Cocoa☆Disaster

It's finally time for the turning of the seasons, so before we bundle up for cooler weather and get our decorations out, let's talk about the anime we watched over the summer! In what seems like a surprising turn, there were several interesting original anime, a ton of good adaptation, and things that, even if they weren't that good, had something to share. Amidst this we discuss anime revivals, mascot culture, and more, all here on Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

1:52 - The News

36:08 - Princess Principal

52:47 - Re:CREATORS

1:05:38 - Sakura Quest

1:16:20 - Kakegurui

1:32:13 - Tsuredure Children

1:36:13 - Teekyuu 9

1:40:01 - Gamers!

1:44:02 - Vatican Miracle Examiner

1:52:34 - The Reflection

1:57:30 - Sagrada Reset

2:07:51 - Fastest Fingers First

2:13:02 - Fate/Apocrypha

2:18:14 - Welcome to the Ballroom

2:27:27 - Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

2:42:49 - My Hero Academia Second Season

2:52:55 - Summary of Our Summer Anime Opinions

2:54:34 - Fanmail

3:09:50 - Outro

3:10:57 - Upcoming Cocoa☆Disaster Episodes

3:12:43 - Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today on Cocoa☆Disaster, Chorps and Xain reconvene to talk about the surprisingly packed fall season of anime! We've got a lot of shows catching our discerning eye, and we want to talk about the things that have made us interested in them! Along the way we'll discuss the stuff we don't have time for right now and the stuff we can't stand, as well as what we're sticking with across seasons. We also talk about Netflix's huge set of upcoming acquisitions, amongst other surprising announcements!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

2:23 - The News

20:59 - The Summer Leftovers

29:11 - Our A-List

52:21 - Our B-List

1:03:31 - Our C-List

1:17:11 - Our D-List

1:32:15 - Our Poopoo Garbage List

1:39:49 - General Thoughts on the Upcoming Season

1:42:39 - Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today on Cocoa☆Disaster, Jay (@TheJayOfSpade on Twitter) takes the plate with me on this new episode to talk about Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agent! The only TV series by the much-beloved director, it tells the story of a delinquent named Lil Slugger as he attacks his way through Tokyo, and the way his crimes affect the society around him. The show has a lot to say about modern culture and the way we handle adversity, and amidst our lengthy recap, we talk about this topic and much more. So join us for an exploration of this sought-after 2004 classic!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

1:42 - Background

6:48 - Summary

2:17:42 - Discussion: General Thoughts on the Show

2:20:12 - Discussion: The Central Theme of Responsibility

2:28:15 - Discussion: Is the Distinction of Reality vs Fiction Important?

2:33:50 - Discussion: The Influence of Rumors and Media

2:38:24 - Discussion: How Death Changes People/The Story

2:44:04 - Discussion: Closing Thoughts/Personal Theories

3:05:41 - Discussion: Fanmail

3:09:21 - Discussion: Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today, Chorps and friend of the show qb (@queuebae on Twitter) hold a meeting to talk about 2012's Humanity Has Declined, a light novel adaptation that's full of charm and some really smart construction! A hidden gem series according to qb, we take a magnifying glass to this series and its pint-sized wonders in order to discuss world-building, top-class humor, and why the anime is ordered so differently from the novels. Fairy fun abounds in the new episode of Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

4:20 - Background

7:48 - Summary

1:39:31 - Discussion: General Thoughts on the Show

1:41:17 - Discussion: Building a Charming Post-Apocalypse

1:45:54 - Discussion: The Revival of Lost Culture

1:51:52 - Discussion: Shaggy Dog Jokes and Comedic Styling

1:58:04 - Discussion: The Fairies' New Universe

2:03:12 - Discussion: Why the Story Order Has Changed

2:15:38 - Discussion: Closing Thought and Fanmail

2:24:50 - Discussion: Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today, Chorps and Xain are back to talk about every show they watched during the spring season, all of them! There's a decent chunk of shows that were dropped, but we're here more to celebrate the shows that we finished and enjoyed! Were there any surprise hits? What shows can we just not look away from, despite some hesitance? Could anyone possibly explain what's going on in Kado? All this and more for today's Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

1:38 - The News

20:22 - My Hero Academia Second Season

39:51 - Re:CREATORS

1:01:48 - The Eccentric Family 2

1:12:11 - WorldEnd

1:21:40 - Natsume Yuujinchou Roku

1:29:11 - Forest Fairy Five ~fairy tale~

1:35:13 - Sagrada Reset

1:53:42 - Grimoire of Zero

1:59:47 - Sakura Quest

2:13:18 - Tsukigakirei

2:19:01 - Laughing Salesman New

2:21:20 - Kabukibu!

2:22:37 - Anonymous Noise

2:24:12 - Atom: The Beginning

2:25:54 - Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

2:28:24 - Kado: The Right Answer

2:37:51 - Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

2:45:52 - Little Witch Academia

2:59:11 - Final Thoughts on the Spring Season

3:02:28 - Fanmail

3:08:34 - Upcoming Cocoa☆Disaster Episodes

3:09:52 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today, Chorps and new semi-regular guest Xain (@XainZero on Twitter) get to together to discuss the upcoming summer season and all of its anime offerings! There's plenty of shows holding over from spring, but it's time for the boys to talk through what they're looking forward to picking up, as well as what they're desperately trying to avoid. What celebrity anime is at the top of the list? Will Gamers! stand the test of time? And is that more American anime adaptations I see? Find out all this and more on the return of seasonal coverage at Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

1:45 - The News

29:14 - The Spring Leftovers

43:55 - Our A-List

1:00:42 - Our B-List

1:12:14 - Our C-List

1:39:05 - Our D-List

1:47:49 - Our Poopoo Garbage List

1:50:50 - General Final Thoughts on the Summer Season

1:52:08 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

Today, it's time for Cocoa☆Disaster to tackle an entry in one of anime's most enduring franchises! Chorps and his friend Sid (@BeamSplashX on Twitter) meet up to talk about 1989's Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, a six episode OVA series and the first Gundam series to not be helmed by franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. 0080 really digs into the anti-war themes of Gundam through the lens of civilians and a conflict that's smaller and more relatable than the One Year War. We discuss not only the shows and its themes, but the way it affected Gundam as a whole and the way it relates to series that came after it. So what does this first Gundam side story look like, and what does it do differently? Why are the robot fights so unsatisfying? Just how many war crimes did Al commit without knowing? All this and more, coming at you!

Timestamps:

0:50 - Introduction

1:50 - Background

8:06 - Gundam 0079 Recap (Series Setup)

12:18 - Summary

1:23:19 - Discussion: Is There a Right and Wrong in This Conflict?

1:30:57 - Discussion: The Final Battle

1:36:49 - Discussion: When You Know You've Lost

1:42:21 - Discussion: Moving On

1:45:44 - Discussion: The Perception of War

1:54:54 - Discussion: Comparisons to Later Gundam Series

2:05:48 - Discussion: Impact on Gundam as a Franchise

2:12:07 - Discussion: Impressions, Closing Thoughts on Gundam 0080

2:33:24 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

In this installment of Single Serving, Chorps and special guest Sweet (@SweetNAwful on Twitter) are watching the 1997 classic Revolutionary Girl Utena, as well as the re-imagining/companion piece/??? movie Adolescence of Utena. It's the series' 20th anniversary this year, so we get together to discuss the perfect storm that created this stunning anime, as well as the characters and themes that make the series so memorable. Utena is a series heavily built on symbolism, but we're here to try and give our own analysis and piece together the individual elements in a satisfying way. What's with all the fairy tale imagery? Is there a single healthy relationship in this series? Can anything make Nanami a redeemable character? All this and more on a special episode of Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Content Warning

1:24 - Introduction

10:26 - Summary: Student Council Saga (Episodes 1-13)

23:00 - Summary: Black Rose Saga (Episodes 14-24)

31:59 - Summary: Akio Ohtori Saga (Episodes 25-33)

40:34 - Summary: Apocalypse Saga (Episodes 34-39)

54:35 - Discussion: Fairy Tales and Character Roles

1:04:52 - Discussion: The Search for Something Eternal

1:09:55 - Discussion: Self-Actualization and Relationships

1:19:00 - Discussion: The Characters

2:01:23 - Discussion: The Role of the Rose Bride

2:08:41 - Adolescence of Utena: Summary and Discussion

2:26:51 - Discussion: Successors to Utena

2:38:08 - Discussion: Impressions and Expectations from Utena

2:43:57 - Fanmail

2:47:43 - Closing Thoughts on Utena

2:49:59 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by BeamSplashX (twitter.com/BeamSplashX)

We interrupt our normal Cocoa☆Disaster content for breaking news: Jordan will have to leave the podcast for the foreseeable future, which means Chorps is gonna be all alone! But before he goes, we talk about his time with the podcast, then dive deep into a discussion about American films based on anime and manga to talk about why they might flop and what could be done to make them more appealing. Is there a place in Hollywood for something more niche like anime? Then, Chorps discusses the future of the podcast, and announces the next couple of Single Serving shows he'll be doing with guests. So much to cover and so little time today!

If you'd like to send in your opinions on either Revolutionary Girl Utena or Katanagatari for the next Single Serving episodes, you can email those to [email protected]!

Timestamps:

0:29 - The Big Announcement

2:31 - Jordan's Thoughts on the Podcast

7:09 - Ghost in the Shell (2017)

19:10 - Death Note (2017)

30:06 - The Guyver (1991) and Guyver: Dark Hero (1994)

34:41 - Fist of the North Star (1995)

37:12 - Speed Racer (2008)

44:19 - Astro Boy (2009)

47:24 - Dragon Ball: Evolution (2009)

54:03 - Oldboy (2013)

59:48 - Edge of Tomorrow/Live Die Repeat (2014)

1:03:54 - Wrap-Up/Discussion of the Existing Movies

1:05:58 - Alita: Battle Angel (2018)

1:09:33 - The List of TBD Hollywood Anime Movies

1:28:17 - Closing Thoughts on Hollywood Anime

1:38:42 - Fanmail of Evangeliion

1:50:16 - A Fond Farewell

1:51:34 - The Future of Cocoa☆Disaster

1:53:24 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by ChorpSaway (twitter.com/ChorpSaway)

It's time for another Single Serving episode, and Chorps and Jordan are watching the 1995 classic Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as the follow-up movie End of Evangelion. A revolutiionary series, we discuss the themes of the series, its legacy, and what it's like to look back on this series more than 20 years after its original air date. Does Evangelion still hold up today? What's the better ending to the series? Asuka or Rei? All this and more on a special episode of Cocoa☆Disaster!

Timestamps:

0:18 - Introduction

1:09 - Background

7:14 - Summary

41:31 - Discussion: Our Impressions vs Our Expectations

57:55 - Discussion: Evangelion's Subversion and Impact

1:03:35 - Discussion: End of Evangelion

1:17:46 - Discussion: Rebuild of Evangelion

1:27:51 - Discussion: Is Neon Genesis Evangelion Good?

1:33:42 - Discussion: Asuka or Rei?

1:36:15 - Discussion: Hideaki Anno as an Auteur

1:44:22 - Discussion: The Future of Evangelion

1:51:18 - Closing Thoughts on Evangelion

1:56:07 - Outro and Send-Off

Intro by ChorpSaway (twitter.com/ChorpSaway)