The Most Normal Fandom (Legend of Vox Machina) ft. Kae Savar&Emily Bassett from 2022-04-01T09:00

Seven adventurers played by some of the most famous voice actors in history come together. Their quest: To save the world from the wicked evil of the Briarwoods, and in the process bring about t...

Making a Live Action Anime (My Neck! by Real Life Glitch Entertainment) from 2022-03-08T10:00

We're entering a world of Neck on Neck combat, a life-action anime that serves as both a parody and a love letter to the most deranged anime of the late 90s, the new Amazon series, My Neck! Join...

Ranking of Kings is an INSTANT CLASSIC ft. Jess LaBella from 2022-01-14T10:00

BROTAKUS IS BACK, BABY!!! We review the HEAVILY slept-on Ranking of Kings, craft a plan to stop COVID-19 (and Dragonball Z) once and for all, AND give you a special production peek behind the sc...

Zombieland Saga ft. AnnieMayPlay&Anna Chicco from 2021-07-29T09:00

It's Night of the Living Pop Stars here at Brotakus, where we're finally tackling one of the biggest hits of the year, Zombieland Saga (and its sequel series, Zombieland Saga Revenge). The perfe...

Yasuke: The African Samurai Who Changed Japan ft. Professor Thomas Lockley from 2021-07-15T09:00

Today we're talking with Professor Thomas Lockley about his critical work in reinvigorating the story of Yasuke, the only non-Japanese Samurai. From starting riots in Japan with only his appeara...

Why You Should Play (Not Watch) Persona ft. DataDave from 2021-07-08T09:00

The Shin Megami Tensei series is renowned for its brutal combat, apocalyptic settings, and mature themes. What started as an offshoot titled "Shin Megami Tensei Revelations: Persona" quickly bec...

The Voice Actor Roundtable ft. Kai Jordan&Elizabeth Ryan from 2021-07-01T09:00

The long-awaited Voice Actor Roundtable is here! Since starting Brotakus we've been getting requests to do an industry deep-dive with working VAs, and we're finally delivering. A huge shout out ...

We're Turning 1! (Thank You So Much) from 2021-06-24T09:00

This week marks the first anniversary of Brotakus, and Pax takes a few minutes to tell you how we got started, where we go from here, and how much your support means to us. We return to regular ...

The Ultimate Anime Dads Tier List ft. Eric Schutt&Bishop Chave from 2021-06-17T09:48

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! In honor of all of the daddies and father figures in anime, we decided to rank... ALL OF THEM? We're joined today by REAL LIFE DADS Bishop Chave (@Reverend_Roscoe) and Eric S...

The Flawed Genius of YuYu Hakusho ft. Kae Savar from 2021-06-10T09:00

YuYu Hakusho is 90s anime at its best, an epic exploration of the limits of the medium at the time. From iconic voicework, gorgeous color pallets, and outstanding direction, YuYu Hakusho stands ...

The Flawed Genius of YuYu Hakusho ft. Kae Saver from 2021-06-10T09:00

YuYu Hakusho is 90s anime at its best, an epic exploration of the limits of the medium at the time. From iconic voicework, gorgeous color pallets, and outstanding direction, YuYu Hakusho stands ...

The Best Anime of Spring 2021 from 2021-06-03T09:00

Join us as we talk Froppy Exploitation in My Hero Academia Season 5, bawling over To Your Eternity, and feeling COMPLICATED THINGS about Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagataro! It's a JAM packed seaso...

Eisner Award Winner Anne Ishii on Translating Manga, Working as a Producer&Overcoming Doubts from 2021-05-27T09:00

Currently working as the Executive Director of the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia, Anne Ishii is a living legend responsible for translating and producing the first works of Queer manga t...

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is a MASSIVE Disappointment ft. @Obaewankaenobi from 2021-05-20T09:00

Our MOST REQUESTED episode is finally here. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train has been topping the box office for WEEKS, becoming the first anime movie here in the west to dethrone entire swaths of live...

S1E37 - Horimiya is Romance Anime, Perfected ft. @AlexJFields of Team APS from 2021-05-13T09:00

What if the nerdy, sad kid took off his glasses, got a haircut, huge tattoos, 47 piercings, and now suddenly looks like Japanese Russel Brand? And what if that kid fell in love with a beautiful ...

S1E36 - Is Beastars Furry Propaganda? ft. Mike Flanagan @MeeshPlays from 2021-05-06T09:00

Featuring a hot, literal Teen Wolf and an actual Bunny Girl, Beastars made a HUGE impact when its anime adaptation dropped on Netflix in 2020. But is this 3D animated show really a classic piece...

S1E35 - Made in Abyss ft. Henry Rosenberg&Anna Chicco from 2021-04-29T09:00

A bottomless abyss, eldritch artifacts, lost humanity, and the most gorgeous worldbuilding we've seen in anime. Join us for our journey into The Abyss, talking about why this classic show has he...

S1E34 - How Akira Changed Everything ft. Dr. Nona Carter from 2021-04-22T09:00

Before Miyazaki changed the game, before ANY anime had hit it big in the West, before anime was taken seriously as an art form, there was Akira.

A legendary film written and directed by ...

S1E33 - Propaganda, Clip Art&Astro Boy: History's First Anime from 2021-04-15T09:00

What was the first anime? Wait... what even IS anime? Join us as we dive into the depths of the very first forms of Japanese animation, from stop-motion clip art to WW2 Propaganda Films with lil...

S1E32 - JUJUTSU KAISEN! Best Show of the Year, or Naruto Ripoff? from 2021-04-08T09:00

Winner of Crunchyroll's Best Anime of the Year, JUJUTSU KAISEN is a tour-de-force featuring some of the hypest fights in anime EVER. Gorgeously animated, tightly scripted, and bearing some STRIK...

S1E31 - We're Making Changes (IMPORTANT) from 2021-04-01T09:00

Brotakus is changing, and so are we. Join us on our new adventure, an important new chapter for Hal and Pax. Find out more by listening. We love you and appreciate your support.

Visit Listen

S1E30 - Abuse, Artists&Act-Age ft. Julia Black&Kait Fitzpatrick from 2021-03-25T09:00

What makes an artist worth cancelling or forgiving? What is it about the acting/entertainment industry that attracts abusers? How can these systems be reformed in a safer and more equitable way?...

S1E29 - Top 5 Hype Moments&r/Rant Reddit Drama from 2021-03-18T09:00

We're talking the top 5 iconic hype moments in popular Shonen anime, and then we're digging in to see if these moments deserve their spot or should be thrown in the garbage along with all of Re:...

S1E28 - The Most Offensive Anime Ever was Totally Improvised? Ghost Stories w/ Natalie Schaffer from 2021-03-11T10:00

Imagine an anime written by 4Chan with a million-dollar budget and professional voice actors. Now imagine that that show was ten times more offensive than whatever you're imagining, and that wil...

S1E27 - The Grand Brotakus Vocabular-BEE of 2021 ft. Henry Rosenberg&Daniel Rivera from 2021-03-04T10:00

Join us for this game-show styled gauntlet of the ESSENTIAL Otaku terminology you need to know as we descend into a manic brain-death. Two players enter, but only ONE leaves.

What's the ...

S1E26 - What's It Like Living in Japan? (and Toei Transphobia Controversy) ft. Nicholas Martines from 2021-02-25T10:15

What are the do's and dont's of living in Japan? How is it dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic? How is the culture responding to huge demographic shifts? And are two-year olds really watching Dem...

S1E25 - The New Studio Ghibli Film is TERRIBLE (Earwig and the Witch Review) ft. Julia Kerr from 2021-02-18T10:00

Earwig and the Witch is the new film from the LEGENDARY Studio Ghibli, whose past films include Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and count...

S1E24 - KEIJO!!! - Infamous, Degenerate, But Not *Technically* Porn ft. Casterline Villar from 2021-02-11T10:00

THE KEIJO!!! EPISODE IS FINALLY HERE!!! LEGENDARY for its insane premise, earning instant-meme status and years of infamy since dropping. It's easy to see why. Join the Brotakus for the DEFINITI...

S1E23 - Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Surprisingly Good?!?) from 2021-02-04T10:00

What. What? WHAT!? Why is "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai", an INSANELY-named show, actually one of the most down-to-earth, well-written, heartfelt shows that we've ever reviewed? We...

S1E22 - My Hero Academia (FINALLY!) ft. Eric Schutt from 2021-01-28T10:00

THE LONG AWAITED MY HERO EPISODE IS HERE! In this Plus-Ultra length episode, Hal and Pax bring on Rochester-based actor/singer Eric Schutt to talk about the smash hit anime, My Hero Academia. Jo...

S1E21 - Ask Brotakus #1 (Becoming a Voice Actor, Dream Powers&Why We Love Anime) from 2021-01-20T10:00

Hal and Pax crack open the ol' mail bag, answering listener questions from Twitter, Facebook and the email. We talk our favorite voice actors, our dream Stand powers, becoming actors, and much, ...

S1E20 - Waifus, Incels and Parasocial Relationships from 2021-01-15T10:00

On our most EXPLICIT episode yet the Brotakus are talking about Waifus, Incels, the ins and outs of the drawn and animated p*rn industry in both Japan and America, parasocial relationships, and ...

S1E19 - DOROHEDORO: Blood, Magic, Lizards&Dumplings ft. Anna Chicco from 2021-01-06T10:00

HOW?

How does an anime about sorcerers, blood magic, a guy with a lizard head, and a dumpling shop with a blood-drenched plot and an indecipherable name end up on the Netflix Top 10 for...

S1E18 - The Brotakus Top 10 of 2020 from 2020-12-31T18:23:49

Our Top 10s of 2020!

This week Hal and Pax bring you their top 10 favorites from 2020. Albums, games, anime and more all make their way onto the lists of our absolute favorite things th...

S1E17 - Drunktakus: Our Favorite Arcs in Anime from 2020-12-17T09:00

After a double episode last week, Hal and Pax chill and unwind with waaaay too much alcohol to discuss their favorite arcs in anime.

Please give us a 5-Star rating on your favorite podca...

S1E16 - Food Wars, Foodgasms, and Peanut Butter Tentacles ft. ChefPK from 2020-12-09T10:15

We're back in part 2 of our conversation with ChefPK as we talk about his most-covered show, the legendary Shokugeki no Soma, AKA FOOD WARS BAYBEEEEEEEEE~!

Join us as we talk peanut butte...

S1E15 - ChefPK on YouTube, Food Anime and Pro Chef Life Ft. ChefPK from 2020-12-09T10:00

ChefPK is a professional YouTuber with over a decade of experience in kitchens who, over the course of the past year, has taken YouTube by storm with mind-blowing recreations of food from popula...

S1E14 - Is Great Pretender an Instant Classic? + Our First Hate Mail ft. Anna Chicco from 2020-11-25T10:00

When you combine a flawless voice cast, breathtaking color pallets and a STELLAR jazz-influenced soundtrack, how could the results be anything less than amazing? But is it a classic? Join us as ...

S1E13 - Blood of Zeus from 2020-11-18T10:00

Blood of Zeus comes from the legendary Powerhouse Studios, and currently holds a 100% at Rotten Tomatoes. It's been skyrocketing up the Netflix rankings, has a sterling pedigree, and a PACKED vo...

S1E12 - The Worst Dracula Adaptation of All Time ft. Michael Flanagan from 2020-11-09T10:00

Of all the Dracula adaptations, the 2020 Netflix/BBC collaboration stands above all as the absolute worst, most garbo, BADBADNOTGOOD, worstyiest of them all. To celebrate the end of Spooktober, ...

S1E11 - Is Castlevania the Best Anime of All Time? ft. Jeffrey Kringer from 2020-10-26T08:00

This week we're talking about the Netflix smash hit, Castlevania! After a decade spent in development hell, the Castlevania team came through with a serious, prestige drama about the human condi...

S1E10 - Pokémon Indigo League: When Ash BLEW UP A HOSPITAL??? from 2020-10-05T08:00

On this episode the Brotakus dive into the original Pokémon Indigo League, the issues with having GOD in your pocket, and what PokePuffs are made of.

Please give us a 5-Star rating on yo...

S1E9 - Hunter x Hunter and the ABDUCTION OF HAL?!? Feat. Henry Rosenberg&Emily Bassett from 2020-09-24T20:00

The threat has been carried through, and Hal is chained to a chair in an undisclosed bunker, courtesy of our lovely guests! Join us for octopus ants, violence, and a huge betrayal from one Brota...

S1E8 - Secondary Protagonists, Frenemies, and... Anime Batman? from 2020-09-16T08:00

On this episode, Hal and Pax take on a concept that you may not have known the name for, the deuteragonist! Also known as secondary protagonists, these side kicks, best friends, love interests a...

S1E7 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 2: Battle Tendencies from 2020-09-07T08:00

The Brotakus are back, with a deep-dive into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 2: Battle Tendencies! Featuring a KILLER soundtrack, fire pacing, and some of the bits of comedy and combat that anime h...

S1E6 - IT'S TIME TO DUEL! Yugioh ft. @AlexJFields of @TeamAPS from 2020-08-26T08:00

Debuting in 1993, Yugioh took the world by storm, leading to worldwide tournaments, MANY spinoffs, games, t-shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, parodies, and I'm trying to get a cult going too but peo...

S1E5 - The Roast of Dragon Ball Evolution ft. Michael Flanagan from 2020-08-20T08:00

Dragonball Evolution is legendary for all the wrong reasons. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 15%, and a budget of $30 million, this legendary 2009 live-action flop single-handedly killed the pos...

S1E4 - Kiki's Delivery Service&Fake J.K. Rowling Tweets ft. Morgan Milone from 2020-07-27T08:00

It's a jam-packed episode, covering the Studio Ghibli classic, Kiki's Delivery Service, J.K. Rowling going INSANE on twitter, and... Totally Spies? You'll have to give us a listen to find out, b...

S1E3 - Attack on Titan Ft. Hayley Denton-Hughes&Emmett Wickersham from 2020-07-13T08:00

It's time for the anime that captured a generation, the spine-tingling, heart-pounding horror show that is: ATTACK ON TITAN! Join us to discuss mangled bodies, a society on the brink of collapse...

S1E2 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 1: Phantom Blood ft. Henry Rosenberg from 2020-06-28T20:14:39

Join us for a deep dive into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 1: Phantom Blood! With an over 30-year run, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is perhaps THE most influential manga (and now anime) in existence....

S1E1 - POWER UP! Power Systems in Anime and Intro to Us from 2020-06-24T05:15:23

1- POWER UP! Power Systems in Anime and Intro to Us

In this introductory episode to Brotakus, Hal and Pax (@PaxLillin) talk about their patented system for classifying power systems in fi...