PenPen Pals

It's great to be back and we are excited to bring you another Gainax work: Kazuya Tsurumaki's ground breaking sexual satire FLCL! Join us for a discussion of the pivotal pilot as it issues questions and comments alike on masculinity, cycles of abuse, and the mysterious art of rock and roll. Check out the series (again) wherever you can find it (super easy these days), and (re)explore what it's lik...

Greeting PenPenPals! We will be back next week(!) covering another fan favorite AND critically acclaimed series. In the mean time, please enjoy this track provided by our newest permanent fixture, Brian. Children Of The Black Moon is a super stretched, surreal soundscape and for about a week, Alex had it and its sister song (COTWM) playing on repeat. We hope everyone listening has some time to dec...

Instrumentality is in full swing... JOIN US! Brian comes back to dissect the last episode and share some last thoughts on the series as a whole. To our guests, thank you. To our listeners, we are with you. And to all the contributions Alex hasn't edited, farewell... for now. Congratulations everyone!

While Alex is struggling with Instrumentality, PenPenPals Presents this present from friend of the pod Brian! This addictive track was a gift for recording our season 1 finale. We hope you enjoy it with an anime loving pal and we hope you have the same detective novel "Ahha!" moment we did. Stay safe Pals!

Instrumentality beings!!! Beautiful, strange, and not at all what we were expecting, Nate and Oliver do a damn fine job sussing some meaning from the series' PENultimate episode. LoFi Cruel Angel's Thesis from Arthur Braga at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORRXbrRlkbk

Hey PenPenPals!! This time of year is hectic for many, and we here at the show are no exception. With that in mind, this week brings you not another episode, but the full version of our new intro and outro. This is the intro by local Fairfax musician Asher of MLEMON. Check out his work with his musical prodigy partner Mckinley at https://mlemon.bandcamp.com/ and stay tuned for our penultimate epis...

Please enjoy this full version of our outro, generously provided by local musician and guest on the pod Ed. This lovingly modified treatment of Rei I captured my heart and I hope it enlivens the jazziness in yours. Check out Ed's work at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2FeiCdG-Lyqb3onQONggA

Friends of the show Tonya and Cassie join us to ponder the mysteries of Kaworu Nagisa, The Fifth Children. We also get a visit from a dancing dog poet named Blake and Ben decides what kind of cult he wants to be in. Stay warm, stay fed, and be nice to your PenPenPals ;;;,-)

Asuka is out of comission, Misato and Shinji are unraveling emotionally. Can Rei defeat the next angel on her own? Join us and our new PenPenPal Damian for a delightful discussion about some horrifying imagery ;;;,-) 8-Bit Cruel Angel's Thesis found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF5Wl4JDQjY

2 BROTHERS!!! This episode brings us an all too close look at Asuka, and why we should feel respect and sympathy for our multinational comrade. We remember NGE RE:Death (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtXT-8C-6OE) and finally witness the throwing of Chekhov's Lance. Cruel Angel's Thesis from AniShin: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7BN-DPFGP1CASZ2BbgIV7

A couple of guests with shared work experience join us for this episode! This time we explore the origins of NERV, Seele and Project E.

The Third Guest Brian Returns for the THIRD TIME!!!! He brings the piano prodigy Ed (@MistaMewMew) along for the episode. Join us for a quantum mind bending Eva thought experiment and an extra long (and insightful) Spoiles Session. Happy Election day to all our PenPenPals in the US!

We bring you an experimental episode this week!!! Watch (or just listen) along with us and be our PenPenPal on another level!

Brian from Lifejustsu.com returns for another deep and dark discussion of the increasing confrontational framing and unrelenting trauma of the series' third act. The ride will only get faster from here! New music in the episode also courtesy of Brian. Let the punk sorcery BEGIN :::.-)

Double guest and a giant sized episode! Two childhood chums phone in from Seattle to discuss who the 4th Children will be, and what they might give up for that title. Title music cover from Eddie van der Meer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JKP013TOIQ

Lights! Camera! Evas! Our first Californian guest walks us through this nightmare inspiring episode with a Salvador Dalí inspired Angel. Check out our guest Tonya's work at https://www.svshakespeare.org/ and donate to a local theatre while you're at it ;;;,-)

Fabulous guest! Fabulous kisses! Fabulous PenPen! No angels this week, but a whole bunch of character development. Hang on to your notepads folks, it's analysis and appreciation time!

Our woven narrative is put to the test in this well framed rewatch of a recap episode. Guest Savannah leads us on a nostalgia trip, touching on the works of Satoshi Kon. This week's opening music sampled from The Glory Gospel Singers. Find their work at: https://www.facebook.com/GloryGospel/

Local visual artist Nate stops by for our spookiest episode yet. Does Ritsuko have a secret? Is everything better with lasers? Check out Nate's art on etsy and social media @art_by_midnite Thanks to Vincent Price for being the scion of spooky :-O

Our first California Pal stops by! We get our first glimpse into the Second Impact and the biggest eyeball yet. Support mutual aid in San Diego by donating to weallwegotsd.com and make PenPen proud.

Shady Gendo needs some candles for this episode! Guest Jim is a regular ol' musicologist. Check out his work at: Soundcloud.com/xenotolerance www.xenotolerance.com

Show notes: Field trip time! Asuka stairs death in the face, Shinji studies, and PenPen returns to his natural habitat. Leave a review to have your feedback featured on a future show, and email us your wildest dreams at PenPenPalsPod@gmail.com

If only Dance Dance Revolution could teach us to be better EVA pilots. Join us and Punk Sorcerer Brian for another thrilling episode! Find Brian's work and services at LifeJutsu.com. Email us at PenPenPalsPod@gmail.com with thoughts, questions and offers or tweet us at https://twitter.com/penpenpalspod

ASUKA!　Email us at Penpenpalspod@gmail.com or tweet us at https://twitter.com/penpenpalspod

Alex's editorial debut! In this episode our hosts nab another guest for the discussion! Lots of talk about animation traditions outside of Japan. Email us at Penpenpalspod@gmail.com or tweet us at https://twitter.com/penpenpalspod