Widely considered to be one of the best anime series of all time (especially to Western audiences), Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan has action, gore, giant organic mecha, bureaucracy, and subterfuge all packed into a TV journey bolstered with great animation from Studio Wit and a baller soundtrack from my boy Hiroyuki Sawano. Given that resident weeb Alex has already watched the entire series, the rest of the gang gets to experience Season 1 at face value: it introduces characters, provides lore and information on Titans in little bite-sized nuggets, and has some really cool fight scenes...but what more is hidden behind the scenes? Stick around for a slightly different Theory Wall segment at the end of the episode, where Iris, Marcus, and Michael call their shots on how things might shake out in Season 2. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Iris steers the gang back onto the anime track with 2018's Violet Evergarden, a story about a girl who makes the ridiculous character journey from overpowered shōnen-esque child soldier to emotionally stunted post-war ghostwriter, all while tugging on our heartstrings through each individual episode. While Marcus and Iris drop the ball on watching the complementary film, we all get to delve deeply into the anime's vignette-style structure, the importance of written language and how its meaning translates, and the interesting post-war setting of a fictional faux-Germany that has palpable influence on the story's progression. Plus, what the hell does "Iron Giant-pilled" mean?! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang finally completes the Makoto Shinkai trilogy, closing the book on our previous discussions on Your Name (Episode 7) and Weathering With You (Episode 12) after many years with 2022's Suzume. There's a lot to like about this movie (it's just as beautiful as its predecessors, if not even more gorgeous) but it's definitely not as good as Your Name and arguably may not even be better than Weathering With You, which does lend itself to a pretty great discussion about the main characters, the keystones (how do they work?!?), and the weird way the "romance" develops as the movie goes on. And in its small moments there's a wonderful story about the kindness of strangers Suzume meets on her journey, and it does elicit the emotions we're used to feeling in a Shinkai film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It must be guest starring season on the Couch as we bring back our podcast's number 1 fan, Sarah, to talk about one of her childhood favorite Disney (cult) classics, Atlantis: The Lost Empire! And, well, I suppose it might not be as...classic...as its reputation suggests. It's a fine story, with some wonderful characters, an entertaining adventure sequence, and worldbuilding with plenty of potential, but it falls flat on one too many aspects. But that doesn't stop us and Sarah from having a fun time discussing it! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Oh, and because Iris wasn't able to touch on it in the episode proper: there's a pretty rampant colonialist undertone to this movie that was hard for a couple of us to shake off, especially in 2022 - Milo being praised as savior to the Atlanteans, coming in and desecrating an ancient culture's homeland, and so on and so forth...

What if...the gang dove back into the Marvel cinematic MULTIverse? A charming anthology show based off of the Marvel comic series of the same name, What If...? is a fun and entertaining look at our favorite Marvel characters in strange and unique situations, channeling the comic vibe and resulting in some real bangers...and maybe some stragglers too. There's cool cel-shaded animation, great voice acting performances, and plenty of fan service! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language. 

This week on the couch, the gang takes a nice break from some of the heavier hitters of our recent episodes to talk about Bee Movie, which experienced a sort of meme renaissance a few years ago and is a very important nexus event in Alex and Iris's childhoods. But don't get us wrong - this movie is not good. It is a monument to Jerry Seinfeld's sins and disrespects children, adults, biologists, cinephiles, and Sting at the same time. Thank the heavens for Patrick Warburton, at least. Oh, and we do have a pretty fun Trivia Corner to liven our spirits! Content warning: strong language, brain damage.

First DOTA: Dragon's Blood, then Castlevania, and now Arcane, and soon Marcus will get his wish about discussing video games full time on the Couch. But unlike its predecessors, Arcane is a worldwide phenomenon that has skyrocketed in popularity and ratings and is honestly a masterclass in animation, voice acting, storytelling, and worldbuilding. To celebrate, we bring back our first ever returning guest Jess, who offers her own unique perspective on Arcane and her favorite character/waifu Jinx. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The Polar Express is a...special film. It's a landmark work in computer-generated animation and was one of the first such movies to use extensive motion capture technology, which culminates in a final product that is at the same time immensely creepy and visually wondrous. Tom Hanks plays half the cast, "Hero Girl" looks like some kind of demon, Marcus cannot even with the blatant disregard of the laws of physics, Michael learns about Christianity, and Iris drops an absolutely molten take on what this movie truly means to her. All Alex can do is witness, and so we invite you to witness, as well. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's another holiday season and as we all go about (safely) enjoying the holidays, Alex gathers his own group of Straw Hats for a follow-up of Episode 27: "ONE PIECE." Now at 1004 episodes total, the anime is firmly in its longest individual arc called Wano Country, and infuses feudal Japanese influences into the exciting pirate adventures of Luffy and his pirate crew. In addition to guests Katy and Kyle returning to continue their discussion where they left off a year ago, Alex's friend and coworker Lony arrives to the Couch excited to talk about favorite characters, favorite arcs, favorite villains, and more! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The 2005 Ben 10 series, the O.G. of our childhoods, is a cool psuedo-superhero cartoon that works around the creativity of the Omnitrix and the myriad of cool alien powers that Ben has at his disposal. Compared to some of the newer cartoons we've discussed on the Couch, Ben 10 doesn't try to bring a lot of character development or major twists to the table, and simply relies on the unreliability and flexibility of the Omnitrix, cool factor, and fun family dynamic to make each episode entertaining. Content warning: strong language.

By the powers of Star Wars and anime combined, Star Wars: Visions is an incredibly bold new take on the Star Wars mythos while also being a genuine and heartfelt series of art pieces from Japanese artists and animators. In this episode the gang lightning-rounds through all 9 individual episodes, giving short opinions on each, and discussing the overarching concept of the deconstruction of Star Wars and how these works fit into the greater Star Wars experience. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Disclaimer: Alex's microphone struggles mightily to perform correctly in this episode. Please excuse the drop in audio quality.

On a scale of Iris to Michael, how much did we enjoy this movie? Those of us in favor praise this movie's varied humor, plainly enjoyable characters and jokes, and excellent voice acting performances, whereas those of us against absolutely hammer this movie for its poor through line, cringe-fest humor, forgettable characters, and aspects that really solidify why children's movies can be so painful to watch for adults. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the preaching of our one-man choir, you're sure to feel like a happy fifth-wheel as we engage in a lively bout of friendly banter. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Kind of underrated, The Emperor's New Groove is a slapstick buddy comedy animated Disney film about an emperor who turns into a llama. You've got a lovable idiot who you can't help but root for, a lovable people's guy who is actually also kind of an idiot, an idiot that you love to hate, an idiot that you can't help but love, and Chicha, the most badass woman of all time. It's a hilarious movie that's just long enough to keep you laughing along to a happy ending. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In regards to Pixar's latest slump at the box office, Coco is perhaps the studio's last exceptional movie before the downturn, with its dazzling display of el Día de los Muertos, exceptional score, powerful emotional impact, and emphasis on family. Join us as we gush over the beautiful lights and usage of color in this movie, praise its rich storyline and clever writing, and joke about Marcus's interesting comparison to Encanto (check out Episode 77!) and its similar Hispanic roots. And who doesn't love a lengthy philosophical discussion about DEATH? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Every Hayao Miyazaki movie is special on the Couch, and not just because it's Marcus's first time watching one - Howl's Moving Castle in particular has colors that feel more vibrant, characters that feel more whimsical, and magic that pushes the boundary of reality even further than mainstays like Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service. For good or for worse, Howl's comes across as more raw and unrefined than other Miyazaki films and hits your emotional center harder, even if the plot feels a tad bit more disjointed because of it. Plus, if you listen to the English dub, you get Billy Crystal's Calcifer and Christian Bale's Howl! Can't miss that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Each one of us on the Couch has a different childhood story to share about our first memories with British stop-motion comedy franchise Wallace & Gromit, but we're all in agreement that this show is charming, hilarious, and had a profound impact on each of our personal developments, especially Alex's love of cheese! There's MacGyver-esque whimsical engineering, terribly eye-rolling British puns, Gromit's facial expressions, a lovely theme song, excellent stop-motion quality - something for everyone! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Death Note is widely considered to be a pillar of modern anime shows/manga adaptations, especially among western audiences - plus, it was Michael's first cautious step into the anime rabbit hole! The gang follows the main character Light Yagami as he acquires the titular Death Note and begins to expand his colossal ego to truly galactic proportions, and we discuss just how accessible this show is to people who might get...overwhelmed...by this show's initial vibe. Stay for the mental warfare, surprise character reveals, and big brain mind games! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

If I had a nickel for every anime-inspired video game adaptation TV show we've discussed on the couch, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice. But unlike DOTA: Dragon's Blood, the first two seasons of Castlevania are actually pretty solid and significantly more welcoming to newcomers lore-wise than Dragon's Blood was, and the Dracula arc was overall exciting, captivating, emotional, and adventurous. Plus - vampires! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

If you had the chance to create a movie heavily focused on fantasy and Scottish mythology but then two years later you get axed and the new director comes in and decides that this movie will follow the more traditional Pixar formula and the only remnant of your original vision was the fact that BEARS are so heavily involved in the story from a fantasy standpoint that it's honestly a little weird to watch and the finished product ends up trying to balance the two original artistic visions and kinda falls short on both fronts but still ends up being a box office success...

...wouldja?

Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Kill la Kill is Studio Trigger's magnum opus, the spiritual successor of Gurren Lagann and the precursor to Little Witch Academia, two shows we've already touched on on the Couch. It is an anime unlike any other anime the gang ever seen before - it breaks an almost uncountable number of traditional boundaries, anime tropes, and uh...PG-limits...while barraging the audience with top-tier music, incredible fight scenes, and raw hype from the minute Ryuko arrives in Honnouji Academy in episode 1. Love it or hate it, Kill la Kill is a legendary entry in the anime pantheon. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

WALL-E is decidedly top 3 in Pixar's repertoire, and is another universally loved entry in the gang's podcasting library. It's got a spectacular and unique opening sequence, lovable - and truly human - non-human characters, and strong emotional moments. Not much else to say about a movie this legendary :) Content warning: strong language.

This week Alex brings us another heavy-hitting and emotionally rich anime in Erased, which combines the murder mystery genre with a warm and nostalgic TV show about childhood, a mother's love, and the power of friendship. At only 12 episodes it's impressive that this show can be so story-rich yet also pace itself in its slow moments, and it certainly doesn't make the show any less emotionally heavy to experience. Plus - time travel! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Nestled somewhere in between our previous episodes on Batman Beyond and Teen Titans, Young Justice has a rich world, excellent storytelling and plot buildup, and a really impressive voice cast that gives it all the tools to be a really excellent entry in the animated DC universe. The gang delves into a passionate discussion about the trailblazing that Young Justice did for a show of its time, and how Iris's upbringing with the show compares and contrasts with the Alex's, Michael's, and Marcus's more contemporary perspectives. Give the show a watch - at the very least, you'll agree with us that it's pretty solid. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

For a genre as saturated with a variety of content as the superhero genre, it's pretty incredible that an animated superhero TV series brings something fresh to the table - almost as fresh as the steaming pile of guts from the biblical levels of gore shown on screen. But Invincible is more than its violence, and is bolstered by its star-studded voice acting cast, excellent fight scenes, extremely strong trio of main characters in Nolan, Debbie, and Mark, and how their relationship unravels over time once you've seen the first episode. It's a show that's impressively well made, stays true to its source material, and keeps the gang hungry for more for the upcoming Season 2. Highly recommend! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Your fight-or-flight response might have already triggered upon reading the title of this anime series, but our resident anime expert Alex assures the gang that this show is not, in fact, fan service brain rot. To be honest, it's actually quite introspective - plus it has its emotional moments - and sheds a light on the issues and social pressures impacting teenagers as they learn to navigate their way to young adulthood. It's strange to contextualize serious issues like body image or even the loss of a loved one with weird pseudo-scientific quantum theoretical explanations, and the gang has varied opinions on this show's choices, but it's clear that all of us enjoyed experiencing this series for the first time. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

If the movie Shark Tale was a pathetic, lowly little fish, then the Best Seat gang would be a pack of hungry (decidedly not vegetarian) sharks circling its next meal, seconds away from ripping and tearing apart this sad excuse of a movie to shreds. Released alongside greats like The Incredibles and Shrek 2 and on the heels of Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, it's honestly pretty incredible that Shark Tale was a box office success, because it's got...a lot of things wrong with it, to say the least. Take it from us - please don't watch this movie. It's bad. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

To celebrate our 50th episode on the Best Seat on the Couch podcast (wooo! Now if only this coincided with our one year anniversary...) we're blurring the lines of what makes an animated movie with the unholy matrimony of professional basketball and Looney Toons - the original Space Jam! Its sequel is in the news these days and Marcus and Michael think this movie is an absolute classic, but does that make the movie good? Are professional basketball players decent actors? Are professional cartoons decent basketball players? Is it ridiculous that Alex and Iris had never watched this movie until now? Tune in to find out! Content warning: strong language.

There isn't much to say in a description of Your Lie in April, as its hard to put its powerful emotional impact into words, and even harder to describe how it made us feel. But its genuine portrayal of the rigorous and strenuous life of a child musician, its lovely and beautifully animated quiet moments, and its visualization of the emotion and struggle in each character's relationship with music are all highlights of what I'd say is a truly one-of-a-kind anime series. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Miyazaki's films are officially a mainstay on the Best Seat podcast these days, but it's always nice to have a little debate once in a while about movies that never really get any worse than "really good" - Kiki's Delivery Service is a charming tale about a girl who learns how to live on her own, make a living for herself, meet new people, and find her niche in a brave new world. It paints a world where everyone's friendly, life is comfortable, and every smile makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Marcus and Iris put literal thousands of hours into Dota 2, the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) video game, and in this episode we finally see a benefit come out of all of that playtime in our discussion of the spinoff anime series DOTA: Dragon's Blood. The show definitely hits different depending on your background knowledge of Dota lore, and Alex and Michael don't hold back on clarifying questions or WTF moments as Marcus and Iris spearhead our discussion on the show's interesting characters, fragmented narrative, and obscure lore references in its first season. And stick around as Marcus finds a way to torture literally everyone but himself in his straight-up unfair Dota-related Trivia Corner! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It is our honor to collab with Alex's friend and fellow podcaster Ben, who co-hosts his own podcast Reel Beasts on Spotify, as we tackle a movie series that baffles both memelords and actual paleontologists alike - Blue Sky Studios's Ice Age. A couple of us praise the movie's through line emphasizing family as well as some of its humorous scenes, while a couple of us are more critical of the loose plot and characters, its frankly miserable animation quality, and maybe not-as-humorous-as-some-of-us-think scenes. But we all have a good time reminiscing, laughing, and actually learning about the Ice Age movies and their setting, and we cap it off with a special ad-read and Trivia Corner that makes us really, really, really glad that we're just discussing the first and second movies. Content warning: strong language.

Please check out Reel Beasts on Spotify! A paleontologist and film professional join forces as they pick apart topical movies like King Kong and Jurassic Park, host legit educational series on dinosaurs, and more! 

Considering our last magical girl-related anime we discussed was Madoka Magica, studio Trigger's Little Witch Academia is a comparatively fun and exciting anime series that follows the bright and boisterous Akko, best girl Lotte, moody mushroom girl Sucy, and her various friends and professors as they get in trouble, get out of trouble, and unlock immense magical power. This show really has everything for everyone - even the best character ships for shipping trash like Iris! We all adore this show and want to emphasize that you might be fooled by this show's slice-of-life-esque appearance, which hides a rich story and well-written heroes and villains underneath. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The Best Seat gang has officially been podcasting for an entire year! And yes, this past year has been a bit of a wash overall thanks to a certain global pandemic, but we hope you've had half as much fun listening to us talk about stuff as we've had recording it for y'all. To commemorate this momentous occasion, we go back to our roots a la Episode 0, and talk about a topic we've all been interested in discussing that can't be tied to a single movie or TV show — music! We certainly have a lot to discuss about what music brings to enhance animated media, from Avatar to My Hero Academia to Up to Steven Universe to Frozen to...

To all of our faithful listeners who've laughed and learned along with us over this last year, Thank You. We expected exactly 0 listeners when we started Best Seat on the Couch so every one of you that gives us a listen is appreciated and cherished :) we hope you'll join us as we continue podcasting throughout this next year!

Over the Garden Wall is a miniseries that clocks in at just under 2 hours total, and if you watch it front-to-back in one sitting you might think it's a little strange. The experience of watching it, and feeling the sensations Wirt and Greg feel as they wander their way through the Unknown, is arguably more valuable to the viewer than what Wirt and Greg are actually doing. The show makes no attempt to explain what's going on or why it's being shown to us, and just does what it wants to do, with Wirt and Greg - and us - just along for the ride. So uh, I guess if you're into that, give it a watch! Or give it two watches cuz you might enjoy more the second time around! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Kung Fu Panda is an incredible movie that feels like a once-in-a-blue-moon complete package, with an incredible villain in Tai Lung, rich performances from Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman, a gorgeous and culturally rich ancient Chinese setting with deep respect to the art of kung fu, wonderful fight scenes and choreography, tasteful humor, and a really powerful message for children and adults alike. We don't really talk about the sequels in this episode, but we might down the line considering how awesome this movie is. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Along with like half of the gang on the Couch, you may be surprised to know that this isn't actually a Disney movie; as 20th Century Fox Animation's first feature film, it's technically a competitor - so how does it stack up? Well, when you come at the king, you best not miss. The music is actually quite good, and it's an affable take on the Bolshevik revolution (as Alex phrases it), but the animation comes across as a bit...rough around the edges. Some moments feel well directed while others feel a bit discordant, some characters feel very Disney-esque (Ra Ra Rasputin!) while others are kind of...there...what we're saying is, this movie does its best, and we can commend it for that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The Miyazaki time machine beckons again! This time, the gang takes a trip to 1986 to Studio Ghibli's first feature film, Castle in the Sky, which is a wondrous adventure that follows two orphans as they run in with family-style pirates, magical stones, giant robots, Mark Hamill, and the titular castle floating in the sky. Classic Miyazaki/Ghibli hallmarks such as strong female characters, beautiful music, and gorgeous animated scenes mesh seamlessly with dieselpunk vibes, impressive worldbuilding, and an overarching sense of mystery surrounding Sheeta and her necklace that comes to a head once we discover Laputa's true purpose. Marcus has yet to see a Miyazaki movie that he dislikes, so just take his word for it! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Even from minute 2 of this episode, it's very clear: there isn't any anime - or hardly any animated show at all - quite as interesting to watch as Gurren Lagann. Now you might be wondering "well, I mean, it's a show about giant robots fighting, what's so complex about that?" Tune in as we discuss hard-hitting questions like: does the second half's glory atone for the first half's sins? Are the concepts of death, legacy, and faith tastefully presented to Simon, the main character, and his supporting cast? Is it just to limit the population of a civilization to protect it from horrors yet unseen? Guess you'll have to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Big Hero 6 feels like a holy unity of the the superhero craze brought on by the Marvel Cinematic Universe combined with the new-age Disney animated movies born with the dawn of the 21st century - and considering how wildly successful both phenomena have been this last decade, it's no surprise that Big Hero 6 is a hit with the gang. We discuss Baymax (the decidedly best character) and his supporting cast, the formulaic but simplistic nature of its story, problem, and resolution, Hiro's character development, and the awesome what-could-have-been that is San Fransokyo. Plus, we get heated over whether the villain's twist was really much of a twist. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

We dipped our toes into the vast DC Animated Universe with our episode on Teen Titans a few weeks ago, and today we dive deeper with a little bit of a cult classic - Batman Beyond. There are many more examples of cartoons that stick to the classic Batman script (including Justice League, which we reference a lot in this episode), but Beyond is a complete re-imagining of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne, the Batman himself, and crime and villainy in the cyberpunk dystopia that is...2019? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Still running at 13 seasons strong, Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants is a show that practically every child watched in the early 2000s - every child except Iris, apparently ;) This episode touches primarily on the first 3-4 seasons which we all consider to be prime SpongeBob, but we take some time to discuss the first movie, future seasons, and - the elephant in the room - whether or not Spongebob should have really stopped churning out new episodes. And stick around for another one of Alex's legendary Trivia Corners, with yet another twist! Content warning: strong language.

My Hero Academia feels like the perfect show of the 2010s - a shōnen anime with incredibly animated action and fight scenes, that capitalizes on the superhero craze, and also highlights the high school experience for teens and young adults? Sign us up! After a short hiatus, the gang opens April with our resident Professor of Weebology Alex spearheading our discussion on My Hero Academia and its fresh take on the superhero lifestyle/society, its grand selection of unique characters and quirks, and lovable slice-of-life episodes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In general, the gang enjoys watching shows with many facets to pick apart and appreciate, which has at least partially contributed to the content of this podcast, but Bofuri is a very special case of an anime that's basically a slice of life episode...every episode. Set in a fantasy massively multiplayer online video game, Bofuri is a hilarious and lighthearted journey following a teenage girl who stumbles across unimaginable power, and it also pokes some fun at gamer culture and creates a wonderfully cute watching experience from front to back. The gang still finds a way to discuss this show at length. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Iris describes this movie as "THE definitive Disney Renaissance movie" and she's not entirely wrong - not only was it the highest grossing film of all time upon its release in 1992, its incredible soundtrack and wondrous premise paved the way for the movie that would eventually surpass it, The Lion King, just two years later. A movie that legendary warrants a special guest, so our friend Vanessa finds a seat on the couch and joins the gang as we discuss Aladdin's animation, music, trickery, and of course the late Robin Williams's truly one-of-a-kind performance as the Genie. No spoiler warning because this movie is timeless. Content warning: strong language.

In Episode 32, the gang embarks on a perilous adventure through the cursed realm of fanfiction.net as part of the all-new Writer's Desk segment, and unfortunately for all of us, we correctly guess one of the four stories' main duos and resign ourselves to a live reading of that story from Alex himself. In this minisode, we listen to a smooth oration of "Their Happily Ever After" and react to its verbiage, storytelling, and...other things. Content warning: Fanfiction.

Hall of the Mountain King Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The OG Teen Titans TV series from 2003 might have been rebooted one too many times for the sake of the IP, but the gang unanimously agrees that this series from our childhood is by far the best one. A perfect marriage of psuedo-anime style humor and animation, clowny and 4th-wall-breaking jokes, incredibly diverse villains, and lovable protagonists, Teen Titans feels like an actual kids show about teenagers who do teenager things (like go on dates and fight alien tofu) but also do superhero things (like deal with the trauma of facing a supervillain determined to break your mind and spirit). It's a fun watch! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The first season of Amazon Prime's Invincible was pretty groundbreaking stuff; subverting the superhero genre with deep emotional human elements and excellently written morally gray characters was delightfully refreshing in the face of pandemic-era MCU content. It's been nearly 3 years since our 52nd episode was recorded, and though it was marred by a 4-month mid-season hiatus, season 2 of Invincible continues to show us that Mark and Debbie (and a little bit of Nolan!) steal every scene they're in while also tossing a ton of new plotlines and developments around the core story. The gang is unanimous in its praise of its cast of characters, fight scenes, and comic book adaptation, and we can't wait for season 3! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Shrek, nearly 20 years old and close to induction to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, really needs no introduction both as a movie and as a cultural monument. All you must know is: 

Shrek is love, Shrek is life. And even when you think it's ogre...it's never ogre.

Content warning: strong language, the Writer's Desk (possibly the most cursed special segment on Best Seat history).

Few films come around that feel like a truly complete package, and fewer end up being animated - but Spider-Verse checks all the boxes, whether that be its characters, voice acting, humor, visual scenery, animation, style, soundtrack, emotional pacing, or even its treatment of a traditionally tricky subject like a Multiverse! It has plenty of memorable scenes that the gang reminisces on, and the fight sequences throughout the movie are straight-up badass, so we take a significant amount of time discussing just how seamless the integration of the comic book aesthetic is woven into each frame and each little caption thrown on the screen. Of course, none of this ends up mattering as Alex brings back our world-famous Trivia Corner, which is a fantastic cap to our discussion on a truly legendary movie. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language. 

Infinity Train is a relative newcomer to the animated miniseries scene, first created as a pilot concept from Owen Dennis in 2019 which later blossomed into a 3-season show released through 2020. Small as it may be, it packs a powerful punch with its simple but instantly mysterious and captivating setting on the titular train, star-studded VA cast, excellent music, and underrated humor. Who is funnier, One-One or Atticus? Does Marcus unjustly hate dogs? Is it really a kids show if most of the antagonists are nightmare-inducing? Perhaps it isn't one - the attention to real human problems, presented in a mature and respectful manner for children, makes this show much more substantial than it appears. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.