Nerds & Anime

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Zeke: This week episode, 5 was cut in half your current listen to Episode 5.2 Nerd and Anime. You can listen to the whole episode by going back to Episode 5.1 Technology Today. Now let’s get back to the regular show.

Zeke: I like to welcome everyone to another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast. I’m your host Zeke. In this episode, I have a friend Hamed to talk about the current state of technology and some more anime talk. I’ll like to give a content warning for any strong language in this episode. And I hope you have a nice day. Enjoy the show.

Hamed: Yeah.

Zeke: I like to make a hard switch to anime now. 

Hamed: Yeah let’s talk about anime.

Zeke: So we both anime nerds. 

Hamed: Oh hey, yeah.

Zeke: How do you feel about anime becoming more mainstream.

Hamed: I’m actually pretty angry that became mainstream. Because back in the day- 

Zeke: Back in the day we get had…  

Hamed: In middle school we were bullied. We were called nerds and geeks and we were being roasted talking about our headlines and we stink. We don’t wear deodorant. And Yo bro anime has become this thing now and geeks wearing glasses being geeky being nerdy.

Zeke: I need this because the doctor said so.

Hamed: Exactly, I need this to live. I buy this so I don’t get hit by a car one of these days. Like and now it’s like so cool to be us and we don’t get our credit. Right give us our credit. We we were in the front lines. We were known for running before it was cool.

Zeke: I was talking to one of my students at my summer job. Yeah, like he was people that anime. But he was calling Naruto a old anime because we like to see a different age. Yeah. And then I was like, I got bullied so you can like anime. 

Hamed: Exactly what it’s give us where our credit is due. Because I need to know that we are the champions and now it’s just but another thing the flip side is that it just creates a larger community. But some people just like anime cuz it’s cool their not real anime nerds like you and I heard the classic anime nerds. And so for me it’s just seeing how like, I don’t know if you watch demon Slayer. It was literally trending on Twitter from one episode. And like for me, I don’t watch anime that is to hype for me like my favorite anime right now, which I believe is equivalent to Game of Thrones. Is Attack on Titian the story, the storytelling, the visual art, artistic direction, and the way the characters are treated and like valued is like an actual show like animation people call it cartoon should you ever turn it on? He’s like, are you still watching cartoons? I will spit in your face. Okay, animation is like, well anime you can see it more as a way to tell stories now, compared to it’d be like a genre on the side. It’s more than just 2d characters like it’s genuine storytelling it’s characters that you can connect to more than you can connect to human beings and virtually and it’s things that you can build a community of. Some people will start cosplaying which I want to start cosplaying. And what am I like all the time bias? Fuck everybody. I like this anime is Bleach. And like, right now Bleach I’ve never known but Bleach has been shitted on a lot a lot of people talk shit about-

Zeke: It was the third big three of like why 

Hamed: -exactly was the big three. And now people are talking shit about Bleach like, it’s not the G like Bleach is up there. 

Zeke: I mean, it did get canceled. 

Hamed: I mean it did get canceled, but Bleach is up there, I don’t care what anybody says. The music in it. It went from Spanish music to hip hop like it’s just- 

Zeke: One of those places was Los Noches.

Hamed: Yes, 

Zeke: It’s a Japanese show.

Hamed: Exactly. Like it has so many things that make it top tier. And like it’s just anime is just become this thing that I just wish it was back then. Like, you know, only the nerds watching because, you know, we’re cool when we built our own Empire. And so like the fact that is mainstream, it’s a blessing and a curse because at the same time

Zeke: It’s easier to get into anime. I’ve haven’t seen it yet. I know about the second season animation.

Hamed: Yeah, its easy. Some people just watch Naruto and think like doing the best anime people out there. And so I just finished Yu Yu Hakusho. Yeah, it’s a classic and I’m starting to gain appreciation despite for me. One of the big things about anime is like the animation itself. Yeah, I don’t know if you watch One Punch Man. Yeah, like season. Yeah. The second scene is Oh, where you’ve seen the second season? 

Zeke: I know about the second season animation.

Hamed: Oh, it’s the first season is so much more better. Like the second they shouldn’t have done that they should have did the reverse in the first season was the trash animation. And the second season brought it up. Because there were so many fights that were like Yo, this would have looked beautiful if it had like the first season of animation. And so there’s just the animation quality and like the art style plays a huge role. Yeah, 

Zeke: How you feel about about 3d animation. Because 

Hamed: 3d 

Zeke: Because they well now a lot of studios are mixing the 3d within the 2d animation.

Hamed: I respect the 3d mixing the 2d but like the flat out 3d animation. It looks like a video game to me I can’t get into it fully. But like, I think for me it’s like it looks too blocky and slow. Because 3d animation, Disney Pixar does it amazing 

Zeke: But it took like 11 years. 

Hamed: Yeah, 

Zeke: But they take 11 years. 

Hamed: Exactly. So the perfection of that 3d animation is to crisps so the 3d animation animation is trying to do well anime is trying to do isn’t really there yet. It’s very like the baby form. But that’s why I respect to 3d because I think Attack on Titan has some scenes like that. You can have like a 3d horse, but like a 2d character. And so I can I can tolerate the 3d mix within 2d but like fully 3d not there yet. Especially what Pixar is doing.

Zeke: Vinland Saga is a good 3d animation.

Hamed: Oh is Vinland Saga 3d? 

Zeke: Yeah, 

Hamed: Really?

Zeke: Yeah.

Hamed: You sure? 

Zeke: Yes.

Hamed: What episodes?

Zeke: I think all of it is in the

Hamed: Bra um, well I’ll finish the first I didn’t see anything. Is it fully 3d? 

Zeke: I think so. 

Hamed: It’s not 2d mixing with 3d

Zeke: Let me check Google real quick.

Hamed: Because I know I’m whats this character name whats that show called a Guts is it called Guts? 

Zeke: Yeah,

Hamed: That’s that’s totally 3d 

Zeke: Yeah the new one the new the new ones of this age of TV. The old one was 2d like the 90s anime. 

Hamed: Okay, okay

Zeke: I’m pretty sure I was watching Youtube, it was 3d animation. Got to look it up right now.

Hamed: I got to look it up to.

Zeke: There is dead silence. 

Hamed: This is a quick intermission. I could have sworn it was 2d. I mean would you call this 2d or 3d?

Zeke: I don’t know but like watching it when they fighting Yes See?

Hamed: Okay maybe like the fight Okay, I didn’t get to a fight scene yet 

Zeke: What episode are you on? 

Hamed: I’m on the first episode I just started

Zeke: There’s a fight scene the first episode.

Hamed: Oh, ah, but I feel like it was 2d mixing with 3d maybe like the boats. Yeah. And like some of like the background guy or characters Yeah, okay, I see what you mean now

Zeke: I know was watching Gigguk Gigguk he was saying how it was? 

Hamed: Okay,

Zeke: This 3d It looks decent. 

Hamed: It looks decent Okay, I’m gonna look into that. Because I for me it was just 2d but I know like some of the fight scenes Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. We’re better now. 

Zeke: Other questions so your favorite anime?

Hamed: Favorite anime now I just spoiled it Attack on Titan. It used to be Bleach because of the fight scenes. I love Ichigo but I can’t relate to Ichigo. Ichigo was just too cool. And so he was just like I liked him because he was like a cool character and like his bankai and like what he was doing was pretty cool, but I can never really relate to him. And so an anime I don’t think there was an anime I could relate to at all. And so I probably have to think more about that. But for right now currently Attack on Titan and like I love the characters Aaron is like. I like what they’re doing with the main characters. The’re using Aaron as because not to give away too much. Aaron is not just the good guy, especially in the latter season. Heard like the fourth season is going to be the last season. The’re just trying to finish everything up. The manga is finishing up too, but they’re using Aaron as like. Okay just think of the quote ah how does this quote go. It goes like you’re not the villain until you live long enough. I’ll see you become development Who? Yeah, 

Zeke: Either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain

Hamed: Yeah, either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. That quote basically summarizes Aaron’s character progression and characters development? And I love that I love when anime because some animes are can be really childish. 

Zeke: Yeah. 

Hamed: Some animes really take like philosophies of human life and apply it to their art style. And so the fact that the’re doing that with a main character 

Zeke: Yeah 

Hamed: It’s like groundbreaking. And so I really excited for the four season the music, artistic vision. I recommend it, I can tie it. Yes, the first season was overhyped, but the second third season they really brought it back. They brought back to storytelling and going

Zeke: I want to backtrack before continuing on that point. So do you think anime is just a Japanese thing? Like it has to be made in Japan? No, like it can be made in America? 

Hamed: Here’s the thing 

Zeke: Because like in previous episodes I talked about Avatar and Boondocks pretty much…

Hamed: Boondocks is practically anime. If you look at it that’s anime in its finest form. even one of the fight scenes. Even the creator au Aaron McGruder he took a fight scene I think it was between Naruto and Sasuke-

Zeke: Sasuke and fighting um 

Hamed: No Sasuke fighting Orochimaru. He literally was influenced that fight scene into the boondocks Boondocks is anime. I don’t care what anybody says. That is like the closest thing to American anime. So that’s a great question. Um I would say- 

Zeke: I should make a good question counter.

Hamed: I will say avatar is like the peak of American cartoons. If they adapted how like the human body look like cuz I know cartoons. They can like exaggerate. 

Zeke: Yeah,

Hamed: -human body looks like but like I would say avatar is the peak of what human cartoons can be because it didn’t give me anime vibes because with anime they have like the large eyes, the colorful hair, the over exaggeration, like especially Yeah, but avatar kept the more also the boondocks. The Boondocks kept it human, but with its art style, it was closer to anime avatar is closer to like, somebody drawing a human character in a cartoon form if that makes sense. 

Zeke: Yeah. 

Hamed: So I would say the peak of what American cartoons would look like it goes to Avatar. Boondocks is anime. Yeah.

Zeke: And then to go back to go back to what we were talking about Attack on Titan. Do you feel like you have more connection with a story based anime, or action based anime? Because a second season of Attack on Titan that was very heavily story based. 

Hamed: It was such a great story. Um obviously I’m more close to the story based animes. There’s this is anime called Promised Neverland. 

Zeke: Yeah

Hamed:Which barely has any action if that story Yes, Thriller a psychological thriller with some supernatural things in it. But like that’s straight story and like is just a matter of storytelling and there’s another anime called Erased.

Zeke: Yeah. 

Hamed: Now I don’t think that was it was a thriller.

Zeke: Yeah

Hamed: That was more like a mystery find out like a detective but it was supernatural because you know it well quite spoiler ish. There is some time travel in the anime but perfect storytelling. And, and I really like Dragonball Z by I’m not it’s biggest fan. I can respect what it has done to the anime in its culture. But I don’t really see it as like top tier anime. The fight scenes

Zeke: It’s like the granddad. Like of its time and 

Hamed: Yeah all this time yes like groundbreaking fight like super top tier Shonen, but like they’re Shonen now that elevated it. Yeah that, you know, took that formula renovated it got Naruto took that formula renovated got Bleach took that formula renovated got One Piece.

Zeke: Which is still out. My Hero Academia.

Hamed: Yeah, My Hero Academia now. It’s now they’re seeing the importance of having a story of having characters that can actually develop instead of just a one. I would call yall yall might spit on me might  beat me up. Goku is a one dimensional 

Zeke: No, he’s a zero. Watching like Youtube videos, he literally is like a zero. Like a positive character. Yeah, he’s like a zero character. Yeah, like his. His arc doesn’t change. But everything around him change. 

Hamed: Yes, exactly and so I can respect Goku. He has great speeches. I like the fact that he fights for his friends, but I just wanted to see more come from his character. But if you apply higher learning to Dragon ball Z, you’re not going to like it. If you lower down your intelligence, just enjoy, enjoy. Hey, Dragon ball Z for or Dragon Ball Dragon Ball Super for what it is. It’s a good anime for you to pass time for you to be like yo that was an amazing fight scene for you to have a character that you routing. Like you just like the trope of fighting for your friends and breaking your limits and just being that person that everybody counts on. That’s a beautiful art. But because other animators have basically put that formula in a blender and make a beautiful vanilla not smooth smoothly from it. It just brought down Dragon Ball In my opinion, a little bit you know, in terms of like the storytelling. 

Zeke: I watched Astroboy again. Astroboy was great for its time. You can see them reuse animations. Like okay, this is a stepping stone. 

Hamed: Exactly and especially with the way Disney and Pixar are like telling emotional stories with animation. It’s like it basically raises the standard and so right now storytelling has to be important. Of course, Dragon Ball is gonna have top to your fight but ask because that’s what Dragon Balls here for. But anime that combines great story telling and, great storytelling with top tier fights, of course it’s going to take the higher spot. And so right now with, I forgot your question. What was the main point you was making. 

Zeke: I think it was like on this time, I whats more important for you storytelling?

Hamed: Yeah, storytelling. So storytelling, I say all that to say, storytelling is more important for me.

Zeke: For me I would say more action, because visually, it’s like to see the fights. 

Hamed: Mm hmm. I mean, I’m not saying like storytelling up here and actions down here. I love One Punch, man. And that’s just straight action. But it’s action with comedy. So it’s-

Zeke: A extra step. 

Hamed: Yes. 

Zeke: This is all to it. 

Hamed: Yeah. So I like animes that you know, has layers, you know, with One Punch Man. It’s about a character who’s so strong that he’s depressed. And like, because he can’t really find a good opponent. Now, that’s each episode. Yeah, that’s the first season. Yeah. So you find out and you just you vibe with it because funny, finds a funny way to tell the actual story. And so yeah, with that, because I would say they’re neck and neck, but storytelling, just push it a bit further. Yeah. 

Zeke: Kuroko No Basket. Does it have a story? Yeah it has a story. That’s a story.

Hamed: Yeah as a storyline, I mean I would say like for me Kuroko No Basket for me was about like the over exaggeration. 

Zeke: Yeah, so I was like 

Hamed: Like it was just so fun. This nigga was like unlimited range. He shot from full court. Was just funny. 

Zeke: My man would do a basic crossover? 

Hamed: Yeah.

Zeke: Bow.

Hamed: Kuroko No Basket is like one of those animes you watch for like the fun of it. It’s like characters that you know you can like root for like they’re really good characters. And this-

Zeke:  A behind the backboard. Let me shot like this real quick.

Hamed: Yo bro is too funny. Definitely. I recommend Kuroko No Basket.

Zeke: Oh, I was watching Animeshun. 

Hamed: Oh, with um, you know Tony Baker, 

Zeke: Yeah.

Hamed: That’s his brother? 

Zeke: Trying to see.

Hamed: Because they never mentioned that his brother, because you remember when Kenan Baker was doing his part well, there’s like a conspiracy, whatever. Like they never mentioned that they were brothers, but they have the same last name. So I assume they were brothers. I don’t know if they’re brothers. They look like each other. I think so. Right?

Zeke: Yeah. They had to do that they did their own thing about um. They watched the first season Kuroko No Basket, they hated because like it didn’t really have story for them.

Hamed: Also, they care about story. 

Zeke: Yeah. 

Hamed: I mean, I’ve never really I don’t think that was like one episode. I don’t know. I’ve never really fell into maybe something is missing from Animesun. But I he’s funny Kenan is funny. He

Zeke: That’s how I got into it. There were talking about um. Kuroko No Basket how like when I watch it, I think I just watched it for they see you they can over come each other generation of miracles . When they watched it like theres little story like everything he said is the same as the last.

Hamed: Yeah. Okay. I see what they mean. Yeah, that’s true. Well, I mean, for me, it’s another one of those animes where you lower your IQ a little bit.

Zeke: Yeah.

Hamed: You can, you can watch it. But um, to the point, I don’t know there was a previous question about like, whether or not if animes just American or Japanese thing. I don’t know if you saw Cannon Busters? 

Zeke: No. 

Hamed: So it’s basically it’s on Netflix. I recommend it. I’m not gonna spoil it, but it’s on Netflix. You should watch it. You should watch it because if you’re like, a African, African American individual wants to or not even have Caribbean American, or just a black person in general. Who wants to see finally an anime that has prominently black characters I recommend it its a nice quick story. Maybe you had to lower down your IQ a little bit to live But it’s nice funny, cool characters. I enjoyed it. And so it’s one thing that makes me think that anime is not just a Japanese thing. But I want, like anime to start being an universal thing. 

Zeke: Okay

Hamed: And so in a way like I can I think I’m hypocritical about this too because I know hip hop. I’m stingy about hip hop, I wanted to be all black thing I get that hip hop can go everywhere so we hip hop can go everywhere. So can animation. Okay, and so anime aspect I wanted to start one thing that does make anime a bit boring in a way is that it doesn’t tell diversity stories. And so that’s why I like Cannon Busters enough it tells 

Zeke: Do you watch only Shonen anime or do you watch anime outside of the company?

Hamed: Oh, I watch Yeah, watch rom-coms, I watch slice of life.

Zeke: Okay.

Hamed: And so for me, it’s like, I want to see animes about what it’s like to live in New York City for once, like I get like as Japanese but all we get is Japanese culture. And so- 

Zeke: Granted that’s what they know. 

Hamed: Yeah, that’s what they know. 

Zeke: It’s imported.

Hamed: Exactly. So I like what Cannon Busters is doing because an anime that’s not based in Japan. It’s its own fictional story and so I just want to see where it is stories. I want to see where it is an anime up. There’s actually a graphic novel is called Teflon Funk. I don’t know if you see it on Facebook, pop it out for you and for the audience.

Zeke: Host the show while I post a picture up. 

Hamed: Yeah, definitely. You can probably put it in post. It’s a I would have thought that it gotten its own anime made before anything else. But it’s definitely a graphic novel that has like the Boondocks art style. These are some. Oh, this is another one. Yeah, truly. These are some outside art styles of this. Yeah, like the Gorillas. Yeah, art style. And so I will put it in you guys look at it. But definitely I want something like this to become animated. Like I would definitely watch it. These are the main characters. You can

Zeke: I can put it in post.

Hamed: You can put it in post. But definitely look it up tempo Teflon Funk, It’s. Um, I follow this page to basically support them if they want to start doing anime in general Oh, there was another one shot. I forgot what it was called. was like two black kids. They were like in high school. Let me see if I can find it. Quick intermission. Because this guy, this guy did a promo and did it on.

Zeke: Did you watch Michiko and Hatchin? 

Hamed: Michiko, why does that sound so familiar?

Zeke: It was on Toonami. Both the mother and the daughter

Hamed: No, I don’t think I’ve I’ve never seen it. But tell me more about it. What?

Zeke: Not because I guess I guess I need to go watch video. 

Hamed: Mm hmm. 

Zeke: He make videos about like black culture anime. Yeah. Yeah. And that’s also talking about how, like the mother the black lead and the daughter was a mix. 

Hamed: Oh really? 

Zeke: Yeah. And they go on aventures. 

Hamed: Oh, I seen her face before.

Zeke: I’ll add it in post.

Hamed: Yeah, so you definitely recommend it?

Zeke: Yeah, because it’s more like a story not like, a grounded story?

Hamed: Yeah. 

Zeke: Because the daughter is in foster care but in the mother came to save her.

Hamed: Looks dope. Yeah. All right. I’m definitely watching that. Yeah. Yeah. If I find it, I’ll forward it to him. But definitely the other anime I was talking about. It was it was a it was in a Kickstarter. And this dude was looking for money. I don’t know if he was able to do what he wanted to do. But it was looking like a predominantly black Shonen that had like black characters was like mythical powers and stuff and so they were based in high school like it’s a Japanese story with black characters and it look like it was in the city too. So I’ll find it. I’ll definitely share it to you. So you could probably put it in post. But definitely something to look out for. I just want to see more diversity. Yeah.

Zeke: But with that in mind the last two questions I have for you are, so why did you. Why do you watch anime? And um, answer that one first. It’s hard to thinks of these questions. 

Hamed: This is the background, humble beginnings but,

Zeke: But I got it. Do you consume more anime than American um media.

Hamed: Yeah. Okay. 

Zeke: Last two questions,

Hamed: Shoot. Now, last question is great. I think. I think I do consume more animated in American media. That’s how I’m going to start it off, but the main reason why I watch anime is because I was a real lonely. And so anime and geek culture was like, an escape. And like they just told these fascinating stories and I was able to find friends off of anime, because we related that we’re able to have something to talk about. And so my childhood was not the best, as I mentioned earlier in the podcast, but anime just made it more easier for me to live my life and enjoy life to the fullest. And so I was just able to unwind the next game and like, it was another thing besides just playing video games, you know. And so these stories, and anime inspired me to start drawing, which I stopped for a while, but in middle school and elementary school, and like early high school I have, I was drawing and I maybe started creating my own stories which are doing.

Zeke: I used to do that two in middle school also.

Hamed: Exactly. And so I have two stories. One is called Animus, which is basically a diverse story. It’s about a young girl named Zahra she lives this is one is more political now she lives in the state, a world where technology has advanced, but as it has been so much so that it pushed out the I’ll say  third world countries, but the thing about these third world countries, is that because of like the previous um outside nuclear fallout, so you just think of our present day, right? There’s a nuclear war that is To play, and then thousands, millions of years later, new people were about. And so the survivors are technologically advanced, mostly white people. And so the new generation I would say, of human beings had like Maria, they reacted to the radio activity that happened on the earth, and they developed supernatural powers. And so with the technological advance, group of people versus the I would say, The Outsiders who are spiritually and hence, the are currently fighting at war. And so that’s the story that I’m working on. It’s called Animus. The other story was one of the first stories I made. It was a I love avatar so much and Shaolin Showdown, one of the best old school cartoons out there you never watch Shaolin Showdown. Definitely get into that. And so I was inspired by both stories. And I wanted to create, like a fusion of both. So it’s called. It’s called the Tale of the Dragon Warriors. That’s the story of it. And it’s basically following four characters, obviously. Why? There four, because of the four elements, so as a doodads black dude is able to control water, a Hispanic dude is able to control wind. Latina, like an afro Latina, she’s able to control earth, and an Asian woman who’s able to control fire. And so that’s mostly a story inspired by Avatar and Shaolin Showdown, that’s basically more of like a fun stories, though to have like, different types of villains. That would be more of like the exaggerated stories. And so yeah, I definitely am currently like mentally working on them. I just have to put them on paper. But definitely want to start off with Animus even though it was like a later story, but I feel like its more interesting. And yeah, that’s definitely so anime in a sense, influenced my entire life now is basically something that I appreciate but I wanted to see it evolve into something more. Yeah

Zeke: So with that begins the closing. So I’ll want you to name your origin story. 

Hamed: Yeah. Okay my origin story, the name of it. I would call it A Way Up. 

Zeke: A Way Up.

Hamed: Yeah,

Zeke: Nice 

Hamed: Yeah, definitely. Oh yeah. Cuz I feel like with my character development, to tie it back to anime I’m still learning a lot, but I’m making sure that I’m pushing forward at any moment any time. 

Zeke: So where can everybody find you? 

Hamed: Okay, if you guys are interested in what I was saying, This is definitely I don’t put none of this stuff. Basically what all you’re gonna see is memes my Instagram is mostly pictures since I’m into photography as well. But so my Instagram tag is Chef, like a real chef dot like a period, Ockmed because people like to call me Okhmed. So o.c.k because if you from New York, you know why I chose Ockmed. So it’s o.c.k

Zeke: Stove Ock

Hamed: So it’s Chef.Ockmed. And my Facebook is Issa AS AN ISS a not as an as a knife. My actual name is Issa And Issa is a and then Doumbia d.o.u m as in Michael B as boy I a. 

Zeke: Nice. 

Hamed: Yeah, I should my picture if you can’t find me because I know there’s a lot of Issa Doumbia’s. I am standing up in blue. And I’m doing like the Statue of Liberty. I don’t know you can put my 

Zeke: I can put it in post.

Hamed: Can easily find me. Oh yeah,

Zeke: Thank you for being on the podcast.

Hamed: Of course bro. Well, it’s been a pleasure. Thank you for being the fifth member in this beautiful environment and thank you very much.

Zeke: Ready to go as well see everyone later.

Zeke: That brings another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast to a close. Again, you can follow Hamed at his Instagram Chef.Ockmed and his Facebook at Issa Doumbia. Next week, my friend Simeon are gonna nerd out over Marvel movies, Star Wars and Fast and Furious. Hope you continue to have a nice day and hope to see you there.

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