the titles he’s directed and worked on. Those are the only things that stand out in my mind in terms of things that rubbed me the wrong way when I reflect on the show. Oh, and Gerald hating on Kazuki Akane.
With that off my chest, it really has been an enjoyable listen so far. I wouldn’t have made it through all those episodes if I hadn’t enjoyed it. I look forward to more and I agree with the recommendation of somebody trying to make a dent in those e-mails on their own once in a while when all 3 can’t record together.
A surprisingly enjoyable show. It’s impressive that Daryl kept it going so long solo without it becoming boring or going too far off the rails. Plus, answering mail is always interesting. Your hate mail seemed especially crazy.
The most interesting points Daryl made were with regard to anime fan culture (the lack of a canon and therefore of shared ground) and the true nature of otaku (singular obsession).
Also, on mecha: Daryl’s recomendations were pretty good and I’ve certainly followed his advice from past shows. I’ve got into mecha shows recently, and Gundam in particular over the last couple of years, although mainly this year. Just recently I finished the MSG Trilogy (which were oddly placed if pretty good movies) and Zeta Gundam.
I don’t want to say anything about Zeta Gundam that sounds like I’m some kind of low-level forum troll but really, I’m shocked anyone ever considered it the pinnacle of the real robot show. I like parts of it, but it’s also frequently terrible in so many unforgivable ways. I…yes, I shouldn’t really rant in your comment section.
I’ve certainly had a much better experiences with the Gundam OVAs and original movies (plus Turn A).
Thought you might find this funny. While driving home today, I noticed something interesting about the car in front of me. Were you or Gerald visiting Virginia, Daryl?
In response to the hate mail:
You nailed it. She’s part of the AmeriOtaku ™ generation, and her anger is based in the feeling that your (AWO’s) dislike of the anime that DEFINES her, her reason for being, is not that you’re being critical of the shows, but that disliking those shows is a personal attack at her self image. It’s too bad, really.
Speaking of, did Discotek manage to get the second Hokuto no Ken DVD set out on time? The awesome, unstoppable power of Hokuto Shin Ken must always be discussed. 🙂 [It is indeed out. Subtitles are slightly cleaned up from the free streams, box art manages to be uglier than even the first set, but it’s out. –Daryl]
Well, I dunno. I became an otaku in 1982, but it’s not like my first impulse was “now, to properly educate myself by watching the shows of the ’60s and ’70s–whether I like them or not.” There were too many exciting new shows I wanted to see, and I regarded a lot of earlier styles as uncool or even creepy. Sometimes it was the mood rather than the animation or character style style–Captain Harlock spoke to me back then, whereas Yamato didn’t. I liked Giant Gorg, not Gundam.
I was listening to the commentary track on The Venture Brothers season 4, and there was this remark that kids naturally tend to reject the stuff that came from the generation just before them. The ’70s, per se, was something ’80s teenagers like myself made fun of (“groovy, man–bell bottoms forever”)–I didn’t see anyone trying to revive it until “Paul’s Boutique” at the end of the decade. Of course, later on, when you have more perspective, that’s when you can look back and appreciate the work of the past, but when you’re young, you often start by rejecting what just came before.
Daryl, I was also thinking about your remarks about the differences between the way the word “otaku” is understood in Japan and America. In OTAKU NO VIDEO, it’s true that each member of the group has a special interest (anime, tokusatsu, airsoft, puroresu, bishonen), but the first thing they do after Kubo joins the club is to require him to study all their subjects. I don’t know if that was meant to be a joke in of itself (that is, the idea of an otaku who doesn’t focus on a single subject), or whether it also just reflected the culture of Gainax.
If you stop to think about it, ONV presented the idea that otaku socialized with other otaku, not just otaku into the same stuff as them–the important thing, that enabled them to all relate to each other, was to have the otaku outlook. Only Tanaka was presented as an anime otaku per se, yet they all waited in line together for Nausicaa. Maybe the image they present is closer to American fan/con culture than we think? Of course, ONV is also a nearly twenty-year-old portrait of otaku, and the word has been fought over in Japan as well as America.
This was the best [not quite an] episode of AWO ever. Your rant on Gundam was the some of the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. OMG, I’m still laughing right now
In regards to your “hate” mail, the one thing I would say is while I don’t agree with everything you guys say or review I think for the most part you guys have some interesting insight into whatever topic your talking about. Good case in point was a few months back I read an interesting post Daryl made on the ANN forums in regards to Gunsmith Cats and Kenichi Sonoda’s work in general and how looking back he was not really all too impressed. While I personally still love Gunsmith Cats a lot (was my first exposure to anime/manga anything) I still think he made some worthwhile observations that needed addressing, especially pointing out the fact that Sonoda does seemingly have a thing for young children. I mean I love his work and all but Daryl is bang on in pointing this out as flipping through a lot of his character designs his criticisms of Sonoda are pretty obvious (especially in Gall Force). Evan Daryl’s rant on Gundam, while I personally love 0083 and the 08th MS Team for example, I still think his criticisms towards those shows and other Gundam shows have a lot of merit that are worth bringing up.
And while I have not liked or agreed with every recommendation you guys have made on this show (Wings of Honneamise, GaoGaiGar, and Megazone 23 to name a few) I have still checked out a lot of anime I would not have otherwise. Heck because of this podcast you guys have brought up anime I never even heard of or knew existed. Obvious answer here is Giant Robo, but other titles would be The Girl Who Leapt through Time, Monster, and Hajime no Ippo. I mean I had heard of Ippo for years but it was not until you guys pointed out it was released here as Fighting Spirit that I was actually able to find it and pick it up as the two bricks that were released happened to catch my eye at Anime North one year.
Yea i could listen to another Daryl episode anytime. You mentioned you have time to do more, would ever do one about your other interests? I have heard you mention wrestling, Kamen Rider and some martial arts stuff before. I know there’s your stuff on GME but those are random and everytime you are on i really enjoy them.
It would be cool to hear solo episodes from Clarissa and Gerald as well, since all three of you guys vary on opinion that it would be fun to go on uninterrupted.
A personal interests podcast from all three of you would be awesome, or just ramble on about your own favorite anime, directors, soundtracks, game and movie tie-ins, etc.
Hells yeah! Macross Plus, represent!
That is my all-time favorite anime and what I’ve often successfully used as an introduction for people just getting into anime. Short, self-contained, and beautifully done.
Heh, and young fans of Vocaloid will hopefully appreciate her predecessor, Sharon Apple.
Daryl, you do a hell of a job all by yourself. I suggest you do episodes like this more often, when you can’t get together with the other guys. Perhaps even an episode on Texhnolyze.
Thanks for wasting my time!
Thanks for posting something.
thanks for the show, i was afraid it would be the abomination your last solo show was
but this was reserved and informative. thanks!
This was a great episode, though I am sure it would have been better with Clarissa and Gerald, but what can you do.
If nothing else, this episode proved that you, Daryl, or any of your cohorts, could put up a solo episode, and it would be good enough to listen to. The dirty little secret is that after 5 or so years of doing this, you have all gotten really good at it (though I think you were all good from episode 1, but what do I know).
Please keep episodes coming. I’m getting tired of listening to old episodes on my long drives, but you made the episodes so great that I’m not really complaining.
That was actually a great episode! Well paced and you maintained my interest throughout the episode with lots of interesting content. I loved you reading the negative feedback and responding to all her complaints in a mature, rational manner. I respect you for that. Also as my own complaints I’d love more reviews, whether it be old anime or new. I’m glad you guys review a lot of older content for me to dig up but I’d love more new content as well, just so I can see how similar our opinions are about whatever I happen to be watching currently. Also I’d love to hear what other anime podcasts you recommend as I can’t find ANY good ones and you guys don’t post nearly enough episodes. Don’t feel bad though, I listen to 8 hours of podcasts a day so you couldn’t if you tried. Thanks for being a great podcast and come to the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention this year so I can meet you guys in person!
Thanks for this episode, and for #90! I’ve really missed hearing you guys. Great job. Hope everyone is satisfied with their year-end and y’all are getting all up in some well-deserved inspirational relaxational anime/manga personal festival business. Rock on!
Hey Daryl. Long time listener, first time poster. Just wanted to say I thought you did a great one man show. I would not be bored if you ever decided to do another one like this. One last thing for your co-hosts with their busy schedules. You might consider bringing on other podcast guests to fill in for a show once in awhile. Maybe even bring on fans of the show, who of course would have to be vetted by the group. But it might be pretty cool. Like that hater of the show for example she would make an interesting guest-host. Keep rocking, guys.
This comment is coming way late, but i wanted to say that I did actually enjoy this episode. i think if there are scheduling conflicts that are keeping you guys from updating then this sort of thing is a good solution. I’d still say episodes with all three of you are the best, but an episode with only one of you is better than none!
also Daryl is an insane/entertaining man.
Oooooh, you’ve changed the commenting so I no longer have to log in (to blogspot?), nice.
I’m confused as to why you felt the need to apologize or excuse throwing up a show solo. I like Gerald and Clarissa but if we have a choice of having a podcast without them or none at all who would say no? I don’t know your fanbase as well as you might but I have trouble imagining anyone reacting with “What? No Gerald/Clarissa? SCREW THIS!”
So I say do more solo podcasts. Read more email. I think people are here because they find you interesting and entertaining. I don’t see why you have to limit yourself with exact inviolable conditions when you are just fine as is. I thought this “bonus” was excellent and there’s even a humorous neuroticism to you talking by/to yourself. It’s also an interesting brisk pace without the back and forth so I’d definitely like to see more of it. Hell, in all honesty you’re 75% of the reason I listen to this podcast.
Also I think DarthNader’s comment about “Daryl Surat, straight no chaser” would be a great title for your own segment.
P.S. Why do you only reply to people by editing yourself into their posts? Wouldn’t it be easier (to see your responses as well) if you just replied directly?
It was great hearing that overview of the various incarnations of Gundam. I am pretty much a fan of the original UC universe only, but I had no idea how many series there were in that universe that I had not seen. I though it was just the original, 0083, 0080, and the 8th MS Team. By the way, the 8th MS Team is the first show that made me sit up and take notice of anime. Toonami midnight run, baby.
Thx Daryl for posting this bonus episode. Your Gundam rant made me laugh, and i found myself relating to alot of your frustrations with the franchise. I don’t really post much, but just wanted to let you know that i enjoyed everything you had to talk about this time around. A new record in answering emails i think! Sincerest regards from an older anime fan. (39)
Another solid bonus episode, definitely worth listening to.