Shonen Tapes

We have finally arrived to the Oshi No Ko Tape. Not only was this one of the biggest hits of the year, but it's something that you guys have asked for. Now, as always, you don't have to have fully seen season 1 to enjoy this episode. We give minor spoilers, but it'll be a good way to judge if this is a type of show you will enjoy or not. Obviously the plot is...how do you put it...p...

Wait! Not in a fight!! We are analyzing their character traits and who is a better number two. These guys are both trailblazers, with so many copycats in the anime that followed them.  But who’s more influential? Whose story is more captivating? Who was written better? These are the kind of topics we tackle in today’s episode. So please, join us, and above all - let us know who your overall pick i...

Okay, so you know when someone asks you what's a good anime to watch, and you have to sit there and consider who your audience is? Think no more. We thinky so you no thinky.  We mapped out almost every conceivable scenario on an anime recommendations. Some of these could even apply to you guys! Girlfriends, boyfriends, homies, first time watchers, old school animeheads, new school weebs, fami...

It’s shows like this that make us have a revived passion for anime. Whether you’ve seen the first season of Hells Paradise or not, you’ll get a pretty good idea of whether it’s worth watching after this episode. Spoiler alert; it is! What we tackle is why we think the show is so successful, the tropes it broke, the inspirations it took, and we do a quick little ranking of how it compares to the da...

It's time to talk about Rurouni Kenshin, that it is! Today we talk about the goofy KILLER SWORDSMAN gone good. You don't have to have seen the old-school show, or even the first episode of the new show to follow along.  We spend time talking about what we valued with the old show, and what are some new things we'd like to see with the remake. We also give our reactions and do some c...

ATTENTION, DEMON SLAYER FANS! The long wait is finally over as we dive into Season 3: The Swordsmith Arc.  Join us as we explore another chapter in Tanjiro's relentless pursuit of saving his sister and slaying Muzan. In this episode, we take a closer look at what we loved and didn't quite love about this new season, while also talking about the brand new supporting characters. One of the...

Get ready to hear the absolute worst Cell impressions you've ever had the displeasure of coming across as we break down the pitfalls and upsides of Dr. Gero's strongest creation. Now it's no secret that we both have been very critical of the Cell Saga, and Cell himself - but that doesn't mean we don't take a step back and sway away from our bias to give him a fair shake. W...

Okay y'all - we finally did it and crushed the first 50 episodes of One Piece! We tackled this episode in a way where you can listen whether you've seen the show or not.  If you haven't seen Once Piece yet, you get our take on what episodes are hard to get through, what to possibly skip (if anything), and if the show sucks you in or not.  For those of you that have seen Once Piece,...

Wormy wormy wormies, ya'll seem to enjoy our My Hero Academia tapes, so we came through with another. Today we pick out our top 7 favorite characters from the show.  We will say, our lists start the same, but end completely different. Sean is flexing his Vince McMahon vibes, bringing the big beefy picks that'll leave you in awe. Kevin's all about the powers, dissecting each characte...

The long awaited (according to Sean at least) Sailor Moon episode is finally here, and we got an expert to join us! Sailor Tortilla joins the Shonen Tapes for today's episode, and helps us with an extremely high level of knowledge of Sailor Moon deep cuts, tidbits, and schools us on Shojo in general. We discuss the characters, engrossing storyline, and timeless appeal of Sailor Moon. Sailor T...

Okay, we gave you some Dragon Ball last week, so we're going to balance it out with some Naruto. We know Naruto arcs can be a bit tricky to pin down, with their interwoven storylines. So, we decided to spice things up and react to Screen Rant's list of Naruto's Top 10 Arcs. Screen Rant's list has some hits, but we can't help but notice a few glaring omissions and questiona...

MOVE IT, KAKAROT!! We finally did it. We’re doing a deep dive on Vegeta from the Dragon Ball series. We've been saving this episode for a momentous occasion that just never felt right, so we pulled the trigger.  He’s deep, but is he one of the best-written characters in anime? We'll dissect his development, motivations, and complex relationships to uncover what gravitates so many people...

Get ready for another good ole' fashioned Shonen Tapes Versus episode, as we take a deep dive into the  worlds of Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen! In one corner, we have Denji, the half-human protagonist of Chainsaw Man. With his insatiable talent for demon slaying, Denji has won over audiences worldwide with his unique powers and gritty personality. And in the other corner, we have Itadori,...

What's up, anime fans? This week we're throwing it back to Attack on Titan. But we're not talking about how amazing the show is (although we could go on for hours about that). Instead, we're exploring a different path that Eren Yeager could have taken to protect his people. Let's be real, Eren's whole rumbling plan was a bit much. So, we're putting our heads toge...

Join us on this week's episode of The Shonen Tapes, where we delve into the worlds of Dragon Ball and Naruto for a character deep dive on Goku and Frieza, compared to Naruto and Pain. While these characters are typically pitted against each other in physical battles, we're taking a different approach and exploring their backstories and relationships. Which duo has a more compelling story...

WE HAVE SPOILER WARNINGS FOR EVERY SHOW WE DISCUSS, so don't worry!! What is better than a good, unexpected mind blow in an already good show? Having your world turned completely upside down.. Thinking you REALLY know a protagonist, villain, or side character, just to have them throw you for a loop. That's what we're talking about today. Our FAVORITE twists in Anime. We're well...

In this episode of the Shonen Tapes podcast, we dive deep into the sixth season of the popular anime series, My Hero Academia. We start by analyzing our thoughts on this season compared to the rest of the series. Next, we explore the character development and growth of the main cast, particularly Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki. We also discuss how this season improves the series, enhances the villain&...

HELLO EGOISTS - TUNE IN OR LOCK OFF.  Part 2 of season 1 finished off so you know we had to. Is this the best sports anime, or is this the best sports anime? We spend a majority of the episode talking about the writing style, characters, and put together our own soccer teams from other anime (without powers) to face off. Actually pick this time, who has the better squad, Team Sean or Team Kevin? L...

Today we cover one of Dragon Ball Z's least talked about sagas. There is always so much emphasis on how good the Cell Saga and Frieza Saga were, and how bad the Buu Saga was. But what's almost always left out of the conversation is how game changing the Saiyan Saga was!! We go over some theories on why we think it's never talked about, and pick our highs and lows for the Saga. We al...

Time for a Naruto episode! Today we jump into the various eye powers (also known as Dojutsu) in Naruto. Powers so unique in Anime that it honestly needs its own topic. To top it off, it has nothing to do with the main character. The Sharingan, Byakugan, and Rinnegan each hold a pivotal part of the show, but were they built on equally? Were there missed opportunities from a story telling or charact...

Underdogs, underdogs, we are all familiar with an underdog. We are all familiar with underdogs regarding the anime we watch. But is the underdog storyline good for anime at this point? In today’s episode, we talk about that and different characters in anime that are underdogs. We also have some friendly debates on certain characters and if they fit the underdog archetype. We go off the rails on th...

Listen - All Might is not beating Goku, or any Saiyan (except for Pan...for now...), so we let him pick on some people his own size. We've seen power scaling for how the mighty All Might compares to the villains in My Hero Academia, but Dragon Ball is absolutely on another level, so the humans are a better comparison! My Hero Fans, give it a listen and let us know if you agree with where we l...

Okay so there were two things we had to react to... Crunchyroll's list, because it had some absurd winners... And the AOT special, because we'll have to wait another year or so until the show actually ends. So that's what you're getting here! We had differing opinions on the AOT episode, but had very similar ones on the award list. What were they thinking giving Cyberpunk anime...

We all got an enemy somewhere in the world, so today’s episode should be mad relatable! We talk about the most iconic enemy relationships in anime. We talk mortal enemies, frenimies, and enemies turned friends. For fun we also pick characters from different anime’s that could be enemies. Let us know your own picks!! Also, Patreon still free until end of April! This episode includes: Dragonball Z,...

Buckle up, ya'll - cause it's time for a good ole fashioned list tape! When's the last we've really listed out our top anime? 2020?? It's been far too long, especially with all the dope anime to release this past year. You guys get to see what has stood the test of time throughout our podcast journey, and what has fallen off. You also see where some of the newbie anime&apo...