Episode 44: Hands Up For Akira Toriyama

This week, Alex, Adrian, and Charles get into the power of music and how it impacts the way we experiences games, movies, and beyond.

Blood of Zeus Season 2 is out now and we sat down to speak with Elias Toufexis, the voice of Seraphim. From villain to a co-lead of the series, this season puts him on a path toward atoning for his past, without seeking redemption for himself in the process. Toufexis takes us into his process as an actor and how he sees Seraphim developing in Season 2 and the future.

After nearly four years, Blood of Zeus is finally here. Animated by Powerhouse Animation from creators/showrunners Charley & Vlas Parlapanides, the second season of the adult animated series hits even harder than the first. We talk Hades, Hera, Seraphim, Heron, and of course expanding the characters beyond expectations. 

This week, Alex, Kate, and Swara get in the boxing ring yet again to bout over binge models versus weekly models for television releases.

This week, Alex and Kate are joined by Mike Towndrow of Six One Indie and The Indie Council podcast to talk about the state of indie games.

After his panel at SXSW, I spoke to the actor-turned-studio head Abubakar Salim. Surgent Studios' debut game, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, which is published under the EA Originals banner, is a story about grief. But unlike other forms of media tackling the subject, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a vibrant blend of Bantu mythology, each level taking the player through different emotions and quests to process their loss. We spoke with Abubakar Salim about creating Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, the importance of teaching young men that they can cry and feel pain, too, and ultimately, how grief can't be explained as just one emotion.

We interview director Goran Stolevski about his new movie Housekeeping for Beginners. He shares what it's like growing up in a crowded house, working with young and untrained actors, and the importance of throwing away the rules.

CW: This episode discusses child abuse and sexual abuse at great length. This week, Alex, Neysha, and Swara talk about the ongoing Cinema for Gaza fundraiser and the documentary "Quiet on Set."    

Developed by the Open Roads Team and published by Annapurna Interactive, Open Roads doesn't rest on its laurels, which are its lead actresses, Kaitlyn Dever and Kerri Russell. Instead the game's dialogue, choices, and immersive art style is core to this mother-daughter story. We spoke with the Open Roads Team developers which included Amy Fincher (Executive Producer), Noël Clark (Art Director), Aaron Freedman (Engineering Lead), Sarah Robertson (Operations Manager & Associate Producer), and Harrison Gerard (Graphic Artist). In our time together we discussed the story, what they hope audiences will take away from Open Roads as the developer, and the choice behind the game's use of 2D and 3D art styles.

Earlier this month we lost the iconic storyteller, Akira Toriyama. This week, we remember him.