Podcast: Neon Genesis Evangelion Watchalong – Episodes 14-20

Neon Genesis Watermelion.

Shinji looks at some watermelons on a vine

It’s Part 3 of multi-part watchalong of Neon Genesis Evangelion with Vrai, myself, and special guests Isaac and Lizzie! As Shinji starts to break down, so too does the narrative—and the team has some concerns about how it’s all going to shake out.

Click here to view the show notes and download the SoundCloud file, or find it on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for “Chatty AF.”

Wanna help make AniFem happen on the page and in your ear? Consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Nonconforming in the ‘90s: How Pokemon’s gender variance caught the hearts of generation

Smashing gender norms at the speed of light.

Jessie and James in Rose of Versailles cosplay. James is Marie Antoinette and Jessie is Oscar.

Twenty years ago, I watched my very first episode of Pokemon and began my lifelong journey into the world of anime, manga, and JRPGs. I couldn’t tell you the exact date, but I can tell you the episode was “The Flame Pokemon-athon!” and that I was both confused and delighted by this weird show with electric mice and flaming horses. I can also tell you I swiftly fell in love with it, bringing my best friends along for the ride.

And now, two decades later, after diving back into the anime after years away from it, I think I can finally tell you why: why this strange, silly, sincere show mattered, not just to me but to the turn-of-the-century Western kids’ media landscape as a whole. How it filled the space between “boy stuff” and “girl stuff,” treated both as having value, and—through its world, characters, and story—challenged why there was a division in the first place.

Click here for the full article on Anime Feminist!

If you like the dishes AniFem is serving up, please consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Podcast: Neon Genesis Evangelion Watchalong – Episodes 7-13

You guys. You guys. It’s an elEVAtor.

The Evangelion cast crowds into a elevator, smashed up against each other

Our multi-part watchalong of Neon Genesis Evangelion continues! Vrai, myself, and special guests Isaac and Lizzie discuss gender roles, sex and sexuality, and overall have a pretty good time with this “monster-of-the-week” stretch of episodes. But why does Vrai keep chortling in the background…?

Click here to view the show notes and download the SoundCloud file, or find it on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for “Chatty AF.”

Wanna help make AniFem happen on the page and in your ear? Consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Rule of Three Review: Fall 2019 Anime Digest

2019 has been a high-on-quality, low-on-quantity sort of year, but don’t worry: Fall’s extensive array of titles shows is well on its way to making up for lost time.

Juuzo and Mary stand in a doorway. Juuzo is smoking; Mary looks annoyed.

The AniFem gang got together to take a second look at the parade of new fall shows! I joined in the discussion to lay out my affection for the pulpy NO GUNS LIFE, my lukewarm feelings on Special 7, and my wholehearted enthusiasm for Outburst Dreamer Boys.

Click here for the full post on AniFem!

If you like the dishes AniFem is serving up, please consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Glancing Upstream: Summer 2019 Retrospective Digest

It’s a given what I chose to gush about this season.

Hana hugs Tohru while Uotani watches Tohru proudly

I got together with the rest of the AniFem staff to highlight our favorites of the season. Like the Spring before it, Summer was a bit light on shows that wowed us, but the ones that shone were pretty darn bright.

Click here for the AniFem recommendations for Summer 2019! 

If you like the dishes AniFem is serving up, please consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Panning the Stream: Fall 2019 Premiere Digest

Maybe it’s called “Fall” ’cause you watch anime until you collapse.

A teen boy holds a magnifying glass up to his eye and says "Your power level's pretty amazing!"

The Fall 2019 season is jam-packed with new series, which means I watched a small mountain of premieres. Some soared, some wobbled, and some fell flat on their faces. And I’m here to tell you all about it… in a paragraph or less.

But hey, don’t worry! If you’d like to hear more in-depth thoughts from my teammates and me, I’ve also linked to the full premiere reviews over at AniFem. Hit the jump for hot takes and hotlinks alike.

Continue reading →

Podcast: Jupiter Ascending Retrospective

Air-rollerblading into your ears.

Jupiter and Channing Tatum stand epically in front of a large image of Jupiter and the Earth

I’m real proud of this one, y’all. To celebrate Chatty AF’s 100th episode, the whole team got together to talk about the criminally underappreciated shoujo space opera epic, Jupiter Ascending. Join us as we discuss female power fantasies, isekai story beats, Academy Award-Winner Eddie Redmayne, and whether the film is Good Actually, Bad Actually, or somewhere in between.

Click here to view the show notes and download the SoundCloud file, or find it on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for “Chatty AF.”

Wanna help make AniFem happen on the page and in your ear? Consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Podcast: Neon Genesis Evangelion Watchalong – Episodes 1-6

Get in the robot discourse.

Misato holds binoculars and leans over Shinji to peer out of a car window

Vrai and I got together with special guests Lizzie and Isaac to tackle the legendary mecha anime. This is definitely a great idea that won’t get me any angry emails at all.

Click here to view the show notes and download the SoundCloud file, or find it on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for “Chatty AF.”

Wanna help make AniFem happen on the page and in your ear? Consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Podcast: Manga Variety Hour – One-Shot Wonders

The good, the bad, and the brief.

Manga image of a girl face-palming and sweatdropping while a boy in glasses looks at her and blushes, the word "Smile smile" bursting out around him

Vrai, Caitlin, and I have returned to give you the skinny on more manga, this time focusing on single-volume titles! Our cheesy segment titles are back with a vengeance and we’ve brought the Big Salt Energy for this one. Also: lots and lots of good queer manga, for lovers of cuteness and drama alike.

Click here to view the show notes and download the SoundCloud file, or find it on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for “Chatty AF.”

Wanna help make AniFem happen on the page and in your ear? Consider becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month!

Podcast: Manga in Your Ears – Pandora Hearts [With Transcript]

Opening the box on guest hosting and manga feelings alike.

Oz, Gilbert, Sharon, Alice, and Break lie in a circle looking up at the "camera" above them

For my first-ever spot as a guest host, Helen (@WanderinDreamr) invited me to join her on the Manga in Your Ears podcast to holler about one of my all-time favorite manga, the messy and emotional Pandora Hearts! Join us as we talk plot roller coasters, ambiguous love stories, and my enduring love for tragedy troll lord Xerxes Break.

You can listen to the episode or keep reading for the full transcript.

Continue reading →