Best Seat on the Couch

Somewhere in the realm between Shrek and Bee Movie in the Dreamworks pantheon, Over the Hedge is an initially unassuming and formulaic animated movie of the 2010s, but Marcus's dad really loves this movie, so what exactly does he see that we don't? Well, it's got a crew of surprisingly dynamic and memorable characters voiced by a weirdly B-list voice cast (hi Avril Lavigne!), genuine character development for RJ and Verne, great humor and excellent callbacks which one could describe as poetry, and that one scene with Hammy that predates the Quicksilver frozen-in-time scene by a whole 8 years! Join Marcus this episode, and realize – like he has – that this movie is actually really good. Please. 

Content Warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Encanto! With its songs all over the radio and memes all over the internet, we figured we'd talk about Disney's latest big hit, touching upon Lin-Manuel Miranda's spellbinding soundtrack, the beautifully animated scenes of Colombian countryside and the Casita, the unorthodox no-villain plot structure and unique conflicts that arise in the movie, but decidedly not talking about Bruno. Plenty of differing opinions in this episode however, especially surrounding the story's strength compared to contemporaries, and tune in to witness Marcus finally come to terms with the fact that he is a conceited a-hole. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Somehow, Alex manages to bring us the most emotionally traumatic animes ever constructed under the guise that they're "beautifully animated" and "a fun watch" and keeps getting away with it! Land of the Lustrous is strikingly similar in tangibles to Steven Universe as these shows are both about agender female-presenting gemstone/alien beings that are fun and varied in personality, but that is where the similarities end - this anime tackles hard-hitting topics such as the concept of self, the folly of immortality, the fragility of both body and mind, and what life is like in an essentially constant state of wartime. Tune in to go on a journey with us, laugh with us at Marcus's inability to watch TV correctly, and join in as we wonder just how much worse this gets in our Theory Wall. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

P.S. Some of us also misgender the jewels in this episode, which we apologize for in advance. Correct pronouns for them, as noted from the author herself, are they/them pronouns.

Disney's The Lion King is synonymous with "classic" and feels like Disney's strongest entry in their Renaissance era, which in itself might make it Disney's best animated film of all time - OF ALL TIME! Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones put on absolutely masterful voice performances, it's perhaps the best 2D animated work of its time, it has some iconic musical-style numbers that elevate the movie's beats to new heights, and it's got a proverbial vibe that makes it a lovely story both children and adults can enjoy. No hot takes this time, dear listeners, as we've got nothing but praise for The Lion King and its many wins.

We've been seeing quite a few video game-related animated anthology series popping up on the Couch and our latest one brings the magic of Bungie's longstanding Halo franchise to our podcast, with an anime twist - and also brings special guest Andrew to join us! Similar to our Star Wars: Visions episode a few months ago, Halo Legends presents 7 anime-inspired minisodes that each bring a unique Japanese twist to Halo's lore, Spartans, and the heroism of humanity, which the five of us pick apart meticulously - episodes are critiqued, opinions are shifted, and insults fly like plasma fire. And Andrew's reputation precedes him as he hosts one of our most memorable Trivia Corners to date! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language. 

We return to the Miyazaki pantheon with 1992's Porco Rosso, which seemingly flies under the radar among Ghibli fans even though it was the #1 film in Japan the year it released. On the Couch however, this ranks as one of Michael's favorite movies and has also rapidly ascended to Marcus's top 3 Ghibli movies he's seen so far, so we have quite a bit of praise to put on this film, whether it be the wonderful Fio, beautiful score, or gorgeous animated Italian countryside. And while appearing to be a more slice-of-life style movie with low stakes, there's still a little bit of the good stuff to analyze :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

There is practically no TV show more formative in our elementary school years than Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, and that's in no small part to the immensely popular Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game that swept the nation back in 2002, which all of us played - religiously. The show is also a hilariously messy and wacky story about Yugi, a boy who plays a life-or-death monsters game that, frankly, doesn't have any rules, and how the power of friendship and belief in the Heart of the Cards practically guarantee Yugi's success in every duel he fights. Shout out as well to Joey's ridiculous Boston accent, weird friendship hand drawings, the gang's IRL experiences with  R A R E  C A R D S, and a Yu-Gi-Oh! themed Trivia Corner! Content warning: 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.