Cue the music. Dim the lights. It’s time for our Top 5 Anime of 2025 Awards.

We’re counting down our Top 5 Anime of 2025, revealing our anime stats from last year, and updating the official podcast rankings straight from our website. And for the first time ever, we’ve added a Best Anime Movie category—because theatrical anime deserves its own spotlight.

Which anime will rise to the top and define our year? Takopi’s Original Sin. Gachiakuta. Orb. Kowloon Generic Romance. Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The Apothecary Diaries. The list goes on—but it stops when we find out if any 2025 anime earns a full 15 points in our podcast rankings, potentially knocking out Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!.

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Continuing the thread from our previous episodes, we dive into All You Need Is Kill, another Studio 4°C project that leans hard into experimentation and genre chaos. We break down its time-loop sci-fi brutality, visual ambition, and how it fits into our ongoing obsession with cult creators, bold animation choices, and anime that actually takes risks. And if you like your anime starring Tom Cruise—and not actually being anime at all—this episode is for you.

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*Audio updated 01/16/26

Gather around, folks — we’re ringing in the New Year by diving headfirst into Gachiakuta, one of the freshest and filthiest takes on the battle shōnen formula in years. From trash-fueled powers to raw, angry energy, this series turns society’s throwaways into weapons. We break down what works, what surprises us, and whether Gachiakuta has what it takes to stand out in an already crowded shōnen landscape.

Continuing the conversation from our previous episodes, we’re discussing a little-known experimental short film by Koji Morimoto and Studio 4°C called Noiseman Sound Insect. It’s a dystopian, futuristic story about oppression and the power of the individual, packed into a 15-minute chaotic hovercraft ride. We’ve been exploring cult creators and directors, anthologies, and niche genre exercises, and this anime weaves a tight web right into our discussion.

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#otakuhostclub #otakuhostclubpodcast #animepodcast #animereview #animediscussion #animememe

This week, we crack open Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1995 anthology masterpiece Memories as our exploration of anime’s most fascinating cult directors rolls on.

If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have completely missed the new adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 17–21 / 22–26, recently published by VIZ. In this episode, we dive into Fujimoto’s early, chaotic, and wildly imaginative storytelling—the raw creative groundwork laid long before Chainsaw Man made him a global sensation. Join us as we explore the adolescent mind of a creator on the cusp of redefining modern manga.

In this episode of The Otaku Hostclub Podcast, we dive into the world of cult anime directors—the rule-breakers, the visionaries, and the creators whose bold ideas earned them fiercely loyal followings. From surreal experiments to underappreciated gems, we explore what makes a director “cult” and why their work still shapes anime today.

There was a time when hyper-violent, sexually charged OVAs ruled the Japanese home-video market—and few creators embodied that era more than Yasuomi Umetsu, the director behind Kite and Mezzo Forte. Kite even spawned an American live-action remake starring Samuel L. Jackson (which… let’s be honest, barely anyone saw).

Now, Umetsu is back. His latest work just hit U.S. theaters last week, and we’re breaking down exactly what we thought of it.

We’re reWe’re rewriting anime endings that didn’t do these shows justice. From Darling in the Franxx’s galaxy-brain nonsense to Naruto’s out-of-this-world alien takeover and Lazurus leaving us with nothing, we’re giving these series the glow-up they deserve. Unfiltered takes, petty rewrites, and emotional damage included.

Check us out on our website: https://www.otakuhostclub.com. Chat with us between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR, and follow us on Instagram @otakuhostclub.

Dan is back (for now) and we’re talking Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc!!!  Amelia starts us off with all the tea of the Pochita popcorn buckets, theater turn out and how it’s stacking up against Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, and obviously our thoughts on Reze, the Bomb Devil, and Denji being down bad (again). It’s messy, explosive, and we loved every second. BOOM!

Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR Check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub