Otaku Host Club

Six years of watching anime, arguing about rankings, and building our taste — now it’s time to put it all on the board. We celebrate our anniversary with our 6x6 anime picks and revisit the series that made us who we are as fans.

Figure skating anime is having a moment. With the Winter Olympics and stars like Alysa Liu back in the spotlight, shows like Medalist and Yuri!!! on Ice prove that skating stories are more popular than ever. Join us as we talk about the sport’s peak popularity, the rise of skating anime, and whether Yuri!!! on Ice is still the GOAT. ⛸️

In this episode, we break down the explosive first season of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion — from Lelouch’s rise as Zero to the moral chaos his rebellion unleashes. We explore the politics, the betrayals, and the characters who make it unforgettable. And we stand in solidarity with Minneapolis — condemning state violence and affirming that real-world justice matters just as much as the ethics we debate in fiction. Fuck ICE, and fuck state violence. ✊🏽 

Cue the music. Dim the lights. It’s time for our Top 5 Anime of 2025 Awards. We’re counting down our Top 5 Anime of 2025, revealing our anime stats from last year, and updating the official podcast rankings straight from our website. And for the first time ever, we’ve added a Best Anime Movie category—because theatrical anime deserves its own spotlight. Which anime will rise to the top and define our year? Takopi’s Original Sin. Gachiakuta. Orb. Kowloon Generic Romance. Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The Apothecary Diaries. The list goes on—but it stops when we find out if any 2025 anime earns a full 15 points in our podcast rankings, potentially knocking out Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!. Check us out on our website: https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR And follow us on Instagram @otakuhostclub

Continuing the thread from our previous episodes, we dive into All You Need Is Kill, another Studio 4°C project that leans hard into experimentation and genre chaos. We break down its time-loop sci-fi brutality, visual ambition, and how it fits into our ongoing obsession with cult creators, bold animation choices, and anime that actually takes risks. And if you like your anime starring Tom Cruise—and not actually being anime at all—this episode is for you. Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR, and check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub

*Audio updated 01/16/26 Gather around, folks — we’re ringing in the New Year by diving headfirst into Gachiakuta, one of the freshest and filthiest takes on the battle shōnen formula in years. From trash-fueled powers to raw, angry energy, this series turns society’s throwaways into weapons. We break down what works, what surprises us, and whether Gachiakuta has what it takes to stand out in an already crowded shōnen landscape.

Continuing the conversation from our previous episodes, we’re discussing a little-known experimental short film by Koji Morimoto and Studio 4°C called Noiseman Sound Insect. It’s a dystopian, futuristic story about oppression and the power of the individual, packed into a 15-minute chaotic hovercraft ride. We’ve been exploring cult creators and directors, anthologies, and niche genre exercises, and this anime weaves a tight web right into our discussion. Check us out on our website: https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR And follow us on Instagram @otakuhostclub #otakuhostclub #otakuhostclubpodcast #animepodcast #animereview #animediscussion #animememe

This week, we crack open Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1995 anthology masterpiece Memories as our exploration of anime’s most fascinating cult directors rolls on.

If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have completely missed the new adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 17–21 / 22–26, recently published by VIZ. In this episode, we dive into Fujimoto’s early, chaotic, and wildly imaginative storytelling—the raw creative groundwork laid long before Chainsaw Man made him a global sensation. Join us as we explore the adolescent mind of a creator on the cusp of redefining modern manga.

In this episode of The Otaku Hostclub Podcast, we dive into the world of cult anime directors—the rule-breakers, the visionaries, and the creators whose bold ideas earned them fiercely loyal followings. From surreal experiments to underappreciated gems, we explore what makes a director “cult” and why their work still shapes anime today.

There was a time when hyper-violent, sexually charged OVAs ruled the Japanese home-video market—and few creators embodied that era more than Yasuomi Umetsu, the director behind Kite and Mezzo Forte. Kite even spawned an American live-action remake starring Samuel L. Jackson (which… let’s be honest, barely anyone saw). Now, Umetsu is back. His latest work just hit U.S. theaters last week, and we’re breaking down exactly what we thought of it.

We’re reWe’re rewriting anime endings that didn’t do these shows justice. From Darling in the Franxx’s galaxy-brain nonsense to Naruto’s out-of-this-world alien takeover and Lazurus leaving us with nothing, we’re giving these series the glow-up they deserve. Unfiltered takes, petty rewrites, and emotional damage included. Check us out on our website: https://www.otakuhostclub.com. Chat with us between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR, and follow us on Instagram @otakuhostclub.

Dan is back (for now) and we’re talking Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc!!! Amelia starts us off with all the tea of the Pochita popcorn buckets, theater turn out and how it’s stacking up against Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, and obviously our thoughts on Reze, the Bomb Devil, and Denji being down bad (again). It’s messy, explosive, and we loved every second. BOOM! Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR Check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub

Dan is away from the pod again in some faraway land that sounds made up but actually isn’t! And since it’s right in the middle of the seasonal anime changeover Amelia and Geoff are chatting about our favorite summer anime and some of our anticipated fall anime. Obviously, we’re all excited for the Chainsaw Man movie hitting theaters next week, so join us for this chill episode before we can’t stop talking about Chainsaw Man! Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR and check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub

In today’s episode, we’re diving into realism in anime — from speculative realism in the sci-fi classic Legend of the Galactic Heroes to the grounded historical storytelling of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. We’ll explore how anime captures the human condition, whether through the lens of history or the far reaches of the future.

We’re opening the curtain to take a look at the most disturbing banned anime, Midori: Shōjo Tsubaki, aka Girl in the Freak Show. We unpack the infamous cruelty it portrays, from the shocking puppy scene that IS worse than JoJo’s, to the unsettling relationship between Midori and the magician dwarf who manipulates her. More than just shock value, we explore how these grotesque depictions reflect exploitation, trauma, and the limits of storytelling in extreme art. Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR and check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub

This week on The Otaku Host Club, we’re talking Texas Senate Bill 20 — the kind of law that would probably land us in jail just for watching half the stuff we’ve covered on the pod. From classics to the weird deep cuts, we run down 12 shows from past episodes and imagine how guilty we’d be if anime crimes were real. Lock us up, we’ll take our Blu-rays with us.

Dan is back from tour, and it's perfect timing for the new Demon Slayer movie that is breaking box office records!

It’s the final flight of Otaku Host Air, and the cabin crew is running out of patience (and Pocky). The Otaku Host Club is joined once again by our copilots Som and Dannie from the @animesummitpodcast—and together we brave a cabin full of anime passengers who should never have made it past security. This time, Mari Makinami is fiddling with the cockpit controls, Tohru is spilling dragon magic into the beverage cart, Fuuko is turning turbulence into an Olympic sport, Jiji is convincing the entire back row aliens are real, Gyro Zeppeli is rolling steel balls down the aisle like it’s a bowling alley, and Qifrey is quietly hexing the “fasten seatbelt” sign. Who makes the perfect rowmate? Who’s getting tossed into the cargo hold? Will this flight ever land safely, or are we trapped in a never-ending filler arc at 30,000 feet? Buckle up, stash your cursed objects in the overhead bin, and prepare yourselves— the final boarding call for Otaku Host Air is now departing. Check us out on our Website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Please chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR and check us out on our Instagram@otakuhostclub #otakuhostclub #otakuhostclubpodcast #animepodcast #animereview #animediscussion #animememe #stuckinanairplane #animesummit

Welcome back aboard Otaku Host Air for the second leg of our anime-fueled journey! This time, the Otaku Host Club crew is joined by our special passengers King and Snowman from the Anime Plummet Podcast, who’ve brought along their favorite trashy travel companions. As our chaotic cabin fills up, we dive into the mile-high drama: Kintaro trying to “study” the in-flight safety manual a little too closely, Diane accidentally crushing the snack cart, and Issei’s harem causing turbulence levels the FAA has never prepared for. Who makes the perfect seatmate? Who’s getting banished to the cargo hold? And who’s plotting an in-flight anime arc that will never make it past the censors? Buckle up, stash your body pillows in the overhead bin, and grab your in-flight ramen—Otaku Host Air Flight W338 is cleared for takeoff, and this ride is about to get spicier than a hot springs OVA. Check us out on our website: Https://www.otakuhostclub.com Chat with us in between episodes on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VZWCpsMvmR and check us out on our Instagram @otakuhostclub