Hell in a Cel

Gargoyles Finale Part 2

James and Mariya finally finish the Gargoyles extended pilot and actually talk about the episode. They discuss the top-tier animation. The episode closes with a rambling conversation about villain morality.

Gargoyles Finale Part 1

In this boiling episode of Hell in a Cel, the melting hosts finally finish the Gargoyles pilot. However, Mariya spends most of the time quizzing James on hot monsters. They also go to court over gargoyle anatomy.

Hey Helga, Talking About Helga Pataki

Mariya and James do a deep dive into Hey Arnold’s most famous character, Helga Pataki. We watch three episodes centered around Helga. First we take a look at her relationship to her sister, then her parents, and finally the love of her life Arnold.

Reviewing ALL the Magical Girls

James and Mariya take a trip through the world of Magical Girls, analyzing the genre and its themes. First we watch the magical girl series inspired by Power Rangers. Then we talk about the Cardcaptor Sakura and using the magical girl genre to explore adolescence. We finish up with Madoka Magica, the best magical girl series.

Putting Batman on Trial

Show: Batman - The Animated series Episode: Trial (Season 2 Episode 4) With the release of The Batman, James and Mariya decide to watch and old Batman classic. They critique everything from music choice, to character designs, to animation quality. In animation news, John DiMaggio’s back, baby!

Courage Joins the Quilt Club

Show: Courage the Cowardly Dog Episode: The Quilt Club/Swindlin' Wind (Season 3 Episode 12) James and Mariya kick off the new season with a traditional episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. They talk about Futurama’s new season and the concern surrounding John DiMaggio’s role as Bender. The hosts give a short recap about animation. Have Courage’s show runners mastered the art of textures? Find out!

Season 3 Awards Show Part 1

Sorry this is late. Season 4 will start next week. Every year, we like to give out a bunch of arbitrary awards to the shows we watched last season. Who will win the best show of the season? Which character will take the prestigious best boi award? And what show did we hate the most this season and why is it Transformers (maybe)? Part 2 will be released on Friday.

Season 3 Awards Show Part 2

We continue with our awards episode, celebrating the best and worst of season 3. Regular episodes are back next week.

It's a Christ Mass Movie Miracle

Christmas Special: Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer Christmas time is here! James and Mariya watched a movie based on a song about Grandma getting run over by a reindeer. A true Christmas tradition. The two talked about the start studded cast and how they could not save the movie. They discussed some of the character designs and the awful writing of the movie as well. This is the last episode for this year and we will be picking back up in February! Have a great holiday and a safe New Ye...

Voltron's Jazzercise Tape

Nostalgia November 2

Transformers: Crap that Melts your Eyes

Show: The Transformers Episode: Divide and Conquer (Season 1 Episode 6) Mariya talka about how hard it is to find DnD players. The two talk about the special effects and the background. They de-construct a very important scene. The autobots only have one brain cell and Optimus Prime has it. They critique the character designs and animation fails. James explains Reagan and Hasbro’s involvement in the change in the animation industry. it is somehow related to comic books.

Treehouse of Horror II Halloween Special

Show: The Simpsons Episode: Tree-house of Horror II James and Mariya pick up their forgotten tradition of watching The Simpson’s Halloween episode. The two compare the first and second episode to see which is better. They talk about some of the animation differences across the shorts. Mariya wishes for more Edgar Allan Poe this spoopy season.

Spooky Boat Ride Over the Garden Wall

Show: Over the Garden Wall Episode: Mad Love & Lullaby in Frog Land (Season 1 Episode 5 & 6) Mariya makes fun of James’ accent and may or may not talk about capitalism this episode. James explains E-begging. Mariya’s body rejects the British accent and she’s still mad that the queen had a very specific diamond. James gives some harsh critiques for the first episode. The two discuss how the lighting could have helped the horror. They talk about the shift in the story from horror to drama. T...

Hey Arnold Gets Spoopy Part 3: Pigeon Man's Revenge

Show: Hey Arnold! Episode: The Headless Cabbie (Season 4 Episode 14) James and Mariya continue their tradition of watching an episode of Hey Arnold in October. James asks Mariya some difficult questions. The two talk about the differences between this Halloween special and older one. They talked about the story and how the older episodes outshone this one. They dicuss how the episodes are story heavy and discuss some of the gags. James recounts some urban legends and Mariya talks about som...

The Primal Pain of our Pasts

Show: Primal Episode: Coven of the Damned (Season 1 Episode 8) James and Mariya start off the episode talking about Marvel and then continue vamping about it for a while. We're sorry. They eventually get to the Super September episode, a Gendy Tartakovsky creation - Primal. The two contemplate some theories about the Druids and some of the world building. They talk about the chatacter design and art style, comparing the art to Gendy's other works. The hosts also discuss some of the deeper ...

A Hopeful Futurama

Show: Futurama Episode: Luck of the Fryish(Season 3 Episode 4) James and Mariya spend some time addressing Man-Babies’ outrage against non-sexy women and then enjoy Futurama for Super September. The two make an important announcement. They talk about how the show’s quality hold up today. The hosts talk about how seamless the 3d animation is for its time. They also discuss what makes the show’s style so iconic and compare Groening’s other productions. Finally, they talk about how animations...

Seize the Monsters of Production & Mariya Takes the Disney Quiz

Show: Monsters at Work Episode: Welcome to Monsters Incorporated & Meet MIFT (Season 1 Episode 1&2) James and Maria speed run through an episode of Monsters at Work. The two talk about why Disney would use Monster’s Inc. to make a series. They discuss the differences in character designs between the movie and series. The two discuss the pitfalls in the writing and some of the wasted potential. Finally, James quizzes Mariya on some Disney facts to decide if we will have a Sucky September ...

But is Bakemonogatari Good or Trash?

Show: Bakemonogatari Episode: Suruga Monkey Part 3 (Season 1 Episode 8) James an Mariya watch a rare anime episode. One without the jiggle physics and butt shots (but just for this episode). The hosts talk about lite novels and the Monogatari series. The two talk about the dynamic story telling structure of the episode and the visual elements. They discussed the use of colours to undercut some of the gory aspects of the episode. James talks a little bit about some problematic aspects of t...

The Heart Wrenching Melancholy of To Your Eternity

Show: To Your Eternity Episode: The Last One (Season 1 Episode 1) James and Mariya’s bit about Tech Talk goes out of hand. Mariya finds several podcasts called Tech Talk. Mariya talks about how different criticizing anime is on different social platforms. After a short recap, the two talk about the blinding optimism of the main character. They talk about the writer’s way of addressing mental illness in a way that is not misery-porn. They discuss the similarities between To Your Eternity an...

Shrek 3 is...

Korra Says NO to Fascism

Show: The Legend of Korra Episode: The Revelation (Season 1 Episode 3) James and Mariya watch The Legend of Korra for their 75th episode. This time, there is structure! They talk about the fluidity of the animation and the seamless nature of the 2D and 3D. They also discuss music and how it affects the ambience. The two discuss political themes associated with Amon. The hosts talk about the weaknesses in the story and the wasted potential with character arcs. Mariya has a plant analogy for...

Gargoyles Learn about MTV and Floppy Discs

Show: Gargoyles Episode: Awakening Part 3 (Season 1 Episode 3) James and Mariya return after their vacation to their traditional episode on Gargoyles. The two spend some time talking about trash TV. Okay a lot of time talking about trash TV. Mariya points out the amazing spoon animation. The assistant is slimy and awful. The two compare the cinematography and the story elements with the previous episodes. In news the two talk about some rumours and discuss diversity. Leave a review and g...

Flipper and Lopaka's Crazy History

Show: Flipper and Lopaka Episode: Strangers in Paradise (Season 2 Episode 28) James and Mariya pick from the old and obscure section of the animation library: Flipper and Lopaka. Maroya provides some personal history regarding the show. James pulls out the dusty tomes and give us a history lesson about the show. The hosts talk about the unfocused nature of the episode. James points out how one of the characters looks completely different from the others. They discuss the different accents ...

X-Men Evolution Tried So Hard and Got So Far

Show: X-Men: Evolution Episode: Rogue Recruit (Season 1 Episode 3) James and Mariya continue their trend of watching reboots of an old show with X-Men: Evolution. Mariya finds pictures of Magneto and Jean in Iron Man Armored Adventures. The hosts discuss the differences between this and the 1994 show. Accents are not this show’s strong suit. Neither are facial expressions. The two talk about character design and details within the costuming. Logan has a sideboob. Mariya points out the diff...

EX-ARM is a Boring Disaster

Ep. 71: Ex-Arm Show: Ex-Arm Episode: Angel of Murder (Season 1 Episode 3) James and Mariya have found an anime worse that RWBY, animation wise. Mariya lists a laundry list of issues with the episode. The two dissect one of the fights between the androids. They discuss the discrepancies in the 2D and 3D animations. James redoes one of the scenes to make it better. James explains a conspiracy theory that shows up in the episode. The Stock explosions are at least a decade old. Crunchyroll W...

What Stands World Trigger Apart & Pixar Blues

Ep. 70: World Trigger Show: World Trigger Episode: The Attack & Collision (Season 2 Episode 1 & 2) James and Mariya start off Anime April with an actually decent show, World Trigger. Mariya thinks the good guys are the bad guys and the bad guys are good guys. She is confused. James talks about the history of the World Trigger manga and its author. The two discuss the difference between the fight scenes in World Trigger vs. other animations. Mariya enjoyed the lack of jiggle physics and bu...

Teenage Mutant 3D Turtles & Good Writing

Show: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) Episode: Rise of the Turtles (Season 1 Episode 1) James and Mariya end Mutant March with some 3d animated turtles. James is too old to understand rap. They talk about the homages and references in the episode. The hosts commend the cinematography and sound editing. The two discuss the character designs for the Turtles and contrast them with the humans. Mariya rates the Aprils of all the four Turtles shows. Leave a review and give us some feedback!...

Teenage Mutant Anime Turtles & Lola Not Sexy Bad

Show: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode: Things Change (Season 1 Episode 1) James and Mariya’s Mutant March spree continues with the 2003 version of the Trurtles. The hosts talked about the character models and compared them to the older series. James notes some composite errors in the fight scene. They discuss the lack of story in the episode. Mariya rates the different Aprils and critiques her character design. In news, James and Mariya talk about the apparently not so appealing Lola ...

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles & HBO Maximum Fail

Show: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode: Turtle Trakcks (Season 1 Episode 1) James and Mariya begin Mutant March with the first ever Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from James’ childhood. James gives us a small history lesson on the Turtles. The hosts talk about how the British version changed some IMPORTANT aspects of the show. They talk about the renditions of April. Mariya is angry that Michelangelo has to use a grappling hook instead of nunchuks. In news, Infinity Train gets dropped b...

Donkey Kong [CENSORED] & Blue Skies are NOT on the Way

Show: Donkey Kong Country Episode: Monkey Seer, Monkey Do (Season 2 Episode 6) James and Mariya scrape the slimy goo from under the barrel and run into this pile of hot garbage. The hosts talk about how this show is instrumental to the 3D animation we know today, even if it was a disaster. They count all the plot points in a 20 minute episode. They talk about the stretched textures of the crocodiles and rickety character models. In news, Disney kills the Ice Age franchise’s animation studi...

Courage is a Broken Texture & Season 3 Premier!

Show: Courage the Cowardly Dog Episode: Bad Hair Day & Hat of Gold (Season 2 Episode 8) James and Mariya start off the new season with their usual tradition of watching Courage the Cowardly Dog. The hosts pitch an idea for a gritty prequel to the show and wonder, for the third time, how this show got to air for children. Someone had a three year old draw a firetruck on a picture of grass and everything is wonky. The hosts talk about texture usage and the 3d animation in the episode. Mariya...

Season 2 Awards Show Part 2

To celebrate the end of the season and the end of 2020, we have put together an award show celebrating the best and the worst of this year. Thanks for listening! See you in February for Season 3! Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chaoticsilly Twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/chaoticsilly

Season 2 Awards Show Part 1

To celebrate the end of the season and the end of 2020, we have put together an award show celebrating the best and the worst of this year. Thanks for listening! See you in February for Season 3! Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chaoticsilly Twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/chaoticsilly

Screw Disney & Screw You, Disney!

Show: Phineas and Ferb Episode: Christmas Vacation (Season 2 Episode 21) For the only Christmas episode this year, James and Mariya watched an Olaf short, then realized it was too short of a short and watched Phinease and Ferb instead. The hosts talk about the music and argue about whether James hates Phineas and Ferb or not. They discussed the comic consistency and the similarities between it and Hey! Arnold’s. Also Baljit’s kiss was very very well animated. James explains HBO to all of u...

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING! & Sponge on the Scam

Show: AeonFlux Episode: Utopia or Deuteranopia (Season 3? Episode 1) James and Mariya, in the spirit of Nostalgia November, watch the weird future of AeonFlux. James is in constant Alien Cosplay. They discuss Peter Chung’s work as an animation legend. Mariya finds the episode confusing. The two talk about the weird proportions in the show and the bizarre fictional world. They also talk about the complicated cinematography of the show. ALSO, there was a female guard to the key to Aeon’s “he...

It's about Babies & Titmouse Union

EP. 62: Rugrats Show: Rugrats Episode: Ruthless Tommy & Moose Country This episode was recorded on day 517 of the US elections, whatever the result be, the hosts were not aware yet. So, in this time of tense news, James and Mariya go back in time to the 90’s and watch a show about babies, like the responsible adults they are. Welcome to Nostalgia November. They talk about how fluid the animation is for its time. The two discussed the cinematography of the show and the some of the problems...

Bad Dream Logic & Raya and the Last Quibi

Show: Over The Garden Wall Episode: School Town Follies & Some of the Dark Lantern (Season 1 Episode 3 &4) Another tradition for Ominous October, James and Mariya watch Over The Garden Wall, an unsettling yet adorable mini-series. The two talk about the dreamlike logic of a lot of the show. They discuss the several plots in the one episode and the subversive nature of the plots. James thinks the highwayman is creepy. Mariya theinks he’s one of a kind. In news, the hosts talk about Disney’s...

Hey Arnold Gets Spoopy & Is Disney+ a Disaster?

Show: Hey Arnold! Episode: Four Eyed Jack (Season 1 Episode 23B) After that awful month of awfulness, James and Mariya replenish themselves with a wholesome helping of Hey Arnold!, as per tradition in this dojo. They compare the episode with last year’s spooky episode They talk about the character designs and how they are “ergonomic”. The hosts end by discussing the higher quality of the backgrounds. In news, the two discussed Disney’s experiment with the Mulan remake and paywalls. Also So...

Super Mario Bros Shitty Show & Super Venture Bros Canceled Show

Show: The Super Mario Bros Super SHow Episode: Rapland (Season 1 Episode ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) James and Mariya get dangerously close to the precipice of madness by watching The Super Mario Bros Super Show. The two talk about the awful choice of sound engineering and music direction. They discuss the history of shows like this and why they were made. The hosts discuss the animation issues including missing segments and invisible backgrounds. Venture brothers don’t get renewed and Genndy Tartakovsky ...

SAO is Ugly as Sin & All New Frozen Short We Need to Watch

Show: Sword Art Online Episode: Guns and Swords & Deathgun (Season 2, Episode 4&9 ) For Sucky September, James and Mariya pull from the floor gunk of the barrel they usually pick shows from. The hosts spend some time lamenting the show and comparing it to the spin-off which was objectively better. They tried to make sense of Sinon’s costume and failed because anime outfits make no sense. The two discussed some of the animation flaws that could have been fixed with smarter decisions. In new...

[UNLOCKED] Bee Movie — Movie Night in Hell

Carole and Tuesday were Born to Run & POC Animators get Screwed (Again)

Show: Carole and Tuesday Episode: True Colors (Season 1, Episode 1) James and Mariya bring women’s appreciation month to a close with the best anime ever created. The hosts talk about the great use of framing and cutting for transitioning. They talked about how many animators died to animate the characters playing musical instruments. James explained the three models, model sheets, and their use in the show. They also talked about the spectacular world building in very subtle ways. In news...

Mariya's Victorian Romance & Cartoon Network Quiz Show

Show: Emma: A Victorian Romance Episode: The Gift (Season 1 Episode 1) Pulling from an ever shrinking pool of not gross female oriented anime, James and Mariya watch another romance anime. The hosts talk about the creator of the anime and her work. They discuss the various framing devices in the show and its calm pacing. The two also talk about the palette and seamless 3D animation in a few of the shots. They end with a quiz to decide the fate of September’s theme: Super or Sucky? Leave a...

[UNLOCKED] A Silent Voice — Movie Night in Hell

Small Bunny Wins Anime Fortnite

Show: Sword Art Online Alternative “Gun Gale Online” Episode: Ten Minute Massacre (Season 1, Episode 9) Hell in a Cel is holding a women’s appreciation month because it’s Mariya’s birth month. James and Mariya watch GGO, an anime with a cute pink protagonist. They discuss how the show, though is an anime, seems to target a different audience than most anime, with a plot-line that would be more typical of a male protagonist. The hosts talk about the smart corner cutting involved in the anim...

Gandhi Cancels Clone High & Clone High is Coming Back!

Show: Clone High Episode: ADD: The last D is for ‘Disorder’ James and Mariya forget that this an animation podcast and talk about plants and pets for a little while. Once they get back on track, they talk about an MTV cartoon, Clone High. They discuss the structure of the plot which resembled a bizarre stream of conscience. The two talk about the taffy-like animation style with the complete absence of perspective. The hosts addressed the controversy over the cancellation of the show and th...

Gargoyles are Hot & Sony gets R Rated

Show: Gargoyles Episode: Awakening Pt. 2 (Season 1 Episode 2) Continuing another tradition (for some reason there’s another one now) James and Mariya watch the next episode of Gargoyles. James wants to bond with Goliath. They praise Kieth Davids screaming. The hosts discuss the back grounds and diverse facial expressions of the characters. They talk about the camera work and pick at the fight scenes. In news James talks about R rated animation and how it could possibly change the direction...

[UNLOCKED] Shrek 2 ⁠— MOVIE NIGHT IN HELL

Christmas In July: Shrek 2 It’s been a good month’s break and we’re back with a.. uh… bang? We’re back with Shrek 2, continuing our series from last year. According to James this is now a tradition. The hosts talk about the difference in approach to the movie as compared to the first one. They talk about the references and how they were not gated to the fairytale world but pulled from a lot of pop culture. The two discuss how puss was too easy to defeat and how he could have had a more inte...

[UNLOCKED] Akira ⁠— Movie Night in Hell

Special Episode: Akira Since the coronavirus continues to be a problem, here is the third unlocked episode of our exclusive Patron podcast, Movie Night in Hell. Oh look, another dystopia movie. This time Mariya and James check out the gorgeously animated classic from Japan that probably killed a few animators. They discuss the way it was animated and the implications of the main character’s decisions in terms of masculinity. Does this classic still hold up in 2020?