Feudal Anime Podcast

Is Etotama Worth Watching? FAP-383Jack and Rick sat through all 12 episodes of Etotama so you don't have to, and honestly it might go down as one of the worst anime either of them has ever covered.Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, FantasyStudio: Encourage Films, ShirogumiSource: OriginalJack's Score: 1/10Rick's Score: 1/10Verdict: A directionless, nonsensical mess with no real story, no character development, and fourth wall humor that points out its own problems without ever fixing them.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:48 - Synopsis and show info09:27 - What the show actually is and where it goes wrong18:08 - World building problems and animation styles22:36 - Story structure breakdown26:53 - Scores30:03 - The Glasslip comparison32:00 - Next week and listener comment from Apothecary DiariesFor everything having to do with the anime and this episode go to - https://www.featuredanimepodcast.com/episodes/etotama-review-a-new-contender-for-worst-ever/Next Week: Frieren: Beyond Journey's EndPatreon - https

Is Sentenced to Be a Hero Worth Watching? FAP-382A disgraced holy knight gets framed, convicted, and sentenced to immortal military service on the front lines as a penal hero. No retirement, no escape, and dying your way out is not an option.Genres: Action, Dark Fantasy, Military, SupernaturalStudio: Studio KaiSource: Light NovelJack's Score: 9/10Rick's Score: 9/10Verdict: A dark, original spin on the hero genre that is genuinely worth your time, just know it gets gory and some of the big plot beats are more predictable than they should be.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and Patreon shoutout00:14 - Show overview: genres, studio, source, episode count00:20 - Full synopsis breakdown03:05 - What makes the hero premise unique and the crime system explained10:14 - Character backstories and the moral gray area of their convictions19:14 - Favorite characters discussion24:26 - World-building deep dive: runes, life force, the goddesses as weapons35:49 - Leadership dynamics and the penal hero unit as a found family3

Is Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Worth Watching? - FAP 381Season 2 takes everything that made the first season great and goes deeper into the conspiracies, the court politics, and the answers you have been waiting for since episode one.Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, HistoricalStudio: Toho and OLMSource: Light NovelJack's Score: 9/10Rick's Score: 8/10Verdict: A stronger, darker season that delivers real resolutions and rewards patient viewers, though some subject matter will hit hard.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro and show overview02:09 - First impressions and Rick's reaction to Season 203:53 - Holy cow moments and early surprises11:50 - Breaking down Maomao's family and how they fit into the world23:16 - Court politics, Jinshi's role, and why everyone hates Maomao56:13 - What Season 2 gets right and the resolutions that landed72:41 - Side characters, Western involvement, and Season 3 setup85:10 - Scores and final verdictFor everything having to do with the anime and this episode go to

Is Seventh Time Loop Villainess Worth Watching? FAP-380If you're burned out on the same tired romance anime formula, this one comes loaded with six lifetimes of earned skill, a genuinely layered male lead, and a slow-burn dynamic that actually sticks the landing.Genres: Romance, FantasyStudio: Studio Kai / HornetsSource: Light NovelJack's Score: 9/10Verdict: A mature, well-built romance that earns everything it delivers and leaves you wanting more.──────────────────────This episode is sponsored by TokyoTreat! Get $5 off your first box with code FEATUREDANIME - https://team.tokyotreat.com/featuredanime──────────────────────Timestamps:00:00 - Tokyo Treat Ad04:22 - Welcome and Solo Episode Note04:54 - Series Overview07:47 - First Impressions and What to Expect08:20 - Rishe's Character Breakdown11:24 - Arnold's Character Breakdown18:23 - Romance Dynamic and Mature Audience Appeal20:36 - Flaws and Drawbacks22:48 - Final Score and VerdictFor everything having to do with the anime and this episode go to https://www.

Is From Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Worth Watching? - FAP-379A dojo master gets dragged out of the countryside and into the capital, and the whole kingdom has no idea what just walked through its gates.Genres: Action, Adventure, FantasyStudio: Passion / Hibiusa FilmSource: Light NovelJack's Score: 8/10Rick's Score: 8/10Verdict: A clean, easy watch that actually earns its tropes, recommended without hesitation.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro + Bonus Content Plug00:28 – Show Info & Synopsis03:22 – Rick's Take: Trope Burnout vs. Why This One Works08:35 – Breaking Down Burl's Fighting Style13:43 – Sword Style Debate: Is It Him or the School?23:26 – The Magic System & What Makes Burl Stand Out30:33 – Burl's Humility & Why It Hits Different33:10 – Final Scores36:20 – Recommended, Must Watch, or Skip?38:10 – Next Week Choice and other PlugsFor everything having to do with the anime and this episode go to - https://www.featuredanimepodcast.com/episodes/from-country-bumpkin-to-master-swordsman-review-his-

Rick's pick of “I Parry Everything" this week ended up being a good one, and honestly he was done with it two days after they agreed to watch it. He came into it on guard, and had admitted he'd been burned out from a stretch of shows where the main character is secretly unstoppable but too humble to notice, and half-expected more of the same. But what ended up winning him over is that the humility here isn't just an act. Noor genuinely believes he's the least capable guy in every room, and Jack and Rick spend a good chunk of the conversation on why that gap between how Noor sees himself and how everyone around him quietly loses their mind stays funny instead of getting old. The moments they kept coming back to were the ones that make that contrast land: vomiting blood mid-fight because he'd gotten too comfortable with the poison, producing what amounts to a small sun while trying to demonstrate how weak his magic is. The one knock they both had is that by the end, with enough people visibly amazed around him,

This week we talk about The Eminence in Shadow Season 2. We start off by discussing our views on the pacing as well as the main character's ridiculous luck. Jack breaks down the rapid-fire arcs, from the Lawless City to a literal corporate war, arguing that the 12-episode run felt rushed and entirely predictable. He saw the protagonist, Cid, as an idiot with blinders on who just stumbles into success through the whole series. Rick, on the other hand, thinks the pacing is a solid step up from season one. He argued that Cid doesn't stumble but rather he "confidently saunters" through the plot as the ultimate edgelord, spitting out gibberish and half-remembered facts that his fanatical followers interpret as absolute genius. In the end we discuss how the series was overall and if it was something that is worth the watch.About the anime:The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 continues where season 1 largely left off. Kicking off with the "Lawless City Arc," where Cid and Shadow Garden investigate the red moon phenomenon

This week we are tackling “Reign of the Seven Spellblades” now this isn't your typical cozy magic school and we spend a fair amount of time talking about the "might makes right" philosophy of Kimberly Academy. Not only that we also point out some things where it just didn’t sit right with us like where the teachers wait a full eight days before checking on missing students. Rick finds the whole setup pretty nonsensical, especially a weirdly flirtatious flashback involving the protagonist’s mother that left him feeling confused about the whole thing. We also take apart the show’s weird pacing, pointing out that you could probably skip several episodes and still have a decent handle on what’s going on. We also talk about the mechanics of the world and everything and our differences of views on those.About the anime:When Oliver Horn enrolls at Kimberly Magic Academy, which is a very prestigious but apparently very deadly magic school, where only four out of five students survive to graduation, he arrives with mo

This week we talk about Moonrise, and it immediately turned into a heated debate. We start by tearing into the show for its confusing plot, and nonsensical world-building. And Rick tore into the terrible dubbed voice acting. We both clash heavily over the anime's mechanics, with Rick frustrated by the logic of weapon cards transforming into grenades out of thin air, and Jack reluctantly playing defense, arguing that the show's technology makes sense if you actually pay attention to it. We agree the series feels more like a video game adaptation complete with double-jumps and zero-G combat, but that is where the agreement ends. Rick slams Moonrise as a boring, poorly executed Gundam wannabe. Jack, on the other hand, finds himself defending the show out of sheer spite.About the anime:Set in the far future, Moonrise takes place in a world where humanity has established a loosely organized world government with all major decisions delegated to a single AI network known as Sapientia. And while Earth enjoys its pea

This week we tackle Failure Frame, a show that Rick had initially rolled his eyes at  because when he looked at it it seemed like it would be another Arifureta clone. Rick admitted though that he quickly got hooked on the ruthless protagonist as well as the sheer effectiveness of the "useless" status ailments magic like sleep, paralyze, and poison, even if he spent half the season frustrated that the main character couldn’t use anything other than those. And Jack breaks down the darker elements of the world, pointing out that the hero had been shaped by trauma, and not only by recent events but by his past rather than nobility, though he isn't quite as sold on the execution. We also talk about the finale, or lack thereof. Rick claims the show "No Game No Life'd" him because the open ending felt like a personal insult with no Season 2 in sight. Jack called out the "trash" animation and forced villain monologues. And while Rick was emotionally invested enough to be angry, Jack found the whole experience middlin

This week we talk about Momentary Lily! Jack poked fun at the “twist” about the main characters almost immediately, thanks to some weird-looking digital tears he noticed, while Rick didn't catch on until way later in episode seven. Both of us were annoyed by how the show forced emotional moments, killing off characters you barely knew and then spending way too much time trying to make you feel bad about it. Jack wasn't a fan of the action either, since the main girl is basically just a passenger on a sentient guitar that fights on its own. We also had a lot to say about the lack of common sense, like Rick's rant about the group freezing in the snow while holding a sword that emits heat! Jack tried to defend it as a high-stress mistake, but even he was fed up with the annoying catchphrases, and we both agreed it was ridiculous that a post-apocalyptic world still has working internet just for bikini videos.About the anime:Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by mechanical invaders known as Wild Hunts, Moment

This week we talk about Burst Angel, as recommended from CJ, and it’s safe to say neither of us walked away too happy. The conversation was just a long roast of the show’s nonsensical mechanics, from the "impossible" tight outfits to the fact that characters apparently never need to reload their pistols until the plot demands it. Jack was annoyed that the side character Kyohei was getting far too much screen time and Meg’s cycle of being kidnapped and crying in nearly every single episode. Rick tried to find some charm in it but he eventually just caves under the weight of the show's meandering pace and that also made Jack struggle just to stay awake through the series. We also dive into the late-game logic, like how the mechs suddenly lose their invulnerability once the story needs to wrap up and then there is the random subplot involving a superhuman killing machine that serves no real purpose to the overall narrative other than being a blatant distraction. About the anime:Burst Angel is set in a near-futur

This week we are talking about The Great Cleric, an Isekai that trades the typical overpowered hero trope for a salaryman just trying not to die a second time. We largely spend some time debating the show's unique mechanics, specifically the protagonist’s grueling training regimen and his constant consumption of the mysterious "Substance X." Rick got hung up on some details  but overall he felt that the show had a book end. Jack found it to be an easy watch and an incredibly easy binge so much so that he knocked it out in a single sitting. He’s much more forgiving of the wide-open ending, viewing it as a setup that actually has him considering picking up the light novels just to see where the story goes next. About the anime:The Great Cleric takes a slightly different approach to the standard isekai formula. Instead of an overpowered hero being summoned to defeat a demon lord, we follow a salaryman who gets reincarnated as a 15-year-old named Luciel. And his main motivation is pure survival and since he’s ter

This week we talked about “My Tiny Senpai” and the discussion was a bit of a ride because we spent the first half totally talking past each other. Jack was trying to give the Manager credit as well shed light on what he was doing, while Rick was convinced he was talking about the main couple's lack of progress. Once we cleared that up, we both agreed that for an office romance, these characters and the anime as a whole acted way too much like a high school show rather than a workplace romance show. Rick argued that the show's "goldfish memory" where progress basically reset every episode made him feel anxious through the whole thing. And Jack felt like the whole  season felt like one giant filler episode. About the anime:My Tiny Senpai is basically a cozy office romance slice of life type of show where Takuma Shinozaki is a new-ish employee trying to keep his head above water, and his senior coworker Shiori Katase keeps swooping in with praise, encouragement, followed up with a “I’m just being a good senpai”

This week we talk about A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof. We joke about it being not exactly kid-friendly, talk about how side characters get introduced and immediately die for anyone who is not a MC, and we get weirdly invested in the “rules” behind the cleanup powers once the show finally reveals limits. We also talk about how the assassin is frugal with their money but also at the same time they are really messy. We cann’t help but laugh at how the series undercuts heartfelt moments with absurd gags including the whole robot-replacement scenario. By the end, we land on it being watchable and it is entertaining in bursts, although it is a little slow at times, and it leaves some plot holes and unfinished plot lines. About the anime:Satoko is an unwitting runaway ninja with basically zero survival skills, and when she’s about to starve until she runs into Konoha, a normal-looking high school girl, steps in and helps her out. The twist is, Konoha isn’t normal at all, she’s actually an assassin. Thanks t

It is a solo this week with Rick out and a short one on top of it. Jack starts off with a focus on how different versions change the experience if you watch the English or Japanese versions. He breaks down the name swaps between Japanese and international releases, and he also points out major edits like censorship cuts and trimmed scenes, and compares how soundtrack and dialogue changes can completely shift the tone depending on which cut you watch. He also talks about how the movie feels more like a fan focused showcase where lots of characters pop in briefly, why the game style fight moments are the most fun part, and how the whole thing hit him as a nostalgic easy watch that made him want to pick up Street Fighter II again.About the anime:This movie straight up takes the Street Fighter II roster and builds a globe-hopping action story around them. Vega ( or M. Bison for the dub fans) is running Shadaloo (or Shadowlaw) and basically hunting down the world’s strongest fighters so he can control or recruit t

This week we talked about Lady Death and this for us was more along the lines of a “How did this get made?”. A majority of the time we are trying to figure out what it was we actually watched. Jack brings a dramatic and jokingly unhinged “horn daddy” recap to start things off and Rick follows up with a “biggest daddy issues movie” energy, and we both get into how the pacing feels slow, the story feels thin, and the rules of the world make no sense even when you try to be generous with what you are given. There were a lot of plot gaps and time skips not to mention the poor power scaling that we were subjected too. And to top it all off the dialog and character designs were basically primarily fanservice with a metal-album aesthetic. We also touch on ADV being the studio for this and they have a track record for some shotty productions already so it was not out of the realm of possibility to be like this. If you want messy and inconsistent rules and poor power structure and a feeling like the lurches from Earth

This week talk about Her Blue Sky. We started clearing up some misconceptions that Rick had “13 years ago vs. 13-year-old” confusion and then we dove into the misconceptions about the guitar and why it was still weirdly brand new. From there, we talked about the main hook, the younger and older versions of Shinnosuke existing as separate people, with the younger one absolutely tearing into his older self later in the story, which led us into talking about growing up, losing your spark, and how life can jade you without fully killing the dream you started with. We also talked about the “eyeball star” birthmark idea, what it’s supposed to mean, and why it initially threw us off and finally rounding it off with us swinging back to the music. One of us expected it to be way better, the other expected total garbage and was surprised it was handled tastefully. Overall, we did agree that it’s a straightforward, linear story that avoids the “wait, what is happening?” problem, dodges the awkward story directions it co

This week we talk about “My Oni Girl” and honestly we spend most of this episode just bouncing theories off of each other. We talk about our initial reactions, and unpack some specific visuals that we agreed on but also disagree on, and then we finally venture off into the “rules of the world” debate about who can see what, what repression means in that world, and how the snow gods work in this movie. Which finally leads into some spoiler territory, but we admit the movie has some big plot holes, but it is still an enjoyable movie nonetheless. There was a lot more that we did talk about like the father and everything that was going on with him.About the anime:My Oni Girl follows Hiiragi, a painfully shy high school kid who has spent most of his life trying to please everyone so much so that he has basically forgotten how to say what he really wants to say. Till one day his quiet routine gets thrown out the window when he meets Tsumugi, a very brash oni girl who basically becomes an important part of his life

We dive into Clevatess, and we are start off by talking about we are blindsided in the opening and that sent us down quite a rabbit hole of misunderstandings about the king, the heroes and whether this was a noble legend quest or a disguised suicide mission. We spend a big chunk of time untangling and trying to figure out the lore together, along with what the king actually knew and why Clevatess wipes out the kingdom, what the four lords of dark beasts are really doing, and how Alicia’s painful immortality and Naruru’s reconstruction with Betty’s body change the way we see power and sacrifice in this world. Along the way we call out moments we totally misread, and Rick talked about rewatching the final episodes till it finally made things click, kinda, and we talk through how the rapid fire twists, dense exposition and all to round it off with us talking about how it has a Ghibli style of visuals. And that is just what all we talked about. All in all this is a show that you should check out yourself.About th