Strictly Anime

We share our favorite spicy moments in anime. Sure, a vanilla romance anime is great. But have you ever squealed with excitement while watching two characters turn up the heat? Whether they’re explicitly spicy, or have great underlying tension, we’re sharing our favorite moments that we can’t get out of our heads. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack fr...

We review the first season of Link Click. Our first foray into Chinese donghua takes the term “photographic memory” to a whole new level, with a time-travel thriller that’s equal parts exhilarating and heartfelt. We explore the show’s organic world-building, nuanced storytelling, and top-notch cliffhangers - even as its subtitles sometimes get lost in translation. Chinese title: Shiguang Dailiren...

We’re strictly chatting. We chat about upcoming game releases, anime merch we have our eye on, and what we plan to do with our collectibles when it’s time to pass them on to our children. Plus, Courtney shares another Naruto update, including the origin of the Sasuke choke meme. While you’re listening to this episode, why not pair it up with a delicious snack from a #TokyoTreat box? Use code STRIC...

We discuss why we prefer subbed anime over dubbed anime. One of the most highly debated topics in the anime community is sub vs. dub. Weebs have long fought the battle of which one is superior, but we’re not here to fight. We’re here to explain why we prefer subbed anime, discuss some of the great aspects of dubbed anime, and break out in a sweat in an attempt to not get chewed out by our fellow w...

We discuss our spoiler-free Winter 2025 anime first impressions. It’s the season of romance anime with several on our list, alongside highly anticipated shows like Solo Leveling and Sakamoto Days. Join us as we discuss these anime, as well as a sleeper hit about planetary movement, an isekai Karl is actually watching, and the return of everyone’s favorite apothecary. While you’re listening to this...

We share our anime celebrity meal ideas. If BTS, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kai Cenat can get fast food meals named after them, who says that someone like Sukuna can't get the same royal culinary treatment? We fight through our insatiable hunger to come up with anime celebrity meals that pay homage to notable anime characters, with the fervent hope that a restaurant chain will pick one up and give u...

We review the first season of Dandadan. What do bananas, golden balls, lewd grannies, and Ken Takakura have in common? This weird anime. We discuss the ballsy premise, the way the show unexpectedly makes you want to cry, and the questionable end to the first season. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/strictlyanime Join our Discord: https://dis...

We close out the year with the best and worst of 2024 anime! This past year was a wild ride, both for anime fans and for us in our personal lives, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We reflect on what anime had to offer us in 2024 by sharing our picks for categories like waifu and husbando, animation, story, and many more! Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://t...

We share our favorite anime openings and endings from 2024. One of our favorite episodes returns for another year of absolute bangers. Join us as we share our OP and ED picks, as well as the ones chosen by our patrons and listeners! Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/strictlyanime Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/4Rnq4GTePP Support the pod...

We review Look Back. From the mind of the creator of Chainsaw Man comes a surprisingly heartfelt film about adolescents and their artistic aspirations, and in this case the hype was well deserved. We take a look back (pun intended) at how the film underscores the highs and lows of making manga/art alongside appreciating the highs and lows of life - all within the impressive runtime of less than an...

We’re strictly chatting. We share our thoughts on Uzumaki, react to the Vatican’s attempt at connecting with weebs, and contemplate why anime merch at certain retailers isn’t selling well anymore. Plus, Courtney talks about her Naruto journey and finally getting introduced to Itachi. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/strictlyanime Join our Di...

We review My Hero Academia: You're Next. The fourth surprise entry in the My Hero film series sees Midoriya and Class 1-A face off against a villain of mighty proportions. But just how compelling is this story compared to what we've seen before, and what we'll see ahead as the series approaches its final season? We take our turns discussing the film's execution, from the pacing to the familiar ele...

We review the second half of My Hero Academia season 7. The action never stops throughout this season, but should they have given us a break to avoid the fatigue? We discuss several plot lines coming to a close, which of Courtney’s boys they did dirty, and what we hope to see in the final season. Japanese title: Boku no Hero Academia Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: ht...

We discuss our spoiler-free Fall 2024 anime first impressions. We’re finishing the year off strong-ish with a season that is good for 2024 but not as hype as past years. We discuss a spicy romance, a highly anticipated show where a boy’s banana is stolen, and somehow have more to look forward to with Attack on Titan. Plus, we have another life update with some special news to share! Use code STRIC...

We review the second season of Oshi no Ko. The anime is back with more commentary about the entertainment industry, this time with a focus on stage performances, manga, and live action adaptations. But we’ll be honest, we’re here for the mystery. We discuss which half of the season we preferred, the romance drama and weird choices, the major reveals around the murder mystery, and whether the show...

We discuss our anime what-if ideas. What if things happened differently than how we saw them in an anime? How would a single choice, a single action, or a single rewrite of a pivotal moment completely alter the course of a story? We take on this question by discussing hypothetical scenarios we most want to see in anime. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tok...

We share our top 10 favorite anime characters. It’s never easy picking favorites, but at the same time it’s very easy when a character means so much to you. Join us as we share which characters we love, why we love them, and where they land on our top 10 list. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/strictlyanime Join our Discord: https://discord.g...

We review Perfect Blue. This classic is one of Satoshi Kon’s masterpieces, and it’s about time we talk about it. No matter how weird, eerie, or freaky this movie gets, the most mind-blowing thing is how much the story was ahead of its time. We discuss the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, the themes of parasocial relationships and fandom, and the nostalgia of seeing 90s technology. Use co...

We play Poorly Explained Anime Characters. We’re bringing back this fun game where we describe an anime character in the most simple, confusing, or ridiculous way possible to see if the other person can guess the correct answer. Who scored the most points? And whose brain failed them over and over again? Join us to find out the answers and to play along. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your firs...

We’re strictly chatting. We find yet another reason to talk about Attack on Titan, but we also share our thoughts on AI generated subtitles, Emmy wins, and Batman. Plus, Courtney tries to explain Naruto lore to Karl like it’s family drama on a reality TV show. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com/strictlyanime Join our Discord: https://discord.g...

We try to redeem ourselves in anime trivia with the help of our patrons. After a failed attempt at using ChatGPT for anime trivia and learning that AI isn’t that reliable, we felt we had to try our hand at trivia one more time. So we asked our patrons to create trivia questions that would really put our anime knowledge to the test. Tune in to find out how we did, and play along by testing your own...

We share anime that would make great video games. There have been many games based off anime, but sometimes they feel like cash-grabs instead of AAA productions. We share our picks for which anime have the potential to be made into great video games, and discuss how we envision these ideas coming to fruition. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box: https://team.tokyotreat.com...

We review the final part of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It’s been a wild ride experiencing this beloved classic for the first time. We share our thoughts on the best parts of the finale, issues we found along the way, and whether or not we liked the ending. We can finally call ourselves real weebs now that we’ve watched FMAB, right? Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat bo...

We share our favorite redemption stories in anime. Sometimes the most compelling and powerful stories aren’t even the main story of an anime. And sometimes that story can be so convincing that you start rooting for a character you initially hated. We discuss the redemption arcs that had us believing in the power of forgiveness and restoring our faith in humanity. Use code STRICTLYANIME for $5 off...

We review the first season of Kaiju No. 8. This series definitely makes a monster-sized mark, with its unique kaiju premise and its acknowledgement of millennials who are just trying to do their best - though we can’t help but feel that Kafka’s story bears a few similarities to another “Titan”-sized anime. We discuss the show’s commendable focus on its characters over its kaiju, the issues regardi...