Run-down cars, paying with credit cards, and the death of fast food; we're in a recession and it's shaped like a McDouble with no Mac sauce. This week, we talk about inflation, The Odyssey, and our future technological yearnings. Without Zeus' Law, can we even make it to personal flight and Sword Art Online? (Episode 24)

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In this episode, we dig into Coco’s apprentice test and why the show’s attention to tools and technique makes the magic feel tangible. From there, we spiral into big worldbuilding questions. If magic is basically ink plus drawing skill, is it too “free”? Should there be an equivalent exchange, a personal cost, or a clearer drawback? And when the Brim Hat Society shows up calling Coco their “hope,” we start throwing out theories about what they actually want and whether the “villains” are more nuanced than they look.

Then we switch gears to Nippon Sangoku episodes 3 and 4, where time skips rocket the story forward into military roles, court factions, and a puppet emperor who can’t hold the room. We debate the underwhelming “get the general to his knees” payoff, talk through a brutal justice scene that actually lands, and unpack the power plays around “Fatso,” plus the rising threat from Sei and its tiger-themed leader. We also get into the show’s distinct art style, jazz touches, and why the absurdist humor sometimes undercuts the stakes.

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What does it say about your friends if they're too cool for social improv games?

What does it say about your family if they're envious of influencers?

What does it say about you if your social feeds are full of incel memes?

One thing's for certain: none of it will matter once we save the Hidden Leaf Village in the upcoming Naruto live-action. Believe it!

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