Sketch Watch Play

We close out May with a first - new guests met through Twitter! Keith and Andy, cohosts of the animation throwback podcast Toon in Pod, join John to talk all sorts of media. After introductions and various retellings of nostalgic cartoon experiences, John finally gives some in-depth thoughts on the Oculus Rift after owning one since February, particularly how useful it's been in making exercise fun, the new life it's given one of his favorite genres via Beat Saber and several other titles, and why he should never use it when his parrot's around.

For the main discussion, all three discuss one of the most iconic sci-fi cartoons out there with a gargantuan look back at Matt Groening's Futurama. From memories on where the show initially fit into their lives and the glory days of DVD boxsets, to fun facts regarding behind the scenes strife and the voice cast, to discussion of our personal favorite episodes, to the reasons behind the surprisingly smart concepts, and even to some Star Trek memories by proxy of it being a sci-fi show (and one particular guest-packed episode). Make some Bachelor Chow and hunker down for, as we put it, one of the most binge-able shows out there.

Timestamps:
1:00 - Toon in Pod introduction & various cartoon discussion
17:18 - Oculus Rift discussion (Beat Saber/Dance Central/General thoughts)
43:23 - Futurama discussion (Spoilers for various episodes)

Next time: Mortal Kombat with Chris

Toon in Pod: https://twitter.com/ToonInPod

Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
John's art account: https://www.instagram.com/behonart/
John's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

It's the end of an era, as John and returning guest Tyler Moliterno talk the pop culture juggernaut that is Avengers Endgame.  The secrecy of this sequel's plot and the promise of closure for this era of the MCU has teased, tantalized, and even worried John, so we lay it all out and go in-depth about the plot, character arcs, surprises, callbacks, and an overall gargantuan talk for an overall gargantuan movie, particularly as John reflects on the journey his favorite film series has taken him and the emotions he's now left with. Expect thoughts on the last Avenger you want to take into battle, what Thanos does or doesn't know, and a Tom Holland observation so hilarious it makes John snort-laugh.

Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

John's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Tyler's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TylerMoliterno
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out John's Reanimated collab: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Trailer: https://youtu.be/-VzvPvER9is

HEY!  LISTEN (to this podcast)!  First-time guest Bianca of Generation Animation joins John for talk regarding a recent movie and a long-running game series.  First, both unpack Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron's recent big-screen manga adaptation, which is John's introduction to the Alita property while Bianca comes at it from a completionist of the original comic.  While not without some genuine issues, there's an impressive amount of stuff to like with it - especially when you look at Hollywood's existing track record with anime adaptations.  (Bianca will defend Speed Racer to the death, though.)

The majority of the episode goes to a general look back at one of Nintendo's most beloved and still-thriving series, as we both wax nostalgic and analyze the Legend of Zelda series.  Expect memories of iconic games and moments in the series' history, our reasons for liking and disliking specific titles and aspects, varying opinions on how theoretical remakes and adaptations could be handled, how Zelda having so many reincarnations has blessed John with multiple waifus, and tangents like One Piece hype, post-Devilman depression and dead brothers that aren't actually dead.

Timestamps:
5:29 - Alita: Battle Angel review (Spoilers)
35:14 - Legend of Zelda retrospective (Spoilers for various games)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Bianca's Twitter: https://twitter.com/PyrraStar
Bianca's podcast: https://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's art Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt

Check out John's latest Wario cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_acBtOcnL80
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Check out John's grandma's latest movie viewing with The Force Awakenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgAYvVsTDqw

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

With the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 marking one of the craziest waits in video game history, now felt like a good time for John and Chris to sit and talk their thoughts on the series as a whole after briefly teasing it way back in the first episode. And boy, does it get heated, especially on Chris's side of things.

Highlights include our mutual opinions on why the first game's narrative remains the strongest, Why John generally loves the series bar some iffy portable entries while Chris is more apprehensive, why everyone in Organization XIII can go jump off a cliff as far as Chris is concerned, what needs to change as far as writing and cutscene direction, and the awkward stuff you have to bring up any time someone mentions "Best Girl" for the series. We also give our initial thoughts on KH3 so far (Chris had only finished the first world and John was maybe 2/3 through when we recorded this) and try to remain light on spoilers while critiquing the writing and gameplay.  (Also, this might have my favorite end-of-episode stinger yet.)

Next episode: Legend of Zelda series retrospective

Opening music: Simple & Clean (Planitb Remix)
Closing music: Face My Fears cover by Volaire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2U1Vn5eb9g

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's art Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt

Check out the Kirby Reanimated collab, with Chris's shot at the 2:29 mark: https://twitter.com/kirbyreanimated
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Well, we've been gone a while. Time to settle back into our podcasting groove with a doozy of a two-part comeback episode. Recorded directly from Chris's abode rather than Discord, John, Chris, and occasionally Serena "Rabbit" Wade catch everyone up on their busy last few months, how their holidays and recent convention visit went, employment shakeups, and how not fun the flu is. Once that's done, we praise the recent Kirby collab that Chris participated in and further discuss John's still-ongoing Wario collab. (Expect ALL the Escargoon impressions.)

But the meat of this episode goes to our long-overdue discussion on the first theatrical animated Spider-Man film. Not even gonna try and hide the verdict: We all adored it. Discussions include praise for both Miles and the supporting cast, the like-nothing-else animation style, the beautiful soundtrack, why the movie made John cry three times within the span of 10 minutes, why Serena is now hot for Doc Ock and Aunt May but confused by Kingpin, and why Spider-Man Noir would fit right in on Twitter.  Plus a bonus non sequitur video viewing to make up for how much more editing our massive Kingdom Hearts talk will require.

Timestamps:
0:08 - Intro (Catching up/Work/Holidays/MAGFest)
12:05 - Kirby Reanimated/WarioWare Gold Reanimated
24:08 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse review & discussion (Spoilers)

Next episode: Kingdom Hearts retrospective

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Serena's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Omnomsenzubean

Check out the Kirby Reanimated collab, with Chris's shot at the 2:29 mark: https://twitter.com/kirbyreanimated
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Wow, did this end up being a jam-packed episode to make up for a longer-than-usual wait since the TMNT talk. Not only is Chris back on as a guest for the first time, not only is TV editor and writer Alan Denton (Sonic Boom/Sunny Day) making his show debut, and not only does the opening contain talk of pets and how John's Anime USA 2018 experience was the most linked to prior show topics by pure chance, but we also tackle maybe the biggest game of the year and maybe the biggest TV cartoon of all time. All for the low low price of absolutely nothing. (Cue Bart's "If anything, you owe them" argument but not really.)

As the sole Rockstar Games enthusiast of the three, John dishes out his thoughts on what he's played so far of Red Dead Redemption 2, discussing why he thinks it's destined to go down as a divisive game while praising its writing, depth, and ideas. But the fun really begins when everyone takes a look back at Matt Groening's dysfunctional yellow-tinted family who changed the face of TV animation as we know it, as we take an overarching look at The Simpsons. Specific episode discussions mostly focus in the Season 1 to 10 era, but we also discuss topics like the movie, both what inspired the show and what later shows were influenced by it, differing experiences in how we were introduced to it as kids, various opinions on why we don't tune in as regularly any more, Mr. Burns tickling the Pillsbury Doughboy, Batman being a scientist, Kevin Spacey dying on the way back to his home planet, and so, so much more (That all makes sense when you listen, we promise). And yes, we do talk Apu a bit as well.

Timestamps:
2:18 - Intro (Alan introduction, catching up with Chris, Anime USA 2018)
14:41 - Red Dead Redemption 2 (Light spoilers for first few hours)
34:23 - The Simpsons retrospective

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Alan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanTheWriter

Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Patrick Fleury makes his now-annual appearance on the show, which ended up revolving around New York City-based superheroes entirely by chance. He and John give their spoiler-free thoughts on Insomniac's stellar PlayStation-exclusive take on Spider-Man (And some extra thoughts on existing Spidey movies and TV series), with the expected Arkham gameplay comparisons, appreciation of the game's storytelling and character focus, and addictions to web swinging.

But the bulk of the episode is focused on another nostalgia-heavy retrospective, only while Chris and Tyrone were Transformers kids growing up (Go listen to Episode 12), the Fleury boys had more experience with a quartet of radical, pizza-loving reptiles, so we set out to discuss every film and TV iteration of the Ninja Turtles. Opinions and highlights include what makes our shared favorite movies stick out the most, what makes our picks for the worst movie and show particularly grating, Patrick's unexpected choice for favorite turtle, brief praise for the Turtles in Time game, and John surprising Patrick between entries with some....interesting and little-known clips from less respected TMNT videos. All while we eat pizza, wax nostalgia, and make plenty of funnies.

Timestamps:
5:10 - Spider-Man (2018 PlayStation 4 game)
27:13 - Ninja Turtles origins and memories
34:00 - Ninja Turtles movies (1/Secret of the Ooze/3/TMNT/reboot/Out of the Shadows)
1:04:34 - Ninja Turtles TV series (Original/Next Mutation/4Kids/2012/Rise)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Patrick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleuryp
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out John's video review of WarioWare Gold: https://youtu.be/zX_va_ptdOA
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

We're back!  I'm in a hurry to end this hiatus and get this uploaded with the essentials like timestamps, so long story short, me and Ben Reynolds talk the latest MCU film, the latest Mega Man compilations, and a classic fantasy anime franchise.  Expect more detailed text here later. Episode 31 will be the long-promised Ninja Turtles retrospective with Patrick. - John

Timestamps:
10:00 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Spoilers - Infinity War spoilers at 21:12)
30:16 - Mega Man X Legacy Collection
47:27 - Record of Lodoss War (Heavy spoilers for OVA & light spoilers for TV series)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
Ben's portfolio site: http://ben-reynolds.com/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out the trailer for John's next WarioWare cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXmXNcOxCdo

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

The guest co-host train keeps on truckin' as podcasting veteran Dave Roberts talks in-depth with John about a diverse variety of topics. John gives his overall thoughts on the recent PS4 hit Detroit: Become Human (Hint: They involve Walking Dead comparisons, observations on David Cage's recurring flaws and strengths, remembering when games came with more cheats and extras, and Clancy Brown's buddy cop subplot stealing the show), while Dave gives his mixed opinions on the current state of the shows that make up DC's Arrowverse (Hint: They also involve Walking Dead comparisons, which show sticks out as the weak link, and Trevor from GTA 5).

For the main topic, John takes advantage of Chris being absent and picks a show dear to him that the Wades have a shared disinterest in - the 2015 anime sleeper hit Death Parade. We dissect the show's unique themes and concepts, its standout episodes and moments, its slick visuals and emotional power, and somehow fit in discussions on automated grocery store checkouts and the Christopher Robin movie. And yes, we discuss THAT character cameo.

(Good news: Episode 30 will almost definitely feature Patrick from the Pokemon and Batman episodes and be a Ninja Turtles retrospective. Bad news: John's taking a cross-country trip for the remainder of July, so please bear with us since we probably won't record until he's back in the States.)

Timestamps:
05:11 - Detroit: Become Human review (Mild spoilers)
24:54 - Arrow/Flash/Supergirl/Legends of Tomorrow thoughts (Mild spoilers)
40:17 - Death Parade review and discussion (Heavy spoilers)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Dave's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealDaveRoberts
Dave's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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If our E3 thoughts didn't fill the Sketch Watch Play-sized hole in your life quite enough, how about a full hour and a half reminiscing on one of our favorite video game genres? John and Felipe chronicle both the general history and their standout experiences with rhythm-based video games, from its infancy through rapping paper-thin dogs and dance pads to crazier ventures like Elite Beat Agents and Rez. And yes, we devote a huge chunk to our experiences with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as fan-cultivated successors to 2/3 of the games mentioned in this paragraph. Which ones? Discover that for yourself. Also, Felipe recreates a lot of song lyrics and at various points we end up talking about Heathcliff, and that stupid Donkey Kong cartoon again, just because.

Timestamps:
5:45 - PaRappa the Rapper series
14:08 - Dance Dance Revolution series
23:05 - Space Channel 5
25:14 - Gitaroo Man
26:50 - Mad Maestro!
28:50 - Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents
34:10 - Frequency/Amplitude
38:35 - Rez
40:50 - Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Clone Hero
1:06:50 - osu!
1:12:00 - Other miscellaneous titles

Check out John's review of The Metronomicon, one of the newer games he recommends in this episode: https://youtu.be/7kL_rksg_VU
Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Another temporary hiatus for Chris means a return to a revolving door of guest co-hosts new and old for John to geek out with.  Generation Animation's own Felipe Diaz-Vera returns for a gargantuan talk regarding a recent movie, a recent video game expo, and an entire genre of games we both enjoy....But because neither of us had a time we needed to sign off and it's been a month since the last episode, John chose to do another two-parter so we can have new content for you patient listeners sooner.  So our rhythm game retrospective will have to wait.

We start things out by discussing Chris's status and some personal projects, then John gives his thoughts on the Pixar sequel he's long desired above all others (Spoiler free since it only just came out and Felipe hadn't seen it during this recording), and then we dive into our personal highlights of this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo.  From Star Wolf possibly being bi to everyone getting Norted, there's a healthy amount of opinions, speculation, and excitement, but honestly, all that really matters is that METAL WOLF IS COMING HOME, AND WILL BE UPHOLDING TRUE AMERICAN JUSTICE.  And yes, Felipe followed through on his promise of making this episode's majestic thumbnail.

Timestamps:
12:56 - Incredibles 2 spoiler-free review
30:18 - Spider-Man PS4
36:42 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
42:19 - Devil May Cry 5
47:58 - Kingdom Hearts 3
1:01:54 - Metal Wolf Chaos XD

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw
Check out John's process video for his shot in the Donkey Kong Reanimated collab: https://youtu.be/jwlqCY9lcgk

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

After settling back into the podcast groove by talking about Smash Bros. and grandmas who admire Mufasa's face, we prove we can't go an episode without talking something Marvel-related, as Chris gives his thoughts on the latest Avengers film after being unable to join our previous spoilercast (And this does mean we give a ton away, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, note the timestamps below). John also gives his opinion so far on Ni no Kuni 2, and why it's surprising him after what he thought about its predecessor. Also, see if you can pinpoint the part in that section where he had to stifle some burps.

For our main topic, it's John's turn in continuing a theme of little-known stuff one of us loves, and for him, this has been a long time coming. John discusses his history and admiration of the French cartoon series Dragon Hunters, which blew up in Europe and died on arrival everywhere else. John gushes a lot about its strengths and even how it's influenced his own ideas, while Chris tries to wrap his head around that gushing while also speculating on why the series failed to launch in the States. We talk the creative setting and creatures, the fun chemistry and nuances of the main cast, its amazing theme song provided by the most unlikely of bands, and also touch on the theatrical CG film it inspired as well as the unique reasons why you might want to avoid its second season.

(Side note: This marked our first time doing some new recording tricks to preserve Chris's audio during the times he drops out on John's side. You may notice some occasional word jumps and changes in volume and sound quality as a result, but we'll keep working on it and it means you get to fully hear Chris in all his aural goodness.)

Timestamps:
7:20 - Chris's Avengers: Infinity War review (Spoilers)
25:10 - Ni no Kuni 2 initial thoughts (Mild spoilers)
37:27 - Dragon Hunters series & movie review (Spoilers)

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

We've teased it for ages, and we've reviewed the last several Marvel movies in a row, so it makes sense that the long-hyped third Avengers movie gets its own special episode. Tyler Moliterno from Generation Animation (And now two other podcasts!) joins John in giving overall opinions on the movie after all the buildup, naming favorite moments and elements, analyzing some of the key plot points, and yes, reflect on that sucker punch of an ending and speculate what it means for Avengers 4 and the film universe going forward.

The review starts around the 11-minute mark if you're just looking for that, and much like any Marvel movie, stay tuned after the end music for some bonus talk. And in case you missed the title, yes, we spoil this movie to pieces, and more than any other blockbuster we can think of, beg you to go see it before listening.  You should behold the latest Avenger, Kevin Bacon, kicking names and taking ass for yourself.

Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Tyler's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TylerMoliterno
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade

Check out John's trailer mashup of the Infinity War and The Dark Knight Rises trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjr_4WQmses
Check out John's first animation stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvwZQ53-bTM

We've got a lot to talk about this week! We start by catching up on some interesting Easter events, John's grandma going viral again, and namedrop some Reanimate collabs we're both involved in now. (Someone beat John to getting a Donkey Kong one going, but he's joined it.) Our main reviews this time are all movies new and old, as John praises Isle of Dogs and Chris has mixed thoughts on Pacific Rim's sequel.

But for the main event, we start a themed month of our picks being fairly obscure titles that mean a lot to us, with Chris having us discuss Little Nemo, the Japanese-American adaptation of one of the first comic strips ever that he grew up watching. We end up doing a full-on spoiler talk of the whole plot, and it's a fascinating talk. From the film's unique history, to the people involved in its production, to how every moment seems to have something to praise and something to critique, to Mickey Rooney providing John's favorite character, to the greatest frog in movie history, it's a rollercoaster of a discussion. And if you haven't seen the film before, it's legally free to watch on YouTube in HD and is a visual achievement for animation geeks like us, so have at it, and note the creepy user comment John mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRs4Y3Kzdt0

(I've picked the French series Dragon Hunters for Episode 27. Only listing it here because you may need to do some digging to find episodes. Expect a bonus Infinity War spoilercast before it, too.-John)

Timestamps:
11:01 - Isle of Dogs review (Light spoilers)
25:33 - Pacific Rim Uprising review
37:03 - Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland review (Spoilers)

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Watch John's grandma watching The Avengers for the first time: https://youtu.be/YnDE22Sr1QQ
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

We celebrate reaching the 25-episode milestone (Technically more if you count the broken-up and bonus episodes, but whatever) with a healthy variety of topics.  First, we talk our thoughts on the surprise announcement of the next Super Smash Bros. game and the obligatory newcomer guesses that come with every new entry in that series, and also briefly say our overall opinions on the recent Netflix hit Devilman Crybaby - though we avoid spoilers as best we can, since John intends to give the show its own episode someday.

But the bulk of this episode is devoted to what has become our mutual favorite Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki film and John's favorite anime film in general, the 1986 classic Castle in the Sky.  We discuss the film's well-thought out world-building, wonderful sense of pacing, the balance of great comedy and emotion, and single out some of the best characters and voice performances (Spoilers: Mark Hamill and Cloris Leachman are our MVPs).  We also close out with some observations on Miyazaki himself and his ideals, some bonus praise for Mark Hamill, and how this movie even influenced the Rabbids of all things. And that best-animated shot John mentions wanting to make a GIF of? Check the Facebook page, because he did just that.

Timestamps:
2:20 - Super Smash Bros. Switch speculation
19:05 - Devilman Crybaby overall thoughts (No spoilers)
32:07 - Castle in the Sky (Spoilers)

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Watch John's grandma watching The Avengers for the first time: https://youtu.be/YnDE22Sr1QQ
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

Rather than another series, Chris had the idea to do our first ever look back at an individual studio's body of work this time! We discuss all four of Laika's stop-motion features in depth, including not just our opinions on their quality and our favorite moments, but general observations on the unique and even bold touches they bring to their creepy, risque, progressive, and even heartbreaking stories and characters.

Fair warning that we seriously spoil all of these films' stories, and we'll say right now that they're all worth a look if you haven't watched them (Cases like this are why we include timestamps). Highlights include what makes Coraline one of the creepiest family films of the modern era, a lot of overall praise for ParaNorman, what makes BoxTrolls a good but lesser film in our eyes, and different opinions on Kubo's bold and bittersweet ending.

(Much like the first half, sorry for the audio issues with Chris in this recording.)

06:48 - Coraline
24:23 - ParaNorman
48:19 - The Boxtrolls
1:02:34 - Kubo and the Two Strings

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

In a move that will likely surprise no one, the whole recording of Episode 24 turned out super long.  And as we prefer to give you an episode consistently every two weeks, here's the first half, consisting primarily of John and Chris's spoiler-filled thoughts on Black Panther.  (Us reviewing a Marvel movie should also surprise no one.)  Expect talks on the film's clever integration of real-world conflicts, debates on whether or not memes belong in Marvel movies, and John's unorthodox tastes in MCU women.

You'll also want to listen to the intro for some announcements regarding social media changes, new ways to reach out to us, and the launch of a Patreon that will help support the show and let you shape future episodes.

(Also, apologies for some audio issues with Chris in this episode - We're working on it.)

03:40 - Social media announcements/Xenoblade Chronicles 2 thoughts/Chris's final thoughts on Final Fantasy XV (No spoilers for either)
10:04 - Black Panther review (Contains spoilers)

Next episode: Laika retrospective (Coraline/ParaNorman/The Boxtrolls/Kubo and the Two Strings)

Contribute to John's Patreon for early access to new episodes, opportunities to shape the show, and more: https://www.patreon.com/Behonkiss
Show Twitter: https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
Show email: sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Chris is back! Fellow indie animator Ben Reynolds makes his debut! I can't stop using exclamation points! We talk a healthy variety of topics this week, from opening discussions and projects that drive our longtime message "Animation is hard" home, to Ben's thoughts on the recent Netflix series Altered Carbon, and Chris and John finally dishing out their feelings about Dragon Ball FighterZ after months of personal hype.

But the bulk of the episode goes to Ben's pick of another ongoing Netflix exclusive, as the three of us talk about the characters, action, writing, and other ingredients that make Voltron: Legendary Defender (Seasons 1 & 2 to be specific) something special. Expect some observations on older incarnations of the franchise, Studio Trigger aliens voiced by Norman Reedus, why emo Coran is the best, issues with mech transformation scenes, how Chris can go ahead loving Lance all by his lonesome, and a horrifying Google search that has blessed you with this episode's thumbnail. Plus, listen to the end for our roadmap regarding the next two episodes.

Timestamps:
11:09 - Altered Carbon impressions
20:10 - Dragon Ball FighterZ impressions (Mild spoilers)
45:02 - Voltron: Legendary Defender discussion (Spoilers for Season 1 and 2)

Check out the debut short of John's sci-fi cartoon, Spacious: https://youtu.be/L34V0mq0Fm8
Check out Ben's work in drawing and animation: http://ben-reynolds.com/

Email feedback and suggestions for the show to: behonkiss@gmail.com

Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv

As teased at previously, John and guest host Marc Gonzales take on something of an intimidating task and devote an hour and a half to a freeform discussion on the juggernaut that is the Final Fantasy series.  Typical topics like favorite entries are brought up, but expect tangents on other Square Enix games and JRPGs in general, the series' history and transition from Nintendo to Sony, observations on the cult of FF7, John's old tradition of discovering surprising voice actors throughout the series, what happens when an FF13 fan meets an FF13 hater, and Bubsy.  Somehow, we keep bringing up Bubsy.

Check out John's new animated short, "Spacious: Self-Demotion", on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L34V0mq0Fm8 And Newgrounds: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/705055

Check out Marc's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/

Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Marc's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DankInEffect
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade

Opening song: Joe Redifer - Final Fantasy V "ROBOVoice"

Originally recorded in mid-December and teased at in our bonus holiday episode, first time guest Marc Gonzales from Generation Animation joins John to talk about a wide variety of topics. John gives his overall thoughts on Pixar's latest without giving anything away the trailers already haven't, Marc gives his thoughts and expectations on Robert Rodriguez's upcoming big-screen adaptation of one of his favorite comics, and because it was making the rounds when this was recorded, we try to wrap our heads around THAT Zootopia fan comic.

Tangents include Marc's thoughts on recent fighting games, speculation on the ramifications of the Disney buyout of Fox, the Olaf short that angered moviegoers everywhere, and John having the euphoric revelation that Tommy Wiseau is on Twitter now. Look forward to the second half soon, where we take a look back at the Final Fantasy franchise.

20:07 - Zootopia "I Will Survive" fan comic discussion
26:27 - Coco review (no spoilers)
58:29 - Alita: Battle Angel trailer thoughts and speculation

Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Marc's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DankInEffect
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade

Read John's initial real-time reaction texts to Chris while reading I Will Survive: http://behonkiss.tumblr.com/post/168306975227/so-i-sent-that-first-image-to-chris-not-knowing

Check out Marc's podcast, Generation Animation: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/