Nostalgia Club

The time has come, dear listener, to close the chapter on Season 5. In Part 2 of our recap, we look at our episodes from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH to Despicable Me. What a range! Tune in as we get unusually philosophical about the pros and cons of filler episodes, binge watching vs. weekly releases, and lost media.  Join us for the first episode of Season 6 in 2 weeks! If you’d like to know...

We’re back from our post-Season 5 break, so what a great time to look back on the fun episodes we had, from High School Musical to Geronimo Stilton! As usual, we’ve got some final thoughts on these properties, as well as more personal stories & tangents we forgot to tell in the main episode. Victoria shares the most iconic Sasuke and Sharpay Open RP thread from Tumblr and Jino and Michael try...

FREEZE RAY!! It’s the Season 5 finale of Nostalgia Club, and you know what that means… another cursed, animated classic! This one comes in the form of Despicable Me (2010), though according to Jino, the movie isn’t cursed so much as ~surrounded~ by cursed energy. Victoria knows this personally, and she shares her own deep lore cut from the banana-y cloth of the infamous minions! Also, Michael fina...

We pledge allegiance to the School of Rock, the 2003 movie that taught us that a little crime is fine as long as it inspires the kids. Joining us is Mitra, a professional Jack Black appreciator who basically has this whole thing memorized. She leads Victoria, Michael, and Jino in their analysis of these incredibly talented kids, their secretly sad substitute teacher, and a principal who really des...

The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings. Today, we’re diving back into the world of The Hunger Games, but this time from the twisted perspective of Coriolanus Snow. Victoria loved rereading this book and picking out even more details that call back to other installments in the series. Jino was initially hesitant to read about a bad, bad man, but found value in following the journey of someo...

Get off of my back! And go watch Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Especially if you’re like Victoria, and enjoy watching this unbreakable horse do a lot of breaking men’s bones! But, you know, comedically! Jino and Michael track his many breaks from captivity, and countless more viewers feel the break in their hearts - for Spirit will submit to no rider, no matter the emotional bond. Unless, of c...

It’s finally here. The podcasting event of a lifetime that none of you have been waiting for because we didn’t warn you about it: The Rodents-With-Jobs-Battle-Royale-Bracket! Sixteen fictional rodents go head to head in a competition with only the vaguest set of criteria. Only one rodent with a job can be crowned the champion! Featuring hit competitors such as Matthias of Redwall, Master Splinter,...

Gather ‘round the summoning circle as we conjure up a doozy of an episode on The Golem’s Eye (2004), the second novel in the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud! Michael returns to this childhood favorite for the first time in roughly two decades while Victoria and Jino explore it anew. Lucky for us, there are no spiritual contracts involved – only a lengthy plot synopsis wherein we explore the...

Achoo! Awoo? We’re talking about Virals, the YA mystery books by Kathy and Brendan Reichs! A group of kids have been infected with dog-themed-superpowers, and one of them is having a distinctly worse time of it than the rest. Victoria explores how this series interacts with the popular genre tropes of the time. Michael finds the villainous heel turns fascinating, and Jino makes some tory-ble puns....

Heads up, Team. Your next assignment is as follows: Discuss the 2010 animated superhero show Young Justice. Jino and Michael return to a childhood favorite and realize that the concept of Doctor Fate is more messed up than they remember. Victoria compares Red Arrow to Sasuke and finds Robin's tiny glasses hilarious. Gear up and prepare for sociopolitical intervention, an absurd number of villa...

Gather your courage as we join Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH! Victoria read this classic as a child. Now older and wider-read, she relishes all the hallmarks of rodent media woven through its telling. Michael compares the book to the (literally) magical animated adaptation, and Jino basks in the glory of a world where giant birds of prey and powerful rats are just... nice, actually! So hunker d...

Holey Cheese! We’re covering the exploits of our favorite paw-thur, Geronimo Stilton! This beloved Italian children’s book series is full of quests, family, and an atrocious amount of puns. Jino is deeply frustrated at Geronimo’s relatives and their dangerously adventurous instincts. Victoria seriously considers the benefits of hiring a mercenary to act as her clone, while Michael marvels at the g...

Finally, a worthy “pod.” This “cast” will be legendary! This week we’re revisiting a beloved Dreamworks classic in Kung Fu Panda! We’ve got a lot to say about this movie and the trilogy that it created! From the plotting and scene construction that Victoria analyzed way back in college, to the nuanced character depictions Jino found on a rewatch, to the plants and pay-offs that Michael gushes over...

Heads up! We’re heading back to the volleyball court for Seasons 3 and 4 of Haikyuu!! Victoria can finally, FINALLY talk about that Tsukki moment and Kenma’s backstory without spoilers. Jino is obsessed with Hinata’s Ball Boy Arc, and Michael is convinced that Tanaka fumbled. Together we will wonder, what’s up with that Seagull Kid? Jump in as we rank our favorite players, ponder Ushiwaka’s textin...

Grab a flashlight (or a candle, as the Builders intended), and dive below ground to The City of Ember! Victoria read this coming-of-age tale as a young’un, and fondly recalls her wish to don a messenger’s cape and dash around her hometown like the protagonist. Michael compares the book to the movie adaptation starring Saiorse Ronan. And Jino? Well, Jino’s got some questions for the city’s so-calle...

It's meeeeeeeeee! Today we're donning our pointy black hats and talking about Wicked, both the 2024 movie and the original Broadway musical (but mostly the movie, live theater can be expensive!). The original cast recording had a significant influence on young Victoria's theatrical aspirations, and now she acts as our guide analyzing the twisted prequel-sidequel plot and the wizardly propaganda of...

Penderwick family honor! We’re back with the second installment in our discussion of Jino’s favorite children’s book series. This coming-of-age masterpiece is both timeless and contemporary, with plenty of life lessons and charm to boot. After reading the first book, Victoria entered a fugue state and woke up two weeks later having scoured every local library in the area for the rest of the series...

We’re all in this together! Get your head in the game! And a third cool line from the High School Musical movies, which dominated both the Disney Channel and our hearts back in the mid-2000s. Joining us is Shannon, Michael’s sister and karaoke queen whose constant renditions of the soundtrack when they were kids wormed their way into the permanent canon of their lives. Jino’s first time watching H...

We’re back with the second and final part of our Season 4 Recap, covering our episodes from Mulan to Madagascar. Michael recounts a harrowing tale of facing his daemons, Victoria shares some final thoughts on the various Little Women adaptations, and Jino declares that pizza is soup. Plus, some hints for what Season 5 has in store!  __________________________________________ Hosted by Michael Kean...

Season 5 is coming soon, so let’s wrap up Season 4! For newer listeners, we always end each season by revisiting previous episodes and commenting on things we may have forgotten to mention or new updates since the episode’s release. In Part 1, we cover our episodes from Ratatouille to The Goose Girl (spoiler warning for any series mentioned in the episode). Tune in to hear all about our favorite c...

It’s time to move it, move it to our final episode of Season 4, because we watched all three Madagascar films in a row and we have a lot to say about it! This Dreamworks franchise started with the 2005 film that introduced us to Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman. The series subsequently took us from New York City to the titular island, to Africa, and eventually all across Europe! Jino watched the fi...

Get ready for a Whale of a Wash because we’re swimming with the fish today in the 2004 Dreamworks classic: Shark Tale! Joining us is Nikki Spina, here to tell us all the easter eggs we missed and provide some important animation industry context to this movie. Michael and Jino thought they’d never watch this movie all the way through, but here they are. Victoria enjoyed rewatching this film with f...

Cowabunga dudes! This week we’re diving into the sewer to meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of crime-fighting fame! After watching the live-action 1990 film and animated 2007 film, we’re running at full Turtle Power! Jino grew up reading the original comic books, and offers unique insights on the tone, lore, and development of the brand to a very Turtle-poor Michael. Meanwhile, Victoria relive...

Don’t you miss being a kid in the summer? The Penderwick siblings sure know how to take advantage of the season, running around with a soccer ball and breaking expensive garden vases. The first book in this series by Jeanne Birdsall perfectly captures the simple joys, but also high-stakes drama, of summer vacation. Jino loved The Penderwicks as a kid, but didn’t even know there were four other boo...

Brush up on your 1860s slang, because today we’re revisiting an American classic! Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a novel that’s inspired generations of writers and sparked numerous adaptations. Victoria has read the book from cover to cover at least five times now, with a deep love for the March Sisters and a 2017 PBS Masterpiece adaptation. Michael and Jino enjoyed the 2019 film directed by...