Featured Anime Podcast

This week we talk about “My Oni Girl” and honestly we spend most of this episode just bouncing theories off of each other. We talk about our initial reactions, and unpack some specific visuals that we agreed on but also disagree on, and then we finally venture off into the “rules of the world” debate about who can see what, what repression means in that world, and how the snow gods work in this movie. Which finally leads into some spoiler territory, but we admit the movie has some big plot holes, but it is still an enjoyable movie nonetheless. There was a lot more that we did talk about like the father and everything that was going on with him.About the anime:My Oni Girl follows Hiiragi, a painfully shy high school kid who has spent most of his life trying to please everyone so much so that he has basically forgotten how to say what he really wants to say. Till one day his quiet routine gets thrown out the window when he meets Tsumugi, a very brash oni girl who basically becomes an important part of his life all while she is searching for her missing mother in the human world. Due to certain events that have happened, the two of them run away from home and head out on a strange summer road trip along the way they run into a variety of individuals all of whom basically have important life lessons to teach Hiiragi all while dodging the snow gods, and and getting tangled up in plenty of messy human emotions. And while all that is happening, Tsumugi’s blunt honesty and Hiiragi’s bottled up feelings keep clashing, forcing both of them to confront family baggage, what it means to actually be honest with yourself, and whether you are living for everyone else or finally starting to live for you.Next Week's Pick: “Her Blue Sky”Have you had the chance to watch My Oni Girl or any of our previous selections? We’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks!Deals for You:Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that’ll make your anime-watching experience even better.Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers:Get 15% off your first anime merch order here.Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free TrialTokyoTreat Special: Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link.Looking for some podcast merch? We’ve got you covered:Main StoreAlternative ShopSupport Our PodcastLove what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.Support us on PatreonStay Connected With UsDon’t miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community:Contact UsAnime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList.Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcastEmail: [email protected] (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuysFacebook: Featured Anime PodcastDiscord: Join our DiscordAnime Info and Our Ratings: Producers: Twin Engine, Giggle Box, NetflixStudio: Studio ColoridoSource: OriginalGenres: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, SupernaturalAired: May 2024Runtime: 1 hr. 42 minOur Scores: Jack’s Score: 8 / 10Rick’s Score: 8 / 10

We dive into Clevatess, and we are start off by talking about we are blindsided in the opening and that sent us down quite a rabbit hole of misunderstandings about the king, the heroes and whether this was a noble legend quest or a disguised suicide mission. We spend a big chunk of time untangling and trying to figure out the lore together, along with what the king actually knew and why Clevatess wipes out the kingdom, what the four lords of dark beasts are really doing, and how Alicia’s painful immortality and Naruru’s reconstruction with Betty’s body change the way we see power and sacrifice in this world. Along the way we call out moments we totally misread, and Rick talked about rewatching the final episodes till it finally made things click, kinda, and we talk through how the rapid fire twists, dense exposition and all to round it off with us talking about how it has a Ghibli style of visuals. And that is just what all we talked about. All in all this is a show that you should check out yourself.About the anime:Starting off like any other fantasy and in a world where humans and magical dark beasts are locked in a neverending war, you are introduced to the main protagonist along with several other heroes. Journeying to fight one of the 4 Lords of Dark Beasts. The catch though is that they are all killed almost immediately by the one they were fighting and that is Clevatess. As a result of Clevatess being attacked he goes and destroys the kingdom that sent the heroes after which he decides to take in and travel with a human royal infant, and to help him take care of the infant he also revives a former hero, thus forming a strange makeshift “family” all so he can decide on what he will do next.Next Week's Pick: "My Oni Girl"Have you had the chance to watch Clevatess or any of our previous selections? We’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks!Deals for You:Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that’ll make your anime-watching experience even better.Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers: Get 15% off your first anime merch order here. Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free TrialTokyoTreat Special: Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link.Looking for some podcast merch? We’ve got you covered: Main Store Alternative ShopSupport Our PodcastLove what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.Support us on PatreonStay Connected With UsDon’t miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community: Contact Us Anime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList. Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcast Email: [email protected] X (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuys Facebook: Featured Anime Podcast Discord:Join our DiscordAnime Info and Our Ratings: Producers: LDF / CLEVATESS Project, Line Digital Frontier, Media Factory, Media LInk, AT-X, Tokyo MX Studio: Lay-duce Source: Manga Genres: Dark Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Aired: July 2025 to September 2025 Number of Episodes: 12Our Scores: Jack’s Score: 8 / 10 Rick’s Score: 7 / 10

This week we talk about Arifureta From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Season 3 and there was a light recap in episode 1 which kinda helped, and we talk about why this season felt especially dense but still pretty clean and focused with no real filler. We get into the labyrinth trials that this season hit us with as well as what the past ones were largely because the season also re-hashed them a little so we ended having to and a little as well, how the emotion flip and cockroach scenes were a smart way to test their bonds, convictions, and finally how they were challenged on their inner darkness. We spend a lot of time on the differences between Hajime’s traumatized, laser focused “I just want to go home” mindset and Kouki’s crumbling “hero” complex and the moral high ground he tries to maintain. We also talk about how Hajime’s party are all solid and seasoned (for obvious reasons) compared to the struggling newcomers, Rick was surprised by Tio’s surprising emotional stability under all the perviness, and the extra layers we get on Yue’s nature and history which has us excited to see if more information will come. But we can’t help but also highlight some of the negatives that we had for this season as well like how we felt things felt like they were rushed in some places and the open ended finale that makes it so that we want a season 4.About the anime:Season 3 picks up right where season 2 left off with Hajime and his party on their way to tackle another Great Labyrinth, only to get sidetracked when they stumble on a group of rabbitmen under attack. They figured out that they are members of Shea tribe, and that members of her tribe including her father, have been abducted by soldiers from the Hoelscher Empire. That detour kinda drags Hajime into a messy mix of empire politics dealing with the Heiligh Kingdom trying to gain assistance and the Haulia clan planning a straight up revolution. Following the events at the empire Hajime, Yue, Shea, Tio and the rest then dive into the Haltina Great Labyrinth and the final Labyrinth trials. In general this season leans into themes of rebellion, what it really means to be a “hero”, and how far Hajime and his companions are willing to bend their morality to protect their own, and all while setting up the larger plot that ties the labyrinths and the gods together.Next Week's Pick: "Clevatess"Have you had the chance to watch Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest or any of our previous selections? We’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks!Deals for You:Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that’ll make your anime-watching experience even better.Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers:Get 15% off your first anime merch order here.Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free TrialTokyoTreat Special:Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link.Looking for some podcast merch? We’ve got you covered:Main StoreAlternative ShopSupport Our PodcastLove what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.Support us on PatreonStay Connected With UsDon’t miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community:Contact UsAnime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList.Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcastEmail: [email protected] (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuysFacebook: Featured Anime PodcastDiscord: Join our DiscordAnime Info and Our Ratings:Producers: Arifureta Production Committee, Overlap, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, FuRyu, AT X, Sony Music Solutions, Toranoana, Bandai Namco Arts, BushiroadStudio: asread.Source: Light NovelGenres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Harem, IsekaiAired: October 2024 to February 2025Number of Episodes: 16Our Scores:Jack’s Score: 8 / 10Rick’s Score: 8 / 10

This week we dive into “The Ossan Newbie Adventurer Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party Became Invincible”, and we walk through the basic setup of Rick’s late bloomer adventurer story, and then we get to the full breakdown on what the show did and did not do for us and why it didn’t really work. We talk about the rough animation, character designs, and our frustration with the shallow worldbuilding and paper thin noble family antagonists. We also dig into the party’s shared “wish,” why that idea falls apart the more the show explains it, and how the emotional beats mostly miss the mark except for a fight and the ogre’s backstory. Honestly this anime might still work as a junk food power fantasy, but you are not missing anything if you skip it altogether.About the anime:The anime follows Rick, a man in his 30s who finally quits his long-time job as a guild clerk to chase his childhood dream of becoming an adventurer. He’s scouted by the legendary S-rank party Orichalcum Fist and spends two brutal years being literally trained to death and brought back over and over, honing his skills far beyond normal human limits. The story picks up as Rick takes the official adventurer exams, clashes with arrogant nobles, tackles dangerous quests, and enters high-profile martial arts tournaments, all while trying to stay humble and low key. The show mixes easygoing comedy with fantasy action and leans into themes of late-blooming potential, found family, and how an earnest, middle-aged guy can quietly overturn a world obsessed with natural talent and youth.Next Week's Pick: "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Season 3"Have you had the chance to watch The Ossan Newbie Adventurer Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became Invincible or any of our previous selections? We’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks!Deals for You:Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that’ll make your anime-watching experience even better.Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers: Get 15% off your first anime merch order here. Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free TrialTokyoTreat Special: Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link.Looking for some podcast merch? We’ve got you covered: Main Store Alternative ShopSupport Our PodcastLove what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.Support us on PatreonStay Connected With UsDon’t miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community: Contact Us Anime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList. Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcast Email: [email protected] X (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuys Facebook: Featured Anime Podcast Discord: Join our DiscordAnime Info and Our Ratings: Producers: Hobby Japan Yumeta Company, TV Tokyo, MBS, BS TV Tokyo, AT X, Muse Communication, Nippon Columbia, Bit Grooove Promotion Studio: Yumeta Company Source: Light Novel Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Shounen Aired: July 2024 to September 2024 Number of Episodes: 12Our Scores: Jack’s Score: 2 / 10 Rick’s Score: 4 / 10

This week we dive into Solo Leveling Season 2. We start off a quick play-by-play, Jin-woo’s Red Gate, Demon Castle grind, rising heat from the Association, Chae Hae-in catching on, and the Jeju Island shadow-army to round it off, then we argue adaptation choices. Rick’s fine with trimming inner monologues and letting visuals carry the pace but Jack pushes back saying that tiny connective scenes like the post-Red Gate interviews, Jinho’s dad’s motives among other things were cut, muddying why guilds chase Jin-woo. We spar over what characters actually “know” in-anime, when Baek clocks Jin-woo’s growth, and how a few 10 to 20 second inserts or stat card bumpers could’ve fixed a lot without bogging things down. About the anime: Jinwoo steps into the role of the Shadow Monarch while still posing as an E-rank hunter in public. The season follows his push through the Red Gate and the Demon Castle to secure the Elixir, his partnership with Yoo Jinho as they navigate guild requirements, and the growing scrutiny from the Hunters Association as his sudden leaps defy explanation. Cha Hae-In starts to see through the act when he keeps showing up to save raids, pulling him into the S-rank spotlight and making every major guild angle to recruit him. It all builds to the Jeju Island raid, where his shadow army reveals its true scale, new generals are born, and the balance of power in the hunter world tilts hard. Next Week's Pick: "The Ossan Newbie Adventurer Trained To Death By The Most Powerful Party Became Invincible" Have you had the chance to watch Solo Leveling Season 2 or any of our previous selections? We’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks! Deals for You: Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that’ll make your anime-watching experience even better. Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers: Get 15% off your first anime merch order here. Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free Trial TokyoTreat Special: Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link. Looking for some podcast merch? We’ve got you covered: Main Store Alternative Shop Support Our Podcast Love what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more. Support us on Patreon Stay Connected With Us Don’t miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community: Contact Us Anime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList. Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcast Email: [email protected] X (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuys Facebook: Featured Anime Podcast Discord: Join our Discord Anime Info and Our Ratings: Producers: Aniplex, D&C Media, Kakao Entertainment, Tokyo MX, GYT, GTV, BS11 Studio: A-1 Pictures Source: Manwha Genres: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Aired: January 2025 to March 2025 Number of Episodes: 13 Our Scores: Jack’s Score: 8 / 10 Rick’s Score: 9 / 10