Japanimation Station Season 6 - TOMINO-THON!

Considering Japanimation Station started its life in 2019 as Weekly Suit Gundam – which itself started with a six-part podcast miniseries following Sean and Jonathan discussing every aspect of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series from 1979 – it’s safe to say we’ve already reviewed the legendary ‘First Gundam’ on this show. So for today’s episode, we’re doing something a bit different to celebrate the most crucial turning point in the career of Tomino Yoshiyuki: Narrating the history of the series from its conception through the release of the Gundam movie trilogy, which heralded the dawn of a ‘New Anime Era.’ It’s our most scripted episode to date, as we share original research and writing on the creation and historical impact of Gundam, while also making space to discuss how we see the show itself in the light of our ongoing ‘Tomino-thon’ project. Even if you’ve heard us talk about Gundam many times before, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Enjoy, and come back next week as we look at the original 39 episodes of 1980’s Space Runaway Ideon! Time Chart: Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:37 The Making of Gundam ‘79: 0:01:37 – 1:39:41 Eyecatch Break: 1:39:41 – 1:40:27 Dawn of the New Anime Era: 1:40:27 – 2:10:38 End Theme: 2:10:38 – 2:12:47 Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com Subscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.com Follow Japanimation Station on Instagram and Threads @JapanimationStationPodhttps://www.instagram.com/japanimationstationpod/ Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK “Tominoson-G Mk. V” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku & KAITO. “The World You See” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

“Exhilaration, humor, and pathos” – these are the three pillars Tomino Yoshiyuki outlined in a pre-production memo for the series that became 1978’s Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3. And the 40-episode show that followed very much fulfilled those goals, as this blend of super robot and Kamen Rider-style super hero action – also taking copious influence from the worlds of Star Wars and James Bond – is a fun and, in the end, surprisingly impactful series. It’s also the show where Tomino drilled down and learned how to perfect an episodic TV formula, telling a different and distinct story every week. While it gets off to a slow start, Daitarn 3 gets better and better as it goes on, building to a finale that proves to be one of Tomino’s finest directorial efforts, and which signals the full artistic flourishing of the man who would create Gundam. Enjoy, and come back next week as we arrive at the dawn of the new anime era: 1979’s legendary Mobile Suit Gundam! Time Chart: Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:37 Intro and History: 0:01:37 – 1:27:25 Eyecatch Break: 1:27:25 – 1:28:10 Daitarn 3 Review: 1:28:10 – 2:41:53 End Theme: 2:41:53 – 2:44:02 Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com Subscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.com Follow Japanimation Station on Instagram and Threads @JapanimationStationPodhttps://www.instagram.com/japanimationstationpod/ Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK “Tominoson-G Mk. V” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku & KAITO. “The World You See” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Our Tomino-thon reaches its first full review of the season with 1977’s Invincible Super Man Zambot 3, the debut series from a newly independent Sunrise, and the first original show directed in full by Tomino Yoshiyuki. Combining fantastical, episodic ‘super robot’ action with traces of the darker, more psychologically dense storytelling Tomino would eventually be known for, Zambot 3 also sees several members of the future Mobile Suit Gundam team working together for the first time, including character designer Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, mechanical designer Okawara Kunio (who drew the Bandok fortress, the series’ most striking design), and musical composers Watanabe Takeo and Matsuyama Yuji. And it’s the show that would, with its legendarily brutal finale, birth the legend of ‘Kill ‘em All’ Tomino. Enjoy, and come back next week as we meet the suave Haran Banjō in Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3! Time Chart: Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:37 Intro and History: 0:01:37 – 0:51:57 Eyecatch Break: 0:51:57 – 0:52:41 Zambot 3 Review: 0:52:41 – 2:24:13 End Theme: 2:24:13 – 2:26:22 Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com Subscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.com Follow Japanimation Station on Instagram and Threads @JapanimationStationPod https://www.instagram.com/japanimationstationpod/ Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK “Tominoson-G Mk. V” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku & KAITO. “The World You See” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Our Tomino-thon kicks off with a history-focused episode exploring the origins of Tomino Yoshiyuki leading up to the creation of his first full original series, Zambot 3 (which we’ll be reviewing next week). Where did this mad creative genius come from, and what was he up to in the years before he earned his ‘Kill ‘em all’ moniker? This episode takes us from the political climate in Japan during Tomino’s college years, to Tomino’s time at Mushi Pro becoming one of the most prolific episode directors on Tezuka Osamu’s Mighty Atom (aka Astro Boy), to his first directorial project, a (very loose) adaptation of Tezuka’s Triton of the Sea manga. We explore how he became known as the anime industry’s ‘wandering storyboard man’ in the 1970s, and end with the creation of the studio that became Sunrise, Tomino’s creative home for the bulk of his career. It’s a very fun, extremely informative episode that lays the foundation for the season to come. Enjoy, and come back next week as we review Invincible Super Man Zambot 3, the show which first earned Tomino his ‘kill ‘em all’ moniker! Time Chart: Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:37 Intro and Tomino Origins Part 1: 0:01:37 – 0:16:30 Mighty Atom/Astro Boy: 0:16:30 – 0:59:04 Tomino Origins Part 2: 0:59:04 – 1:09:25 Eyecatch Break: 1:09:25 – 1:10:37 Triton of the Sea: 1:10:37 – 1:48:23 Wrap-up: 1:48:23 – 1:54:54 End Theme: 1:54:54 – 1:57:03 Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com Subscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.com Follow Japanimation Station on Instagram and Threads @JapanimationStationPodhttps://www.instagram.com/japanimationstationpod/ Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK “Tominoson-G Mk. V” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku & KAITO. “The World You See” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Japanimation Station returns on March 15th, 2026 for its 6th season, and it’s one listeners have been demanding for a long time: our Tomino-thon! Throughout 2026, we’ll be peering into the delightfully deranged mind of Tomino Yoshiyuki, creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, which kicked off this entire podcast journey with our ‘Weekly Suit Gundam’ series back in 2019. Now, we’ll be returning to the world of Tomino with deep dives into every TV series and film he’s ever directed. In this special preview episode, we outline the season’s first half, “The New Anime Era,” in which we’ll be analyzing each of Tomino’s shows from 1977’s Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 through 1984’s Heavy Metal L-Gaim. Season 6 Part 1 will run for 12 episodes uninterrupted through May. After a summer break, we’ll then return in the fall for a second half picking up with 1985’s Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Will you be able to survive? Enjoy, and we hope to see you here for the season premiere on March 15th. Episodes will premiere on YouTube on Sundays at 6pm CT, and release on Mondays on podcast platforms everywhere. Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastRead Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK“Welcome to Japanimation Station” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku. “Ice” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

We’re back in Kyoto again to look at another new work from our friends at Kyoto Animation: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants To Be Loved, the feature film sequel to the beloved (and bizarre) slice-of-life TV comedy. Originally directed by Takemoto Yasuhiro in its first season before his tragic death in the 2019 arson attack, the series originally returned for a second season directed by KyoAni stalwart Ishihara Tatsuya, who again takes the helm for this film sequel. But with a more focused and bombastic story centering on the character Kanna, with much of the action taking place in the dragon realm, A Lonely Dragon Wants To Be Loved proves an even better fit for Ishihara’s talents than the TV series was, making for a surprisingly exciting and affecting film that delivers astonishing animation and some big emotional reactions. With the film now having screened in the US thanks to Crunchyroll, we break it all down, and look forward to the next era of Kyoto Animation as this one draws to a close. Enjoy! Time Chart:Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30Intro and History: 0:01:12 – 0:52:17Eyecatch Break: 0:52:17 – 0:53:01Movie Review: 0:53:01 – 2:04:08End Theme: 2:04:08 – 2:05:09Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastRead Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK“Welcome to Japanimation Station” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku. “Happily Ever After” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

After spending a full year chronicling the history of Kyoto Animation in 2024, we’re back for a brief return trip to review CITY: THE ANIMATION, the latest anime series from the renowned studio. Directed by Violet Evergarden helmer Ishidate Taichi and based on the manga Nichijou author Arawi Keiichi, CITY is one of the absolute greatest series KyoAni has produced to date, a return not only to Arawi’s zany comic stylings, but to the bold, experimental spirit of KyoAni’s early work. Seamlessly blending wild, anarchical comedy with heartfelt, shockingly rich storytelling about friendship, nostalgia, and community, CITY isn’t just a triumph: it’s an outright masterpiece, and we couldn’t be happier to talk about it at length on today’s show. Enjoy! Time Chart:Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30Intro and History: 0:01:12 – 1:03:52Eyecatch Break: 1:03:52 – 1:04:37City the Animation Review: 1:04:37 – 3:29:08End Theme: 3:29:08 – 3:30:10Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastRead Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK“Welcome to Japanimation Station” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku. “Happily Ever After” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Demon Slayer is back in theaters with its second original movie after the record-breaking success of 2020’s Mugen Train, and the latest installment – Part I of the planned Infinity Castle trilogy, adapting the final arc of Gotouge Koyoharu’s manga – is proving every bit as popular, breaking box office records in Japan and now in America. That’s for good reason: Infinity Castle is an incredible film, depicting three major battles across its 155-minute runtime, and executing on all of it at the same insanely high level we’ve come to expect from ufotable over the years. This is a film with some of the most jaw-dropping animated spectacle you’ll ever see in a theater, but as always, its heart is with the characters, their backstories, and their interiority, and this film’s focus on the villain Akaza proves to be some of the most effective material in the life of the entire series. We talk about all of it and more, including the terrific vocal performances and killer soundtrack, as Kimetsu no Yaiba truly kicks off the beginning of the end. Enjoy! We will be back with more special one-off episodes soon, with our next major season – Tomino-thon – currently in the works behind the scenes! Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastRead Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK“Welcome to Japanimation Station” – Music by Thomas Lack, Lyrics by Sean Chapman, featuring Hatsune Miku. “Rolled Into One” – Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

The latest Gundam TV series, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, wrapped up its 12-episode run this week, which means Weekly Suit Gundam is back to break it all down! A collaboration between Sunrise and the Otaku madmen at Studio Khara – including director Tsurumaki Kazuya, writer Enokido Yoji, and Evangelion creator Anno Hideaki himself – GQuuuuuuX returns to the Universal Century for an alternate-history story in a world where Char Aznable, not Amuro Ray, got in the Gundam; but it’s also a brand new tale about three kids living in the aftermath of this revised history on Side 6. Those two impulses – Gundam fan service and telling an all-new story – don’t always sit naturally together within this short run, and while GQuuuuuuX is an undeniably gorgeous production, with outstanding character designs, animation, music, and action, we’re not sure whether or not it holds together as its own fully realized corner of the Gundam universe. Enjoy, and be sure to join us later this year for the next season of Japanimation Station, where we will be surveying all the works in the career of original Gundam creator Tomino Yoshiyuki! Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vKSubscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastSupport the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuffOriginal Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Our Grand Tour comes full circle for its final stop, as we return to the world of Dragon Ball – and the premise of Goku becoming a kid again – for the latest installment in the franchise, and the last supervised by Toriyama Akira himself: Dragon Ball Daima! Like other recent Dragon Ball stories overseen by the original author, Daima revisits concepts from earlier anime-original works – in this case, Dragon Ball GT’s broad premise of Goku being turned into a kid and going on a big journey to reverse it – but now with Toriyama’s authorial touch. In the case of Daima, that means a ton of great character-driven humor, an extremely rich setting in the Demon Realm, and a handful of wonderful new characters. All of it is brought to life with some of the best animation, voice acting, music, and action to ever grace the franchise, from a big group of Dragon Ball veterans and artists new to the series. The result is one of Dragon Ball’s finest hours in animation, and a perfect final tribute to the singular work of Toriyama Akira. Enjoy, thanks for listening throughout this season, and we will see you all again this fall for Season 6! Time Chart:Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:15Intro and History: 0:01:15 – 1:33:27Eyecatch Break: 1:33:27 – 1:34:07Dragon Ball Daima Review: 1:34:07 – 2:58:43Season 5 Wrap-up: 2:58:43 – 3:19:28Season 6 Preview: 3:19:28 – 3:27:16End Theme: 3:27:16 – 3:29:07Subscribe to our YouTube channels! Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcastRead Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.comSubscribe to PURELY ACADEMIC, our monthly variety podcast about movies, video games, TV, and more: https://purelyacademic.simplecast.comRead Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK“Romantikku Ageru Yo” – Composed by Ike Takeshi, Lyrics by Yoshida Takemi, Original Arrangement by Tanaka Kōhei; cover Arranged and Produced by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com