Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:21:49 — 37.5MB)
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As a result of donations sent in via his Twitch channel, Daryl was tasked with reviewing an anime selected by those who donated. The decision was unanimous: Ben-To.
Introduction (0:00 – 34:30)
We’re coming up on ten years of anime podcasting, roughly half of which has been on other podcasts. On that note: look forward to Daryl on this week’s ANNCast! People continue to discover the old episodes every day, and so we’re asked to reflect upon how anime conventions have changed since we started going to them. As such, now is a good time to note that Daryl has panels next week at Anime Weekend Atlanta: “Thirty Years Ago – Anime in 1985” on Friday then the “Stupid Video Panel OF DOOM!” on Saturday. For those unable to make it out to Atlanta, he’ll also be appearing live from the show floor courtesy of Crunchyroll to do an abridged version of the Anime 1985 panel.
Review: Ben-To (34:30 – 1:21:49)
This was a series that completely went under Daryl’s radar, for reasons detailed in the review. In fact, he forgot it ever existed. What is Ben-To about? What kind of show is it? None of this was known beforehand, but the donations ticker made Daryl honor-bound to find out. Just think: YOU could be responsible for the next one, in the event there ever is a next one. We recommend that if you do want to force Daryl to watch something that it should be a title which is cool that we just haven’t gotten around to reviewing yet, since that’s the only way you’ll be likely to get your donation’s worth.
You can legally view the entire streaming either in Japanese or English audio courtesy of either Hulu or FUNimation’s website, free of charge. Piracy being what it is, neither of those sites are the first result if you type “watch ben-to” into Google, so support legal streaming options whenever you can.
I had no idea Air Master was in a way related. That’s so great! Glad you had fun with it. Would have been great if you would have mentioned the music in the show was by Taku Iwasaki, who also composed the music for Gurren Lagann. Great to find out more about one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
I can confirm, as I spent the past summer living in Tokyo, that the half-price bento rush is brutal. I know for a fact that I gave at least one old lady a black eye, and I was headbutted in the stomach multiple times. It’s a brutal game.
Hella good review as usual, peeps! The UK’s Neo Mag kept tooting the Ben-To horn a couple of moons ago, alongside WataMote. Being a glutton and a gamer at the same time, I find this show simultaneously entertaining and delicious. I have a feeling a certain Super Robot Wars character is gonna request the next review…
If this is how we get new episodes from you guys, I am totally okay with this.
This anime sounds like a lot of fun. Being that I’m a fan of Sega, I gotta check this one out soon.
Love hearing you guys talk about your convention experiences.
I agreed to your guys reasons for going to cons these days as someone that is in the older age crowd demographic. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I naturally decided that since I like anime so much, and I happen to find myself complaining that people at cons don’t know about X or Y title, why not just do a panel and talk about it!
I feel that cons need that “old guard” to be present at cons to do panels, so that newer anime fans come in and know more about anime than they already did. From there, you are able to reach that 1 out of 100 in a panel that will later take your place as being the next generation “old guard” at the con down the road. I am at the point where I get more joy being a contributor to a convention than to be a consumer, and panels are the best way for me to do that. And of course, I do too have the mindset of “Oh, I can do better than that guy!”
And it doesn’t contribute to anything if you are that old scabby bastard that goes to cons to get drunk and be pissed off at everyone and everything, because those people need to be at a point where they need to share their anime information than to continue being an entitled leech to their needs.
Wonderful episode. I wasn’t aware that Daryl had a Twitch channel, I might have to tune into that sometime, despite not being all that into newer games, just to get a little more’o Daryl.
Daryl got a lot of mileage out of Ben-To for the review, which is rather impressive for a show which there’s really not that much to. I think you nailed it completely; the show has just enough fun going for it to make it worth the watch if the synopsis interests you. The very nice presentation and the uniqueness of the premise makes it stand out. I’m not saying it’s an excellent show, but is certainly is more (and different) than a cursory glance at the promotional art would lead you to think.
Never met or heard of someone else who’s even HEARD of Chameleon Circuit, before. Awesome. And they have two albums.
I strangely desire to watch Phi Brain just because of Clarissa’s laugh-reaction to Daryl’s explanation.
Daryl thank you for reviewing Ben-to as well as the depth in which and what way you did. Food Wars did cross my mind as I listened to your review. I do agree about the bit you said with judging anime by its cover. That is a great solid rule of thumb when it comes to anime and manga. I am going to run Ben-to by my boyfriend. It sounds like a decent fun action anime and he did enjoy the ridiculousness of Food Wars.
I don’t mind typing noises in the background.
Love you guys; AWO.
Victoria
Reminded a few months back my town played host to an anime con that took place downtown at a convention center ( http://glasscitycon.com/ ). I thought of going there but thought, given my age and interests, I wouldn’t fit in very well or find much interest at all among a younger generation already getting into this stuff. You kinda struck a chord there with suggesting the generation gap being what separates guys like me and those just getting into high school. It’s certainly growing wider by the year.
Hearing about “Ben-To”, it sounds like quite an interesting gem to look into though I’m not much into the fanservice stuff but glad ti doesn’t get pushed too far (and given how it was marketed, I can see why it would seem passable given the circumstances). Not much of a Sega person though, but do understand the horror of Black Friday well. Might be up my alley if they tackle an early Sega hit like Zaxxon or Congo Bongo (showing my age)!