Strictly Anime

We review Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle (Part 1: Akaza Returns). The first act of this highly anticipated movie trilogy has finally arrived in all its cinematic glory, wasting no time in keeping us at the edge of our seats (and setting box office records as well). We analyze the highs and lows of the film’s character moments, pacing, production quality, and even promoti...

We discuss second seasons of anime that were better than the first. Technically it’s subsequent seasons, but that doesn’t sound as good as a title. Join us as we share which anime we feel significantly improved as the show went on. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first box : https://tea...

We pick theme songs for anime characters. Many characters already have a theme song from their anime’s soundtrack - but what if their song was a mainstream music hit instead? We share the pop songs we chose for anime characters that fit their personality, their story, or even their job. Companion playlist on Spotify: If Anime Characters Had Theme Songs While you’re listening to this episode, why n...

We discuss why we love being weebs. Like a love letter to anime and weebdom, we share how being part of this community brings us so much happiness. Plus, we asked our patrons and listeners to share why they love being weebs. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first box : https://team.tokyo...

We share the supporting characters that deserve their own anime. When they’re more interesting and memorable than the main character, why wouldn’t we want to see more of them? We share the supporting characters we feel deserve more screen time, showing us what happened in their backstory and what they’ll do next. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack fro...

We’re strictly chatting. We have a bunch of anime topics to cover, including the Delta Airlines partnership with Crunchyroll, Demon Slayer events at baseball games, and whether smooth brain anime is a problem. Plus, Courtney finally finished Naruto. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first...

We share moments in anime that hit different as parents. Having kids changes your perspective on a lot of things, anime included. We discuss characters we relate with, situations we can’t imagine experiencing, and moments that we see in a very different way. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off y...

We review Takopi’s Original Sin. It’s rare when an anime accomplishes so much with so little time, giving us excellent pacing, moving storytelling, and conflicting characters. But this show manages to do all that and more. We share our thoughts on all this plus deep dive into the what we took away from the story. Japanese title: Takopii no Genzai While you’re listening to this episode, why not pai...

We discuss our spoiler-free Summer 2025 anime first impressions. This may be the most stacked season of anime in recent years, and it’s got us excited and overwhelmed. Join us as we share our initial thoughts on a promising horror anime, a character wearing roller blades for some reason, an anime about a lot of cats, and many more. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a...

We review Lazarus. When Shinichiro Watanabe creates a new anime, we pay attention. However, no matter how much attention was paid, we still couldn’t understand how half the things in this anime tied together. Join us as we try to navigate confusing decisions, shallow storytelling, and lots of plot holes. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #Toky...

We share our favorite Americans in anime. In honor of our country’s Independence Day, we’re bringing together our patriotism and our passion. We share the characters that remind us to be the American the Japanese think you are. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first box : https://team.to...

We share our favorite Japanese voice actors. After watching subbed anime as long as we have, we’ve come to love and appreciate not only the performances, but the VAs themselves. We share which voice actors we love most, as well as our thoughts on the seiyuu industry that goes beyond voice roles. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat bo...

We’re strictly chatting. It’s been a busy start to the summer with an anime convention and a celebration for the new pope. We also talk about a handful of anime like Witch Watch, Delicious in Dungeon, Courtney’s Naruto update, and more! While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first box : https:...

We share our favorite art styles in anime. This may come as a bit of a shock, but anime is a form of art, and one that comes in many different expressions. We each compile a list of the visual aesthetics in anime that really draw us in - as well as critique the ones that left a bad impression. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box?...

We discuss the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. In its ninth year, does this award show improve upon past issues and inspire enough confidence from the anime community to believe that it isn’t rigged? Sort of. We share our impressions on the actual ceremony and discuss each winner, including the highly debated winner for Anime of the Year. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up w...

We review the second season of Link Click. With the main plot in full force, this show continues to deliver on emotional moments, plot twists, and cliffhangers. We discuss all the things that confused us and left us with questions, as well as all the things that surprised us and made us excited for the next season. Chinese title: Shiguang Dailiren While you’re listening to this episode, why not pa...

We discuss iconic quotes in anime. You know you’ve become an anime fan when you recognize certain lines of dialogue, even if you’ve never seen the show. We share some of the most iconic, most memorable, and most memed quotes from some of the most popular anime. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 of...

We share our picks for Anime ‘Hear Me Out.’ Anime is the “perfect” environment for this viral social media trend, where we list out characters for whom we have an unnatural affinity. Some (or maybe all) of our picks may be egregious enough to make you cringe, but just hear us out - we’ve got our reasons. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #Toky...

We discuss our spoiler-free Spring 2025 anime first impressions. Our watch lists have a good variety this season, including ecchi, sci-fi, fantasy, and drama. We share our thoughts on which anime could be this season’s dumpster fire, which could be our guilty pleasure, and which could be the most pleasantly surprising. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious sna...

We’re strictly chatting. We discuss our plans for Anime Central, share a weird experience with our garbage cans, and dive into the announcement for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run. Plus, Courtney updates us on her Naruto journey and her conflicting feelings about Tsunade. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use c...

We review Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow (S2). Jinwoo continues to grow stronger, and hotter, all while meeting several story milestones we weren’t expecting. We discuss the surprising but welcomed pacing, Jinwoo’s resemblance to Zoolander and Eren Jaeger, and the mysteries we hope to learn more about in the next season. Japanese title: Ore dake Level Up na Ken Season 2: Arise from the Shado...

We review the first half of the first season of Sakamoto Days. Half action, half slice of life, and all comedy, this anime is proving to be a lot of fun. We discuss how the show takes familiar tropes and adds a new spin, as well as how relatable we find Sakamoto’s relationship-weight-gain. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use...

We review Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. Our heads and minds are spinning about this period-piece drama, where holding the belief that the Earth revolves around the Sun could get you burned at the stake. We give this sleeper hit the recognition that it deserves - from its incredible story rendered in a way that only anime could fully accomplish, to its philosophical themes surrounding the ide...

We try to answer the question: How important is animation quality in anime? Whether or not we want to admit it, animation quality is becoming more of a selling point for popular anime, and more of a factor in a show’s success. We discuss how important animation quality is when looking at what makes an anime “great,” and how much influence it has over the viewing experience. While you’re listening...

We're celebrating 5 years of Strictly Anime by answering your burning questions! To help us reflect on this incredible milestone, we reached out to our Patreon and Discord community to send us their questions about the podcast, about anime, and about everything in between. Thank you to everyone who submitted their questions - and thank you to all our listeners, old and new, for supporting our podc...