Category: Streaming Titles

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Anime World Order Show # 216 – Everything We Say About Japanese History Is Wrong

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:44:39 — 48.0MB)

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If your downloaded episode 216 is just episode 215, please delete and then redownload the episode from your podcast app. There was a typo in the RSS feed that we fixed immediately, but it didn’t propagate to the podcast directories for two hours.

We meant to release this in January but uh, didn’t. Anyway, this time around Gerald reviews the latest film from Masaaki Yuasa, Inu-Oh from 2021 (though it didn’t come out in Japan/USA until 2022).

Introduction (0:00 – 48:02)
For all our high-falutin’ talk about how we’re the podcast that primarily talks about Japanese cartoons and comics, the first 16 minutes or so of this episode is spent talking about Shin Ultraman when we are decidedly people who know EXTREMELY LITTLE about Ultraman specifically let alone kaiju and tokusatsu in the general sense. After that, we get around to what we’re currently watching/just finished watching as far as seasonal streaming titles go.

Promo: Right Stuf Anime (48:02 – 51:57)
We talk a lot about the weekly specials Right Stuf has, but it’s worth noting that even their regular prices are generally the best deals for things. Now that the 10th and final volume is released, pick up the Maison Ikkoku: Collector’s Edition manga. As far as classic anime goes, the TV series collectio for the classic sports shojo series Aim For the Ace is also finally available! We were so used to just calling her “Ochofujin” that it took us a second to get used to the fact that it translates to “Madame Butterfly.”

Review: Inu-Oh (51:57 – 1:44:39)
Gerald reviews the latest film from Masaaki Yuasa, which reminds Daryl of the times in the earlier years of the podcast when his trying to convince people to watch his works was a grueling uphill battle. Check out the Review Index for those really old reviews of Mind Game, Kemonozume, Kaiba etc. if you’re interested in being mad at us. Well, more mad than usual anyway. This one is distributed in the US by GKIDS, so expect a lot more availability than you’d usually see for an anime title. There’s a good chance it’ll be carried in brick-and-mortar stores, but if you’re a pal you will of course buy Inu-Oh on Blu-Ray/DVD via our Right Stuf affiliate link!

  • The GKIDS trailer for Inu-Oh, which includes a pull quote from general entertainment industry news site TheWrap declaring it “the best feudal Japanese hair-metal-demonic-curse-serial-killer-political-tragedy=rock-opera of the year”
  • YouTube has several videos of people demonstrating the biwa being played. This and this are but a few examples. No, we don’t know the difference between the biwa and the shamisen.
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Anime World Order Show # 210 – Finally, a WCW We Can All Be Proud Of

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:14:56 — 34.5MB)

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With Otakon 2022 nearly upon us (we’ll be there and have panels), Clarissa reviews 2014’s Witch Craft Works, a 12-episode adaptation of Ryu Mizunami’s recently-completed manga, the entirety of which is now available in English both digitally as well as in print.

Introduction (0:00 – 35:22)
We actually remembered to read an email for a change! An intrepid listener weighs in with thoughts on Gundam 00, intrigued by our review of the series back in 2017. This leads to a brief aside regarding the subject of tokusatsu that is available on free streaming, and at this point we would like to make it clear that none of us is an expert in tokusatsu. Fortunately, there are now dedicated communities and channels for that, so our half-baked thoughts on the subject needn’t be the definitive word. The question of what is and isn’t streaming changes rapidly; about 90 titles just vanished without warning from HiDive about two weeks ago. The most notable of which was Legend of the Galactic Heroes, which was only down for a few hours before reappearing, but it goes to show that there’s no guarantee of streaming availability. Incidentally, Gerald has finally gotten around to watching Angel Cop, just shy of 15 years after Daryl’s old review. Unlike back then, now we have Angel Cop in full native HD with accurate subtitles!

Oh yeah, we’ll be at Otakon 2022. Daryl has “Thirty Years Ago: Anime in 1992” at 12:45 PM on Friday in the AMV Theater, and Gerald is presenting “A Sophisticatedly Unsophisticated Look at Fan Service (18+)” Sunday 12:15 AM in Panel 7. See you there, and remember to wear a new N95 and bring proof of COVID-19 vaccination!

Promo: Right Stuf Anime (35:22 – 38:30)
It’s the last week of the 35th birthday sale, so pick up some comics and cartoons while they’re on steep discount. You may also want to start saving up for some upcoming ultra fancy edition box sets, because as was announced earlier this month, we are finally getting the Macross sequels on Blu-Ray in the United States. Right Stuf will be handling releases of Macross 7, Macross Frontier, and Macross Delta, while Animeigo will be bringing over Macross II (listen to our old review here) and Anime Limited/AllTheAnime will be releasing Macross Plus on Blu-Ray in the US. Hmm, aren’t there other Macross titles which could stand for a Blu-Ray release in the US? We’ll have to wait and see if any further announcements get made, but for now we note that there is a Bigwest panel at Otakon Saturday morning…

Review: Witch Craft Works (38:30 – 1:14:56)
Clarissa takes point on reviewing this action-comedy series from 2014 about the virtues of having a tall, long-haired, big-boobed magical girlfriend carry you around everywhere and beat up everybody who tries to mess with you.

We were going to title this episode this, but decided it’d raise hopes that we were reviewing a different type of show.
Despite being an encapsulation of 2010s otaku tropes, Witch Craft Works foresaw the 2022 otaku squad goals.

There has not (thus far) been a US release of the series on a physical media format. For now, you can still watch the series on Crunchyroll (minus the bonus OVA episode and Japan Blu-Ray exclusive chibi short segments). I suppose it wouldn’t be out of place in the other WCW for there to be a storyline where all the ladies are after a guy for his “white stuff.” I mean, that explains Torrie Wilson and David Flair at least, right?

Totally not a harem show.

Although this anime only adapts about 6 or so volumes worth of the manga, which ran for 17 volumes, we’d say that the series covers most of the major action that happens. Still, in true Ah/Oh My Goddess! fashion, the artwork remains exceptional as the magical girlfriend hijinks hamster wheel spins in place, and the series is now fully available in both print as well as digital.

Totally not gender swap Todoroki before Todoroki existed.