Featured Anime Podcast

Death is basically solved in this future Tokyo, but Rick and Jack can't even agree on how it works, and Jack has some strong feelings about the rest. Treat yourself or a loved one! Sakuraco makes the perfect gift for any occasion. Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first #Sakuraco box through our link: https://team.sakura.co/featuredanime Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi, Suspense Studio:...

The war gets turned off, the school stays on, and we have a lot of thoughts about what's left. Genres: Action, Comedy Studio: Kyoto Animation Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 2/10 Rick's Score: 2/10 Verdict: A whole season of the same gag on repeat with zero story progress, so just skip it. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and what Fumoffu actually is 02:31 - First reactions: how far everyth...

Thirteen years after The Second Raid, Full Metal Panic finally comes back, drops the school comedy, and goes full war story, but does it actually stick the landing? Genres: Action, Drama, Mecha, Military Studio: Xebec Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 4/10 Verdict: A darker, grittier return that burns two episodes on recaps, skips the context it needs, and stops halfway through the story. Time...

Sosuke and Kaname get a taste of normal life, but normal doesn't last when a new enemy group with a grudge against Mithril shows up. Genres: Mecha, Military, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Studio: Kyoto Animation Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 7/10 Rick's Score: 7/10 Verdict: A heavier, more grown up season than the first, with real stakes and character growth, even if some of the plot still feels shoeh...

A supersoldier who can't function outside of combat gets dropped into high school to guard a girl who might be hiding the deadliest secret alive, and from there it turns into part romance, part war thriller, and part straight up chaos. Genres: Action, Comedy, Mecha, Military Studio: Gonzo Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score: 6/10 Verdict: It's a fun, messy mecha com...

Jack and Rick dive into a gorgeous-looking sequel that trades in the original's tight story for confetti pirates, fake British accents, and a whole lot of nothing. This episode is sponsored by Sakuraco! Get $5 off your first box of authentic Japanese snacks and tea at https://team.sakura.co/featuredanime with code FEATUREDANIME. Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Studio: Gonzo Source: Original...

What happens when the guy who shows up last to the isekai skill lottery and gets stuck with everyone's rejects turns out to be the smartest person in the room? Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai Studio: Hayabusa Film, Passione Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 7/10 Rick's Score: 8/10 Verdict: A funny, well-paced isekai that turns "trash" skills into the smartest toolk...

Jack and Rick check out a random pick this week, a 3,000-year-old demon lord who reincarnates as a nobody kid just to make some real friends, and find out fast whether this isekai has anything new to bring to the table. Genres: Action, Fantasy, Isekai, Harem, Ecchi, Comedy Studio: Silver Link, Blade Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 2/10 Rick's Score: 2/10 Verdict: A by-the-numbers reincar...

Dead Mount Death Play flips the isekai formula on its head, following the reincarnated villain instead of the hero, and Jack and Rick spend most of this one arguing over exactly how that transfer actually works. Genres: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Studio: Geek Toys Source: Manga Rick's Score: 5/10 Jack's Score: 5/10 Verdict: A middling watch with good animation and a genuinely interestin...

Scarlet drops a Hamlet retelling into 16th century Denmark and the afterlife at once, and Jack and Rick spend the whole episode arguing about how well it actually pulls that off. Genres: Fantasy, Action Studio: Studio Chizu Source: Original Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score: 7/10 Verdict: A visually inconsistent but genuinely thought provoking spin on Hamlet, worth a watch if the shifting an...

A guy gets handed a cursed country house, accidentally scrubs it clean writing a grocery list, and the local gods start moving in like it's the world's chillest Airbnb. This week's anime is all about the quiet charm of the Japanese countryside, and honestly Sakuraco captures that same feeling in a box. Every month it's a new region, real local makers, and treats you won't find on a convenience sto...

A legendary 39-year-old hitman gets stung by a mysterious wasp and wakes up as a 13-year-old middle schooler, and somehow that turns into one of the more heartfelt surprises of the season. Genres: Action, Comedy Studio: Cue Source: Manga Jack's Score: 7/10 Rick's Score: 8/10 Verdict: It's cliché on paper, but the comedy and heart land often enough to make it worth the watch. Timestamps: 00:00 - In...

Rick's out this week, so Jack goes solo to break down season three of The Irregular at Magic High School, and he's got a lot to say about clans, politics, and a show that keeps raising questions it has no interest in answering. Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi Studio: 8bit Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 3/10 Verdict: Three seasons and an OVA in, and the answers still aren&#3...

Jack and Rick dig into the Mahouka prequel movie to see if it finally explains why Tatsuya is the way he is, and whether three years of backstory was worth the wait. Genres: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Studio: 8bit Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 3/10 Rick's Score: 3/10 Verdict: A flashback that finally connects a few dots between seasons one and two, but raises more questions than it answer...

Season one spent a whole run building out the Ten Master Clans and a genuinely interesting magic system, so what happens when season two seems to forget almost all of it? Genres: Action, Magic, Romance, School, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Studio: 8-bit Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 2/10 Rick's Score: 3/10 Verdict: A strong premise gets buried under harem tropes, convoluted lore dumps, and que...

Magic got rewired into hard science, a class system sorts kids by test scores, and one supposedly underpowered "weed" might be hiding more strength than the entire school combined. Jack and Rick dig into whether season one earns all the world-building it piles on. This episode is sponsored by TokyoTreat. Treat yourself or a loved one! TokyoTreat makes the perfect gift for any occasion. Use code "F...

Rooster Fighter Review - FAP-392 A backyard rooster channels the spirit of a wandering samurai and somehow turns into one of the most entertaining kaiju shows we've watched all year. Genres: Action, Comedy, Parody Studio: Sanzigen Source: Manga Jack's Score: 9/10 Rick's Score: 9/10 Verdict: Ridiculous on the surface, genuinely well written underneath, and worth the full 12-episode run....

Bartender: Glass of God Worth Watching - FAP-391 Ryu's hunting the perfect drink in a hidden Tokyo bar, but whether Glass of God is worth your time depends entirely on how much you love a slow burn. Genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Seinen Studio: Liber Source: Manga Jack's Score: 6/10 Rick's Score: 8/10 Verdict: Rick poured a weak eight and Jack left a six on the bar, slow by design and e...

Is Bartender Worth Watching? Jack and Rick step behind the bar at Eden Hall to see if this slow, episodic drink of the week anime pours something worth sticking around for. Genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Seinen Studio: Palm Studio Source: Manga Jack's Score: 4/10 Rick's Score: 4/10 Verdict: A decent, low stakes show that's easy to half watch in the background, but it never really grabs...

Is Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 Worth Watching? FAP-389 Season 2 cranks up the action and raises the stakes, but can a vending machine really carry a dungeon full of cracks in the story? Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai Studio: Studio Gokumi / AXsiZ Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score: 3/10 Verdict: More budget, flashier fights, same problem...

Is Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Worth Watching? FAP-388 A guy dies saving a vending machine from falling off a truck and wakes up in a fantasy dungeon as one. Yeah, we watched it so you can decide if you want to. Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai Studio: Studio Gokumi and AXsiZ Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score: 5/10 Verdict: The most unique isekai...

Is The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows Worth Watching? - FAP-387 A self-taught healer gets dumped by his party with nothing but a gold coin, sets up a hidden underground clinic in the slums, and ends up becoming the most important guy in the city without even trying. Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Harem Studio: Makaria Source: Light Novel Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score...

Is Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc Worth Watching? FAP-386 The Chainsaw Man movie just dropped and we're breaking down whether the Reze Arc actually delivers on everything Season 1 built, or if it's all flash and no follow-through. Genres: Action, Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural Studio: MAPPA Source: Manga Jack's Score: 5/10 Rick's Score: 6/10 Verdict: The action sequences are...

Is Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 Worth Watching? - FAP-385 Season 2 packs more demons, more action, and more emotional gut-punches into 10 episodes than most shows manage in a full season, and it still somehow leaves you wanting way more. Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Action Studio: Madhouse Source: Manga Jack's Score: 9/10 Rick's Score: 10/10 Verdict: A sh...

Is Frieren Beyond Journey's End Worth Watching? The Demon King is already dead before the first episode even starts, and somehow that's just the beginning of one of the best anime to come out in years. Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life Studio: Madhouse Source: Manga Jack's Score: 10/10 Rick's Score: 10/10 Verdict: It's the rare show where every single piece, the...