Strictly Anime

We discuss anime that would actually work as live-action adaptations. As anime fans, we've been burned too many times by bad live-action adaptations of our favorite shows. And that is why Courtney hates them. But we're forcing her to find anime that have the potential to be great live-actions as we discuss what it takes to get these right and how they could fail.⁠ Join our Discord: https://discord...

We review the first season of Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!). You guys convinced Karl to finally watch this anime. He laughed at Kazuma’s misery. He cringed at Aqua’s uselessness and Megumin’s weebness. He got uncomfortable with Darkness’s masochism. But what did he really think about this comedy isekai? Join us and find out! Join our Dis...

We discuss anime characters we wish were real. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Calm down, it’s just a drawing,” but there are aspects and characteristics to many anime characters that would give them practicality and usefulness if they were isekai’d to the real world. We share our respective lists on characters that we think would make a difference in the world, would make for great jam sessi...

We guess an anime’s plot through openings and endings (part 2). It's the second round of Strictly Anime's newest game show craze as we analyze and decipher more OPs and EDs from shows unfamiliar to us both. And yes, there are actually EDs this time around. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thestrictlyseries Website: https://www.thestrictly...

We guess an anime’s plot through openings and endings. If you've been a weeb long enough, you know that anime OPs and EDs are notorious for spoiling the story. We wanted to put that to the test with the help of our listeners. The game is simple: they sent us OPs and EDs from shows we haven't seen, and we try to guess the plot and probably spoil ourselves along the way.⁠ Join our Discord: https://d...

We review Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl no Ugoku Shiro). It’s our fourth Studio Ghibli outing, and the storytelling in this film moves along as briskly as Howl’s humble abode itself. But is the plot coherent enough to highlight its eclectic cast of characters and address its lofty themes? We break down our thoughts and much more on this merry-go-round of a review. (Which, to no one's surprise, includ...

We discuss moments in anime we’ll never forget. There are some things in anime that are so powerful or so absurd that they're embedded in your brain forever. Most good, some bad, we share the moments in anime, the anime industry, and the anime community that have stuck with us over the years. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thestrictlyse...

We review the second half of Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso). You don't need to love music to enjoy this show, and you also don't need to know people exist for them to be obsessed with you. We discuss the anime's portrayal of the power of music, our gripes with annoying characters and misguided emotions, and the beautiful yet emotional ending to the story.⁠ Join our Discord: https://di...

We discuss the anime that we dropped. To celebrate this milestone episode, we're revealing the anime that we couldn't bring ourselves to finish and explaining why we dropped them. But whether they were good shows that just didn't appeal to our interests, or terrible shows that we regretted watching, we're leaving it to our listeners to decide which anime we have to give another chance. Join our Di...

We discuss our spoiler-free Summer 2023 anime first impressions. In a season best spent on having some time for R&R, our watch list is admittedly a bit shorter than usual. But that does not mean this year’s slate of summer anime should be underestimated! Come take a dip with us as we talk magical vending machines, sexy sorcerers, and paint-splotched zombies. Join our Discord: https://discord.g...

We review the first season of Hell’s Paradise (Jigokuraku). This show is full of criminals, weird creatures, and naked people. But even more interesting are the mysteries surrounding the island of Shinsenkyo. We speculate what the truths are behind those mysteries, try to unpack all the info dumps, and share our excitement for the next season.⁠ Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Suppo...

We review Oshi no Ko season one. With one of the hardest-hitting first episodes of this year, this anime has definitely left a strong impression on the anime community. No part of the entertainment industry is safe from the scrutiny, and we discuss how the show is brutally honest about what it’s like to be an entertainer. We also share what we’re most excited for as the story progresses. Join our...

We review Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc (S3) (Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen). We’ve swapped Zenitsu and Inosuke for the Mist and Love Hashira. Oh yeah, and Genya is there too for some reason. We discuss how this season feels lighter than the rest, all the hints they gave us about the lore, all the questions they left us with, and how Mitsuri deserved more. Join o...

We review the second half of Vinland Saga season two. "Farmland saga" has solidified itself as one of the best anime seasons of 2023. But what makes it so impressive, and how does Vinland Saga keep the magic going through the latter half of season two? We discuss these questions, share one of our only disappointments from this season, and speculate where the story might go from here. Joi...

We discuss our favorite anime soundtracks and theme songs. If animation and storytelling are the bread and butter of an anime, then music is the seasoning that gives it a burst of flavor. We discuss the songs and scores that tugged at our heartstrings or filled us with a sense of wonder, from epic orchestral symphonies to enchanting opera solos to unexpected workout songs. You can’t touch music… b...

We review the first half of Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso). After many recommendations over the years, we finally started this anime. But we’re suspicious because every recommendation came with the sense that something very emotional is going to happen. So in addition to talking about all the great writing and appreciation for the musical journey, we also pick apart the foreshadowing...

We discuss good starter anime for beginner weebs. There's a lot of excitement when a normie tells you they want to try watching anime, and when they ask for recommendations you can't help but want to throw them straight into the deep end. But in order to not scare them away for good, we've put together a practical and reasonable list of some of the anime we'd recommend to any beginner weeb.⁠ Join...

We discuss the worst things about the anime fandom. As much as we love to be absolute weebs, we can’t deny that there are certain aspects of the anime community that can ruin it for the rest of us. We go through a list and question why we are the way that we are, while still finding the positives of a fandom we hold near and dear to our hearts. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Suppo...

We play Poorly Explained Anime. The game is simple: Accurately describe an anime's plot in the most confusing way possible and see if the other person can guess the correct title. We created our own poorly explained anime prompts and compete against each other. Can you guess who created the most difficult prompts, and who scored the most points? Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Supp...

We review Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari). The film that’s got everyone obsessed with a chair is finally here, and it has worms, cats, and lots of door-locking. We share our thoughts on Makoto Shinkai’s latest movie: what we loved, what left us frustrated, and what we wished it included. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thestrictlyseries Webs...

We review Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown (S2) (Tokyo Revengers: Seiya Kessen-hen). We hadn't heard much about this season and didn't know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by the next arc of Takemichi's story. While it still had some issues, the second season gave us long-awaited character development and another cliffhanger that makes us excited to see what happens next. Tune in...

We discuss our spoiler-free Spring 2023 anime first impressions. We're back behind the mic after a short hiatus, and there's a lot to catch up on. The Spring season has an impressive variety that can appeal to most anime fans, and we're diving into the interesting shows and stories in the lineup. Join us as we share our initial thoughts on the shows we added to our watch list, ⁠and play a Strictly...

We review Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime). Our third Studio Ghibli film review is an unexpectedly mature tale of a battle between man and nature, with a young tribal prince caught in the crossfire. We discuss the relationship between Ashitaka and San, the struggles and parallels between the humans and nature, and the surprising violence as heads literally roll in this movie.⁠ Join our Discord: h...

We discuss the anime we want more of. One of the most painful experiences of an anime fan is becoming connected with a show, its story, and its characters only to find out it's incomplete. Sure, we can "go read the manga," but we will always long for the anime to be finished. We share the anime we wish we could have more of, whether it's a continuation of the series or other content like...

We discuss our favorite children in anime. This episode is extra special because it releases the day our baby is due, and to commemorate it we played a baby name game with our listeners. Join us as we share the anime kids we adore, and share the anime characters our listeners think we should name our baby after.⁠ Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Support the podcast: https://www.patr...