Under the Kotatsu

Today we're saying goodbye to anime (temporarily) and hello to video games. We've got another show and tell for y'all with a cyberpunk roleplaying game out in the edges of space, a photography game about trying to soak in the vibes at the end of the world, and a shoot 'em up from one of the bedrock series of otaku culture. And don't you anime sickos worry, we'll be back nex...

It's time to wrap things up with our favorite gay girls and the world of Pure Illusion. Despite some misgivings about the final conflict of the show, we all made it to the other side with positive feelings towards Flip Flappers. Strap in as we unpack the high highs, and (in the grand scheme of this podcast) not so low lows. Anime Discussed: Flip Flappers 8-13Next time: Show and Tell (Anime Ja...

We're Flipping and we're Flapping as we watch the delightfully original Flip Flappers. Join us as we discuss our love (or hate) for Papika, lesbians and Class S tropes, biosemiotics and more! Anime Discussed: Flip Flappers 1-7Next time: Flip Flappers 8-13Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@gmail.com or DM us on twitter @underthekotatsu and on bluesky @underthe...

It's time to ugly cry as we reach the emotional climax of A Place Further than the Universe, and boy, what a climax it is. Join us as we discuss loss and closure, friendship, more girls rocking, Werner Herzog, and more! Anime Discussed: A Place Further than the Universe 8-13Next time: Flip Flappers 1-7Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@gmail.com or DM us on twitt...

Needless to say we deserved a nice palate cleanser after Bokurano, and fortunately for us A Place Further than the Universe fits the bill. Join us as we talk about a show where the vibes are great, the girls rock, and the tears are flowin'. Anime Discussed: A Place Further than the Universe 1-7Next time: A Place Further than the Universe 8-13Send us your questions! You can email us at underthe...

We made it to the end of Bokurano which means we can finally say with no hesitation that it was one of the worst things we watched for the podcast. Any good will we might've had towards the start of the show has fully whittled away at this point. Join us as we attempt to discuss what does and does not happen in the final episodes of Bokurano without losing our minds. Anime Discussed: Bokurano...

Much like the kids in Bokurano, we're fighting for our lives trying to see this show through to the end as it continues to throw plot lines and characters at us that we could care less about, and forgets to have its characters reflect on any of the plot reveals that happen. Oh well, at least it's starting to get a lot sillier as it goes along. Anime Discussed: Bokurano 13-18Next time: Boku...

So there's good news and bad news about the next six Bokurano episodes. The bad news is that we've hit a major low point in the show, but the good news is that hopefully (let's all cross our fingers) the worst is now behind us. Sit down in your thematically appropriate pilot chair and join us as we complain about the tasteless of the show, it's contradictory inclination to pull its...

We're watching Bokurano! Six episodes in and it's fair to say we have some varied opinions about this one. Things we generally like: the music, the mechs, the OP; things we don't like: all these nasty boys, the ED, strange changes from the source material. Will our spirits hold for the remaining 18 episodes, or will they die out like these kids after piloting Zearth? Anime Discussed: B...

It's our 5th anniversary! We're celebrating the occasion by talking about a seminal anime film: Akira. We're also continuing our annual tradition of personally ranking all of the anime we've watched over the last 5 years. Turns out we've watched a lot, so the lists are long, but some of us might finally have something different at the number one spot. Tune in to find out! Anime...

We've finished Wish Upon the Pleiades which means we can finally lay Gainax to rest. Was their final produced anime any good? Was it way too straight for our liking? Did it make us want to go out an purchase a Subaru? Listen to find out! Anime Discussed: Wish Upon the Pleiades 7-12Next time: Akira + our year rankingsSend us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@gmail.com or...

Today's episode is brought to you by your local Subaru dealer! Just kidding, but we are starting the Subaru and Gainax (RIP) co-produced anime Wish Upon the Pleiades. Is this a sleeper hit of a magical girl show or just blatant advertising? Or perhaps something else entirely? Let's find out! Anime Discussed: Wish Upon the Pleiades 1-6Next time: Wish Upon the Pleiades 7-12Send us your quest...

We're finishing off our run on Patlabor with a trio of offerings. First there's the main event, Patlabor WXIII, the last of the theatrical animated films and an often overlooked and underappreciated part of the series. Then there's MiniPato, the short form experimental parody anime, and last (and probably least) there's Patlabor Reboot, the 2016 proof of concept for a modern Patlab...

It was all leading to this. One Patlabor work stands high above the rest: Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor 2. Join us as we talk about the films big thematic ideas, the masterful soundtrack from Kenji Kawaii, both the showy and subtle animation, the historical context the film was released in, and much more. Folks, they really don't make 'em like they used to. Anime Discussed: Patlabor 2: The M...

With the OVAS out of the way, it's time to dig into the Patlabor movies, starting with Patlabor: The Movie! This movie has a lot of what the OVAs felt lacking, and then some: a lot more character interactions, intrigue, and action, not to mention it looks and sounds incredible. Join us as we dig into another Mamoru Oshii banger. Anime Discussed: Patlabor: The MovieNext time: Patlabor 2: The Mo...

We're finally scratching a big one off of Austin's personal list, and diving into Patlabor! Unfortunately for Danny and Danielle who haven't seen any Patlabor before, that means doing the prep work of watching the mostly good, but not great OVAs before getting to the real high points of the movies. Fortunately though, there's still much to talk about with the OVAs, including the we...

We're changing things up a bit for this episode by reading a manga instead of watching an anime! We read the delightful (yet toothless) BL Metamorphosis. A totally nice manga that maybe could've had a bit more depth and drama going on. Anime Discussed: BL MetamorphosisNext time: Patlabor OVAs 1-7Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@gmail.com or DM us on twitter...

It's time for another show and tell, and this time we decided to forsake good sense and reason by choosing three different bad isekai anime and checking out their first episodes. All three held up to our general expectations of badness, but one was surprisingly fun in its badness, one was just boring, and the other was boring AND offensive. Join us as we roast some bad anime, consider our feel...

Now at the end of Shinsekai Yori, we can confidently say two things: one, this show did not need to be 25 episodes long, and two, the queerats were by far the most interesting part of the show. Join us as we dissect the few parts of the ending we actually liked, and the many parts of the ending we didn't. Anime Discussed: Shinsekai Yori 20-25Next time: Show and Tell: Bad Isekai Edtiion! Send u...

Shinsekai Yori marches on, though it's debatable whether it should have gone on for this many episodes or not. As we reach the three quarters point on the show, we find ourselves frustrated on all the time waste on things that are not the developing rat politics. Anime Discussed: Shinsekai Yori 14-19Next time: Shinsekai Yori 20-25Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anim...

Shinsekai Yori continues to have its series of ups and downs as we jump forward in time two years. We learn even more about the hows and whys of the disappearing children, but unfortunately we also have to deal with the real-world implications this show inadvertently brings into conversation along with it. But most importantly, Squonk returns. Anime Discussed: Shinsekai Yori 8-13Next time: Shinsek...

Time for a new show! This time we're diving into the world of Shinsekai Yori - a world full of psychic powers, genetic manipulation, rat societies, and exploding dogs. Despite some ups and downs in these first few episodes, we're mostly having a good time as this show teases out it's central mysteries and ideas. Anime Discussed: Shinsekai Yori 1-7Next time: Shinsekai Yori 8-13Send us y...

As we come to an end with Granbelm and realize that we were all too right about this show being Madoka with the edges sanded off. But it turns out you need some of those edges to make a compelling show! Oh well, at least there's some evil women and cool mech fightsAnime Discussed: Granbelm 8-13Next time: Shinsekai Yori 1-7Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@gmail....

We're watching Granbelm, a show with mechs AND magical girls plus a healthy splash of Madoka for good measure. If it weren't for some solid action, and some A+ sicko women, this show would be pretty unremarkable, but boy are we feasting on the sicko energy in this one. Anime Discussed: Granbelm 1-7 Next time: Granbelm 8-13 Send us your questions! You can email us at underthekotatsu.anime@g...

We finished Mononoke! Any hang-ups we had about this show were alleviated by a very strong showing in these final episodes. Lots meaty themes and ideas to dig into, but also: haunted train!!!CW: Brief discussion of sexual assault and abortion