Anime World Order Show # 156 – Interdimensional Hipster Beards Abound

After saying we’d do it back during our Garzey’s Wing review and then proceeding to put it off for nearly six years due to fear (hmm, only 56 episodes in six years…), the time has finally come. We’re joined once again by The Internet’s Mike Toole, now Editor-at-Large for the Anime News Network and still the biweekly author of The Mike Toole Show to talk about the six-part ONA series The Wings of Rean.

Introduction (0:00 – 19:54)
We catch up with Mike and quickly summarize what he’s been up to these last five years. Of course, mere days after this episode was recorded, Mike got another “real-world” job so WE ARE ALREADY OUT OF DATE THANKS A LOT JERK. Seriously though, here’s hoping this one lets him work regular human hours (as opposed to the Ajin: Demi-Human hours he typically works). In the email box, we try–and ultimately fail–to solve an all-too common problem one of our listeners has…because we basically all have the exact same problem! I guess the “know-it-all” tag is more of a Bullwinkle J. Moose style “Mr. Know-It-All” one more than anything!

Promo: Right Stuf Anime (19:54 – 21:36)
Every day for the month of July 2017, as part of their Birthday Sale, Right Stuf has some massive discounts to check out. Every day there’s also a Mega Deal, so be sure to check every day since the Mega Deal is more often than not for something lots of people actually WANT. But then there’s what WE’RE reviewing! For you see, each volume of The Wings of Rean is a staggering 90% off as part of this sale! Behold the majesty: Wings of Rean DVD 1, Wings of Rean DVD 2, and Wings of Rean DVD 3 can all be yours to own, cherish, and inflict upon your friends and loved ones for pennies on the dollar! No doubt you’ll all rush on over to buy it after hearing…

Review, Or Something, Maybe, I Guess: The Wings of Rean (21:36 – 1:32:25)
I don’t remember what happened during this time. After asking around, none of us remember anything that was said. It can only be assumed that this audio is an accurate representation of the experience of watching venerated Mobile Suit Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s latest venture into his fantasy realm of Byston Well, which he vowed to be handled better than Garzey’s Wing. Did he succeed, or is it just a twice-as-long version of Garzey’s Wing minus the legendary bad dub? And why has nobody in all this time bothered to steal our thunder on The Wings of Rean? Or did they and we just can’t remember?

Conclusion (1:32:25 – 1:36:09)
Otakon is a month away, so just in case we don’t get another episode out in time, we’ll all be in attendance and doing panels. Check the schedule or our Twitter feeds for days and times once they’re available. Next time, whenever that may be given that there’s also an Otaku USA deadline coming up, Daryl will review the 2001 theatrical anime adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis. Look forward to it!

Anime World Order Show # 154 – No Way Would Mandrake Be a Defender of the Earth

Since we’ve got to spend most of June working on panels, we’ll try and knock out an episode or two this month. This time around, Clarissa reviews the relatively recent anime series Flying Witch, for which print editions of the manga have just started to be released in English.

Introduction (0:00 – 17:00)
In the wake of the Gundam 00 episode, Gerald wishes it known that he doesn’t hate all Gundam as long as the great and mighty Yoshikazu Yasuhiko worked on it and Yoshiyuki Tomino did not work on it. This YAS admiration does not however, extend to the Yoshikazu Yasuhiko-est title of all, Giant Gorg. We’ve also met the latest donations goal, and so we’ll soon have to pick from one of the donor suggestions for a future episode…the release of which is to be determined!

You can read the translations of the decades-past Yoshiyuki Tomino & Hideaki Anno interview that we were referring to here. These tend to get archived on this Tumblr account as well.

Promo: Right Stuf Anime (17:00 – 18:35)
The current sale as of the time this episode is out actually has the first volume of Flying Witch on sale, and the original Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy is now available on Blu-Ray! How’s THAT for expert timing, huh?!

Review: Flying Witch (18:35 – 47:32)
Realizing that we haven’t reviewed any “iyashikei”/”healing” anime in several years, Clarissa reviews this one from 2016. It’s about the joys of rural life and magic, and how this is all a stealth propaganda effort by THE GUBMINT to stem the depopulation crisis of the Japanese countryside. This invariably leads to (no spoiler) discussion about Attack on Titan, for obvious reasons. Listen, reviewing shows that aren’t heavy on plot, characterization, and stuff happening is HARD, okay?!