Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Ghost Divers
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome to Ghost Divers | 27 Nov 2020 | 00:53:05 | |
Episode Notes
Hello and welcome to Ghost Divers, an anime podcast with Connor and Niamh. In this introduction to the podcast, we go over the general format and idea for the show, and we also take a moment to talk a little bit about ourselves and what we hope we can offer! Special thanks to theimpliedbear for the use of their song "First" off of their album With Us?. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S1E1] Intro to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | 27 Nov 2020 | 00:27:18 | |
Episode Notes
"It is a time when, even if nets were to guide all consciousness that had been converted to photons and electrons toward coalescing, standalone individuals have not yet been converted into data to the extent that they can form unique components of a larger complex." Dive into Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex! Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod [S1E1] Intro: November 27, 2020 “Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin “Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife “Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin “The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin The Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler Kino-Eye by Dziga Vertov The Political Unconscious by Fredric Jameson Content Warnings for the AnimeGore / Head Trauma Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S2E4] Question Bucket: Kissing the Homies Goodnight or: GF stands for Guardian Fbottoming (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 19 Mar 2021 | 03:35:37 | |
Episode Notes
In what is most certainly the rowdiest, most chaotic episode yet, the Ghost Divers are joined by special guest and person who is hosting this podcast on their network in the first place so how is Niamh ever going to say no to them, Autumn Blake! But before Autumn hops on the call, Niamh and Connor start out with just the regular amount of rowdiness and chaos and get right into the Cro High questions. We start out talking about some of our favorite bits from the show, get waylaid by Niamh’s laundry tips, and then dive into the gender happening in Cro High, vibes you get as a trans person about whether or not a creator would hate you, Takashi Miike’s Dead or Alive trilogy, Cro High’s potential debt to Utena, our favorite cuss word, finding a shared sense of humor with others, etc. Then Autumn joins for our discussion of Final Fantasy 8 and things immediately escalate into a rollicking discussion touching on NORG, which Gundam characters would kiss the homies goodnight, which FF8 characters would kiss the homies goodnight, which Eva characters would kiss the homies goodnight, Niamh’s FF7 OTP, the era of PS1 JRPGs and why they could be weirder back then, how you used to be able to just make bad games and movies, memories of watching friends play Final Fantasy games, the overwhelming adolescence of FF8, more of Niamh’s OTPs, the merciless systems of FF8, breaking JRPGs, the era of guidebooks, etc. We eventually move on to talking about Gaylord Phoenix, 100 Crushes, and queer alt comics in general, especially around themes like the inadequacy of language to talk about queerness and different approaches to trying to talk about this inadequacy anyway, revisiting queer books from the year you came out, Connor’s ongoing role as Niamh’s token cis straight white dude friend, the value of libraries, how to try to get into queer comics, etc. Anyway, go buy the unofficial official shirt of Ghost Divers: You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod I don’t read theory not even Marx I have never even heard of Hegelian dialectics. Content Warnings for this DiscussionBrief mentions of self-harm Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S14E16] NANA, chs. 62–65 | 29 Mar 2024 | 03:56:31 | |
0:07:48: Synopses OP: "Your Guitar" by Shonen Knife Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionChildhood abandonment | |||
| [S14E17] NANA, chs. 66–69 + Takumi | 12 Apr 2024 | 04:22:28 | |
0:08:21 Synopses OP: "My Funny Valentine" by Buck-Tick Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionSelf-harm, suicide, drowning | |||
| [S14E18] NANA, chs. 70–73 | 26 Apr 2024 | 03:47:09 | |
0:06:19 Synopses OP: "Shadow of love" by Olivia Lufkin Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionAbusive relationships, manipulation, controlling behavior | |||
| [S14E19] NANA, chs. 74–77 | 10 May 2024 | 03:59:45 | |
0:07:20 Synopses OP: "Fuckin' Blue" by Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionDeath, fatal car crash | |||
| [S14E20] NANA, chs. 78–80 | 24 May 2024 | 03:44:56 | |
0:12:26: Looking back on the series as a whole OP: "Punk Mushi no Onna" by Jun Togawa Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for NANA is May 31, 2024. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionDeath, fatal car crash One! Two! Three! Four! In the moonlit white forest, This is the image of me as I reach my final metamorphosis When at last | |||
| [S14E21] Question Bucket: Charles Barkley has read all of NANA and he's currently unemployed (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 07 Jun 2024 | 04:12:20 | |
0:03:38: Draft OP: "Platonic" by Aiha Higurashi You can send emails for Psycho-Pass: The Movie or write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionSome use of the f-slur | |||
| [S13E6] Psycho-Pass: The Movie | 21 Jun 2024 | 02:39:35 | |
We finally return to watch Psycho-Pass: The Movie! 00:20:07: Synopsis Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is Saturday, August 12, 2023. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Works Cited in this DiscussionFanon, Frantz. Les Damnés de la Terre (The Wretched of the Earth), 1961. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract, 1762. Content Warnings for this DiscussionBody horror, exploding bodies | |||
| [S15E1] Intro to Berserk (1997) (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 05 Jul 2024 | 00:57:27 | |
Dive into Berserk (1997)! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Release Schedule[S15E1] Intro to Berserk: July 5, 2024 Note: Starting with S15E3, discussion episodes will be a week early in the Patreon feed if at all possible! Intro episodes and Question Bucket episodes will not due to the nature of how we record them. Content Warnings for the AnimeRape and sexual violence, including reference to child sexual assault | |||
| [S15E2] Berserk, eps. 1–6 (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 19 Jul 2024 | 02:44:14 | |
0:08:25: Synopses for all episodes The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content WarningsRape and sexual violence, including discussion of child sexual assault | |||
| [S15E3] Berserk, eps. 7–12 (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 02 Aug 2024 | 03:03:07 | |
0:04:40: Synopses for all episodes The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content WarningsSexism and misogyny | |||
| [S3E1] Intro to Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team | 19 Mar 2021 | 00:51:28 | |
Episode Notes
“I’m gonna live! And I’ll marry Aina!” Dive into Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team! Follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod [S2E1] Intro: March 19, 2021 We didn’t really cite any works for this series! Content Warnings for the AnimeF-slur in the subs for episode 1 (dub says “pansies”) Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S15E4] Berserk, eps. 13–19 (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 16 Aug 2024 | 03:33:47 | |
0:03:57: Synopses for all episodes The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content WarningsRape and sexual violence | |||
| [S15E5] Berserk, eps. 20–25 (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 30 Aug 2024 | 03:06:47 | |
0:14:18: Synopses for all episodes The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content WarningsExtensive discussion of rape and sexual violence | |||
| [S15E6] Question Bucket: Griffith staring at Minister Foss over a half-unwrapped burrito a.k.a. Polonium is not an element (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 13 Sep 2024 | 03:00:23 | |
Basically just answered emails the entire time so no neat divisions for timestamps for this one. You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod (twitter) or @ghostdivers (cohost) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Content Warnings for the DiscussionSome use of the f-slur I think? Maybe? | |||
| [S16E1] Intro to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:42:44 | |
Dive into Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Release Schedule[S16E1] Intro to Code Geass: September 27, 2024 | |||
| [S3E2] Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, eps. 1–6 | 02 Apr 2021 | 03:16:55 | |
Episode Notes
Connor and Niamh break the Shinigami curse that killed their first attempt at recording this episode and successfully scribe a podcast episode using the new Record Press technology. We start off by talking about how really we’re just talking about Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team in order to let Connor rant about the first Mobile Suit Gundam and then get into what is probably the most we are probably ever going to do synopses on this podcast. Connor gives a lot of context from older Gundam and like… kinda spoilers I guess? We do get very out of scope quickly as we talk about Gundam broadly but eventually, Connor does rein us in to talk about how The 08th MS Team is specifically pulling on and immediately developing existing tropes in the franchise, our initial impressions on Shiro and Aina’s relationship and how it relates to Newtypes as a concept, Niamh’s rewrite where Shiro is replaced as the main character by Karen who is explicitly trans and dating Aina, the sexualization of Kiki (and young girls in general in anime and beyond), how combat is handled and depicted in The 08th MS Team and how it points to thematic readings of the instrumentalization of human bodies and lives, different types of mecha, if the series is actually doing anything meaningful with sexuality, the canon ages of different characters, the gender happening, and more! Niamh also had to try very hard to not just spoil things throughout this conversation. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod We didn’t really cite any works for this series! Content Warnings for this DiscussionDiscussion around the sexualization of young girls Brief discussion of sexual assault and abuse Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S3E3] Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, eps. 7–12 | 16 Apr 2021 | 04:05:36 | |
Episode Notes
Connor and Niamh are under new direction (maybe this joke will land in the description?) but are back to discuss the final half of Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. We start with a discussion of the show’s hot springs episode, how the change in director may have changed the handling of various aspects of the series, the relationship between Shiro and Aina, Aina’s attempts to assert herself against her abusive brother, the potential discrepancies between Shiro and Aina’s political positions and worldviews that never really get explored, how the series tests Shiro’s idealism, our feelings about our first look at ground soldiers on the Zeon side, the incredible new content of Miller’s Report, mechs, Niamh’s rewrite of The 08th MS Team, the failure of Shiro to enacted his pacifism in the face of his own death, how the Apsalus runs on Windows, how Aina and Shiro fail to break from their existing frameworks of understanding war as being fought and won by individuals, the two different endings of the series, how the series deals with new types, the bleak reality of the final episode, but also potentially the sliver of hope within it, and more. Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is April 24. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod We didn’t really cite any works for this series! Content Warnings for this DiscussionBrief mention of a gas attack massacre Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S3E4] Question Bucket: Magical Realist Tokusatsu | 30 Apr 2021 | 02:42:44 | |
It’s Question Bucket Time! As always, we start out by wrapping up our series discussion, including some discussion of The 08th MS Team’s reference to the Vietnam War and whether we think there’s anything even there or if US viewers just jump to Vietnam because it is our jungle war but not necessarily Japan’s jungle war, why we chose The 08th MS Team despite knowing a lot of people are down on it, the value of talking about things you have mixed feelings about and debating with someone else about different reads, more homie kissing, what kind of albums each member of the 08th MS Team would press. Also, Niamh manages to talk about Icelandic sagas for a bit because fae is extremely that bitch. We then talk about Connor’s non-anime thing, The Commercial Album by the Residents. We talk a bit about trying to engage with music even when it doesn’t come to you quickly, the history of the Residents as a band and art collective, the racist ethnography of Nanook of the North, the tension between conceptual foundation for an album and the actual experiential quality of listening to an album, Niamh being a bit of an asshole, and the possible influence that the Residents might have had on music that came after. After that, we discuss Niamh’s non-anime thing, Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale, but then kinda just be bummers about how neither of us can identify with this sweet and idyllic portrayal of childhood, but also the ways this game still rings true to some of our experiences with media and card games as kids. We also talk about the differences between sugar-coated, gritty, and bittersweet. We also quickly answer a few questions about tokusatsu (we hate it), magical realism (we love it), and what recent anime we would send through a wormhole to the ‘90s to change anime discourse forever. You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Brennu-Njál’s saga (a.k.a. Njála) Suicide by Suicide “Monster Mash” by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers “Come On Feet” by Quasimoto Silent Shout by the Knife My Father’s Arms are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde and Øyvind Torseter Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjón Danzig Trilogy: The Tin Drum, Cat and Mouse, and Dog Years by Günter Grass Content Warnings for this DiscussionMention of abusive relationships and child abuse Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E1] Intro to Neon Genesis Evangelion | 30 Apr 2021 | 01:36:51 | |
Do you want to become one with us? To be of one mind and body? It’s a very, very comforting feeling. Email us anytime. Come dive with us into Neon Genesis Evangelion. Just relax and release your soul. Release Schedule[S1E1] Intro: April 30, 2020 “Misora Hibari and the Girl Star in Postwar Japanese Cinema” by Deborah Shamoon, published in Signs vol. 35 no. 1 “Kanashiki Kuchibue” performance by Misora Hibari Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva Chapter 1 of Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature by Erich Auerbach Content Warnings for the Anime and MangaViolence, blood, death, and gore Most of above but more intense. Specific scenarios to call out: A character masturbating over the unconscious body of a girl Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E2] Neon Genesis Evangelion, eps. 1–6 | 14 May 2021 | ||
Episode Notes
Welp, here we go... I hope you aren’t interested in hearing two people talk a bunch about the lore of Neon Genesis Evangelion because that’s not at all what we’re interested in. But if you’re here for people talking about trauma, the indoctrination of toxic masculinity, and the nature of the fractured self, Connor and Niamh have got you covered. We start out with Niamh describing the time fae went to pick up Shinji in faer car and use it to launch into discussion of mechs as bodies, how Evangelion draws extensively from the groundwork and themes laid out by Gundam and other earlier mecha anime, the overapplication of death of the author, the complicity of the US in the way that young girls are sexualized in Japan, Niamh trying to remember a galaxy brain meme, the difficulty of critically dealing with harmful tropes or topics like the sexualization of young girls in a work of media without falling into the problem of having to replicate it in the process, the conditioning of toxic masculinity, an actual breakdown of our read on Misato in general, how the animation of Evangelion contributes to the feeling of isolation, the significance of the codified cultural ritual of “tadaima” and “okaeri” for the meaning of Shinji and Misato’s relationship, how the series employs humor to continue to further its darker thematic elements, the employment of male nudity in the series (especially regarding Toji’s butt), the horror of combat in Evangelion, the fumbling missteps of Evangelion trying to discuss teenage sexual desire, the mingling of sexual desire with greater questions of identity and self, the textual effeminacy of Shinji’s design and tragedy of Rei's design, and Connor putting off really getting into his psychoanalytic theory bullshit and narrative theory bullshit. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod “Misora Hibari and the Girl Star in Postwar Japanese Cinema” by Deborah Shamoon Content Warnings for this DiscussionCaptive bolt pistols used in animal slaughter Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E3] Neon Genesis Evangelion, eps. 7–13 | 28 May 2021 | 03:51:29 | |
Episode Notes
We are back once again with our discussion of episodes 7 through 13 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. These may be what are generally considered the lightest, most slice-of-life/monster-of-the-week episodes of the show, but Niamh and Connor know what this show is and is going to be, so this episode is still plenty dark. Niamh being her most messy Misato when fae recorded this probably didn’t help. We start our discussion with the revelation that Connor is also a Misato x Ritsuko shipper, then get into the way the comparative cheeriness of these episodes feels intentionally hollow and like the illusion of happiness you create when you’re depressed, Eva’s deployment of tropes from “lighter” genres like romantic comedies, the duality of Misato and the ways in which she is actually not like Niamh, the subordination of all characters to Shinji as the self-obsessed depressed protagonist of the series and how this starts Connor and Niamh’s one true fight on Eva that we will never fully resolve, the forced feminization of Shinji, bringing in Misora Hibari as a point of reference for Asuka as an impersonator of Misato, the psychoanalytic theory of abjection as put forth by Julia Kristeva and its relation to Eva, the possibility of communication and connection between individuals, the developing characterization of Rei, Gendo’s position as the antagonist of the series, the divided subject of the MAGI system, more on the divided opinion of Connor and Niamh on whether or not Anno is a hateful little shit man, trying to talk around the end of the show and The End of Evangelion, and putting off some theory bullshit for next time. Also we kinda end up talking more about Asuka and Misora Hibari after we finished recording the podcast proper and that all made it into the post-ED outtakes section so uh… it’s a little more than just goofs this time, you might want to stick around for at least some of it even if you usually skip the outtakes. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod “Misora Hibari and the Girl Star in Postwar Japanese Cinema” by Deborah Shamoon, published in Signs vol. 35 no. 1 Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva “Kanashiki Kuchibue” performance by Misora Hibari Content Warnings for this DiscussionAlcohol / Alcoholism Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E4] Neon Genesis Evangelion, eps. 14–20 | 11 Jun 2021 | 03:14:00 | |
Episode Notes
We are back again and ready to dive into the back half of Neon Genesis Evangelion with episodes 14 through 20. We start by looking at what actually turned out to be a fairly interesting clip show episode and use it to spring into a discussion of the shift towards greater interiority and the developing undercurrents in the second half of the series; the growing characterization of Rei; Misato and Kaji as a (not always well handled) brat4brat relationship and how it factors into our read of Misato as well as Asuka as a “female impersonator” of Misato; our read on Kaji as an interesting but often creepy character; Eva’s ongoing construction of divided subjects; the psychoanalytic elements of the series and Connor’s theory bullshit about Kristeva’s ideas about abjection; the abjection of queerness; the role of ego in sync rate and pilot performance; the solidification of the show’s thematic elements in order to develop further in the finale; the misdirected desire for comfort that must be resisted to reassert selfhood and allow the potential for further life; our continuing kicking of the Mimesis can down the Ghost Divers road; and an extended discussion of one of our favorite sparsely animated scenes. Next time we will be joined by guest Brad Nelson to talk about episodes 21 through 26! Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Also as a fun note: About a week before this episode was released, Connor finally subscribed to the Patreon in order to listen to Niamh’s new movie podcast with Autumn called Ornate Stairwells! You can check out the public feed for Ornate Stairwells at exportaud.io/ornatestairwells or listen to the episodes early by becoming a patron yourself at exportaud.io. I mean, not episodes of Ghost Divers early, just episodes of Ornate Stairwells early. I’m not putting any more pressure on myself to edit stuff early, and I think this podcast works best if you know exactly when to expect new episodes. Works Cited in this DiscussionPowers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva Content Warnings for this DiscussionDiscussion of grooming and sexual abuse Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E5] Neon Genesis Evangelion, eps. 21–26 (with special guest Brad Nelson) | 25 Jun 2021 | 04:44:51 | |
Episode Notes
We are joined by our first-ever guest on Ghost Divers, Brad Nelson, to discuss episodes 21 through 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion! They are the person who first got Niamh into anime, so it’s very poignant and meaningful that they are definitely the first-ever guest on the podcast and didn’t at all get usurped by some brat who just decided to join to talk about Final Fantasy VIII on a complete whim. We also get the most into the manga so far around our discussion of Kaworu, so buckle up for a deeper dive into manga chapters 52–74 We start our discussion with a look at the way the series often employs lore dumps to create more questions than answers, how incredibly gay Ritsuko is for Misato, the discrepancies in how various characters perceive and understand each other and how the narrative itself becomes unreliably tied to specific perspectives, suffering in Evangelion and the tensions between Buddhism and daoism and how Niamh’s worldview has changed since fae first watched the show, Asuka as an unwilling school idol, the elevator scene and how it draws out the tensions between Asuka and Rei and their inability to connect over their shared struggles, how Misato continues to offer physical touch as comfort because it’s what she herself needs when she is hurting, Gendo’s grooming of Rei and her attempts to break from his abuse, the romantic and sexual connection between Shinji and Kaworu, the differences between Kaworu’s depiction in the show vs. the manga, our varying reads on the differing depictions of Kaworu’s death and what it means for Shinji, the stylistic presentation of the final two episode of Evangelion, the misogyny of Anno and his potential gendered trauma, and of course Connor and Niamh continuing to duke it out over End of Evangelion. Speaking of, just is next time for our discussion of End of Evangelion and the conclusion of the manga! As a note, the audio bleed on Connor’s headphones was really bad this episode and Niamh had to do a lot to try to eliminate it, so sorry for the dip in audio quality on this one. At least you don’t have to endure it for nearly 5 hours… Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod You can also check out Brad’s newsletter at http://hologramofthesenses.substack.com Works Cited in this Discussion“Misora Hibari and the Girl Star in Postwar Japanese Cinema” by Deborah Shamoon, published in Signs vol. 35 no. 1 Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva Content Warnings for this DiscussionDeath of a child Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S1E2] Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, eps. 1–6 | 11 Dec 2020 | 01:51:08 | |
Episode Notes
Connor and Niamh discuss episodes 1 through 6 of the first season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We get into some of the core themes of the show, including the dyadic separation of mind and body, the development of AI sapience, gender and the trans resonance of Major Kusanagi, the dystopia underlying the sheen of GitS:SAC's Japan, a peak at the bleakness of the series overall, its thoughts about the possibility for revolution suggested in the world of the show, and an introduction to Niamh’s film theory bullshit. We also forget to do literally any sort of episode recaps, but as apology, Niamh left in all the times faer cats tried to join the podcast from outside faer closet door. So you’re welcome for that, I guess. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod “Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin “Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife Content Warnings for this DiscussionPolice Brutality Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E6] The End of Evangelion & the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga | 09 Jul 2021 | 03:53:10 | |
Episode Notes
What's done is done, it feels so bad. What once was happy now is sad. We’ll never record again, our podcast’s ending. I wish that I could turn back time, ‘cause now the guilt is all mine for ever suggesting we’d do Evangelion. Okay, so Connor and Niamh like to joke about how we get into a big fight about End of Evangelion because we are never going to fully agree on this film. Specifically, we both have the same basic read on what the film is trying to do, but will always be divided on our final read of the film. But like, we actually are still friends and we’re both really looking forward to you all watching Magic Knight Rayearth with us and listening to those episodes. In our discussion, we focus in particular on the beginning and the end of End of Evangelion and the manga and how these two endings to the series figure separation and otherness in different ways and reach different conclusions about the possibility for human connection and touch on topics like the potential figuring of a bioessentialist view in the show and movie of the fundamental divide between men and women as the core of the human condition in the show and movie versus the manga, how the manga employs the image of hands to differently figure the relationship between humans in a way that touches less on heteronormative understandings of human relationships, the Buddhist and daoist interpretations of Eva, the ending of the movie and its parallels with Adam and Eve and the related myth of Líf and Lífþrasir emerging from the world tree after ragnarök to repopulate the earth, how necessary the intense extremes of the movie are for the message, a diversion into discussions around content warnings, our frustrations with the depiction of Misato in End of Eva, differences between the movie and the manga around Gendo and Shinji’s ability to meet the expectations of the heroic shōnen protagonist, some of the weird differences between the printed tankōban volumes of the manga in the US and the scanlations on genesis-evangelion.com, how not everyone in a story should necessarily be redeemed (and perhaps some characters should not be redeemed), and our final readings on Rei and her breaking from Gendo’s abuse. Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is Friday, July 16, 2021. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Lastly, if you want to listen to Niamh talk about movies for generally less time then fae spent talking about this one, check out faer newish podcast Ornate Stairwells at exportaud.io/ornatestairwells. Works Cited in this DiscussionPowers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva Content Warnings for this DiscussionAlcohol Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S4E7] Question Bucket: LCL is just Gamer Girl Bathwater, if you really think about it | 23 Jul 2021 | 04:09:15 | |
Episode Notes
Welcome to Ghost Divers, a true crime podcast or something I guess. We start by looking back a little at our long journey with Neon Genesis Evangelion and talk a little about how our personal experiences informed our readings of the show and, especially, the movie. We then answer questions about reading Eva through Anno’s life, our least favorite Eva spinoffs, dismemberment and abjection, Toji’s hair color in the show vs. the manga, what astrology signs image meme Eva characters would create, kissing the homies goodnight (redux), Asuka as a Twitch streamer, how Gendo should just fuck off actually, and experiencing media too young. For our non-anime things, Niamh brings When the Pawn… by Fiona Apple and we talk a little about it, but honestly also talk a lot about critical approaches to media in general. We then move on to Connor’s pick of A Brighter Summer Day and talk a little about how the film constructs space in relation to history and politics. You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Abusive relationships Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E1] Intro to Magic Knight Rayearth (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 23 Jul 2021 | 01:40:47 | |
Hold on to that dream Dive into Magic Knight Rayearth! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io [S1E1] Intro: July 23, 2021 "Deviant Male Identities in Japanese RPGs: Heterosexual Heroes, Gay Villains" by Juan F. Belmonte, presented at the 2016 Different Games Conference Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity by José Esteban Muñoz, especially chapter 6 "Stages: Queers, Punk, and the Utopian Performative" Content Warnings for the AnimeViolence Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E2] Magic Knight Rayearth, eps. 1–10 (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 06 Aug 2021 | 03:25:23 | |
This podcast is named after the Rolls-Royce Ghost Diver. We start out with Niamh reading through this nice little document fae created before diving into the discussion of the episodes. We touch on topics including the comedic tone of the early episodes and its use of JRPG tropes; how the girls are gay; the triangulation of Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu onto class distinctions, forms of femininity, and also the three hosts of this very podcast; Hikaru’s need for unconditional love, Umi’s fraught relationship with her parents, and Fuu’s struggle with self-hatred; the nature of Cephiro as a world of will and how it relates to themes of wish fulfillment and destiny in magical girl anime; the transition of girlhood to womanhood as a core theme of Rayearth; stories about getting high; the construction of types of masculinity in Rayearth; images of motherhood; and the core conflicts being set up for the three girls. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Niamh’s Ultimate Combination AMV Content Warnings for this DiscussionMind control / possession Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E3] Magic Knight Rayearth, eps. 11–20 (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 20 Aug 2021 | 03:00:18 | |
Connor, Niamh, and Honorary Third Ghost Diver Autumn are back again to discuss the second half of the first season of Magic Knight Rayearth. It’s a mech show now? We get into the gradual tonal shift as the series progresses and grows darker; the color coding of characters around red, blue, green, white, and purple/black; Caldina’s character as another mode of femininity and as a person swayed by the love of the Magic Knights; Hikaru and blood and its thematic resonance for the show as a whole; the recurring themes around free will, possession, and mind control; the themes of love and the limits of love to protect you from harm; the queer-coding of Inouva; Connor’s attempt to stop being so mean to Niamh’s beloved dumb bishie, Ferio; the metaphorical usage of the Pillar system of Cephiro to talk about gendered expectations in patriarchal cisheteronormativity; and the tragedy of Princess Emeraude and Lord Zagato and how it ties together all the themes so far and also leaves open the door for far, far more in need of exploration in season 2. Join us next time, for the first ten episodes of season 2 of Magic Knight Rayearth, episodes 21–30! As a note, the post-ED backmatter for this podcast episode includes some Madoka Magica spoilers. Anyway, here’s the Rayearth car names document for season 1 if you need it again. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Sexualization of women Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E4] Magic Knight Rayearth, eps. 21–30 (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 03 Sep 2021 | 02:57:24 | |
Niamh keeps saying fae’s Nova and we’ve all just been waiting for this stupid brat to finally show up. We’re discussing episodes 21–30 of Magic Knight Rayearth! We start the conversation with Niamh reading through this document fae made on the origins of the new character’s names for season two, then dive into topics such as the uneasiness around the way the girls immediately take on the role of magic knights again; how Rayearth is finally really a mech show; the problem of straightness vs. queerness in season two and Hikaru as a polyamorous character; the pacing of season two; how the series is further developing the themes of the show around patriarchal systems and the inability of people to conceive of themselves outside of the systems in which they live; how the show is setting up themes of relationships, jealousy, guilt, and the impositions of heteronormative culture; and finally some stuff around Hikaru, Nova, and the Pillar System that has been signaled pretty heavily in these first 10 episdes but maybe some viewers would miss. Sorry if that last bit kind of feels like spoilers,episodes but it’s all in there and we ended up thinking it’s better if we can just acknowledge that these things are happening so we can talk about them more! Anyway, write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Possession & brainwashing Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E5] Magic Knight Rayearth, eps. 31–39 (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 17 Sep 2021 | 03:20:35 | |
We run a tight ship over here at Ghost, Divers, and Associates LLC. Nobody forgets to open the Google doc. No one accidentally uses their webcam’s mic to record half the episode. And definitely there is no bratty antagonizing of one of the hosts for misremembering a scene from the anime by another one of the hosts. We just focus right in on discussing episodes 31-39 of Magic Knight Rayearth. We start our discussion with some of the character design elements and uhhh none of us had read the Rayearth 2 manga at this point so we say some wrong things about which characters appeared in the manga as well. We then dive into a lengthy discussion of the series’ bathhouse episode (it’s actually pretty interesting!) and how it relates to queerness and the impositions of straightness in Magic Knight Rayearth; the way Lantis problematizes Hikaru’s relationships with other characters she loves; queerbaiting; what’s going on with Presea and this short motherfucker Clef; the difference in the structure of these episodes compared to earlier in the series; Eagle and Geo and how Eagle clearly isn’t over his ex; the weird extended queerphobic joke around the Djinn Raccoon and Rasheen; the Clemi ship and the possibility that Clef is Umi’s beard; Umi & Chizeta; Fuu & Fahren; and Hikaru & Nova. Also, here’s the Rayearth car names document for season 2 if you need it again. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io "Deviant Male Identities in Japanese RPGs: Heterosexual Heroes, Gay Villains" by Juan F. Belmonte, presented at the 2016 Different Games Conference Content Warnings for this DiscussionEthnic stereotypes Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E6] Magic Knight Rayearth, eps. 40–49 (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 01 Oct 2021 | 03:18:11 | |
We are finishing out our discussion of Magic Knight Rayearth Season 2! These are some of Niamh’s favorite episodes of anime ever! Connor and Autumn think they are just good but it’s fine. In between recording the last episode and this one, Niamh read all of the manga, and so we start with a little discussion about how the manga and anime differ. We also talk about the pacing of season 2 and how it might relate to the unwillingness of the Magic Knights to fight after the tragedy of season 1; why the show can’t really develop Hikaru x Lantis because what it’s more interested in is Hikaru having to confront her need for love from others so that she can ignore her own self-hatred; how Hikaru and Eagle just talking through the problem is actually a sign that both characters are at a place where they can talk openly and in opposition to the Pillar System; an actual discussion of the Asmi ship and why we keep mocking Connor about this; the historical ubiquity of straight readings of old anime and how canonically Hikaru wants to marry her entire polycule (it’s in the fucking manga); Niamh’s updates to the Rayearth car names document for season 2 and also this ad for the car that fake Presea is named after; Hikaru x Nova and how it ties in with the end of season 1; a brief history of modern concepts of sexuality and Niamh finally reading from Cruising Utopia; Cephiro as a “stage” for the imagining of a new queer polyamorous utopia for Hikaru; and “queerbaiting” old anime like Rayearth as a “stage” for the imagining of queer possibilities. Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is Sunday, October 10, 2021. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io The NeoRayearth.net Fan Rants page that Niamh mocks Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity by José Esteban Muñoz (esp. chapter 6 "Stages: Queers, Punk, and the Utopian Performative") Content Warnings for this DiscussionMental health issues, self-hatred, and suicidality Homophobia / queerphobia Cigarettes Sex Alcohol Drugs Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S5E7] Question Bucket: Ferio is really excited to be dating a bi girl now so he can get Chic-fil-A again (with special guest Autumn Blake) | 15 Oct 2021 | ||
Connor and Niamh are joined partway through by Autumn for the Question Bucket and we are basically just hanging out and having fun. We start out with some updates! The Intro episodes for our next series is no long going to drop on the same day as Question Buckets just to give us all a little more time and breathing room. But if you’re sad about the potential loss of content, don’t worry, we also announce the first of what will be our annual New Year’s Day Special! Every January 1st, we’re going to release a bonus episode about whatever we want, and our very first one will be talking about the Icelandic literary classic Independent People by Halldór Laxness! If you want to read the book and write in, we’ll announce the actual recording date when we know it but it’ll be no earlier than mid-December. Anyway, sorry that this is a mukbang podcast now but we’re reviewing some beer and food on this. We talk a little about the manga and then Niamh just yells for a while about the OVA and how bad it is before getting into the actual questions, including what car we would be named after if we were Rayearth characters and what our color and element would be, which Rayearth character kiss the homies goodnight and tuck the homies in goodnight, what fast food restaurants the Rayearth characters love, and the favorite vtubers of the three Magic Knights. We then talk a little about Brandi Carlile’s new album In These Silent Days, which is maybe the most serious part of this otherwise goofy episode. We also take some shots at the new Kacey Musgraves album, sorry if you like it. You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Alcohol, tobacco, and drug usage Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E1] Intro to Revolutionary Girl Utena | 29 Oct 2021 | 01:12:37 | |
Once upon a time, years and years ago, there was an awkward teenager pretending to be a boy, and they were very sad because they were bullied out of watching Magic Knight Rayearth. Before the teen appeared another magical girl anime on their girlfriend’s bookshelf. It had a regal bearing and a distinctive style. The anime wrapped the teen in a rose-scented embrace and wiped the tears from their eyes. _ “Closeted one,” it said, “who bears up alone in such deep sorrow. Never lose that softness or femininity. I give you this, to remember this day.” _ “We’ll meet again, won’t we?” _ “This DVD will lead you to me, one day.” _ Perhaps the DVD the anime gave them was just for entertainment. This was all well and good, but so impressed were they by the show that the teen vowed to become a trans girl podcaster faerself one day. But was that really such a good idea? Dive into Revolutionary Girl Utena! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io [S1E1] Intro: October 29, 2021 The Myth of the Eternal Return by Mircea Eliade, translated by Willard Trask Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity by José Esteban Muñoz Content Warnings for the AnimeSexuality Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S1E3] Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, eps. 7–13 | 25 Dec 2020 | 02:29:02 | |
Episode Notes
This week, we get deep into episodes 7 through 13 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We try a little harder this time at doing some recaps but Niamh gets distracted getting right into faer bullshit from the beginning. Connor makes his case for episode 10, but if you are trying to avoid this one, which has some of the roughest content of the series, just know we discuss it from approximately 1:24:54 to 1:32:27. We talk about the sexualization of Major Kusanagi, the aura of the ghost in the age of its technological reproducibility, how the reproduced object can be reconstructed to produce a new aura with a purpose that can be revelatory just as easily as it can be fascistic, reality and unreality, the societal view of binary gender as “Default Male” and “Other”, choosing to be queer and trans, capitalism’s ability to co-opt that which opposes it, cycles of nationalized violence, the development of AI sapience and individuality, escapism and utopia, and our first big reminder in a few episodes that Section 9 is just a bunch of shitty cops. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod “Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin “Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife “The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin “Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Content Warnings for this DiscussionSexuality Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E2] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Student Council Saga pt. 1, eps. 1–7 | 12 Nov 2021 | ||
This episode is dedicated to all the GL-loving long-haul truckers in the audience. We see you, we support you, we will always be here for you. Anyway, we start our discussion of Revolutionary Girl Utena with a deep dive into the first half of the Student Council Saga spanning episodes 1 through 7! We try to untangle everything that is introduced early on in this series including cyclic time, fairytales, gender roles, the tension between reality and unreality in the show and the evocation of the artifice of theatre and animation, the series’ immediate engagement with patriarchal systems, portrayals of queerness, the interiority of Utena’s characters (especially Anthy), the difficulty of resisting a system from within it, how Utena must have influenced Cromartie High School, the overt lesbianism in the series, and Touga’s creepiness and what Connor as anticipating as the series continues. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Abusive relationships, especial physical abuse Sexism Incest / age difference / pedophilia Alcohol (post-ED) Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E3] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Student Council Saga pt. 2, eps. 8–13 | 26 Nov 2021 | 02:55:27 | |
Welcome to Ghost Divers, the foremost podcast for tracing the influences on Cromartie High School. We’re here to discuss the second half of the Student Council Saga spanning episodes 8 through 13 of Revolutionary Girl Utena! We talk about Anthy’s intentions in even a goofy episode; how the show complicates issues of intention and will and demonstrates the difficulty of moving outside the limits defined by systems of oppression; our hatred of the straight shipping of Utena x Touga; the flashback and the interrelation of myth, fable, past, memory, and present; theory bullshit about Eliade’s Myth of the Eternal Return; the character of Nanami and her role is both comedic foil and dramatic rival in her own right; an unplanned announcement about our upcoming Cro High manga read-through podcast; all the gender happening in this series; and more! Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io The Myth of the Eternal Return by Mircea Eliade, translated by Willard Trask Content Warnings for this DiscussionSexism Abusive relationships Manipulation Possessiveness Suicidality Animal cruelty and death Incest Sexuality and sexualized images Alcohol (in the post-ED outtakes section) Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E4] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Black Rose Saga, eps. 14–23 | 10 Dec 2021 | 03:29:59 | |
We’re trying something new for this episode where we just very intentionally do a synopsis of the entire arch right at the top and then get into a more freeform discussion. The synopsis honestly takes a while because we have a lot to cover, so if you want to skip it, you can jump ahead to 55:35. Just be aware that we do include some commentary as we go. After the synopsis, we get into a discussion of the themes of the Black Rose Saga, including the contrast of above and below; visual parallels between Mikage Souji and Chida Mamiya and Utena and Anthy; the tensions between reality and uncertainty or incoherency; the psychological tensions for the need for liberation vs. the danger of unrestrained ego and individualism; the way that the series tests Utena’s intentions and actions; the metatextual figuring of the minor characters of the series as the duelists in this arch; the continuation of the series’ focus on religious practices with an additional tying in of psychoanalysis and psychology through its parallels with Catholic confessionals, and how these relate to deviant forms of desire; the complexities of the relationship between Juri and Shiori and also the way it complicates our understanding of the relationship with Utena and Anthy; some specific discussion of individual characters; an extended take on how Revolutionary Girl Utena and Cromartie High School relate thematically; and more! Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Arson and death by burning Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E5] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Ohtori Akio Saga, eps. 24–33 | 24 Dec 2021 | ||
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! We got you a gift of this discussion episode for what might be some of the darkest episodes of the series (although I suppose we haven’t gotten to the Apocalypse Saga yet, have we?) We start our discussion of the Ohtori Akio Saga with a lengthy synopsis of the arc, then start with the lightest material we can by looking into the “Cro High” episodes around Nanami that help ease us into the series’ darker series around the exploitation of sexuality before zooming out into a broader discussion of the general themes across the entire arc. In running through the episodes, we hit on topics including Akio as the tempter and grand manipulator; Akio’s car as a symbol of toxic (and phallic) masculinity; the temptation of Nanami and the way she is confronted with her desires in the form of Akio’s abuse of Anthy; the sympathy the show presents around Juri and how it pairs her desire to save someone else up against Utena’s desire to save Anthy; the relationship between Juri, Shiori, and Ruka and the competitive desire between Shiori and Ruka to possess and control Juri; an extended look at what’s happening with Utena, Anthy, and Akio; and the way the show understands and frames what is happening to Utena as grooming and rape even as it depicts her own struggles with the feeling she wants it and blaming herself for what happens. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Incest Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| The First Annual New Year's Special: Independent People by Halldór Laxness | 01 Jan 2022 | ||
Happy New Year! It’s our first annual New Year’s Special and we hope you enjoy it. If you will permit us, we start with a bit of self-indulgence as we look back at the first year of the podcast, including us ranking our favorite series we’re covered on the show. If you will not permit us, you can jump to 1:29:30 where we start our discussion of Halldór Laxness’s Independent People. We start with a fairly lengthy section of Niamh providing historical context around the novel before getting into our conversation around the themes of the novel. We then finish with some emails from fans! You can check out our notes from Independent People here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIDcah4_tid-1GnNNPsle08DzYMovtAixqTiLWQclGY You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io A History of Icelandic Literature edited by Daisy Neijmann “Halldór Laxness and the CIA” by Chat Lemoine "Do not praise that piece of shit Bjartur: Independent People, reviewed" by Sam Knight Content Warnings for this DiscussionSlavery / indentured servitude Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E6] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Apocalypse Saga, eps. 34–39 | 07 Jan 2022 | 03:28:35 | |
We have made it! The final discussion for the show! Of course, we will be back in two weeks with an episode on Adolescence of Utena, hopefully with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake (we still haven't even recorded it). We start with a decent synopsis section and talk a little bit about what’s left after this episode (the movie and the manga), then get into a discussion of the end of the show. Topics covered include the various myths and fables of the prince and his encounter with the orphaned girl; the themes of becoming a prince and Utena’s fight against gender essentialism and its ties to themes of nobility; the final episodes of the series; Utena and Anthy’s relationship and understanding Anthy’s betrayal of Utena; different readings of what is happening in the series overall and its competing “realities”; Juri and Shiori's relationship and its comparison with Utena and Anthy's relationship; themes of queerness throughout the series and how it relates to ideas of representation, resonance, and other topics; and a final look at how maybe Saionji and Touga are fuckin. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io The Myth of the Eternal Return by Mircea Eliade, translated by Willard Trask Content Warnings for this DiscussionImpalement and torture Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E7] Surprise Bonus Episode: Catching up on Utena with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake | 14 Jan 2022 | ||
We did not plan this bonus episode at all but Autumn finished the show in preparation for joining us for Adolescence of Utena and decided to call me to make sure we were on the same page, and we just decided to record it for you all. As such, don't listen to this until you've finished the series! If you liked this episode especially, you should really check out Ornate Stairwells is you haven't yet. Our Discord connection was a little weird and got kind of out a sync a few times, so sorry if there's any weird moments where it seems like we are talking over each other or weird pauses in our back-and-forth. Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Grooming, pedophilia, & rape Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E8] Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence of Utena (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 21 Jan 2022 | 03:16:45 | |
It’s time for what if Magic Knight Rayearth was Redline! We talk about the relationship of the movie to the show; look at some of the characters that only briefly appear in the movie; the unreality and unreality of Adolescence of Utena; our different reads on the movie, which honestly might just be our attempts to describe the same unified read but fractured through our own perspectives in the same way different characters speak of eternity, that which shines, miracles, or the power to revolutionize the world; the outsized presence of Shiori in the movie compared to some of the other minor (and even major) characters from the show that barely appear in the movie; what the hell is going on with Touga; the image of liberation at the end of the movie and how it relates to ideas of potentiality rather than the promise of utopia (including a call back to our least favorite series we covered last year); and more. Also, don't forget that we will be recording the Question Bucket soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is January 29, 2022. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Rape Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S6E9] Question Bucket: Who on Utena tucks? (with Special Guest Star Autumn Blake) | 04 Feb 2022 | 02:30:42 | |
We are joined again by Autumn Blake to talk a little about the Utena manga and answer all your emails! We also have some updates about our new diving schedule with official announcements of our planned guests for future series Baccano!, Serial Experiments Lain, Paranoia Agent, and Kino’s Journey. For the manga, neither Connor nor Autumn had the chance to read all of it, so Niamh gets a little into her takes but we move on pretty quickly to your wonderful emails. Highlights include good shōjo pulls; the gang mostly not knowing Homestuck; why we all love Nanami; Niamh’s well-documented hatred of all ATLUS games; how Connor and Autumn apparently just wish Utena was Yu-Gi-Oh!; an extended diversion into the best cooking competition show ever made, MasterChef Australia; tucking; Revolutionary Girl Pootana, poo; and which Utena character is a toxic gamer. You can write into future Question Buckets at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Grooming, rape, sexual abuse, and sexual assault Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S7E1] Intro to Our Deep Dive into Ghost in the Shell | 18 Feb 2022 | 01:02:28 | |
“In that fleeting moment when Connor and I were facing off against the Major, we envisioned the outcome of our discourse, and the hairs on the back of our necks stood on end. After assessing the situation and taking all the factors into account, our experiences as podcasters led us to one conclusion: we were about to die.” The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io [S1E1] Intro: February 18, 2022 “The Major’s Body (10): Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) The Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler Content Warnings for the AnimeGore / Head Trauma / Dental Trauma Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S1E4] Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, eps. 14–19 | 08 Jan 2021 | ||
Episode Notes
We decide that this is just going to be podcast with some long ass episodes and really dig into episodes 14 through 19 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Before we even get into the episodes, we already have a lot to say about the series and how it relates to the current political reality of when we recorded this episode—which was the day news outlets declared Biden the winner of the 2020 American Presidential election. Okay, look, I cut out a lot of our election discussion, so just like… know it could’ve been worse, okay? Anyway, after front-loading this conversation with some political talk, we used it to jump into Major Kusanagi’s need for Section 9 to maintain her body, the capitalist view of the economy as a game you can win, Section 9’s complicity in upholding the injustice of capitalism, the Tachikomas awakening to class consciousness, Batou’s relationship to gender (Gender: It’s Not Just For The Major) and toxic masculinity, the patriarchal hegemony on the gendered expression of emotions, Aramaki’s relationship with the Major, Japanese nationalism and nationalist violence, cycles of revenge and the inscription of revenge narratives into a national identity, the potential value and danger of the merging of consciousnesses and creation of new identities, and the tension between efficacy and righteousness in Section 9’s fulfilling of their role as government agents. Also, apologies for some of the weird audio on this one. It turns out Discord was really laggy (and variably so) for us and Niamh’s mic volume got fucked up at one point. Fae had a hell of time trying to get things sounding okay. ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter! @ghostdiverspod “Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin “Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife “Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin “The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin Content Warnings for this DiscussionRacism Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||
| [S7E2] Crossover with Ornate Stairwells: Ghost in the Shell (1995) | 04 Mar 2022 | 05:07:36 | |
Welcome to the overstuffed Ornate Stairwells / Ghost Divers crossover event! Niamh watched Ghost in the Shell (1995) and recorded a Stairwells episode about it with Autumn, then a few days later recorded a Ghost Divers episode about it with Connor. Then fae stitched both conversations together. It’s a whole lot of Niamh and a whole lot of Ghost in the Shell. It's also, hopefully, two interestingly different but connected looks at the same work. Next week Niamh and Autumn will be back to talk about Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Don't forget that Ghost Divers will be recording the Question Bucket for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence soon. The deadline to write into our Question Bucket for this series is March 11, 2022. You can write into ghostdiverspod@gmail and follow us on Twitter! ///////Credits for Ornate Stairwells (00:00:00): You can follow Niamh on twitter @FoxmomNia and listen to faer other podcast, Ghost Divers, by going to exportaud.io/ghostdivers You can follow Autumn on twitter by going to @Autumnal_Coffee and listen to all of their podcasts by going to exportaud.io. You can see how we rated this stairwell and all the other stairwells by going to exportaud.io/stairwellquality ///////Credits for Ghost Divers (02:24:24): The Show: @ghostdiverspod Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Work Cited in Ghost Divers: “Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (1)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Content Warnings for this Discussion: Depression, suicide, body horror, dyadism, sexism You can also get listen to Ornate Stairwells (and could've listened to this episode of Ghost Divers) a week early by giving us a dollar on the patreon!!! Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co | |||