Robots – Page 20 – Anime World Order Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:39:44 — 45.7MB)

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We thought we would be able to line up some guests to do the next review we had planned. That didn’t work out, so we’re recording this IN HASTE. Clarissa had a grad school conference to attend and thus couldn’t make this recording. Daryl has articles overdue…and thus, is here! As such, Gerald is telling everybody the (bad) news and reviewing Gdgd Fairies.

Introduction (0:00 – 33:18)
A little over half an hour means that we were able to answer a single listener email about mecha. This spirals out of control to be about the evolution of fans and the method by which we consume and interact with entertainment. If people are going to get really mad at us over this episode, or rightfully brand us as woefully out of touch and obsolete–the pitiful death rattles of a dying breed–it’ll be because of this segment. To be fair, we’re not completely dead, just spiritually.

Let’s News! (33:18 – 1:11:21)
That’s still better than everything we talk about here, which is entirely dead, like Toren Smith! An insensitive segue for insensitive people, so read the tribute posts by Jonathan Clements and Lea Hernandez to get a better understanding of who the man was and what he did for all of us.

On the digital comics distribution side of things, the website JManga is also shutting down at the end of this month. Their on-site announcement is here, but that link will soon be dead. Yuri manga publisher ALC Publishing is also closing up shop, after 13 years of doing everything one could reasonably ask of a publisher.

Review: gdgd Fairies (1:11:21 – 1:37:31)
Gerald forgot his talent for making zany, off-the-wall comedies sound really dull because that Cromartie review was forever ago, so he’s back at it again as he tells us about Kotaro Ishidate and Sota Sugahara‘s inspired bit of madcap genius that is gdgd Fairies. Between this, Inferno Cop, Straight Title Robot Anime, and How to Enjoy Anime 100 Times More Spring 2013 marks the completion of the early-era Williams Street soul transfer from Adult Swim to random dudes in Japan. You’ll just have to watch it. We’ve encountered reports of people saying that the Magical Spring Dubbing Lake sucks, but remember: those people are COMMIES.

Closing (1:37:31 – 1:39:44)
It’s not really a closing segment. It doesn’t even end with saying “goodbye.” It just ends. Daryl figured he should let people know of his foray into anime blogging courtesy of his guest post at the Golden Ani-Versary of Anime blog in which he wrote about the anime of 1980. Having had no real experience writing for the web, the article he submitted was split into thirds:

1980, Part 1: Anime’s “Golden Age” Was Built on Content Otaku Overlook
1980, Part 1.5: Anime IS…Huh. Actually Lots Of It Is Kid’s Stuff
1980, Part 2: What Anime Bloggers Would Typically Say About It

If you must know, the content of the deleted post by “Lord Cuntington” was “Daryl Surat hates evil whitey. Rise up darkies and kill the white man!” Visual novel fans whom we’ve never spoken to or interacted with are suspected.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:20:25 — 36.9MB)

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Another new year, another set of broken promises from us. No, we didn’t get a final recording out before the end of 2012. But we’re back, and this time Daryl reviews Kids on the Slope. To his surprise.

Due to new iTunes requirements (and by “new” we mean “six months old”), we’ve changed our iTunes logo to be one of the various high-res, NOT made in MS Paint logos we’ve got. Due to WordPress upgrades, we’ve had to switch the podcasting plugin we used for all these years. The older posts will display the player twice, but the player and download link should now display on EVERY post, regardless of if you are viewing a permalink or are looking via the frontpage. If you are still not seeing the download links, let us know. (Also, if you can make us a short looping motion graphic that we can use for our “post the audio reviews to Youtube” aspiration, because that still shot stuff is CLYDESVILLE and AWO is the podcast that SWINGS, baby.)

Introduction (0:00 – 23:30)

We’ve had a lot of guest appearances on other podcasts recently. Daryl was on the ANNCast along with Mike Toole to talk about…lots of anime stuff, then was on The Speakeasy podcast discussing the merits of watching anime weekly vs in marathon sessions / in groups vs alone, and then both Daryl and Gerald were on the Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast to discuss The FP.

Our replies to this episode’s emails probably aren’t what everyone who wrote in was hoping for. Those looking to professionally write about anime like we do…may not necessarily have as easy a time. On that note, check out the Otaku USA picks for “best anime of 2012” and expect some more ruminations on Getter Robo there real soon. The rest have us pondering our mortality as we direct listeners to previous episodes we recorded when they would have been in the third grade (specifically, this review of Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid), and contemplate whether anyone else who isn’t our age can actually give a crap about Macross: Do You Remember Love? given all that’s transpired since.

Review: Kids on the Slope (23:30 – 1:20:25)
First off: our mistake. Kids on the Slope isn’t actually out on home video in the US just yet. It’s still about four months out. For now, you can view the entire series free of charge, legally, via the streaming site Crunchyroll. It amazes us how many people still use bootleg streaming sites, but to their credit many anime fans still don’t know which sites are legit and which aren’t. Out of practice and without notes or preparation, Daryl found himself having to improvise free-form in doing this review. But maybe that’s okay considering this show is about improvisational jazz. Also, cranking up the Maybe They’re Gay beyond the level of “Awesome” straight to the josei-default level of “Internet.” Given the staff pedigree–one needn’t say more than “from the makers of Cowboy Bebop”–this was one of the most watched simulcasts of last year. But how’s it compare? Time to meet the Buddha.

While you’re waiting for the next episode to come out, check out The Golden Ani-Versary of Anime, as co-ordinated by the really interesting to stare at Geoff Tebbetts. He’s conscripted a team of bloggers, podcasters, and other anime luminaries to write posts dedicated entirely to one year of anime, starting with 1963 (the debut of Astro Boy TV) and culminating with 2013. So far, they’re up to 1970. In one month’s time, they’ll be on 1980…which is the year they convinced Daryl to write about. Given that he’s never actually done any anime blogging before, perhaps he should be writing that now instead of 3 weeks from now…