S2: E1: We're Back: An Anime Story

Hey everybody, we're back. That's right, Spotty Translation is back, and it didn't take singing dinosaurs to make it happen. In fact, all it took was some simple social engineering to convince Whales are Whales co-founder Bryan Kelly to bring back the show, and he even agreed to come along for the ride! How exciting! 

Now, season two of Spotty T is gonna be a little different from when Stephen was sitting in the anime chair. First things first, we got rid of the anime chair and replaced it with a puppet chair like Chairy from Pee-Wee's Playhouse. We're also not gonna be watching an episode per series each week instead focusing on a single program through its entirety which brings me to my next point. We're not technically watching anime in season two instead opting for Taiwanese-Japanese collaboration Thunderbolt Fantasy that brings Pili's hand puppetry into the world of celebrated Japanese writer Urobuchi Gen. 

Zachary and Bryan recap the first episode, share some thoughts and discuss how the puppets are made and move. It's highly recommend that you watch the first episode if you haven't before listening, and you can do so over at Crunchyroll. 

Oh, and be sure to watch episode 2, Attack of the Xuán Guǐ Zōng!, before checking back in two weeks time when the next episode of Spotty Translation goes up. 

On a final note, here are all the characters who appear in the first episode of Thunderbolt Fantasy with their Chinese, Japanese and English names. It's important to keep track of in this multi-lingual (and cultural) series. 

Dān Héng (丹衡 Tan Kō, Vermillion Balance)

Dān Fěi (丹翡 Tan Hi, Vermillion Kingfisher)

Sēn Luó Kū Gǔ (森羅枯骨 Shinra Kokotsu, Bones of Creation)

Cán Xiōng (殘凶 Zan Kyō, Vicious)

Shāng Bù Huàn (殤不患 Shō Fu Kan, Unconcerned with Dying Young) 

Lǐn Xuě Yā (凜雪鴉 Rin Setsu A, Austere Snow Crow)

Song: thunderBOLTfantasy by Hiroyuki Sawano