Anime Roundtable

In a nod to the concept of necessity being the mother of all invention, the Roundtable makes history tonight with it’s first online episode…or at least starts to technologically play catch up…one or the other After Mike, Kevin, and Moh show some contrition for episode 17 (and James disavows any responsibility for it), Mike updates the story that was on his mind a few weeks back (5:23), then everyo...

Mike wanted to try and gather the others for a social distancing Roundtable. However he’s just left isolated instead and only has this story to tell about the Roundtable’s return a few years ago and the guy who told him to bring it back to the basics

Producers note: This was taped before the COVID 19 pandemic reached serious levels, and before Anime North got cancelled. So this is even more out of date than usual. But we did want to share our thoughts at the time Mike encourages people to count how many times he got wrong how many years had passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake as we start the episode by reflecting on it on its annivers...

We start our first ramune filled episode of 2020 talking about Bell Let’s Talk Day (the episode was taped on January 29th), and Moh’s appearance in this year’s promotional ad. Then we talk about the North American theatrical run of Weathering with You (7:45), and the interview with Makoto Shinkai (25:05). Then G-Kids in theatres and a tangent on what James and Kevin are buying these days (43:20),...

There’s a lot to catch up on in two months. But we start way off topic with talking about the sports talk shows that were in the inspirations for the Roundtable with a brief history of sports and radio broadcasting in Toronto (4:50). Then we actually start talking anime, and the limited theatrical release of Promare in late September, and the gang’s individual experiences in going out to see it an...

Before the Anime North episodes in May, Mike and James tested the microphones and told the story of the convention’s proximity to one of the early Amber Alert cases in 2019 This was in light of another Amber Alert issued in the Toronto Area earlier in the week. So Mike felt this was a good time now to share this story

We begin tonight on a reflective note as we commemorate 18 years since 9/11. Then we get to the episode young Moh wanted to do, but could attend the taping of himself as James and Kevin talk about seeing the North American premier of Weathering with You at the Toronto International Film Festival, with Makoto Shinkai in attendance (6:58). In the aftermath of the discussion, Mike brings up a book he...

The Kyoto Animation Studio arson dominates the start of this episode, more than three weeks after. We take a step back and give our thoughts on the coverage and the immediate and long term affects on the industry, and remember some of the victims (22:50) As we come back from the break we regard James and Neil’s lack of appearance (31:25), then we go into the Toronto Anime Community calendar with t...

After more than a month off, and a Wendy’s and Tims run, and a week after this was actually taped, we’re finally back with this quick episode on the hottest day in Toronto yet. We start by looking back on Anime North and the Fred Schodt interview (3:33), and his last panel about his view on manga translation (11:35). Then we talked about our take on the ups and downs of Anime North’s strict fan ru...

Legendary Manga Translator Fred Schodt honours us by becoming our first major guest to do the Roundtable in this special sit down taped last Saturday afternoon at Anime North We begin with Fred and Mike looking back on his first visit to Anime North back in 1998 (the second one), and a panel they did together about History in Anime and Manga. And how Mike first told him about Rurouni Kenshin durin...

On our second night at Anime North, we’re joined by Jesse Betteridge from the Zannen.ca Podcast. He gives his impressions of Anime North, as well as recap his panels at the convention (3:40). Then we get into a longer discussion about the Anime convention scenes in both Toronto and Vancouver, and what to maybe expect from the International Fan Festival as they attempt to settle into Toronto (Vanco...

Editor’s Note: This version of the episode has been updated with edits to take out as much of the stammering (“umm”s, “ahh”s, and “like”s) as possible, and keep the episode easy to listen to. Expect this type of editing in future episodes Mike became so tired and confused by the time we taped this episode, he wasn’t sure if this was episode 10 or digest 3. Night one at Anime North starts off with...

Today’s secret word is “icon” So after struggling to open our ramune and partake in some Japanese snacks, Mike tells a story about giving a ramune to Veronica Taylor at FanExpo more than 15 years ago (4:55), we acknowledge the New Japanese Emperor and what lies ahead in the Reiwa Era (12:55) and how that name is linked with an adult visual novel (24:20). Then we get to the heart of the episode wit...

Unfortunately “Be brief not boring” isn’t the motto as Mike decided to take the mic late night and tell a few stories as the Easter weekend begins, and the night before the International Fan Festival. In it he gives his thoughts on the latest developments concerning the live action Cowboy Bebop and Rurouni Kenshin adaptations (0:44), frustrations with Kimagure Orange Road almost as maddening as Ka...

With the announcement of Fred Schodt’s appearance at Anime North in May, Mike wanted to start by trying something different and tell a sincere story about his first appearance more than twenty years before…but he forgot to plug in the soundboard. After plugging in the board, we pull the plug on the Vic Mignonga talk by getting Kevin and Moh’s thoughts (10:15). Then we come back to the talk about a...

Mike wanted to get some sort of taping done for February. Having failed that, he’s now pretty happy to get that checked off for March right away James comes in for a free form digest talk, and a warm up for episode 8 later this month. In it we bring up Mike’s lone day at Podcamp Toronto last weekend (4:10), personal anecdotes and thoughts on the Vic Mignogna scandal (25:22), and Mike’s more solid...

In the interest of starting the New Year on a memorable note, we decided to have five of us around the table…which is already a bad idea. And when one of them is Neil returning after six months…it made having five even more complicated. And considering that it’s the first time young Moh and Kevin are doing the show with Neil…and we had donuts and other edibles around the table…it was over before i...

So Mike has something on his mind, but was nowhere close to the studio mics. So he plugged in his smartphone earbuds to make the following to end off 2018 In it he asks a few questions about what to do about older DVDs as he preorders the blu rays of the same show. Looks for suggestions as he finally subscribes to other streaming services. And makes a few NHK reccomendations. All for your New Year...

After being gone for two months, we begin with Mike giving a first impression of Oomomo, the newest entry in the trend of 100yen shops and Japanese retailers in the Toronto area (4:50). Then we take another look at the Funimation/Crunchyroll split and the broader story of what’s to come in streaming services (16:06). After sparing a thought concerning the Overwatch League (1:01:55), we do the offi...

Episode 5 is finally here. And in it, Mike and the younger Mohamed do their best to fend off a nagging cold that Kevin was in the middle of battling. All the while giving their take on Neil and old Mohamed’s July appearance (Yonge Street again, and overseas fandom) (12:53), the September Nerd Market (26:20), the live action Bleach movie (spoiler alert) and why this worked for Mohamed (37:00), Flav...

Another Month, and another no show of episode 5. So Mike wanted to share a few other things on his mind…namely a past tense entry on the Toronto Anime Community Calendar, and three Netflix recommendations Something quick and easy to listen to while we continue to assemble the Roundtable Visit our website for more details: https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2018/10/18/6ixtalk-on-mikes-mind-octob...

James sits in for a solo for the first time. So what’s on his mind? A lot of Nintendo and the issues he has with their new online services Visit our website for more details: https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/6ixtalk-on-my-mind-september-19-2018/

Two months on, and Mike and James get off their asses and turn on the mics for a digest and talk about a load of things that have happened in those two months, and would like to talk about more. Lets see…mature Yonge St., X-Japan, a few angles on Kimagure Orange Road, Mike Toole and Canada, the Toronto Anime Community Calendar, BiSH, Angela’s appearance on another podcast, and Kimonos A digest ful...

So very much at the last second, Mike and Neil decided to do an episode with an old friend from a distant past, who was in town to visit family. So they turn on the mics and catch up on fandom in old times, fandom in current times, and fandom in the Middle East; differing views on Yonge St since the van attack, explaining Miyazaki to a parent, and a recommendation from Mike (he’s actually watched...

Another old face from the past returns around the table as Mo finally joins the others. This time a complete mix of stuff starting with Anthony Bourdain, Ontario politics and the World Cup on the eve of the Round of 16. Then we get a little more on topic with thoughts on Chris Hardwick and Nobuhiro Watsuki’s problems, Pacific Mall, streaming video services (with Mike finally having watched some Ba...