anime feminist

Podcast: Manga Variety Hour – The Monster Mash

This could be the beginning of a boo-tiful new series.

A grinning vampire and a figure wearing a pumpkin on their head pose beneath the handwritten words "Happy Halloween!!"

By popular request, Chatty AF tried our hand at a manga review podcast! And what better way to kick things off than with a Halloween special? Vrai, Caitlin, and I shared faves and flops alike in this monsteriffic medley. Terrible segment titles and cheesy intros free with purchase.

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

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Podcast: Sailor Moon Season One Retrospective

Moon prism power, you’re on the air!

A reporter stands between Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars, who both look startled and annoyed.

Returning to my blogging roots, this time in audio form! Special guest Anne from Shojo Power joined Vrai and me as we took a look back at the first season of Sailor Moon. Our stories are all different, but our fondness for the franchise is very much the same.

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

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Emma’s Choice: The gender-norm nightmare at the heart of The Promised Neverland

Some monsters aren’t just under our beds.

A sketch of two girls, Emma and Isabella. Emma is crouched and facing the left, looking determined. Isabella is standing and facing the right, looking sorrowful.

Since it began serialization in Viz’s Shonen JUMP, The Promised Neverland has garnered well-deserved praise for its twisting narrative, tense story beats, and compelling characters. But this series is more than a page-turning thriller. What begins as a sharply crafted horror story soon reveals itself to be a sophisticated critique on restrictive social practices—including the hellishly limited roles expected of girls.

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of sexism and violence against children; disturbing imagery. SPOILERS for The Promised Neverland, Volumes 1-5 (Chapters 1-38).

Click here for the full article on Anime Feminist!

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Podcast: Yamada’s First Time Retrospective

As demanded by my inner 12-year-old…

A teen girl is on her hands and knees dejectedly by the side of a road. Another teen girl watches her, unimpressed, drinking from a juice box. Along the road is a sign that says "Route 69."

Caitlin, Vrai, and I celebrated the 69th episode of Chatty AF with Yamada’s First Time: B Gata H Kei! Can an ecchi comedy treat its female characters with respect? We’re gonna find out—and hopefully have a (ah-hem) nice time doing it.

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

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

Podcast: Summer 2018 Mid-Season Check-in

Bravely battling to stay atop our lengthy watchlists!

A screenshot from Planet With. A young woman in a maid outfit and a boy in a silver mask hold out their hands and scream, with lightning crackling across the screen.

Caitlin, Peter, and I checked in on the spring shows to talk about the good (shows with “light” in the title), the bad (isekai slave fantasies), and the ugly (those transphobic bits in Asobi Asobase, OOF).

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

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

Podcast: Little Witch Academia Retrospective

Bringing a little magic to the airwaves.

A teen girl (Akko) grins and points at someone off-screen.

I got together with Caitlin and special guest Miranda Sanchez to talk about the family-friendly girl-power series I fondly refer to as “What if TRIGGER, but without the bullshit?”  I can’t wait to show this one to my kid cousin in a couple years.

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

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Podcast: Spring 2018 wrap-up

Get comfy. We’ve got a long list of shows to appraise.

Four young men wearing yukata blush and smile at something off screen.

Lauren, Peter, and I run down the many, many Spring shows we watched (at least to the halfway point). HINAMATSURI and Golden Kamuy prove to be everyone’s problematic faves, Lauren and I bask in Yotsuiro Biyori‘s chill vibes, and Peter tries his damnedest to sell us both on Last Period. There’s a good chance he succeeded.

Fair warning: I was about half-conscious for this one and I haven’t had the guts to listen to it yet, so there’s like a 50% chance I just rambled incoherently for an hour and a half.  And I think I ranted about My Hero Academia for a couple minutes? It’s all a sleepy blur. But I’m sure Lauren and Peter are great, so check it out for them, for sure!

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

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

Podcast: Ouran High School Host Club Watchalong – Episodes 21-26 (Final)

One last visit to Music Room 3.

A group shot of the cast of Ouran High with rose petals blowing past them

The grand finale of our 4-part watchalong of Ouran High School Host Club with Amelia, Alexis,  Isaac, and your humble blogger! As the series gallops to a thrilling anime-original conclusion, can stunning flashbacks and emotional climaxes overcome a few cringe-worthy moments? (Spoiler alert: Yes.)

Like with the Fushigi Yugi podcast, I had an absolute blast with this one and am so happy folks took this little stroll down memory lane with me. I hope you enjoyed it, too! (Also, since this is my last opportunity to say it: let the record show that, even several years later, Haruhi is Best Protagonist and Kyoya is Best Boy.  Look, that’s just science folks, I don’t make the rules.)

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

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Podcast: Ouran High School Host Club Watchalong – Episodes 14-20

Refreshing Points for everyone! (Except you, Lobelia Episode. You go sit in the corner.)

An Ouran high School Host Club screenshot. Haruhi, Tamaki, and Honey look shocked while Mori and Kyoya stand slightly behind them, expressionless.

Part 3 of the 4-part watchalong of Ouran High School Host Club with Amelia, Alexis, Isaac, and me!

The show is all over the map in this stretch, both in terms of locale and quality, as we travel through cute B&Bs, surprise department stores, touching flashbacks, and…siiiiigh. Lobelia Academy again. But hey, at least I got to spend some time gushing about the good good relationship developing between Haruhi and Kyoya!

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

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Podcast: Aggretsuko Retrospective

Rock ‘n’ Retsuko.

An anthropomorphic red panda screams into a microphone while a gorilla and a white bird dance behind her. All are wearing business clothes.

Unleash your inner rage panda and join Caitlin, Vrai, and me as we discuss corporate criticism, kawaii culture, dating debacles, and the fabulous female friendships of Aggretsuko, the surprise gem of the spring season.

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

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