Best Seat on the Couch: Recent Episodes
Alex, Iris, Marcus, and Michael
A podcast where 4 close friends discuss their favorite animated movies and TV shows together. Come for the intelligent discourse, stay for the lighthearted humor, and follow for the hottest takes.
Along with like half of the gang on the Couch, you may be surprised to know that this isn't actually a Disney movie; as 20th Century Fox Animation's first feature film, it's technically a competitor - so how does it stack up? Well, when you come at the king, you best not miss. The music is actually quite good, and it's an affable take on the Bolshevik revolution (as Alex phrases it), but the animation comes across as a bit...rough around the edges. Some moments feel well directed while others feel a bit discordant, some characters feel very Disney-esque (Ra Ra Rasputin!) while others are kind of...there...what we're saying is, this movie does its best, and we can commend it for that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The first season of Amazon Prime's Invincible was pretty groundbreaking stuff; subverting the superhero genre with deep emotional human elements and excellently written morally gray characters was delightfully refreshing in the face of pandemic-era MCU content. It's been nearly 3 years since our 52nd episode was recorded, and though it was marred by a 4-month mid-season hiatus, season 2 of Invincible continues to show us that Mark and Debbie (and a little bit of Nolan!) steal every scene they're in while also tossing a ton of new plotlines and developments around the core story. The gang is unanimous in its praise of its cast of characters, fight scenes, and comic book adaptation, and we can't wait for season 3! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's another throwback today on the Couch, and we complete the trifecta of The Magic School Bus & VeggieTales with David McCall's Schoolhouse Rock!, a Saturday morning children cartoon's interstitial designed to provide educational content with the power of catchy songs. Our experiences with the show range from it being critical to Michael's childhood upbringing to Marcus nearly confusing it for Jack Black's live action School of Rock, but we can all agree that the songs are indeed catchy, and we can even see our younger selves really gleaning some valuable knowledge on grammar, American history, the laws of physics, and even the stock market! After the gang discusses our favorite songs and how effective the show was 50(!) years ago, Michael wraps up the episode with an absolute BANGER of a Trivia Corner, one that'll have you on the edge of your seat with every question on the board. Content warning: strong language.
Perhaps the single greatest animated film at the turn of the century, Chicken Run is legendary claymation studio Aardman's first feature-length film, and our previous discussions on Wallace and Gromit on this podcast should clue you in to just how awesome we think these folks across the pond are. The voice acting is superb (hi Mel Gibson!), the animation exceeds even our high standard, the classic British humor blends well with a boisterous American-coded character, and the story is charming while maintaining a more serious tone than A Close Shave or The Wrong Trousers - technically this is a WWII movie, in a way. Come join us as we reminisce on simpler times, and also test our combined chicken knowledge in another of Alex's patented biology Trivia Corners! Content warning: strong language.
Blue Eye Samurai is Netflix's latest blockbuster adult animated series, joining the likes of Arcane and Nimona (which we've already discussed on this podcast - check 'em!) as proof that extremely high quality animated television exists, and it's not just for kids. Mizu is an incredibly well-designed protagonist, with so much to unpack on her biracial background and the way she navigates her gender identity; there's a powerful supporting cast with characters like Akemi, Madame Kaji, Fowler, and animated George Takei; the animation and worldbuilding is impressively expansive; and season 1 concludes with definitely one of the endings of all time. Also: why is Iris convinced that Mikio f@#ked a horse? Come join us to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's been a little while since we've had some Star Warscontent on the Couch, but the gang is hungry for Filoni's latest Clone Wars-era project, The Bad Batch. It's four clone dads voiced by the same guy, and also Omega, as they learn to navigate the dark times in between the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire, and while a lot of it is more of the same, we're graced with some pretty excellent television as the series finds its footing in season 2. Tune in as Marcus is so excited for season 3 that he can't stop himself from repeatedly spoiling it. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's a return to form for the gang, featuring Alex's unbridled dad energy, Michael's brain damage, Marcus's corporate depression, and Iris's in-depth analysis of the ramifications of this universe's makeup, and with Monsters, Inc. on the docket today, we have plenty of good things to say. Headlined by Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sully, it's got an exceptionally lovable pre-vocal child protagonist, a humorously exaggerated corporate environment, and Steve Buscemi as the villain! Wow! Also, Michael constructs an entirely new physical model based around emotional energy. Content warning: strong language.
Best Seat on the Couch celebrates another milestone as we reach Episode 150, and like our 50th episode on Space Jam almost two and a half years ago, we're choosing another live action + animated mish-mash masterpiece, but this one is perhaps the most important of all! Who Framed Roger Rabbit, released in 1988, was an engineering and filmmaking marvel of its time, joining a classical LA Noire murder mystery film with every single cartoon you could think of - this film is still, to this day, the only film that's ever shown Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny on the screen at the same time, and that's awesome. Join us as we experience this movie, highlight our favorite moments and characters, and have a riveting conversation about pineapple on pizza. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
On this episode, the Gang gets biblical (again!) with a refresher on each member's religious (or non-religious) childhood upbringing as we discuss 1993 hit animated series VeggieTales, featuring Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber - certainly a stark contrast to The Prince of Egypt's Moses and Ramses from that discussion nearly a year ago. This show occupies a weird headspace: is it terrible, or is it actually really good? is it hilarious, or is it a complete dumpster fire? It's simultaneously super religious but also so child-oriented that it's not very religious. What even are "Christian morals?" Tune in to find the answers to all of these questions as well as answers to questions you didn't even know you had, thanks to a classic Trivia Corner from Alex's twisted mind. Content warning: strong language. What, you need spoilers for the bible?
The gang activates the Couch's time machine to go waaaayyy back, to a show that first aired before we were even born: the original 1994 run of The Magic School Bus. The theme song goes hard, the video game is iconic, and Ms. Frizzle belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of the Coolest Adults to Ever Grace Our Childhoods - to say we all have fond memories of the show understates just how important (and educational) it was to our preschool minds. We can also give this show its flowers for being responsible and scientifically sound, and it really is so much better for being genuine in the way it tries to get kids into all of these cool disciplines. Can we really put a spoiler on elementary school science? Content warning: strong language.
Y'all remember the original Puss in Boots spinoff from 2011? The CGI in that film has...not aged well. But over a decade later, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has arrived to soft reboot the Shrekiverse and tell a more compelling story about the titular side character - well, compelling to most of us on the Couch, at least. The animation and visuals are leaps and bounds over anything else from this series before, the characters that surround Puss in Boots are genuine, deep, and entertaining presences, and Marcus believes the villain is one of the best of any animated movie he's ever seen. Come for the movie, stay for the hot takes! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Nestled in between juggernauts The Incredibles and Ratatouille, Cars is often regarded as being somewhat lesser than its fellow Disney/Pixar entries, which Marcus angrily argues is absolutely unreasonable and that anyone who subscribes to that is trash. The gang does make sure that Cars 2 receives whatever the opposite of flowers is, but the original Cars is a pretty solid movie! Strong voice acting, a cool premise and interesting animation, a genuine American™ theme, and some believable character growth give this movie all of the ingredients to make a top tier Pixar film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Have you ever felt social anxiety? Have you ever wanted to join a band? Are you a Japanese teenage girl? If so, you'll love Bocchi the Rock! for many reasons, chief among them the honestly surrealist portrayal of main character Bocchi's internal monologues as she navigates high school and band life with extreme social anxiety. The animation feels almost Into the Spider-Verse levels of genre defying, putting a hilarious twist on a slice-of-life story about a group of girls trying to make it big in the indie rock band scene, but it's not all goofy all the time - it's respectful in its portrayal of social anxiety, knows how to navigate its humor, and has a pretty cool portrayal of the band's musical performances too. The gang highly recommends! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Did you know that the gang is ohana, and ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind? Maybe Michael's childhood memories got left behind due to brain damage, but those probably weren't important anyway. Still, Lilo & Stitch is an excellent movie that everyone agrees is better than we remember, with particular praise for its portrayal of Lilo, her family issues and genuinely rocky relationship with Nani, Stitch's character development, and Jumba's accent. You can't help but cheer for practically everyone in this movie, and it's wonderful to see them achieve their happy ending! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
There was definitely something magical about reading about this series in development in March 2023 and learning that the entire original cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World had signed on to join a new anime series called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off coming to Netflix. The 2010 film is a fan favorite at the Couch, of course, but we were all pleasantly surprised with how much more this series developed the world of Scott Pilgrim; the Evil Exes become characters as opposed to video game bosses, Ramona learns how 2 relationship properly, and Scott - yes, all 3 of them - feels like a better person at the end of this series than at the end of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and that's awesome. We all recommend you watch the movie first, though - it's a classic! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Happy New Year and welcome back to the Couch! This week we're talking about Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, a classic early-2000's Cartoon Network smash hit that's received 5 Annies and 7 Emmys - making it even more baffling that Marcus had never seen a single episode until this recording. Foster's has a couple of really excellent episodes in a sea of quality television, tackling the common topics like dealing with annoying siblings or the fear of moving away from friends with a cast of great characters (Wilt, Coco, Eduardo, Bloo, and best girl Frankie!) and some great punchline payoffs. And of course, no kids' show discussion on the Couch would be complete without deep discourse on the horrifying ramifications on this universe's treatment of sentient life! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The holidays are upon us and that means Alex brings back his other best friends for another edition of Best Seat on the Couch - ONE PIECE edition! Katy, Lony, and Owen return to the couch as they dive headfirst into the Egghead arc and discuss big lore implications, hypothetical pirate-vs-pirate 1v1 results, and validated called shots. We even get some deep Katy lore with the story of how her dad got into ONE PIECE thanks to the Netflix live-action series, which came out last year and made a big splash in bringing the manga and anime to a larger audience. The episode ends with a discussion on a NEW ONE PIECE anime coming out late 2024, Fullmetal Alchemist style, and the gang's thoughts on what to expect, what's gonna be different, and whether it'll help or hurt the current series. Someday, maybe Michael, Iris, and Marcus will join in on the fun...
Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Our final release of 2023 coincides with an Alex week, so of course we're sending the year out with a banger of an anime series, Mob Psycho 100. Alex had brought this to a couple of us after season 1's release in 2016, but we finally get to talk about the quiet-but-unbelievably-overpowered Mob, the homies within the Body Improvement Club, the super secret evil organization known as the Claw, and the 100% best character in this show, Reigen Arataka. The show combines the humor and power-level-dynamics from One Punch Man with the sweetness and emotional beats from a story about a businessman and the kid he's babysitting, and it's a tremendous watch from start to finish. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Lots of great stuff to say about Disney's Wreck-It Ralph and this was a truly beloved movie to our younger selves - but does it hold up? For the most part, yes! We get a whole lot of video game nostalgia, funny side characters and animation, a really excellent villain reveal, and a banger of an ending, at the cost of some iffy pacing and gratuitous side character tangents. Pretty glad that they never decided to make a sequel that goes beyond the confines of an arcade, right? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The gang ventures into uncharted hip-hop head territory with Entergalactic, a Netflix special pseudo-movie that goes in tandem with a studio album of the same name from acclaimed artist Kid Cudi. Cudi, as well as a couple of other artists and actors, put together a fairly vanilla rom-com that's got a knack for emotional beats and accompanying visual spectacle but offers little else to engage the viewer outside of music + animation + vibe. Still, there's plenty of discussion to be had about its characters, voice acting, and ending, and Entergalactic is certainly the most recent movie of all time on the Couch. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Iris says that Michael has a "type" of movie he brings - 2000s to 2010s animated children's movies that maybe don't always hit. See Ice Age and Madagascar and Hoodwinked (the GOAT), to name a few. But Surf's Up is one of Michael's greatest triumphs, filmed in a mockumentary style that feels so convincing that you kind of wonder why they decided to use animated penguins at all. Throw in excellent voice acting, a satisfying story and message, and humor that isn't miserable, and you get a surprisingly wholesome and enjoyable watch experience. Oh, and the long awaited return of Trivia Corner, penguin-themed of course, caps off our episode! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In one of the greatest multiversal crossovers of all time, Katy from the ONE PIECE holiday episodes joins the gang to talk about Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, an anime that rivals Kill la Kill in fan service while also providing some absolute gourmet perfection on screen, to kick off Season 13. But do not be fooled - this show is not just gratuitous moaning and literal foodgasms, it's actually really good, with solid character arcs and excellent plot progression that caters to even Iris's finer tastes. And you can't say that this show didn't move anyone in a major way - Marcus is planning to make his very own chaliapin steak pretty soon. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The gang arrives at the end of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, high on the previous two movies' excellent worldbuilding, strong main cast and characters, and more serious tone for a kids movie, to experience The Hidden World for the first time. Overall...it's alright. If HTTYD 2 found a way to be a good movie but a great sequel, Hidden World comes out as an okay movie and a disappointing sequel with a weird ending, though bolstered by its even more impressive animation and satisfying action scenes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Pixar once again begs the question: what if the Classical Elements had feelings? Elemental is the latest entry in a slowly growing line of just-ok-but-not-spectacular Pixar movies, and while it bombed in the box office it performed fairly well on streaming - so the gang decided to try it out! What we got was a pretty entertaining romantic comedy (which, credit to Pixar, isn't something we've really seen from them before) wrapped in a fairly flimsy plot and half-decent immigrant family backdrop. For rom-com standards that's not too bad, but I think all of us came out of this viewing experience wanting for more. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
While no longer the case as of a few months ago, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's last film was to be 2013's The Wind Rises, a fictionalized biography of Japanese WWII engineer Jiro Horikoshi spliced with a wondrous Miyazaki manga, wrapped up in the classical Studio Ghibli bow with gorgeous animation and vibrant, memorable scenes. There's plenty of controversy surrounding the implications of celebrating the mind behind the most destructive Axis warplane in WWII - and the gang discusses this at length - but overall we think the film is a uniquely thought-provoking and emotional entry from Miyazaki, worth its spot in the Miyazaki/Ghibli pantheon in its own right. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Do you remember Death Note, and how Light and L had a brutal battle of wits that existed entirely within their own respective subconsciouses? What if that was a romantic comedy? Enter Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, a hilarious portrayal of high school budding romance with everything from fourth-wall breaks to tear-jerking moments. Alex claims that it even revolutionized the genre in Japan, and with 3 seasons and a movie under its belt, we're still barely over halfway done with the series. Stick around for our season 4 Theory Wall! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Back again for 2 Train 2 Dragons, we're time skipping 5 years to a more mature young adult Hiccup, the long-awaited reveal of Hiccup's mother, and an antagonist that's actually not a dragon...technically. The gang has discussed the concept of a good movie but great sequel, and this movie certainly fits that bill - excellent worldbuilding, heightened stakes, and characters growing and reacting to foundations laid in the first movie are all hallmarks of that, and there are certain small moments that really sell this series's excellent treatment of the more serious moments in a kids movie. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Not to be confused with 2008's Star Wars: The Clone Wars which we spoke about nearly 3 years ago, this series came out in 2003 and coincided almost perfectly with the actual release of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith way back in the day. It's animated in the same style as Samurai Jack, feels more experimental in its progression, and is tonally almost completely different from its successor - its strengths are its quick runtime and excellent fight scenes/"power levels," while its weaknesses are lack of interesting plot progression or substance. Overall, though, we think the animation is excellent, and the show has underrated charm for going on 20 years old. Content warning: strong language.
The gang returns from a long hiatus to drop another childhood banger from 2002, Codename: Kids Next Door, which drops the absolute deepest lore on what it really means to have a childhood. Kids immediately latch on to their favorite of Numbuhs 1 through 5 and we were no different in our youth, and there's plenty of teenager/adult drama and bombastic (though sometimes disgusting) humor to keep our attentions now that we're a bit older. Plus, we talk about the movie! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The gang puts the pedal to the metal this week, bringing relative newcomer Redline (2009) to the Couch after emerging from a months-long JoJo's Bizarre Adventure stint. This film was commercially unsuccessful, but has a vibe akin to your 8-year-old self playing Need For Speed in a dark arcade with your friends - the music is blaring, the cars are cool, each hand-drawn frame is artistically gorgeous and impressively detailed, and it's all turned up to a nitrous-fueled 11. Gorgeous visuals do not completely hide a relatively barebones plot and shallow worldbuilding, however, and a line in the sand gets drawn. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
From cartoonist ND Stevenson, the mind behind She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, we get Nimona, a gorgeously animated sci-fantasy film that's risen from its ashes after almost being axed by Disney a few years ago. Ballister and Nimona give excellent performances and together they tell a rich and genuine story centering around duty, purpose, and the struggles that real-life LGBTQ+ individuals face in today's world, in ways that a few of us have never seen before! That isn't to say that Marcus enjoyed every aspect of this movie, but we talk about whether of that is justified, too. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The gang punches their tickets back onto the Star Wars train with the second season of Star Wars: Visions, the non-canon anthology series showcasing animation studios from around the world. This time around we're not locked into Anime-only, and get to see cool stop-motion from Aardman (of Wallace and Gromit fame) and Triggerfish, anime from Studio Mir, and awesome visual stories from lesser-known studios like El Guiri and La Cachette. We discuss them all in this episode, talk about which ones hit and which ones missed, and give everyone their fair share of flowers. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Pretty incredible that we're nearing the end of the Miyazaki-Studio Ghibli pantheon, but My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is perhaps one of the most well-known entries in that catalogue, even if it's not as wondrous and fantastical as Princess Mononoke or Castle in the Sky. As Alex says, instead imagine that you could capture a sunny day with a picnic into a movie, and meeting an 8ft tall fluffy alien being who takes a cat to work while you're eating. But even if the stakes are lower, there's a family and childhood story worth watching here. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In this Breaking News segment of Best Seat on the Couch, the gang is coming in hot off the heels of not one, but two in-theatre screenings of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, this year's smash hit animated blockbuster. We get more Gwen, more Spider-people, more multiverse, more top-notch artistry, more soundtrack bangers, and a thrilling third act - just go see the movie! Content warning: MAJOR SPOILERS, strong language.
This week on Best Seat on the Couch, the gang takes the wayback machine straight to Alex's childhood with The Land Before Time, a movie that existed really before our modern understanding of dinosaurs did. A movie voice acted by literal children makes for a very convincing kids' movie, and the journey itself is fun! There's action scenes, the Bambi scene before Bambi came out, a weirdly biblical quest for the Promised Land/Great Valley, and plenty of cute children dinosaurs doing their thing. One thing's for certain – we are not the target audience anymore. Content warning: strong language.
On this week's episode, according to Michael, we're talking about the movie Chicken Little tried (not very hard) to be, apparently. As he draws the connections on the whiteboard and makes the connections the other 3 of us failed to see, it is clear that Michael is actually correct. But where Chicken Little failed to justify its baseball subplot to create the father-son connection, How to Train Your Dragon allows Hiccup and Stoick's father-son relationship to blossom over the course of Hiccup's friendship with Toothless and success in the dragon training ring. Not to mention, this movie's cast of characters is much better, Hiccup's character arc is more believable and genuine, and the Hiccup and Toothless relationship is done nearly perfectly. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's honestly pretty incredible that Chicken Little kickstarted the reverse of Disney's post-Renaissance slump as its very first 3D animated film, because this movie is frankly pretty bad. It does not look good (no offense to the hundreds of animators that learned Maya for this), its plot is weirdly disjointed between a feel-good baseball film and an alien invasion film, and pretty much every side character ranges from disappointing to absolute garbage - as Michael states, the first 20 minutes made him want to die, and Marcus rants for 3 minutes on why Buck "Ace" Cluck is the singular worst father figure character he's ever seen in cinema. But all that being said, there are some bright spots in this movie, and to be honest the alien subplot is fairly captivating, so I suppose it's better that the movie improves over its runtime as opposed to the opposite. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
I, the nameless blurb-writer, was surprised to discover that our episode on Shrek was over 2 years ago, as it feels like our discussion on that movie's themes - and its recent induction into the Library of Congress's National Film Registry - was fresh in our minds as we tackled the sequel Shrek 2. Solidly a great movie but arguably a perfect sequel, Shrek 2 builds upon the world from the original with the introduction of Far Far Away, introduces an absolute grand slam of a character in Puss in Boots in addition to worthy side characters like Fiona's parents and Prince Charming, fleshes out Shrek's own personal growth with self-worth and his relationship with Fiona, and somehow folds in contemporary popular music into this film even better than the original did. Come with us and let Iris see that Shrek 2 is love, Shrek 2 is life. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
At long last, 6 months later, the Gang has finally arrived at the end of their Bizarre Adventure. Stone Ocean is the final anime adaptation available to the JoJo's manga and wrapped up just last year in December, and with it comes what is perhaps the most intriguing and captivating story yet. The story, characters, villains, and conceit are so good that it actually has convinced Michael to not be mad at this show for being good - and that's not to ignore the fact that the stand battles and Araki shenanigans continue to live up to the astronomical level of hype. We wrap up with a nice JoJo's retrospective on the entire series as a whole as well, and end the episode with a vow to binge through Part 7 when it comes to a screen near you. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In its infancy, DreamWorks Animation studios began its quest to swing at Disney and attempt not to miss. Their best animators were tasked with a project flanked with music by Hans Zimmer and an ensemble voice cast, and anyone who couldn't make the cut was relegated to animating Shrek. That project was The Prince of Egypt, and the gang rapidly discovers that the number of members with religious upbringings outnumbers the number without (sorry Michael) as we delve deep into this discussion. We love the tone of the movie, the strength of its music numbers, and the DreamWorks flare that comes through in small moments in the film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
This week the gang talks about Pixar's Up, a movie from 2009 where the first 10 minutes are so transcendent that the section has its own Wikipedia page. We talk at length about that little short film, of course, but it's interesting to analyze how the movie draws upon that first 10 minutes and why the rest of the movie itself - characters, plot, villains, resolution - does or doesn't feel impactful enough to follow up on that banger of an opening scene. Naturally, as armchair directors ourselves, we then proceed to rewrite the movie. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The Legend of Vox Machina returns to television for its second season, fresh off of the party's victory from Season 1 and thrust right into conflict with the Chroma Conclave in Season 2. The gang continues to ooh and aah at the impressive animation and well-choreographed fight scenes, and the adaptation from tabletop stream to animated series continues to wow Michael and Iris who have seen pieces of the live campaign; beyond that though, now that Percy's character arc has completed in Season 1, we get plenty more character development for the rest of the cast this season! As unapologetic D&D nerds we cannot wait for Season 3 and are almost surprised to admit that, compared to last season, it's gotten even better. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Our JoJo's...er, GioGio's...Bizarre Adventure train has no brakes! The gang takes a cross-country flight to the picturesque views of Italy and joins Giornio Giovanna, illicit son of Dio Brando who we discover very early on basically has no resemblance to his father, on his quest to improve the country and eradicate its rampant gang problem. There's a couple of parallels that can be drawn to Stardust Crusaders in that there's a fun group dynamic and monster-of-the-week style for a fair bit, but its revolutionary stand powers, less emphasized JoJo protagonist, and new heights of contrived nonsense make it a unique entry in the series. Many of us still believe that Diamond is Unbreakable is still the best JoJo's part, but at least Marcus believes the hype has never gotten any crazier than in Golden Wind. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Released in April of last year and taking the anime world by storm, Spy x Family is an adorable action/comedy that follows a spy, Twilight, in an East/West Germany-esque fantasy setting tasked with creating a family as part of his most important mission. While the setting is dark and tense at times, the content of the show is lighthearted and honestly hilarious at many points, culminating in an underground tennis match late in part 2 which sends Marcus's sides into orbit. Resident weeb Alex dances around the overall story's progression and character development given that he's also read the manga, but we highly recommend giving this show a look if you want a little slice of life in your cold war anime! Stick around for a Theory Wall to round out our episode as well. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
At long last on the podcast, the gang discusses the legendary Pixar film Finding Nemo, perhaps the first of Pixar's films that really elevated their standard of animation and kicking off their own sort of "Golden Age" as Michael dubs it. It's a children's movie that feels much more mature than its predecessors, looks gorgeous for a film in 2003, and has one of the most heartfelt stories of the decade. Surrounded by an excellent cast and touching on familial trauma and loss, we shower the movie in the praise it deserves. Content warning: strong language.
In our second-ever foray back to a show we've discussed prior on the Couch, we return to the realm of Xadia with the long-awaited fourth season of the The Dragon Prince, the first of a trilogy named Mysteries of Aaravos. We've waited patiently since we last discussed the show two and a half years ago, but it's hard to say that our expectations were met for this season, as it suffers from poor structure and pacing, has way too much juvenile humor, and doesn't follow up on the in-universe two year gap in any meaningful or satisfying way. Still, there are glimpses of the old Dragon Prince in this season, and there is still hope - within all of us - that the ship can be righted and the trilogy can end in a satisfying way. Stick around for our Theory Wall continuation and our predictions for seasons 5 and 6! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
We continue on our "JoJourney" with Alex's favorite part of all of JoJo's so far, Part 4! Season 3! Diamond is Unbreakable! Now that Dio is confirmed dead and gone at the end of Stardust Crusaders, the series takes a pretty sharp turn towards a "small-town horror" vibe in the city of Morioh, and in turn the Stands get even crazier and move from less physical to more...metaphysical. Stands like a hand that cuts through spacetime, a punch that reconstitutes matter, a photograph that traps you in a 3D photograph, and more are just a taste of what Araki's been cooking in Part 4 - and there's also a really cool story surrounding a murder mystery with Yoshikage Kira and his stand, Killer Queen. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Short and sweet, Tales of the Jedi is just six short episodes of some nice and easy Star Wars content animated in the Clone Wars aesthetic. So there's probably not too much to discuss, right? WRONG! The gang's propensity for unbelievably overbearing nerdiness is on full display in this episode, and there's a lot more behind the scenes that we have to discuss to make sure we get full understanding of Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku's character arcs through the series. Every discussion on Star Wars on the internet is respectful discourse! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
P.S. You want that juicy nerd rage Star Wars argument, don't ya? Give us a ping at bestseatpodcast@gmail.com, and you'll get exactly what you asked for. Make good choices.
There's a depth of tone and humor, as Iris puts it, in the critically acclaimed anime series One-Punch Man, which satirizes and twists the classic shonen hero anime style of My Hero and bolsters that with excellent characters, a mix of serious and humorous scenes, and some real Saitama character development! Here to further add to our discussion and chip in some friendly sibling banter is returning guest Andrew, and we have some lively discussions about the strength of the supporting cast that Alex gracefully moderates as he always does. Read the manga too! Season 2 kinda drops off a cliff animation quality-wise. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Does anyone else remember this movie? From 2005? Did you know that Ewan McGregor is the VA of the main character in this movie, while almost certainly just coming off filming Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith? I won't blame you for forgetting Robots, as it's broadly pretty forgettable, neither enjoyable nor boring. Robin Williams is also in this movie, and does Robin Williams things, to varying levels of success. The concept of a soul also straight up does not exist in this universe, and that's existentially terrifying. So uh...content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
P.S. Joining us this episode is Alex's robot counterpart, courtesy of NaturalReader's AI Text-to-speech, to keep with the theme. And definitely not because Alex accidentally deleted his voice file. Nope. That doesn't happen on the Couch.
Now on our 3rd year running, Alex's Straw-Hat-gang-away-from-home returns to the Couch this holiday season to once again continue their discussion on One Piece, picking up where they left off in Episode 66. Midway through the Wano Country arc in the anime in that episode, the Wano arc has actually just ended now, and there's plenty of good discussion to be had between Katy, Kyle, Lony, and newcomer Owen! Stick around for discourse on favorite characters, favorite moments in the Wano arc, some banger fight scenes, and speculation on where the show is going to go next...(do I smell a Theory Wall?)
Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
A few weeks ago the gang was thrust into Parts 1 and 2 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the legendary 1987 anime series, and learned everything there is to know about the Joestars, the evil vampire Dio, the enigma that is Speedwagon, the Pillar Men, and Hamon. So anyways, literally none of that is relevant anymore, as Stardust Crusaders elevates the series to heights never seen before, with the introduction of... ゴ ゴ ゴ 「ＳＴＡＮＤＳ」ゴ ゴ ゴ. It's more fun, more interesting, more hilarious, more memeable, and somehow manages to live up to its own self-generated singularity of hype. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Right on time for the holiday season, the gang puts on a couple of the best known Charlie Brown specials - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - for some leisurely viewing. A cornerstone of all our childhoods, this 1940's comicstrip character loses more often than he wins, but when he wins it warms the heart, and he's surrounded by a lovable cast of friends as well as Snoopy and Woodstock. Join us as we reminisce on stories from a simpler time, and sing along with some kids! Content warning: strong language.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the love child of Studio Trigger's animation reputation (see our previous episodes on Kill La Kill and Little Witch Academia) and video game studio CD PROJECT RED's longstanding success from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk: 2077, and also it's on Netflix so I guess it's a bit of a triangle. But even if you were disgusted by Kill La Kill's...showmanship...or disappointed with 2077's excessively buggy gameplay on launch, you will be blown away by the emotional throughlines and excellent worldbuilding provided by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. It's mature, it's nuanced, it's incredibly faithful to the game and its setting, and it's a wonderful story overall, bolstered further by an excellent soundtrack and Trigger's high-quality animation. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's always nice to come into a movie that appears to be about supervillains, spycraft, action scenes and whimsical gadgets and ends up being about the beauty of family. Despicable Me features Steve Carell's excellent dubious Eastern European accent (as well as an impressive voice cast overall), three lovable little girls that steal your heart, weirdly prominent marine life, Kingpin from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and of course, the Minions - though they are somewhat more tame in this movie, to the Couch's relief. Plus, Michael kinda tears up by the end of the movie! That's a W for everyone. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Our first post-centennial episode comes with an introduction to an absolute classic in the anime sphere, originating all the way back in 1987, with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. We start with Parts 1 and 2 for this week's episode, following the stoic Jonathan Joestar in Phantom Blood as he faces off against the evil Dio, and then continuing with his grandson Joseph in Battle Tendency as he fights the Pillar Men, named after cool American bands! The show's reputation precedes it, as Iris and Michael discover just how deep this rabbit hole goes, but beyond how crazy the narrative gets, there's aspects of horror, comedy, drama, and Speedwagon packed into these two short seasons. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Over 2 years and 4 months ago, the four of us came together with a pandemic-era idea to simply record ourselves talking about TV shows - and in that moment, Best Seat on the Couch was born. Humor us now as we come together for our momentous 100th episode, as we take a look back on how far we've come, our favorite moments together, and some of our opinions on where we'll see this show go in the future. And what better way to cap off this episode with our biggest and brainiest Trivia Corner yet! Content warning: strong language, bit of self-indulgence.
Thank you, truly, to all of our listeners who have stuck around with us for this long, and made us feel like we might be even a tiny bit entertaining to people out there. We appreciate you giving us the time of day and allowing us to draw as much enjoyment from this little project as we have so far, and we hope you'll continue to listen to our content for as long as we make it!
Toy Story is the first completely computer generated movie from start to finish, and is therefore the grandfather of all animated children's movies that came after it, cementing its legendary status both in pop culture and in the National Film Registry's archive of preservation. But how does a CGI movie from 1995 hold up over 25 years later? Honestly pretty well - Tom Hanks and Tim Allen steal the show in the lead roles, there's great character progression, humor for both kids and adults, and at its core takes a simple concept - "the secret life of toys" maybe - and puts together a story that's a home run from start to finish. Maybe the dog could use a remaster though. Content warning: strong language.
Today is a momentous occasion on the Couch, as for the first time ever we are revisiting a show we previously discussed on the podcast over a year ago, DOTA: Dragon's Blood. Now bolstered with a second and third season, the show continues to suffer for its ludicrously erratic pacing and increasingly this-is-getting-out-of-hand plot but also introduces new characters, hype fight scenes, politics, plot twists, and classically anime stakes. Stick around to hear Alex apologize constantly for disliking this show for completely valid reasons, Iris channel her inner Chaos Dragon (RIP headphones), and Michael come away confused and baffled from his watch experience. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Baccano! is an electrifying and boisterous 2007 anime series that Alex and Michael consider a "gateway" anime - there's a fantastic English dub, it's set in Prohibition-era America chock full of gangsters, gambling, and guns, and the story is told is a unique way that we've never seen on the Couch before. And while the twists and turns and constant time shifts can confuse the hell out of you and leave you lost, once you're in the seat and getting the hang of the ride you won't be able to get off this train! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
On January 18th, 2021, the gang brought Akira to the podcast, a legendary pillar of Japanese animated media and the cyberpunk genre today, though as a film itself is flawed somewhat. But there is another: 1995's Ghost in the Shell feels deeper, more introspective, and more ethereal, and it demands multiple rewatches to fully understand - and appreciate - how important this movie is to future blockbusters like The Matrix and Ex Machina. It's beautifully animated, takes its time to be metaphorical and inquisitive, and has an incredibly fascinating antagonist. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Kubo and the Two Strings had a bit of a muted release in August 2016, but its beautiful stop-motion animation and interesting feudal Japanese setting were enough for us to bring it to the Couch this week to discuss. Broadly this movie suffers a bit from "spectacle-itis" as Michael dubs it, as it's got wondrous professional stop-motion animation, gorgeous frames and fight scenes (the Sisters are actually sick) but suffers for a lacking story, unmemorable main characters, and weird pacing and narrative progression. It's watchable for the animation alone, but unfortunately doesn't elevate itself to something beyond. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Soul is the first Disney/Pixar installment delivered direct-to-Disney+ as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why, for a lot of us, this movie kind of missed us in the buzz of animated movies of the last few years. It feels a little different than Pixar's award-winning formula, with heavier emphasis on the existential and ethereal quality of life after (and also before) death, and it's fascinating to discuss this movie's musical inspiration and undertones, deep emotional moments, and unique aesthetic, considering that at the end of the day this is still a kid's movie. And as a final note: this is NOT a movie about jazz! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's been a long time since we've touched on another Miyazaki + Ghibli work on the Couch here - and there aren't many left to discuss - but Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is a charming movie, perhaps directed towards a younger audience, full of the trademark magic and gorgeous animation that's a hallmark of the movies in this pantheon. But how does this film hold up to Miyazaki's other works? It's got a vibe like Porco Rosso, a deep love for the ocean, excellent characters in Lisa and Sousuke, and literally picturesque frames. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Back in the day, when existence was only in black and white and our parents rode horses to work, Tom and Jerry was an American TV series of short films that was just nonstop hijinks between a house cat and a scheming mouse (and their friends!), and that simple premise became a legendary forefather of animation. In this episode, you'll find out who thinks Jerry did nothing wrong, whether or not Quibi was a worthwhile business venture, and our favorite Tom and Jerry memes. And no discussion of the 1940s is complete without referencing the American experience of that time - the good and the bad. Content warning: strong language.
Steven Universe crawled so Gravity Falls could walk so She-Ra could run so The Owl House could fly like a weird owl-beast-harpy creature, and dare I say that this is probably the most polished and well-constructed children's animated TV show that we've ever seen. All of the characters, especially our main protagonist Luz, are wonderful and have excellent growth through two seasons, it's animated very well, it's got some wonderful LGBTQ+ representation, and ended on a pretty wild cliffhanger that has us waiting intently for season 3. Come on in and walk through the portal! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Another line in the sand has been drawn, and this time, Iris and Michael show off their d r i f t c o m p a t i b i l i t y as they face off against Marcus and Alex's love for the live action 2013 film Pacific Rim. But unlike its progenitor, the Netflix anime series Pacific Rim: The Black is an entirely different beast, with similar emphasis on the Kaiju and Jaegers but with a more serious tone and emphasis on characters and plot compared to the original. We also highlight this show's use of the concept of drifting as well as some excellent bait-and-switches and "oh sh!t" twist moments in its two short seasons, but criticize some very poor choices in character arcs down the line. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
On this episode of Best Seat on the Couch, the gang asks: what if feelings had feelings? One of Pixar's top works of the 2010s, Inside Out brings out the emotions in us all, including a couple of our scarily deep-rooted thoughts of depression and existential dread. Nah I'm just kidding, we're all very excited to talk about this movie, so much so that we invite our Number 1 Fan Sarah back onto the podcast to discuss this movie's wonderful emotion-characters, emotional intelligence, excellent portrayal of San Francisco, and tear-jerking moments. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's Alex's turn on the carousel of...not great shows...this week, and Alex's childhood love for Kirby the Ninteldritch horror and the early Kirby video games brings us to Japanese anime TV series Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, which was dubbed for Western audiences in 2002. The dub is amazing, with voice acting performances from King Dedede and Meta Knight as the highlights, and the 5-episode finale does get kinda hype towards the end, but other than that this show is basically a fever dream. Alex caps this one off with a really entertaining Kirby-themed Trivia Corner as well! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The height of the Disney Renaissance made the Mouse fabulously wealthy, and so alongside powerhouse films like Aladdin came many direct-to-video sequels like Aladdin 3, or Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Iris's childhood nostalgia notwithstanding, the gang is pretty whelmed by this film overall, and in this episode we discuss the hard hitting questions like: what makes a sequel worth making? Has Robin Williams' Genie simply gone too far? Are Jasmine's eyeballs okay? Does Aladdin actually make an intelligent decision, ever? Will Iris's brother Andrew read this and stew ever more angrily that we're tearing down a pillar of his childhood? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Osmosis Jones is the first movie that the gang - even Marcus, who brought this film for discussion - unanimously dislikes. Split between live-action sequences of Bill Murray's truly abhorrent mid-life crisis lifestyle and an animated TV series buddy cop back-and-forth, we can begin by completely disregarding the live-action half of this movie as irredeemable. Ozzy and Drix's camaraderie, Fishburne's performance and construction of Thrax as a character and villain, and the clever medical jokes and references about the human body are the highlights of this film, and Michael and Iris even have a couple of brain blasts of how to redesign this movie to be...actually good. New Best Seat segment when? Content warning: Medical horror, strong language.
In this latest episode of Best Seat on the Couch: Civil War, the gang is split on our opinions of computer-animated 2005 film Hoodwinked, which is regarded to be the most profitable animated film in movie history - one of its many accolades. It's undeniable that this movie is probably the worst-looking animated movie we've ever seen, perhaps looking even worse than Polar Express, but the story is a fun twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood folktale with some real bangers of dubiously necessary musical numbers, many excellent jokes, the legendary Patrick Warburton, and good old-fashioned FUN! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In Episode 1 of Best Seat on the Couch - yes, our first recorded episode, on Avatar: The Last Airbender - we not only embarked on a podcasting journey that has spanned over 2 years, but Alex also surfaced a cherished memory of U-Pick Live that we, for a very long time, believed was lost to the aether. But fear not, dear listeners. It is lost no longer.
Content warning: bamboozles
Death Parade is a home-brewed anime series that rests at a short 12 episodes and talks about purgatory, the meaning of life, and the philosophical ramifications of life after death. It's beautifully animated and emotionally heavy, has a banger opening track, and relies heavily on its audience to humor it as it asks thought-provoking questions and explores interesting topics about life and death. Not into that? Fret not, dear listener - Michael adds a dissenting perspective to the anime's construction and brings up some valid criticisms to just how much we should really expect from an anime TV series. Remember to put your thinking caps on before joining us! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Pokémon has had an arguably larger impact on millennial/Gen Z culture over the past 20 years than similar elementary school foundational pillar Yu-Gi-Oh!, and in addition to the popular trading card game and campy Japanese anime that the two franchises share, there's a whole suite of award-winning video games, not-so-award-winning movies, and Detective Pikachu too. This episode discusses the very first animated film, Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back, and our thoughts on the characters and post-production changes when it was introduced to Western audiences; plus, stick around for a very mathematically advanced Pokémon Trivia Corner! Content warning: strong language.
Megamind is another Dreamworks staple from 2010 that seemed to miss a lot of us on the Couch, but it's experienced a bit of a resurgence in the pop culture sphere as of late, so we gave it a watch. It's unassuming and well animated, and has an interesting subversion to its plot, but it's actually quite well-written and has wonderful characters and voice acting, plus Tighten is a pretty complex and well-portrayed character considering he's basically an incel. Ultimately, with the superhero genre so saturated with Marvel-esque stories that are a dime a dozen, it's refreshing to see a movie that really tries to put a big-brain twist on the formula as a whole. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
If you've ever dabbled in Dungeons and Dragons, then you've likely heard of the immensely successful web series Critical Role, where critically acclaimed voice actor Matt Mercer runs a D&D campaign for a bunch of other big name voice actor friends. After a record-breaking Kickstarter, the group was able to take their first campaign and translate it into an animated TV series (a feat never done before with a D&D campaign!) and it's...actually pretty good! It is at once a faithful rendition of the party's battles and character moments as they were played out on stream, but also distills the extra moments and slow pacing typical of a D&D campaign into a more streamlined, easy-to-follow series that's easy to hop into whether you're a hardcore roleplayer or a casual fan. Stick around to hear the Couch's own fun times playing D&D together as well as a D&D-themed Trivia Corner to cap off this episode! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The Couch has suffered great emotional trauma over the last few months thanks to Alex's brutal anime recommendations, so as penance Alex brings us Laid-Back Camp, known as Yuru Camp in Japan, to soothe our souls. It's the epitome of slice-of-life, moreso than Bofuri was, but still hits excellent emotional notes while presenting a lovely story about high school girls camping around Japan's picturesque landscapes, cooking up deliciously animated meals, bringing some legitimately useful camping advice, and having a great time enjoying each other's company. So sit back, set up your campfire, pull out your curry noodles, and relax with us on our coziest entry on Best Seat on the Couch. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Season 8 on the Couch starts with yet another nostalgia trip for the gang, as we deep-dive into our childhoods filled with buckets upon buckets of Legos and how special these little plastic building blocks were in our lives. Naturally we're all very high on The Lego Movie and what it brings to the table - and boy does it bring a lot to the table! The pseudo-stop motion, photorealistic animation is unlike everything we've ever seen before, from the fingerprints on the individual minifigures to the crashing Lego ocean waves to the camera angles they use to make it feel like it's a real video camera filming this movie; it pays homage to the best Brickfilms of the past while elevating the CGI to a mind-boggling level. And we haven't even mentioned Will Ferrell! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Somewhere in the realm between Shrek and Bee Movie in the Dreamworks pantheon, Over the Hedge is an initially unassuming and formulaic animated movie of the 2010s, but Marcus's dad really loves this movie, so what exactly does he see that we don't? Well, it's got a crew of surprisingly dynamic and memorable characters voiced by a weirdly B-list voice cast (hi Avril Lavigne!), genuine character development for RJ and Verne, great humor and excellent callbacks which one could describe as poetry, and that one scene with Hammy that predates the Quicksilver frozen-in-time scene by a whole 8 years! Join Marcus this episode, and realize – like he has – that this movie is actually really good. Please.
Content Warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Encanto! With its songs all over the radio and memes all over the internet, we figured we'd talk about Disney's latest big hit, touching upon Lin-Manuel Miranda's spellbinding soundtrack, the beautifully animated scenes of Colombian countryside and the Casita, the unorthodox no-villain plot structure and unique conflicts that arise in the movie, but decidedly not touching upon Bruno. Plenty of differing opinions in this episode however, especially surrounding the story's strength compared to contemporaries, and tune in to witness Marcus finally come to terms with the fact that he is a conceited a-hole. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Somehow, Alex manages to bring us the most emotionally traumatic animes ever constructed under the guise that they're "beautifully animated" and "a fun watch" and keeps getting away with it! Land of the Lustrous is strikingly similar in tangibles to Steven Universe as these shows are both about agender female-presenting gemstone/alien beings that are fun and varied in personality, but that is where the similarities end - this anime tackles hard-hitting topics such as the concept of self, the folly of immortality, the fragility of both body and mind, and what life is like in an essentially constant state of wartime. Tune in to go on a journey with us, laugh with us at Marcus's inability to watch TV correctly, and join in as we wonder just how much worse this gets in our Theory Wall. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
P.S. Some of us also misgender the jewels in this episode, which we apologize for in advance. Correct pronouns for them, as noted from the author herself, are they/them pronouns.
Disney's The Lion King is synonymous with "classic" and feels like Disney's strongest entry in their Renaissance era, which in itself might make it Disney's best animated film of all time - OF ALL TIME! Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones put on absolutely masterful voice performances, it's perhaps the best 2D animated work of its time, it has some iconic musical-style numbers that elevate the movie's beats to new heights, and it's got a proverbial vibe that makes it a lovely story both children and adults can enjoy. No hot takes this time, dear listeners, as we've got nothing but praise for The Lion King and its many wins.
We've been seeing quite a few video game-related animated anthology series popping up on the Couch and our latest one brings the magic of Bungie's longstanding Halo franchise to our podcast, with an anime twist - and also brings special guest Andrew to join us! Similar to our Star Wars: Visions episode a few months ago, Halo Legends presents 7 anime-inspired minisodes that each bring a unique Japanese twist to Halo's lore, Spartans, and the heroism of humanity, which the five of us pick apart meticulously - episodes are critiqued, opinions are shifted, and insults fly like plasma fire. And Andrew's reputation precedes him as he hosts one of our most memorable Trivia Corners to date! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
We return to the Miyazaki pantheon with 1992's Porco Rosso, which seemingly flies under the radar among Ghibli fans even though it was the #1 film in Japan the year it released. On the couch however, this ranks as one of Michael's favorite movies and has also rapidly ascended to Marcus's top 3 Ghibli movies he's seen so far, so we have quite a bit of praise to put on this film, whether it be the wonderful Fio, beautiful score, or gorgeous animated Italian countryside. And while appearing to be a more slice-of-life style movie with low stakes, there's still a little bit of the good stuff to analyze :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
There is practically no TV show more formative in our elementary school years than Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, and that's in no small part to the immensely popular Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game that swept the nation back in 2002, which all of us played - religiously. The show is also a hilariously messy and wacky story about Yugi, a boy who plays a life-or-death monsters game that, frankly, doesn't have any rules, and how the power of friendship and belief in the Heart of the Cards practically guarantee Yugi's success in every duel he fights. Shout out as well to Joey's ridiculous Boston accent, weird friendship hand drawings, the gang's IRL experiences with R A R E C A R D S, and a Yu-Gi-Oh themed Trivia Corner! Content warning: strong language.
It must be guest starring season on the Couch as we bring back our podcast's number 1 fan, Sarah, to talk about one of her childhood favorite Disney (cult) classics, Atlantis: The Lost Empire! And, well, I suppose it might not be as...classic...as its reputation suggests. It's a fine story, with some wonderful characters, an entertaining adventure sequence, and worldbuilding with plenty of potential, but it falls flat on one too many aspects. But that doesn't stop us and Sarah from having a fun time discussing it! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Oh, and because Iris wasn't able to touch on it in the episode proper: there's a pretty rampant colonialist undertone to this movie that was hard for a couple of us to shake off, especially in 2022 - Milo being praised as savior to the Atlanteans, coming in and desecrating an ancient culture's homeland, and so on and so forth...
What If...the gang dove back into the Marvel cinematic MULTIverse? A charming anthology show based off of the Marvel comic series of the same name, What If...? is a fun and entertaining look at our favorite Marvel characters in strange and unique situations, channeling the comic vibe and resulting in some real bangers...and maybe some stragglers too. There's cool cel-shaded animation, great voice acting performances, and plenty of fan service! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
This week on the couch, the gang takes a nice break from some of the heavier hitters of our recent episodes to talk about Bee Movie, which experienced a sort of meme renaissance a few years ago and is a very important nexus point in Alex and Iris's childhoods. But don't get us wrong - this movie is not good. It is a monument to Jerry Seinfeld's sins and disrespects children, adults, biologists, cinephiles, and Sting at the same time. Thank the heavens for Patrick Warburton, at least. Oh, and we do have a pretty fun Trivia Corner to liven our spirits! Content warning: strong language, brain damage.
First DOTA: Dragon's Blood, then Castlevania, and now Arcane, and soon Marcus will get his wish about discussing video games on the Couch. But unlike its predecessors, Arcane is a worldwide phenomenon that has skyrocketed in popularity and ratings and is honestly a masterclass in animation, voice acting, storytelling, and worldbuilding. To celebrate, we bring back our first ever returning guest Jess, who offers her own unique perspective on Arcane and her favorite character/waifu Jinx. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The Polar Express is a...special film. It's a landmark work in computer-generated animation and was one of the first such movies to use extensive motion capture technology, which culminates in a final product that is at the same time immensely creepy and visually wondrous. Tom Hanks plays half the cast, "Hero Girl" looks like some kind of demon, Marcus cannot even with the blatant disregard of the laws of physics, Michael learns about Christianity, and Iris drops an absolutely molten take on what this movie truly means to her. All Alex can do is witness, and so we invite you to witness, as well. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It's another holiday season and as we all go about (safely) enjoying the holidays, Alex gathers his own group of Straw Hats for a follow-up of Episode 27: "One Piece!" Now at 1004 episodes total, the One Piece anime is firmly in its longest individual arc called Wano Country, and infuses feudal Japanese influences into the exciting pirate adventures of Luffy and his pirate crew. In addition to guests Katy and Kyle returning to continue their discussion where they left off a year ago, Alex's friend and coworker Lony arrives to the Couch excited to talk about favorite characters, favorite arcs, favorite villains, and more! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The 2005 Ben 10 series, the O.G. of our childhoods, is a cool psuedo-superhero cartoon that works around the creativity of the Omnitrix and the myriad of cool alien powers that Ben has at his disposal. Compared to some of the newer cartoons we've discussed on the Couch, Ben 10 doesn't try to bring a lot of character development or major twists to the table, and simply relies on the unreliability and flexibility of the Omnitrix, cool factor, and fun family dynamic to make each episode entertaining. Content warning: strong language.
By the powers of Star Wars and anime combined, Star Wars: Visions is an incredibly bold new take on the Star Wars mythos while also being a genuine and heartfelt series of art pieces from Japanese artists and animators. In this episode the gang lightning-rounds through all 9 individual episodes, giving short opinions on each, and discussing the overarching concept of the deconstruction of Star Wars and how these works fit into the greater Star Wars experience. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Disclaimer: Alex's microphone struggles mightily to perform correctly in this episode. Please excuse the drop in audio quality.
On a scale of Iris to Michael, how much did we enjoy this movie? Those of us in favor praise this movie's varied humor, plainly enjoyable characters and jokes, and excellent voice acting performances, whereas those of us against absolutely hammer this movie for its poor through line, cringe-fest humor, forgettable characters, and aspects that really solidify why children's movies can be so painful to watch for adults. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the preaching of our one-man choir, you're sure to feel like a happy fifth-wheel as we engage in a lively bout of friendly banter. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Kind of underrated, The Emperor's New Groove is a slapstick buddy comedy animated Disney film about an emperor who turns into a llama. You've got a lovable idiot who you can't help but root for, a lovable people's guy who is actually also kind of an idiot, an idiot that you love to hate, an idiot that you can't help but love, and Chicha, the most badass woman of all time. It's a hilarious movie that's just long enough to keep you laughing along to a happy ending. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Every Hayao Miyazaki movie is special on the Couch, and not just because it's Marcus's first time watching it - Howl's Moving Castle in particular has colors that feel more vibrant, characters that feel more whimsical, and magic that pushes the boundary of reality even further than mainstays like Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service. For good or for worse, Howl's comes across as more raw and unrefined than other Miyazaki films and hits your emotional center harder, even if the plot feels a tad bit more disjointed because of it. Plus, if you listen to the English dub, you get Billy Crystal's Calcifer and Christian Bale's Howl! Can't miss that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Each one of us on the Couch has a different childhood story to share about our first memories with British stop-motion comedy franchise Wallace and Gromit, but we're all in agreement that this show is charming, hilarious, and had a profound impact on each of our personal developments, especially Alex's love of cheese! There's MacGyver-esque whimsical engineering, terribly eye-rolling British puns, Gromit's facial expressions, a lovely theme song, excellent stop-motion quality - something for everyone! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Death Note is widely considered to be a pillar of modern anime shows/manga adaptations, especially among western audiences - plus, it was Michael's first cautious step into the anime rabbit hole! The gang follows the main character Light Yagami as he acquires the titular Death Note and begins to expand his colossal ego to truly galactic proportions, and we discuss just how accessible this show is to people who might get...overwhelmed...by this show's initial vibe. Stay for the mental warfare, surprise character reveals, and big brain mind games! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
If I had a nickel for every anime-inspired video game adaptation TV show we've discussed on the couch, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice. But unlike DOTA: Dragon's Blood, the first two seasons of Castlevania are actually pretty solid and significantly more welcoming to newcomers lore-wise than Dragon's Blood was, and the Dracula arc was overall exciting, captivating, emotional, and adventurous. Plus - vampires! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
If you had the chance to create a movie heavily focused on fantasy and Scottish mythology but then two years later you get axed and the new director comes in and decides that this movie will follow the more traditional Pixar formula and the only remnant of your original vision was the fact that BEARS are so heavily involved in the story from a fantasy standpoint that it's honestly a little weird to watch and the finished product ends up trying to balance the two original artistic visions and kinda falls short on both fronts but still ends up being a box office success...
...wouldja?
Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Kill La Kill is Studio Trigger's magnum opus, the spiritual successor of Gurren Lagann and the precursor to Little Witch Academia, two shows we've already touched on on the Couch. It is an anime unlike any other anime the gang ever seen before - it breaks an almost uncountable number of traditional boundaries, anime tropes, and uh...PG-limits...while barraging the audience with top-tier music, incredible fight scenes, and raw hype from the minute Ryuko arrives in Honnouji Academy in episode 1. Love it or hate it, Kill La Kill is a legendary entry in the anime pantheon. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
WALL-E is decidedly top 3 in Pixar's repertoire, and is another universally loved entry in the gang's podcasting library. It's got a spectacular and unique opening sequence, lovable - and truly human - non-human characters, and strong emotional moments. Not much else to say about a movie this legendary :) Content warning: strong language.
This week Alex brings us another heavy-hitting and emotionally rich anime in Erased, which combines the murder mystery genre with a warm and nostalgic TV show about childhood, a mother's love, and the power of friendship. At only 12 episodes it's impressive that this show can be so story-rich yet also pace itself in its slow moments, and it certainly doesn't make the show any less emotionally heavy to experience. Plus - time travel! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Nestled somewhere in between our previous episodes on Batman Beyond and Teen Titans, Young Justice has a rich world, excellent storytelling and plot buildup, and a really impressive voice cast that gives it all the tools to be a really excellent entry in the animated DC universe. The gang delves into a passionate discussion about the trailblazing that Young Justice did for a show of its time, and how Iris's upbringing with the show compares and contrasts with the Alex's, Michael's, and Marcus's more contemporary perspectives. Give the show a watch - at the very least, you'll agree with us that it's pretty solid. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
For a genre as saturated with a variety of content as the superhero genre, it's pretty incredible that an animated superhero TV series brings something fresh to the table - almost as fresh as the steaming pile of guts from the biblical levels of gore shown on screen. But Invincible is more than its violence, and is bolstered by its star-studded voice acting cast, excellent fight scenes, extremely strong trio of main characters in Nolan, Debbie, and Mark, and how their relationship unravels over time once you've seen the first episode. It's a show that's impressively well made, stays true to its source material, and keeps the gang hungry for more for the upcoming Season 2. Highly recommend! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
If the movie Shark Tale was a pathetic, lowly little fish, then the Best Seat gang would be a pack of hungry (decidedly not vegetarian) sharks circling its next meal, seconds away from ripping and tearing apart this sad excuse of a movie to shreds. Released alongside greats like The Incredibles and Shrek 2 and on the heels of Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, it's honestly pretty incredible that Shark Tale was a box office success, because it's got...a lot of things wrong with it, to say the least. Take it from us - please don't watch this movie. It's bad. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
To celebrate our 50th episode on the Best Seat on the Couch podcast (wooo! Now if only this coincided with our one year anniversary...) we're blurring the lines of what makes an animated movie with the unholy matrimony of professional basketball and Looney Toons - the original Space Jam! Its sequel is in the news these days and Marcus and Michael think this movie is an absolute classic, but does that make the movie good? Are professional basketball players decent actors? Are professional cartoons decent basketball players? Is it ridiculous that Alex and Iris had never watched this movie until now? Tune in to find out! Content warning: strong language.
There isn't much to say in a description of Your Lie in April, as its hard to put its powerful emotional impact into words, and even harder to describe how it made us feel. But its genuine portrayal of the rigorous and strenuous life of a child musician, its lovely and beautifully animated quiet moments, and its visualization of the emotion and struggle in each character's relationship with music are all highlights of what I'd say is a truly one-of-a-kind anime series. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Miyazaki's films are officially a mainstay on the Best Seat podcast these days, but it's always nice to have a little debate once in a while about movies that never really get any worse than "really good" - Kiki's Delivery Service is a charming tale about a girl who learns how to live on her own, make a living for herself, meet new people, and find her niche in a brave new world. It paints a world where everyone's friendly, life is comfortable, and every smile makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Marcus and Iris put literal thousands of hours into Dota 2, the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) video game, and in this episode we finally see a benefit come out of all of that playtime in our discussion of the spinoff anime series DOTA: Dragon's Blood. The show definitely hits different depending on your background knowledge of Dota lore, and Alex and Michael don't hold back on clarifying questions or wtf moments as Marcus and Iris spearhead our discussion on the show's interesting characters, fragmented narrative, and obscure lore references in its first season. And stick around as Marcus finds a way to torture literally everyone but himself in his straight-up unfair Dota-related Trivia Corner! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
It is our honor to collab with Alex's friend and fellow podcaster Ben, who co-hosts his own podcast Reel Beasts on Spotify, as we tackle a movie series that baffles both memelords and actual paleontologists alike - Blue Sky Studios's Ice Age. A couple of us praise the movie's through line emphasizing family as well as some of its humorous scenes, while a couple of us are more critical of the loose plot and characters, its frankly miserable animation quality, and maybe not-as-humorous-as-some-of-us-think scenes. But we all have a good time reminiscing, laughing, and actually learning about the Ice Age movies and their setting, and we cap it off with a special ad-read and Trivia Corner that makes us really, really, really glad that we're just discussing the first and second movies. Content warning: strong language.
Please check out Reel Beasts on Spotify! A paleontologist and film professional join forces as they pick apart topical movies like King Kong and Jurassic Park, host legit educational series on dinosaurs, and more!
Considering our last magical girl-related anime we discussed was Madoka Magica, studio Trigger's Little Witch Academia is a comparatively fun and exciting anime series that follows the bright and boisterous Akko, best girl Lotte, moody mushroom girl Sucy, and her various friends and professors as they get in trouble, get out of trouble, and unlock immense magical power. This show really has everything for everyone - even the best character ships for shipping trash like Iris! We all adore this show and want to emphasize that you might be fooled by this show's slice-of-life-esque appearance, which hides a rich story and well-written heroes and villains underneath. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The Best Seat gang has officially been podcasting for an entire year! And yes, this past year has been a bit of a wash overall thanks to a certain global pandemic, but we hope you've had half as much fun listening to us talk about stuff as we've had recording it for y'all. To commemorate this momentous occasion, we go back to our roots a la Episode 0, and talk about a topic we've all been interested in discussing that can't be tied to a single movie or TV show — music! We certainly have a lot to discuss about what music brings to enhance animated media, from Avatar to My Hero Academia to Up to Steven Universe to Frozen to...
To all of our faithful listeners who've laughed and learned along with us over this last year, Thank You. We expected exactly 0 listeners when we started Best Seat on the Couch so every one of you that gives us a listen is appreciated and cherished :) we hope you'll join us as we continue podcasting throughout this next year!
Over the Garden Wall is a miniseries that clocks in at just under 2 hours total, and if you watch it front-to-back in one sitting you might think it's a little strange. The experience of watching it, and feeling the sensations Wirt and Greg feel as they wander their way through the Unknown, is arguably more valuable to the viewer than what Wirt and Greg are actually doing. The show makes no attempt to explain what's going on or why it's being shown to us, and just does what it wants to do, with Wirt and Greg - and us - just along for the ride. So uh, I guess if you're into that, give it a watch! Or give it two watches cuz you might enjoy more the second time around! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Kung Fu Panda is an incredible movie that feels like a once-in-a-blue-moon complete package, with an incredible villain in Tai Lung, rich performances from Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman, a gorgeous and culturally rich ancient Chinese setting with deep respect to the art of kung fu, wonderful fight scenes and choreography, tasteful humor, and a really powerful message for children and adults alike. We don't really talk about the sequels in this episode, but we might down the line considering how awesome this movie is. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The Miyazaki time machine beckons again! This time, the gang takes a trip to 1986 to Studio Ghibli's first feature film, Castle in the Sky, which is a wondrous adventure that follows two orphans as they run in with family-style pirates, magical stones, giant robots, Mark Hamill, and the titular castle floating in the sky. Classic Miyazaki/Ghibli hallmarks such as strong female characters, beautiful music, and gorgeous animated scenes mesh seamlessly with dieselpunk vibes, impressive worldbuilding, and an overarching sense of mystery surrounding Sheeta and her necklace that comes to a head once we discover Laputa's true purpose. Marcus has yet to see a Miyazaki movie that he dislikes, so just take his word for it! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Even from minute 2 of this episode, it's very clear: there isn't any anime - or hardly any animated show at all - quite as interesting to watch as Gurren Lagann. Now you might be wondering "well, I mean, it's a show about giant robots fighting, what's so complex about that?" Tune in as we discuss hard-hitting questions like: does the second half's glory atone for the first half's sins? Are the concepts of death, legacy, and faith tastefully presented to Simon, the main character, and his supporting cast? Is it just to limit the population of a civilization to protect it from horrors yet unseen? Guess you'll have to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Big Hero 6 feels like a holy unity of the the superhero craze brought on by the Marvel Cinematic Universe combined with the new-age Disney animated movies born with the dawn of the 21st century - and considering how wildly successful both phenomena have been this last decade, it's no surprise that Big Hero 6 is a hit with the gang. We discuss Baymax (the decidedly best character) and his supporting cast, the formulaic but simplistic nature of its story, problem, and resolution, Hiro's character development, and the awesome what-could-have-been that is San Fransokyo. Plus, we get heated over whether the villain's twist was really much of a twist. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
We dipped our toes into the vast DC Animated Universe with our episode on Teen Titans a few weeks ago, and today we dive deeper with a little bit of a cult classic - Batman Beyond. There are many more examples of cartoons that stick to the classic Batman script (including Justice League, which we reference a lot in this episode), but Beyond is a complete re-imagining of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne, the Batman himself, and crime and villainy in the cyberpunk dystopia that is...2019? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Still running at 13 seasons strong, Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants is a show that practically every child watched in the early 2000s - every child except Iris, apparently ;). This episode touches primarily on the first 3-4 seasons which we all consider to be prime Spongebob, but we take some time to discuss the first movie, future seasons, and - the elephant in the room - whether or not Spongebob should have really stopped churning out new episodes. And stick around for another one of Alex's legendary Trivia Corners, with yet another twist! Content warning: strong language.
My Hero Academia feels like the perfect show of the 2010s - a shōnen anime with incredibly animated action and fight scenes, that capitalizes on the superhero craze, and also highlights the high school experience for teens and young adults? Sign us up! After a short hiatus, the gang opens Season 4 with our resident Professor of Weebology Alex spearheading our discussion on My Hero Academia and its fresh take on the superhero lifestyle/society, its grand selection of unique characters and quirks, and lovable slice-of-life episodes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In general, the gang enjoys watching shows with many facets to pick apart and appreciate, which has at least partially contributed to the content of this podcast, but Bofuri is a very special case of an anime that's basically a slice of life episode...every episode. Set in a fantasy massively multiplayer online video game, Bofuri is a hilarious and lighthearted journey following a teenage girl who stumbles across unimaginable power, and it also pokes some fun at gamer culture and creates a wonderfully cute watching experience from front to back. The gang still finds a way to discuss this show at length. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Iris describes this movie as "THE definitive Disney Renaissance movie" and she's not entirely wrong - not only was it the highest grossing film of all time upon its release in 1992, its incredible soundtrack and wondrous premise paved the way for the movie that would eventually surpass it, The Lion King, just two years later. A movie that legendary warrants a special guest, so our friend Vanessa finds a seat on the couch and joins the gang as we discuss Aladdin's animation, music, trickery, and of course the late Robin Williams's truly one-of-a-kind performance as the Genie. No spoiler warning because this movie is timeless. Content warning: strong language.
In Episode 32, the gang embarks on a perilous adventure through the cursed realm of fanfiction.net as part of the all-new Writer's Desk segment, and unfortunately for all of us, we correctly guess one of the four stories' main duos and resign ourselves to a live reading of that story from Alex himself. In this minisode, we listen to a smooth oration of "Their Happily Ever After" and react to its verbiage, storytelling, and...other things. Content warning: Fanfiction.
Hall of the Mountain King Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The OG Teen Titans TV series might have been rebooted one too many times for the sake of the IP, but the gang unanimously agrees that this series from our childhood is by far the best one. A perfect marriage of psuedo-anime style humor and animation, clowny and 4th-wall-breaking jokes, incredibly diverse villains, and lovable protagonists, Teen Titans feels like an actual kids show about teenagers who do teenager things (like go on dates and fight alien tofu) but also do superhero things (like deal with the trauma of facing a supervillain determined to break your mind and spirit). It's a fun watch! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Shrek, nearly 20 years old and close to induction to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, really needs no introduction both as a movie and as a cultural monument. All you must know is:
Shrek is love, Shrek is life. And even when you think it's ogre...it's never ogre.
Content warning: strong language, the Writer's Desk (possibly the most cursed special segment on Best Seat history).
Few films come around that feel like a truly complete package, and fewer end up being animated - but Spider-Verse checks all the boxes, whether that be its characters, voice acting, humor, visual scenery, animation, style, soundtrack, emotional pacing, or even its treatment of a traditionally tricky subject like a Multiverse! It has plenty of memorable scenes that the gang reminisces on, and the fight sequences throughout the movie are straight-up badass, so we take a significant amount of time discussing just how seamless the integration of the comic book aesthetic is woven into each frame and each little caption thrown on the screen. Of course, none of this ends up mattering as Alex brings back our world-famous Trivia Corner, which is a fantastic cap to our discussion on a truly legendary movie. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Infinity Train is a relative newcomer to the animated miniseries scene, first created as a pilot concept from Owen Dennis in 2019 which later blossomed into a 3-season show released through 2020. Small as it may be, it packs a powerful punch with its simple but instantly mysterious and captivating setting on the titular train, star-studded VA cast, excellent music, and underrated humor. Who is funnier, One-One or Atticus? Does Marcus unjustly hate dogs? Is it really a kids show if most of the antagonists are nightmare-inducing? Perhaps it isn't one - the attention to real human problems, presented in a mature and respectful manner for children, makes this show much more substantial than it appears. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
You may be under the impression that Akira, our topic of last week's episode, is what the gang considers the most legendary piece of animated media in history. You would be wrong. That distinction belongs to French-animated faux-anime cartoon series Code Lyoko, which ran during the height of our collective childhoods and had a profound impact on the people we are today. With a revolutionary half-2D, half-3D animation style, lovable protagonists, a novel sci-fi universe with cool af monsters, and a banger of a soundtrack, it's clear from our discussion of this show that Code Lyoko stands firmly in a tier of its own as a monument to humanity's achievement in animated television. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
1988's Akira is legendary. From it came incredible leaps in sci-fi movies, the cyberpunk genre, adult animation, and what I guess we call Japanese anime today, but the real question is: why meat baby? In this episode, the gang discusses Akira from many angles, and while it is not without its faults as a film, it provokes a lot of thought about humanity's potential future in a cyberpunk setting. Plus, what about the manga of the same name, and how does the movie fare with so much of the manga omitted? And what about that ending? Content warning: strong language, meat baby.
With the main cast on vacation for the holidays, Alex brings his close friends Katy and Kyle to the Couch for a very special episode on wildly successful anime One Piece, based off of the 20+ year-running manga series of the same name. At almost 1000 individual episodes spread over 20 seasons as of the new year, there is an almost insurmountable volume of content for interested newcomers, but Alex, Katy, and Kyle pose strong arguments and thoughtful discussions on what makes the series worth watching, whether it be its loveable cast, the sense of wondrous adventure, heart-wrenching emotional moments, or absolute slap of a theme song. Plus, who doesn't love an anime about pirates?! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In an effort to continue indoctrinating the gang with anime propaganda, Alex takes us back to the classics in our episode on 1997 sci-fi space western Cowboy Bebop. Wildly different from the animes of today and the ones we've discussed on the Couch, Cowboy Bebop infuses classical space western characters (including an excellent English dub, with smooth voice acting) with phenomenal jazz music, deep emotional moments, and old-timey action and chase sequences - in fact, there's a lot to discuss about how Cowboy Bebop's writing and pacing is so deeply rooted in the spontaneity and complexity of jazz music and its derivatives. We also pitch in some cents on the show's episodic structure, ending series, and worldbuilding! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The dynamic duo of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli returns to the Couch this week with our discussion on the legendary 1997 film Princess Mononoke. Similar thematically to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind which we discussed previously, Mononoke almost feels like Miyazaki's second, more expansive attempt at conveying his messages of environmentalism and anti-war sentiment, with his trademark strong female characters and Ghibli's gorgeous visuals. Stick around for discussions on the excellent worldbuilding in the forest and Irontown and unusual character development! No spoilers 20+ years old yada yada yada. Content warning: strong language.
With two seasons of podcasting under their belts, the gang kicks off Season 3 of Best Seat on the Couch in previously unexplored territory - adult animated sitcoms - with Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon's Rick and Morty, and a contentious first installment it is! Screaming sauce-obsessed man-children at McDonald's aside, the show is certainly written well, with a unique and self-aware sense of humor that few other shows can execute as well as Rick and Morty has through 4 seasons. But this show is hot for some and cold for others, and so the gang discusses at length what's good, what's bad, and what's ugly with the show's gratuitous jokes, character development, and meme-tier core concepts. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
A stark 180° from our previous anime discussions on Ouran High School Host Club and Madoka Magica, Demon Slayer is our first shōnen anime on the Couch and a phenomenal hit among Japanese audiences within the last 5 years. Alex once again provides guidance and insight into the weebdom as he hosts our discussion on the tropes of shōnen animes and their characters, comparisons (and differences) with My Hero Academia, character arcs in the first and second half of the show, and the demons of course! And, as another series that has yet to conclude, Alex brings back our second-ever Theory Wall so that we can all drop some (relatively logical) takes on where Demon Slayer will go next. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The gang returns to Brad Bird's directorial prowess in this episode on Ratatouille, and boy do we have A LOT of discussion for you. For a children's movie, Ratatouille has surprisingly unorthodox plot progression and rich character growth in just under 2 hours of runtime, especially considering that the setting (Paris) and stakes (oh no! My restaurant!) of the movie appear more grounded and less fantastical than other Pixar greats like The Incredibles or Wall-E. Plus, there's tons of delicious looking food to drool over! Stay tuned for Michael's culinary Trivia Corner at the end of this episode too. Content warning: strong language.
It would typically be sacrilegious to call a kid's show that released in 2015 a "classic" but Gravity Falls comes at you with a star-studded VA cast, engaging and mystery-centric plotline, and no shortage of downright silliness that make a very strong argument for best animated cartoon of the 2010's. It provides adorable entertainment for kids and subtle intrigue and mystery for older audiences, with special attention on the two twin relationships of the main characters, an extradimensional antagonist, and a fantastic and action-packed (but bittersweet) ending arc. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Teased in many Best Seat episodes prior, Marcus's fanatical love for Star Wars finally comes to a head in the gang's discussion of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series released in 2008. With over 100 episodes spanning over 7 seasons, the series is far too vast to discuss in an hour, so key episodes were chosen for Michael and Alex to watch (and Marcus and Iris to re-watch) to get a feel for the incredible choreography, strong character development, and detailed Star Wars lore that are hallmarks of the series. Stick around for the Jeopardy-style Trivia Corner as well! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Western audiences know of Hayao Miyazaki thanks to Spirited Away, which we tackled last season on the Best Seat podcast, but it would be doing a disservice to the legendary Japanese director without putting a spotlight on his numerous other works, one of the very first being 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Created before the inception of Studio Ghibli, Nausicaä is a quaint but charming little story that highlights Miyazaki's emphasis on environmentalism and strong female leads that also has a star-studded English dub. No spoilers because this movie is 36 years old, though Marcus is definitely late to the Miyazaki party. Content warning: strong language.
Alex ramps up the anime invasion on the Best Seat podcast starting with the 12-episode-and-follow-up-movie series Puella Magi Madoka Magica. This anime is a nice and light-hearted adventure story surrounding a group of adorable middle school girls who make a contract with an cute alien familiar to become titular magical girls, who use their magical abilities as well as the power of love and friendship to fight witches and grow closer as friends. There is no discussion on outlandish topics such as the descent into overwhelming despair, death by decapitation, time travel, ascending to a higher state of being, or the inevitable heat death of the universe. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
When Iris gets excited about something, she gets REALLY excited about it - Avatar is like that, Steven Universe is like that, and in this episode Iris gets to tell us just how much the Netflix original She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is like that. With Alex having binged the entire 5-season series in a week and Michael and Marcus having watched a curated selection of key episodes per Iris's recommendation, we all have unique perspectives on the show's characters, plot progression, and LGBTQ+ representation in the series. And while all of us may have had varying first impressions of the show, we all agree that it's a great watch and full of love and friendship :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Of the many legendary animated movies of the Disney Renaissance, Mulan (1998) cements itself as a particularly progressive, empowering, and inspiring entry that all five of us grew up with and have grown to love. In addition to Eddie Murphy's amazing Mushu and Disney's banger of a soundtrack, there's excellent discussion that Iris and Danielle spearhead in this episode concerning Mulan's struggle in a gendered system, the concept of character agency, and Mulan's propensity to succeed as herself rather than as "being strong." And no, we don't compare this movie to the 2020 live-action version. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In this episode, the Best Seat gang tackles the Netflix exclusive The Dragon Prince, the first show on the podcast that has yet to conclude as a series! Coming from Avatar's lead writer Aaron Ehasz, The Dragon Prince is already an excellent story three seasons in with a lot of room to grow as well, both plot-wise and in regards to its lovable characters (and thankfully, the show's animation style improves from Season 1). Marcus brings the heat when it comes to our discussion on the show's primary antagonists, and Michael hosts a very special Theory Wall that has the gang preparing for a possible follow-up episode once The Dragon Prince concludes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
The second anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga Fullmetal Alchemist, 2009 TV series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of Alex's all time favorites, and after having introduced the series to Danielle and Marcus years ago, he is excited to cover it again with Michael, Iris, and all of our faithful viewers. Tune in as we give special attention to the show's villains, the importance of the human condition, balancing humor with poignant moments, and just how great the English dubbed version is, and stick around for Alex's special Trivia Corner, where the original 2003 anime series makes a surprise cameo appearance. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Animated media comes in all shapes and sizes - a particularly unusual one is claymation, and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is perhaps the most critically acclaimed stop-motion animated movie of them all. Being another Disney mainstay, Danielle spearheads our discussion on her personal favorite movie of all time, and Michael contributes 3 scorching hot takes that sends the rest of the gang reeling in their seats. We conclude this episode with a mini-Trivia Corner, and all is revealed as Marcus snaps his winning streak and drags Alex further into the abyss of continuous loss. Content warning: strong language.
Makoto Shikai's Your Name was a global hit worthy of a spot on our podcast, and to kick off Season 2 of Best Seat on the Couch, we head to Shinkai's next work in the 2019 anime film Weathering With You. It's another beautiful story with gorgeous animation and hard-hitting emotional moments that is best experienced without prior knowledge of its premise, and so I once again recommend you experience it on a clean slate, as we all did. And while we attempt to avoid comparing it to its predecessor throughout the episode, Your Name's legendary status as top-grossing anime film of all time begs the question - is Weathering With You a worthy successor, and does it hit the same highs? Tune in to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In this episode, high school friend and second-ever guest on the show Sarah joins us to discuss one of her favorite movies of all time, The Iron Giant. It's one of the first animated movies that used CGI extensively in the 90s, and is a charming story about identity and destiny with a truly legendary finale. But of course, in addition to our discussion of the movie, Danielle drops some knowledge on animation techniques, Sarah flexes her knowledge of the movie's many memorable scenes, and Michael feels that the universe is out to get him. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
If you're not familiar with Scooby-Doo and the hundreds of individual episodes, movies, games, and other media showcasing the Gang's adventures in the Mystery Machine, you must be from the 1700s. Thankfully we are not, and so we dedicate this episode to the classic series and its iconic characters, humorous moments, and memorable catchphrases. For children this show does an excellent job at finding that balance between scary moments and easy laughing, and for adults it's charming to see the characters interact with each other and reveal the human nature of most of the world's "monsters." No spoiler warning because this series is 51(!) years old. Content warning: strong language.
Ouran High School Host Club is a hilariously wacky Japanese anime that semi-satirizes the shōjo manga genre popular amongst teenage girls in Japan, which may seem like a pretty harsh 180 from our usual programming. But this anime, a Michael and Alex fan favorite, is deceptively complex and poses difficult questions on topics such as gender identity and power dynamics, which the gang discusses at length. That being said, we all end this episode with a lively Michael-hosted Trivia Corner, where Alex continues his losing streak. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In this episode, the gang tackles Disney/Pixar's is-it-really-a-superhero-movie The Incredibles, with a little dip into The Incredibles 2 for good measure. It's a charming movie with memorable characters, extremely memeable quotes, and a deceptively complex villain, and one of the things we praise the most is how enjoyable this movie is for both children and adults, as it highlights (in an incredibly entertaining fashion) the reality of how a family lives with each other, superpowers or not. Plus, we even get to dive into Marcus's area of expertise, ~ m e m e c u l t u r e ~, towards the end of the episode! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
We've got our first ever guest on Best Seat on the Couch this episode, and Jess is excited to join the gang on our emotional roller coaster adventure on Makoto Shinkai's Kimi no Na wa, otherwise known as Your Name. The film is best experienced without any prior knowledge of its premise or plot, so if you haven't watched the movie, please stop reading this blurb and give it a go. What can be said is that all six of us ended up in various levels of tears by the end credits, and that we unanimously love and cherish this gorgeous movie for all of its beautiful moments and hard-hitting twists. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Hot on the heels of last week's episode, we round out our discussion on Cartoon Network's Steven Universe with discussions on both Steven Universe: The Movie (occurring two years after the events of Season 5) and Steven Universe: Future (a 1-season epilogue to the series). The Movie and Future keep nearly all of the great aspects of the original, like incredible music and excellent character development, while also introducing a completely new set of circumstances and issues that Steven has to tackle as he gets older and learns to live in a significantly changed world. In this episode we discuss the events of the movie, Steven's growth as a character, the ending to the series in Future, and optimal TV cartoon episode length (it does matter). One thing, however, is certain: this is a series that will be sorely missed, and is absolutely worth the watch. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
What happens when Iris wants to discuss one of her favorite TV shows of all time, but only 3 out of the 5 of us have watched it? You get our episode on Cartoon Network's Steven Universe! This relatively young cartoon is near and dear to Iris's heart and has gorgeous animation, beautifully colored backdrops, powerful musical performances from broadway-grade singers, and strong and no-nonsense LGBTQ+ representation, all packed into an educational, humorous, and heartwarming kids show. Join Michael and Alex as they get educated on our appreciation for Steven Universe, then suffer alongside them in our third ludicrously difficult Trivia Corner gauntlet, this time hosted by Iris. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Our first of many Disney-focused episodes highlights the 1991 animated masterpiece Beauty and the Beast, one of many classics of the Disney Renaissance era of animated films. Self-proclaimed Disnerd Danielle spearheads the gang's discussion on animation, the musical aspects of the movie (yes, some of us sing in this episode), stockholm syndrome, and the absolute unit that is Gaston. Danielle also MC's our second Trivia Corner, with even more obscure trivia for us to collectively pull our hair out over. No spoiler warning because this movie is almost 30 years old. Content warning: strong language.
In this episode, the gang pays tribute to legendary Japanese director/filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and the talented team at Studio Ghibli with a discussion on 2001 animated film Spirited Away. In addition to our collective fangirling over the gorgeous visuals and captivating story that cements the movie's legendary status, we also discuss Miyazaki's motifs and social commentary, his emphasis on strong female characters, and Ghibli's masterful presentation of mouthwatering animated food. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
We pick up right where we left off from our previous episode to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender's sequel, The Legend of Korra, another phenomenal animated TV series from Nickelodeon and worthy successor to the legendary story of ATLA. We discuss things like great episodes, memorable scenes, shortcomings, comparisons to its predecessor, and where Mako ranks on Danielle's top 8 animated character crushes (number 7 will blow your mind). Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
In our opening episode, we talk about critically acclaimed Nickelodeon TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, recently added to Netflix and mainstay of our collective childhoods. Tune in to fanboy with us about our favorite characters, episodes, and moments, and stick around for our first ever Trivia Corner, where we attempt to answer ridiculously obscure Avatar trivia to questionable success. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Welcome to Best Seat on the Couch. In this prequel episode, we talk about animated media and our personal histories growing up with some of the greatest animated movies and TV shows of the 80's and 90's as well as those we're watching in the present day. Content warning: strong language.