Episodes
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It’s our busiest episode yet, with a giant six-hour extravaganza to get you through the month of November. Our main topic concerns the Gamera Heisei trilogy from the 1990s; directed by Kaneko Shusuke with special effects by Higuchi Shinji, these movies are towering classics of the Kaiju genre, and secretly some of the greatest superhero films ever made – and they’re very fun to talk about. For the news segment, we discuss 343 Industries becoming Halo Studios and speculate about the future of the franchise; talk about the end of Firewalk, the studio behind Sony’s massive bomb Firewalk; laugh about the bizarre state of Disney’s Star Wars movies, and question what the hell is up at Warner Bros. In the Show n’ Tell section, we give our first impressions on Atlus’ amazing new JRPG Metaphor ReFantazio, alongside thoughts on Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero and Sonic x Shadow Generations, and take a trip to Sean’s Beta Corner to discuss Monster Hunter Wilds. We debut a brand new segment, Hey, Listen!, in which Jonathan tries to explain what ‘Brat Summer’ is/was to a very confused Sean, and for The Monthly Ten, Jonathan ranks the 10 absolute best gifts we could get Sean for his birthday this month.
So yes – it’s a busy, silly, very fun episode. And we know it’s coming at a not particularly fun or silly time for America and the world, so Jonathan recorded an extra message at the top of the show reflecting on this week’s events.
Enjoy, and we’ll be back next month to dive much deeper with Metaphor ReFantazio, in the grand tradition of our long Persona spoiler-casts. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?
Time Chart:
A Few Words from Jonathan: 0:00:00 – 0:19:19
Intro: 0:19:19 – 0:40:13
News: 0:40:13 – 1:52:12
Show n’ Tell: 1:52:12 – 2:57:27
Topic (Gamera): 2:57:27 – 5:30:08
Hey, Listen: 5:30:08 – 5:41:14
The Monthly Ten: 5:41:14 – 6:03:22
Outro: 6:03:22 – 6:04:21
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
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For the October installment of Purely Academic, Jonathan and Sean embrace the spooky season by talking Halloween – specifically, the recent Halloween reboot/sequel trilogy directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, with the hosts debating whether these films are muddled messes or interesting revisionist takes on the slasher genre. We break down some recent News, including Sony’s controversial unveiling of the PS5 Pro, several new game announcements including Ghost of Yōtei and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and news of Kyoto Animation making an exciting new film and TV series in 2025. In our ‘Show ‘n Tell’ segment, we discuss what we’ve been playing and watching recently, with Jonathan talking about the terrible new Joker movie, his experiences at the Denver Silent Film Festival, and finally finishing Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon, while Sean shares his thoughts on the 5.0 update of Genshin Impact, and we both discuss the outstanding new PS5 game Astro Bot. And finally, in the ‘Monthly Ten’ segment, Sean is challenged by Jonathan to rank the Top 10 Anime That Aren’t About the Power of Friendship.
Enjoy, and we’ll be back next month for an exciting episode reviewing the Heisei-era Gamera trilogy, a series of classic Kaiju films we’ve been promising to discuss for years now. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:13:20
News: 0:13:20 – 1:03:07
Show n’ Tell: 1:03:07 – 2:22:27
Topic (Halloween!): 2:22:27 – 3:56:06
The Monthly Ten: 3:56:06 – 4:14:20
Outro: 4:14:20 – 4:16:56
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
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Missing episodes?
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For the first episode of this new incarnation of the podcast, Jonathan and Sean introduce (or reintroduce) themselves to listeners by interviewing each other, with a mix of questions equal parts insightful and ridiculous. Then for our first ‘Show ‘n Tell’ segment, we discuss what we’ve been playing and watching recently, with Sean discussing HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero and his ongoing adventures with Ultraman, while Jonathan shares his thoughts on the recently localized Tsukihime remake and what it was like seeing a LiSA concert film in an American theater. And finally, for the debut of our new ‘Monthly Ten’ segment, Jonathan ranks the 10 best episodes of our previous podcast, The Weekly Stuff, and challenges Sean to make a very strange top 10 list for next month.
Enjoy, and we’ll be back Friday, October 4th for an exciting episode reviewing the recent David Gordon Green Halloween trilogy. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:15
Topic – (re)Introducing Ourselves: 0:07:15 – 1:58:33
Show n’ Tell – Zenless Zone Zero, Tsukihime, Ultraman 80 & More: 1:58:33 – 2:40:45
The Monthly Ten: 2:40:45 – 3:02:14
Outro: 3:02:14 – 3:04:54
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
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The Weekly Stuff Podcast may be dead, but that doesn't mean we are! Sean and Jonathan are here for a quick update to remind you that we're working on the next incarnation of the show behind the scenes, and announcing its premiere in September! Jonathan also tells you all about the new subscriptions at his site, www.JonathanLack.com, where you can get weekly classic film reviews and more! There is a lot of exciting stuff coming from us in the final months of 2024, including the end of Japanimation Station Season 4, and in this short check-in, we tell you what to expect and when.
Read all of Jonathan's past and future writing at Fade to Lack https://www.jonathanlack.com
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
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For our 500th episode, we’ve prepared one of the biggest and best podcasts we’ve ever made. Following up on episode 499, where we counted down our favorite anime opening themes, our main topic today is our Top 10 Favorite Anime Ending Themes, and this one is even more exciting, with endings from shows like Dragon Ball, Haruhi Suzumiya, multiple Gundam shows, Clannad, and more tugging at our heartstrings and contributing massively to our connection with each of these great shows. Sean and Jonathan also talk about playing the Persona and Like a Dragon games the other person was playing a few months ago, recap this week’s surprisingly packed Nintendo Direct, and review the final episodes of the new Doctor Who season, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” and “Empire of Death.” There’s also a very exciting surprise announcement about the future of the podcast, and our in-house composer Thomas Lack has not only helped us produce a spectacular opening song, but written a brand new anime-style end theme for The Weekly Stuff itself you’ll get to see at the end of the show!
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:02:57
Intro: 0:02:57 – 0:12:19
Stuff: 0:12:19 – 1:18:45
Nintendo Direct News: 1:18:45 – 1:48:17
Top 10 Anime Endings: 1:48:17 – 4:55:00
Special Announcement: 4:55:00 – 5:04:14
Doctor Who Finale: 5:04:14 – 5:56:59
Final Thoughts: 5:56:59 – 6:46:56
Ending Theme: 6:46:56 – 6:50:34
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
This month, The Weekly Stuff Podcast is reaching its 500th episode, and we’re celebrating with two massive episodes counting down our Top 10 Favorite Anime Opening & Ending Themes. The former is the main topic of today’s show, as Sean and Jonathan share their respective 10 favorite Anime Openings, from obvious favorites like Dragon Ball Z andNeon Genesis Evangelion, to deeper cuts including Maison Ikkoku and Patlabor. It’s an extremely fun countdown, with a few big surprises along the way, and it’s only one part of this massive, 5-hour episode! We also review the latest two episodes of Doctor Who, “Dot and Bubble” and “Rogue,” talk about recent games we’ve been playing and movies we’ve been watching, and break down a bit of news from the Xbox event at Not-E3 2024.
Enjoy, and be sure to come back in two weeks for our landmark 500th episode, where we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Anime Endings, reviewing the Doctor Who season finale, and making a big announcement about the future of the podcast!
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:30
Stuff: 0:07:30– 0:57:34
Not-E3 2024 News: 0:57:34 – 1:20:22
Our Top 10 Anime Openings: 1:20:22 – 4:23:52
Doctor Who S14E5-6: 4:23:52 – 5:16:09
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
After many months and hundreds of hours of play, Sean and Jonathan have finally both finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment in Square Enix’s remake trilogy, and … we didn’t really like it. So today, we’re going to tell you why, diving into a game that starts out promising but turns out to be a very flat, frequently frustrating, extraordinarily long experience that ends with an unbelievably frustrating series of narrative decisions. We also review the latest episodes of Doctor Who – “Boom” and “73 Yards” – and talk a little bit about Furiosa and some recent books we’ve been reading.
Enjoy, and be sure to listen to the end to hear all about our big plans for the very special episodes 499 and 500!
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:26
Stuff: 0:05:26 – 0:34:52
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 0:34:52 – 2:43:04
Doctor Who: 2:43:04 – 3:23:07
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
Doctor Who returned this week for its new season (Series 14, Season 1, or Season 40, depending on who you ask), the first full run starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday. And the first two episodes were a ton of fun, particularly the formally off-the-wall “The Devil’s Chord,” which proves returning showrunner Russell T Davies is taking the show in a very different direction than anything we’ve seen before! But before that, we have to talk about the awful news from Xbox, where we learned Microsoft’s game division is closing two beloved studios: Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. It continues a terrible trend from Xbox that keeps pushing the console maker in worse and worse directions, the culmination of a long series of frustrations we’ve been tracing for most of the lifespan of this podcast.
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:58
Stuff: 0:06:58 – 0:24:18
Xbox News: 0:24:18 – 1:06:27
Doctor Who Reviews: 1:06:27 – 2:37:19
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
Jonathan had a very exciting week as The Criterion Collection published an essay he wrote on Makoto Shinkai, thus checking off a major bucket list item, while Sean had an extremely boring week administering standardized tests to high schoolers and showing them the 2011 animated not-a-classic, Gnomeo & Juliet. We talk about both of those experiences, share some more thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and finally hear Jonathan gush about the 1997 Berserk anime, now on Blu-ray from Discotek, which we will definitely have to do an episode on in the future.
Enjoy!
Read Jonathan’s Criterion essay here - https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8453-thoughts-transcending-time-and-distance-makoto-shinkai-s-voices-of-a-distant-star
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
In one of the grab-baggiest grab bag episodes we’ve ever recorded, Sean reviews a bunch of anime including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Solo Leveling, and The Dangers in My Heart, and talks about playing through all the DLC forDragon Ball Z: Kakarot; Jonathan gives his thoughts on Netflix’s outstanding new drama Ripley and talks about finally getting his hands on the premium Game Boy device, the Analogue Pocket; and finally, we both give our initial impressions of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Sean after playing the first few hours, Jonathan after playing the first 40 hours, but neither of us anywhere near completing this mammoth second chapter of the Remake project.
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Into & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:06:02
Talkin’ Anime: 0:06:02 – 0:48:53
Talkin’ Ripley & Netflix: 0:48:53 – 1:11:17
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot DLC: 1:11:17 – 1:31:36
Analogue Pocket: 1:31:36 – 1:58:58
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 1:58:58 – 2:57:00
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
We’re back with a jam-packed episode covering lots of games, anime, and more! Sean and Jonathan have finally finished the massive 100-hour JRPGs both have been playing – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Persona 3 Reload – and give final reports on both of those. But we also discuss the leaked specs for Sony’s upcoming PS5 Pro, discuss the new Sand Land anime based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, hear travel stories from Jonathan about a recent trip to Boston, and get details from Sean on his latest Ultraman adventures!
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Into & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:06:27
Stuff: 0:06:27 – 0:57:56
PS5 Pro News: 0:57:56 – 1:25:44
Persona 3 Reload: 1:25:44 – 1:58:16
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth: 1:58:16 – 2:23:24
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, and illustrator of the Dragon Quest franchise, passed away this week at the age of 68. His influence on our lives, like those of millions around the world, has been incalculable, so we’re devoting today’s entire show to discussing his incredible body of work and the way it changed anime, manga, video games, and global popular culture. We discuss how we first discovered Dragon Ball, why he was such a peerless mangaka, read some of the statements that have poured in from other manga authors and Dragon Ball collaborators, and respond to some listener comments. And after that, we bring back a segment from 2022 in which Sean and Jonathan rank all the story arcs in the Dragon Ball franchise, giving us a chance to dive into and celebrate his most famous work.
Enjoy.
Time Chart:
Remembering Akira Toriyama: 0:00:00 – 2:12:07
Ranking Dragon Ball Story Arcs: 2:12:07 – 3:10:45
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
After weeks of breathless speculation, Xbox unveiled some relatively minor details about the multiplatform future vision of the brand, which prompts us to have an in-depth conversation about where Xbox is going and why the current strategy feels at odds with their oft-stated long-term goals. We also discuss Marvel’s unveiling of their new Fantastic Four cast, Jonathan talks about watching Solo Leveling and playing Modern Warfare III, and we conclude with a check-in on the giant JRPGs we’re both playing, Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43
Stuff: 0:07:43 – 0:24:34
Fantastic Four News: 0:24:34 – 0:45:21
Xbox & Gaming News: 0:45:21 – 1:35:20
Persona: 1:35:20 – 1:46:32
Like a Dragon: 1:46:32 – 2:10:51
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
Superhero movies are quickly becoming a dead genre in Hollywood, as evidenced by this weekend’s coldly-unanticipated release of Madame Web, so we thought we’d bid the genre the farewell it deserves by recycling a segment from our 10th Anniversary Podcast in 2022, where we counted down each of our 10 favorite superhero movies of all time! Though this was recorded a year-and-a-half ago, almost nothing of note in the genre has come out since, so this still more or less reflects our general thoughts, and can serve as a nice auditory headstone over the grave of superhero cinema. These were the good ones, and we may never see their like again.
Enjoy!
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
Today’s episode is wall-to-wall packed with exciting stuff, as we give first impressions on Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Jonathan explains why you should avoid Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Sean dips his toes in Palworld, and we discuss some anime we caught up on over winter break including Spy x Family and One Piece. We also dive into recent news including the catastrophic series of video game industry layoffs throughout January and, more happily, the announcement of the original Fate/stay night visual novel finally being localized in English later this year.
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Intro/Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:16:26
Talkin’ Anime: 0:16:26 – 0:52:41
Talkin’ Tolkien: 0:52:41 – 1:01:04
News: 1:01:04 – 1:30:11
Fate/Samurai Remnant: 1:30:11 – 1:41:19
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: 1:41:19 – 1:58:01
Palworld: 1:58:01 – 2:05:11
Persona 3 Reload: 2:05:11 – 2:28:50
Like a Dragon: 2:28:50 – 3:05:35
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
This Friday sees the release of Persona 3 Reload, the remake of one of our very favorite video games ever made, and to celebrate, we’re resurrecting a segment from our 10th Anniversary Podcast in 2022, where Sean, Jonathan, and special guest star Occasional Thomas watched and reviewed the first part of Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade, the stage play adaptation of the game from 2014. “Weird” is definitely the operative word here, as this is a very quirky theatrical (and musical!) adaptation of an already bizarre game, but it makes for a very interesting conversation, one we’re excited to present as a standalone episode for the first time!
Enjoy!
Link to Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade YouTube Fansubs - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiy1WLTm7y8wFxkRdzycpHRZ0QNNYnkUX&si=gn2ZCs5qrKeDVCfQ
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
The time has come, once again: Sean and Jonathan are here to count down the Top 10 Video Games of 2023, in what was one of the most densely packed years for great games we’ve experienced in a long time. Both hosts present their own Top 10 lists, recapping some games we’ve sung the praises of before – like Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, and Final Fantasy XVI – and discussing some surprise entries we haven’t mentioned until now. It’s a really fun episode that highlights just how many great experiences we had in the world of video games this year, and leaves us refreshed and excited for what’s to come in 2024!
Enjoy!
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
The New Year and the THIRTEENTH SEASON of The Weekly Stuff Podcast (whoa!) begins with a lot of catch-up on what we’ve been doing over the holidays – playing Alan Wake II and Pokémon, watching anime, and more – and our review of the Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” Introducing us to Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as new companion Ruby Sunday, this Christmas-day extravaganza was a blast, with amazing creature effects, outstanding performances, and a full-blown musical number. It’s a great way to ring out 2023, kick off 2024, and start a new year of the podcast!
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:46
Sean’s Remedy Adventures: 0:09:46 – 0:39:53
Jonathan’s Stuff & Anime Talk: 0:39:53 – 1:07:36
Doctor Who: 1:07:36 – 2:13:24
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
In this special bonus episode, Jonathan Lack counts down the Top 10 Films of 2023!
You can read the text of this episode, and see links to full reviews of every film discussed, at https://www.jonathanlack.com/p/the-top-10-films-of-2023
Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:03:18
Leftovers: 0:03:18 - 0:05:01
Honorable Mentions (#20-#11): 0:05:01 - 0:17:29
#10: 0:17:29 - 0:19:57
#9: 0:19:57 - 0:22:23
#8: 0:22:23 - 0:25:11
#7: 0:25:11 - 0:27:48
#6: 0:27:48 - 0:34:40
#5: 0:34:40 - 0:36:52
#4: 0:36:52 - 0:39:30
#3: 0:39:30 - 0:41:54
#2: 0:41:54 - 0:44:16
#1: 0:44:16 - 0:48:59
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms: https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
-
The 60th anniversary mini-season of Doctor Who has come to a rousing and surprising close with “The Giggle,” with David Tennant and Catherine Tate facing down Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, and the expected regeneration into Ncuti Gatwa going in some unexpected directions. It’s a fantastic episode of Doctor Who that makes the most of its very big swings, and gives us a lot to talk about as we break down how this episode both serves as something of a ‘series finale’ for modern Who while launching a bold new era to come. Sean talks about playing Alan Wake Remastered, we discuss the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, and Jonathan briefly discusses Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron – you can read his review at JonathanLack.Com – before diving into the Doctor Who spoilers.
Enjoy!
Time Chart:
Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:35:33
Doctor Who, “The Giggle”: 0:35:33 – 2:31:25
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:
https://weeklystuffpodcast.com
Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!
https://weeklystuff.substack.com
Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com
Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com
Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK
Subscribe to our YouTube channels!
Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation
Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast
Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff
Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/
©2012 - Present Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
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