Show #135: Mickey's Christmas Carol

A stocking stuffer sized edition of our holiday tradition as we go further down the Charles Dickens cartoon adaptation well with Mickey's Christmas Carol!

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I gotta get on a bus to go home for Christmas so I'll spare you the pithy quips and just say that as straightforward and brief as this is it may one of the better Christmas Carol adaptations we've covered yet. Cameos abound from Disney characters both famous and obscure so if you're the sort who loves frame-by-framing your media you'll have fun picking the faces out of the crowd. All that's left to say is Merry Christmas to all our listeners wherever you may and have a safe & pleasant holiday season. Til next year!

THE SHORT VERSION

Scrooge as Scrooge

Dread spectres

Special(?) guests

SOTSM x DITB - Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade and The £100 Anime Collection

Niall has only been here and there on Let's Go Jojo of late but he did find the time to catch up with the Dynamite In The Brain boys on a pair of powerful podcasts. First we tool up for an exploration of alternate history via Hiroyuki Okiura and Mamoru Oshii in Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade eager to learn if it's half as cerebral as is claimed. The answer may surprise you!

Shopping for an anime fan or indeed fans this Christmas? We'll let you in on all the money saving secrets those Akihibara fatcats don't want you to know with our entries into The £100 Anime Collection! Who will win in the ultimate showdown of Quality VS Quantity? Listen up to find out!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 37 – Crazy D (Diamond) Is Unbreakable

Kira's overconfidence has gotten the better of him as he's forced into a fight or flight encounter with Josuke. Yet even caught out in the open the Stand powered serial killer still has a few tricks stowed away. More desperate battles await against almighty robot girls & famous authors, sieges are waged against castles & fish markets and for one week only it's three Oda Nobunagas for the price of one!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #37
• Dragon Ball Super #69
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #10
• Bungo Stray Dogs #22
• Bono Bono #22
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #24
• Time Bokan 24 #10
• Yuri On Ice #10
• Drifters #9
• Classicaloid #8

Listen up!

Show #134: He-Man & She-Ra - A Christmas Special

Doing all the hard work for toy companies everywhere this season, we're joined by Joseph Wade to learn the true meaning of He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special!

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Still baffling sarcastic blog writers to this day who can't seem to get their heads around what a cartoon is, He-Man and She-Ra unite to receive the teachings of a wonderful winter holiday that definitely has nothing to do with Christianity. Villains are vindicated, rival toy robots are ridiculed, kids get kidnapped and myths are dispelled about the fallacy of enjoying media "ironically".

Experience more holiday cheer with Joseph and company over on Christmas Creeps!

THE SHORT VERSION

New traditions

One Skeletor and his dog

Transforming robots, an awful and terrible idea right?

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 36 – Another One Bites The Dust, Part 2

Young Hayato is imprisoned in the recursive loop of Killer Queen's new ability, much like Niall is in a loop of reposting these so late! But that just means there's still time to enjoy all the chipmunk duelling, dragon summoning, eldritch nightmare destroying fun of some great anime shows!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #36
• Dragon Ball Super #68
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #9
• Bungo Stray Dogs #21
• Bono Bono #21
• Time Bokan 24 #9
• Yuri On Ice #9
• Drifters #8
• Classicaloid #9

Listen up!

Show #133: Transformers - The Movie (1986)

Hitting the shops just in time for Christmas, Greg Driver and Paul Shipley show off their impressive collection of knowledge on Transformers: The Movie!

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Much has been writ of this fondly remembered cinematic outing on its 30th anniversary this year, so we'll do our utmost to add a personal touch to our remembrances of everyone's favourite 80s toybox slaughterfest, uneven as it may be but still one heck of a good time. Tales are spun of early lessons in the finality of death, myths are busted about the talent behind the scenes and inspiring anecdotes of the films marvellously upbeat soundtrack are shared.

THE SHORT VERSION

Robot Galactus

Robot upgrades

Robot-o-cide

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 35 – Another One Bites The Dust, Part 1

That Kira is one slippery customer, as just when you think you've got him cornered he pulls another trick outta the bag. What totally broken ability has he just acquired THIS time? Find out about this and other cheap special powers in the best of this week's anime!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #35
• Dragon Ball Super #67
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #8
• Bungo Stray Dogs #20
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #23
• Bono Bono #20
• Time Bokan 24 #8
• Yuri On Ice #8
• Drifters #7
• Classicaloid #7

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 34 – July 15th (Thursday), Part 4

Need to get that monkey/Stand off your back? This local manga artist has one weird tip that may work for you! If you need more help we can have Bono Bono interpret your dreams, Dragon Ball Super exterminate those pesky false gods and for a limited time it's buy one get one free on warfare lessons from Oda Nobunaga!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #34
• Dragon Ball Super #66
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #7
• Bungo Stray Dogs #19
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #22
• Bono Bono #19
• Flip Flappers #7
• Time Bokan 24 #7
• Yuri On Ice #7
• Drifters #6
• Classicaloid #6

Listen up!

Show #132: Space Ghost Coast To Coast

It's a star studded spectacular as we are joined by special guests Joseph Wade and Libby Cudmore for a special late night talk show on Space Ghost Coast to Coast!

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While we are saddened by the recent passing of an intregal creative talent to this cult classic, we also take this opportunity to celebrate and appreciate how this cobbled together Frankenstein of a TV show made for the spare change in your back pocket somehow went on to touch the hearts & minds of millions of insomniacs around the globe, not to mention opening the floodgates for Adult Swim and a whole host of other surreally humourous late night cartoons and providing a surprising shared cultural touchstone for our weird adolescences.

Joseph's Twitter

Libby's Twitter

Watch Space Ghost Coast To Coast here!

THE SHORT VERSION

Special guests

Format pioneers

The sublimely ridiculous

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 33 – July 15th (Thurs), Part 3

Don't look back, but look forward to Josuke enlisting the help of an old foe with a nifty nose to track down the latest Stand assassin to threaten Morioh. Meanwhile all out war has broken out in the rest of the anime world. Gods vs Mortals! Elves vs Humans! Penguins vs Rats! Whoever wins, you also win dear listener!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #33
• Dragon Ball Super #65
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #6
• Bungo Stray Dogs #18
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #21
• Bono Bono #18
• Flip Flappers #6
• Time Bokan 24 #6
• Yuri On Ice #6
• Drifters #5
• Classicaloid #5

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 32 – July 15th (Thurs), Part 2

This Thursday is about to get a little weirder as a peculiar architect makes a house call on Rohan and a paper folding felon goes on a kidnapping spree. Villains are also imprisoned against their will in Dragon Ball Super, Bungo Stray Dogs is finally back on form and a whole lot more happens in all these other shows!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #32
• Dragon Ball Super #64
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #5
• Bungo Stray Dogs #17
• Bono Bono #17
• Flip Flappers #5
• Time Bokan 24 #5
• Yuri On Ice #5
• Drifters #4
• Classicaloid #4

Listen up!

Show #131: Capitol Critters

This election year be sure to exercise your civic duty and be an informed voter on the dangerous policies of Capitol Critters.

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Another Simpsons wannabe that misses what made that show appealing, Capitol Critters is a pungent mess of clumsy political hot takes interspersed with cartoon animal slapstick capering, and if you think that sounds like two elements that'd mix about as well fire & gasoline you would be entirely correct. As subtle as a sledgehammer and somehow even less graceful, it's amazing it lasted as long as it did.

THE SHORT VERSION

PTSD

Even, nuanced discussion of social issues

You're alright VP Cat

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 31 – July 15th (Thurs), Part 1

It's three Jojos for the price of one! Separate stories play out all at once as Koichi is menaced by an unseen stranger, Rohan gets a visitor and the boys investigate the occupant of a strange pylon. That's a lot of action! Not to mention everything else we watched as well!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #31
• Dragon Ball Super #63
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #4
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #20
• Bono Bono #16
• Flip Flappers #4
• Time Bokan 24 #4
• Yuri On Ice #4
• Drifters #3
• Classicaloid #3

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 30 – Cats Love Yoshikage Kira

The cat skull necktie may have been a dead giveaway, but Kira has a curious affinity for our feline friends and he may have found one that's just as strange as he is! ALSO: Existential dread, noisy ninjas, prospective brides and hot blooded ice skating showdowns.

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #30
• Dragon Ball Super #62
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #3
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #19
• Bono Bono #15
• Flip Flappers #3
• Time Bokan 24 #3
• Yuri On Ice #3
• Drifters #2
• Classicaloid #2

Listen up!

Show #130: Ushio & Tora (2015)

It's a special Halloween episode of a different stripe as we go yokai-busting with the horrifying but heartful Ushio & Tora!

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A more complete version of a previously adapted 90s manga, this series came along at a time when it seemed like its version of storytelling was old hat. To the surprise of many Ushio & Tora proved its classic sense of values and style can resonate with an audience of the modern era with supposedly more sophisticated taste, bringing a potent blend of visceral action, heart-rending drama and one of the most sinister antagonists in any brand of fiction in decades.

THE SHORT VERSION

Soft-hearted heroes

Fearsome yokai

Ultimate evil

Show #129: Rock and Rule

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An obscure B-side from the early days of Nelvana Animation, Rock and Rule lives up to about thirty percent of its title. Not rocking like one would expect from a post-apocalytic movie involving demon summoning, neither does it rule in the characterisation or plotting areas. The design, animation and atmosphere all make a good showing but feel like they would be better employed in service of a more consistent movie that had a firmer idea of the audience it wished to court.

THE SHORT VERSION

Super rockers

Super slackers

Super heroes

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 29 – Highway Star (Part 2)

Josuke races to outrun the ravenous Highway Star and find it's user before it drains the very life from him. Will he make it in time? And will Koichi get to walk the dog? Anime old and new are also discussed with plenty of stylised  historical figures, fairy tales and kids cartoons putting everything else to shame.

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #29
• Dragon Ball Super #61
• Ninja Girl and Samurai Master #2
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #18
• Bono Bono #14
• Flip Flappers #2
• Time Bokan 24 #2
• Yuri On Ice #2
• Drifters #1
• Classicaloid #1

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 28 – Highway Star (Part 1)

It's a Jojo of two halves this week as Josuke and Rohan finish up their deceptive dice game before getting on a bus and running into some real trouble. We also watched nearly every new show worth talking about this season, too many to list in fact! What will make the cut going forward? To find out you'll just have to listen up!

Show #128: The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)

Originally slated for a now aborted theme but it's always a good time to have Anthony Askew on to talk about The Adventures of Tintin!

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Herge's roving reporter Tintin had been adapted for animation and the big screen many a time before receiving the blockbuster treatment courtesy of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Away go the fanciful comic doodles and in come high resolution motion capture models of terrifying unrealism. What doesn't get left behind is the pulp adventure spirit of the original stories, delivering energetic action set pieces at a steady pace without derailing the plot, coming strangely full circle seeing as the director of Indiana Jones is at the helm of a film about one of its key inspirations. Give them a couple of years and we may even get those planned sequels!

THE SHORT VERSION

Amazing likenesses

Heroic sea captains

Improbable action

Let’s Go! Autumn Anime Preview!

Summer is over but the anime keeps a-comin', so we would be remiss in our duties to you, the non-crazy person, to put you in the know about all the hits & misses from the past season and what awaits in the bumper harvest of brand new cartoons. Historical figures are re-imagined, handsome boys on and off the ice, cats both fluffy and fierce, and the sports anime that will have Niall glued to the screen. It's all in here, so listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 27 – I’m An Alien

An illegal alien! An Englishman in Morioh! Our newest character is probably neither of those things, but he does claim to be from outer space and has the strange powers to prove it! Or at least prove he may be some manner of Stand user. More otherworldly arrivals come with cardboard cats and monster girls, criminals meet with justice and some children get a stern talking to.

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #27
• Dragon Ball Super #59
• Heybot #2
• Bananya #13
• Bono Bono #12
• Nyanbo #1
• Kaiju Girls #1
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #17
• 91 Days #12
• Mob Psycho 100 #12

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 26 – Here Comes Janken Boy!

There's important crime solving to be done, but enough of that for now. Let's enjoy twenty or so minutes of Rohan playing Rock Paper Scissors with a small boy FOR KEEPS. On the subject of annoying children an evil presence arrives in the form of Heybot and Reigen attempts to reason with some developmentally arrested supervillains before it gets all serious again in 91 Days. Oh, and a torrent of Thunderbolt Fantasy talk that broke the Internet!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #26
• Heybot #1
• Bananya #12
• Bono Bono #11
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #16
• Thunderbolt Fantasy #8-12
• 91 Days #11
• Mob Psycho 100 #11

Listen up!

Let’s Go JoJo! Episode 25 – Atom Heart Father

Psychic Boy Detective Club convenes to get some leads on the fugitive Yoshikage Kira at his former homestead. Little do they know that somebody else wants the gang out of the picture! More mysteries are pondered regarding the motivations of a renegade demi-god, the sadistic neighbourhood cats, curing the common cold and one secret is revealed as an elusive letter writer shows themselves at last!

• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable #25
• Dragon Ball Super #58
• Bananya #11
• Bono Bono #10
• Shonen Ashibe Go Go Goma-chan #15
• 91 Days #10
• Mob Psycho 100 #10

Listen up!

Show #127: M.A.S.K.

Working overtime to get this show out to you, Greg Driver of Ace Comicals stops by to take us for a spin into M.A.S.K, aka Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand!

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The lesser cousin to the 80s cartoon stalwarts it borrows from, MASK has some nifty ideas but finds itself lacking in the execution. All the usual suspects are here; relentless background music, inconsistent visual quality, an irritating child character taking up precious screen time. Pockets of quality exist in the mechanical design and the better directed episodes, but spread all too thin over a long series. We can all agree that the opening theme is still fantastic though!

THE SHORT VERSION

Sweet rides

Time to try and not get fired today

Scott Trakker: Robo Racist