The Anime Book Club Podcast · The Anime Book Club Podcast

#76 Rats and Bullets, My Only Weakness, How Did You Know?

·1 hr 20 min·5 clips

Yoko kickflips a sign and grinds down a railing as a rat sacrifices itself—what anime moment is this?

This episode of the Anime Book Club Podcast reviews three anime series: *Tojima Wants to Be a Common Writer*, *Touring After the Apocalypse*, and *Sanda*. Hosts DJ Montague and Greg provide their comedic and critical reactions to specific plot developments in each show. The episode centers on the hosts' detailed recaps and personal opinions of these series' sixth episodes. In *Tojima*, the hosts describe a chaotic scene where the hero Tojima delivers a powerful "Rider Punch" to a Spider-Man monster, referencing the classic *Kamen Rider* series. They recount a bizarre subplot where characters Ichio and Mitsuba hastily officiate a wedding for Mitsuba and Yukarisu in a pub. The episode also features a Yakuza fight where a character named Nako defeats an ex-sumo wrestler with a detailed slow-motion kick to the groin. For *Touring After the Apocalypse*, the hosts summarize a sequence where protagonists Yoko and Airi are attacked by rats in a storm-ravaged facility. They describe Yoko using a dream-memory to navigate, Airi sniping rats with a coin slingshot, and the pair escaping a fiery explosion caused by a fuel leak. The episode ends with the characters receiving a mysterious email about Airi's maintenance. In *Sanda*, the hosts recap a confrontation where the headmaster Oshibu's robotic eyes fall out during a tense standoff. A surprising claim is that the *Touring* episode made one host the most infuriated they've been since watching *Failure Frame*, due to elements like a rat sacrificing itself under a grinding skateboard. An interesting insight compares *Touring*'s ambiguous storytelling to the director of *Neon Genesis Evangelion*, suggesting both leave too much for audience interpretation. The hosts express a theory that the world of *Touring* might be a simulation, given Yoko's regenerative healing and prophetic dreams. They also note a cultural deep-cut, explaining that the "Tokagera" monster Tojima references is from an actual *Kamen Rider* series. The hosts express sheer disbelief at the absurdity of *Tojima*, with one calling it "one of the most ridiculous shows" they've ever seen. They highlight the detailed, absurd animation of the sumo wrestler's ball-kicking scene as a memorable, shocking moment. For *Touring*, they criticize the logic of characters eating rats killed in a gasoline explosion and surviving a tanker blast unscathed. The hosts also humorously critique the product placement segue for their sponsor, ITAesthetics, within the *Sanda* recap. The tone is highly conversational, informal, and filled with comedic rants and hyperbolic reactions. The style blends detailed plot summary with the hosts' personal anecdotes and tangential discussions, like the commercialization of *Evangelion*. Their delivery is energetic and opinionated, often breaking the fourth wall to address listeners directly. Anime fans who enjoy passionate, humorous, and unfiltered episode recaps will love this episode. Listeners who prefer structured analysis, spoiler-free content, or are sensitive to crude humor might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A frantic rat chase turns into a sharp, unsettled argument over endings that will not quite close.

The episode opens in a blur of rats, torches, slingshots, a bike scramble, and a pileup that barely lets the conversation catch its breath. From there, the hosts settle into a familiar fight: whether an ending can stay open and still feel deserved.

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Why you'd press play

For spoiler-heavy anime chatter that starts in chaos and ends in an argument about the ending.

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