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This episode probably sets some sort of AWO record for going off-topic, so if you find yourself wondering “when are they going to actually talk about anime” then you are encouraged to consult the timecodes. Gerald reviews Witchblade (which he repeatedly paid money to own), Daryl reviews Strait Jacket (probably the newest thing he’s ever done), and Clarissa reviews Moyashimon.
And since we forgot to throw the links in last time, Daryl was a guest on Destroy All Podcasts DX and talked about Macross Frontier. The conversation took a while, so it was split into two parts entitled Side A and Side B. Daryl was also on the Greatest Movie EVER! podcast yet again, this time to talk about Doomsday.
Intro (0:00 – 32:45)
Since every single anime podcast out there talks a whole lot about videogames, we thought we’d give it a shot ourselves for a few minutes. But as it turns out, none of us are actually PLAYING anything despite owning decades worth of console/PC games, right up to the present. Email-wise, we talk about the scarcity of the Imaginasian DVDs, Helen McCarthy reports on how her Osamu Tezuka exhibit turned out, and a Japanese listener offers us some additional clarification regarding our earlier comments made during the review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by directing us to a Japanese language interview with the director, Mamoru Hosoda. We also plug our appearances at SITACon (which at the time of writing is happening RIGHT NOW) as well as EXPCon (the panel creation for which begins immediately now that this podcast is out, and then Otaku USA deadlines are immediately after THAT).
Let’s News! (32:45 – 1:12:09)
Cartoon Network has bid farewell to the Toonami block after all these years, which puts us on a quite lengthy tangent regarding the television industry, advertising, and our disdain for same. Not that we didn’t already know it, but Vertical’s manga sales for non-Tezuka works aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. Additionally, some of the old Bandai Visual titles that were scheduled to be released at absolutely outrageous prices are now slated for releases with somewhat less outrageous prices, and the Moyashimon manga has been licensed.
Promo: Rocket Punch! The Podcast (1:12:09 – 1:13:22)
Rocket Punch! is a podcast about videogames and cartoons, and some of those cartoons are anime! What is also just for the record: Inspector Gadget’s no robot. Inspector Gadget is a cyborg.
Review: MILFBlade Witchblade (1:13:22 – 1:37:25)
Now for a Gonzo show that, like every single other Gonzo show ever made, completely changes its focus a few episodes in. Gerald takes a look at a show for which the best thing he can say about it is that “he didn’t dislike it for the reasons he thought he would.” In a revolutionary move, Gerald ends up disliking the show for completely DIFFERENT reasons then what he thought originally. But we know why you’re here: screen caps!
Hey boys and girls, what does this scene from the opening of Witchblade remind you of? Think hard…
The requisite “butt blood” shot, so often seen in anime. Remember this is still the opening sequence, so this show knows how to hold an audience.
This is roughly 10 seconds into the first episode. Usually the red cord has a very specific meaning in Japan. Here I’m pretty sure is NO exception.
That’s David Riley-level ass there!
Amaha has got junk pretty much in the hood AND the trunk. Erm, MASANE Amaha to be specific.
Here’s the pervert machine that is the predominant enemy in the first part of the show, complete with…
…pumping pistons, which are completely NOT sexual.
It’s hard to see in this screencap, but I promise you there’s a robot dick about to meet its end.
Theeeeere we go!
And here is where we finally see what we were paying for, at least for the first disc.
And that very important highlighting. Makes me wonder if any animators got in trouble for not putting ENOUGH highlighting in?
I PROMISE you that is NOT pubic hair on her crotch…I think.
And I PROMISE you that is, umm, robot blood? Eh, whatever…
Actually, at this point, you can think it’s whatever you want! Also note the very slutty tongue piercing. Don’t lie, they have only ONE use!
Promo: Anime HACK (1:37:25 – 1:37:50)
Jason Michael is a man with two first names that was a cool bro for attending at least one of our Saturday night panels at AWA, and since he emailed us his promo, we are now playing it! They are a podcast that for over a year has reviewed titles such as Rozen Maiden, Love Hina, and other detestable titles so we don’t have to! Actually, they’re not all detestable. If Jason’s reading this, two bits of advice: one, don’t have your embedded Pickle Players auto-load the MP3s, because when you have multiple podcast posts per page it ends up downloading like 5 files at once thus slowing down the connection of anyone who checks the site. Two, when you mix in music, turn the volume WAY DOWN.
Promo: Pop Rocks and Soda (1:37:50 – 1:39:30)
That is RIGHT. Two promos one after the other (due to errant pasting). This is quite obviously done in one take with little to no script, but with the US presidential election mere days away, we thought it best to do everything in our power to encourage other podcasts to create attack ads against us which we will then run ON THIS VERY PODCAST. This was actually sent to us six months ago, but instead of sending an MP3 they sent us a Garage Band project. All of us use Windows! If you’re not entirely sure what this podcast is about based on the promo, here is their Myspace page.
Review: Strait Jacket (1:39:30 – 2:03:50)
For once in his life, Daryl reviews a title that just came out. Strait Jacket is the latest “short OAV edited together to form a movie” from Manga Video, which is quite the miracle considering that it’s 2008 and OAVs are hardly made any more. Everything about this feels like a typical 90s OAV production, which in this day and age is like an oasis in the desert. This will be airing on the Sci-Fi Channel this month as part of their Ani-Monday programming block. Its running time is 75 minutes, and while we’d like to hope that means it’d air in a 90 minute block after commercials, based on what we just said in the news segment we wouldn’t be surprised if they ran 45 minutes of commercials in there.
Promo: Spiraken Manga Review (2:03:50 – 2:04:33)
Ed Chavez better watch his back because he’s not the only manga-centric podcast on the block no mo’! May-san and Xan (what about Xzar? Either his voice is ambrosia or he’s the alpha and omega) get bonus points from us for immersing themselves into just manga rather than manga plus anime [plus videogames] or what have you. However, those bonus points are REVOKED due to the fact that they reviewed Chibi Vampire AND Rosario+Vampire. So the only bonus points they get to keep are the ones they got for saying we are awesome.
Review: Moyashimon: Tales of Agriculture (2:04:33 – 2:24:20)
As the voicemails for this episode demonstrate, we’re all a bunch of egotists. Clarissa reviews the entirely too short TV series Moyashimon, which is about going to agricultural college and getting so constantly shitfaced that you can perpetually see bizarre giant yet cute versions of bacteria all around you. Judging from Florida A&M attendees, this is a perfectly accurate portrayal of agricultural college life. The anime has yet to be licensed, but the manga release is impending thanks to Del Rey. Watch and learn all about the joys of fermentation!
The many microbes of Moyashimon. Aspergillus Oryzae, Japan’s national micro-organism, is the little yellow guy front and center.Closing (2:24:20 – 2:28:55)
It was not until WARP Anime’s PAC report that it dawned on us that Christian is in fact the chair of PAC. We figured Mara was in charge of everything, just like how she’s in charge of everything else BA-DA-BING! Next time on AWO, we’re taking Spiraken’s words to heart and reviewing only manga titles. Gerald is reviewing the Vertical release of Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo, Daryl is reviewing the greatest otaku tale ever told aka Ressentiment, and Clarissa’s shooting you up with Part 4 of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.