Hey guys,
we’ll be postponing the recording of our new episode until next weekend due to massive work overload. Enjoy the weekend y’all.
Episode 62: The Stage of History
CC kicks off this episode by standing his ground against the mongol army in Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion and later wraps things up by joining the hunt for vampires in pre-World War II Japan with Sirius the Jaeger. Meanwhile John bares witness to a fierce stage play in Revue Starlight and dishes out some interesting background information about the type of musical theater this series is based on.
Reviews:
Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion (1:30)
Revue Starlight (18:55)
Sirius the Jaeger (39:02)
Related Links:
Crunchyroll: The Apocalypse Heads to Japan – What Happened Before Angolmois
Crunchyroll: What Does the Word “Angolmois” Actually Mean?
Wikipedia: Mongol invasions of Japan
Twitter: Musical Theater Thread
(Not Quite) Daily Show: Takarazuka Revue & Revue Starlight (Part 1)
Official Takarazuka Revue Website: The 100-years history of the Takarazuka Revue
GaijinPotBlog: 10 Facts to Know About Takarazuka Revue
ANN – This Week in Anime: Revue Starlight is a Dazzling Surprise
Episode 61: Balls, Rackets & a shitty Anime Mom
This week, the gang gets athletic and discusses to very different kinds of Sports Anime. First talk about how the consistent summer vacation theme and sympathetic characters of the laid-back Beach volleyball series Harukana Receive make for a generally relaxing, good time. Then CC goes into the opposite direction with the high tension Badminton drama Hanebado and explains why the visually impressive series stumbles in the story department.
Review:
Harukana Receive (1:31)
Hanebado! (28:17)
Related Links:
Gigguk: The Art of Sports Anime
Crunchyroll: How Harukana Receive Changes What You Know About Volleyball
ANN – This Week in Anime: Hanebado! Has No Chill
Crunchyroll: The Badminton Anime You Didn’t Know You Needed
Crunchyroll: Shining the Sports Spotlight on Girls in Hanebado!
Crunchyroll: HANEBADO! Will Prove That Badminton is Better Than Tennis
Crunchyroll: Hating the Game: Toxic Competition in HANEBADO!
Crunchyroll – OPINION: Hanesaki Quitting Badminton is the Ultimate Ending for HANEBADO!
Sakuga Blog: HANEBADO! 01 – Production Highlights
Episode 60: All Might makes right
The hosts dive head-first into the giant Anime leaf-piles of fall in the Sneak Peek and bring you their opinions on all the hot premieres they checked out. After that it’s time to return to UA Academy and its many colorful heroes in another amazingly strong outing of My Hero Academia.
Sneak Peek: (1:30)
Conception (2:27)
Radiant (7:27)
Goblin Slayer (11:22)
Ace Attorney – Season 2 (15:04)
Double Decker! Doug & Kirill (17:18)
Senran Kagura: Shinobi Master (19:48)
IRODUKU: The World in Colors (23:18)
Bloom Into You (27:10)
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (29:41)
Boarding School Juliet (33:01)
Release the Spyce (35:54)
Sword Art Online: Alicization (38:02)
Golden Kamuy – Season 2 (45:02)
Space Battleship Tiramisu Zwei (46:17)
SSSS.GRIDMAN (48:20)
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san (51:46)
Run with the Wind (54:03)
A Certain Magical Index III (56:40)
Zombie Land Saga (1:03:18)
Karakuri Circus (1:08:04)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (1:11:03)
Review:
My Hero Academia – Season 3 (1:15:13)
Related Links:
ANN – This Week in Anime: My Hero Academia Reaches New Heights of Greatness
ANN – This Week in Anime: The Highs and Lows of MHA’s License Exam Arc
Sakuga Blog: My Hero Academia 61 (And General Season 3) – Production Highlights
Anime Feminist: [Feature] Gender Inequity in My Hero Academia
Kotaku: My Hero Academia Is Superhero Anime For People Tired Of Superheroes
Episode 59: Dr. Franxx N. Furter
The boys kick off this episode by talking about the shows from spring season that couldn’t hold their interest in the Chop ‘n’ Drop. Then CC tears into the raging dumpster fire that is Darling in the Franxx and explains why the highly anticipated series couldn’t deliver on any of the grande expectations set for it. Finally, the gang ends on a postive note, by dishing out their chosen favorites of spring in Best of the Season.
Chop ‘n’ Drop (1:30)
Review:
Darling in the Franxx (10:34)
Darling in the Franxx – Heavy Ending Spoilers (36:56)
Best of the Season (47:09)
Related Links:
ANNCast (Everything with Franxx in the title)
ANN – This Week in Anime: DARLING in the FRANXX Has Only One Thing on its Mind
ANN – This Week in Anime: What the Hell is Happening in Darling in the FRANXX?
Mother’s Basement: How Darling In the FranXX Wrecked its Worldbuilding
Mother’s Basement: DARLING in the FRANXX – What the HFIL Happened?!
More site tweaks
Things be cooking y’all. (Sorry)
ANYWAY, we added a couple more things to the site.
As you can see there is now a menu bar at the top. This will come in handy for navigating the site, especially when using a mobile device.
We also added a section with our episodes listed by episode number.
That’s it for now. The final episode of this season is due for the end of this week.
Until then, take care everyone.
We now have a Review Index
Hey Everyone,
we have two new sections on our site, accessible from the sidebar to the right of the page.
First there is the Review Index where you can find links to all of our Reviews (excluding Sneak Peak and Chop ‘n Drop), listed in alphabetical order.
Also there is the Video Features section, which for now only contains John’s Top 10 Anime OPs of 2016, but depending on demand and time available, it might get some more content over time.
We hope this will make navigating the site and finding the stuff you’re looking for more convenient.
Greetings,
Your ABF hosts
Episode 58: High-Flyers, Straight-Shooters & Low-Riders
CC kicks off this episode by reviewing Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan, discussing its many flaws and why the show couldn’t live up to its potential. Then John talks about the Sword Art Online Spin-Off Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online and lists the many ways in which this show manages to surpass the original series. Riding thistrain of positivity into the station, CC wraps up the show with a hype-laden rant about Yowamushi Pedal and explains why this franchise is one of the best Sports Anime series in existence.
Reviews:
Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan (1:09)
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (40:44)
Yowamushi Pedal – Season 1-4 (1:06:41)
Related Links:
Sakuga Blog: Dragon Pilot – Hisone & Masotan Production Notes 01
Sakuga Blog: Dragon Pilot – Hisone & Masotan Production Notes 02
ANN – This Week in Anime: Is the New Gun Gale Online Better Than Sword Art Online?
ANN Interview: The Staff of SAO Alternative Gun Gale Online
Crunchyroll: The Secret Charms of Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Crunchyroll: Logging Into the Fascinating Post-Apocalyptic Setting of Gun Gale Online
Crunchyroll: How the New Sword Art Online Captures the Appeal of FPS Games
Crunchyroll: The Author and Leading Lady of SAO Alternative Talk Gun Gale Online
Crunchyroll: The Redemption of the Underdogs in Yowamushi Pedal
Episode 57: Kitchen Knights
The gang once again dives headfirst into the world of Shonen Action series and covers two very different representatives of this particular genre. First CC talks about The Seven Deadly Sins and why this colorful mix of the classic shonen battle formula and a medieval setting might not be one of the greats, but delivers a thoroughly enjoyable experience nontheless. Then the hosts return to the kitchen together with Soma and his compatriots in the third season of Food Wars and try to explain how the series manages to surpass itself on a regular basis.
Reviews:
The Seven Deadly Sins (1:09)
Food Wars! The Third Plate (25:18)
Related Links:
ANN: King Arthur and the Seven Deadly Sins
Sakuga Blog Production Highlights – The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments 19
ANN – This Week in Anime: Why You Should Watch Food Wars!
ANN – This Week in Anime: What the Hell is Happening in Food Wars!?
Crunchyroll: Food Wars! The Third Plate Has the Perfect Ingredient for Romance: An Egg!
Episode 56: Battlegrounds
On this episode our hosts stand their ground on three different planes of conflict. First CC travels to the stars, to cover the epic space war story of Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Die neue These. Then John descends on Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku and discusses the trappings of a completely different battlefield: romantic relationships between full-blown nerds. Last but not least, CC celeberates the flawed but definitely welcome return of an old favorite of his: Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory.
News:
RIP Unshō Ishizuka (1:18)
Reviews:
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These (4:25)
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (29:29)
Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory (44:49)
Related Links:
ANN: Voice Actor Unshō Ishizuka Passes Away at 67
ANN – This Week in Anime: What is Legend of the Galactic Heroes About Anyway?
Crunchyroll: Meet the Tactical Titans of this Season’s Grand Space Opera!
ANN – This Week in Anime: Wotakoi is the Relatable Otaku Love Story We Need
ANN: The Beginner’s Guide to Full Metal Panic!
Crunchyroll: When War Comes Home: The Loss of Innocence in Invisible Victory
Anime Brain Freeze 