S3E2: It's post-TAGGS week and Josué & Rae are TIRED. This episode, Josué & Rae say goodbye to My Hero Academia and reflect on the journey of the characters and story- as well as events and growth in their own lives- during the manga's 10 year and the anime's 9 year respective runs. Josué talks about how he's rarely experienced the end of a massive mainstream hit show in real time and how different this ending feels- particularly because this ending was happy. Rae reflects on her experiences in online fandom spaces during new episode and chapter drops. Josué reflects on how frequent moving has affected his attachments and how a long-running show can provide consistency and stability in a very inconsistent and unstable world. Rae recounts how hearing about the MHA manga ending felt at the time, the additional factors that intensified her feelings, and contrasts that with how the anime's ending hits more positively now that she's in a better place. They both agree that their goodbye to My Hero Academia feels less sad and more appreciative and full of gratitude. 

Themes/Topics Discussed:

• Real, tangible, and valid grief experienced by a beloved, long-running show ending
• Grief and loss in its many forms
• Stories with happy endings vs stories with tragic endings
• Attachment 
• Acceptance, gratitude, meaning-making, and closure
• Recognizing and building resilience and capacity
• Accepting what you do and do not have control over
• Common therapist experiences of burnout, termination, and licensure grind

Relatable Experiences:

• Frequent moves and necessary detachment- or, difficulty forming deep attachment
• Having something to look forward to when you're feeling hopeless; The grief when that thing you look forward to ends
• Collective, global fandom experiences
• Media reaching kids-playing-the-show-on-the-playground-and-having-themed-birthday-parties levels of mainstream popularity 
• Fandom twitter experiences (MHAtwt, CRtwt, OPtwt, etc.)
• Stories with rich, expansive worlds and how "playing in the sandbox" affects grief, loss, and acceptance of a story's end
• Life events coinciding with a show's duration
• When life is inconsistent, long-running media provides consistency
• Living in the present moment because the future is not guaranteed

Anime/Characters Mentioned: 

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Attack on Titan
• Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super
• My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
• Sailor Moon 
• Hamtaro
• Deku (Izuku Midorya) (MHA)
• Katsuki Bakugo (MHA)
• Todoroki family (MHA)
• Bulma (DBZ)
• Dragonball Xenoverse III (video game)
• Wano arc (One Piece)
• Midnight (MHA)
• Best Jeanist (MHA)
• Hawks (MHA)
• Toonami (Cartoon Network anime programming block)

Non-Anime Media/Characters Mentioned: 

• Game of Thrones
• Star Trek
• Skywalker saga (Star Wars movies)
• Critical Role (Campaigns 1, 2, and 3)
• Arya Stark (GoT)
• Doctor Who
• The Kardashians (joke/reference)
• Spider-Man (Miles Morales, Spiderverse films)
• Magic: The Gathering (TCG)

Contact Us:

• Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/.
• Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/  
• Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord
• Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social 

Conversation Starters: 

What shows have you had to say goodbye to? Was it easy or hard? What tips can you offer someone going through this experience?

Themes/Topics Discussed:

• Anime as a therapy tool 
• Hyper-fixations and ADHD in fandom
• The vulnerability of liking things openly 
• Generational/perceived shame around anime (Toonami-era millennials)
• Identity development and alignment 
• Eating disorders/disordered eating
• Positive depictions of food and eating in anime (eating as self-care)
• Capable, well-written female characters, especially in Shonen
• Disability and accurate representation in anime 
• Cultural representation 
• Processing depression through art (Hideaki Anno and depression)
• Effort vs. faith models of wish fulfillment 
• Differences between media written for the male gaze vs the female gaze 
• Grief
• Nostalgia
• Female perspectives of anime, especially Shonen

Relatable Experiences:

• Blanking on your favorite thing when asked
• Hyper-fixation cycling
• Watching anime in secret because family didn’t get it
• Being a “hater” in order to avoid vulnerability 
• Starting an episode and losing focus or wandering off before it ends
• Coping skills for ADHD to maintain interest and engagement 
• Feeling ashamed of a hobby you actually love

Anime/Characters Mentioned: 

• One Piece 
• Dragon Ball Z/Dragon Ball Super
• Naruto
• Food Wars
• Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon)
• My Hero Academia
• Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
• Jujitsu Kaizen 
• Demon Slayer
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Gundam (franchise; specifically After War Gundam X, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, Gundam Freedom)
• Sailor Moon (classic)/Sailor Moon Crystal
• Cowboy Bebop
• Pokémon
• My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
• A Silent Voice
• One Punch Man
• Mob Psycho 100
• Solo Leveling
• One Piece: Fan Letter (OVA)
• Rebuild of Evangelion (film tetraology)
• Spirited Away
• Studio Ghibli 
• Portgas D. Ace (One Piece character)
• Senshi (Dungeon Meshi character)
• Winry Rockbell (FMA:B character)
• Todoroki family (My Hero Academia)
• Sungwon Cho (voice actor)
• Kohei Horikoshi (MHA mangaka)
• Hideaki Anno (director)

Non-Anime Media Mentioned: 

• One Piece Live Action (Netflix) 
• Star Wars
• Western superheroes 
• Marvel
• Batman 
• Bridgerton
• Pacific Rim
• Firefly
• Magic: The Gathering 
• Gundam TCG

Contact Us:

• Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/.
• Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/  
• Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord
• Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social 

Conversation Starters: 
Is there a show or fandom you’ve felt embarrassed to admit you love? What happened when you finally let yourself enjoy it openly?

What stories (anime or otherwise) have you found yourself going back to lately? What have you gotten out of this revisit? 

Talking Points: Slice of Life, Mundane Experiences, Highschool, Relationships, Romance, Anime, Ordinary life, Extraordinary lives, magic, Students, Emotional Intelligence, shojo, shonen, 

Anime Mentioned: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Clannad, Fruits Basket, Tora Dora, Rent-A-Girlfriend, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, The Pet Girl from Sakurasou, Tonari no Seki-kun, The Ancient Magus Bride, Persona 5, Food Wars, Dragon Ball Z, Attack On Titan Junior High, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, Golden Time, Honey and Clover, Quintessential Quintuplets.

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

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Talking Points: Hopelessness, Resilience, Overwhelm, Time Travel, Change, Progressiveness, Growth, Challenge, Obstacles, Generational Gaps.

Anime Mentioned: Dragon Ball, Naruto, Attack on Titan, Food Wars

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Overwhelming Scales: When Anime Goes Over 9000 appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Cosmic Horror, Resiliency, Grand Scale, Anxiety, Despair, Existentialism, Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy, Race, Syphillis, Lovecraftian concept of the insane, Xenophobia, Lovecraft

Anime Mentioned: Attack on Titan, Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World, The Promised Neverland, Dragon Balls, Naruto

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Otaku Ryoho Mythos: Cosmic Horror in Anime appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Compassion Fatigue, Intersectionality, Trauma, Resilience, Loneliness, Journaling, cycles of suffering

Anime Mentioned: Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World, Attack on Titan

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Compassion Fatigue: Coping with Compassion appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

The post Understanding Life through Anime appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

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The post Anime Remakes: Same but Different appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Gender Identity, Gender norms, Biological Sex, Transgender, Non-Binary.

Anime Mentioned: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ouran Highschool Hosts club, Fruits Basket, Evangelion, Kino’s Journey, A Silent Voice, Ranma 1/2, Steins:Gate, Tokyo Ghoul, Wandering Son, My Hero Academia.

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

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Josué then shows Assassination Classroom as a great illustrator of the struggles of high school youth. He talks about Gintama and how he’s wanted to watch that anime for some time. He talks about the clever ways that Hetalia tackles history, which can often be overwhelming, in a comical package. Then he talks about the adaptation of Attack on Titan, a dark… dark… dark… anime, to the high school setting in Attack on Titan: Junior High, and how the humor reinvents the way the original story beats are taken. Finally, Josue talks about gender in Ouran High School Host Club and the struggles of the working class in The Devil is a Part-Timer.

Talking Points: Humor as a coping mechanism, the struggles of a working woman, schooling, random humor, education through humor, humorous remakes, Gender, working-class problems, dark humor

Anime Mentioned: Honey and Clover, Aggretsukko, Fruits Basket, Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Hetalia, Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan: Junior High, Ouran Highschool Host Club, The Devil is a Part-Timer

Reference Links:

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Humor: Coping… The Humorous Kind… appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Sexual urges, Hunger, Carnivore vs Herbivore, Binary Gender norms, Naturalistic bias, Biological Determinism, Drug addiction, Volition, Environmental factors, Societal factors, Opioid addiction, Alcohol addiction, Control, Interventions, Depression, Suicide

Anime Mentioned: Beastars, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Biological Urges: Conflicts with Biology appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Fan service, Sexual gratification, fans, Cameos, Character arch, Strength narratives, Violence and gore,

Anime Mentioned: Dragon Ball, Food Wars, Love Hina, Chobits, Fruits Basket, Beastars, Cells at Work, Weathering with You, Your Name

Non-Anime Mentions: Avenger’s Endgame

“Get in the Robot” Youtube page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcU3qwLQ4E4t1AeCCkZg5dw

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Fan Service and it’s many faces appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Medicine, Education, Religious Education

Anime Mentioned: Cells At Work, Comical Psychosomatic Medicine, Superbook, The Flying House, Food Wars, Dr. Stone, Aggretsuko

Non-Anime Mentions: The Magic School Bus, The Cluefinders game series, Carmen Sandiego, Rami, Blackish, Fresh off the Boat.

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Education Anime: Knowledge is Power appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Anime Mentioned: Rurouni Kenshin, Grave of the Fireflies, The Wind Rises, Hyoge Mono, Vinland Saga, Rose of Versailles, Samurai Champloo.

Non-Anime Mentions: Bill Wurtz’s “history of japan” youtube video, “5 Most Historically Accurate Anime Of All Time (& The 5 Most Inaccurate)” – Cody McIntosh, Shakespeare, The Canterbury Tales.

Reference Links:
history of japan – Bill Wurtz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5LY4Mz15o

5 Most Historically Accurate Anime Of All Time (& The 5 Most Inaccurate) – Cody McIntosh

https://www.cbr.com/most-leas-historically-accurate-anime-of-all-time/

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post “Historical” Anime or “Historical” Fan Fiction? appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Pain, Tolerance, Resilience, Growth, Sickness, Pain scales, Subjective Pain experiences, medical treatment of pain, pain neuroscience, nearsightedness, illness.

Anime Mentioned: My Hero Academia, Kiznaiver, Bofuri, Dr. Stone, Samurai Champloo, Cells at Work.

Non-anime Mentions: Trauma Center: Under the Knife, Lifesigns: Surgical Unit (The more accurate Surgery DS game)

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post The Concept of Pain appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Science Fiction, Technology, Time Travel, Empathy, Pain, AI, Digital Consciousness, Transhumanism, Connection with Technology, Political Fiction, Slice-Of-Life, Mecha, Psychology, MMOs, Schools, Genetics, Science

Anime Mentioned: Orange, Kiznaiver, Ghost In The Shell, Psycho-Pass, Space Brothers, Neon Genesis Evangelion, .Hack//, Assassination Classroom, Planets, Gundam, Bofuri, Dr. Stone, Naausica, Blue Gender

Non-Anime Mentions: Avengers: Endgame, .Hack// Video game trilogies, Kaijuu

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josué Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Science Fiction: The Future Is Anime appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Religious Judgement, Murder, Ethical Dilemmas, Morality, Principles, Virtues, Code of Ethics, The Trolley Problem, Legal issues, Institutional codes of ethics.

Anime Mentioned: Death Parade, Death Note, Ranma 1/2, Psycho-Pass, Dororo, Dragon Ball Z/Super, Princess Mononoke, Full metal alchemist.

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

The post Judgment: Ethical and otherwise appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Religion, Spirituality, Jung, Death, Afterlives, Philosophical Materialism, Reincarnation, Christianity, Shinto, Buddhism,

Anime Mentioned: Dragon Ball Z/ Dragon Ball GT/ Dragon Ball Super

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

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The post Death & The Afterlives appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Accessibility, Deafness, Language, Defining Disability, Hearing Aids, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, Trauma, Chronic Mental Illness, Deaf Community, Sign Language, Bullying, Resilience, Redemption, Empathy.

Anime Mentioned: A Silent Voice, Azumanga Daioh

Non-Anime Mentions: Lost in Translation

Reference Links:

National Association of the Deaf

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

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The post Deafness, Accessibility, and Language appeared first on Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy.

Talking Points: Japanese Culture, Japan Travel, Language Barriers, Osaka, Cultural Exchange, Translation and Interpretation of Japanese Language and Culture, Japanese Style, Public Transport in Japan, Japanese Mascots, Cultural Displays of Affection, Japanese Holidays: Christmas, Valentines’ day, White Day.

Anime Mentioned: Excell Saga, Fruits Basket, Azumanga Daioh, Full Metal Alchemist

Non-Anime Mentions: Death Stranding, Terrace House, Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light, Yokai Watch

Reference Links:
Terrace House- https://www.netflix.com/title/81077065

Dad of Light: https://www.netflix.com/title/80178543

The Book of Yokai: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Yokai-Mysterious-Creatures-Japanese/dp/0520271025

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

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Talking Points: Language and Cultural differences, collecting anime, accessibility of anime, anime in Latin America/Puerto Rico, family relationships, favorite genres, fandom, resilience, Mecha, Shounen, Shojo, emotional expression, Slice-Of-Life, Subs and Dubs

Anime Mentioned: Astro Boy, Digimon, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Fruits Basket, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, My Hero Academia, Escaflowne, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Raxephon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, Your Lie In April, Grave of the Fireflies, The Ancient Magus Bride, Ranma 1/2.

Reference Links:

Contact Us:

Contact us in the Geek Therapy Forums: https://forum.geektherapy.com/
Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord
Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically
Follow Josué Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona
Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

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