Strictly Anime

We review the third season of Oshi no Ko. The series finally strikes the delicate balance between showbiz bashing and plot progression this season, especially when there’s all sorts of controversy and scandal and anime scheming abound. We take a look at how these circumstances, intertwined in the ongoing murder mystery, help close the loop on Aqua and Ruby’s true motivations and true selves. Also we start seeing stars in our eyes trying to figure out the stars in their eyes.

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We discuss the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. It’s the ten year anniversary for the award show, but there wasn’t much to celebrate. We share our thoughts on the award show and all the winners, question whether an independent third party should be running things, wonder if anyone will ever take down Anya Forger and One Piece, and bask in the glory of Bakugo’s deserved recognition.

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We’re strictly chatting. How dare they. How dare they do that in My Hero Academia: More. How dare they do that with the Pokemon x Target collaboration. How dare they do that to Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. Also, more Naruto Shippuden.

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We discuss our spoiler-free Spring 2026 anime first impressions. We’ve got another promising season for the romance fans, and several unexpected moments from premiere episodes. We discuss how to pronounce “atelier” in Witch Hat Atelier, the trope of gyaru and nerd romances, and what is literally happening in Daemons of the Shadow Realm.

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We review the second season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Anime’s most comforting show continues to impart important life lessons on us. We discuss the romantic moments between Stark and Fern (or as we call them, “Fark”), Frieren’s newest grimoires, and the fight between demons and a guy who says he doesn’t care but he actually does care.

Japanese title: Sousou no Frieren

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We review season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1. MAPPA has evolved this anime into something cinematic and intense, even with curse powers that seem a little silly. But that’s ok, we’re here for it. We discuss movie references, Itadori on trial, Fushiguro’s abs, and the return of Chef Yuta.

Japanese title: Jujutsu Kaisen: Shimetsu Kaiyuu - Zenpen

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We review the second half of Gachiakuta season one. Trash takes a back seat as the focus shifts to shonen battles and expanding the mystery. We discuss Zanka’s weak backstory, major spoilers in the OP, more comedic moments, and unexpected plot twists.

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We review the second half of Sakamoto Days season one. With more plot progression than the first half, the second cour is action-packed and full of mystery. We discuss Sakamoto’s connections and his past, throwaway enemies and unnecessary fights, and skinny vs. fat Sakamoto.

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We’re strictly chatting. It’s been a minute since our last chat, and we have a lot to talk about. We share details on our vacation, Punch the monkey, the return of Yona of the Dawn, and much more. Plus, Courtney shares the latest on her journey through Naruto Shippuden.

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We review the first half of To Your Eternity season 3. After being burned by the previous season, we return to Fushi’s journey with more mixed feelings. We discuss the completely different tone of this season, weird behaviors and decisions from certain characters, and Fushi laying eggs.

Japanese title: Fumetsu no Anata e

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We discuss our spoiler-free Winter 2026 anime first impressions. The new year is coming in strong with great shows, including several solid romance anime. We share our thoughts on the final season of Golden Kamuy, why Hana-Kimi isn’t living up to expectations, whether the title Tamon’s B-Side makes sense to younger generations, and much more.

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We review the third season of Spy x Family. We’ve been wanting this anime to give us something substantial to the plot, and did this season deliver? Sort of. We discuss impacts to relationships, Loid’s backstory, Yor’s struggle to find normalcy, and whether the status quo really changed by the end of this season.

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We review the final season of My Hero Academia. It’s the end of another era in anime as one of the biggest shonen series in recent years comes to an end. We discuss the climactic fight, whether or not the ending was satisfying, and Courtney shares her final thesis on Bakugo.

Japanese title: Boku no Hero Academia

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We close out the year with the best and worst of 2025 anime! With all of its highs and lows, this past year was a rollercoaster for the anime community. We reflect on what anime had to offer us in 2025 by sharing our picks for categories like waifu and husbando, animation, story, and many more!

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We share our favorite anime openings and endings from 2025. One of our favorite episodes returns for another year of vibes (which we can’t stop saying this episode). Join us as we share our OP and ED picks, as well as the ones chosen by our patrons and listeners!

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We review the first season of The Summer Hikaru Died. It’s not often we get a horror anime that’s actually scary, and this one hits the mark while also delivering a great mystery. We discuss the scary moments that got us, the romantic subtext, and the slowly unraveling lore about the town.

Japnese title: Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu

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We review the first half of Gachiakuta season one. This is an anime about trash that isn’t trash, and it’s a wild ride filled with over-the-top facial expressions. We discuss the comedic moments, the teenage angst, and the concept of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

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We review the second season of Kaiju No. 8. The beloved millennial Kafka is back, and this time he’s gearing up for the big fight. We discuss similarities to other anime, the OVA, good anime dads, and the cliffhanger ending to the season.

Japanese title: Kaijuu 8-gou

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We review The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity. The only thing sweeter than this wholesome and fluffy romance are the cakes Kaoruko loves to eat. We discuss the anime’s title, the drama being overdramatic at times, and the surprising pace at which this romance is unfolding.

Japanese title: Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

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We review Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc. Anime continues to dominate at the box office with the next installment of this beloved series, which surprisingly does well in tugging at our (chainsaw) heartstrings. We discuss the significance of this arc’s release in movie format, the nuanced layers of its love story, and the futility of trying to find a Pochita popcorn bucket.

Japanese title: Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze-hen

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We discuss our spoiler-free Fall 2025 anime first impressions. There seems to be a gap between the good stuff and the mid stuff this season. We share our initial thoughts on a bunch of bad romances, an anime that might capture the magic of Christmas, and the end of an era with the final season of My Hero Academia.

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We’re strictly chatting. We discuss JoJo news, MLB news, video game news, and more. Plus, Courtney finally made it to Naruto Shippuden and shares her initial reactions.

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We review the second season of My Dress-Up Darling. After a long wait, our waifu Marin is back with a new set of cosplays and cosplay friends. But where’s the romance, the conflict, or even the ecchi? We discuss all the things this season is missing, how it compares to the first season, and all the relatable moments that we appreciated.

Japanese title: Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

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We review the second season of Dandadan. Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, this anime continues to push the boundaries and give us the absurd moments we love. We discuss new characters being introduced, random things happening in the background, and some of the funniest parts of this season.

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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 promotional merchandising.

Japanese title: Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Jou-hen - Akaza Sairai

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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

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