Anime Roundtable

Ever wondered what the show would sound like if it was recorded on just the default mic of the recording laptop? Well that’s what happened for the first 45 mins this week as Mike forgot to properly hook the board in before recording. Didn’t help when Garageband stalled a few times during the episode, or in the last ten minutes of the segment when the iBook’s cooling fan come on…

Anyway in all of that, some Canadian related items, seyuu stalkers hoping to strike back, Makoto Shinkai Day, the use of video game controllers in crime, and music that helps girls “bust out”.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Adam Grant (1:45:20)

Mike had wished to keep the episode under two hours. But when Megan’s ex-boyfriend and Adam’s co-host makes his first appearance on the show, Mike can just keep wishing. In this two plus hour infomercial for TATANS, we talk about the relevance of cultures in fiction (especially anime) in light of the last couple weeks, more Japanese crime related to anime, more moe related products, and more on Funimation’s buying spree and the wishlist for stuff they’re already doing. Then Mike unveils details on the show’s very first contest…no seriously.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Adam Grant, Brent Chittenden

Douche (Colbert Pronunciation)

Mike sighs as he needs Rant Space to once again talk about credentials and credibility in the anime fandom and industry circles in North America. This after being called ignorant and disrespectful to the industry, by a member of the industry. Mike wonders if this was worth his time in the end, but spent it to show respect to this particular member of the industry. Clearly more than what this person really deserves.

Mike Nicolas

Megan uses her cell phone to Gabcast her dating tips to geeks, and her thoughts about dating in the the geek sense. It really isn’t all that complicating.

Megan Swaine

Plenty of everything this week, anger, laughter, insults, and time (lots of it). Oh yeah, and maybe some good material to ponder too. We start this week by answering a call out on the blog. Then we talk at length about Valentines Day in Japan, and the latest in gifts for the girls this year. Finally in the bullets themselves, we briefly look at some of the announcements from the New York Comic Con, dramatic news from the companies in Japan, and a controversial hentai game (even by typical hentai standards), being pulled from Amazon.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Adam Grant, Enrico Bianco

The other members of the Roundtable finally begin to take up some Rant Space. So while we wait for the taping of the next episode, Enrico looks back one of our last episodes of 2008 and gives his honest feelings about Crunchyroll’s current direction.

Enrico Bianco

Adam talks about the weird experience watching Kodocha without the original theme song, which leads to a discussion about the use of likeness in Japanese media. Then, not much in the way of news this week, so the group plays Over/Under in looking ahead to the year in the anime and manga industry. Bullets wise, we look at the disturbing case of a missing 14 year old girl with a 43 year old man headed for an anime con and wonder why it doesn’t happen more, thoughts on the tease concerning the next Haruhi anime series, and adult items being promoted with adult titles…which may or may not make any sense.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Adam Grant

Adam makes his first appearance of the 2009, showing the damage from a week in Cuba. First we make jokes about the latest problems in Mike’s place, York University (which really is the punchline), the PS3, and the fallout from Right Stuf’s 12 Days of Christmas sale. Then we give lip service to the licenses from the Christmas season, with an interesting set of thoughts for one of them. Bullets wise, library recommendations, how a manga artists paints his house, and how a town painted their town in another type of brush.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Adam Grant

So after yet another month off, the Canadian Roundtable finally decides to return for a less politically incorrect version (Adam is off this week).

In this inaugural episode of 2009, we’ll spend the idle talk (and about half the show) on university labour strife, the Inauguration itself (duh), and the follow up on the NHK Kouhaku. Then on the important stuff, we’ll take a look at the Diamond Comics benchmarks, and then a brief talk about the Hetalia manga and anime, political correctness and Korea.

Mike Nicolas, James Austin, Geoff Greig

We finally introduce our new feature where the regulars get the chance to sound off on anything they want by themselves. It can be a reflection, it can be a story, and yes it can be an angry rant. But it is all genuine.

In the first edition of Space To Rant, Mike looks back on the NHK Red and White Show, its broadcast history in Canada, and the woman behind bringing it here. Something appropriate for New Year’s.

Mike Nicolas