Akira Slide Podcast
A chill lo-fi podcast about Anime/Manga, Pop Culture, and Music. Hosted by best friends Michael Jallah and Michael D Rowland. Logo by Ari Grace.
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Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
After a quick chat about new Dragon Ball updates, Hajime No Ippo and Godzilla events in November, and how little Men require to be happy (opinion), we break format and talk about HORROR. Despite this being an anime podcast, we're both huge horror hounds. Join as we discuss our histories with the genre, some of our gateway films, and the quest to find media that scares us as much as the stuff we watched when we were kiddos. And of course, we do mention Junji Ito (arguably the greatest horror mangaka) and the Suitmation Trials (an analog Horror inspired by Godzilla). Slide on, my friends.
Please rate the show on your podcast platform of choice!
Edited by Michael D Rowland.
Opening/Closing by Stu Rosenberg.
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @dermot.mn
00:00 - Anime Newz: Godzilla’s Birthday Month + new Burning Godziller, New Dragon Ball projects, Hajime No Ippo “Dynamite Glove 2025” Event
31:18 - Mike Jallah has not been in “Anime Mode”+ is “Tron: Ares” good?
36:00 - What drives Michael crazy about Jujutsu Kaisen?
41:09 - Favorite Horror Films Discussion Begins
43:24 - Did Scary Stories have a place in our childhoods?
47:43 - Gateway Horror: the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise
51:03 - “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” vs. “Goosebumps”
53:19 - “Child’s Play” series
56:01 - Jallah’s Influential Horror Films (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hills Have Eyes, Saw…)
01:09:57 - The “Found Footage” subgenera discussion (Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity)
01:21:38 - Can we ever watch Horror the same as we did as kids? + Michael’s Faves (The Thing, Wicker Man (1973), House/Hausu, Ring/Ringu, Martyrs, Alien, Event Horizon)
01:32:29 - Ari Aster, Audition, Tale of Two Sisters…
01:37:13 - Michael’s Never in the Mood in October…
01:39:51 - Mike Flanagan and Comedy-Horror (Cabin in the Woods, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Teeth)
01:49:18 - Jordan Peele chat (Get Out, Us, Nope) + Horror Manga + Final Horror Thoughts + Analog Horror (Backrooms, Oldest View, Suitmation Trials)
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
One of my favorite running gags of Akira Slide has been my coverage of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime and not understanding its appeal. However, recently I've watched all of season 1, 2 and the prequel film, "Jujutsu Kaisen 0." What could this mean? Is it possible that Michael D is now a fan of JJK? Will Gojo go down as one of my favorite anime characters? Stay tuned after the JJK chat for a disussion on autism and how anime connects to viewers on the spectrum.
00:00 - “Hey Arnold!” Chit-Chat
10:44 - The recurring “Jujutsu Kaisen” Gag
28:00 - THE SHIBUYA INCIDENT is…
51:31 - Are JJK Reviews Coming? A Great Character Arc for Michael…
55:48 - Autism and Anime Connecting on the Spectrum
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Dan Da Dan was both my and Jallah's favorite anime of 2024. After a 6 month break, can season two possibly keep up that quality? Is it even better than it was before with a 2nd director assisting in production? Will Kinta become an amazing character just like Jiji? Is the Evil Eye arc, which features my favorite scene of 2025, go down as the best arc in the series? We ask and answer these questions and more!
Dan Da Dan Season Two
00:00 - Bees Aren’t Real… I mean Male
07:17 - The Great Gomah Update (From Dragon Ball Daima)
12:50 - The Return to Anime
15:12 - Dan Da Dan - Season Two
29:25 - Preview of Next Week: Michael Watched Jujutsu Kaisen…?!
31:08 - The Evil Eye Arc: A Satisfying, Intense Story
49:24 - Tomorrow’s Joe and Hajime No Ippo detour
54:30 - Overall Thoughts + Should We Start Reading the Manga?
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Follow us on Instagram/TikTok: @dermot.mn
Monday Sep 15, 2025
Monday Sep 15, 2025
After taking a break following my big move, we're back! We both watched the new Horror tale, "Weapons" as well as tried Omurice for the first time. But that's just the start-
00:00 - My Big Move!
05:15 - Our first Omurice - September 13th, 2025
12:43 - Curb Your Enthusiasm clips and Life Changes
17:43 - How have YOU been, Akira Slide fans? :)
20:29 - News about Mars? (Mars andGiraffe???)
22:29 - New logo idea, who is this?
23:34 - “Dap me up…”
26:12 - “Weapons” (2025) discussion (no spoilers) and a bunch of other wacky detours
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Monday Aug 25, 2025
This week I'm talking about the new Naked Gun and Fantastic Four films, Jallah espouses the pros of Legos and Prince, and we try to figure out what the next moves will be for this show. Dan Da Dan season two, Horror films, and a 2000s-focused episode are some of the ideas bandied about. We also answer a question from Waylon, who wants to know what films and series to check out after getting into Hajime No Ippo because of this podcast. This episode's a really fun ride, so please join us for it, won't you?
00:00 - Legos: Whaddya think of that?
02:58 - Why the 80s was the best decade of Michael’s life… (Prince)
05:44 - Michael saw The Naked Gun and Fantastic Four
27:10 - Michael and Mike’s Batman Skit
27:57 - Back to the Fliptastic Four…
32:38 - Stunt-Casting in Superhero Movies (Curiosity vs. Pre-Judgment)
37:10 - “Let That Sink In” - The Great Elon Musk Meme LOL!!!!!!
38:30 - Trader Joe’s employees are super nice
43:49 - The Curse of the Michael D Favorite Character (piccolo, kimura)
46:25 - Jallah’s Favorite Anime Characters
50:12 - ‘Super’ Goku is infuriating…
56:05 - Dress Up Darling Season 2 is Looking GREAT
57:45 - What’s Next for Akira Slide?
01:00:41 - The Joys of Having a Pull-List at a Comic Shop (Godzilla comix)
01:03:40 - Comix Jallah is Thinking of Acquiring (Berserk Volume 10, Trigun Stargaze)
01:08:13 - Dan Da Dan Season Two talk soon…
01:10:16 - ‘00kira Slide Episode (2000s Episode)
01:11:14 - Berserk Book Club (Will This Happen?)
01:14:30 - Weapons and Challengers Double Feature (Michael’s seen Weapons)
01:15:46 - Halloween/Spooky Episodes Incoming!
01:16:15 - Waylon’s Question: I got into Hajime No Ippo from the podcast, what series or film should I watch next?
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @dermot.mn
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg.
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Monday Aug 18, 2025
Monday Aug 18, 2025
This week's episode marks the end of our coverage of Hajime No Ippo's post-The Fighting OVA, film, and series'. With 2013's "Rising," can the franchise get back up after a mixed follow-up like "New Challenger?" We didn't hear no bell! Listen and find out why this series features my favorite stretch of all of the Hajime No Ippo animes! We also talk about a concert Jallah and I were at. It's a lot of fun. Let's slide!
00:00 - How Video Games used to be portrayed + The Great Gomah
03:10 - Michael and Mike discuss a Concert they were *both* attending… in a sense!
13:45 - Hajime No Ippo: [The] “Rising!” Discussion begins…
23:50 - “Rising!” Initial Thoughts!
28:57 - Shimabukuro - A Man of the Sea…
34:10 - The Issue With “Rising!” - The Ippo Plotline is…
45:25 - The Great Aoki - King of the Look-Away…
53:04 - DETOUR - Ippo has a large… personality!
59:45 - Sawamura - The scariest character in Ippo so far…
01:13:19 - Soundtracks Shout-Out!
01:28:11 - David Eagle: A Good Hawk…!
01:34:15 - The Kamogawa / Nekota Backstory Arc…
2:00:41 - Our Favorite “Hajime No Ippo” Fights!
02:06:15 - Where does “Rising!” rank for us?
02:10:27 - The End of the Ippo-Pa-Looza 2025!
02:13:36 - Next-episode plans!
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Follow us on instagram and TikTok: @dermot.mn
Monday Aug 11, 2025
Monday Aug 11, 2025
We're talking about music again and learning about one of Jallah's favorite hip hop artists, Nas. Jallah explains what Nas was trying to accomplish in 2008 when releasing this semi-untitled record in the world. We cover topics like black culture, my initial thoughts on this album, and the idea of pinning black artists against each other (Michael Jackson vs. Prince). I hope this episode reminds you of better times and fills you with hope for a brighter future.
00:00 - “I Shatner’d myself…”
01:35 - Jallah talks his personal history listening to Nas
19:00 - Michael’s Initial thoughts on Nas’s “Untitled” record
25:57 - Nas never wanted the beat to outshine what he had to say.
41:50 - Pitting Black artists against each other.
48:20 - Black Culture, making lemons out of Lemonade
53:22 - A Bittersweet Optimism
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Intro/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @dermot.mn
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Monday Aug 04, 2025
00:00 - The Akira Slide Curse (RIP Hulk Hogan) + Reality TV Discourse
07:12 - Political Akira Slide Talk = Coming Soon??? (The Great Gomah)
09:52 - The Great (Gomah) Jallah Power Outage…
17:19 - Superman (2025)
40:40 - Michael: “I’m really excited for ‘Challengers…’”
42:32 - Fantastic Four (2025)
59:34 - Michael’s Favorite Superheroes + Killing Joke animated version gripes
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @dermot.mn
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Monday Jul 28, 2025
Monday Jul 28, 2025
Much metaphorical ink has been spilled by the two of us regarding the Hajime No Ippo introductory series, "The Fighting!" When given a platform to focus on the sequel series, it becomes clear that we both have some complicated thoughts on these 26 episodes. But after a rewatch, we're both finding ourselves defending and even championing what the series does well- particularly the final fight between two hawks. Join us for a wide-ranging and joyful discussion about our favorite boxing series that focuses most of its energy on someone who's not the supposed "main" character.
00:00 - Does Jack Black like Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger?
01:48 - “Wine About It” New Co-Host, Goodbye Maya
03:28 - Maya can ball, tho!
05:44 - Michael met Chris Sabat once in the 2000s. I’m serious…
06:55 - Michael also spoke to Bruce Faulconer once on the phone. I mean this…
15:28 - Someone’s moving…!!!!
17:19 - Jallah: Are you a virgin?
21:02 - “New Challenger” Series
23:40 - “New Challenger” Animation and Artwork
30:55 - “New Challenger” Soundtrack
33:30 - If “The Fighting” is a Bible, “New Challenger” is a pamphlet
39:00 - Why “New Challenger” feels more like a “Traditional Anime/Man”
42:01 - Jallah: Ippo is the low point of “New Challenger”
44:57 - Arnie “Crocodile” Gregory vs. Ichiro Miyata
48:02 - The difficulties of translating an anime for subtitles
52:13 - Bryan Hawk: An Ambiguous Design
55:05 - Michael’s pitch: Takamura vs. Bryan Hawk could have (and should have) been a Movie!
56:54 - end of spoiler for Rising
01:00:14 - Ippo vs. Hammer Nao? Sure!
01:05:01 - Amazing hawk tuah reference
01:05:47 - Bryan Hawk vs. Mamoru Takamura: a Shonen Superpowered Classic
01:22:58 - Ippo vs. Some Random Guy before the Takamura/Hawk showdown
01:27:21 - Takamura’s pre-hawk behavior: Does this harm the incredible arc?
01:32:46 - The Fight Begins!
01:37:33 - Brief Interruption: Michael (Dummy) had to move his car. Amusement Park discussion
01:39:48 - Back to the Hawks…
01:46:50 - Ippo’s Over-attachment to the Dempsey Roll technique
01:49:23 - Red-Eyed Bryan Hawk: A True Monster
01:51:23 - New Forms Unlocked… the final moments of Hawk vs. Takamura
"Who put Michael Jackson in the freezer?" meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKjVssqLiY
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @dermot.mn
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Monday Jul 21, 2025
Monday Jul 21, 2025
We're back with a non-anime episode with a special focus on TV shows and music! Jallah's getting into "Severance" on Apple+ and also brings us up to speed on a little trash talk by Jim Jones directed at future Akira Slide subject Nas. I'm just talkin' about a 1996 Metallica album that few people like and offering tiny little tangents here and there! It's a really fun time.
00:00 - Ippo-Pa-Looza Shoutout: Next week it’s “Rising” time!
01:43 - Rocky and other vintage trilogies
05:18 - “So, are you Chinese or Japanese?” King of the Hill gag
8:24 - Jallah’s new show alert: “Severance”
21:05 - The one time Michael had Apple+: “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters…”
22:03 - Godzilla (2014) vs. Cranimal - Michael’s general thoughts on Godzilla (2014)
24:50 - TV Discourse - “Give it a few episodes!!!”(Game of Thrones)
26:40 - Lord of the Strings
28:57 - Future Akira Slide Plans: Hunter X Hunter plus update on Ippo Video Game
29:48 - Michael Hates Netflix Subtitles
33:03 - Video Games (Mario) chat
37:04 - If you like Flies, skip this…
37:30 - Jallah’s dadly door Comments
39:10 - Sugarcube - Michael’s nickname in high school
39:30 - Kool-Aid
42:27 - The Millenial Childhood Diet + Hot Dog news
44:18 - Disappointing TV finales (How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones)
54:15 - TV Talk with Jolly and Rowlex (no anime!) - The cream always rises to the top w/ Macho Man Randy Savage and Always Sunny in Philadelphia
01:00:33 - Metallica - Load deluxe box set
01:17:47 - Fireworks! (yip-yip-yip)
01:18:51 - new Haim record = good!
01:19:33 - New Frank Ocean - Channel Orange vinyl = good!
01:24:53 - Brian Wilson: Rest in Peace to the Legend
01:29:07 - Jim Jones vs. Nas
01:38:21 - Farewell, until next week!! (4.2 controversy…)
Episode edited by Michael D. Rowland
Opening/Closing music by Stu Rosenberg
Follow us on Instragm and TikTok: @dermot.mn