Best Seat on the Couch (Alex, Iris, Marcus, and Michael)

To celebrate our 50th episode on the Best Seat on the Couch podcast (wooo! Now if only this coincided with our one year anniversary...) we're blurring the lines of what makes an animated movie with the unholy matrimony of professional basketball and Looney Toons - the original Space Jam! Its sequel is in the news these days and Marcus and Michael think this movie is an absolute classic, but does that make the movie good? Are professional basketball players decent actors? Are professional cartoons decent basketball players? Is it ridiculous that Alex and Iris had never watched this movie until now? Tune in to find out! Content warning: strong language.

What if...the gang dove back into the Marvel cinematic MULTIverse? A charming anthology show based off of the Marvel comic series of the same name, What If...? is a fun and entertaining look at our favorite Marvel characters in strange and unique situations, channeling the comic vibe and resulting in some real bangers...and maybe some stragglers too. There's cool cel-shaded animation, great voice acting performances, and plenty of fan service! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language. 

Ouran High School Host Club is a hilariously wacky Japanese anime that semi-satirizes the shōjo manga genre popular amongst teenage girls in Japan, which may seem like a pretty harsh 180 from our usual programming. But this anime, a Michael and Alex fan favorite, is deceptively complex and poses difficult questions on topics such as gender identity and power dynamics, which the gang discusses at length. That being said, we all end this episode with a lively Michael-hosted Trivia Corner, where Alex continues his losing streak. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

This week Alex brings us another heavy-hitting and emotionally rich anime in Erased, which combines the murder mystery genre with a warm and nostalgic TV show about childhood, a mother's love, and the power of friendship. At only 12 episodes it's impressive that this show can be so story-rich yet also pace itself in its slow moments, and it certainly doesn't make the show any less emotionally heavy to experience. Plus - time travel! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Along with like half of the gang on the Couch, you may be surprised to know that this isn't actually a Disney movie; as 20th Century Fox Animation's first feature film, it's technically a competitor - so how does it stack up? Well, when you come at the king, you best not miss. The music is actually quite good, and it's an affable take on the Bolshevik revolution (as Alex phrases it), but the animation comes across as a bit...rough around the edges. Some moments feel well directed while others feel a bit discordant, some characters feel very Disney-esque (Ra Ra Rasputin!) while others are kind of...there...what we're saying is, this movie does its best, and we can commend it for that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Back again for 2 Train 2 Dragons, we're time skipping 5 years to a more mature young adult Hiccup, the long-awaited reveal of Hiccup's mother, and an antagonist that's actually not a dragon...technically. The gang has discussed the concept of a good movie but great sequel, and this movie certainly fits that bill - excellent worldbuilding, heightened stakes, and characters growing and reacting to foundations laid in the first movie are all hallmarks of that, and there are certain small moments that really sell this series's excellent treatment of the more serious moments in a kids movie. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

While Halloween has come and gone by the time this episode releases, the gang is in full Spooky Season spirit with 2009's Coraline, a Henry Selick stop-motion animated film that follows in the footsteps of The Nightmare Before Christmas. There's an awesome pairing of traditional stop-motion with CGI bells and whistles, and while this film definitely qualifies as a children's movie, the horror element makes a strong argument towards giving those same children some pretty chilling nightmares. Stick around to hear us sing praises for Coraline and the Beldam as characters, the film's excellent score, and the journey the audience gets to go on from this film's start to its end credits. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Makoto Shikai's Your Name was a global hit worthy of a spot on our podcast, and to kick off Season 2 of Best Seat on the Couch, we head to Shinkai's next work in the 2019 anime film Weathering With You. It's another beautiful story with gorgeous animation and hard-hitting emotional moments that is best experienced without prior knowledge of its premise, and so I once again recommend you experience it on a clean slate, as we all did. And while we attempt to avoid comparing it to its predecessor throughout the episode, Your Name's legendary status as top-grossing anime film of all time begs the question - is Weathering With You a worthy successor, and does it hit the same highs? Tune in to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's been a very long time since the gang discussed the original Kung Fu Panda, a film that we universally praised for its completeness, excellent performances from Dustin Hoffman and Jack Black, and impressive animation. And somewhat surprisingly, not since Shrek 2 have we seen such an impressive sequel! The animation is fresh with 2D animated storytelling interspersed with the impressive 3D fight scenes and set pieces, Po's personal journey is emotionally rich for a kids' movie, and we get an absolute banger voice performance from Gary Oldman as main antagonist Shen. Tune in to find out if the gang can achieve I N N E R P E A C E. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

This week's episode presents a chance for Michael, Trekkie of the Couch, to show his quality. Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated 5-season series from Mike McMahan and heavily channels the vibe of McMahan's previous work on Rick and Morty, while also crafting a narrative about Star Trek's lesser known non-bridge crew that's funny, whimsical, and chock full of nerdy references for Trekkies far and wide. Alex and Marcus learn about the intricacies of Star Trek lore (and how crazy it really gets) and Michael and Iris call back to plenty of traditional Star Trek television of old during our discussions on favorite moments, favorite characters, and Michael's Star Trek-themed Trivia Corner. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Kind of underrated, The Emperor's New Groove is a slapstick buddy comedy animated Disney film about an emperor who turns into a llama. You've got a lovable idiot who you can't help but root for, a lovable people's guy who is actually also kind of an idiot, an idiot that you love to hate, an idiot that you can't help but love, and Chicha, the most badass woman of all time. It's a hilarious movie that's just long enough to keep you laughing along to a happy ending. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Steven Universe crawled so Gravity Falls could walk so She-Ra could run so The Owl House could fly like a weird owl-beast-harpy creature, and dare we say that this is probably the most polished and well-constructed children's animated TV show that we've ever seen. All of the characters, especially our main protagonist Luz, are wonderful and have excellent growth through two seasons, it's animated very well, it's got some wonderful LGBTQ+ representation, and ended on a pretty wild cliffhanger that has us waiting intently for season 3. Come on in and walk through the portal! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The 2005 Ben 10 series, the O.G. of our childhoods, is a cool psuedo-superhero cartoon that works around the creativity of the Omnitrix and the myriad of cool alien powers that Ben has at his disposal. Compared to some of the newer cartoons we've discussed on the Couch, Ben 10 doesn't try to bring a lot of character development or major twists to the table, and simply relies on the unreliability and flexibility of the Omnitrix, cool factor, and fun family dynamic to make each episode entertaining. Content warning: strong language.

It's a return to form for the gang, featuring Alex's unbridled dad energy, Michael's brain damage, Marcus's corporate depression, and Iris's in-depth analysis of the ramifications of this universe's makeup, and with Monsters, Inc. on the docket today, we have plenty of good things to say. Headlined by Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sully, it's got an exceptionally lovable pre-vocal child protagonist, a humorously exaggerated corporate environment, and Steve Buscemi as the villain! Wow! Also, Michael constructs an entirely new physical model based around emotional energy. Content warning: strong language.

On a scale of Iris to Michael, how much did we enjoy this movie? Those of us in favor praise this movie's varied humor, plainly enjoyable characters and jokes, and excellent voice acting performances, whereas those of us against absolutely hammer this movie for its poor through line, cringe-fest humor, forgettable characters, and aspects that really solidify why children's movies can be so painful to watch for adults. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the preaching of our one-man choir, you're sure to feel like a happy fifth-wheel as we engage in a lively bout of friendly banter. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang finally completes the Makoto Shinkai trilogy, closing the book on our previous discussions on Your Name (Episode 7) and Weathering With You (Episode 12) after many years with 2022's Suzume. There's a lot to like about this movie (it's just as beautiful as its predecessors, if not even more gorgeous) but it's definitely not as good as Your Name and arguably may not even be better than Weathering With You, which does lend itself to a pretty great discussion about the main characters, the keystones (how do they work?!?), and the weird way the "romance" develops as the movie goes on. And in its small moments there's a wonderful story about the kindness of strangers Suzume meets on her journey, and it does elicit the emotions we're used to feeling in a Shinkai film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Infinity Train is a relative newcomer to the animated miniseries scene, first created as a pilot concept from Owen Dennis in 2019 which later blossomed into a 3-season show released through 2020. Small as it may be, it packs a powerful punch with its simple but instantly mysterious and captivating setting on the titular train, star-studded VA cast, excellent music, and underrated humor. Who is funnier, One-One or Atticus? Does Marcus unjustly hate dogs? Is it really a kids show if most of the antagonists are nightmare-inducing? Perhaps it isn't one - the attention to real human problems, presented in a mature and respectful manner for children, makes this show much more substantial than it appears. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Season 8 on the Couch starts with yet another nostalgia trip for the gang, as we deep-dive into our childhoods filled with buckets upon buckets of Legos and how special these little plastic building blocks were in our lives. Naturally we're all very high on The Lego Movie and what it brings to the table - and boy does it bring a lot to the table! The pseudo-stop motion, photorealistic animation is unlike everything we've ever seen before, from the fingerprints on the individual minifigures to the crashing Lego ocean waves to the camera angles they use to make it feel like it's a real video camera filming this movie; it pays homage to the best Brickfilms of the past while elevating the CGI to a mind-boggling level. And we haven't even mentioned Will Ferrell! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Widely considered to be one of the best anime series of all time (especially to Western audiences), Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan has action, gore, giant organic mecha, bureaucracy, and subterfuge all packed into a TV journey bolstered with great animation from Studio Wit and a baller soundtrack from my boy Hiroyuki Sawano. Given that resident weeb Alex has already watched the entire series, the rest of the gang gets to experience Season 1 at face value: it introduces characters, provides lore and information on Titans in little bite-sized nuggets, and has some really cool fight scenes...but what more is hidden behind the scenes? Stick around for a slightly different Theory Wall segment at the end of the episode, where Iris, Marcus, and Michael call their shots on how things might shake out in Season 2. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

On this episode of Best Seat on the Couch, the gang asks: what if feelings had feelings? One of Pixar's top works of the 2010s, Inside Out brings out the emotions in us all, including a couple of our scarily deep-rooted thoughts of depression and existential dread. Nah I'm just kidding, we're all very excited to talk about this movie, so much so that we invite our #1 fan Sarah back onto the podcast to discuss this movie's wonderful emotion-characters, emotional intelligence, excellent portrayal of San Francisco, and tear-jerking moments. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

By the powers of Star Wars and anime combined, Star Wars: Visions is an incredibly bold new take on the Star Wars mythos while also being a genuine and heartfelt series of art pieces from Japanese artists and animators. In this episode the gang lightning-rounds through all 9 individual episodes, giving short opinions on each, and discussing the overarching concept of the deconstruction of Star Wars and how these works fit into the greater Star Wars experience. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Disclaimer: Alex's microphone struggles mightily to perform correctly in this episode. Please excuse the drop in audio quality.

At long last on the podcast, the gang discusses the legendary Pixar film Finding Nemo, perhaps the first of Pixar's films that really elevated their standard of animation and kicking off their own sort of "Golden Age" as Michael dubs it. It's a children's movie that feels much more mature than its predecessors, looks gorgeous for a film in 2003, and has one of the most heartfelt stories of the decade. Surrounded by an excellent cast and touching on familial trauma and loss, we shower the movie in the praise it deserves. Content warning: strong language.

Ignoring that this movie is owned by furries, Disney's Zootopia is an impressively rich world teeming with the kind of social commentary that Disney just barely makes enough of to be thought-provoking without necessarily stating too much. The gang has an exciting discussion about nature vs. nurture, racism, fascism, fantasy worlds, and the role of the police both when this movie came out in 2016 and in our current day—that is, after all, what y'all are here for, right? We've also got our favorite moments, characters, and animal-related puns too. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The height of the Disney Renaissance made the Mouse fabulously wealthy, and so alongside powerhouse films like Aladdin came many direct-to-video sequels like Aladdin 3, or Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Iris's childhood nostalgia notwithstanding, the gang is pretty whelmed by this film overall, and in this episode we discuss the hard hitting questions like: what makes a sequel worth making? Has Robin Williams' Genie simply gone too far? Are Jasmine's eyeballs okay? Does Aladdin actually make an intelligent decision, ever? Will Iris's brother Andrew read this and stew ever more angrily that we're tearing down a pillar of his childhood? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Y'all remember the original Puss in Boots spinoff from 2011? The CGI in that film has...not aged well. But over a decade later, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has arrived to soft reboot the Shrekiverse and tell a more compelling story about the titular side character - well, compelling to most of us on the Couch, at least. The animation and visuals are leaps and bounds over anything else from this series before, the characters that surround Puss in Boots are genuine, deep, and entertaining presences, and Marcus believes the villain is one of the best of any animated movie he's ever seen. Come for the movie, stay for the hot takes! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang arrives at the end of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, high on the previous two movies' excellent worldbuilding, strong main cast and characters, and more serious tone for a kids movie, to experience The Hidden World for the first time. Overall...it's alright. If HTTYD 2 found a way to be a good movie but a great sequel, Hidden World comes out as an okay movie and a disappointing sequel with a weird ending, though bolstered by its even more impressive animation and satisfying action scenes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang returns from a long hiatus to drop another childhood banger from 2002, Codename: Kids Next Door, which drops the absolute deepest lore on what it really means to have a childhood. Kids immediately latch on to their favorite of Numbuhs 1 through 5 and we were no different in our youth, and there's plenty of teenager/adult drama and bombastic (though sometimes disgusting) humor to keep our attentions now that we're a bit older. Plus, we talk about the movie! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The list of Disney/Pixar films we haven't yet touched upon here on the Couch is getting pretty slim, but 1998's A Bug's Life simply demands discussion, mostly because child Alex's love of insects cannot be denied. Hot off the heels of Toy Story, this film actually holds up quite well; its animation is solid, its characters are honestly quite impressive (with special mention to the villain Hopper and actual convincing child Dot), and its pro-union and Marxist-leaning messages are excellent reminders that it's our right as workers to eat the rich in 2024. Hope y'all enjoy our discussion, because we all know rival film Antz will be making an appearance on the Couch very soon...

Content warning: strong language.

It's always nice to come into a movie that appears to be about supervillains, spycraft, action scenes and whimsical gadgets and ends up being about the beauty of family. Despicable Me features Steve Carell's excellent dubious Eastern European accent (as well as an impressive voice cast overall), three lovable little girls that steal your heart, weirdly prominent marine life, Kingpin from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and of course, the Minions - though they are somewhat more tame in this movie, to the Couch's relief. Plus, Michael kinda tears up by the end of the movie! That's a W for everyone. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In our second-ever foray back to a show we've discussed prior on the Couch, we return to the realm of Xadia with the long-awaited fourth season of the The Dragon Prince, now rechristened as The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos. We've waited patiently since we last discussed the show two and a half years ago, but it's hard to say that our expectations were met for this season, as it suffers from poor structure and pacing, has way too much juvenile humor, and doesn't follow up on the in-universe two year gap in any meaningful or satisfying way. Still, there are glimpses of the old Dragon Prince in this season, and there is still hope - within all of us - that the ship can be righted and the saga can end in a satisfying way. Stick around for our Theory Wall continuation and our predictions for seasons 5 and 6! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Better known as Dungeon Meshi in weeb, Delicious in Dungeon is a show that brings anime, cooking, humor, Dungeons & Dragons, studio Trigger animation, and character-driven narratives together like the Avengers to put together one of our favorite anime shows of all time. Longtime listeners know from our episodes on The Legend of Vox Machina that D&D is held near and dear to our hearts, and we're blown away by this series's worldbuilding, character backstories, combat encounters, and even those small twists from the classic D&D formula that freshen up the genre. Perhaps our only complaint is that Season 2 can't come fast enough, and only Alex knows what the show has in store for us when it arrives - though that doesn't stop us from having a Theory Wall anyway. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's a certified Best Seat Tradition now to have Alex's group of straw hat buddies join him over the holidays to talk about Eiichiro Oda's legendary anime series ONE PIECE, at 1123 episodes released at the time of recording with still more content on the way. We've got Katy, Lony, Owen, and newcomer Ayana joining Alex today, and even though the series is on a minor hiatus mid-Egghead arc, the gang is chomping at the bit to see Luffy and co. enter Elbaph, home of the giants, starting April 2025. Ayana introduces their own personal One Piece lore with their favorite characters and moments, and then the gang jumps into a discussion about the Five Elders, expected hype on Elbaph (introduced all the way back in the Little Garden arc!), and we even get a psuedo-Theory Wall to close out the episode—are people gonna die? why are we talking about Loki? Loki's in ONE PIECE? As the nameless author of these blurbs it's mighty confusing. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In this Breaking News segment of Best Seat on the Couch, the gang is coming in hot off the heels of not one, but two in-theatre screenings of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, this year's smash hit animated blockbuster. We get more Gwen, more Spider-people, more multiverse, more top-notch artistry, more soundtrack bangers, and a thrilling third act - just go see the movie! Content warning: MAJOR SPOILERS, strong language.

Our first of many Disney-focused episodes highlights the 1991 animated masterpiece Beauty and the Beast, one of many classics of the Disney Renaissance era of animated films. Self-proclaimed Disnerd Danielle spearheads the gang's discussion on animation, the musical aspects of the movie (yes, some of us sing in this episode), stockholm syndrome, and the absolute unit that is Gaston. Danielle also MC's our second Trivia Corner, with even more obscure trivia for us to collectively pull our hair out over. No spoiler warning because this movie is almost 30 years old. Content warning: strong language.

We dipped our toes into the vast DC Animated Universe with our episode on Teen Titans a few weeks ago, and today we dive deeper with a little bit of a cult classic - Batman Beyond. There are many more examples of cartoons that stick to the classic Batman script (including Justice League, which we reference a lot in this episode), but Beyond is a complete re-imagining of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne, the Batman himself, and crime and villainy in the cyberpunk dystopia that is...2019? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the love child of Studio Trigger's animation reputation (see our previous episodes on Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia) and video game studio CD PROJECT RED's longstanding success from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk: 2077, and also it's on Netflix so I guess it's a bit of a triangle. But even if you were disgusted by Kill la Kill's...showmanship...or disappointed with 2077's excessively buggy gameplay on launch, you will be blown away by the emotional throughlines and excellent worldbuilding provided by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. It's mature, it's nuanced, it's incredibly faithful to the game and its setting, and it's a wonderful story overall, bolstered further by an excellent soundtrack and Trigger's high-quality animation. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It has taken the gang 165 episodes to bring an Isekai anime to the Couch, and while they may not be to resident weeb Alex's discriminating palate, Iris brings us a wild first installment all the same with 2023's I'm in Love with the Villainess. It's got drama, it's got magic, and it's exceedingly gay, but as the show goes there are a few characters and moments that really do make it a show worth sticking around for; plus the English dub slaps. Stick around as Marcus gets a little too existential on the Isekai genre and Alex pitches a mini-Trivia Corner to wrap up the episode. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Pixar once again begs the question: what if the Classical Elements had feelings? Elemental is the latest entry in a slowly growing line of just-ok-but-not-spectacular Pixar movies, and while it bombed in the box office it performed fairly well on streaming - so the gang decided to try it out! What we got was a pretty entertaining romantic comedy (which, credit to Pixar, isn't something we've really seen from them before) wrapped in a fairly flimsy plot and half-decent immigrant family backdrop. For rom-com standards that's not too bad, but I think all of us came out of this viewing experience wanting for more. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Have you ever felt social anxiety? Have you ever wanted to join a band? Are you a Japanese teenage girl? If so, you'll love Bocchi the Rock! for many reasons, chief among them the honestly surrealist portrayal of main character Bocchi's internal monologues as she navigates high school and band life with extreme social anxiety. The animation feels almost Into the Spider-Verse levels of genre defying, putting a hilarious twist on a slice-of-life story about a group of girls trying to make it big in the indie rock band scene, but it's not all goofy all the time - it's respectful in its portrayal of social anxiety, knows how to navigate its humor, and has a pretty cool portrayal of the band's musical performances too. The gang highly recommends! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Toy Story is the first completely computer generated movie from start to finish, and is therefore the grandfather of all animated children's movies that came after it, cementing its legendary status both in pop culture and in the National Film Registry's archive of preservation. But how does a CGI movie from 1995 hold up over 25 years later? Honestly pretty well - Tom Hanks and Tim Allen steal the show in the lead roles, there's great character progression, humor for both kids and adults, and at its core takes a simple concept - "the secret life of toys" maybe - and puts together a story that's a home run from start to finish. Maybe the dog could use a remaster though. Content warning: strong language.

Now on their 3rd year running, Alex's Straw-Hat-gang-away-from-home returns to the Couch this holiday season to once again continue their discussion on ONE PIECE, picking up where they left off in Episode 66. Midway through the Wano Country arc in the anime in that episode, the Wano arc has actually just ended now, and there's plenty of good discussion to be had between Katy, Kyle, Lony, and newcomer Owen! Stick around for discourse on favorite characters, favorite moments in the Wano arc, some banger fight scenes, and speculation on where the show is going to go next...(do I smell a Theory Wall?)
Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Considering our last magical girl-related anime we discussed was Madoka Magica, studio Trigger's Little Witch Academia is a comparatively fun and exciting anime series that follows the bright and boisterous Akko, best girl Lotte, moody mushroom girl Sucy, and her various friends and professors as they get in trouble, get out of trouble, and unlock immense magical power. This show really has everything for everyone - even the best character ships for shipping trash like Iris! We all adore this show and want to emphasize that you might be fooled by this show's slice-of-life-esque appearance, which hides a rich story and well-written heroes and villains underneath. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The OG Teen Titans TV series from 2003 might have been rebooted one too many times for the sake of the IP, but the gang unanimously agrees that this series from our childhood is by far the best one. A perfect marriage of psuedo-anime style humor and animation, clowny and 4th-wall-breaking jokes, incredibly diverse villains, and lovable protagonists, Teen Titans feels like an actual kids show about teenagers who do teenager things (like go on dates and fight alien tofu) but also do superhero things (like deal with the trauma of facing a supervillain determined to break your mind and spirit). It's a fun watch! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang returns to Brad Bird's directorial prowess in this episode on Ratatouille, and boy do we have A LOT of discussion for you. For a children's movie, Ratatouille has surprisingly unorthodox plot progression and rich character growth in just under 2 hours of runtime, especially considering that the setting (Paris) and stakes (oh no! My restaurant!) of the movie appear more grounded and less fantastical than other Pixar greats like The Incredibles or Wall-E. Plus, there's tons of delicious looking food to drool over! Stay tuned for Michael's culinary Trivia Corner at the end of this episode too. Content warning: strong language.

1988's Akira is legendary. From it came incredible leaps in sci-fi movies, the cyberpunk genre, adult animation, and what I guess we call Japanese anime today, but the real question is: why meat baby? In this episode, the gang discusses Akira from many angles, and while it is not without its faults as a film, it provokes a lot of thought about humanity's potential future in a cyberpunk setting. Plus, what about the manga of the same name, and how does the movie fare with so much of the manga omitted? And what about that ending? Content warning: strong language, meat baby.

While no longer the case as of a few months ago, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's last film was to be 2013's The Wind Rises, a fictionalized biography of Japanese WWII engineer Jiro Horikoshi spliced with a wondrous Miyazaki manga, wrapped up in the classical Studio Ghibli bow with gorgeous animation and vibrant, memorable scenes. There's plenty of controversy surrounding the implications of celebrating the mind behind the most destructive Axis warplane in WWII - and the gang discusses this at length - but overall we think the film is a uniquely thought-provoking and emotional entry from Miyazaki, worth its spot in the Miyazaki/Ghibli pantheon in its own right. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Shrek, nearly 20 years old and close to induction to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, really needs no introduction both as a movie and as a cultural monument. All you must know is: 

Shrek is love, Shrek is life. And even when you think it's ogre...it's never ogre.

Content warning: strong language, the Writer's Desk (possibly the most cursed special segment on Best Seat history).

In its infancy, DreamWorks Animation studios began its quest to swing at Disney and attempt not to miss. Their best animators were tasked with a project flanked with music by Hans Zimmer and an ensemble voice cast, and anyone who couldn't make the cut was relegated to animating Shrek. That project was The Prince of Egypt, and the gang rapidly discovers that the number of members with religious upbringings outnumbers the number without (sorry Michael) as we delve deep into this discussion. We love the tone of the movie, the strength of its music numbers, and the DreamWorks flare that comes through in small moments in the film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

If you've ever dabbled in Dungeons and Dragons, then you've likely heard of the immensely successful web series Critical Role, where critically acclaimed voice actor Matt Mercer runs a D&D campaign for a bunch of other big name voice actor friends. After a record-breaking Kickstarter, the group was able to take their first campaign and translate it into an animated TV series (a feat never done before with a D&D campaign!) and it's...actually pretty good! It is at once a faithful rendition of the party's battles and character moments as they were played out on stream, but also distills the extra moments and slow pacing typical of a D&D campaign into a more streamlined, easy-to-follow series that's easy to hop into whether you're a hardcore roleplayer or a casual fan. Stick around to hear the Couch's own fun times playing D&D together as well as a D&D-themed Trivia Corner to cap off this episode! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

From cartoonist ND Stevenson, the mind behind She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, we get Nimona, a gorgeously animated sci-fantasy film that's risen from its ashes after almost being axed by Disney a few years ago. Ballister and Nimona give excellent performances and together they tell a rich and genuine story centering around duty, purpose, and the struggles that real-life LGBTQ+ individuals face in today's world, in ways that a few of us have never seen before! That isn't to say that Marcus enjoyed every aspect of this movie, but we talk about whether of that is justified, too. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Of the many legendary animated movies of the Disney Renaissance, Mulan (1998) cements itself as a particularly progressive, empowering, and inspiring entry that all five of us grew up with and have grown to love. In addition to Eddie Murphy's amazing Mushu and Disney's banger of a soundtrack, there's excellent discussion that Iris and Danielle spearhead in this episode concerning Mulan's struggle in a gendered system, the concept of character agency, and Mulan's propensity to succeed as herself rather than as "being strong." And no, we don't compare this movie to the 2020 live-action version. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Do you remember Death Note, and how Light and L had a brutal battle of wits that existed entirely within their own respective subconsciouses? What if that was a romantic comedy? Enter Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, a hilarious portrayal of high school budding romance with everything from fourth-wall breaks to tear-jerking moments. Alex claims that it even revolutionized the genre in Japan, and with 3 seasons and a movie under its belt, we're still barely over halfway done with the series. Stick around for our season 4 Theory Wall! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Every Hayao Miyazaki movie is special on the Couch, and not just because it's Marcus's first time watching one - Howl's Moving Castle in particular has colors that feel more vibrant, characters that feel more whimsical, and magic that pushes the boundary of reality even further than mainstays like Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service. For good or for worse, Howl's comes across as more raw and unrefined than other Miyazaki films and hits your emotional center harder, even if the plot feels a tad bit more disjointed because of it. Plus, if you listen to the English dub, you get Billy Crystal's Calcifer and Christian Bale's Howl! Can't miss that. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Even from minute 2 of this episode, it's very clear: there isn't any anime - or hardly any animated show at all - quite as interesting to watch as Gurren Lagann. Now you might be wondering "well, I mean, it's a show about giant robots fighting, what's so complex about that?" Tune in as we discuss hard-hitting questions like: does the second half's glory atone for the first half's sins? Are the concepts of death, legacy, and faith tastefully presented to Simon, the main character, and his supporting cast? Is it just to limit the population of a civilization to protect it from horrors yet unseen? Guess you'll have to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

With the main cast on vacation for the holidays, Alex brings his close friends Katy and Kyle to the Couch for a very special episode on wildly successful anime ONE PIECE, based off of the 20+ year-running manga series of the same name. At almost 1000 individual episodes spread over 20 seasons as of the new year, there is an almost insurmountable volume of content for interested newcomers, but Alex, Katy, and Kyle pose strong arguments and thoughtful discussions on what makes the series worth watching, whether it be its loveable cast, the sense of wondrous adventure, heart-wrenching emotional moments, or absolute slap of a theme song. Plus, who doesn't love an anime about pirates?! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

We return to the Miyazaki pantheon with 1992's Porco Rosso, which seemingly flies under the radar among Ghibli fans even though it was the #1 film in Japan the year it released. On the Couch however, this ranks as one of Michael's favorite movies and has also rapidly ascended to Marcus's top 3 Ghibli movies he's seen so far, so we have quite a bit of praise to put on this film, whether it be the wonderful Fio, beautiful score, or gorgeous animated Italian countryside. And while appearing to be a more slice-of-life style movie with low stakes, there's still a little bit of the good stuff to analyze :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

A stark 180° from our previous anime discussions on Ouran High School Host Club and Madoka Magica, Demon Slayer is our first shōnen anime on the Couch and a phenomenal hit among Japanese audiences within the last 5 years. Alex once again provides guidance and insight into the weebdom as he hosts our discussion on the tropes of shōnen animes and their characters, comparisons (and differences) with My Hero Academia, character arcs in the first and second half of the show, and the demons of course! And, as another series that has yet to conclude, Alex brings back our second-ever Theory Wall so that we can all drop some (relatively logical) takes on where Demon Slayer will go next. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The dynamic duo of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli returns to the Couch this week with our discussion on the legendary 1997 film Princess Mononoke. Similar thematically to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind which we discussed previously, Mononoke almost feels like Miyazaki's second, more expansive attempt at conveying his messages of environmentalism and anti-war sentiment, with his trademark strong female characters and Ghibli's gorgeous visuals. Stick around for discussions on the excellent worldbuilding in the forest and Irontown and unusual character development! No spoilers 20+ years old yada yada yada. Content warning: strong language.

Our JoJo's...er, GioGio's...Bizarre Adventure train has no brakes! The gang takes a cross-country flight to the picturesque views of Italy and joins Giornio Giovanna, illicit son of Dio Brando who we discover very early on basically has no resemblance to his father, on his quest to improve the country and eradicate its rampant gang problem. There's a couple of parallels that can be drawn to Stardust Crusaders in that there's a fun group dynamic and monster-of-the-week style for a fair bit, but its revolutionary stand powers, less emphasized JoJo protagonist, and new heights of contrived nonsense make it a unique entry in the series. Many of us still believe that Diamond is Unbreakable is still the best JoJo's part, but at least Marcus believes the hype has never gotten any crazier than in Golden Wind. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

We've got our first ever guest on Best Seat on the Couch this episode, and Jess is excited to join the gang on our emotional roller coaster adventure on Makoto Shinkai's Kimi no Na wa, otherwise known as Your Name. The film is best experienced without any prior knowledge of its premise or plot, so if you haven't watched the movie, please stop reading this blurb and give it a go. What can be said is that all six of us ended up in various levels of tears by the end credits, and that we unanimously love and cherish this gorgeous movie for all of its beautiful moments and hard-hitting twists. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

You ever hear of this movie? Pixar's anticipated follow-up to Inside Out? Their first EVER box office failure? Marcus certainly hadn't. We all generally agree that Pixar's standard of quality for their movies prevents them from being truly hot garbage—which is a good thing, mind you—but The Good Dinosaur lacks a fair bit of expected Pixar magic, and ends up being fairly uninteresting. Elements of its construction, like the symbolism of the River and the Storm as antagonists and the T-Rexes appearing in Act 2, are worth discussing and praising, whereas other aspects like pterodactyls and Spot leave us wanting more. Tune in when we eventually get to pandemic victim Onward sometime! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

For a genre as saturated with a variety of content as the superhero genre, it's pretty incredible that an animated superhero TV series brings something fresh to the table - almost as fresh as the steaming pile of guts from the biblical levels of gore shown on screen. But Invincible is more than its violence, and is bolstered by its star-studded voice acting cast, excellent fight scenes, extremely strong trio of main characters in Nolan, Debbie, and Mark, and how their relationship unravels over time once you've seen the first episode. It's a show that's impressively well made, stays true to its source material, and keeps the gang hungry for more for the upcoming Season 2. Highly recommend! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

I was surprised to discover that our episode on Shrek was over 2 years ago, as it feels like our discussion on that movie's themes - and its recent induction into the Library of Congress's National Film Registry - was fresh in our minds as we tackled the sequel Shrek 2. Solidly a great movie but arguably a perfect sequel, Shrek 2 builds upon the world from the original with the introduction of Far Far Away, introduces an absolute grand slam of a character in Puss in Boots in addition to worthy side characters like Fiona's parents and Prince Charming, fleshes out Shrek's own personal growth with self-worth and his relationship with Fiona, and somehow folds in contemporary popular music into this film even better than the original did. Come with us and let Iris see that Shrek 2 is love, Shrek 2 is life. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The holidays are upon us and that means Alex brings back his other best friends for another edition of Best Seat on the Couch - ONE PIECE edition! Katy, Lony, and Owen return to the couch as they dive headfirst into the Egghead arc and discuss big lore implications, hypothetical pirate-vs-pirate 1v1 results, and validated called shots. We even get some deep Katy lore with the story of how her dad got into ONE PIECE thanks to the Netflix live-action series, which came out last year and made a big splash in bringing the manga and anime to a larger audience. The episode ends with a discussion on a NEW ONE PIECE anime coming out late 2024, Fullmetal Alchemist style, and the gang's thoughts on what to expect, what's gonna be different, and whether it'll help or hurt the current series. Someday, maybe Michael, Iris, and Marcus will join in on the fun...

Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Nestled somewhere in between our previous episodes on Batman Beyond and Teen Titans, Young Justice has a rich world, excellent storytelling and plot buildup, and a really impressive voice cast that gives it all the tools to be a really excellent entry in the animated DC universe. The gang delves into a passionate discussion about the trailblazing that Young Justice did for a show of its time, and how Iris's upbringing with the show compares and contrasts with the Alex's, Michael's, and Marcus's more contemporary perspectives. Give the show a watch - at the very least, you'll agree with us that it's pretty solid. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

On January 18th, 2021, the gang brought Akira to the podcast, a legendary pillar of Japanese animated media and the cyberpunk genre today, though as a film itself is flawed somewhat. But there is another: 1995's Ghost in the Shell feels deeper, more introspective, and more ethereal, and it demands multiple rewatches to fully understand - and appreciate - how important this movie is to future blockbusters like The Matrix and Ex Machina. It's beautifully animated, takes its time to be metaphorical and inquisitive, and has an incredibly fascinating antagonist. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Soul is the first Disney/Pixar installment delivered direct-to-Disney+ as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why, for a lot of us, this movie kind of missed us in the buzz of animated movies of the last few years. It feels a little different than Pixar's award-winning formula, with heavier emphasis on the existential and ethereal quality of life after (and also before) death, and it's fascinating to discuss this movie's musical inspiration and undertones, deep emotional moments, and unique aesthetic, considering that at the end of the day this is still a kid's movie. And as a final note: this is NOT a movie about jazz! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The Polar Express is a...special film. It's a landmark work in computer-generated animation and was one of the first such movies to use extensive motion capture technology, which culminates in a final product that is at the same time immensely creepy and visually wondrous. Tom Hanks plays half the cast, "Hero Girl" looks like some kind of demon, Marcus cannot even with the blatant disregard of the laws of physics, Michael learns about Christianity, and Iris drops an absolutely molten take on what this movie truly means to her. All Alex can do is witness, and so we invite you to witness, as well. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's anthology szn again! Today the gang discusses Tim Miller's Secret Level, with 15 animated short stories from video games ranging from Armored Core to Warhammer, to complement our extensive history with video games of yesterday and today. While some of these "levels" feel more like glorified trailers than actual worthwhile media, we come away with the impression that what's really worth taking away is how each episode made us feel—was it cool? fun to watch? got us into the game, or pushed us away from it? Even if you're not into some of the games showcased here, or video games at all, there's some really good (and maybe some really bad) television worth discussing here. So join us! Content warning: strong language.

Best Seat on the Couch celebrates another milestone as we reach Episode 150, and like our 50th episode on Space Jam almost two and a half years ago, we're choosing another live action + animated mish-mash masterpiece, but this one is perhaps the most important of all! Who Framed Roger Rabbit, released in 1988, was an engineering and filmmaking marvel of its time, joining a classical LA Noire murder mystery film with every single cartoon you could think of - this film is still, to this day, the only film that's ever shown Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny on the screen at the same time, and that's awesome. Join us as we experience this movie, highlight our favorite moments and characters, and have a riveting conversation about pineapple on pizza. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang breaks the 4-week anime streak to bring one of the most incredible animated TV series of 2023, Scavenger's Reign, a show that got canceled by HBO Max after its premier season but got picked up by Netflix within the last few months. It isn't hyperbole to say that this show moved us; the worldbuilding is phenomenal, the characters and their stories are rich and emotional, and the way the showrunners are able to have the audience connect to planet Vesta, at the same time naturally rich yet so wildly alien, is something we genuinely have never seen before. Even Marcus' and Michael's minor nitpicks evolve into rich discussions about how masterfully this show is written and how complex its characters are, and we really don't have to say much more than what Iris said in the first 3 minutes: go watch this show. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Somewhere in the realm between Shrek and Bee Movie in the Dreamworks pantheon, Over the Hedge is an initially unassuming and formulaic animated movie of the 2010s, but Marcus's dad really loves this movie, so what exactly does he see that we don't? Well, it's got a crew of surprisingly dynamic and memorable characters voiced by a weirdly B-list voice cast (hi Avril Lavigne!), genuine character development for RJ and Verne, great humor and excellent callbacks which one could describe as poetry, and that one scene with Hammy that predates the Quicksilver frozen-in-time scene by a whole 8 years! Join Marcus this episode, and realize – like he has – that this movie is actually really good. Please. 

Content Warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

There isn't much to say in a description of Your Lie in April, as its hard to put its powerful emotional impact into words, and even harder to describe how it made us feel. But its genuine portrayal of the rigorous and strenuous life of a child musician, its lovely and beautifully animated quiet moments, and its visualization of the emotion and struggle in each character's relationship with music are all highlights of what I'd say is a truly one-of-a-kind anime series. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In one of the greatest multiversal crossovers of all time, Katy from the ONE PIECE holiday episodes joins the gang to talk about Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, an anime that rivals Kill la Kill in fan service while also providing some absolute gourmet perfection on screen, to kick off Season 13. But do not be fooled - this show is not just gratuitous moaning and literal foodgasms, it's actually really good, with solid character arcs and excellent plot progression that caters to even Iris's finer tastes. And you can't say that this show didn't move anyone in a major way - Marcus is planning to make his very own chaliapin steak pretty soon. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

At long last, 6 months later, the Gang has finally arrived at the end of their Bizarre Adventure. Stone Ocean is the final anime adaptation available to the JoJo's manga and wrapped up just last year in December, and with it comes what is perhaps the most intriguing and captivating story yet. The story, characters, villains, and conceit are so good that it actually has convinced Michael to not be mad at this show for being good - and that's not to ignore the fact that the stand battles and Araki shenanigans continue to live up to the astronomical level of hype. We wrap up with a nice JoJo's retrospective on the entire series as a whole as well, and end the episode with a vow to binge through Part 7 when it comes to a screen near you. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The second anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga Fullmetal Alchemist, 2009 TV series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of Alex's all time favorites, and after having introduced the series to Danielle and Marcus years ago, he is excited to cover it again with Michael, Iris, and all of our faithful viewers. Tune in as we give special attention to the show's villains, the importance of the human condition, balancing humor with poignant moments, and just how great the English dubbed version is, and stick around for Alex's special Trivia Corner, where the original 2003 anime series makes a surprise cameo appearance. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's been a long time since we've touched on another Miyazaki + Ghibli work on the Couch here - and there aren't many left to discuss - but Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is a charming movie, perhaps directed towards a younger audience, full of the trademark magic and gorgeous animation that's a hallmark of the movies in this pantheon. But how does this film hold up to Miyazaki's other works? It's got a vibe like Porco Rosso, a deep love for the ocean, excellent characters in Lisa and Sousuke, and literally picturesque frames. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

This week on Best Seat on the Couch, the gang takes the wayback machine straight to Alex's childhood with The Land Before Time, a movie that existed really before our modern understanding of dinosaurs did. A movie voice acted by literal children makes for a very convincing kids' movie, and the journey itself is fun! There's action scenes, the Bambi scene before Bambi came out, a weirdly biblical quest for the Promised Land/Great Valley, and plenty of cute children dinosaurs doing their thing. One thing's for certain – we are not the target audience anymore. Content warning: strong language.

What happens when Iris wants to discuss one of her favorite TV shows of all time, but only 3 out of the 5 of us have watched it? You get our episode on Cartoon Network's Steven Universe! This relatively young cartoon is near and dear to Iris's heart and has gorgeous animation, beautifully colored backdrops, powerful musical performances from broadway-grade singers, and strong and no-nonsense LGBTQ+ representation, all packed into an educational, humorous, and heartwarming kids show. Join Michael and Alex as they get educated on our appreciation for Steven Universe, then suffer alongside them in our third ludicrously difficult Trivia Corner gauntlet, this time hosted by Iris. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

The gang ventures into uncharted hip-hop head territory with Entergalactic, a Netflix special pseudo-movie that goes in tandem with a studio album of the same name from acclaimed artist Kid Cudi. Cudi, as well as a couple of other artists and actors, put together a fairly vanilla rom-com that's got a knack for emotional beats and accompanying visual spectacle but offers little else to engage the viewer outside of music + animation + vibe. Still, there's plenty of discussion to be had about its characters, voice acting, and ending, and Entergalactic is certainly the most recent movie of all time on the Couch. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Lots of great stuff to say about Disney's Wreck-It Ralph and this was a truly beloved movie to our younger selves - but does it hold up? For the most part, yes! We get a whole lot of video game nostalgia, funny side characters and animation, a really excellent villain reveal, and a banger of an ending, at the cost of some iffy pacing and gratuitous side character tangents. Pretty glad that they never decided to make a sequel that goes beyond the confines of an arcade, right? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

If the movie Shark Tale was a pathetic, lowly little fish, then the Best Seat gang would be a pack of hungry (decidedly not vegetarian) sharks circling its next meal, seconds away from ripping and tearing apart this sad excuse of a movie to shreds. Released alongside greats like The Incredibles and Shrek 2 and on the heels of Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, it's honestly pretty incredible that Shark Tale was a box office success, because it's got...a lot of things wrong with it, to say the least. Take it from us - please don't watch this movie. It's bad. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Animated media comes in all shapes and sizes - a particularly unusual one is claymation, and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is perhaps the most critically acclaimed stop-motion animated movie of them all. Being another Disney mainstay, Danielle spearheads our discussion on her personal favorite movie of all time, and Michael contributes 3 scorching hot takes that sends the rest of the gang reeling in their seats. We conclude this episode with a mini-Trivia Corner, and all is revealed as Marcus snaps his winning streak and drags Alex further into the abyss of continuous loss. Content warning: strong language.

Miyazaki's films are officially a mainstay on the Best Seat podcast these days, but it's always nice to have a little debate once in a while about movies that never really get any worse than "really good" - Kiki's Delivery Service is a charming tale about a girl who learns how to live on her own, make a living for herself, meet new people, and find her niche in a brave new world. It paints a world where everyone's friendly, life is comfortable, and every smile makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside :) Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Pretty incredible that we're nearing the end of the Miyazaki-Studio Ghibli pantheon, but My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is perhaps one of the most well-known entries in that catalogue, even if it's not as wondrous and fantastical as Princess Mononoke or Castle in the Sky. As Alex says, instead imagine that you could capture a sunny day with a picnic into a movie, and meeting an 8ft tall fluffy alien being who takes a cat to work while you're eating. But even if the stakes are lower, there's a family and childhood story worth watching here. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

My Hero Academia feels like the perfect show of the 2010s - a shōnen anime with incredibly animated action and fight scenes, that capitalizes on the superhero craze, and also highlights the high school experience for teens and young adults? Sign us up! After a short hiatus, the gang opens April with our resident Professor of Weebology Alex spearheading our discussion on My Hero Academia and its fresh take on the superhero lifestyle/society, its grand selection of unique characters and quirks, and lovable slice-of-life episodes. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Disney's put out quite a few bangers, and even some underrated sleeper hits, but then, what does that make Treasure Planet? A bonafide box office bomb and a top 3 expensive animated theatrical failure of all time, the film does join Atlantis: The Lost Empire as a "cult classic" in the Disney pantheon—can the gang find redeeming qualities and give this movie a thumbs-up? Overall, yes we can! With some exceptions. There's an excellent relationship between Jim and John Silver, truly gorgeous animation for its time, and some deep worldbuilding just begging for a sequel that'll never come to light. But can its Hero's Journey story hold up to Marcus's critical eye? Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Did you know that the gang is ohana, and ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind? Maybe Michael's childhood memories got left behind due to brain damage, but those probably weren't important anyway. Still, Lilo & Stitch is an excellent movie that everyone agrees is better than we remember, with particular praise for its portrayal of Lilo, her family issues and genuinely rocky relationship with Nani, Stitch's character development, and Jumba's accent. You can't help but cheer for practically everyone in this movie, and it's wonderful to see them achieve their happy ending! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Kung Fu Panda is an incredible movie that feels like a once-in-a-blue-moon complete package, with an incredible villain in Tai Lung, rich performances from Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman, a gorgeous and culturally rich ancient Chinese setting with deep respect to the art of kung fu, wonderful fight scenes and choreography, tasteful humor, and a really powerful message for children and adults alike. We don't really talk about the sequels in this episode, but we might down the line considering how awesome this movie is. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In an effort to continue indoctrinating the gang with anime propaganda, Alex takes us back to the classics in our episode on 1997 sci-fi space western Cowboy Bebop. Wildly different from the animes of today and the ones we've discussed on the Couch, Cowboy Bebop infuses classical space western characters (including an excellent English dub, with smooth voice acting) with phenomenal jazz music, deep emotional moments, and old-timey action and chase sequences - in fact, there's a lot to discuss about how Cowboy Bebop's writing and pacing is so deeply rooted in the spontaneity and complexity of jazz music and its derivatives. We also pitch in some cents on the show's episodic structure, ending series, and worldbuilding! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Now that the gang has completed our reviews on legendary anime film director Makoto Shinkai's Your Name, Weathering with You, & Suzume, we dive into four of Shinkai's films-before-the-fame so to speak, created in the years before Your Name became an international hit—2002's Voices of a Distant Star, 2004's Places Promised in Our Early Days, 2007's 5 Centimeters Per Second, and 2013's The Garden of Words. Stick around for our 4-film tier list, reflections on Shinkai's growth as a director and filmmaker, and recognition of Shinkai's formula and his union of sci-fi/sci-fantasy and love stories. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's been a little while since we've had some Star Wars content on the Couch, but the gang is hungry for Filoni's latest Clone Wars-era project, The Bad Batch. It's four clone dads voiced by the same guy, and also Omega, as they learn to navigate the dark times in between the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire, and while a lot of it is more of the same, we're graced with some pretty excellent television as the series finds its footing in season 2. Tune in as Marcus is so excited for season 3 that he can't stop himself from repeatedly spoiling it. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Blue Eye Samurai is Netflix's latest blockbuster adult animated series, joining the likes of Arcane and Nimona (which we've already discussed on this podcast - check 'em!) as proof that extremely high quality animated television exists, and it's not just for kids. Mizu is an incredibly well-designed protagonist, with so much to unpack on her biracial background and the way she navigates her gender identity; there's a powerful supporting cast with characters like Akemi, Madame Kaji, Fowler, and animated George Takei; the animation and worldbuilding is impressively expansive; and season 1 concludes with definitely one of the endings of all time. Also: why is Iris convinced that Mikio f@#ked a horse? Come join us to find out! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Hayao Miyazaki deserves a shrine here on Best Seat on the Couch, and The Boy and the Heron is his final masterpiece and bookend to an illustrious career—or would be, if he actually confirmed his retirement. There's like 5 different metaphorical through lines and yet another stacked English voice cast in this Ghibli film, but perhaps the strongest message that comes through is an allegory for Miyazaki himself, and how a couple of characters in this film could be representative of how Miyazaki feels about his career, his art, and his legacy, now that it's coming to an end. It's a beautiful, emotional, thought-provoking film that is a must-watch for a Miyazaki-Ghibli film. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's honestly pretty incredible that Chicken Little kickstarted the reverse of Disney's post-Renaissance slump as its very first 3D animated film, because this movie is frankly pretty bad. It does not look good (no offense to the hundreds of animators that learned Maya for this), its plot is weirdly disjointed between a feel-good baseball film and an alien invasion film, and pretty much every side character ranges from disappointing to absolute garbage - as Michael states, the first 20 minutes made him want to die, and Marcus rants for 3 minutes on why Buck "Ace" Cluck is the singular worst father figure character he's ever seen in cinema. But all that being said, there are some bright spots in this movie, and to be honest the alien subplot is fairly captivating, so I suppose it's better that the movie improves over its runtime as opposed to the opposite. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Does anyone else remember this movie? From 2005? Did you know that Ewan McGregor is the VA of the main character in this movie, while almost certainly just coming off filming Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith? I won't blame you for forgetting Robots, as it's broadly pretty forgettable, neither enjoyable nor boring. Robin Williams is also in this movie, and does Robin Williams things, to varying levels of success. The concept of a soul also straight up does not exist in this universe, and that's existentially terrifying. So uh...content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
P.S. Joining us this episode is Alex's robot counterpart, courtesy of NaturalReader's AI Text-to-speech, to keep with the theme. And definitely not because Alex accidentally deleted his voice file. Nope. That doesn't happen on the Couch.

With six months of podcasting under their belts, the gang pivots into previously unexplored territory - adult animated sitcoms - with Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon's Rick and Morty, and a contentious first installment it is! Screaming sauce-obsessed man-children at McDonald's aside, the show is certainly written well, with a unique and self-aware sense of humor that few other shows can execute as well as Rick and Morty has through 4 seasons. But this show is hot for some and cold for others, and so the gang discusses at length what's good, what's bad, and what's ugly with the show's gratuitous jokes, character development, and meme-tier core concepts. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

It's Alex's turn on the carousel of...not great shows...this week, and Alex's childhood love for Kirby the Ninteldritch horror and the early Kirby video games brings us to Japanese anime TV series Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, which was dubbed for Western audiences in 2002. The dub is amazing, with voice acting performances from King Dedede and Meta Knight as the highlights, and the 5-episode finale does get kinda hype towards the end, but other than that this show is basically a fever dream. Alex caps this one off with a really entertaining Kirby-themed Trivia Corner as well! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

Teased in many Best Seat episodes prior, Marcus's fanatical love for Star Wars finally comes to a head in the gang's discussion of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series released in 2008. With over 100 episodes spanning over 7 seasons, the series is far too vast to discuss in an hour, so key episodes were chosen for Michael and Alex to watch (and Marcus and Iris to re-watch) to get a feel for the incredible choreography, strong character development, and detailed Star Wars lore that are hallmarks of the series. Stick around for the Jeopardy-style Trivia Corner as well! Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.

In this episode, the gang pays tribute to legendary Japanese director/filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and the talented team at Studio Ghibli with a discussion on 2001 animated film Spirited Away. In addition to our collective fangirling over the gorgeous visuals and captivating story that cements the movie's legendary status, we also discuss Miyazaki's motifs and social commentary, his emphasis on strong female characters, and Ghibli's masterful presentation of mouthwatering animated food. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.