Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:19:08 — 65.2MB)
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[Once again we are betrayed by this new version of Audacity, which exported the episode in joint stereo rather than mono. If you’re hearing audio in only the left channel or right depending on who’s speaking, redownload the episode. It is corrected now.] It’s been a long time since we answered emails and even longer since we did a convention report, so let’s do both!
Introduction (0:00 – 1:09:34)
If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a 5-star review on either/both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, since we’ve recently been downvoted by a number of people over the previous episode’s news discussion, which knocked us out of the search result listings threshold for those searching for anime podcasts. We dive into the mailbag and answer a variety of questions, many from listeners who have been listening to us since the first episode nearly 20 years ago. Whether you’ve been listening that long yourself or not, we’d love to receive thoughtful email correspondence from you! You can email us at the link on the sidebar, message us on BlueSky, or chat with us on the AWO Discord available to Patreon backers.
We also talk about some anime news items. Anime Herald is celebrating its 15th anniversary by launching a print magazine, which is due for release this coming October. In addition to reprinting eight noteworthy articles from the website’s archives, it will also feature brand-new articles by several noteworthy contributors: Samantha Ferreira (Anime Herald’s founder and Editor-in-Chief), Lynzee Loveridge (Anime News Network), Chiaki Mitama (Anime Feminist), Erica Friedman (Okazu), Red Bard (@RedBardIsCool on YouTube), Borealis Capps (Anime Herald, Yatta-Tachi, Anime Feminist), Lucas DeReuyter (Anime News Network). Also, Daryl is writing an article once he can figure out a catchy title and find some suitable images. The current plan is to release one issue a year, but if there are enough orders they could expand to two issues or even four!
It was a topic of discussion among every anime podcast already, but the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards winners were announced, and the results struck everybody as somewhat puzzling, since the majority of categories were (rather surprisingly) won by the title which happens to be the most publicized title on the entire Crunchyroll website: the fantasy series Solo Leveling, which Crunchyroll reports as the single most watched anime series in all of Crunchyroll’s history, surpassing such titles as Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, and so on. The fanbase for this series, however, does not appear to be as prominently visible as those other ones, though Miles from Anime By the Numbers did note in his analysis The State of Isekai Anime that this is because the viewership for such fare does not actively engage in anime fandom. They do however, appear to know enough about anime fandom to not only be aware of the existence of Crunchyroll, but to pay for a subscription whereupon they rate episodes aired and vote in fan awards. Is the result valid? Is the issue the fact that the Anime Awards differ from traditional awards in that fan voting is weighted on an even 50% with the judges, who number over one hundred (disclaimer: we have been Crunchyroll Anime Awards judges in the past, albeit not this year)?
Con Report: Anime Boston 2025 (1:09:34 – 2:19:08)
It’s been about 14 or 15 years since we last went to Anime Boston, but we returned as guest panelists this year! We go over what we did, who we saw, our impressions of the venue, the dealer’s room, artist’s alley, and so on. Based on this coverage of the Thirty Years Ago: Anime in 1995 panel, Daryl probably did better at his panels than he’s letting on. Keep your eyes posted to our BlueSky accounts as well as the AWO Discord, since we might do extended virtual versions of these panels soon for the benefit of those curious.
Nostalgia is weird for me, since I have memory issues and a poor concept of time. I can’t remember when I started, but it was after seeing an “Anime’s Craziest Deaths” panel and another panel by Gerald and Clarissa at my first Otakon. Been off and on ever since, and have gotten into quite a few anime because of your podcasts, notably Samurai Flamenco and Getter Robo Armageddon. Thanks for keeping it up for so long!