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Inspired and made possible by the magic of Pili's glove puppetry as well as the bloodthirsty mind of Gen Urobuchi, Thunderbolt Fantasy is a wuxia tale about sword keepers, wandering swordsmen, tricksters, assassins, demons, and just about everything else you could ever want as a fantasy fanatic. Listen in as Jared, Ink, and special guest Grant Jones (of Blade Licking Thieves infamy) discuss what may just be the bloodiest and most elegant puppet theater we have reviewed to date.

We’re going way, way, way back to live in the present by talking about something set in the future: Space Battleship Yamato 2199. Leading us on this journey of appreciation and learning regarding all things Star Blazers are experts Tim Eldred and Dave Merrill. Strap in for a ton of knowledge and quite possibly the fastest “Actually...” ever recorded on this episode about a reboot of a classic show, where it came from, how it’s changed, and why it’s worth watching. And when you’re done listening to all of us gab, take a gander over at CosmoDNA (ourstarblazers.com) for an endless and constantly updated gravity well of Yamato articles, interviews, and more.

What better to follow our episode about a formative sitcom than a genre satire? This month, Jared and Ink focus on Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, which adapts some of the 4-koma by Izumi Tsubaki. Comedy runs high, and romance can't seem to find a foothold in these tales about a high school mangaka, the girl who adores him, and the loons that surround them.

Oldtaku's digging into an '80s classic with the Kimagure Orange Road TV series, which stars an incredible array of talent across the board. Jared and Ink are pleased as punch to welcome back Dawn of the Anime Nostalgia Podcast for some class, in-depth insight, and a whole lot of giggles. Listen in and hear for yourself why this anime, based off of the original manga by Izumi Matsumoto, has been so influential. We mainly talk about the TV series, but there is some discussion of the OVAs and movie as well.

Eight years and a ton of effort went into this re-telling of an ancient tale about a bamboo cutter who finds a thumb-sized princess inside a bamboo stalk one day. Join Jared and Ink as they discuss The Tale of Princess Kaguya, the final movie directed by the late Isao Takahata of Studio Ghibli, and why this monogatari is still so powerful.

After an economic bubble burst in Japan, the Tennouzu Group buys a city and a nation by catering to its leaders’ perversions. The underground (literally) club that serves the basest desires of the rich and powerful is only open to those willing and able to pay lifelong yearly dues to the tune of ¥24,000,000 … ¥120,000,000 if they want to see others of the same tier face death or monstrous transformation by kissing a mesmerized “goddess.” But everything starts to crumble when a celebrated war photographer with a heart of gold disrupts the ritual and runs off with its centerpiece. Listen in on a vaguely spoiler-ish discussion hashing out the road buddy monster movie that is Speed Grapher.

Three bums talk about three homeless people who find a baby. For our second installment of our Satoshi Kon episodes, Phillip rejoins us to talk about the Christmas (should-be) classic: Tokyo Godfathers. We were a little giddy with holiday spirit, so please forgive us our mania.

For Oldtaku no Radio's very first golden ticket request, we're reviewing Q Hayashida's Dorohedoro manga (Volumes 1 & 2) as well as MAPPA's adaptation of the same as directed by Yuichiro Hayashi. Dive deep into za hole with us as we talk lizard men, buff babes, masked sorcerers, and the insanely engaging world that is Dorohedoro.

As if 2020 wasn’t scary enough, we’re checking out a vintage 2004, 3-part OAV from Director Akiyuki Simbo and Studio Daume. Le Portrait de Petite Cossette is a gothic romance about a blood pact between a stemware-bound ghost and an aspiring artist who works in his uncle's antique store. As always, the devil’s in the details, which are what we dive into with this Halloween-themed episode.

Six years after the end of its second season, the Chihayafuru anime that adapts Yuki Suetsugu’s josei manga returned for its third season. After what seemed like a lifetime, Jared and Ink discuss this anime, at length, on their own show for the very first time (believe it or not). There is a general section up front, to cover what Chihayafuru’s all about, and some impassioned discussions regarding the characters, themes, and art of the third season.

Space Brothers #0 tells the tale of two aspiring astronauts who just happen to be siblings. Mutta, the older brother, has fallen behind his younger brother, Hibito, in working towards their childhood dream of going to the moon. Meanwhile, Hibito is experiencing doubt about his own direction while training as a mission substitute. An anime prequel movie unlike most other anime movies, SB0 actually adds content that bolsters the original anime series which is based off of the manga of the same name by Chuya Koyama. There are spoilers ahead, but only in the spoilers section. So listen in and see if this is a movie worth watching and one that might ultimately launch you into the Space Brothers anime.

Memories is a 1995 anthology movie (one feature comprised of multiple vignettes) that showcases directorial efforts of Koji Morimoto (Magnetic Rose), Tensai Okamura (Stink Bomb), and Katsuhiro Otomo (Cannon Fodder). Despite short run times, each of the three stories provides plenty to talk about. Join Jared and Ink and special guest Kory as they discuss the power of deception, art, and farts.

Talk about a deep dive! This episode, Jared and Ink talk about Science Saru's original animated movie, Masaaki Yuasa's Lu Over the Wall. This movie centers around a withdrawn Tokyo transfer student who accidentally draws out like-minded, music-making friends as well as a music-seeking mermaid – the local legends about which both scare his fellow port town residents and benefit the town's tourist trade. The animation draws on a surprising range of old-school sources while flashing the Yuaasa style so familiar to Science Saru fans. There's a lot to explore, so jump in; the water's juuuust fine.

Take to the animated skies (and bars and secret beach hideouts and so much more) with Jared and Ink as they talk about Ghibli's 1992 feature, Porco Rosso. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this movie depicts a post-WWI man turned anthropomorphic pig – a war pilot turned deserter/bounty hunter. The movie, while warmly humorous throughout, tackles such issues as identity, war, and fascism. Listen in to find out how!

We’re unlocking some of our old Patreon content to give everybody more stuff to listen to during the COVID-19 crisis, including the first episode of Oldtaku no Radio’s bonus series, Oldtaku in Space! Subscribe at https://patreon.com/anigamers to listen to every episode in the series. Welcome to the space show! Oldtaku no Radio's doin' a little something special for Ani-Gamers Content Respecters: a brand new miniseries focused on Ayumu Watanabe's anime adaptation of Chuya Koyama's seinen Sci-Fi manga Space Brothers. Each installment will look at a set of episodes per each of the DVD/BD releases from Sentai Filmworks. Our first episode, named for the song in the first OP, covers Episodes 1-13, which establishes who these siblings are, sets the themes and tone for the launch of this series, and introduces the first set of many characters to come. Spoilers are woven into the discussion, so go ahead and stream the show (links below) or don't say we didn't warn ya. Enjoy! Feel free to leave questions and comments here or in the episode question threads. Opening/Ending music: "Jupiter" by Gustav Holst

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a gelling of past and present; an awakening; a transition (multiple transitions, really); and a handoff. But this movie, as an experience, is ultimately a visually enthralling, action- and emotionally packed exploration of what being a hero means to self and community and the means by which it takes for that to manifest. Join Jared and Ink as they babble on about the 2018 movie: all it accomplished, all it drew from, and, hopefully, all it will lead to.

Anime World Order's Daryl Surat joins Evan and Ink for a discussion of Anime Lockdown, the virtual anime convention held via Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Discord the weekend of May 1–3, 2020. We talk about the panels presented on the stream, the technical details of how to present a panel at one of these events, the community in the con's Discord, and where we see virtual cons going in the future as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on. Thank you to Patrick Sutton from The Cockpit Podcast for editing this episode!

As the song goes, "You always hurt the one you love," and our takes on Dennou Coil are definitely not sparing. Scott Spaziani rejoins our humble 'cast as we break down what endears this much-overlooked darling of a Sci-Fi series to us and explore some of its weaker points. This original series began production in 1997 and features tech that wouldn't be made publicly available until nearly 20 years later! There are no spoilers discussed in the first half, so feel free to dive in to get a feel for whether this is something you'd like to watch. But after you've watched, continue on to our spoilerific section!

Finally, a Shinkai film that makes Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Below look good! How does Makoto Shinkai twist “boy meets girl” this time? How do Jared and Ink tweak their takes on the auteur's output this time? The answers are as predictable as weathermen are accurate in our most recent episode, and you have a front row seat to Gallagher-style hot takes. (Pro-tip: bring an umbrella for saline showers and vitriol-whipped saliva.) Warning: this episode is pretty much a spoiler-cast from the get-go (for Weathering With You AND your name.), so don’t press play until you’re ready. Ready? Go ahead and press play!

This episode of Oldtaku no Radio welcomes Erica Friedman for a review of "a story of survival," Kase-san and Morning Glories – both the anime adaptation and the manga! The anime's a short affair about a developing relationship, but there's a lot to learn from and love about choices made in its adaptation as well as its source material's publication. Lend us your ears for an hour, we'll sell you a love story.