Previously Asked Questions

Over the decades, we’ve been asked several questions by listeners and given several responses. A great deal of these responses are not exactly factual or comprehensive on account that they’re answered extemporaneously and without prior research. Some answers given may very well be things we no longer believe. But we did at least say them once upon a time, so we’ll own up to that much, at least.

Who are we? Why are we doing this?

How did Daryl and Gerald first meet? (26:28)

Have you ever thought of broadcasting some of your panels shows or at least making some of the notes/sources available for those unable to attend? (18:20)

Genre, theme, and general recommendations:

What are some examples of shows that military otaku watch and enjoy? (08:45)

Do you know any good shows to introduce to non-watchers turn into people who have actual interest in Japan? (31:11)

Is there any good horror anime? (07:46)

Do you have any giant robot recommendations? (50:39)

I want to know where do I start with a good “real” giant robot show? (08:10)

Can you recommend a book on studying anime from an academic perspective? (17:19)

What are your favorite comedy anime? (22:52)

Are there any other somewhat older nonsense comedies like Ippatsu Kikimusume and Sexy Commando you recommend? (05:18)

What do you guys think is a good anime to show your girlfriend on a date if she doesn’t watch anime? (03:21)

What are some good anime to show to 10 year-old child? Preferably featuring cats. (16:02)

I am thrilled to hear about James Bond influences in anime. (05:26)

I was hoping for a suggestion on some newer manga and anime, specifically space opera. (16:06)

I was wondering if you could recommend more anime and manga where guys with huge eyebrows frown a whole lot and glare at stuff. (13:50)

Can you recommend romance shows like Magic Users Club? (16:40)

What is your opinion on long running shows? Are there any worth watching? (06:55)

Would you happen to know of any other old school anime series that we could recommend to casual anime fans? (12:00)

I want to know more anime with (noteworthy) narrators. (12:25)

Can you recommend any other anime that has similar staff changes from episode to episode (like Bubblegum Crisis and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi) (17:21)

Request: A short list of manga of varying styles. (01:27)

Definition of seinen and suggestions of good seinen anime/manga. (06:13)

What other movies, short films, and OVAs can you recommend for us? We like to watch terrible things. (19:00)

Could you recommend a short list of super robot shows that will blow my mind? (04:20)

Recommendations for someone who likes Kazuma Kodaka’s manga like Sex Therapist and Kizuna. (17:07)

I was wondering if you can give me a list of good mecha shows? I’ve never really watched them in my life. I was wondering if you could also tell me which Gundam series are good and which series are not. (52:21)

What horror anime have impacted you the most? (02:50)

What are some of your favorite manga you would recommend for someone with a short attention span? Whether they are one shots, just relatively short, or maybe something where the volumes are self-contained. (05:08)

Is there any BL that you can recommend to a gay guy? (17:43)

What kind of shows would be OK to watch with my dad? (18:37)

Could you mention to me shows, OVAs; anime that focus on the mecha themselves? (04:08)

Any recommendations on anime with well written dialogue? (05:20)

I want to start getting into Macross. Since I have only started Do You Remember Love and the newer series from a few years ago (Frontier). Where do I start? What about the other mecha shows? (10:20)

Do you have any other atrocities I can show in my anime club like Garzey’s Wing and M.D. Geist? (07:03)

Any sports shows/manga you could recommend to me? (01:33)

Is there anything else out there like Jin-roh? (02:49)

Are there any good series about wrestling? (15:45)

Is there any manga like Violence Hero Riki-Oh? (15:45)

Are there any other shows, books, or media in general (like Aoi Honoo) that y’all know that can give a fan’s perspective of an otaku world of yesteryear? (01:36)

If you could suggest some shows that are intelligent, story-driven, and not fanservice filled, and mature; I would be thankful. (10:20)

I would like to read and watch some more yuri (for an adult lesbian). (10:30)

Could you recommend anime, preferably dubbed, for children around 8 years old? (03:21)

Having now spent 150+ episodes and a movie in the world with the characters of Fist of the North Star, I find myself not sure where to turn next. What to watch next. Do you have any suggestions of where I should start and in what order should I watch? (30:52)

Could you compile a go-to list of iyashikei anime recommendations? (20:03)

Are there any TV shows, films, or anime for my (anime) research? Anything on Tubi would be great. (09:30)

What anime can be shown to middle school students? (20:16)

Anime & Culture

Is American media entertainment more mature than anime? (02:07)

Is the decline of science fiction in anime connected to its decreasing mass appeal? (23:14)

Is the age of anime coming to an end? (11:09)

I feel like the United States is the default enemy in anime. Does this trend actually exists? Does this view reflect a larger trend among the Japanese people or just the viewpoint of some Japanese creators? (16:42)

What do you think of the viewing patterns of modern fans in the streaming era? (05:23)

Do you have any opinions on the effect of the Chinese government censorship on the entertainment we consume? (10:43)

Individual preferences and views

What are your opinions on cyberpunk anime? (16:01)

Do you guys have any favorite openings or endings? (01:43)

Which do you think is better: anime or manga? (36:30)

What are your favorite anime songs? (25:30)

How do you feel about slice of life shows? (41:37)

Do you enjoy marathoning a show or do you prefer to watch a few episodes at a time? (06:10)

What anime have you watched this year (2007) have the best extras? (23:18)

What elements/factors do you guys believe to be important to consider yourself anime-literate? (05:18)

What are your favorite genres? (31:08)

What are your top five anime series? Maybe your top five manga too. (08:40)

What anime movie have you seen the most? (17:00)

Have you ever got into trouble to get your anime fix? (12:28)

What are your top five English dubs? (11:34)

What is the anime or manga which has insulted your intellect as a human being with its writing to the greatest extent? (04:52)

What is your opinion on the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths prefectural law? (02:50)

Do you have any favorite anime or manga which you like because you feel its creator and you have something in common. Or do you like anime because it is weird and foreign? (12:38)

What do you think Leiji Matsumoto was saying when he made Yamato and Harlock? What were the deeper meanings in the context of then contemporary Japanese society? How do you think guys like Matsumoto, Go Nagai, Osamu Tezuka, and many others essentially acted as social agents and helped shape post World War II Japanese culture and society? (24:40)

Have any of you ever felt like you were growing out of anime? (20:32)

Do I have bad taste in anime? (01:52)

If you divide an anime into four parts; namely its introduction, about halfway through, three quarters the way through, and the ending (this is the division that Gerald made in one of the recent show). Which anime would you choose to fill each of those parts and create the perfect anime storyline? (02:08)

Do you think the increased availability of anime has anything to do with the increased emergence of amateur animators? (08:24)

Is there a way I can start moving more towards non-mainstream anime and commit to them? (03:03)

Do you have any opinion on what seems to be an influx of what people call “yuribait” anime? (06:10)

I wonder whether you have found well crafted manga or anime which have fully realized political and societal worlds. (02:00)

What OVAs stand out in your minds as the most middling? (18:01)

It feels like a large number of anime these days are being cancelled or left incomplete with only 1 or 2 seasons then being abandoned. Do you feel this problem is worse now than it was in the 90s and early 2000s? Or, am I just ignorant to how things were back then and this situation has remained more-or-less the same throughout the last 3 decades? (32:08)

Individual titles

Do you think Crayon Shin-chan is even legal to air uncensored? (38:00)

What is Giant Robo: Siege of Babel? (16:49)

How is Toward the Terra shoujo? (31:08)

Is there any way for a non-American to get those ImaginAsian DVDs (back in 2008)? (10:35)

Which incarnations of Lupin the 3rd are which? (04:52)

Can you identify this movie I watched as a child? (09:10)

In Patlabor 2, there is one character called Arakawa who has a severe lazy eye? Why did Oshii chose to give this character such a bizarre physical trait? (25:04)

The ending of Ressentiment, current Yotsuba&!, and other Gundam. (02:33)

I remember watching an old animation cartoon involving the tale of Krishna against whatever his name was. The only thing I could remember about it was Krishna… Vishnu… whatever was throwing a discus and slicing off a demon’s head and following that the demon’s body became a green hill in a bloody short time. Do you know what animation/cartoon this is? (06:50)

What is your favorite part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure? (10:13)

Does Inception borrow heavily from Paprika? (32:17)

Can there possibly be a show that affects anime fans today the same way Macross affected fans back in the day? (38:28)

Have times changed enough that Macross Do You Remember Love just doesn’t work anymore? (13:25)

Is there any link between Dirty Pair (The Lovely Angels) and Charlie’s Angels? (02:28)

How do you guys think a hypothetical (Yasuhiro) Imagawa-directed Escaflowne would play out (plot wise, character wise, and tone wise)? (02:32)

Why does AKB0048 has such a bad dub? (10:35)

How much should I watch of Urusei Yatsura? Urusei Yatsura is a 200+ episode monster with seven movies… (11:10)

Regarding Lupin, I only like The Castle of Cagliostro with him as the thief with the heart of gold. Am I the only one? (15:56)

Are the Lupin TV specials from late 80s and early 90s any good? (09:49)

I was wondering if any of you know where Macross 7 is unlicensable speculation started. (20:26)

Where the hell is all the Macross in the West? (02:00) — Update (04:45)

Anime and manga industry

Please don’t rag so much on dubs. (06:09)

Why haven’t the Japanese updated their distribution system? (14:53)

How to cut down piracy of licensed anime? (09:27)

How do I get The Anime Network? (14:30)

Why in Japan are they willing to leave the opening be in another language they don’t necessarily speak while in the US they need to have it translated? (12:22)

Can you give me advice about making manga? (07:41)

Is censorship an increasing trend in modern anime? (10:00)

Can digital distribution increase the number of anime movies in theaters? (21:25)

I want to translate anime for dubbing for ADV. Do you have any suggestions for me? (18:55)

Do anime series have pilot episodes? (14:58)

What is the deal with flashbacks in anime? (26:10)

We are starting an anime club but we have a few problems. I have a friend who refuses to watch anime subtitled, one who is a screaming yaoi fangirl, and one who can’t name any show before 1998. What should I do? (35:25)

I am very interested in the writing aspect of the anime industry. I would like to know if at all possible how I would get to actually compose the stories behind the art. (05:09)

Do you think FUNimation (back in 2009) had a monopoly in the anime industry in America? (16:40)

Why don’t Japanese studios care about synching lip flaps with the voice acting? (22:00)

Do you think as a result of the increase in manga readership in the last several years that in the future we might see a greater amount of attention being given to manga geared towards an older audience? (09:42)

I’ve been reading the Full Metal Panic novel series and own up to volume 3. I’ve scoured TokyoPop’s website for information on if or when novel 4 would be released, but I can’t find anything. Any chance one of you knows if this title was put in the back burner or dropped completely? (05:00)

What are the chances of anyone releasing Violence Hero Riki-Oh in America? (14:38)

Do you guys have any idea when studios started avoiding or slightly altering famous brands in anime? Is there a specific case that can be pinpointed as the first where maybe lawsuit threats were issued? (19:24)

I was wondering if shows like the original Bubblegum Crisis or Macross could have caused a shift in the industry due to their soundtracks. Or maybe extremely popular shows like Urusei Yatsura displayed the importance of the profit from soundtrack sales. Could there also be an interest in recording studios during the 80’s in promoting specific artists and using anime as medium? (24:00)

What do you think about Newtype USA and Anime Insider ceasing publication? (11:34)

Why did the technical quality of anime get better pretty much every year in the first half of the decade (2000s) and then get a little bit worse for the rest of the decade? At least for the average show. (26:00)

What is the Gundam Complex? (01:34)

With the events of the last few years (CPM, ADV, Geneon) making certain titles all but non-existent, with the prospect of the shows being picked up by another company slim, is this justification enough to burn copies of those titles? (08:25)

Is there a way to stop authors from prolonging their stories endlessly? (29:05)

Do you have any opinions on the changes in studio Madhouse? (46:15)

How do you feel the industry is doing today (2012)? What do you feel it can improve on? In the age of streaming media, would a day time anime block would still be the most viable way to introduce new viewers to anime? (58:20)

What are some notable female creators in the anime industry? (15:58)

Would it be possible for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency’s ending song to be played without legal troubles? (31:59)

How can I become an affiliate or contributor to an organization like ANN or Otaku USA? (06:32)

If there is such a demand for porn, why isn’t there a Crunchyroll of hentai yet? Why do people don’t treat it as an art form? (02:20)

Are you still accepting of scanlations of manga that are never likely to come to America? (09:36)

Is music licensing in Japan different than in the US? (07:08)

Will the acquisition of Right Stuf by Crunchyroll affect the licensing of anime? (03:05)

Why does Bastard!! kept all band name references while Jojo’s needed to change all of them in fear of lawsuits? (02:50)

How much is Amazon paying for the exclusivity of Gundam Gquuuuuux and what will it earn or lose out of the deal? (08:17)

Anime and manga consumption

How to spot bootlegs? (03:00)

Have you ever heard of Kinokuniya Books? If so, have you ever been to one of the stores? (02:36)

Why can’t iTunes upload the OST of Giant Robo, or Macross, or anything Yoko Kanno? (02:36)

Where is all the yuri manga? (01:58)

Is YesAsia a site that sells bootlegs? (07:17)

Where do you get your manga (Orlando)? (08:47)

What was your biggest anime purchase? (18:28)

What is the situation with Geneon titles (back in 2008)? Are there any publishers whose older titles are generally harder to find? From your experience, what would you say is a sensible period of time to expect to find a title after it has been published? I would like to ask for recommendations of American online stores which may be able to offer what European retailers can’t. Or even physical stores with a good selection of new and older titles. (17:58)

What are your experiences while watching anime theatrically? (17:05)

What do you think of the Tetsuo Hara works like Fist of the Blue Sky and Keiji? Where might one purchase them? (06:24)

You keep discussing good old dubs like the Streamline Harmony Gold dubs of Project EDEN and other old Streamline Picture dubs. I was wondering if you had any ideas of how to track down those dubs. (25:00)

Do you know any (online) stores that have discontinued titles and ships internationally? (26:35)

How do you guys deal with manga series that are dropped by their American distribution midway through release? (01:05:53)

We will never get good Blu-ray releases of the early 2000s because studios were transitioning from traditional to digital? (18:40)

Anime and manga staff

What are your opinions on CLAMP? (09:40)

Is there a character designer in the anime industry who when involved in a project, you just can’t stand it? (07:32)

Did Kazuo Koike write an Incredible Hulk manga in the 1970s? (20:11)

What are your opinions on Rumiko Takahashi’s catalogue? (05:10)

What are your favorite mecha designers? (07:35)

How much do hentai dub actors get paid in comparison to normal dub actors? (41:50)

Favorite English dub actors? (11:45)

Do you know any other creators besides Osamu Tezuka who were influenced by Takarazuka? (13:32)

Mecha anime is definitely my favorite type and some anime design them so well that it is amazing. My current favorite is Code Geass and I was wondering if you share my sentiments on the mecha design. (38:14)

I was wondering if there are any prominent or well known (anime) female directors. (23:58)

Where does this Takehito Koyasu hate come from? (01:25)

I am curious about Shinji Aramaki and some of his projects: Genesis Survivor Gaiarth and Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (19:05)

Do you have episodes dedicated to Leiji Matsumoto or Shinichiro Watanabe? (46:25)

Clarissa, do you like Mio Ohtsuka? (05:30)

What in the world was going on that Noburo Ishiguro, the director of Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Legend of the Galactic Heroes – two great classics, could also be responsible for some of the worst sci-fi anime ever? I am talking about Super Dimension Century Orguss and Tytania. (04:57)

Are there any voice directors or ADR directors you are fans of? (24:50)

Conventions

If you had a chance to make your own convention: where would it be, who would be the guests, what events would be there? (03:37)

Is Otakon a good convention to go to or are there lower key cons of the same quality in the mid Atlantic region? (22:29)

Should conventions have official statements about cosplayers who don’t make their own outfits and don’t put effort into making their own costumes? (22:11)

Do you three still enjoy conventions even with all the things you have issues with? Then what type of con would you suggest to a new con goer? A huge con like San Diego Comic Con or should I try to find a smaller con? (21:21)

What did you think of the Providence Anime Convention (back in 2008)? What is the future of fan conventions for older attendees? (19:06)

I’d like to know secrets and pointers on how to do a mecha panel at a convention. (01:37)

How many conventions have you been to? How much do you actually enjoy them? How much has that changed through the years? How much do they contribute to fandom these days? I wonder how they compare to the earlier sci-fi cons Clarissa was exposed to by her parents. How did you guys got into doing panels? (04:03)

Is there any reason to get into the con scene if you are a casual anime fan? (02:49)

What do you do to develop and prepare for a panel? (03:18)

For panels that introduce anime openings or clips of shows that require a lot of work, my question is how do you guys get your clips and your materials for your panels? (02:44)

If there is one thing that drives me insane is the decline of basic tech savvy panelists across the country. (27:50)

Fandom

Why is shoujo so big now (2006)? (10:33)

Why is futanari so popular?

What do you think of the voice actor/seiyuu worship cult? (12:10)

Why is it that American anime fans have a hard time getting into older shows? (25:22)

What is your overall opinion of modern fandom (2006)? (07:24)

Is it possible to “save” people who only seem to enjoy harem/manufactured moe sorts of anime?

Why is Hokuto no Ken/Fist of the North Star popular everywhere else (in 2006) and not in the US (15:43)?

Why do you think anime is associated with mecha, but it is not that popular within the anime community? (02:24)

Are there any anime clubs in Orlando (2008)? (15:08)

What advice would you give to someone running their first panel? (04:43)

Where do otaku go to talk to other otaku? (23:04)

Do you think younger anime fans are losing their grip of reality? (19:40)

How does one go about finding and getting involved in the local anime scene? (27:17)

Where do older anime fans go to meet other anime fans? (04:10)

When did being an otaku become being a creepy pedophile? (45:21)

How does your anime club do showings? (06:40)

What is the chemical disparity in teenage boys who think that just because they like older stuff they are suddenly superior connoisseurs of anime? (02:00)

Do what extent is a self defeating fandom? Can anime fandom evolve or is it doomed to be a caricature of itself forever? (27:15)

I am pretty passive regarding my fandom. What can I do to produce and not just consume? (04:58)

How can I find anime fans in real life with similar taste as me? (05:03)

How can I better remember names of staff in anime shows? (06:35)

Of what characteristics of the past era of anime culture, particularly based in the US, is worth highlighting today? Do you believe it is worthwhile to bridge an anime generational gap? (02:20)

Ryan Gavigan gave you guys many fanzines and other related items to be scanned. Anything came out of that? (12:12)

Anime and manga related terms

What is moe? (22:31)

What is the difference between yaoi and shounen-ai? (20:00)

Definition of seinen and suggestions of good seinen anime/manga. (06:13)

What is bara? (03:03)

Couldn’t anime really simply be considered cartoons? (20:25)

Unrelated to anime and manga and other stuff

Do you play PC games? (09:51)

What do you think of Ralph Bakshi? (10:33)

I was wondering why don’t you guys learn Japanese? (19:19)

What is your opinion on the webcomic Megatokyo? (12:19)

What are your top 10 “meh” anime? (04:19)

What do you think of Kingdom Hearts? (02:36)

Why don’t you guys talk about obscure anime? Stuff that was made before your time? (15:11)

What are your thoughts on fanfiction? (30:45)

I need at least one embarrassing fact from each one of you. (19:25)

Have any of you felt it strange that you like Japanese animation when we are clearly American? How do we explain our hobby to World War 2 veterans who fought the Japanese? I want to maintain American pride, but with American pride…how does one go about justifying interest in Japanese animation? (04:10)

I was wondering if you guys are into figures and toys. (16:34)

Have you ever seen Avatar the Last Airbender? (56:05)

What are some of your favorite American cartoons? (02:07)

What is Daryl’s relation to the Thief (videogame) trilogy? (14:40)

Where do you get your information from or where would you direct someone interested in Japanese wrestling? (15:59)

Are you guys familiar with Patreon? (34:16)

Have you guys seen Ultraseven? (14:21)

What are your thoughts and afterthoughts on… (note: many of these led to full reviews later in the Review Index)

8 Man After (12:05)
A.I. Love You (48:50)
Angel Cop (04:02)
Air Master (24:20)
Arion (22:44)
Armitage III (16:23)
Bakuman (35:37)
Battle Angel Alita (35:53)
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (02:46)
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (14:21)
Berserk (27:20)
Black Butler (35:37)
Brain Powerd (15:00)
Brigadoon (20:33)
Brother Dear Brother (08:11)
Case Closed (08:15)
Chobits (04:02)
Chobits (13:13)
Code Geass (03:50)
Cowboy Bebop (14:04)
Crayon Shin-chan Movie: The Adult Empire Strikes Back(14:21)
DearS (04:02)
Desert Punk (08:05)
Eureka 7 (49:18)
Fafner (49:18)
Fist of the North Star (30:52)
FLCL (06:44)
Fruits Basket (09:40)
Full Metal Alchemist (06:28)
Full Metal Panic (04:30)
Fushigi Yuugi (08:55)
G Gundam (05:18)
G-Saviour (29:22)
Galaxy Angel series (13:09)
Gasaraki (09:51)
Genesis Survivor Gaiarth (19:05)
Ghost in the Shell – Stand Alone Complex (14:04)
Gravitation (08:56)
Gravitation (22:18)
GTO – Great Teacher Onizuka (29:02)
Gundam 00 (02:45)
Gundam Reconguista in G (21:09)
Gunslinger Girl (07:08)
Harlock Saga (06:00)
Hellsing (17:30)
Hellsing (06:25)
Here is Greewood (38:06)
Ikki Tousen (16:50)
Infinite Ryvius (26:35)
Interstella 5555 (09:51)
Kaleidostar (20:40)
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl (01:09:26)
Kikaider: The Animation (12:40)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These (14:40)
Legendary Brave da Garn (09:51)
Lone Wolf and Cub (17:30)
Love Hina (04:02)
Love Pistols (aka The Gay Fruit Basket) (05:30)
Maria Holic (17:07)
Marmalade Boy (07:33)
Martian Successor Nadesico (09:51)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (13:09)
Mermaid’s Scar (19:14)
Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (19:05)
Milky Holmes (23:14)
Mononoke (13:48)
Genesis Climber Mospeada (20:53)
Naruto (46:10)
Ninja Nonsense (32:12)
Ninja Slayer (05:07)
Noir (27:26)
Oban Star-Racers (05:30)
Outlaw Star (02:20)
Planetes (05:57)
RahXephon (17:50)
RahXephon (24:40)
Rainbow (04:21)
Ray the Animation (21:38)
Samurai Champloo (14:04)
Samurai 7 (03:41)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (17:07)
Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san (15:15)
Slayers (25:00)
Sol Bianca (16:23)
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross (20:53)
Spider-Man: The Manga (20:11)
Superbook (17:38)
Star Driver (17:45)
Summer Wars (35:37)
The Tatami Galaxy (04:03)
Tenchi Muyo (08:05)
Trigun (02:20)
Urusei Yatsura (11:10)
Violence Jack (07:47)
Voltage Fighter Gowcaiser (12:05)
Welcome to the NHK (02:37)
The Wings of Honneamise (Royal Space Force) (04:25)
Wolf’s Rain (27:20)
X (TV) (28:59)
xxxHOLiC (01:09:26)
Yawara (13:49)
Yu Yu Hakusho (08:29)
Zegapain (26:35)
Zetman (35:37)