http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP013.mp3

Download Link – Episode 13: Godzilla vs Biollante

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Intro and News (00:00):

Lamentations on the Winter 2017 anime season, Netflix, and Amazon’s Anime Strike.

Review (34:00):

Two monsters, created by science gone awry, go head to head in the second Godzilla film of the Heisei era: Godzilla vs Biolante.  This follow up to Return of Godzilla or Godzilla 1984, which we reviewed in episode 7, arrived five years after the release of the previous film had under-performed at the box office.  Looking for fresh ideas to revitalize the somewhat moribund franchise, producers at Toho held a public contest in search of a script.  The winning entry, written by a dentist named Shinichiro Kobayashi with a script that largely sidelined the franchise’s typical anti-nuclear bent in favor of a new focus on the emerging threat posed from bio-technology, was heavily rewritten by Director Kazuki Omori to include spies, assassins, and corporate espionage.  The resulting film is a truly a bizarre mishmash of ideas: espionage, deadly assassins, fictional middle eastern countries, mad science, ESPers, military super weapons, and, of course, awesome Kaiju action — it’s a hell of a ride!

Links:

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP012.mp3

Download Link – Episode 12: The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

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Introduction + News (00:00):

Grant talks about the Winter 2017 season, while I talk mostly about the Spring 2017 season because I mistakenly looked at the wrong chart… Yep, that happened.

Review (44:10):

Since the Zatoichi series spans over 26 films and 100 TV episodes, I figured the original film from 1962, The Tale of Zatoichi, was as good a place as any to start with.  In the director’s chair for our titular character’s first outing is Kenji Misumi who would go on to direct four more Zatoichi films, the Lone Wolf and Cub films, and many other noteworthy titles in the genre.  The real draw of the film, of course, is the irreplaceable Shintaro Katsu, as Zatoichi, an itinerant blind masseuse and gambler, who despite outward appearance, possesses extraordinary sword fighting skills.

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP011.mp3

Download Link – Episode 11: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

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Sorry about the poor audio quality.  We had to record part of this episode over Skype.

What We’ve Been Watching (00:00) :

News (24:47)

Review (38:24):

On today’s episode, Grant has us watch the 1978 Shaw Brothers, kung fu classic:  The 36th Chamber of Shaolin by director and fight choreographer Lau Kar-Leung.  The film stars a young Gordon Liu as the iconic San Te, a schoolboy turned Shaolin master in a role that would make the actor famous.  This classic of the genre, which went on to inspire — along with a host of other Shaw Brothers films from the era — everyone from Quentin Tarantino to the Wu-Tang Clan, features a tale of revenge, one of the longest training sequences ever filmed, mystical Buddhist powers, swordplay, pole fighting, three pronged staff fighting, Chinese fisticuffs of every kind, and — oh yes — perhaps the most memorable headbutt ever captured on celluloid!

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP010.mp3 

Download Link – Episode 10: Metropolis

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We’re back!  Sorry it took so long; the episode is on the longer side to make up for it.

What We’ve Been Watching (0:00:00):

News (1:19:39)

Hayao Miyazaki Calls AI CG Animation Presentation ‘An Insult to Life Itself’

“Lupin III: The Blood Spray of Ishikawa Goemon” Teaser

Listener Mail (1:31:20):

Show #8 – Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris follow up!

Review (1:44:07):

For this episode, Heat chose for us to watch the 2001 anime film Metropolis.  A stunning looking and sounding amalgam of Osamu Tezuka’s manga and Fritz Lang’s original silent masterpiece, this Rintaro helmed adaptation — featuring a screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo and a soundtrack by Toshiyuki Honda — was done with remarkable gusto.  Tune in for our full review, breakdown, and discussion!

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Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-BEP001.mp3

Download Link – Bonus Episode 1: Gelato is a Lie! feat. SubtleDoctor

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Today’s episode is a bit different than usual, as we’ve thrown out the usual review episode format and in its place have a special bonus episode featuring guest and friend of the show TheSubtleDoctor.  You can find Doc’s writing at The Fandom Post and the excellent Wave Motion Cannon; or, you can hear him as one of the hosts on the awesome Warui Deshou Podcast — if you haven’t yet checked any of those fine things out, get on it!  So, join us for a mostly thoughtless and very likely ill-informed discussion on a variety  topics we have no business discussing, such as: fanservice, Gundam, the truth behind Gelato, the news, and what the heck is anime anyways?

And Just Because:

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP009.mp3

Download Link – Episode 9: The Tale of Princess Kaguya

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What We’ve Been Watching (00:00): 

Zyuranger, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Drifters, Yuri on Ice, Izetta, and March Comes in like a Lion.

News (31:14):

Review (54:35)

We discuss Isao Takahata’s absolutely wonderful The Tale of Princess Kaguya.  Released by Studio Ghibli in 2013, the film features utterly unique and spectacular to behold animation by designer Osamu Tanabe, incredible art direction courtesy of Kazuo Oga, and a musical score by legendary composer Joe Hisaishi that’s as majestic as it is mournful.  Thematic depth comes courtesy of Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi’s screenplay, which freshens up this retelling of Japan’s oldest folk tale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, making it feel important and more relevant to modern audiences than ever before.  Of the all the films I watched last year, this was easily my favorite!

Lastly, a small correction: I mentioned in our pre-review how the unorthodox production of My Neighbors the Yamadas led to major dysfunction during the production of Studio Ghibli’s next film — I misspoke; that film was Spirited Away NOT Howl’s Moving Castle. OK, that’s everything.

Enjoy!

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP008.mp3

Download Link – Episode 8: Gamera 3 Revenge of Iris

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Random talk (00:00: 

Ultraman Orb, video game Engrish, wrestling, Macross, Power Rangers 

News (26:10):

Review (56:30)

We watch Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris from 1999, the final film in the Heisei Gamera trilogy.

Links:

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP007.mp3

Download Link – Episode 7: Return of Godzilla

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What we’ve been watching (00:00):

News (36:15):

Finally, at 1:06:13, the Cold War threatens to turn hot in Toho’s Return of Godzilla, the 1984 franchise reboot, directed by Koji Hashimoto, that kicked off the Heisei era. 

Links: 

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP006.mp3

Download Link – Episode 6: Aim for the Top! Gunbuster

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Random Talk:

News (32:00):

Finally, join us for giant robots, melodrama, spandex, and guts as we shoot for the stars with our review of Hideaki Anno and Gainax’s sci-fi / mecha / shojo genre-busting-OVA-classic: Aim for the Top! Gunbuster (review starts at 50:36).

Links:

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Thanks for listening!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bladelickingthieves/BLT-EP005.mp3

Download Link – Episode 5: Gamera 2 Attack of Legion

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Show Notes:

Links:

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Thanks for listening!