A great soundtrack can elevate any work. Cain, Kestrel, and Brandon have compiled a list of favorite anime composers, both theirs and yours, to discuss their work and impact on the industry. Selected music excerpts include: Joe Hisaishi: One Summer’s Day (あの夏へ) from Spirited Away Yoko Kanno: Tank! from Cowboy Bebop Kensuke Ushio: lit (var) from A S…

Download This month, Mike and Roger talk about one-off and convention games.על ידי Roger & Michael

This is Fanzenshuu... Okay, that's not a thing. We may not be fusing with Kanzenshuu, but we wished upon the Dragon Balls to summon them for the task of discussing Akira Toriyama's legendary franchise as it hits 40 years strong. Between Toriyama's passing and the first new TV series in 9 years, this year has given us a lot to think about for this b…

Download This month, Mike and Roger consider how to steal material for RPGs,and work out an example.על ידי Roger & Michael

So... it’s been a minute but we’re back from our late summer break. We have new fall anime to talk about, including the return of some favorites. We discuss Uzumaki, Orb, Blue Locl, Dan da Dan, Ranma 1/2, Natsume and more! Plus some more passings in the industry and other lighter news, and some recommendation! ---AIRHORN SOUNDS---…

Download This month, Mike and Roger consider the limitations of improvisedcampaigns and how to deal with rules lawyers.על ידי Roger & Michael

Download This month, Mike and Roger once again attempt RPG-a-Day asRPG-a-Minute.על ידי Roger & Michael

The dog days of summer are a bit slow this year. So slow that half our regulars aren’t even watching anime! Good thing we have a bunch of Otakon news to talk about, as well as the biggest anime leak in years. YEARS. Then we cover what everyone has been watching, such as Tower of God, Spice & Wolf, Nekotan, DeadDeadDemonDedede... well, you get the p…

Download This month, Roger and Mike look back on our experience with Blades inthe Dark. Warning, Roger gets a bit ranty.על ידי Roger & Michael

Anime Expo 2024 happened, and Kestrel was there kicking ass and taking names, and by taking names I mean getting autographs. We go over all of the news we cared to share from AX. Cain ponders why anime is invading baseball. Kate is just trying not to melt or melt down over a Rayearth remake. Summertime, everybody! We also cover the rest of the end …

Spring, we hardly knew ye. Summer is almost here but we do have some thoughts on some of the shows we’ve been watching. Did the dungeon remain delicious? The wolf still spicy? The campfire stay lit? Why was Kestrel watching a show about booze? We ponder the results of our watching, along with a chunk of news about books and tv, and other analog med…

Download This month, Mike and Roger consider our experiences with Enemy inShadows, the first part of the classic Warhammer campaign, and lookat the second edition of Reign.על ידי Roger & Michael

Spring 2024 is here and we have plenty of anime to talk about! Everything old is new again, just like long-dormant seeds sprouting from the earth. We get the return of everyone’s favorite economic power couple in Spice & Wolf and continuing adventures in bartending in Bartender. Konosuba is back, and so is Reincarnated as a Slime. Plus Jellyfish, S…

Download This month, Roger and Mike consider system choice and system mastery,and look at Mike's new Blades in the Dark campaign.על ידי Roger & Michael

The 2024 Winter Anime season has come to a close. If you’ve been paying attention then you’ll know what shows the crew have placed at the top of their lists. Kestrel, Cain, Brandon, and Kate are gonna tell you again, anyway, because that’s what we do! Plus some news and recommendations. What was your favorite anime of Winter 2024?…

We have a full house for a rather depressing episode of the podcast. It’s an all-news special cumulating in the marking of the passing of two figures, one lesser known and one an absolute giant. We tip our hats to Tales Of illustrator Mutsumi Inomata before we dedicate the majority of the run time to Akira Toriyama. We go over the impact that Toriy…

Download This month, Mike and Roger consider how to do character sheets right,and ponder the future of generic systems.על ידי Roger & Michael

The groundhog didn’t see his shadow, and for a brief moment this episode features all of the regular podcasters! The winter season is in full swing so we catch up on impressions of the current slate of shows. We check in on our favorite girls, Maomao and Frieren. I (Kate) am ready to throw hands in support of Dungeon Meshi. Kestrel is about to flee…

Download This month, Roger and Mike can't get away from bashing dungeons, andconsider the (sadly still-extant) adversarial relationship betweenplayers and game masters.על ידי Roger & Michael

Winter 2024 Anime! It’s a season of.... isekai... and isekai... and Dungeons! Cain, Kestrel, Brandon, and Kate are gonna talk about it! Delicious is Dungeon, Solo Leveling, Metallic Rouge, BUCCHIGIRI?! and much, much more! Plus, what Chris and DJ are watching via words on paper... but read out loud. PLUS, some SHOCKING news and recommendations.…

As is tradition, the votes have been tabulated and a consensus has been reached! If you are like DJ and hid under an anime rock for most of 2023, then this is the episode for you! Kestrel, Cain, Brandon, and DJ break down their top ten lists of anime from the 2023 anime year. PLUS, we have reader-submitted lists and even a list from our fearless le…

Download This month, Mike and Roger review a bumper set of Bundles of Holding,consider our gaming plans for 2024, and consider the deep history of RPGs.על ידי Roger & Michael

The Holidays are here but we have time for one last newscast before the season and year wrap up! And that news is one whopper of an announcement that we spend the majority of this episode discussing. That’s how crazy it is! Plus a few last minute gift ideas for yourself or a loved one. Have a safe and happy Holiday everyone!…

We might be short on people this week, but we aren’t short on discussion! Cain, Kestrel, and Kate are here to talk about this season’s shows now that we’re a few more episodes in. Spoiler: It’s a pretty great season of anime. Plus we have some recommendations and the news. Remember when Crunchyroll had manga? Yeah, me neither.…

Download This month, Roger and Mike consider railroading, its inevitability,and how to build characters who are a good fit for the campaign.על ידי Roger & Michael

STOP THE PRESSES! DJ is HERE! So is everyone else. The Fall 2023 anime season is so stacked that we barely scratch the surface of what is out there, but we think we’re hitting most of the bangers. Frieren, Pluto, Spy x Family, 100 Girlfriends, Apothecary Diaries, and more! Plus we have the usual news and recommendations. What are you watching this …

Download This month, Mike and Roger dissect Mongoose Traveller and a coupleof campaigns Mike has run with it.על ידי Roger & Michael

Fall is here but we have to wrap up these summer shows before we can dig into the early entries for the fall anime course. Kestrel, Cain, and Kate have a ton of news to run through including the end of Right Stuf because we can’t have nice things. DJ sends us his regards from his mansion by way of list of what he’s been watching. Plus we have recom…

Download This month, Roger and Mike consider class-and-level and other ways ofbuilding and improving characters.על ידי Roger & Michael

WE ARE checking out the live-action One Piece! Years in the making, did this series do the impossible and break the live-action to anime curse? Kestrel, Brandon, Skyler, and Kate bring their collective decades of fan knowledge to the table to break down what we liked, what we didn’t like, and where everything can go from here. We front-load the pod…

The sleepy days of summer are drawing to a close. Kestrel, Kate, Cain, and Brandon are on board. We have a tiny bit of catching up to do with the summer season news and shows, but our focus is starting to shift towards thoughts of fall. We cover some of the news that came out over the last month before catching up on what folks are watching. Plus s…

Download This month, Mike and Roger indulge once more in RPG-a-Day all at once.על ידי Roger & Michael

Download This month, Roger and Mike consider gods (what sorts are interesting?)and revolution (which side is more fun to play on and how can we tiltthat balance?).על ידי Roger & Michael

The summer doldrums have arrived, and with it a slew of shows which are mostly sequels or otherwise known entities. Cain, Kestrel, and Brandon tackle what they have been watching while pondering the list DJ submitted and the glut of average or below-average scores. It is a thin buffet table folks. HOWEVER, we have a ton of news to cover from recent…

How big is too big? Well, Kestrel, Skyler, and Darius might have the answer for that as they get together for a massive recap of Anime Expo 2023. From reports of the conditions of the venue to the panels, wild announcements, and just the general vibe, they have a lot of ground to cover. Battle scars and all.…