2. September 2018

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.

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Reviews:

The Seven Deadly Sins (1:09)

Food Wars! The Third Plate (25:18)

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.

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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)

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

4. August 2018

Episode 55: Mixed Bags of Gold

CC kicks off this episode by stepping into the ring with the bionic slugfest Megalobox to explain why he liked that show even though it lacks actual entertaining boxing matches. Then John tears apart Caligula and talks about the many shortcomings of this confusing mess of a video game adaption. Last but not least both hosts dig for gold in Golden Kamuy and unearth a thoroughly enjoyable show that manages to shine despite its janky animation.

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Review

Megalobox (1:30)

Caligula (18:02)

Golden Kamuy (34:09)

ANN – This Week in Anime: Rocking and Socking with MEGALOBOX

ANN – This Week in Anime: Joe’s Rough Road to Megalonia

Crunchyroll: The 50-Year Legacy Leading up to MEGALOBOX

Crunchyroll: Megalo Boxing is Even Better than the Real Thing

Crunchyroll: MEGALOBOX and the Musical Legacy of Cowboy Bebop

Crunchyroll: Tomorrow Beyond Death: Death and Rebirth in MEGALOBOX

Crunchyroll INTERVIEW: “MEGALOBOX” Composer mabanua and Sound Director Keiichiro Miyoshi

Crunchyroll: The True Soul of MEGALOBOX

Sakuga Blog: Production Highlights – Megalo Box 01

Sakuga Blog: Production Highlights – Megalo Box 02

Sakuga Blog: Production Highlights – Megalo Box 03

Crunchyroll: Caligula’s Secret Connection to Persona

Crunchyroll: Caligula Takes Us to a Digital Nightmare Controlled by a Virtual Pop Star

Crunchyroll: The Magic and Mystery of Caligula’s Anime Adaptation

ANN: The True History Behind Golden Kamuy

ANN – This Week in Anime: Can Golden Kamuy’s Anime Do the Manga Justice?

ANN – This Week in Anime: The Rowdy Rogues’ Gallery of Golden Kamuy

Crunchyroll: Golden Kamuy is a Riveting Story of Survival, Treasure, and Warmth

Crunchyroll: Golden Kamuy Dives into an Overlooked Period of Japanese History

Crunchyroll: Why Golden Kamuy Should Be One of the Most Popular Anime of the Year

Crunchyroll: Festering Wounds: The Nature of Violence in Golden Kamuy

22. July 2018

Episode 54: Thug Life

It’s a cruel, cruel summer, so our hosts do their best to battle the unwielding heat wave with a barrage of cool Anime premieres in the Sneak Peek. After that, they dive into the absurd adventures of a Yakuza forced into the role of surrogate father and his telekinetically powered adopted daughter in Hinamatsuri.

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Sneak Peek

Attack on Titan – Season 3 (2:18)

Overlord – Season 3 (3:56)

Free! -Dive to the Future- (4:44)

Cells at Work (7:23)

Music Girls (9:18)

Seven Senses of the Re’Union (12:29)

Island (15:15)

Angels of Death (18:14)

Planet With (21:22)

Chio’s School Road (23:27)

Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion (27:14)

Banana Fish (29:32)

Harukana Receive (35:12)

Hanebado! (38:22)

Revue Starlight (42:20)

Sirius the Jaeger (45:45)

Review

Hinamatsuri (49:05)

Related Links:

ANN: Catching Up With Free!

ANN: Homelessness in Japan and Hinamatsuri

ANN – This Week in Anime: Just How Weird is Hinamatsuri?

ANN – This Week in Anime: Why Hinamatsuri Was the Best Comedy of the Season

Crunchyroll: The Three Big Faces of Hinamatsuri

Crunchyroll: Family is What You Make of It in HINAMATSURI!

Crunchyroll: How Anzu Gives HINAMATSURI Its Heart

Sakuga Blog: Production Highlights – Hinamatsuri 01

Sakuga Blog: Production Highlights – Hinamatsuri 02-04

24. June 2018

Episode 53: Hail to the King

It’s finally time for our Kame-Hame-Hosts to talk about one of the most prominent and longest running franchises in Anime history: Dragon Ball. John and CC have a long chat about their experience with the series, which culminates in their Review of the newest iteration in that franchise: Dragon Ball Super. Of course, as it is the Season Finale of Anime Brain Freeze, there is also the Chop ‘n’ Drop and both hosts pick their favorite reviewed show in the Best of the Season segment.

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Chop ‘n’ Drop (1:20)

Review:

Dragon Ball Super (10:49)

Best of the Season (1:37:51)

Crunchyroll: The Heart and Nostalgia of Dragon Ball Super

Crunchyroll: Dragon Ball Super – Character Evolution & The Path Ahead

10. June 2018

Episode 52: Killers, Dolls and Skeletor

It’s time to go back to the fathomless well of light novel adaptions. First John talks about the city filled with killers in Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens. Then CC pushes the Isekai button and reviews the MMO adventures of Skeletor’s cousin in Overlord. Closing out the show, both hosts muse about KyoAni’s visual feast Violet Evergarden and discuss whether the show has more to offer than its good looks.

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Reviews:

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (1:20)

Overlord – Season 1+2 (25:15)

Violet Evergarden (53:17)

ANN – This Week in Anime: Is Violet Evergarden Worth Watching?

Sakuga Blog: Violet Evergarden Interview: Director Taichi Ishidate At Anime Expo

Sakuga Blog: Violet Evergarden Interview – Director Taichi Ishidate, Shin-Q Vol.2 2017

Sakuga Blog: Violet Evergarden Production Notes 1 – 10

Anime Feminist: [Feature] Difference, Not Indifference: Violet Evergarden, autistic representation, and the social model of disability

27. May 2018

Episode 51: A cold Day in Hell

Kicking of this episode filled with big emotions and tonal whiplash, CC first talks about the new Netflix hit show DEVILMAN crybaby and why the gruesome horror tale has more to offer than schlocky action, but is not for the faint of heart. Then John goes to a much happier place, together with the four girls from A Place Further Than the Universe and explains why both the journey and destination of the protagonists managed to tug at his heart strings. Last but not least, the hosts discuss the newest iteration in a Tokusatsu-turned-Anime franchise and whether the sympathetic cast and well animated fight scenes could keep the by-the-numbers story of Garo -Vanishing Line- afloat.