Anime World Order Show # 227 – Not Much Ion Fury but Very Much an Ion Maiden, Featuring Shoujo Sundae

For our first episode of 2024 we are joined by the two cohosts of the Shoujo Sundae podcast (@ShoujoSundae), Giana Luna and Chika Supreme, as we review the manga ION, by Arina Tanemura. Apologies are in order, for despite the episode number, this podcast does not contain Jackée.

Introduction (0:00 – 27:23)
We talk to Chika and Giana about how they first saw anime, how they learned more about it in a pre high-speed Internet era, what brought them to podcasting, and how big of a bullet one dodges when you go to Blockbuster Video as a kid in search of “stuff that looks like Sailor Moon” and end up renting a copy of Perfect Blue. Hashtag relatable.

Otaku In Memoriam: Erik Reiss (27:23 – 32:24)
This year, we’d like to hear more stories about noteworthy anime fans who are no longer around, ideally by people who knew or had interactions with them. If you knew someone and wish to share some memories, record a short memoriam (2-4 minutes) and email them to us so we can put them into later episodes. Or, if you’re like us and aren’t especially comfortable with the sound of your own voice–yeah, that’s us even after all this time–write it up so we can read it on your behalf.

Erik Reiss was one of our earliest guests that we interviewed, and about two months ago he passed away at the age of 54. Along with his also deceased wife Karen Trudeau, Erik was an influential figure in Florida anime fandom so we figured we’d spend a few minutes talking about him. We’re pretty certain that we have listeners who knew him way better, so perhaps this haphazard memoriam will spur activity. As a correction: Anime Festival Orlando was not the first “Florida” anime convention, as the now-defunct Anime Express started three years prior in 1997 over at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and many future Florida anime convention staffers attended. AFO was the first “Central Florida” anime convention.

Review: ION (32:24 – 1:22:09)
Last episode we talked a little bit about Arina Tanemura, and so it’s fitting that we review her professional serial debut: ION, from 1997. It’s a cute, lighthearted sci-fi rom=com that is self-contained in a single volume…well, aside from the single chapter follow-up written 13 years later which is included as a bonus with Volume 8 of Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura.

Always attempt to bend the spoon. It’s possible. There is a spoon.
Tanemura keeps things cute and moving along. [Guy who has only read Kodocha] Getting a lot of Kodocha vibes from this…
Ion is rife with tons of silly gags like this fourth wall-breaking one, from the follow-up bonus chapter included with Sakura Hime.

Anime World Order Show # 225 – 2×2 Ninja Consultant Nonsense Trivia, 2023 Edition

After vanishing–NINJA vanishing–for nearly a decade to start raising a family in NYC, we’re reunited with Erin and Noah of the long-defunct Ninja Consultant podcast (and Livejournal!) for the annual pre-Thanksgiving tradition that is THE TRIVIA EPISODE~!. Lots of new gimmicks this time around, be it game types or the fact that our Patreon supporters at the $5 and up tiers were able to watch this carnage unfold live on video courtesy of our Discord! Just take a gander at what you missed out on.

Introduction (0:00 – 9:51)
Just who are Erin and Noah, anyway? How do we know who they are? What made them fans? These answers would be known to those daring enough to have listened to the earliest episodes, but for the benefit of those of you with lives we ask them to recap matters as best as frazzled parents of two can. Why, they didn’t even mention how they got married on the Vomit Comet by Lord British! AND THANK GOD FOR THAT. Claims that certain cosplay incidents never happened are to be taken semi-spuriously.

Trivia: The Um…Trivianing (9:51 – 25:43)
The initial warm-up round is the usual AWO Trivia episode shenanigans and hijinks. You know the drill: there’s categories that very accurately describe the content of the questions to be answered, and then everybody gets asked stuff and objects the entire time.

Name That Tune: This Time, Actually Working Edition (25:43 – 1:25:00)
Last year, Gerald attempted this without testing everything correctly, but not to worry! THIS year, he’s got all the sound clips up and running. The catch is that unlike most Anime Name That Tune offerings you’d see at a convention, these are all instrumental tracks! Thrill and marvel as the gang doesn’t know the melody to the extremely popular for decades global hits you adore!

Anime Family Feud: Team AWO vs Team Ninja Consultant (1:25:00 – 2:31:34)
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! 150 wackadoos were surveyed for a variety of thrilling anime-related responses, and it’s a race to see which of us can correctly guess what the heck you maniacs said…which was at times ridiculously off the mark and at other times ridiculously on POINT. While everybody else is of the Steve Harvey persuasion, Daryl grew up more of a Ray Combs guy, with a bit of Richard Dawson sprinkled in. The buzzer sound effect has been adjusted to suit. The survey SAYS…?