Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Explorations Episode 35: Macross II

This month, we’re covering the anime OVA that came out for the 10th anniversary of Macross, and was the first non-Robotech version of the Macross universe to reach the US, along with the Macross II tabletop RPG from Palladium Games. Before that, we get into the current situation ongoing with Visa & MasterCard blocking transactions for NSFW content due to pressure from a Far-Right-Wing Australian group.

Note: I’m trying a new recording platform with this episode, and I ran into some technical difficulties that carried over to my backup recording. Consequently, my audio is impacted, but not necessarily the audio from my guest and cohosts.

Episode 35: Macross II

This month, we’re covering the anime OVA that came out for the 10th anniversary of Macross, and was the first non-Robotech version of the Macross universe to reach the US, along with the Macross II tabletop RPG from Palladium Games.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Review: Mobile Suit Gundam Quuuux

Gundam Quuuux is a bit of a tricky series to recommend. First, it has the continuation of a problem that appears to have started with Witch From Mercury of series that just didn’t have enough time for their plot and characters to breathe, and not (as was the case with First Gundam) because it was cut short due to poor ratings or sponsors bailing. Second, it’s an alternative universe take on the Universal Century that doesn’t provide a lot of hooks for people who are new to that timeline. I enjoyed it, but I wonder how much of that is due to my own familiarity with the events and characters it’s playing with.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Aquarion Myth of Emotions: Anime Review

I watched some of the original Aquarion series back when it first aired before streaming services were a thing, and if you were watching anime as it came out you were watching it fan-subbed. It was semi-infamous among fandom circles as the show where the pilots’ orgasm when the mechs combine. Having fallen off on most of the subsequent series, the new installment, Aquarion: Myth of Emotions had enough of a gap from the last that this felt like a decent place to jump on.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Review: Majestic Prince

At the end of 2024, having missed the submission date for regular Anime Secret Santa, I decided to take part in AniList’s Secret Santa event (my AniList profile is here, by the way). The show I ended up getting in my pick was Majestic Prince – a show that had ended up on my watchlist anyway due to it showing up early in Super Robot Wars 30. So, after finishing my rewatch of season 3 of Thunderbolt Fantasy for the Anime Explorations Podcast, I moved on to this.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Review: Betterman

Betterman was an anime series I watched a fair amount of on TechTV back when TechTV was a thing and it showed anime, before it became the G4 network. At the time I hadn’t heard about GaoGaiGar, and I didn’t have any form of DVR (and never got around to programming the VCR to tape it when it was on), so I never caught the whole show. However, at long last, in 2024, I have finally watched the show in its entirety and can give my thoughts – finishing it not long after Halloween.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Review: Brave Bang Bravern!

I don’t know what I expected coming into this show. On one hand, I got drawn in by the Real Robots Meets Super Robot take on the show, combined with the involvement Masami Obari. Obari as a director is someone who I almost became more familiar with through his involvement on the Fatal Fury anime series, animating the Brave franchise, along with creating the Angel Blade franchise – putting him at the confluence of strongly choreographed action, spectacularly done super robots, and a lot of… actively heterosexual fanservice. So, I was a little surprised to see just how incredibly queer – and particularly gay, Bravern is.

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Posted on by Alexander Case

Anime Review: Synduality Noir

Of the Summer 2023 anime series, Synduality Noir is the other of the series that I’d almost describe as “horror adjacent” – in this case not because of the inclusion of traditional gothic horror monsters (Werewolves, Vampires, etc.), but rather because of a few of the elements introduced later in the series.

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