Tag: Japan

DNA Podcast 141 – Martial Arts in Popular Culture (of the 20th Century)

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 141 - Martial Arts in Popular Culture (of the 20th Century)
/
Original Poster for The Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer)

In this episode, Don and Rob are back exploring how movies and television took martial arts from being weird and forbidden arts practiced by a select few to the McDojos of the 1990s. Along the way, they discuss how the Shaw Brothers changed everything, how Bruce Lee never dies, and why American Ninja ruled the 80s. All this, and Don and Rob’s “Martial Arts Top 10s!” are waiting for you in this action-packed episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Show Notes:

These Fists Break Bricks
Get Tough! by Major Fairbairn
The Manchurian Candidate
The Shaw Brothers
The One-Armed Swordsman
Wuxia
Bonnie and Clyde
The Legend of Billy Jack
Kung Fu TV Series
The Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer)
Enter the Dragon
Golden Harvest
Mystics in Bali
Drunken Master
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
The Bodyguards
Sonny Chiba
The Many Clones of Bruce Lee
The Karate Kid
American Ninja
Black Belt Theatre TV Package
Pat Morita
Ralph Macchio
Chuck Norris
Kill Bill
The Street Fighter Theme Song

Our Top 10 Lists:

Rob
10) The Karate Kid
9) Zatoichi series
8) Once Upon a Time in China series
7) Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)
6) Police Story (Jackie Chan)
5) The Street Fighter (Sonny Chiba)
4) Kung Fu Cult Master
3) The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
2) Iron Monkey
1) Five Fingers of Death + Enter the Dragon

Don
10) The Death Master (1972)
9) Hai Karate Aftershave
8) D&D Monk Character Class (original)
7) They Call Me Bruce
6) Gymkata
5) Street Fighter II (game)
4) Miami Connection (watch MST3K live version!)
3) Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star)
2) Kung Fu Hustle
1) Count Dante and the Black Dragon Society

DNA Podcast 140 – Marvel Product Tie-In Comics

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 140 - Marvel Product Tie-In Comics
/
Written by Bill Mantlo – of course!

In this episode, Rob, Don and Jack Ward take a trip back to the 1970s and 1980s, when a floundering Marvel Comics was saved by barbarians, vampires, giant robots and toys soldiers. It’s the story of product tie-ins brought life back to the dying comics company, and in the process reinvented the comics industry for the time. All that, and two of the greatest Marvel comics you’ve never read, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Roger Corman Fantastic Four
Oswald the Rabbit
The Reluctant Dragon
Willow: The Series
Dell Comics Disney Tie-Ins
Gold Key Star Trek
Marvel’s Conan
Roy Thomas
Kull the Conqueror Comic
Marvel Tomb of Dracula
Dracula Sovereign of the Damned Anime Movie
Doc Savage
Master of Kung Fu/Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Planet of the Apes Comics
Logan’s Run
Wizard of Oz DC/Marvel
Superman vs. Muhammad Ali
Marvel Star Wars
Marvel Hanna Barbera Comics
Marvel Godzilla Comic
Battle Fever J
The Human Fly Comic 1977
Bill Mantlo
Herb Trimpe
KISS Marvel Comics
The Micronauts Comic
Peter B. Gillis
The Shogun Warriors Comic
Force Five
Voltron
Jimmy Woo
ROM: Space Knight
Dazzler
Dreadstar
GI JOE Marvel Comic
Starstruck
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld
Crystar the Crystal Warrior Comic
Team America
U.S. ONE Comic
Transformers Marvel Comic
Simon Furman
Questprobe
Questprobe Afro
STAR Comics
Elfquest
The Congress (Movie, Robin Wright)

DNA Podcast 132 – The Psychology of Comics

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 132 - The Psychology of Comics
/

In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the psychology of comic books. The two delve deep into the unconscious desires of comic book readers, discuss why Manga failed to find an audience in 1980s America, and probe how comics are linked to human needs. All this, and why British girls comics are the anti-manga, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Martin Scorsese on Marvel Movies
Seduction of the Innocent
Cap’s Kooky Quartet
Eagle Comics
Golgo 13
Fist of the North Star
Albedo
Omaha the Cat Dancer
Condorito
Cypher (X-men character)
The Man With No Name Trilogy
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
DNA History of Manga Podcast (Part 1 / Part 2)
Highlights Magazine
City Hunter
Super Doctor K Manga (Scalpel of the North Star!)
Slam Dunk! Manga
Prince of Tennis
Shonen Jump Online
The Japanese Bubble Economy
Blacksad
Rock Lee (Naruto Character)
Stupid Comics – British Girls Comics
Welcome to Webcomics (YouTube Video)

Japanese manga fulfils 12 basics human needs:
1. Sexuality (Physiological)
2. To feel safe or secure? (Safety)
3. To belong group to a group (Love and Belonging)
4. Being loved (Love and Belonging)
5. Being picked/needed (Esteem)
6. Being admired/respected (Esteem)
7. Being praised (Esteem)
8. Being useful (Esteem)
9. To be praised for effort (Esteem)
10. To feel clever or smart (Self-Actualization)
11. To feel special/powerful (Self-Actualization)
12. To be a hero or at least the leader (Self- Actualization)

DNA Podcast 131 – Samurai TV

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 131 - Samurai TV
/

In this episode, Rob and Don walk the path of meifumado and explore the golden age of Samurai television on Japanese TV during the 70s and 80s. Along this path to hell, Rob discusses what he learned after watching way too many Japanese jidaigeki period TV shows, why he loves them so much, the different types of samurai TV series, and why Sonny Chiba is the Japanese William Shatner. All this, and how Australia lost it’s mind for a Samurai TV series in the 60s, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

James Bond Manga
Golgo 13
Kazuo Koike
Hirata Hiroshi
Desilu Productions
Keiretsu
Police Procedurals
Jitte
Zenigata Heiji
The Falcons of Edo TV series
Toshiro Mifune
Red Sun movie
Kirisute Gomen TV series (License to Kill)
Abarenbo Shogun TV series
Matsudaira Ken
Kiku TV
Toyama no Kinsan (Magistrate Toyama) TV series
Kage no Gundan (Shadow Warriors)
Sonny Chiba
Japan Action Club (JAC)
Tokugawa Buraicho TV series
Onimitsu Kenshin (Shintaro the Samurai) TV series
Nemuri Kyoshiro
The Yagyu Conspiracy TV series
Lone Wolf and Cub TV series
Zatoichi TV Series
Usagi Yojimbo
Taiga Drama
jp-film.com
Message from Space film (Japanese Star Wars knockoff)
Mirai Ninja (aka Cyber Ninja, which I mistakenly called Robo Ninja in the show) film

DNA Podcast 129 – Anime Tabletop Roleplaying

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 129 - Anime Tabletop Roleplaying
/
The Coolest Anime RPG Cover of all time! Courtesy of comics artist Ben Dunn.

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down to talk about tabletop roleplaying’s relationship with anime and manga, and the many successful and failed attempts to simulate anime style adventures through RPGs. Along the way, the duo discuss Rob’s four types of anime RPGs, how anime and RPGs have both evolved over time, and the enduring question of whether BattleTech is actually an anime-style game. All this, and more references to Mayfair’s DC Heroes RPG than you can shake a 5 AP stick at, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Bubblegum Crisis RPG
Weird War Comics
Dragonball Z
Prefectural Earth Defense Force
Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe)
Mekton RPG
Cyberpunk RPG
Teenagers from Outer Space
Urusei Yatsura
DC Heroes RPG (Mayfair)
Tenra Bansho Zero
Galaxy High Cartoon
TOON RPG
Robotech RPG
BattleTech Wargame
Armored Trooper Votoms: The Role-Playing Game
Cartoon Action Hour Season 2
Big Eyes Small Mouth (BESM) RPG
Sailor Moon RPG
Champions RPG
Vampire: The Masqurade
Ninja Crusade RPG
Blue Rose RPG
Magical Girl Meg-Chan
Tunnels and Trolls
Quick-Ass Gaming System

DNA Podcast 091 – tReading the Path of Heaven

2 Comments
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 091 - tReading the Path of Heaven







/

In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with Jonathan Kinney and Richard Curtissmith from the tReading the Path of Heaven podcast to talk about Asian Light Novels and webnovels. The four of them discuss the differences between Japanese, Korean, and Chinese webnovels, some of their favorites, and what makes webnovels characters unique. All this, and why being merciful to your enemies is being merciless to yourself, is waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Treading the Path of Heaven Podcast
Wuxiaworld.com
Novelupdates.com
Light Novel Bastion
QiDian-Webnovel.com
SPCNET.tv Forums
Shalvation Translations
Gravity Tales
Coiling Dragon
Readlightnovel.org
RE:Monster
Jin Yong
Gu Long
Haruhi Suzumiya
Sword Art Online
Arifureta
Escaflowne
Truck-kun
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rising of the Shield Hero
So I’m a Spider, so what?
Dungeon Defense
MMORPGs
Isekai
Overgeared
Legendary Moonlight Sculptor
Seoul Station’s Necromancer
Everyone Else is a Returnee
Dimensional Sovereign
Murim
I Level Alone/Solo Leveling
Tales of Demons and Gods
New Game Plus
I Shall Seal the Heavens
DNA Interview with Deathblade
The King’s Avatar
Against the Gods
Desolate Era
The Deathmage Who Doesn’t Want a Fourth Time
Martial God Asura
Nine Star Hegemon Body Art
The Dao Heart
Martial World
Gurren Lagann
Hunter x Hunter
Tenchi Muyo!
High School DxD
The Tutorial is Too Hard!
Rainbow Turtle

DNA Episode 086 – Interview with Lee Gold

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Episode 086 - Interview with Lee Gold







/

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with the incomparable Lee Gold to discuss her life as an early RPG designer, editor of the long-running APA Alarums and Excursions, and filk songwriter. Along the way, the trio discuss the history of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), how she started her APA, and some of Lee’s memories of the early days of fandom. All this, and a sample of Lee and her husband Barry’s singing, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Lee Gold Wikipedia
Alarums and Excursions
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS)
APA-L
DRAGON Magazine
Amazon Cannot Ship to Australia
Chivalry and Sorcery
Steve Perrin
Fanzines
Worldcon
Westercon
Gary Gygax
Jackals Fattening on a Lion’s Kill by Gary Gygax
Could you repeat that in Auld Wormish? by Lee Gold
ORGINS Convention
Issac Asimov Foundation Trilogy
SLAN by A.E. Van Vogt
Lensmen by E.E. Doc Smith
Doomed Lensmen by Sybly Whyte
Skylark of Space
Filk Songs
Tunnels and Trolls (or here)
Superhero 2044
Toyo 2000 Basic Kanji Characters
Lands of Adventure RPG
Fantasy Games Unlimited
GURPS Japan
You Bash the Balrog and I’ll Climb the Tree
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Liaden Series by Sharon lee and Steve Miller
In The Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Lois Bujold’s Vorkosigan Series

DNA Podcast 080 – J-Novel Club with Sam Pinansky

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 080 - J-Novel Club with Sam Pinansky







/

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by J-Novel club founder Sam Pinansky. J-Novel club is the largest online seller of translated Japanese Light Novels, and one of the pioneers in bringing these Japanese works to English readers. During this great interview, the trio discuss Sam’s journey to becoming a publisher, the nature of the English Light Novel market, and why Light Novels are exploding in popularity in English right now. All this, and the challenges of translating Japanese Light Novel names into English, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed

J-Novel Club Website
String Theory
Quantum Field Theory
Quantum Entanglement
Light Novels
Sword Art Online
Konosuba
Goblin Slayer
In Another World with My Smartphone
Tezuka Productions
Hobby Japan
Overlap
Media Factory
Kodansha
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Last and First Idol
Doujinshi (he called them Doujin)
Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon
JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World
An Archdemon’s Dilmmea: How to Love Your Elf Bride
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
Arifuretta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Me? A Genius? I’ve been Reincarnated into Another World But I Think They’ve Got the Wrong Idea!
Apprently It’s My Fault My Husband Has the Head of a Beast!
My Next Life as a Villianess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
I Can’t Believe My Little Sister is This Cute!
Invaders of the Rokujoma
Chuunibyo
Record of Lodoss War
The Light Novel Review YouTube Channel
Shosetsu ni Naro! (I Want to Become a Novelist) Website

DNA Podcast 079 – Giant Robot Smackdown with Professor Otaku

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 079 - Giant Robot Smackdown with Professor Otaku







/

Image result for g-fighter gundam ready go

In this episode, Don and Rob enter the arena of giant robot combat with blazing hearts to face off with Professor Otaku- mecha history expert extraordinaire! The three discuss why Japan is so darn fascinated by giant robots, super robots vs. real robots, and the nature of mecha anime characters. Then, for the main event, Don and Professor Otaku spar off against each other over the Professor’s scathing review of G-Fighter Gundam in a clash so powerful that we only have audio because the cameras all melted! All this, and a surprisingly deep discussion of racism, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Professor Otaku’s YouTube Channel (D2)
Professor Otaku’s Review of G-Fighter Gundam
G-Gundam Visual List of Gundams by Country
Gundam Wing
Yaoi
Voltron
History of Mecha
Gundam Retrospective
Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets
Star Blazers
Macross
Your Name (movie)
Aldonoah Zero
Darling in the Franxx
Chuck Wendig
Dan Abnett
GaoGaiGar
Getta Robo
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Koji Kabuto
Ideon
Evangelion
Mazinger Z
Cyborg 009
My Hero Academia
Sword Art Online
Shadowrun
Panzer World Galient
SPT Layzner
Mobile Suit Gundam
Ronin Warriors
Combattler V
Fist of the North Star
Leiji Matsumoto
Blame
Blue Oyster Cult
Mobile Suit G-Fighter Gundam
Essentialism
The Thermian Argument
Galaxy Quest
The Tequila Gundam (Called the “Spike Gundam” in the dub)
Afro-Futurism
Battletech
Shogun Warriors
Mighty Orbots
Robot Jox
Bubblegum Crisis
Gunsmith Cats
Riding Bean
Kenichi Sonoda
Warhammer 40K

DNA Podcast 068 – Super Sentai with Squall Charlson

0 Comment
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 068 - Super Sentai with Squall Charlson







/

In this episode…everybody say HAI! Because Rob and Don sit down with YouTuber and Tokusatsu fan Squall Charlson to discuss the history of Japan’s Super Sentai genre. Donning the colours of Red, Blue and Yellow, the three heroes discuss the genre’s origins, how it evolved over time, and the highlights of Super Sentai’s 43 year history! All this, and how Dynaman is the greatest thing ever, is waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed

List of Sentai Series
IT’S HENSHIN TIME! The History of Super Sentai & Power Rangers (a YouTube documentary on the history of Sentai and Power Rangers)
Squall’s YouTube Channel
Dynaman Comedy Dub Episodes
Kamen Rider
Metal Hero Shows
Himistu Sentai GoRanger
JAKQ
Joss Whedon
Japanese Spiderman
Battle Fever J
TNT Ultra 7
Squall’s Video on Reused Sentai Locations
Bioman
Liveman
Jetman
Keita Amemiya
Zyuranger
Dairanger
Megaranger
Kakuranger
Gingaman
Gogo Five
Timeranger
Kamen Rider Kuuga
Magiranger
Hurrikenger
Boukenger
Kamen Rider Faiz
Dekaranger
V-Cinema
Go-Onger
Shinkenger
Gokaiger
Go-Busters
ToQger
Failed Megazord (ToQger Mecha Boner!)
Lupinranger vs. Patoranger
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
Kamen Rider Ryuki
Kamen Rider The First
Kamen Rider The Next