Nerding with Friends

Black Widow is the first MCU movie to hit theaters in two years. Also available on Disney Plus via their premier access, it is also the first MCU movie in phase 4. Black Widow picks up with its titular character not too long after Captain America: Civil War. However, since diehard fans and even casual moviegoers are well aware of her faith, the movie's biggest issue is how out of place it feels. B...

Only those deemed worthy can lift Mjolnir. Thor's hammer has most recently gained notoriety due to the success of the MCU . However, the Norse god's favorite weapon has been around for centuries. A question that constantly pops up surrounding Mjolnir is "who is worthy to lift it?" For this episode, we decided to put that question to the test, but for anime characters . First, we determined what ma...

Record of Ragnorak is the latest anime to hit Netflix. Adapted from the Record of Ragnorak manga, the 12 episode season was released last month to the streaming service. Much like Yasuke, this series was also meant with some mixed reviews. While the plot and characters are interesting enough, the animation and pacing left much to be desired. In this review, Max from our superhero and supervillain...

Yasuke was a legendary samurai of African descent. His story is one that sparked the depiction of many black samurai in anime. When we found out there was going to be a Netflix series based on Yasuke many blerds were excited. The final product, however, was met with mixed reviews. While the six-episode miniseries does have some redeeming qualities, overall the story was underwhelming. In this revi...

Happy Father's Day!  Marq, the MB8cast host, and fellow father joined us for this special episode. We kick off our Father's Day special with some special guests. Viv and Ella, future podcasters get behind the mic for the first time. They covered the hard topics; unicorns, sleepovers, and of course --- Father's Day. After they wrapped up their segment, the dads talked about some underrated fic...

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was the second MCU show to hit Disney+. The show, presented as an action-adventure thriller, discussed serious subjects like race and classism. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier wrapped up season one in April, but it laid the groundwork for future MCU properties. In this episode, we were joined by K-Mitch, a good friend to the podcast and the first guest we had on...

Amazon's Invincible aired its first season and put other superhero shows on notice! This show is another in a recent string of superhero shows that have taken our ideas of what heroes are and turned them on its head. Shows like The Boys and Umbrella Academy offer competition in the genre. However because Invincible is animated, the creative team can have more fun. We brought back Mike and Max from...

Summary One for All is the most powerful quirk in My Hero Academia. Also, it is a very unique quirk, as it is able to be passed on from one user to another. As of recently in the manga and the anime, the quirk has been the center of attention. First, we have anime watchers who recently discovered that Deku will be able to gain access to six additional quirks outside of the power boost OFA gives hi...

Summary Black Clover has given us some amazing characters . One of which is fire magic user Magna Swing. Magna Swing is a character we've talked about a lot on the podcast about not getting his time to shine. Black Clover chapter 293 just changed that. Before we started giving Magna Swing his praise, we took a minute to discuss two things. The first was a positive COVID test that caused us to miss...

Summary Our Fairy Tail vs Black Clover series has reached its conclusion. Much like the anime for both these stories, all good things must come to an end. However, there is hope over the horizon. Even though there's no new Fairy Tail or Black Clover to watch, you can still catch up with your favorite wizards in the pages of their respective mangas. Fairy Tail is still going strong with its sequel...

Summary Mortal Kombat is currently streaming on HBO Max and showing in theaters. The long-awaited live-action adaption of the Mortal Kombat videogame series has been with mixed reviews. We at the Nerding with Friends were not fans. Like the last movie we reviewed, we went in with low expectations, just wanting to see some awesome fights and gore. Questionable acting, a weak story, and lack of memo...

Summary Mock Draft Monday is here! Our 2021 NFL First Round Mock Draft is here to get you ready for draft night. We brought in football expert Max from our superhero and supervillain football team shows to give his take on which players are going off the board Thursday night. This first-round mock, recorded before the Chiefs traded for Orlando Brown Jr., is a great listen for any football fan. Max...

Summary The Justice League: Snyder Cut was released last month on HBO Max. Fans loved this version of the film and it didn't feel like an edit of the theatrical release. However, The Justice League: Snyder Cut felt like an entirely different movie from the original. The Snyder Cut has been a film we've been anticipating for quite some time now. It was only right we brought back Gareth from our DC...

Summary Our Fairy Tail vs Black Clover series continues on to part 4. However, this couldn't be a Fairy Tail vs Black Clover series without going over the villains. In this episode, we break down the villains from each of these series and their impacts on the story. They say the best type of villain believes they are the hero of their story. That couldn't be more true for the magical bad guys in t...

Summary The DC Animated Universe movies did what the DCEU couldn't. The DC Animated Universe is still going strong with Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 releasing later this year. Nerding with Friends Max and Mike , who have shared their thoughts on DC characters and movies in the past, hopped on tonight's recording to also give their opinions on these movies. In this episode, we discuss the DC A...

Summary Godzilla vs Kong dropped last week in theaters and on HBO Max. The film delivers, despite what critics might say. If you want to see Godzilla fight King Kong, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get. The nearly two-hour movie delivers on the action, even if there are plenty of moments where you have to suspend your disbelief. Godzilla vs Kong doesn’t take itself too seriously and when...

The Black Clover anime has officially ended after 170 episodes and two seasons. Even though we'll be getting a Black Clover movie soon, there is still no word if we'll get another season. So in this episode, we showed the story a little love. We talked about our favorite characters , fights , and moments, as well as what the movie could be about. Meanwhile, the Black Clover manga continues to go s...

Black Clover isn’t the only anime with an upcoming movie. Jujutsu Kaisen 0, My Hero Academia The Movie: World Heroes’ Mission & Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light all release this year. In this episode we analyze the information we have to speculate potential plots of each film. Beat by Mal(Twitter- @malphroditee904 & IG - @mallycyrus904) Follow C.Ro$$ on Twitter and IG at @c_ross321 and Codename:...

Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the hottest new anime out and the Jujutsu Kaisen manga recently wrapped up its longest storyline: the Shibuya Incident Arc. In this recap we broke down the fights, new characters and abilities shown, and what the future of the Jujutsu Kaisen world has in store for us.   Beat by Mal(Twitter- @malphroditee904 & IG - @mallycyrus904) Follow C.Ro$$ on Twitter and IG at @c_ross3...

In part three of this Fairy Tail vs Black Clover versus series, we talk about the magical power systems that both stories use. Both of these stories utilize magic in familiar, yet different ways that give the users unique abilities. Most importantly, both deploy the oldest and most powerful trope in anime --- The Power of Friendship.   Beat by Mal(Twitter- @malphroditee904 & IG - @mallycy...

In honor of Black History Month, we thought it would be the perfect time to discuss black voices. From childhood favorites like James Earl Jones and Keith David to modern greats like Phil LaMarr and Cree Summer, we’ve got you covered! We go over their most famous roles from some of your favorite shows of the past and present. Did we miss your favorite black voice actor or one of their roles? Tweet...

Summary Nickelodeon is on Paramount Plus! CBS gives Disney Plus some competition in the nostalgia streaming service department. We've got a case of nostalgia over here! With the new Rugrats series coming soon, we're taking it back to the '90s and going through our favorite Nickelodeon cartoons of the time. Paramount Plus will be the nostalgia hub for all your favorite Nick shows from back in the d...

My Hero Academia recently finished wrapping up its War Arc and the world of heroes has been turned on its head. During this arc, we saw the death of fan-favorite characters, some shocking realizations, and some of the most insane power-ups in recent memory. We sat down with Bad Lyre to talk about Deku, Shigaraki, All for One, Endeavor, Kirishima, Bakugo, Hawks, Toga, Twice, and all the other big r...

It's finally here, only a one week until a historic NFL Super bowl, your boys are doing something historic of their own with the first ever Nerding with Friends crossover featuring the MB8 Podcast. We gave our picks for the Super Bowl, discussed Tom Brady vs Bill Belichick, the tragedy that is the Houston Texans and more! Beat by Mal(Twitter- @malphroditee904 & IG - @mallycyrus904) Follow C.Ro$$ o...

In part two of this Fairy Tail vs Black Clover versus series, we discuss the individual members and some of the things that made us love them. Covering topics such as both parties unshakeable bonds as well as the chaotic natures of their families. Beat by Mal(Twitter- @malphroditee904 & IG - @mallycyrus904) Follow C.Ro$$ on Twitter and IG at @c_ross321 and Codename: Comet on IG at @codename_co...