Anime for Beginners

In which Em & Kris discuss frame narratives, intergenerational tales, and Kiku’s bishounen facial features. | While typically specializing in the Boys’ Love genre, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is Haruko Kumota’s first josei. Season 1 of the 2016 anime was produced by Studio Deen and directed by Shinichi Omata. Showa is a theatrical period piece incorporating slice-of-life, supernatural, and whimsical elements. The show was given an “A” score by the Anime News Network, where it was praised for its “strong underlying narrative to gorgeous direction and top-tier performances”.

In which Em & Kris tackle the smart construction of Jujutsu Kaisen’s shounen tropes, admire its impeccable comedy and character writing, and lose all intelligent thoughts over the audacity of Gojo Satoru. | Jujutsu Kaisen is the next big shonen standout in contemporary fantasy. With epic and beautifully animated battle scenes, and driven by quirky, endearing characters, JJK was written and illustrated by Gege Akutami and first serialized in 2018. It was later adapted for the screen by MAPPA and aired from October 2020 to March 2021. As of May 2021, over 50 million copies of the manga are in circulation, making JJK one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

In which Em & Kris share their personal life-changing, taste-shaping, and nostalgia-inducing shows. Also, in celebration of The Workshop’s 1-Year anniversary, we take a trip down memory lane and rank the most cringe-worthy moments in the pod so far… :)

In which Em & Kris lay out their urban fantasy gripes, appreciate creative character designs, and do a deep dive into 20th-century Japanese lit. | Bungo Stray Dogs ingeniously explores a world of famous late authors and poets, each of them incarnated as a superpowered young adult or teenager. The manga was originally written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sanog Harukawa. An anime television series was later adapted by Bones and aired in 2016. Since then, the show has been well-received around the world, and was listed by Atomix as the fifth best anime of 2016 for its interesting premise, creative design, and references to writers.

In which Em & Kris explore the nuances of platonic relationships, aspire to write their own female-centred shounen anime, and cry over an entire cast of best girls. | The 2018 animated series, ‘A Place Further than the Universe’, is a heart-warming show directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, written by Jukki Hanada, and produced by Madhouse. Recognized internationally for its endearing characters and moving story, it has been described by The Verge as “genuine”, and The New York Times as “a story that should translate across all boundaries of age or culture”. IGN also listed the show among the best anime of the 2010s.

In which Em & Kris break down the shounen battle anime formula, emphasize the importance of story continuity, and utterly embarrass themselves adoring the main cast. | Considered globally to be one of the best animes of the 2010s, Kohei Horikoshi’s ‘My Hero Academia’ was first adapted and aired in 2016 by Bones, and is now awaiting the release of its fifth season in March. The manga won the Harvey Award for Best Manga in 2019 and, along with the anime, has continued to experience overwhelming success.

In which Em & Kris ceaselessly praise the iconic jazz soundtrack, explore the ups and downs of character trauma writing, and totally do not fall in love with Spike Spiegel.  | “Cowboy Bebop” is a sci-fi space western series that aired between 1997 and 1998. It was written by Keiko Nobumoto, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, and animated by Sunrise Inc. It soon became an international success, garnering praise for its style, characters, story, voice acting, animation, and soundtrack, which was composed by Yoko Kanno. Today, it is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime series of all time.

In which Em & Kris shamelessly advance the weeb agenda by sharing their top recommendations for newbie anime fans. Totally objectively and without bias :)

In which Em & Kris dissect rom-com clichés, expose their spicy thoughts on teenage crushes and dating, and deeply relate to every character on a spiritual level. | “Kaguya-sama: Love is War” is a romantic comedy series that was adapted by A-1 Pictures in 2019. Originally written and illustrated by Aka Akasaka, “Love is War” was his first attempt at writing in the rom-com genre, and saw immediate success upon publication. At the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the anime won in 3 categories: Best Comedy, Best Couple, and Best Ending Sequence.

In which Em & Kris rave over the RADWIMPS musical score, admire Shinkai as an imperfect writer, and commit to getting matching hand tattoos. | Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) is Makoto Shinkai’s fifth full-length film, and is a masterful combination of romance, fantasy, and drama. It was produced in 2016 by CoMix Wave Films, and has since been critically acclaimed for its animation, narrative, and soundtrack. The film currently stands as the highest-grossing anime/Japanese film of all time.