An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla

Néojaponisme Podcast on Cool Japan

In sort of a thematic follow-up to an earlier HToS podcast, W. David Marx (aka Marxy) and Patrick "third person" Macias meet up in Swinging Akasaka and gab about how fabulous and awesome "Cool Japan" is for the all-new, all different Néojaponisme Podcast! Link here.

Conclusion: From otaku culture to 2chan and Harajuku fashion, everything is great and could not possibly be better. For more information, check out the JTB Sunrise Tours promotional materials (excerpted here).

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame x Episode Thirty

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© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS

Synopsis: The organized crime organization “Crime” appears to counter the international science and the special investigation squad! Organizing troops via an experimental process known as “young cyborg surgery", The League of Extraordinary Gaijin shock unit is born! Six foreigners living with the grief of losing their bodies hidden in the back of their mind, they continue to battle “Crime” and vow to fight to intensify further.

Setting:

Canal Cafe - Iidabashi, mon amour

Cafe Pause - Arcade Mania launch party 

Cast of Characters:

Matt Alt (2:01) pledges his undying love to the makers of Nikka Whiskey and reveals the Legend of Snake Woman Island.

Ed Chavez (6:40) eats a melon soda shaved ice and lays out the conspiratorial link between studio GAINAX and Otaku USA magazine.

At the launch party for his new book “Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers", Brian Ashcraft (13:22) makes a heroic Lone Wolf-style beer run with mini-Bashcraft in the booby trapped baby cart.

W. David Marx (21:39) rants about reuben sandwiches and taco rice while civilization crumbles around him.

“Arcade Mania!” co-author Jean Snow (38:12) dazzles us with the latest TV games and tales of the plumbing in darkest China!

HOT LINKS:

Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers (official website)

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Nine

The OTACKERS storm Sony Music HQ to party once more with Shoko Nakagawa AKA Shokotan...and you are there (kind of)! Note for completists: No actual audio from the interview is used; only the hastily edited bits from waiting for the train, crouching in the darkness, and exiting burger cafes. You're going to gave to read the Japan Times like everyone else when the resulting article eventually drops.

Download here
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS

Hot Links
Shokotan blogs about Those Harsh Guys

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Eight

Pat and Matt return to the Tokyo Super Festival toy and model show after two years only to find that a catastrophic war has nearly destroyed all civilization, leaving only ragged bands of weary survivors to fight over the remaining scraps of society. Meanwhile, orbiting in space is a capsule containing a single man, Hiroshi Miyauchi, who was bioengineered to be the ultimate warrior, but was exiled because he was simply too dangerous to be allowed on television anymore. As his craft returns to Earth to be greeted by feral packs of cosplaying youngsters, Superfest proves to be the final battleground between the forces of Shorinji Kempo and the Government of Darkness....but has Miyauchi returned as a savior or a destroyer?

Click here to download
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS

Hot Links
Super Festival 47 homepage
Super Festival 2006 HToS podcast
Zubat opening
AltJapan on Star Wars Karuta

Coming soon: A shitload of pics from Super Festival 47!!!

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Seven

Episode #27

The mad, mad quest for the mythical super galaxy known as Virgin Space continues as Otackers Pat and Matt storm the Tokyo Trader Vic’s in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the South Pacific with no money whatsoever. On the authentic Polynesian menu: Crab Rangoon, Kazuo Umezu, the Perfect Burger, porn shop bingo with Denki Watanabe, “Love Letter From Hell” by Hayami Jun, stamina drinks, Pineapple Fried Rice, lousy coffee, mystery guests, and (*spoilers*) big fruity cocktails with little paper umbrellas in them!

* No jeans, T-shirts or sneakers
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SMOKING CIGARS AND PIPES IN DINING ROOM.

Click here to download
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS

Update: We're still inside trying to figure out how we are ever going to get out of this one alive.

Podcast: OTAKU USA - Episode #5

There’s no escape for the guilty as OTAKU USA editor in chief Patrick Macias and contributing writer Matt Alt invade the 47th annual Shizuoka Hobby Show. Treachery and greed run rampant as the pair survey a host of new toy and model product, run wild in a “box art” galley, and have a fateful encounter with Bandai Collectors' Division Sub-Leader Adam Newman who lays out the B-Club’s big plans for the San Diego Comic Con. The battle for “The Shizz” finally reaches a fever pitch as the gang is nearly thrown off a speeding bullet train in a hail of glow-in-the-dark tracer BBs and empty aluminum cans leaving the survivors to wonder, "was it worth it?"

Download here

HOT LINKS
Otaku USA Magazine
Pics from the Shizuoka Hobby Show
AltJapan

Podcast: OTAKU USA - Episode #4

While bumming around Tokyo, OUSA editor in chief Patrick Macias and contributing writer Matt Alt make the pilgrimage to post-apocalyptic Akihabara to personally inspect the new Mandarake Complex super store. After completing a real-time report on all eight floors of anime-manga-everything, the pair do battle with pirates in a back alley black market and make for a mysterious coin locker in violent Kichijoji where valuable treasure inside is hid!

Download here

HOT LINKS
Otaku USA
AltJapan

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Six

Hot Tears of Shame: Episode #26

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT! On the eve of the release of the Iron Man movie, Peerless Pat is granted yet another all-new, all-different interview with Stan “The Man” Lee! In this thrill-packed installment, Stan gets gregarious about the origins of The Incredible Hulk, ol’ Shell Head himself, and (would you believe) even Fin Fang Foom! And while pondering the past and future of the modern American comic book (no manga this time), the living legend also reveals the electrifying truth about his old army days and striking resemblance to J. Jonah Jameson! Special guest stars: Joseph Luster, the voice of Morgan Freeman, and SWEET-DADDY WISDOM!

Click here to download
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

Hot Links
Stan Lee: The Otaku USA podcast interview
Chu Chin Chow
Fin Fang Foom
Spidey Meets the Spoiler

Podcast: OTAKU USA - Episode #3

As the New York Comic Con looms on the event horizon, Peerless Pat of OTAKU USA magazine interviews Stan “The Man” Lee about ULTIMO, his upcoming manga collaboration with Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King) for Shueisha. The comics legend also waxes rhapsodic about the Japanese live-action Spider-Man, sumo wrestlers, and the lasting appeal of heroes in a world gone mad! Jolly Joseph Luster dons a long blond wig to read aloud from Thor #171 (written by Stan, natch) and confesses his love for the Black Cat, while the all-new, all-different OTAKU USA theme song arrives like you always knew it would courtesy of the sensational sounds of Marxy.

IF THIS BE PODCASTING...THEN SO BE IT!

Download here

HOT LINKS
OTAKU USA magazine
Marvel's Stan Lee, Shaman King's Takei to Join Forces
Stan Lee, Bones Confirmed to be Working on Hero Man
New York Comic Con
Thor #171
Iron Man villain Ultimo
The Merry Marvel Marching Society

Podcast: OTAKU USA - Episode #1

The first-ever official OTAKU USA podcast explodes into space-time with a report on Bandai’s incredible TAMASHII NATION event in Akihabara (perhaps you've heard of it). EIC Patrick Macias and contributor Matt Alt also sing the praises of Aquarion director Shoji Kawamori and The Shazam play a cover of "Twilight" by ELO.

Click here to download

Note: The HOT TEARS of SHAME podcast RSS feed will be hosting the OTAKU USA podcast until we have enough time to get a separate site up and running for "the new thing".

HOT LINKS
Tamashii Nation Official Site
Matt Alt's report on Tamashii Nation via AltJapan
OTAKU USA website

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame - Episode Twenty-Five

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -
Episode #25

Patrick Macias and W. David Marx chill out in Westwood during the J-WAVE USA conference at UCLA by eating "Cool Japan" for lunch. Just when the irony can't get any thicker, the ground cracks open and Paris Hilton and her gang of paparazzi emerge to rudely interrupt the recording process!

Click here to download
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

Opening "album teaser" by Marxy

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Four

"We were only licking books..."

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -
Episode #24

Manga: The Complete Guide author Jason Thompson follows up his epochal article for OTAKU USA by revealing his motives and methods for “Manga Tasting” and then rates our new issue! Thompson also talks about new projects on the horizon, how he manages to put together the magnificent manga reviews section for OTAKU USA magazine, and his cherished dream to one day consume "edible manga."

Click here to download
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

Jason's original Manga Tasting article here.

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Three

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame - The Way to Virgin Space
Episode # 23 -- Wondercon Wars!

Appendix: Other Dimensions
Wondercon
Type: Comic Convention
Environment: Hostile, Intoxicated, Essentially Earth-like
Usual Means of Access: Vibrational attunement
Dominant Lifeform: Huge Stomping Beasts
Prominent Inhabitants: P. Macias, Kung Fu Dandy, The Ianbetweener
Comments: A Quasi-Universe of barbarism and sorcery discovered through dimensional dabbling by Alphabet Drake, where one's greatest fears take on a tangible form. (See appendix: Alphabet Drake)
Last appearance: SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2008

Click here to listen
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

Special Guest Star:

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-Two

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -
Ryuhei Kitamura Interview 2/19/08

HToS just interviewed director Ryuhei Kitamura (VERSUS, AZUMI) about his upcoming movie THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. The film opens on May 16th in the USA and is an adaptation of the classic Clive Barker scary story. We also talked about RAMBO, which is easily the greatest flick in my book since GODZILLA: FINAL WARS.

Click here to listen
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

"Why we've retired Hot Tears of Shame."

I didn't! But Kotaku just did. While it was no "Chocolate Rain," my first brush with meme-dom still got kind of weird there for awhile.

Complete details about the take-down by Brian Ashcraft here.

You can still listen to olde episodes of the Hot Tears of Shame podcast here.

And in fact, there's a new Hot Tears of Shame audio adventure with Jean Snow and Marxy already on the event horizon!

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ Episode Twenty-One

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame -€“ The Way to Virgin Space:€“
Love Supreme - Za Cosmo Dragoon Densetsu

In the future, the people of Tokyo2 are born in laboratories, raised by robots, and ruled by the tyrannical Government of Darkness. Into this bleak world are born Pat M and Matt A, a pair of very sensitive boys known as the OTACKERS, who hold the future of the world in their hands. While training to become ESPACE pilots, the OTACKERS learn of the legend of the Cosmo Dragoon. Whoever controls this weapon will have immortality and everlasting powerful Shakey's. When Alphabet Drake, an evil scientist, orders the OTACKERS to Nakano Broadway retrieve the weapon, our young heroes are determined to capture it and use its powers to rejuvenate a dying Earth.

$34.95 - LD-CLV/CAV - Sub Only - HiFi Stereo
© Hot Tears of Shame Production Committee/jaPRESS Entertainment

Click here to listen

Bonus Materials

The pitcher of parfait at powerful Shakey's. Note crack cocaine and contraceptive foam.

Yes. Matt actually wound up spending a billion dollars on this.

Hey good looking, we’ll be back to pick you up later!

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame – Episode Twenty

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame – The Way to Virgin Space
Episode Twenty
Ex Machina vs Evangelion Reviewed!

Actually doing something useful for once, OTACKERS Patrick Macias and Matt Alt bust into the Toei building for an advance screening of Shinji Aramaki's EX MACHINA, then hightail it to Shinjuku for a rendezvous with EVANGELION SHIN GEKIJOBAN: JO…and fate itself! Non-stop spoilers, dame gaijin action, and potty mouthed talking ensues!

Click here to listen

Bonus Materials

They really rolled out the carpet for us...

The Toei Pork Curry (Ginza's finest) helps keep Japan's film industry strong

The Toei design aesthetic in a nutshell

I was tazered in the face by security seconds after this picture was taken

Golden Tickets!

Someone openly wept when they saw the limited edition theater exclusive telephone cards were already sold out

Matt begged me to buy him another Eva gashapon during an all important lobby beer-run

Approximately 65% of the film looks just like this...

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame – Episode Nineteen

Podcast: Hot Tears of Shame – The Way to Virgin Space
Episode Nineteen

Francesco Fondi, editor in chief of Hobby Media magazine (3:02-6:03)
Danny Choo (6:04-7:00)
Both interviewed at the Amano Ai idol event at Yamagiwa Soft

Patrick Galbraith (10:00-11:03), Akibanana Tour Guide
Dressed like Son Goku in front of Akihabara station (pictured above)

Alex Kerr (11:40-19:37), author of Lost Japan and Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan
Interviewed at the @home Maid Cafe

Listen Here

The Kage Star

Ol' big mouth is back in an epic interview with the Otaku Generation podcast cartel. I pop up around the 1:13 min. mark to talk magazine wars.

Listen here

Asanebo

Audio interview about everything, with a big focus on OTAKU USA magazine (issue #1 of which just shipped to the printers the other day), over at the Right Stuf International's ANIME TODAY podcast. Link here.