KAMPAY! Podcast

Part 2 of the KAMPAY! Podcast season finale is finally here! Host Abby Pasion continues to chat with content creators Adrian Apolonio and Curt Richy (Crunchyroll, Beyond The Bot) about the elements of "bad" anime, and the "trashy" titles that are still worth checking out!

The spectrum of anime is a vast one. Who is to dictate which series reign supreme while others find themselves on the bottom tier? Well apparently...WE do! In this first half of the KAMPAY! Season 1 Finale, host Abby Pasion chats with content creators Adrian Apolonio and Curt Richy (Crunchyroll, Beyond The Bot) about the elements of "bad" anime, and what make some of these "trashy" titles still worth checking out!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) is considered one of the most iconic shonen anime series of all time, but is this classic story really worth the hype? In this episode, we bring on FMA expert Justin McDaniels as a guest host to chat with Abby about her raw and candid reactions to the series, from the perspective of a first-time viewer.

If there's anything anime has taught us, it's that LOVE is HARD. From indirect kisses to troublesome love triangles, anime has shown us how challenging it can be to navigate these flustering feelings...but also how beautiful, fun, and genuine love can be when you're surrounded by the right people. In this episode, host Abby Pasion chats with friend, artist, and fellow weeb Kenya Dobashi Reutin to explore how anime has impacted their personal love lives, challenges to dating as an anime fan, and the influences anime tropes can have on our perception of love and relationships in the real world.

Okay okay, we know ATLA is NOT an anime—but we just couldn't talk about mental health and comfort shows without honoring Uncle Iroh (the therapist in all of our lives that we never knew we had)! But whether it's ATLA or anime, these shows can mean so much more to the fans who adore them. In this episode, we chat with Filipino Studies scholar (and Uncle Iroh-in-training himself), Wayne Jopanda, about our personal mental health journeys and the series that helped us get through tougher days.

Is the anime genre really nothing more than entertainment created for our mindless viewing pleasure? In this house, we say HELL NO. On this week’s episode, local Filipina-American cosplayer and fellow nerd Marybeth Roboca-Vu joins host Abby Pasion to discuss the political roots and messaging of the many anime series we love and cherish. Is it possible to both love AND be critical of the things we love? Is it even our place, especially as foreign fans, to be critical? Tune in to find out!

What better way to kick off the new year than with friends, booze, and...Fan Fiction??? Host Abby Pasion sits down with her good friend and fellow nerd Justin McDaniels to explore the topic of Fan Fiction. Despite what you may think about it, there’s no denying that the work of fanfic writers and artists bring a level of discourse to a fandom that may not hold up as strongly otherwise, yet these creators also don’t seem to get the love and appreciation they deserve for their work—so let's unpack that!

Fandom is for everyone...at least it should be. Host Abby Pasion reflects on her experience growing up as a nerdy outcast and how she found a new home within fandom communities—the very same communities where toxic gatekeeping and elitism still keep many others out. How do we create more welcoming and supportive fandom spaces? What responsibility do fans have in shaping these spaces? Is there a level of gatekeeping necessary to keep fandom communities "pure" (whatever that means)? Tune in to find out more!

Can you name one anime character of Filipino descent? No? That's okay, we couldn't either. But did you know that Filipino characters DO exist in the world of anime, as do the Filipino actors, artists, and directors that bring them to life? In this episode, host Abby Pasion chats with Filipino American voice actors Anne Yatco (Jujutsu Kaisen, Genshin Impact) and Darrel J. Delfin (Fena: Pirate Princess, Secret of Mana) to explore what Filipino representation in anime means to them, and the many Filipino artists who inspire us!

Filipino American creative & nerd Adrian Apolonio (Crunchyroll, Beyond The Bot) joins KAMPAY! host Abby Pasion to discuss their favorite anime and hopefully bring an end to the debate of all debates: What series truly IS the best anime of all time?