Advertise on podcast: 950 Club

Jack and Edwin conclude the Anti-Hero special with the Grandaddy of all anti-hero stories: Black Lagoon. Rokurou Okajima is an office worker that is kidnapped by some tough lookin' pirates. During this eventful day: Rokurou helps these pirates, is running away from a sadistic killer helicopter pilot, and decides to change his name....to Rock. The debut episodes of Black Lagoon definitely set the tone as it dives into the mysterious underbelly of the black market. From its exiled gangster tribe turf wars to its not-so secret love affair to 80's action flicks. And overall our focus on the anti-hero themes from our main protagonist Rock to the mission first leader Dutch and of course, the unforgettable rabid gun wielding ace: Revy. This episode is freaking rad, you gotta listen! Plus we have Voice Connections, Manga Recommends, and our new feature "Best Girl Battle!".....between our sword Raphtalia and our wildcard, Revy. Really cool battle, indeed!

Betrayed by the ones already in power, mistrusted by your companions, and a WHOLE religion that bans your presence, how does a hero rise to power, prominence and respect? Naofumi definitely finds this out the hard way in The Rising of the Shield Hero. Edwin and Jack discuss the many unique story elements that this epic adventure packs in from its Final Fantasy like mythology and battle system to Naofumi's natural gift of trade and craft that makes this isekai extremely fascinating. But ultimately we focus on the anti-hero themes and actions Naofumi does in order to survive and fight off waves of monsters and to ultimately protect his party members and the rest of Melmorac. Episode dedicated to Billy Kametz.

The 950 Club is at full force and ready to talk all things anime in 2022, especially the Spring season. Jamaal is back and ready to discuss his views on Kaguya Sama: Love is War, Ascendance of a Bookworm and even Ranking of Kings! Edwin, Jamaal and Jack cover topics like the rise of Hi-Dive to the similarities of the Mushkou Tensei: Goblin Slayer OVA to Jujutsu Kaisen 0. We even have room to talk about Shenmue! A nice and easy listening session!

Revolution starts it's breath with the dusk; rebellion comes swiftly in the night and the dawn awakens to a changed world. Akame Ga Kill, the manga and show both handle the story in very different routes. The anime, similar to the original Full Metal Alchemist, takes its liberties and creates a fun and enthralling show in which the stakes are forever high and the action is grand. Jack and Edwin share their love and praise for this show, from its modern day anime characters in a monster friendly fantasy world, to its extreme "baddie baddie" in Esdeath, the consequences of rebellion, and yes, the ultimate battle: Kill La Kill vs Akame Ga Kill!!!!

Battles.....Mayhem......Ridiculousness. Studio Trigger since day one had a goal in mind to stretch their limits past the extremes in animation and art. Kill la Kill is definitely a strong debut in a sense that they trusted their very ambitious project which paid off a natural cult following and rise as a top Japanese art studio. Edwin finally checks out one of Jack's top all time favorites as they discuss the tremendous amount of energy this anime has from its very strong stance on anti-conformity and social status to its battle heavy tone and overwhelming amount of epic-ness with the art and music!

Edwin's birthday week comes to a close as he shares one of his top favorite shows: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai with Jack. Adolescent (puberty) syndrome: a case study in which a person in their teenage years experience abnormalities as a result of instability. In a way, adolescent syndrome can be considered a pardox. Sakuta Azusagawa discovers his own paradoxes within his "normal life" in a show that searches for these answers....with relationships, friendships and all that good slice of life stuff in anime! From tackling on split personalities, time travel and even "Groundhog Day" syndromes, this show may seem like a harmless Rom Com with wacky scenarios, but the paradoxes are more than meets the eye as they are represented with modern day problems to the characters quest for identity and love. We also bring back Voice Connections, Manga Recommends, Wallet Slayers and General Recommends, A must listen!!

Love is War, War is Love. Heavy on the artillery are the schemes, charms and misdirection that the lovers use over who can make the other confess in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. The president and vice president of Shuchi'in Academy: Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya have their battle of the sexes over table games, overly-strategized traps and their subordinates changing the air on their perfectly laid out plans of their sweet surrender. This genius of the show is one to really watch and behold as their plans to foil one another and how thoughtful these two can be....they are actually overthinking and slipping their wills with one another, which gives this high school romance into a true pioneer in comedy. This is Edwin's Birthday special so he and Jack go back and forth on why its one of his all-time favorites, from "Mother flippin tsunderes," to it's golden art direction/music and writing and it's secret tenderness that this zany show packs in. A true gift of a show for Edwin!

Do we really ask questions...at least more than we should? A show like Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song looks into those questions because the main character Vivy (Diva) goes beyond her rationale as an autonomous android. Chosen as a savior of humanity by a sassy time traveling robot named Matsumoto, Vivy is reluctant but gradually becomes that heroine as she beats up bad robots and terrorists while maintaining her singing career....yes this show is awesome! Edwin and Jack finally discuss one of the most surprising and overlooked animes of 2021 with it's strong resonance to Ghost in the Shell to it's own subtle viewpoints on the future to the resonance of longing in the search for creativity and memories. This one is extra special, check it out! The fans have spoken loud and clear with this one!!

Our 2021 Fan Special includes two gems that were praised highly but kind of been overlooked by the general anime community (and by Jack ;p)--Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song and the "86." Part 1 focuses on the war heavy "86," an unassuming show where you expect high energy mech battles but it focuses more into a psychological battle with our viewpoints with war and the consequences of loss. Edwin and Jack discuss the many themes this show packs in from its influential origins to the contrast between the characters and how they end up working together. We also have a short and sweet review of the new movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Check it out!!

The 950 Club finally discuss one of their top favorite studios, Studio Trigger, in the Odd Taxi Special! Part 2 includes one of Studio Trigger's prized projects: Brand New Animal (BNA). The story focuses on Michiru Kagemori, a 'tanooki' super girl that teams up with a Batman like badass with the wolf, Shirou Ogami, essentially like a super hero tag team detective show. Similar to Odd Taxi with anamorphic beings living in the city (and dealing with the societal problems), Brand New Animal focuses more on finding your true identity while embracing a communities' goal in becoming a better place for those that seek their true calling. Edwin and Jack discuss the many themes that this show packs in (the only way Studio Trigger can) from it's contrast with art styles to underlying messages that the show enlightens you with. Trust us, this is a must, must, muuuust listen!

Before the debut of Odd Taxi "Into the Woods" movie, we just had to talk about two other anime that are strong influences on Odd Taxi: Paranoia Agent and Brand New Animal. Part One focuses on Paranoia Agent, a surreal thrill ride that was created by one of the most influential directors in Japanese cinema: Satoshi Kon. Jack and Edwin finally dive in to this very complex but worthy anime with it's many themes from pressures in society to creature comforts and it's own subtle criticisms to the anime industry itself. A must listen not only for anime fans but for film lovers as well!

With lousy SchMarch weather settling in, we are in a hurry to share our most anticipated anime for the Spring season! But first Jack and Edwin share their surprise catch-up shows in Heike Story and Case Study of Vanitas along with their top 5 favorite shows of winter 2022. This episode is surprisingly heated as Jack throws in a few curveballs with Edwin, so grab the popcorn! But the fighting stops as Jack and Edwin share their love and appreciation of the Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc!