Many of you are already familiar with Shmeckie's excitable exploits over at Anime 3000, including his hit anime review series KUSO! and his guest spots on the Bonus Round and A3K podcasts. Being the attention-starved manchild that he is, Shmeckie has secured himself yet another regular feature on the site with which you folks may keep yourselves entertained. Why am I announcing this one? Because I accepted an invitation to get in on the fun this time around.

The Other Side is a brand new weekly podcast appearing on Anime 3000 starring Cody "Shmeckie" Baier and yours truly, Alex "MOA" Barry. Over the course of the series, we'll be discussing a wide range of subjects related to anime, fandoms, internet subcultures, and anything else we can come up with to talk shit about for a little over an hour. Each episode is packed full of foul language and opinionated ramblings sure to cause plenty of controversy, but that's how we roll. In an online world where obsessive fans build networks of co-enabling communities where dumbass behavior is accepted with open arms, sometimes you need a little hardcore reality check from those of us standing on the other side.

Check out the debut episode where Cody and I talk about the top 50 anime series of the 21st century as voted by the users of Nico Nico Douga (and why most of them totally suck ass).

And I would like to add that new episodes go online every Friday!

You fuckers are hilarious. Especially the part at the end about sex with japanese women, that almost killed me. Keep 'em coming.

By the way, I didn't know you liked Tiger and Bunny. Good to see that show is getting more popular.

Now on the subject of Alan Moore, I like the guy - no, it would be much more accurate to say I like some of his stuff. Namely Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Granted, they're kind of preachy and the art is absolutely horrible in both books, but I found them to be pretty good. Not the second coming of Jesus like some comic book-nerds think, but good.

I haven't seen To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, but it is a sequel to To Aru Majutsu no Index, which I have seen. Namely, half of it's episodes. It blows. The entire show is sub-par. The concept of magic and the main character's power to cancel all other powers could have been interesting, but they didn't use that. Almost all characters, including a vampire, are lolis with non-existent personalities. It truly covers all the bases. The main character's love interest is some loli moe-blob in a pope-outfit, then there is the lesbian schoolgirl that constantly molests her friend, and the teacher of one of the classes. Look, this is all you need to know about the show.

Click to view attachment

Yeah, that character on the right? She's a teacher, drinks alcohol and smokes. Also, she is apparently the result of some experiment to stop cells from aging, thus she is already an adult and it is totally okay to fap to her!
UGH. And now you know why To Aru Majutsu no Index and it's sequel are so popular.

PS., for anyone who is curious how that scene in Bakemonogatari looked: Rape snake.

Click to view attachment

Other than me actually liking Madoka Magica, I guess I can pretty much agree on what is said on the podcast.
Also, it's funny as hell, you guys are great.

I watched Grave of the Fireflies and... you're totally right, shmeckie. I never, NEVER rewatched it because it made me cry the first time and I can't really say I enjoy getting depressed through a whole movie. (actually I tend to avoid stuff that'll make me sad, so...)

But somehow I can't find it in me to really get angry at Japan and all the crap they make there. Every country produces a lot of crap.
But the stuff about Japan needing to get laid is... pretty accurate actually.
The sad thing fo me is, I tend to enjoy some Animes with lots of girls in them but always find myself only caring about that one male character because all the girls in their skimpy outfits and their moe and whatever just bore the hell out of me.
I get the feeling I'm kinda getting off track here but whatever.

Anyway, you guys are awesome and I'm already excited for the next episode.

You guys are my heroes.



Though there is something I thought I'd mention: I think I heard you say a couple times, now, that the dead baby ritual thingamajig opened up the portal to World War II, Shmeckie. I'm pretty sure it was actually the first World War. Y'know, just for future reference.

Anyway, I can't wait for Friday!

Although I haven't watched basically any of the terrible schoolgirl shows you guys were talking about, your descriptions of it were more than enough to let me understand how terrible they were. And the ensuing ripping was very, very fulfilling.

Since this is pretty much the only one I've seen out of the "terrible" list, just thought I'd mention that I enjoyed Spirited Away a bit more when I found out that it was primarily a social commentary about the dangers of child prostitution. Made it a lot more enjoyable than the "girl wanders off into magical land, then shit happens!" movie that I had previously taken it for.

It was a blast listening to you guys have at it, and I look forward to future episodes! =D

No, I'm pretty sure it was World War 2. Nazis in the movie and everything. Hitler himself was in the movie.

Were they? Never got around to watching the movie. I think what threw me off were the scenes of the zeppelins bombing London. Also, isn't Trisha Elric's death listed as 1904, making the time when the series takes place happen around 1914?

EDIT: Hm, apparently the movie was set around 1923. That's kinda strange...

It's the first FMA anime, don't give it too much thought. Rape baby gateways to WWII and the personification of Wrath just wants a mommy. Shit sucks and is to be promptly disregarded.

rape baby gateways to wwii

If there isn't a metal band by that name before the year is out, I will be disappointed in all of you.

Darn, and here I was hoping to to finally see the boss's face.

Oh my God, really? That's like the logic of A Serbian Film. If you wanna make a movie about how bad child prostitution is, then make a fucking movie about how bad child prostitution is. Jesus...

hey, atleast Spirited Away was watchable as opposed to A Serbian FIlm.

I know, I just mean this SYMBOLISM-bullshit. granted, at lest it makes some minor sense here, but for fucks sake, if you have a message, don't dance around it.

It's NOT danced around. The Japanese audience was well aware of what it meant. Just something that got lost in translation on our end.

But was that really the main message of the movie? Because I remember stuff that doesn't seem to have to do anything with that in that movie. Or did it? I never fully watched it. It strangely bored me, despite how surreal it was.

...Child prostitution?! Pretty sure it was taking shots at Capitalism and was based on Miyazaki's bath-house fantasies.

The main plot of the movie was about the kid working at the bath house, having to change her name (kinda like how strippers change their names to things like "Candy", to quote the article I posted), basically forsaking her identity, and how the hell she was gonna get out of this mess. She meets friends, magical antics ensue, blah blah blah. The child prostitution bit comes from the fact that this was based on Edo period bath houses which traditionally did offer sexual services, No Face "wants" her and keeps offering her money, Yubaba is actually what they called the "Big Mommas" who ran these joints, etc.


Don't remember the shots at capitalism, but I do know that it also had a couple environment-friendly themes, like just about every other movie he does.

Oh yeah, I actually do remember seeing the Ghost in the Shell movie in my Japanese film class... Don't remember much of it though, considering it was so boring I slept through pretty much the entire thing. XP

The bath house itself is pretty much one big "lol capitalism is teh mean," and was based on Miyazaki seeing an Employees Only sign on a door in a bath house when he was young and wondering what crazy shit was back there.

Pretty sure you (and whoever wrote the article you read) are reading a mite bit too much into this...

...Except, he's apparently gone on record in interviews saying that the whole "child prostitution is teh badz" was his exact intention. Wouldn't exactly surprise me if there were also anti-capitalism messages; he's pretty well-known for stuffing his movies with themes to the brim.

"In his interview for the Japanese edition of PREMIRE magazine, Miyazaki explained that his wonderland is not just a fantasy, but represents the real world of today's Japan. "The sex industry is everywhere now in Japan," he said. "And the number of young girls who look like whores is growing.""

Hell if I can actually FIND this interview though, so who knows. However, did find this on the Wikipedia entry for Japanese bath houses in the Edo period:

"Contributing to the popularity of public baths in the Edo period were female bathing attendants known as yuna (湯女, lit. hot water women). These attendants helped cleanse customers by scrubbing their backs. After official closing hours, however, a number of these women would perform additional services by selling sex to male customers[citation needed]. Similarly, some brothels in contemporary Japan have women who specialize in bathing with and cleansing male clientele. Such establishments are often called sōpu rando (ソープランド, soapland).

As a preventive measure against prostitution, the Tokugawa shogunate stipulated that no more than three yuna serve at any given bath house. However, this rule was widely ignored, causing the shogunate to ban female attendants from bath houses altogether and once again prohibit the practice of mixed-sex bathing. Large numbers of unemployed yuna thereafter moved to official red-light districts, where they could continue their services. Up until 1870, there were also male washing assistants called sansuke (三助, lit. three helps) who would wash and massage customers of both genders. Unlike the yuna, these male attendants were not known to engage in prostitution."

Knowing that manages to make me like Spirited Away even less. Of all the ham-fisted messages to cram into a children's movie, fuck... I can sort of understand trying to subtly work political subtexts into your movies because most folks won't put up with people who aren't politicians droning on about their political beliefs, but do you really need to go to such lengths to mask a message denouncing child prostitution!? Apparently, this is a very controversial issue in Japan where half the populace would get mad and go, "Fuck you Miyazaki, we LIKE our underage hookers and don't need your preachy bullshit!" if he came right out and said raping preteens was wrong.

They probably would, though, chief.

I was just about to say that too, actually... They have weird issues with prostitution and rape over there, legal age or not.

Anyway, knowing this made the movie slightly more coherent and interesting for me (as opposed to MAGIC LAND RIVER DRAGON BISHIE BOY, YAY!), but I would hardly say that it's my favoritest movie evar. Personally, the only Miyazaki movie that I've willingly given repeat viewings (and enjoyed doing so) is Kiki's Delivery Service. Find that movie fun, and oddly charming. Other than that, I've seen quite a few of his other movies, but nothing that really lives up to the hype, in my mind.

As I said in another thread not too long ago, I recommend Nausicaa. It's entirely possible that the movie is garbage and the fragments of my nostalgia-saturated memories are lying to me, but I'll gamble my reputation as someone with reasonably decent taste and say it's one of the best things Miyazaki has worked on.

I actually saw Kiki's Delivery Service a few years back. Despite the story being so cutesy and simple, I managed to sit through the entire thing without hating it. Out of all of his films that I've seen, I think Kiki does the best job of pinning down that amorphous "Miyazaki charm" people are always talking about. The plot takes its sweet-ass time getting anywhere, but it's forgivable since the film has such warm, cozy feel to it that you don't mind just taking in the atmosphere and watching the characters screw around while you relax and think about what a nice place that town they're in would make for a vacation destination. From what I remember, Miyazaki took it a bit easier with the thinly-veiled sermons in that one, too; the only real message I can recall was "believe in yourself and you can do anything" or some similarly generic feel-good idea, which is pretty standard when it comes to kids' movies.

So far, I've only seen 2 Miyazaki films: Nausica, which I enjoyed, and Spirited Away, which was just meh. Also, boss, next interview we want to see your face.

Sean sent me this in an email:



For anyone wondering where the episode is...

The second installment of The Other Side is now up for your listening pleasure. Note: Fans of Gainax may want to grab something soft to punch before clicking play on this one.

Really enjoyed that bit about the drill part. Don't know what is it about it that I found fascinating.

I was honestly surprised when I saw the 215 was writing with capitalization and correct spelling.
I'll check out the podcast later, but if your previous one was any indication, I may need popcorn and a big glass of drink. It's quite a show.

The numbers are in, and The Other Side was THE most listened-to podcast amongst website visitors for December! So thanks, you guys!

I wonder how many of the listeners came because they were pissed after someone shared the podcast with them. Like "Can you believe what these two baka-gaijins said about our beloved shows!? SOOOO not kawaii sugoi!"

Anyway, I listened to the second one and I enjoyed it a lot. I never even noticed that all the drills in Gurren Lagann amounted to phallic imagery. Hm, I think I could create an anime-character who carries a lance and whose entire existence is only to make penetration- and thrusting-jokes, and the Otaku would still eat it up. I think I'll call this imaginary anime series "Longinus the Large and the adventure in Jailbait-land". Watch out GAINAX, here comes a challenger to your record of having as much fanservice and sex-jokes in your series as possible! HOOOOOO~

And the big enemies of the entire thing are Longus Dickus and his wife Incontinencia?

Good podcast by the way, I laughed my ass off at the P&S part.
As for "Chocolate" I think that played in the episode where Stocking fell in love with that ghost that acted like a jerk?
... why do I remember shit like that. It is over a year since I watched it.

I'll stay humble and chalk that up to it being a new feature that's managed to attract listeners who are investigating it purely out of morbid curiosity. If we manage to stay on top during the month of January, that would be pretty cool.

Speaking of which, any word on when TOS #3 is supposed to go up?

Supposedly Saturday, if not, then Sunday. Show keeps getting delayed on account of all the restructuring going on.

That shit is ONLINE:

http://www.anime3000.com/a3k-network/165-t...other-side.html

You guys are gonna love this one.

I was half expecting you guys to mention US Angel Corps.

By the by, since it was referenced in the podcast, how's Cloudscratcher coming along?

Working on the pages. Colorist just got over a case of the whooping cough, so he should be finishing the promo pic soon, then starting on the pages themselves.

After all the pages for the first major scene are done, work on the website begins...

And US Angel Corps will be brought up in that second webmanga podcast, probably...

Great podcast that make me actually look up this two sides thing. Wow, the artwork on that one is shitty. Ignoring the story which needs over ten pages to even get a bit "started" (and the pseudo porn I avoided as hell) the artwork is something I know only from some stupid fan doujinshis on some boards, drawn by 15 year old girls who know nothing about drawing anime style or realistic. And lets not get started on the backgrounds.

Then again, you sir already got started on it a long, long time ago.
Begs the question, when reading that comic almost made your heart stop, what did writing the article do? Make you spite acid?

Backgrounds?! You mean the Photoshop brushes in the shape of trees and mountains?

Also, don't forget, folks, to leave a comment if you can/have anything to say!

I had something to say, so I left a comment. Unfortunately, in order to leave it, I had to look at Misfile again. Uargh.

And sadly, even that is miles better than the subject of the next Comic Release...

Interesting how many of the "webmangas" Alex mentioned as examples suck though I wouldn't count Girl Genius due to it's more westernized style in writing and art. (I have to be careful since my virus scanner says it finds threats on this site.) It was great to see an update on Megatokyo. Say, have you ever gotten any hate mail from the fans?

Ah, Aoi House, that brings back some memories. The fans in that one are rather annoying if they find out you said something negative about the comic though the creator is pretty mellow.

New episode is up!

http://www.anime3000.com/a3k-network/165-t...part-1-tos.html

This one was fun to do. If anything, listen to it for Alex's Randy Savage-esque voice!

Really enjoyed this episode you guys. It brought me back to the forums, plus it cured my AIDS!

I have to say, listening to that intro is the only time I've ever not hated hearing the sound of my own voice. I should talk like that all the time for now on.

The opening aside, my personal favorite moment from this podcast was when we tried and failed to pronounce the spoken version of "WAT." Because I know what that should sound like, and I have to assume I'm just not quite nerdy enough to say it properly. Which says quite a lot about the people who can.

"WAT" "WAT" "WAT" "WAT" "WAT" "WE'RE NOT NERDY ENOUGH TO GET THIS!"

That was fun...

In similar, podcast related news, if you're tired of hearing me shit on everything, and wanna hear me (and the guys at A3K) gush on shit...

http://www.anime3000.com/a3k-network/39-po...3k-podcast.html

There ya go!

GUESS WHAT!

http://www.anime3000.com/a3k-network/165-t...part-2-tos.html

PART 2 IS UP, YOU SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF BITCHES!

And a new episode, wherein me an Alex makes funsies of harem anime!

http://www.anime3000.com/a3k-network/165-t...other-side.html

And also, a special treat for the folks at Project AFTER; an exclusive, hilarious outtake!

http://www.mediafire.com/?brm3ehaquhpgc1b

Click, download, enjoy!

Holy shit, I didn't think this was going up until next weekend! Well, you folks enjoy that one, because a lot of love went into its creation. A lot of hate, too, actually... And I mean a LOT of hate.

Please also enjoy the hilariously offensive outtake Shmeckie included. Because we are horrible people.