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 # 226 – The Second, and Perhaps Ultimate, Holiday Roundup

We’re finally legal, for this episode of AWO marks the start of our 18th year of anime podcasting! Let’s celebrate with another holiday roundup of anime Christmas episodes, organized from “least evocative of Wham’s Last Christmas” to…MOST EVOCATIVE~!

Even the least Whamaggedon of anime Christmas episodes we selected still involves an impending death from throat cancer right at the cusp of reaching adolescence.
The AWO sympathizes with Mineta–just this once–regarding the dangers of receiving a framed vanity photo during the Christmas party gift exchange.
Astro Boy wishes you all a “Mary X mas.”
It’s no small feat to make suspenders look cool on someone instead of making them a colossal Melvin, but Akemi Takada character designs pull it off.