The Pop Break

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

Join us as we break out of prison for the 10th time out of boredom and try to figure out the mystery of spontaneous human combustion this month with everyone’s favorite wild card, The Elder Emo Branden Vice, and the debuting Tommy of Countdown City Geeks!

Our enthusiasts take a stroll through the anime content minds to discuss favorite series they’ve been watching recently, including Amanda’s pick of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Branden’s pick of Demon Lord 2099, and Tommy’s picks of tried and true favorites Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Solo Leveling. Josh surprised all panelists by praising the One Piece manga and becoming a full-fledged Straw Hat. All anime discussed are found on Crunchyroll. Cowboy Bebop is also available on Netflix and, along with Samurai Champloo, is also available on Hulu.

In Anime News, they discuss the trailer for Star Wars Visions: Season 3 and what they are most excited to see in October. 

In their feature review section, our enthusiasts discuss the third season of Fire Force and Lazarus to include their thoughts on the main plot lines, Shinra and Axel as protagonists, and theories on where the remainder of each season would go.   

Stay tuned next month as we review breakout hits Witch Watch and To Be Hero X. 

Welcome to Blerd Watchers! ThePopBreak.com's monthly podcast about TV shows with a Blerdy twist! Come hang out with Courtney & Marshall, two married Blerds, as they navigate all the dopeness on TV and share insights and opinions on the monthly show topics!

In this episode of Blerd Watchers, the hosts celebrate May the Fourth by discussing their favorite Star Wars movies, characters, and shows. They dive into the highly anticipated release of 'KPop Demon Hunters' from Sony Pictures Animation, sharing their thoughts on its animation and storyline. The hosts also provide Snap Trailer reactions for 'Murderbot' on Apple TV and 'Love, Death, and Robots' Volume 4 on Netflix. They take a notable detour to review the movie 'Sinners' by Ryan Coogler, praising its cultural significance and stellar performances. Finally, they delve into the emotional and complex first three episodes of 'The Last of Us' Season 2, discussing key scenes, character dynamics, and future expectations.

• (00:00) Star Wars Fandom and May the Fourth Celebration

• (01:35) K-Pop Demon Hunters: First Impressions

• (04:55) Trailer Reactions: Murderbot

• (07:49) Love, Death & Robots Volume 4

• (10:33) Sinners: A Cultural Phenomenon

• (35:33) The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere

• (35:49) Episode 1: Future Days Recap

• (42:55) Episode 2: Through the Valley Recap

• (59:01) Episode 3: The Path Recap

• (01:10:03) Upcoming Episodes and Final Thoughts

Follow Courtney on⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Marshall on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitch⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠ now available!

Make sure to check out their other podcast,⁠⁠⁠ Blerd Life with My Wife⁠⁠⁠ on your favorite podcasting app and on⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠Blerd Life with My Wife Archives!⁠⁠⁠

And head on over to their⁠⁠⁠ Patreon page⁠⁠⁠ for extra content.

Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television.

Here’s the format of the show:

The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month – Alex, Bill, & Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including HBO’s The Last of Us, Disney Plus’s Daredevil: Born Again and Andor, and Netflix’s Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.

Newsbreak – This month, they discuss a recent report claiming that Andor is worth $300M in revenue to Disney Plus. They dive into that and all the other analytics in the report regarding Star Wars on Disney Plus.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, & Josh pick a streamer they think “won the month” based on new shows airing/upcoming shows announced etc. Josh and Alex both went with Disney Plus on thanks to their ability to dominate the nerd space with Andor, Daredevil: Born Again, and Doctor Who and the prestige TV space with Dying for Sex and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Meanwhile, Bill capes up for Max yet again, thanks to their continued success with hits White Lotus and The Pitt, their big new series The Last of Us and The Rehearsal, the NBA and NHL playoffs, and, once again, AEW.

New Series Spotlight – This month they shine their spotlight on Netflix’s The Four Seasons. This series stars Tina Fey, Will Forte, Coleman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Kerri Kenney, and Steve Carrell as three pairs of vacationing married couples across four vacations. The series comes from frequent Fey collaborator Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher and is an adaptation of the 1970s Alan Alda film of the same name.

This is Pod of Doom, a podcast dedicated to the British band Black Sabbath! The hosts of Every Pod You Cast return to discuss all things Sabbath: Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes, Chris Mancini, and Randy Allain of Media/Lit will be covering the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio eras of the metal pioneers.

In the eighth official episode of the season, Chris, Justin, and Randy talk about the band’s last album with Ozzy (for a while, anyway). They diss Kiss the way Kiss dissed Sabbath, recall PTSD flashbacks of Lucasfilm’s Strange Magic, and indulge Randy as he names the artists he’d love to see do a cover version of this Sabbath album. And of course, they recommend other artists they’ve been enjoying for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

We Know That It Is Good (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Chris – Junior’s Eyes

Justin – Air Dance

Randy – Swinging the Chain

Nobody Wants Him (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – Never Say Die (a tad overrated)

Justin – A Hard Road (a bit long)

Randy – Johnny Blade

Words That Glow (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Over to You

Justin – Never Say Die

Randy – Over to You

Occupy My Brain (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – Air Dance

Justin – Junior’s Eyes

Randy – A Hard Road

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Fleshwater

Justin – U2

Randy – Strange Magic Soundtrack

Randy’s Cover Album Wishlist

Never Say Die – Talking Heads

Johnny Blade – Johnny Cash

Junior’s Eyes – Pearl Jam

A Hard Road – Rilo Kiley

Shock Wave – Disney Villain Song

Air Dance – The Police

Over to You – Taylor Swift

Breakout – Saturday Night Live Band

Swinging the Chain – Rage Against the Machine

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are taking a tour of reality television while The Bachelor is on hiatus!

This week Michelle and DJ cover the Season Finale of Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 17. They cover all of the performances, and all of their favorite looks across the season. They wrap up by giving their thoughts on the season overall and it compares to recent seasons.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, and all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse.

Now they are diving into their Marvel Zombies Era, where they run down some of Marvel Entertainment’s most notable and notorious films featuring characters the MCU would later reclaim! 

This month, it’s Frank Castle’s time to shine as they discuss 2004’s The Punisher and 2008’s Punisher: War Zone. How do these iterations of the iconic avenging angel compare to the Jon Bernthal version we’ve seen on Netflix? Is the 2004 version as terrible as you remember? Will you learn more than you bargained for about Bill’s college love life? All this and more will be revealed, but, before that, the guys dive into the recent news that Bernthal will be returning as both star and co-writer of a Disney Plus Punisher special, planned to air alongside Daredevil: Born Again S2, next year.

Come back next month for their installment of their Marvel’s Zombie Era, featuring reviews of 1998’s Blade (available on VOD), 2002’s Blade II (available on VOD), and 2004’s Blade: Trinity (available on VOD)!

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

Robins and Alfreds and Gordons…Oh my!  Oh yes, it’s our third ever Draft episode!  In our last draft, it was villains.  This time, it’s allies.  Welcome to the Ultimate Batman Allies Draft!  Along with Daniel and Kris, the Director of Podcasting for the Pop Break, Alex Marcus, is here to once again devise another spectacular, gut-wrenching Batman draft.  In this one, we’re perusing all of Batman’s most trusted partners in his war against crime.  Whether it’s the Bat Family, Justice League, or even a former foe turned ally, we’re covering all the bases, spanning allies from film, TV, and comic books.

As this is a huge Draft episode, the Bat Cave is once again expanded.  The trio is joined by return guests Perry Constantine of the Superhero Cinephiles Podcasts, and Kris’s co-host from the Media/Lit Podcast, as well as the Pod of Doom podcast on Black Sabbath at the pop break, and notorious Draft villain, Randy Allain!  And making his debut on the podcast is pop break contributor, Ben Murchison!

It's another emotional and draining draft as everyone tries to navigate some particularly tough categories, as we go deeper into the comic book world for some true deep cuts.  If you’re a diehard Batman comics fan, you’ll love this episode!  

There’s plenty of draft heart break in this one.  Will Randy play the role of draft villain once again?  Will The Dark Knight Rises be dissected for the 900th time on this podcast?  Who goes #1?  Who doesn’t get drafted?

Just like our other drafts, this is required listening for Batman fans!

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are taking a tour of reality television while The Bachelor is on hiatus!

This week Michelle and DJ cover Netflix's Temptation Island. They start with a spoiler free review before getting into full spoilers on the entire season. They also cover the underwhelming Pop the Balloon Live on Netflix, and end with a preview of the Ru Paul's Drag Race season finale.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

Join us as we bust out our DDR mats and grab a slice of pizza this month with the inaugural Anime x Pop anime draft champion, Marshall Stevenson - Blerd Watchers, and the debuting other half of Pop Break’s premier reality TV podcast Roses and Rejections - DJ Chapman!

Our enthusiasts take a stroll through the anime content minds to discuss favorite series they’ve been watching recently, including DJ’s pick of Assassination Classroom, Amanda’s pick of Fire Force, and Marshall’s picks of Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and Princess Mononoke. Josh officially joins in on the love of Solo Leveling after finishing the second season and shares his excitement for Witch Watch. All anime discussed are found on Crunchyroll except Princess Mononoke, which is available on Max. Assassination Classroom is also available to stream on Hulu and Witch Watch is available on Netflix.

In Anime News, they discuss the upcoming annual Crunchyroll awards including the categories they are most excited for and who will win Anime of the Year.
In their feature review section, our enthusiasts discuss Netflix’s adaptation of the beloved Devil May Cry series. They discuss their history with the gaming franchise, the main story arc, Dante as a protagonist, creative changes to the video game lore, and more.  

Stay tuned next month as we review the highly anticipated third season of Fire Force and Shinichiro Watanabe’s latest project in the Cowboy Bebop universe - Lazarus!

Yu-Gi-Oh! first aired in Japan 25 years ago and brothers Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to talk about it.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is the second anime adaptation of the manga series by Kazuki Takahashi. While the first anime covers the early arcs, the second focuses on the Duel Monsters portion of the story, hence the Japanese title Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. The second series is in a separate continuity. It premiered in Japan on April 18, 2000. It ran in the US on Kids’ WB, starting in 2001. The show consists of 224 episodes.

The show follows Yugi Moto (Dan Green), a high school student and the world’s best Duel Monsters player. Duel Monsters is a card game based on magical beasts from ancient Egypt. By completing the Millenium Puzzle, Yugi is imbued with the spirit of Yami (also Green), a pharaoh who save the world thousands of years ago. It is up to Yugi and Yami to save the world again.

Yugi’s friends include Joey (Wayne Grayson), an accomplished duelist, as well as his friends Téa (Amy Birnbaum) and Tristan (Sam Riegel, Greg Abbey). Yugi’s opponents include his archrival Seto Kaiba (Eric Stuart), Maximillian Pegasus (Darren Dunstan), Marik Ishtar (Jonathan Todd Ross), and the demonically possessed Bakura (Ted Lewis).

Yu-Gi-Oh! has spawned multiple movies and spinoff series. The Duel Monsters game exists in real life as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.

Aaron and Josh talk about their history with Yu-Gi-Oh! before going into the plot, characters, card game, and notorious changes made in the English dub.

For more anime, you can listen to Josh and Aaron’s podcasts on Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Spirited Away.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll