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Mela Awards
14 Plays6 months ago
We are back!!! This episode we give you a bit of our individual tastes as we offer awards in the following categories: Best Character Design, Best New Series, Must Protect At All Costs, Most Disappointing/ Biggest Let Down, Best Action and of course Anime of the Year. Let us know if you agree with our outcomes!
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Transcript
Introduction and Milla Awards Launch
Award Categories Overview
00:01:04
Emerson Lovell
Hello, we are your Milla Ninjas, and we weekly discuss anime topics
Discussion on Best Character Design
00:01:09
Emerson Lovell
that are near to our hearts. We aren't experts, just passionate fans. Hope you enjoy. So this week, it's been many weeks since we last reported, we decided to catch up in a unique way. We're gonna hand out our first ever Milla Awards. Milla, short for Milla Ninjas. We came up or agreed with six different categories, best character design,
00:01:34
Emerson Lovell
Best new series. Must protect at all costs. Most disappointing slash biggest letdown. Best action and anime of the year. Each one of us dwindled down the nominees for each category to four anime or four characters and picked the winner in each one. Now we do not know who the nominees are or who the ultimate winner is for any of our respective lists.
00:02:04
Emerson Lovell
So we're going to find out here live. It's your way to figure out and find out what we've been up to in our time off. So to kick things off, we're going to have Alex starting with the best character design category. Alex, stage is yours.
00:02:21
Alex Bartlett
Thank you, thank you. Ah, it's been a while. I missed you guys. This is gonna be, this is gonna be fun. I'm looking forward to it. um All right, so best character design. This was hard. um So my first, the very first thought I had, which is probably a controversial one, but the very first character that came to my mind when I think about someone who was just very unique looking um And just well drawn and just a cool character that I really liked from from this year in 2024 was.
00:02:55
Alex Bartlett
ah hakkaraakera from windbreaker the main character and when
00:02:59
Emerson Lovell
Okay.
00:03:01
Alex Bartlett
I love the way he he is so well designed to me. I love the mix like the black and white hair color design but like where the black is a little bit more he has a little bit more black hair than white hair because the way that the hair flips on the side and I just love he I know that this is probably you probably won't like to hear this but he has um his energy reminds me a lot of um Yusuke you're a meshy in a lot of ways like
00:03:29
Emerson Lovell
I'm not mad at that. He's a goat. He's really compared to a goat. Nothing wrong with that.
00:03:34
Alex Bartlett
Yes, and I yeah, I just I just think that character is dope. So that's the first person that came to my mind. um My second nominee for just best, just dripped out character, it's got to go in I was thinking one piece because I love the egghead drip. Like I think all the characters just look just awesome.
00:03:55
Alex Bartlett
But I really, I really feel in the glow up that they gave us up. I just think that he looks really cool in this arc. So got to give him an honorable mention for for a nomination.
00:04:07
Alex Bartlett
um My third nominees that I was thinking about was a is a is a new series that came out more recently in Danda Dan meant
00:04:18
Emerson Lovell
Whee!
00:04:20
Alex Bartlett
Ocaroo in his Turbo Granny form goes crazy. He looks so cool. And then my final nomination I was thinking about was Bleach, because in the every character in the Thousand Year, well, Bleach, OG Bleach, even before Thousand Year Blood, Blood War
Character Designs in Elusive Samurai and Kaiju Number Eight
00:04:39
Alex Bartlett
Arc, they all, I mean, the character designs are all nuts, like all of them. They've always been nuts, always will be nuts. They just are amazing. His art is gorgeous.
00:04:49
Alex Bartlett
But in in this new updated animation style, oh, they're just gorgeous. And i yeah I can't even really pick a character in there in Bleach, but I just love just the way that they, it's just so clean.
00:05:03
Alex Bartlett
Especially when they're in the when they're in the Soul Society and they got the red sky and then the kind of that red light they cast on the characters, it just is so pretty.
00:05:03
Emerson Lovell
love that.
00:05:15
Alex Bartlett
so But of the characters that I picked, I have to go with Ocaroon. I think Ocaroon just individually is just the dopest-looking character of 2024, in my opinion, from Dan to Dan. So he he he wins for me. He wins for me. But I am very curious what you guys who you put in that category, if you guys had some overlap or disagreements.
00:05:41
Emerson Lovell
Okay, I like a one come on go first
00:05:46
Kiwi
ah not this I don't have disagreements. Actually, I think our approach is slightly different. so like i was thinking that like When you're looking at an individual character, I approach you looking at like just the theme and all the characters in general. So I kind of put like a slightly different spin on it. And so like I was thinking, like theres there's one anime called the elusive samurai.
00:06:08
Kiwi
And but the the character designs get really, really weird and like out of nowhere, too.
00:06:08
Emerson Lovell
Hey.
00:06:15
Kiwi
So it just it kind of catches you off guard. But it's also like visually stunning and beautiful, a lot of bright colors. um And the graphic like to did the graphics like the graphics are just crazy.
00:06:25
Kiwi
I don't know. The graphics are probably not the best way to play. I'm going to say what I'm trying to say. And so, like, theuso samai is definitely I think that the character design, um you can pick any character. like ah Most of the designs are like very pretty and beautiful and vibrant colors. I really like that. And then the Bleach Thousand Year Blood War.
00:06:45
Kiwi
I'm gonna um ah um so i'm meannna my next one is would be bleaches died in your blood war I'm going with that one because like I just everybody got the ribbon and this is like this This is like I think the second or third part of the town in your blood war But it's always good to see like you designs, especially my boy grim Joe like I feel like he got his unveiling this year
00:07:03
Alex Bartlett
Yes!
00:07:03
Kiwi
And I've honestly been a Grunjow fan since the beginning.
00:07:06
Alex Bartlett
Me too!
00:07:08
Kiwi
Grunjow had a dog in him. I hated when Isaac cut off his arm way back when.
00:07:11
Alex Bartlett
Me too!
00:07:13
Kiwi
I was quite upset about that. um so
00:07:19
Alex Bartlett
That's the idea for Grimjowl on my list specifically because I'm thinking like 2024, but you're right, you're right. Grimjowl goes crazy. Always has, always will be amazing.
00:07:19
Kiwi
and so
00:07:28
Kiwi
Yeah, I mean, because like I was a fan of his old design and his old, I can't remember the name of the transformation of his life, but like I was always a fan of like every part of the design his design. So to see the revamp was crazy.
00:07:41
Kiwi
But like I said, that applies to so many other characters. Like, we just saw the captain of the intelligence squad. We just saw his bonkai recently, Ashizoki Izzo. I think it's like a giant baby. Like, that shit was honestly beautiful to watch. But if you think about it, it's weird. Like, this giant baby is like eating this nigga's nerves. I digress. But it's just, it's really like, there's a lot of very beautiful things happening with the character design and what's going on with the anime right now.
00:08:08
Kiwi
and um My last one would be, my last selection would be kaiju number eight. um i um like i like to I like the uniforms in general, so like the character design kind of did some things for me.
00:08:15
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:08:22
Kiwi
And then I like to spend the spins that they did with like certain people having weapons. And then honestly, the kaiju, you get to see the kaiju one way, and then you get to see the human always following another. So like i like I like seeing those like transformations.
00:08:33
Kiwi
um And the kaiju were just like weird, but like not as like, so you remember that time, so there was a time, if you look, if you think back to like parasite, where the first time you saw Migi like roll his eye through Oboid's arm and like pop his eye on his hand, like that was like very weird to me. And I feel like ah there's like certain parts of kaiju number eight that give me that like level of weirdness, which I'm oddly attracted to.
00:09:00
Kiwi
um and So those are those that I take my solution But when
00:09:06
Emerson Lovell
So who was your winner?
00:09:06
Alex Bartlett
so love it i almost put
Nostalgic Designs in Modern Anime
00:09:14
Emerson Lovell
That's the most important part, sir.
00:09:21
Kiwi
honestly I think I think I'm I've got kind of saying I'm gonna go with the elusive samurai as the best character design and honestly, I'll go with the I'll go with
00:09:27
Emerson Lovell
I love that. I love that.
00:09:32
Kiwi
There's a character named Takaruji, and he like he's basically, he's this like he's this jesus' character that betrays everybody, and he ends up being the the the main antagonist of the series. But in the moments where he like does something evil, you see like you see this like warped version of him. And those like those manipulations are just very, very beautiful. So I would go with Takaruji from at least with Sandra.
00:10:00
Emerson Lovell
All right, I love that, I love that. Yeah, for me, so at first, without beating the Dead Horse, that was a year of blood war. The designs for everybody is just an insane. I didn't have any of them as a nominee, so like they might be on my snob list, but I do love all of their designs. I actually really liked the Renji's new Bankai a lot.
00:10:25
Emerson Lovell
But for the characters that I chose for my nominees, Egress from Solo Leveling, I thought he was one of the most menacing looking
Animation Styles in One Piece
00:10:36
Emerson Lovell
characters you can make. like if i The way I kind of thought about seeing him, even though he's not like a true villain, he was just like an obstacle really for the main character, but seeing if I saw him in real life, I would i would quiver. I would run the other direction as fast as I can.
00:10:53
Emerson Lovell
Two, I chose Rick from Osan the Newbie Adventurer, Trade to Death by the Most Powerful Party. I loved his character design because of the simplicity of it. So he looks like Ryu, he looks like Ken from Street Fighter, just like that nostalgia of seeing his character design, but with the updated anime. That was just my favorite, one of my favorite things to look at. Alex
Nominees for Best New Series
00:11:18
Emerson Lovell
mentioned One Piece and I, I love the egg hag arc and everything, but I had gear five, got gear five in there.
00:11:27
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:11:28
Emerson Lovell
And, you know, I agree that, uh, was it the SSG that SSG swag is lit, but gear five Luffy. Especially with this type of animation style that they chose to present him in that like Looney Tunes vibe.
00:11:46
Emerson Lovell
So seeing that character designed in that way, it's literally the most freeing. Um, so I really appreciated that, but ultimately I had the same winner as Alex Ocaroon from his cursed form, the Turbo Granny from then to then.
00:12:02
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:12:02
Emerson Lovell
I just think he looks so cool. And honestly, if we did this a year ago, I probably would have chose our boy from, um, Undead Unluck. But yeah, but because, you know, we're in a different year, I got, I gotta go, gotta go with my boy Ocaroon.
00:12:12
Alex Bartlett
o
00:12:19
Emerson Lovell
But all right, cool, cool, cool. So we definitely had some overlap in some of the things that we liked. And I'm going to go with Kawan. Bless us with your your nominees and your winner, because you do need a winner, Kawan, for the best new series.
00:12:39
Kiwi
Okay, my nominees for Best New Series. um Some of these are all different.
00:12:48
Kiwi
I'll start on the far end. There's this new anime called The Witch and It's very like dark, very noir.
00:12:53
Alex Bartlett
Thank
00:12:56
Kiwi
I really like those aspects of it.
00:12:57
Alex Bartlett
you.
00:12:59
Kiwi
and it's like I think it's only it's only had one season. there's like The episodes are broken up in a way that like each four seasons of like a different mission that they go on. So it kind of keeps it a little interesting. But I found myself a fan. I don't think that's my winner. I'm going to go ahead and spoil that for you now. But I did like the series. I definitely like the series. Yeah, I'm a fan of that one. now definitely I'll stay following that one. Best New Series. Oh, Don de Don, I think is
00:13:35
Kiwi
Obviously, that's one of the more recent ones but like definitely for one of the one of the ones I like for best new series um There's gonna be some overlap there because I think Tim Tucker core He's gonna come up later but Don did I was another good one and windbreaker windbreaker was a
00:13:41
Alex Bartlett
Hmm.
00:13:53
Emerson Lovell
Hmm. Hmm.
00:13:57
Kiwi
And yeah actually Windbreaker is my one. I was a fan of the show. i like I like a little bit more action. I like more aggressive characters. So when he came into the school wanting to smoke, I was like, I'm here for it. And then there were just so many different parts of the show where you were like, damn. I really enjoyed seeing that part where he was like, he was a like he the first time he met, oh, I can't blink it right now. The leader of the school, I can't remember his name.
00:14:23
Alex Bartlett
I know who you're talking about.
00:14:24
Kiwi
Yeah. um
00:14:30
Kiwi
um and mi Yeah, so with the first time he met Uma Mia like that it was it was it was honestly like it was a very real moment watching him realize that there were bigger fish in the sea because he was like trying to get himself warmed up and so that like fire started sparking in his stomach he was getting all hot and shit and then that shit got put out immediately like I absolutely loved seeing that like that was what that's one of the things that I honestly enjoyed about sports is like seeing it like that just dominating and seeing and something like that so That was wonderful.
00:15:01
Kiwi
So I think my favorite for best of the series is going to go to Winbury.
00:15:06
Emerson Lovell
Ooh, okay.
00:15:08
Kiwi
Yes, yes.
00:15:08
Emerson Lovell
I love that. Alex, who do you who did you have?
00:15:10
Kiwi
And like, yeah.
00:15:12
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, i I also had very similar people or nominees.
00:15:12
Emerson Lovell
No, go ahead, go ahead.
00:15:17
Alex Bartlett
I had Windbreaker as in my in my top new series of the year. I loved Windbreaker. And let's not sleep on the animation to like, I don't know what I they use that rotoscoping kind of thing where they follow them or like at the just The animations of the fights were so clean. Like, so, so, so clean. Like, you felt those hits. Like, when he stomped him into the ground, like, that was, like, I was in pain. That was crazy.
00:15:47
Alex Bartlett
Like all those hits, like they, they, they, Windbreaker was well done. Now ancient happening in the show, but it was well done. I don't know what these kids, where are these kids going to school? I don't know where parents are. I don't know what they learned in their curriculum. I don't even know how he transferred there. Who's the principal? I don't know, but I love the show.
00:16:06
Alex Bartlett
um I obviously had Dannadann up there too. I mean, how can you not? it That show is just that shows refreshing. Dannadann is refreshing. It is a comedy. It's fun. I love Dannadann. Yeah. i And I laughed my ass off when I watched that. um I had solo leveling in my list of best news animes of this year. I think solo leveling was just excellent.
00:16:32
Alex Bartlett
Now I don't know where they're going to go from here because it does feel like he's overpowered in this moment right now, but I'm sure they will find a way. And I had Kaiju number eight, um but I picked for the best new series. i'm I'm kind of, I mean, it seems new because it's not done yet, but I picked Dan to Dan because I'm enjoying it so much and I'm just having a good time with it. But I loved Windbreaker, like Windbreaker was crazy and That is not a far sec.
00:16:56
Alex Bartlett
I mean, if I, if I didn't, cause Danda Dan's not done yet, I probably would pick Windbreaker just cause it was good, but I don't know.
00:17:00
Emerson Lovell
Mm-hmm.
00:17:05
Alex Bartlett
That's where I'm at with that. What about you? What about you?
00:17:08
Emerson Lovell
Oh, I don't like the fact that we have the same for the first two, because I definitely have Dan to Dan as my winner for Best New Series. It was tough, though. So I i had Osan the Newbie Adventurer up there. i I love the fighting in it. I also love the story arc, because it's an OP character that doesn't know he's OP because he's comparing himself to the people that trained him, but not to everyone else. So he has like these expectations that everybody has put themselves through the same level of rigorous training that he did, which I think is kind of refreshing to see from like a realistic
00:17:52
Emerson Lovell
Scoping of like how you think your opponents are or whatever obstacles come you just assume that everybody prepares the same But in actuality they they don't With story of wand and sword really love that. I'm not really like big into like the fantasy But I really love seeing the come up in that now one they had they did a really good mix of blending like romance because we have like the classic trope of the main character is longing for a childhood friend that has sent it to the top. Sounds like kaiju number eight a little bit, but um you know he's working his ass off and it's something that's seemingly impossible because in the show you all these guys are in student there are students in this like want wizarding school and they want to essentially climb this tower to become like one of the top wizards in in the realm but he
00:18:46
Emerson Lovell
doesn't have like any magical power. He's just OP, p like super strong. And they figure out different loopholes. like one One loophole I really appreciate is almost similar to the loophole in Black Clover where Asta can't use magic, where they they give him magical garments. So like they give him the ability. He physically trained his body to the peak conditioning. He's learned from every other species because they have elves and dwarves.
00:19:14
Emerson Lovell
one not I thought it was cool, it was a good watch, and I was really like sitting at the edge of my seat to watch it. Really random one, really random one for my last one was ReMonster. Again, I dived into something that I don't usually watch. I'm not really big, I've never watched Goblin Slayer. I'm not really into like that whole like hobgoblin type vibe, but I got recommended to watch it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was like cool again seeing this accelerated growth of a character. So he doesn't start off as OP. He makes mistakes throughout. He's able to remedy his mistakes. And then also because they're goblins, they age at a different pace. So like at 114 days, he was a grown man, like ah essentially an adolescent, just finished adolescence. And I thought that was pretty cool because it now adds this level of tension and jeopardy. Like I need to get certain things done as I continue to progress to be the head of my family. Like being the head of your family and you have
00:20:14
Emerson Lovell
Even been alive six months, it's kind of crazy. So I thought that was pretty cool. I did consider, so those those are the ones I really, i I had in my list. I was struggling because I had like, as an honorable mention, like another snub list, was a go-go loser ranger. Really loved that. I thought it was pretty interesting because in that show, the villains are super weak until you figure out that there's a twist.
00:20:43
Emerson Lovell
Like they think they, the Rangers are actually kind of like the villains, um but to the world, they're heroes. So I liked that twist. And this one, I'm going to butcher the name of it. I do not know how to say it properly, but um Apothecary Diaries really, really loved it.
00:20:55
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I love that one.
00:20:58
Emerson Lovell
And it kind of hurt my heart to not put it on there on this list. I think the reason I didn't put it on the list is because I legitimately sat down and binged it over two days. So I never really sat down and like,
00:21:10
Emerson Lovell
I went back to my episode to rewatch. Like, if you asked me one episode of the show, show you that I really loved, I couldn't do that, but I can tell you that I loved the story throughout.
00:21:18
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:21:19
Emerson Lovell
So that was like, on my short list of like honorable mentions for Best in the Series.
00:21:25
Alex Bartlett
But the thing of, isn't Apothecary, wasn't it the second season? That's why I didn't put it, because I was-
00:21:30
Emerson Lovell
Oh, I'm not sure if it was the second season. Maybe it was the second season. If there was 24 episodes when I watched it, so maybe it was the second season. Uh, but yeah, I sat down and watched it all in two days.
00:21:41
Emerson Lovell
so I was like, oh, this is kind of fire because every episode ends on a cliffhanger. And then it's also, I like the, I feel like I'm a little bit of a detective trying to figure out, I was like, yup, it's the, it's the poisoning in that makeup.
00:21:54
Emerson Lovell
Yeah, that, yup. She gave that baby the poisoning and gave that baby honey. That's why the baby died. And she don't know that she killed the baby. It was crazy.
00:22:02
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I'm wrong.
00:22:02
Emerson Lovell
All right.
00:22:03
Alex Bartlett
I think it was all season one, so that does count. I thought it was two seasons. So yeah, that one, I loved Apothecary Dire. It was just good. It had, it lost a little steam for me.
00:22:10
Emerson Lovell
It was good.
00:22:12
Alex Bartlett
That's why I didn't put it on my like favorite, favorite, uh, partly and partly because I thought it was two seasons.
00:22:15
Emerson Lovell
Hmm.
00:22:17
Alex Bartlett
But yeah, I love that one too.
00:22:19
Emerson Lovell
No, I loved it. All right. All right. So we, all right. Hopefully for this next category, which is must protect at all costs. I get a little, little separation for you, Alex. Come on.
00:22:29
Emerson Lovell
We need, we need some overlap, bro. I don't think you're going to have any of the characters. You might have one of the characters. So what?
00:22:35
Kiwi
I might have like one character here.
00:22:37
Emerson Lovell
but have one character. So the thing that I think is going to make this character this category pretty interesting is there's so many ways to decide like what characters you want to protect at all costs. For me, I kind of have a melting that's kind of reflective of me and my taste as a person.
00:22:55
Emerson Lovell
So my nominees were Rudeus from Jobless Reincarnation.
00:22:59
Alex Bartlett
Stop.
00:23:00
Emerson Lovell
I love Rudeus.
00:23:01
Alex Bartlett
Stop.
00:23:02
Emerson Lovell
I love Rudeus and
00:23:03
Alex Bartlett
Stop. I have him on my list too.
00:23:06
Emerson Lovell
Okay, but he didn't win mine, but I have him on my list. I needed him on there for a couple reasons.
00:23:12
Kiwi
Y'all are protecting the wrong people.
00:23:12
Emerson Lovell
One, no, no, no, no, no.
00:23:13
Kiwi
That's all I got to say.
00:23:14
Emerson Lovell
He needs protection. He is essentially an orphan now. He needs the protection, damn it.
00:23:19
Kiwi
Y'all should have been protecting somebody else. Like you like his ass should have been doing and maybe they would be here.
00:23:24
Emerson Lovell
Oh no.
00:23:25
Kiwi
Yeah.
00:23:25
Emerson Lovell
Oh no. Yeah, I guess so. Whatever.
00:23:29
Alex Bartlett
But he's a sensitive soul.
00:23:30
Emerson Lovell
No, I, he's, and
00:23:31
Alex Bartlett
He's a sensitive soul.
00:23:33
Emerson Lovell
i And that was the reason why I had him on this list, because one, I appreciate the kind of horn dog he is a little bit.
00:23:42
Kiwi
I was like, y'all feeling sorry for a nigga with a mansion and two wives.
00:23:46
Emerson Lovell
But i will say I will say that seeing...
00:23:46
Kiwi
Like, are you kidding me? Two bad jokes. Like, nah.
00:23:52
Emerson Lovell
Yeah, but seeing seeing your father die... so Oh, that's a spoiler. Seeing your father die, but die to save you after the last thing you did was get into a fight with him?
00:23:55
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:24:01
Emerson Lovell
Kinda crazy. Right. And i I thought he needed a hug after that. Now maybe having sex with your former master and then marrying her is not the best route. Um, but do whatever you can, but I do, I do appreciate the, I don't want to say like realism, but the anxiety that they showed of Rudy is throughout. Like one of my favorite, two of my favorite, um, like episodes and anime one was when Naruto. had like a panic attack in the snow. And he's like gripping his chest and he's crying, he's freaking out because of the gravity of the situation. Also seeing like Luffy kind of go through catatonic shock after seeing Ace die. It's just like the realism, it shows that there's weight and emotional depth in these scenes. So seeing Rudy just go through everything, become essentially like the leader of this adventurous party, being the youngest member of the party.
00:24:55
Emerson Lovell
and knowing that you actually probably had the power to protect your father if your head was in the game but you didn't have your head in the game and the one mistake you make the one time you make a mistake it costs you half the mission right because now he comes back home just after rekindling his bond with his sister to tell her oh yeah the guy that you care about the most in this world died and it's high key my fault but hey i lost my arm so you know we both lost something today that's kind of crazy he needs a hug he had to be on my list Next up, I just love him.
00:25:30
Emerson Lovell
Zenitsu from Demon Slayer. I just thought, you gotta protect him. Because again, everybody's going through this harsh, harsher training. Everybody ain't built like that.
00:25:40
Emerson Lovell
Everybody don't want to go through.
00:25:41
Alex Bartlett
Go home.
00:25:42
Alex Bartlett
Go home. He should not go there.
00:25:43
Emerson Lovell
um i would I bet he wants to.
00:25:46
Emerson Lovell
I bet he wants to but after they're after fighting how many upper upper moon or i guess moons because we i don't think he actually fought an upper moon but he fought enough moons that they kind of need him like he actually has real life battle experience that they want to use and plus who's tundra going to steal moves from if he goes home because all of a sudden he can do thunder breeding whatever anyway
00:25:46
Alex Bartlett
Go.
00:26:04
Alex Bartlett
It doesn't even matter.
00:26:07
Alex Bartlett
Okay, listen, listen, let's be real. None of the breathing styles even matter. Like they don't, they have no, they don't matter. They don't mean anything. It's never, think about it.
00:26:15
Emerson Lovell
What? I love some beast breathing.
00:26:18
Alex Bartlett
Well, think, well, tell me a time in the show where your breathing style is what gave you this, look that the advantage in the show, like where you have water breathing and like you need, you needed to know how to do water breathing specifically because water gave you an an advantage over lightening or over,
00:26:28
Emerson Lovell
when
00:26:34
Emerson Lovell
When...
00:26:35
Alex Bartlett
or over other the and another element.
00:26:38
Emerson Lovell
well I see where you're going with it.
00:26:40
Alex Bartlett
They're all just colored.
00:26:41
Emerson Lovell
I see where you're going with it. But the other moons, the the demons don't use elements. So I don't think that, like the elements won't clash against each other because the only people using the elements are the demon slayers.
00:26:53
Emerson Lovell
But you but to the to answer your question, Tanjiro couldn't cut those webs until he had fire when he used his sister's blood art.
00:26:54
Kiwi
yeah
00:27:03
Kiwi
what So they I don't think it's necessarily a clash. I don't think that get like the styles in Demon Slayer are necessarily a clash of the elements as much as they are like a representation of the certain fighting style. like Lightning style is like supposed to be all speed and like clearly like dashy movements, um whereas like water breathing is supposed to. So I don't think it was necessarily about the elements clashing in that way.
00:27:32
Kiwi
as much as it was just like trying to represent maybe.
00:27:37
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I can see that. I can see that a little bit, but I still think that they're just for for pretty, for style. I don't think that they actually need...
00:27:45
Emerson Lovell
I mean, 100% gives them the leg up. I mean, it's the best looking water I've ever seen since Fiji.
00:27:49
Alex Bartlett
Oh, it is. Like, you've got a whole snap. A whole snap's hard with that show. That show's beautiful.
00:27:54
Emerson Lovell
Yeah.
00:27:54
Alex Bartlett
That show's easily the most beautifully animated I've ever seen.
00:27:58
Emerson Lovell
But yeah, I have Zenitsu on my list, mostly because I can relate to you not wanting to train that harsh training and needing motivation and his motivation.
00:28:10
Emerson Lovell
at one point was, uh, Nezuko. And then, all of a sudden, that that motivation being taken away from you, you're like, why am I here? Why do I have to do this? And then you see your buddies surpass you, right? Because Inosuke was able to push the the boulder, Tanjiro pushed the boulder, and you're like, why am I still here? But I'm also still better than all these other people. I probably shouldn't leave. People will actually need me. I kind of felt him, right? A little bit.
00:28:37
Emerson Lovell
I also just love the fact that he's like fan girls over in Nezco. But then the thing that kind of threw me for a loop that made me go like I want to protect him because that mostly because I want to see what he does. I should have read the manga. But when he gets that letter, I do not know what that letter says, but he flipped the switch and he was all of a sudden locked in and serious while awake. So yeah, I want I want him to be protected so I can see him go off. I do think it's about time that he gets his just desserts.
00:29:08
Emerson Lovell
Uh, I have Renette from Osan Nubi Adventure. So she is part of the adventure party that's super OP and she's the one that actually travels with Rick. She helps him find his power. So he, everybody in this world is born with like an innate magical ability. He doesn't have any magic. and He believes to not, they believe him not to have magic. He has like very little ability.
00:29:38
Emerson Lovell
And then he discovers his power protecting her when she actually didn't need protection. She's like an OP. She's this S tier fighter, but she has one weakness, which happens to be dragons. And it's not that she can't kill dragons. She actually killed dragons pretty easily, but it's when she was a kid, dragons slaughtered her whole family. So it's more like this trauma PTSD vibe when she sees them before she can react. And Rick.
00:30:07
Emerson Lovell
discovers his ability, which is called reckless soul, also great name for an ability, where he fires off like every bit of potential. So think almost like adult being able to tap into adult gone. Like he's able to get to his max potential and unleash like as much power as he needs to fight the enemy. The problem is if he does that, he needs to recover for however many days because it literally fires off everything that his body has.
00:30:36
Emerson Lovell
She, after seeing him do that and not knowing how to control it, decides to help him become this adventurer, even though he's like over 30. Which in most anime, as you know, the adventurers start pretty young and if you're like over a certain age, they kind of ridicule you. So he was being ridiculed for forever. He actually worked as a guild master, or not master, but like a guild assistant, helping people be registered to become adventurers. So seeing him reach his dream because of her, I was like, yeah.
00:31:04
Emerson Lovell
you need more people like that also she knows how to motivate him because she has some massive whoppers and she promised to let him go to a spa with her if he wins the final of this tournament and as you guys know i love tournament arcs greatest tournament arc of all time came from you you have to show nvd but She uses that to motivate him because he was about to throw the tournament. It was pretty interesting because there was actually no need for him to fight in the tournament final because him and a member of their party both made it. So they were trying to get the belt because the belt has this jewel that they need. They need to collect these six jewels in order to fight this OP monster at the end. And because both parts both sides of the bracket ended with the party, yeah, they didn't have to. He could have just resigned and he was planning to resign.
00:31:54
Emerson Lovell
But she knew that the other character wanted to fight him because he also had a hand in training him and she motivated him to, you know, change his fortune a little bit. And then the last character is also my winner. Kei Kaname from Oblivion Battery. My guy, you gotta to love the commander. So Oblivion Battery was a wreck from Alex and His jokes are so goofy, but he reminds you of that person that is just so adorable and you you love him. You want to you want to protect him. We all have that friend who is a little quirky. And when you need them, they're always there, super reliable. But they'd be in their own head sometimes, and they're also in their own world. And in this show, he suffers from amnesia, forgets that he's like this genius baseball player, and in an effort to find his stride back in baseball,
00:32:46
Emerson Lovell
He joins his baseball team with like less than stellar baseball players, or actually they're not all less than stellar. Some of them are less than stellar. The others were former top tier baseball players that he actually encouraged to quit because he beat them so poor, so badly. And he just becomes this like, he's like the perfect comedy character, character to me. And it's such a lighthearted anime. So seeing him go around and try to figure out ways to cheer his friends up, but also be like,
00:33:15
Emerson Lovell
unapologetically real about things like if he doesn't want to go to training he's gonna tell I don't want to go to training sometimes he's just like skipping training just lay down and read a manga or watch videos on his phone while everybody's doing whatever love it so he he is how's this anger I am him and he is me that's that's my guy So I'm interested to see interested in see how you guys both took the must protect at all costs, like what was your criteria for it and who your ultimate winners were.
00:33:52
Emerson Lovell
Alex, I'll go Alex, I just wanna make sure she doesn't have the same winner as me.
00:33:56
Alex Bartlett
I did not have the same winner. What in the world is that? Why can't? Anyway. oh
00:34:03
Emerson Lovell
We need we need diversity, parity.
00:34:07
Alex Bartlett
Okay. Well, I of controversial one too, but controversial in the sense that is this an anime? I don't know, but it is to me because it's animated.
00:34:21
Alex Bartlett
so
00:34:22
Emerson Lovell
Don't say avatar. Don't say avatar.
00:34:24
Alex Bartlett
Actually, I went with Arkane. I've been loving Arkane. And the character in the show that I picked is Aisha, the one who's um the little girl who follows Jinx in the show in season two. Oh, that little girl is just precious. And and no spoilers here. a You guys haven't seen it yet. But that when you when you and when you're introduced to Aisha, she's the cutest thing. And we need to protect her at all costs.
00:34:53
Alex Bartlett
um Another character that I had on my list is from a Dragon Ball Daima. Baby Vegeta must be protected at all costs, okay? Because he's just too cute. i mean what do you what I mean, that's the only criteria you need to be protected. Even if you are like second strongest in the universe, you need to be protected.
00:35:16
Alex Bartlett
um
00:35:17
Emerson Lovell
Did we get more of him? like I stopped watching after they got to the demon world because I was like, I need some episodes to pile up. It was good it was a little too slow for me.
00:35:25
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, it is, it is pretty slow. And it's not, it's it it's not great. It's not great, but he's cute. So um it's not bad.
00:35:36
Alex Bartlett
It's just there, you know, I I'm of the opinion that I put my favorite Dragon Ball you series or season was Dragon Ball Z. I will always like Dragon Ball Z like a million times more than Dragon Ball, just the original Dragon Ball.
00:35:52
Alex Bartlett
I know a lot of people
00:35:53
Emerson Lovell
Because they say you're mean, right?
00:35:55
Alex Bartlett
Ah, yeah, because no, I like to I liked to Dragon Ball Z is just go to to me like to me, it's the essence of what Dragon Ball is is the adult like when they were adults, and I just loved it. I don't really, I just never really resonated with baby Goku. But now that Goku is baby form again. It's you know, they're cute, and the animation is great. And they make goku they're just leaning into his bad dad vibes really hard and it's doing something for me but i really like um yeah baby vajita we'll see more of him i'm sure and then he's always got a grimace too for no damn reason just but like ready to fight
00:36:32
Kiwi
Baby Piccolo looked like that kid just killed fruit snacks out while his parents sleep. Like, he just looked bad as hell. I don't know why, but Baby Piccolo looked like he'd be up to no good. I'm sorry, I just had to. You know?
00:36:51
Alex Bartlett
um yeah definitely um um i also had turbo granny like her her um the form where she's in the cat that is just too cute and must be protected now she has no power she's just a little who little little sad cat i mean yeah
00:36:54
Kiwi
Yeah, Baby Piccolo under my ears.
00:37:06
Emerson Lovell
Mmm All right, that's lit But it's nice to see her be sweet too in that form like he helped them when they when they found the golden ball
00:37:21
Alex Bartlett
um Now, I mean, she couldn't be bothered when the other girl was dying. She was just reading the book, chilling. But like, she's like, I don't care. We don't know who this girl is. She can die. I don't care. um But I also like in the, you know, in the outro where she's like blowing the wind in her face. I don't know. and I was thinking about it. Like, does she miss running fast? Is that what that is?
00:37:43
Emerson Lovell
I never thought about that till you said that but it makes sense because they do the fan too, right?
00:37:47
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:37:49
Emerson Lovell
That's probably what it is.
00:37:49
Alex Bartlett
She's like at the blow dryer. I don't know. I'm thinking, oh, she misses going fast. She must be protected. And then, and then I had Ranga from slime that time I got reincarnated as a slime because he's the goodest boy.
00:37:56
Emerson Lovell
Astute observation.
00:38:08
Emerson Lovell
Even when he fuses with our goblin buddy?
00:38:11
Alex Bartlett
No, he's not cute when he does that. he He messed up when he fused with Gupta. I don't know why he fused with Gupta, but, uh, but he's cute. So I actually, the character I would protect at all costs, that was Aisha from Markane.
00:38:24
Alex Bartlett
She's just too cute.
00:38:25
Emerson Lovell
Okay, okay.
00:38:25
Alex Bartlett
She's my winner. But, um, I also had, um, I also had our, our, our, our boyfriend Russo-Kutensei. I mean, Rudeus is great.
00:38:37
Emerson Lovell
What a guy.
00:38:39
Alex Bartlett
How did I get you on?
00:38:39
Emerson Lovell
What a guy.
00:38:43
Kiwi
Yeah, see, I had, I have, so we're going to start with Michelle Kuchense. I had, I had Paul. I had Paul. Paul just wanted to see me for life.
00:38:50
Emerson Lovell
You can't protect him. me He's already dead.
00:38:53
Kiwi
Would you leave y'all trying to protect him in the first place?
00:38:56
Emerson Lovell
He's dead.
00:38:58
Kiwi
Oh, they should have given him some plot armor or something because they didn't hear me.
00:39:01
Emerson Lovell
Not so retroactive. Not so retro.
00:39:04
Kiwi
and
00:39:04
Emerson Lovell
Give that nigga a sense of being.
00:39:07
Kiwi
I mean, yeah to be honest, Paul probably had it coming because he was clearly like an asshole back in the day. But like, I started liking him a lot more, especially like when he started, like when he switched up.
00:39:15
Alex Bartlett
so
00:39:16
Emerson Lovell
He was reformed.
00:39:18
Kiwi
oh
00:39:22
Kiwi
Yeah, would you say? Oh, oh yeah, I definitely I started liking him a lot more.
00:39:24
Alex Bartlett
I said me too.
00:39:29
Kiwi
So Paul is always my first. He's not he's not my he's not my winner. The second, this one's a little less, but I didn't realize that Black Butler was still here in episodes. So I'm going to say the next person that must be protected at all costs is CL Phantom High, the main character of the show, because he got that freaky Jason ass Butler chasing him around everywhere and doing him services. It's just, it's very weird. Like he needs, send some help. You know what I'm saying? um The next person I have is Eugene from a J.J.K.
00:40:07
Kiwi
Uh, specifically at that point in time, like after, at the end of the shibuya arc where like super legends flips on him and he sees everybody just kind of like all the, all the damage and devastation.
00:40:17
Kiwi
Like that was, that, that still hits from me a little bit. Like, and then the voice actor did a really good job. Um, whatever, like it just, it was, it was just like, that was, that was the moment.
00:40:28
Emerson Lovell
Or the imagery of him scratching the ground?
00:40:28
Kiwi
And then.
00:40:31
Emerson Lovell
Like, ugh. Talk about feeling shit. I felt that.
00:40:31
Kiwi
Yes.
00:40:35
Kiwi
Yeah.
00:40:36
Alex Bartlett
are my special.
00:40:38
Emerson Lovell
Ah, come on now.
00:40:38
Alex Bartlett
like
00:40:39
Kiwi
Yeah, that kind of pissed me off a little bit, because I was i was not prepared for the outro music. I was like, this is not an upbeat moment. like Let me cry in peace.
00:40:47
Emerson Lovell
It's Yahoo!
00:40:48
Alex Bartlett
why do you and they Why did they overlay it over like that moment? He's like, no, you are my special.
00:40:54
Kiwi
Right.
00:40:56
Emerson Lovell
But I mean, it's funny because I thought it was a good, the reason I liked it the way they did it was because it's as twisted as Sakuna is. Like, that's why I liked it. I was like, you know, that's like what he would say to somebody that he just fucked up mentally.
00:41:11
Alex Bartlett
I love how he treated places with him too in that moment. He was like, all right, you're going to come back right now. and let him and just let
00:41:11
Kiwi
That's.
00:41:20
Emerson Lovell
Not tootles.
00:41:23
Kiwi
And then my last and the winner of my must protect at all cost award is Ken Takakura. Cause this nigga can't even say his name.
00:41:34
Kiwi
Like y'all legitimately forgot that his name is Ken Takakura. Everybody's calling him Ocarun now.
00:41:38
Emerson Lovell
Ocaroon. Ocaroon.
00:41:40
Kiwi
I'm like this nigga can't even be himself.
00:41:41
Emerson Lovell
Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon.
00:41:44
Kiwi
Oh.
00:41:46
Emerson Lovell
Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon.
00:41:46
Alex Bartlett
He's not over on top!
00:41:47
Emerson Lovell
Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon.
00:41:49
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, what?
00:41:49
Emerson Lovell
Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon. Ocaroon.
00:41:58
Kiwi
and I mean he like I and then he like he he just he finds his way into trouble like this nigga found aliens and the supernatural in the same day um I feel like that alone is a rough start know like are Yeah, but like now he can't have kids, you know saying like this is crazy though.
00:42:10
Emerson Lovell
Hey, but at least they want his banana.
00:42:16
Alex Bartlett
but
00:42:17
Emerson Lovell
I think I have half a kid.
00:42:17
Kiwi
I see Well, yeah, he can have a single child like just
00:42:17
Emerson Lovell
He got one back.
00:42:18
Alex Bartlett
but he's got
00:42:25
Kiwi
that's crazy many reasons
00:42:26
Alex Bartlett
you guys think
00:42:27
Kiwi
ah was
00:42:31
Emerson Lovell
Oh, man. Okay, okay. umm I'm here for it. So, it seems like Don Dada is...
00:42:35
Kiwi
Yes.
00:42:38
Emerson Lovell
really exceeding all expectations for us. But Alex, can you tell us about anime or characters, however you defined it, your nominees, that disappointed you?
00:42:50
Emerson Lovell
The biggest letdown?
00:42:52
Alex Bartlett
There's too many to talk about. There's so many.
00:42:54
Emerson Lovell
Oh, gosh.
00:42:55
Alex Bartlett
but All right.
00:42:55
Emerson Lovell
Oh, gosh.
00:42:57
Alex Bartlett
Um, most is of so my biggest letdown. I'm just gonna start with the biggest letdown of all time for me. um Man, I really was let down by season two of Blue Lock.
00:43:11
Alex Bartlett
what in the that is don't give me that blue season two has been it's literally been a slideshow it's like a powerpoint it is like you're giving me a gasp just because you agree
00:43:11
Emerson Lovell
o
00:43:21
Emerson Lovell
We are usually so aligned and I'm heartbroken on in this moment.
00:43:31
Emerson Lovell
Devastated, devastated.
00:43:33
Alex Bartlett
Not devastating. No, that that is easily my biggest letdown. Oh my gosh, what in the world are they doing? Now I have heard, I have heard that like, in all fairness, that the studio gave like basically one guy or like a handful of guys animated like the first five or 10 episodes of the of the show, which is
00:43:54
Emerson Lovell
Yes.
00:43:55
Alex Bartlett
nuts and unfair and, you know, screw the studio for doing that. um That is that is not fair. um Yeah, not not fair at all. But yeah, I'd i'd start with that. um I would say my um my second one that I think is very disappointing. I've really been disappointed with Tower of God.
00:44:22
Alex Bartlett
I think Tower of God has been such a letdown. I've wanted to get into that show forever. I've heard it's one of the greatest manhwa of all time. I'd imagine that they have amazing source material to work with, and they just cannot hook me. I'm a person that stuck in there but with One Piece, and I did not like One Piece for a long time. It took me like over 100 episodes to like One Piece. okay Now I love it, and I'm glad I did it. but Tower of God is like very deep in and I am not, I am just, I don't, ah tar I have to rewatch the episodes because I'm not paying attention. Like I have to try to even be on it, but I want to get in it because it seems like such a deep lore and I'd like to be a part of the community, but I think I just don't like it. And they've just been losing me.
00:45:05
Alex Bartlett
um I would say my third ah my third nominee was ReZero. I know that's also pretty controversial. I have not enjoyed ReZero this six season. I'm also pulling my hair out trying to to watch it. I'm struggling to get through episodes. The episodes are also like fifty like an hour and a half. What is that? They're like movies, but boring movies. They're boring movies.
00:45:29
Alex Bartlett
I am sleepy. I cannot get through it. I have things to do. I'm not gonna sit here for an hour and a half to just watch them talk. Like, it's just boring. And then my last letdown, and maybe it gets better, but I'm i'm struggling just to get get into the first couple episodes or movie, boring movies.
00:45:47
Alex Bartlett
And then my last honorable or my last nominee is I knew I was pretty disappointed by slime. The last the most recent episode of how I the time I got reading hard and it is a slime that has not been hitting on all cylinders like it should be in my opinion.
00:46:03
Alex Bartlett
Um, and I also had an honorable mention of my hero academia, but I will, but it's honorable mention because if I'm being transparent, it was really bad and then it's, it's, it's gotten better.
00:46:08
Emerson Lovell
oh
00:46:15
Alex Bartlett
It's, this has been a better season overall, so it can't, it is not truly one of the worst. It's just not, it just, because of that lull it had. it's hard to be as invested in the characters.
00:46:29
Alex Bartlett
And that's been really disappointing because it's actually good.
00:46:32
Emerson Lovell
Oh my God.
00:46:32
Alex Bartlett
It's just, I just care less now about the characters and the world they live in. So like, it doesn't hit the same way. Like the stuff with Dobby this season should have been crazy.
00:46:43
Alex Bartlett
And I just found myself not, but like just, I don't know, just not really resonating with it. But all right, those are my peeps now, Kwon.
00:46:56
Kiwi
All right, so most disappointing. I have a couple. So I'll start and with that.
00:47:02
Emerson Lovell
Hold on, wait, hold on, who won? Alex, who won for you?
00:47:05
Alex Bartlett
Oh, blue lock.
00:47:07
Emerson Lovell
Okay, that's the struggle. Carry uncle on, come on.
00:47:09
Kiwi
Yeah.
00:47:13
Kiwi
So disappointing, I have the wrong way to use healing magic. This was an anime that I recommended Emerson Watch because it started off kind of good.
00:47:18
Emerson Lovell
Oh, wow.
00:47:22
Emerson Lovell
I stopped after the three episodes.
00:47:22
Kiwi
And I'm happy you did.
00:47:24
Emerson Lovell
I loved it so far, so I'm sad that you said that.
00:47:28
Kiwi
I'm sorry to ruin this for you, but welcome to the club, MegaDishes. I was like, I'll explain the parts of this before. I expected then see when the show started to seem like they were going to use like healing magic and and like a very different way and like more much more aggressive because the he was usually like you know back on like just sitting behind the like not necessarily the dog in the fight and this enemy like kind of turned that idea on his head and had him like literally pretty much the the the the paladin of the group he's he's in the middle of it and
00:48:04
Kiwi
When he uses his powers, it's really just like some green, glowy shit. And then, like, oh, the way that this most recent scene then ended, I don't think that they really showcased, like, how they were going to use that power. And they hooked me with dreams of more. So I'd say the wrong way to use the magic. Second is mash, because, like, I'm getting tired of trying to understand this mega power.
00:48:30
Kiwi
And I feel like they've kind of accepted a mystery from time to time.
00:48:33
Emerson Lovell
ah
00:48:35
Kiwi
Make no mistake, the opening is dope. The character is kind of cool, but like i I don't understand how he's magically more how he's magically stronger.
00:48:48
Kiwi
Um, then, then, then everybody else. Cause then he, he fights like innocent zero or wherever that dude is. And he's now somehow able to like keep up in the fight where like the grand priest that he just lost against was like getting his ass whipped. I just, I don't understand how, I don't understand how he's measuring up because he he's clearly getting stronger. Maybe he's had this power the whole time, but like, help me figure that shit out. Cause I'm confused. Um.
00:49:16
Kiwi
Vinland Saga is my next election. but go
00:49:19
Emerson Lovell
Oh, that did come out this year. I forgot.
00:49:22
Kiwi
Yes, yeah yes, yes.
00:49:22
Emerson Lovell
That shows.
00:49:23
Alex Bartlett
yeah
00:49:24
Emerson Lovell
That tells.
00:49:25
Kiwi
Definitely the most disciplined.
00:49:25
Emerson Lovell
That's the very telling.
00:49:25
Alex Bartlett
oh
00:49:27
Kiwi
This is the heel that I'm prepared to die on. like We got we got like we got like a fight and a half this season, but I was brought in under the auspices of war, and I have not received this.
00:49:41
Kiwi
Give me violence. ah
00:49:45
Alex Bartlett
I forgot to stop you.
00:49:46
Alex Bartlett
Oh, you're not wrong, though. The show is such a letdown.
00:49:48
Kiwi
Yeah.
00:49:49
Alex Bartlett
That has been the biggest letdown. I forgot it came out this year. It is the biggest letdown of all time.
00:49:52
Kiwi
but Yeah. Gotta agree. I'm not here for the emotional journey. I got enough problems sifting to my own shit. Like, sir, hit somebody.
00:50:05
Kiwi
um yeah And then oh I have two more so next is the Ruchoku Tensei only because spoiler alert Paul dies.
00:50:17
Kiwi
So Like I was I was just kind of like not necessarily I was like said I'm like generally said I really liked him So I was just I felt bad because I really wanted him to really maybe do something at least deal with his life again and his whole family could everybody got separated so that one I was like
00:50:31
Emerson Lovell
um He's basically with his wife again because she kind of did.
00:50:35
Kiwi
Well, I mean, she like brain did now for sure, at least.
00:50:38
Emerson Lovell
yeah Her faculties are gone.
00:50:40
Kiwi
Yeah. And then my last one is going to be Blue Exorcist. They have a new art called the Shimane Illuminati art, but it's like, the show has just become very boring.
00:50:53
Kiwi
Like there's a thing, Blue Flames and shit like this.
00:50:54
Emerson Lovell
oh
00:50:56
Kiwi
There's a lot of like, I guess I'm trying to make mystery and suspense, but it hasn't hasn't done it for me at least. Maybe for others, but just, I haven't.
00:51:04
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, it's very minute.
00:51:06
Kiwi
Yeah, so that's my winner, actually, is Blue Exorcist. The end of the talk is definitely a strong second.
00:51:12
Emerson Lovell
and
00:51:13
Kiwi
I will say that.
00:51:15
Emerson Lovell
Wow Wow Yeah, so Whoo this this this was tough to hear both of you guys cuz you as two of my closest friends and Steve colleagues People that I love in this world.
00:51:22
Kiwi
so
00:51:28
Emerson Lovell
Y'all are fucking bugging what? okay there's Oh like two that i agree with ReZero yeah that's just depressing as fuck and i just can't i try to watch it i'll be having a good day i'm like fuck you ruin my day i'll be having a bad day i was like oh shit it could get worse i don't like it tower of god like i get you it is slow and i i fuck i fuck with that wanting the more pace more depth in the story but
00:51:59
Emerson Lovell
I remember watching Bam, realizing Bam is Viola and I was like, oh shit, oh fuck, what's it gonna happen? Is he gonna find his old crew back? And he gets his old crew back and everybody wants to help him.
00:52:10
Emerson Lovell
I like it. There's too much going on in the show for me to not like it. Blue Lock, come on, Alex, come on, you a former athlete. You gotta love some Blue Lock.
00:52:21
Alex Bartlett
Blue Lock season one was great.
00:52:21
Emerson Lovell
It's just kind of crazy.
00:52:23
Alex Bartlett
Blue Lock season one had me hooked like crazy. You have no, I turned on that show so fast. I was so excited for Blue Lock season two only to get the slideshow. They hit me with the dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee.
00:52:35
Alex Bartlett
Like no.
00:52:35
Emerson Lovell
You got to understand the game plan before you get to the game and that's what they were doing They're giving us a realistic take and I love it.
00:52:39
Alex Bartlett
And then, gosh.
00:52:45
Alex Bartlett
We didn't even.
00:52:46
Emerson Lovell
Damn it. I love it
00:52:47
Alex Bartlett
And then when they showed the like little, they did like the 3D animation, like the CGI running.
00:52:52
Emerson Lovell
Okay, yeah, that that stuff is kinda, I don't like that as much, because they just move too slow for the, when they do the ah aerial, like 3D. Okay, yeah, I don't like it. I like when you just do the jump cuts, but that, I kinda get why you don't wanna to keep doing that, because after a while, you're like, I just can't see this being semi-realistic. um My Hero Academia. You know, I don't believe in violence, but if I did, I would throw something at you, because my Hero Academia is going crazy. Bakugo?
00:53:22
Emerson Lovell
damn you're dying now I know I don't want to be too much for spoiler I read the manga but that scene him fighting with Shigaraki that's that guy's name whatever fuck his name is hand man he was fighting hand man and he said you are not a main character that shit was insane and then for him to snap and then do more damage than actual heroes because he still has only a provisional license like come on come on I actually sincerely
00:53:38
Alex Bartlett
Yeah.
00:53:41
Kiwi
Amen. It's crazy.
00:53:52
Emerson Lovell
built my heart drop when I thought he died. And only as I say, he thought he died because they ended on a cliffhanger. We don't know what's going on with him, but we know what's going on with him.
00:54:02
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I don't know.
00:54:03
Emerson Lovell
um
00:54:04
Alex Bartlett
I agree and I disagree. It's not that I don't think it's good. It just doesn't hit the stage.
00:54:11
Emerson Lovell
i Yeah, um I just can't be in that camp. My hero always hit for me. Even when even during in the lulls, I just look at it as world building, but that's a pass that I've given i've given to a bunch of other anime. So I was like, I gotta give it to my hero. So I do think that's a ah solid critique. um Wrong way to use healing magic, like I said, I stopped after three episodes, but not because I didn't like it, but now you're making me feel bad. This is almost like when people said, stop watching Tokyo Google after season one. And I was like, why?
00:54:39
Emerson Lovell
or what Alex told me, there's no read to watch Shield Hero of season two, and I kinda got it after not listening. I watched like four episodes in the season two, and I was like, yeah, I get it, it sucks. Mash, that's crazy work, bro. Mash being on this, not at all. Mash is, I'll come back to that, matt I'll come back to Mash later. Finland Saga, obviously, that was a blunder. I should've realized that that came out this year, because that would've won my list.
00:55:03
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I think it would have won mine too. That would have won my list too.
00:55:06
Emerson Lovell
I'm back on, oh, and Blue Exorcist. I started watching Blue Exorcist as Alex's recommendation. I'm still on season one, to my understanding, in like four seasons. So hopefully it doesn't get bad until, hopefully it gets better by the time season four ends. But, okay, for my list, I had, ding, ding, ding, I'm back with Alex. I got slime. Slime was, yeah, it just let me down. It didn't give me what I wanted,
00:55:34
Emerson Lovell
i thought that we were well one thing i actually did want i'm forgetting shorty's name that um that fought um remember the one that has the the holy knight that has like the magic but yeah i wanted her to join actually wanted her to like join his team like if her
00:55:48
Alex Bartlett
boy i don't remember her name i
00:55:55
Alex Bartlett
in the nation
00:55:56
Alex Bartlett
of
00:55:56
Kiwi
He's not here.
00:55:57
Emerson Lovell
Hinata, yeah, I wanted her, remember they had the whole tournament to see who can get the fifth slot? I wanted her to join because her and she owned together would've been crazy. I think to Kawan's point, but like used differently, like, Mash, I'm actually not really worried about like the power scaling and what his ability is.
00:56:14
Emerson Lovell
It just seems that like everybody in that world is so engulfed in magic that having somebody that doesn't have magic is super perplexing because you have to come up with different ways to defeat somebody somebody versus in Mash, I was just like,
00:56:17
Alex Bartlett
I don't remember her name.
00:56:28
Emerson Lovell
Yo, I don't understand what Shion's ability is because she's just waxing everybody, but she's not supposed to be as strong as Benny Maru. But then you see Benny Maru struggle on the battlefield and you're like, what the heck is going on? Who is what? What are people's strengths? Where do they lie? I don't know. um I just wanted more boxing in it. I didn't get more boxing. and And when they tried to throw in the actual boxing at the end, it was just like, who cares about the fights? I didn't like the hero at all.
00:56:56
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, agreed.
00:56:56
Emerson Lovell
because he was just like a bitch, but like, you know, it is what it is. But, so Slime won for me, but I'll run through quickly the other ones that I had. Viral hit, didn't hit for me, didn't land for me, didn't like it that much. I appreciate, I can appreciate a show with a structure and like a consistent theme. And the consistent theme for that one is he learns how to fight through YouTube videos. And after he learns a lesson, he tries to employ it in his next fight.
00:57:26
Emerson Lovell
trying to get viral so he can use the money to help his sick mom. Fuck with that. Love the premise. All that shit is cool. Except he's making the same mistake every time. And I think after a while of seeing a character make the mistake over and over again, you're like, all right, we're where is the death, right? So he keeps making the mistake of only watching one episode at a time and training based off that one episode. He does it for like an egregiously long period of time. So he trained for a month doing like this ab workout from like the third episode in a series but then when he gets to the fight he actually needed like episode five in the series to be able to fight the next guy so it was kind of like one of those you already figured out from the first two fights that you didn't watch enough why don't you just binge the whole series and train appropriately that's neither here nor there fairy tale hundred-year quest whoo it's a whole lot of garbage whole lot of garbage and I actually like fairy tale a lot of filler a lot of junk in it
00:58:16
Alex Bartlett
Okay.
00:58:25
Emerson Lovell
um I was actually advised by Kwon not to watch it, but against my better judgment, I watched it.
00:58:31
Kiwi
Strongly, strongly.
00:58:34
Emerson Lovell
But then I'm kind of hyped because I'm like, oh yeah, it'll be cool to see this. And it's cool to see the updated animation similar to the Thousand Year Blood War, but it's just the the gravity isn't there. The story beats are 100% the same.
00:58:47
Emerson Lovell
You fight somebody, they wax you. You take Natsu off of a moving vehicle. All of a sudden he, gets some fire that's in his belly. He's ready to fight and breaks out a new move. He doesn't use the same move set in any fight, which is kind of cool, but also kind of like, bro, you just had an OP move. The last one, the last fight, why don't you just use that at the beginning of this fight to fight this guy? Especially because in this season, there's a guy made of wood and he doesn't use his ultimate fire attack against this guy made of wood. He tries a bunch of smaller attacks that
00:59:23
Emerson Lovell
Dude, little to no damage. Kinda crazy. um And then the last one was a newer one called Failure your Frame. I became the strongest and annihilated everything with low level spells. I enjoyed the premise and I enjoyed most of the anime, but it, again, kinda got repetitive, like viral hit. So like he has, this guy comes in, it's a classic isekai, but he's booted away from the party because he's deemed to be like a level E.
00:59:52
Emerson Lovell
and normal S tier to F tier characters whatever he's he's like E whatever sucks and so he wants to get revenge on the goddess of that world and he's trying to get back to her and he realizes that the spells that he has if he hones them which are poisoned poison berserk sleep paralysis and dark and those are like the only five spells he can do but he gets a lot of he can do he has a large like area effect
01:00:22
Emerson Lovell
the AOE, so he uses it to fight a bunch of enemies at the same time, levels up super quickly, gets a very high magic counter, but that's all he can do. So it's kind of interesting to see him like at the beginning figure out ways to trick enemies because a lot of enemies don't know what his ability is and they're expecting these grandiose attacks and he can't do them.
01:00:43
Emerson Lovell
And he also takes out like pretty like top tier people because he'll do something like paralysis and then berserk. So because you're trying to move while you're para paralyzed, they start dying from the inside. And it's a slow death. They actually kind of grew some looking. But it was cool for the first like four episodes. And I got to episode eight. And I was like, this is the same thing again. And even though the enemies are different,
01:01:09
Emerson Lovell
it's it makes sense that the enemies will fall for the same traps because they're new enemies but you're like li where's where's his growth like he's not growing anywhere substantively so i didn't like it uh i did finish the season though because i ain't no quitter honorable mention though for me was let this grieving soul retire still going i started off liking it i think the reason that threw me off was because he's not an OP, he's an OP character, but he's OP in title only. So it's a level scaling world. He's a level eight. Most people you meet are level fours. So he's like, he has like the rank in title, but in terms of fighting ability, everything that happens is coincidence. Like he, somebody shows up that takes out this monster that he doesn't have enough mana left to cast to spell the fight. And everybody thinks that he planned ahead and he's this genius thinker because otherwise how does he get this rank?
01:02:01
Emerson Lovell
Cool premise at the beginning where after timeouts like, but yeah. All right guys, we got two more categories. And I'm going to go with the first one, which is best action. We kind of talked about these two before, so i'll eat I won't delve in too much, but solo leveling, the fights in it, crazy. Just watching our guys just level up each time. I'm like, yeah, I can't. And again, like that fight with Egress,
01:02:30
Emerson Lovell
Even if Quan hates it, or sorry, doesn't hate it. He didn't think it was as epic afterwards when he makes him arise. Yeah, he made him arise. I thought it was dope. The windbreaker, of course, because they beat boxing in there. And like Alex said before, the camera angles and everything. Phenomenal. I'm throwing blue lock in there.
01:02:51
Emerson Lovell
which is in action from a fighting stand.
01:02:52
Alex Bartlett
Oh,
01:02:53
Emerson Lovell
Yeah, I know, I know, I know.
01:02:54
Alex Bartlett
what
01:02:54
Emerson Lovell
I had to sneak it in there after you guys agree with the first two.
01:02:57
Alex Bartlett
ah
01:02:58
Emerson Lovell
So I like i like the action in Blue Lock from the sense of the competitive spirit. You're watching them come back, especially in this when they actually fight the U20 team you see
01:03:05
Alex Bartlett
you
01:03:12
Emerson Lovell
um win and show like go against each other he's just trying to fight him he's actually tussling his brother it's like actual civil and rivalry shit that you see was played out at the grander stage and actually has like real life implications i am very interested in this week's episode to see what antenna head is gonna do but i liked it um of course from when i had to be kaiju number eight bro kaiju number eight went crazy uh
01:03:19
Alex Bartlett
what?
01:03:38
Emerson Lovell
I was torn between Kaiju No. 8 and Solo Lovelink, but I also make it to not to Kaiju No. 8 because when the main character was fighting the head of the agency, in the head of the agency, I think he had Kaiju No. 2 in his armor. He had some like OP armor, and he was just destroying him. He ultimately went berserk, and that was like the first time you saw the full breadth of power that Kaiju No. 8 has.
01:04:06
Emerson Lovell
and it added a lot of gravity because the his love interest was or you know she loves him she likes him a lot she is the daughter of the head of the agency so now she's watching after bouncing for him saying like he's he's human men don't kill him and he is going to town on her father no pause it was actually kind of crazy so I'm gonna go with cadre number eight and I did have an honorable mention of buchigiri I really did thoroughly enjoyed buchigiri But I want to throw a wrench in everybody's plans by throwing blue luck in there Even though you guys are tasteless by not agreeing with my sentiment See you a couple episodes back that's the problem that's the problem
01:04:44
Alex Bartlett
Luloc was just a conversation. Like the brothers were having a conversation in still frames in like the in the void while they were paused.
01:04:54
Alex Bartlett
No, I am caught up. They just the only animate probably the equivalent of maybe like, maybe, maybe one 60 seconds, like they probably animate 60 seconds inside of that.
01:05:06
Alex Bartlett
The rest of it is just sliding GIFs and PNG problems.
01:05:09
Emerson Lovell
I'm gonna say you a screenshot of a stopwatch. And I'm gonna have the stopwatch going. I'm gonna start and stop every time I see a still. And let you know how many stills.
01:05:20
Emerson Lovell
Sorry, I'm gonna start and stop every time I see animated. And when I see a still, I'm gonna stop it. And I'll let you know, that'll let you know how many.
01:05:26
Alex Bartlett
Listen, you can't count when they're sliding the PNG across the screen. You also can't count when they pause animating the mouth.
01:05:31
Emerson Lovell
Why not? That's emotion.
01:05:33
Alex Bartlett
You can't count that that ain't because with the Harriet moving in there just got the freeze frame on the face that don't that don't count. And
01:05:40
Emerson Lovell
You've been spoiled. You've been spoiled and you're letting it show.
01:05:43
Alex Bartlett
Listen, listen, the studio needs to do better, not the animator, because the animator did his best, um but the studio needs to do better.
01:05:51
Emerson Lovell
All right, Alex, give us your winner for this category.
01:05:56
Alex Bartlett
All right, so my action are very similar ones. I also had jujitsu Kaizen. I had, ah sorry, you didn't have jujitsu Kaizen, but I had solo leveling on there. um I also had Windbreaker on there. um I had jujitsu Kaizen. I feel like you can't not, um you can't not have Jojutsu Kaisen in an like off a list of of an action. I feel like that's just, that's just vile. And my last one on here that you didn't mention that no one's really talking about, but I loved Arcane. I am obsessed with Arcane. I understand that it might not be considered anime, but Arcane is perfect. Like that is a perfect show. And if you haven't watched Arcane, you need to watch Arcane because it's nuts. And every episode is cinematic gold. It is beautiful, well anime, it is like,
01:06:46
Alex Bartlett
one of the best shows I've ever seen, I would say. It's so good.
01:06:50
Emerson Lovell
So it's not on my list. Arcanians are on my list just to keep it a buck with you. Because every time I hit the Netflix button on my remote, it says, you are not part of this household. So I haven't watched anything on Netflix in months.
01:07:04
Alex Bartlett
Damn, yeah, Netflix was, Netflix made me go get, had to get an account because they're tripping, but yeah.
01:07:10
Emerson Lovell
Yeah, I might have to go do that. All right, Kawan, who do you have? Give us your winner. Unless if you have something that isn't already included in what we said.
01:07:21
Kiwi
um iron I think for best action, two things that haven't been included. Like honorable mention is what everybody else and has, well, what you have, which is the Egress 20 Peaceful Prize. It's from solo leveling. Yeah, he did him during it. But my for the best action sequences, I think my my windows cue Demon Slayer for the Muz'An entrance in the fight.
01:07:49
Alex Bartlett
Oh, yeah.
01:07:49
Kiwi
with with the with ah the stone hosterer.
01:07:53
Kiwi
And like that whole that hole that from start to finish that sequence, like from the moment that Wozong stepped into the to the castle to the moment that they opened the door to the infinity castle, that whole sequence was just dope.
01:08:06
Alex Bartlett
It was.
01:08:06
Kiwi
And then yeah my favorite, well, not my favorite, but like the the the strong number two for me is Dinkin's Punch from Freerin.
01:08:17
Kiwi
just that that that one magical moment when he ran out of mana and he was like, all right, we got to win. And I don't have no magic. They don't have no magic. So we got to throw hands. Like that, along with this, that will always be a magical moment for me. But my winner for best action is definitely, definitely Dean's.
01:08:38
Emerson Lovell
Oof, okay. That's interesting because like for Demon Slayer, I thought that this season didn't have as much as the prior one.
01:08:50
Emerson Lovell
Like the prior season gave me a lot more action than this one, I felt.
01:08:53
Kiwi
Yeah, I mean, it did. like But I was just thinking, sequence-wise. like this in like So yeah cause like there is definitely yeah, there's definitely moments where, are like, them and Saga, like, honestly, i i enjoyed the I enjoyed the fights with Thorfinn and Snake.
01:09:08
Kiwi
But like the season was underwhelming because that was it. So you know what yeah, I was just looking at a particular season.
01:09:13
Emerson Lovell
That's fair. I bet. All right, guys. So now we're going to wrap. We're going to wrap with our Anime of the Year. For this one, we're just going to say who our four nominees were and who our winner was. And you can elaborate on your winner. But I imagine that a lot of our nominees we already spoke about in some capacity before. So we're not going to dive too much into that, unless if We need to.
01:09:44
Emerson Lovell
So, we're gonna start with Kawan. Kawan, good sir.
01:09:49
Kiwi
Yes, sir.
01:09:49
Emerson Lovell
Please grace us with who your nominees were and your ultimate winner was of Anime of the Year.
01:09:55
Kiwi
oh Nominees, Anime of the Year, J.J.K., Don Da Don, Shagri La Frontier. Winner, definitely J.J.K. I'm sorry. It's just...
01:10:13
Kiwi
um I really like the show. I mean, it's definitely like it's it's losing some of its appeal, if I'm being honest, but I really, really, really like the show. so And then I know what happens, so I'm just excited to see where we go from here.
01:10:26
Emerson Lovell
Okay. All right, Alex, same assignment.
01:10:31
Alex Bartlett
All right, I had JJK, of Dan to Dan, even though it's not done. um I also have Arkane, because I love it, and Mushoku Tensei this season too.
01:10:39
Emerson Lovell
ha and and
01:10:42
Emerson Lovell
Wow.
01:10:46
Alex Bartlett
And I also picked JJK.
01:10:51
Emerson Lovell
wow Wow, anything you want to highlight from that from the season that put it over for you, given against your other nominees?
01:10:59
Alex Bartlett
I just... like everything just is it just is correct like all the characters like all the scenes the only miss they have for me is when they did that you are my special when he was trying to you know he said that breakdown that's probably the only moment for me that is that miss but like it is so consistent and the action is so good now i hope that they don't ruin it it' somehow i have heard no rumors but i'm i'm i try to stay away from spoilers on that show because it's one of my favorite ones that
01:11:26
Emerson Lovell
Mm-hmm All right, so I had my hero academia Matt yes, mash magic and muscles
01:11:31
Alex Bartlett
that I just am really enjoying. So i yeah, I gotta go with that. What about you?
01:11:42
Alex Bartlett
No.
01:11:48
Alex Bartlett
Mash in a top of you.
01:11:49
Emerson Lovell
ah had mash i had I had Mash, I had I had Mash.
01:11:50
Kiwi
Why? Why?
01:11:52
Alex Bartlett
you know
01:11:53
Emerson Lovell
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
01:11:53
Kiwi
Okay.
01:11:55
Kiwi
Now, you know what?
01:11:56
Emerson Lovell
Wow, wow.
01:11:56
Kiwi
I digress. Please continue this, sir. I don't need an interruptee.
01:11:59
Emerson Lovell
wow
01:12:00
Kiwi
Even though you got some questions to choose from.
01:12:03
Emerson Lovell
I had moonlit fantasy season two. Something that we did not talk about at all. And my ultimate winner, Jujutsu Kaisen. Because of, I can't tell you another time in my life where I watched an anime and I followed an instruction. And when Sakuna said, do not move, I sat still until that meteor landed. And it was insane. I don't think I even breathed during that time. I just like literally just stared at the screen until he said, move. And then I was like, whew, relaxed, exhaled. So yeah, I thought they did everything well. I remember the imp probably another highlight was Toto.
01:12:46
Emerson Lovell
um Toto's fake out. with Yuji, where I was like, how did he clap? Because yeah the camera like goes over to like this pipe that burst and you think, oh, maybe ah bi he he did the clap to make the bi make the pipe burst or whatever. Nope, it was just a fake out. So Yuji can get enough time to get another Black Flash in. Chef's Kiss of the Season. And I think, yeah I don't know if another anime can do what J.J.K. is doing given its style, like the way, maybe Chainsaw Man, maybe one of the dark ones, like Chainsaw Man or Hell's Paradise maybe, where they have the ability to just kill off characters. But I i find it hard for another anime to compete with it, given the way that there's, like Jeopardy knows no bound in that show. They they kill off people for like, what's our guy name? um the The guy that has everything seven tenths,
01:13:46
Emerson Lovell
Um, the professor with the, uh, what's his name? He
Personal Reflections and Anticipation
01:13:53
Emerson Lovell
died. And then like, they made a whole ad for him after he, he would be like whole held.
01:13:58
Emerson Lovell
Oh boy. The one that everybody's fangirling over when he was like punching old boy in the face, he pulled his hair.
01:14:04
Alex Bartlett
Yeah, I know what you're talking about, but they made an ad of him.
01:14:06
Emerson Lovell
Not a meat, not a meat. Yeah.
01:14:07
Alex Bartlett
What are you talking about?
01:14:07
Emerson Lovell
Is it not right?
01:14:10
Alex Bartlett
They made an ad.
01:14:10
Emerson Lovell
So remember when he, remember when he.
01:14:12
Kiwi
Oh, when none of these saved, um, saved, like you would decide to write that random girl and the dude with the sword, they had the hang.
01:14:14
Emerson Lovell
Yeah. When he died.
01:14:17
Alex Bartlett
oh like
01:14:19
Emerson Lovell
Yeah, he saved the girl. Exactly. Yeah, he saved her. So then like, you see him when he as he's dying, like he's walking, he has a vision of him walking on the beach, like he's finally can get the rest or whatever. Like some vacation spot use that as a real ad, like a real life.
01:14:33
Emerson Lovell
but so Like you want to join out of me on a beach as clear with water as clear as this crazy.
01:14:34
Alex Bartlett
Are you serious?
01:14:40
Alex Bartlett
Well, my favorite scene if I had to pick a moment you asked earlier in the show that was just like gold. I love that scene where toji is like flicking the dang like he like stopped on the ground to create debris so that he could like flick all the debris into the rabbits.
01:14:55
Emerson Lovell
Bruh.
01:14:56
Alex Bartlett
That was stupid.
01:14:57
Emerson Lovell
Bruh. But you're also a toji stand. You're a toji stand.
01:15:00
Alex Bartlett
Okay, I am I am I confess.
01:15:04
Emerson Lovell
I mean, this is fun. Let's not wait another year. Or almost year to record. But I like giving out awards with you guys. We had ah we had a decent amount of overlap. A lot of parodies so we can, I have some homework to do. I got some things I need to watch like a little samurai. So I'm i'm excited, man.
01:15:24
Emerson Lovell
Looking forward to the next one, we will have another good one for y'all. Until next time, peace y'all.