Anime Roundtable – Details, episodes & analysis

After completely missing out on August, Mike quickly gets the first episode of September out of the way. And we quickly talk about Kevin’s brief experience at this year’s FanExpo Canada and how it fit in with our fandom this year

00:30:30 - Then we talk about Toronto’s Union Station and Amy’s experience at a Gashopon pop up there earlier today

01:05:35 - James goes through some of the summer company announcements made during convention season. Which gets into a talk about extras on physical media releases

01:22:50 - Mike remembers Tanaka Atsuko and Rachael Lillis

This Week’s Drinking Game: Here’s to the ones that we got. Cheers to the wish you were here but you’re not

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng, Mohamed Sharmarke, Amy Lynn Greig

Opening Theme: “FUBUKI - Snowstorm” performed by Pico Masaki

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*Note: This was taped just before the Euro Final

James is English, Moh has relatives in England, we had to talk soccer to start, before getting the former caught up on the space heaters

00:12:19 - We finally talk at some length about the demise of Gainax. Maybe time gives us a little perspective and lessons

00:25:55 - Crunchyroll getting rid of their comments functions, we discuss how this happened and other motivations behind it

00:46:35 - Let’s go to Los Angeles. First we talked about the Dodger x Hololive promotion. And then Anime Expo and the line between artist alley and dealers room

01:17:47 - The Community Calendar. Back to the two Muv Luv bundles on Humble. Oh and the Revue Theatre in Toronto is doing a 20th anniversary showing of Place Promised in Our Early Days (which will probably be done by the time this goes up). And Flow is coming to Toronto

This Week’s Drinking Game: Take a shot when Bluelock is referenced

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng

Opening Theme: “FUBUKI - Snowstorm” performed by Pico Masaki

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The first episode of 2024 (which was taped a week before it was published) starts with us catching up with James. He’s been playing some games. So we talk games 

00:28:35 - James gives another eye roll in talking about his latest shopping experience on the Crunchy store. Another lesson about being a Canadian fan

00:52:10 - We look back on the verdict in the Kyoto Animation arson tragedy

01:04:50 - We look back at the beginning of Anime North season, and the traditional scramble for early spots of any sort at the convention later this year

01:15:06 - The community calendar (of items that may have already passed as of publishing). A Japan Foundation Toronto discussion on Japanese Arcades. And KPop group ITZY is coming to Toronto

And more shopping at the end

This week’s drinking game: Take a shot of espresso when you realize Mike wants to finish the episode

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng

Opening Theme: “FUBUKI - Snowstorm” performed by Pico Masaki

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Of course the big story this week is the not so surprising acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony. But before that we’ll talk about goings on at the Japan Foundation in both Toronto and New York. And after that we’ll talk Anime Dallas and the Lupin III manga, among other things

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng

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We start this week with the COVID news in the Toronto Area, and a COVID movie run for James and Moh to see the latest Fate/Stay Movie. Then we talk a variety of topics. Like the delivery of Angela’s Kickstarter Comic, remembering Kirby, Maradona, and Tony Hsieh, Simon and Schuster being sold to Penguin Random House, Anime Matsuri, online events at the Japan Foundation in both New York and Toronto, and more on the Netflix algorithm and what happened when some of us answered its call along with some recommendations in the aftermath

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng, Mohamed Sharmarke

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After following up on the pandemic situation in Toronto (which probably sucks as much as it would in your part of the world), and Kevin gives his thoughts on Kat Callahan’s appearance, we talk at length about Netflix’s foray into Anime with Wired’s talk with their chief anime producer. Then we talk about Seven Seas going deeper into light novels, Media Blasters getting out of the DVD on demand business, and a big week in the video game industry concerning hardware, and issues with a big name in it. We’ll then end it off with a look ahead to the online anime calendar this week

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng

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https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/anime-roundtable-v2-0-28-november-14-2020/

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SPOILER ALERT: LOTS OF KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD ONES IN THIS EPISODE

A special tribute edition commemorating the late Izumi Matsumoto and his most famous work, Kimagure Orange Road

Journalist and writer Kat Callahan shares her memories of Matsumoto and KOR with Mike by doing a deep dive into the story and characters, the impact on both the overseas fandom and domestic industry; spending time with Matsumoto in 2012, and perhaps how his health problems led to an incomplete legacy

Mike Nicolas with guest Kat Callahan

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We start the Halloween episode reminiscing about trick or treating past, and the one that isn’t presently happening. Kevin’s downtown shopping trip of various geek places. A preview of the Orange Road special with Kat Callahan. Sony and Crunchyroll looking like a thing. Netflix and Anime being a thing. Amazon responding to a digital downloads lawsuit as the DRM discussion continues. Songs of Tokyo, Retrocrush, and Sean Connery

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng, Mohamed Sharmarke

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In between some Toronto related pandemic news (which of course would be of interest to fans), we talk about the death of Izumi Matsumoto and the legacy left by Kimagure Orange Road, and a bullets segment where Evangelion, Haruhi, and Viz manga pick ups are brought up

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng, Mohamed Sharmarke

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https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/anime-roundtable-v2-0-26-october-16-2020/

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Zannen Canada host Jesse Betteridge joins us to talk about Sailor Moon’s appearance on Canadian streaming service Crave, and the business dealings behind the scenes that led to the pick up. After catching our breath from that conversation, we talk about the ghost towns that are movie theatres (with Moh risking his life having gone to see Akira in 4k), and movie adaptations of video games. That and the usual to-do items on our lists

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Kevin Ng, with Jesse Betteridge and Mohamed Sharmarke

Visit our website for more information and links:

https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/anime-roundtable-v2-0-25-october-1-2020/

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Twitter and IG: @animeroundtable

Email: animeroundtable@gmail.com