Bento Radio

This week on Bento Radio, I take a deep dive into Inu-Oh — the electrifying historical rock opera from Science SARU.Set in 14th-century Japan after the fall of the Heike clan, Inu-Oh follows two outcasts — a blind biwa player and a physically deformed Noh performer — who transform forgotten war stories into explosive, rebellious stage performances. But beneath the glam-rock spectacle and surreal animation lies something sharper: a story about disability, censorship, power, and who gets to control cultural memory.In this episode, I explore:How the film reimagines traditional Noh theater as countercultureThe role of disability and “otherness” in medieval Japanese societyWhy the shogunate fears art that inspires peopleThe tension between state-approved narratives and buried historyAnd why this movie feels even more relevant todayInu-Oh isn’t just visually stunning — it’s a meditation on art as resistance. And while its final act hits hard emotionally, its themes linger long after the music fades.

In this episode, I talk about Love Through a Prism, a historical anime romance that surprised me by being far more about art, ambition, and loss than love alone.Set in early-1900s London, the series follows a group of art students navigating class, obligation, and creative pressure as they try to define who they are and what their work means. I walk through how the show portrays art school as lived experience—critiques, competition, impostor syndrome, and the quiet fear of falling behind—while relationships form and fracture alongside that struggle.We also dig into the show’s striking visual language, especially its use of color and black-and-white imagery to express grief, creative paralysis, and emotional distance. As history begins to intrude and World War I reshapes the characters’ futures, Love Through a Prism becomes a story about growing up, letting go, and finding ways to keep creating—even when the life you imagined is no longer possible.This episode isn’t just a review, but a conversation about what it means to pursue art seriously, how love complicates that pursuit, and why this series resonated with me long after it ended.

n this episode, I break down 100 Meters (Hyakuemu), a Netflix anime film that challenges nearly every expectation of the sports anime genre. Unlike traditional sports anime focused on destined champions and inspirational victories, 100 Meters explores burnout, athletic pressure, and the emotional cost of chasing excellence.This episode examines how 100 Meters uses track and field—specifically the 100-meter dash—to explore ambition, identity, and the limits of raw talent. I analyze the film’s portrayal of elite athletes, the pressure of professional sports systems, and how competition can become both a coping mechanism and a source of self-destruction.Topics include sports anime storytelling, anime film analysis, athlete burnout, creative and athletic flow states, legacy pressure, and how 100 Meters compares to other sports anime like Haikyuu!! and Ping Pong the Animation. I also discuss why anime is uniquely suited to telling stories about discipline, obsession, and the pursuit of perfection.If you’re looking for in-depth anime analysis, thoughtful discussions of sports anime, or podcast episodes that explore anime as a reflection of real-world ambition and creativity, this episode of Bento Radio is for you.Keywords: anime podcast, sports anime, 100 Meters anime, Hyakuemu, Netflix anime film, anime analysis, track and field anime, athlete burnout, anime film review, Bento Radio

n this episode of Bento Radio, I’m revisiting Kekkaishi, a mid-2000s supernatural shonen that aired on Toonami and somehow became one of anime’s most overlooked gems. It’s a series I didn’t fully appreciate the first time around—but on rewatch, it surprised me in all the best ways.I dig into what makes Kekkaishi feel so different from its contemporaries: its tight 50-episode runtime, its focus on a single haunted location, and its refusal to bloat itself into endless arcs. We talk about spiritual barriers, inherited responsibility, and how the relationship between Yoshimori and Tokine grows in a way that feels more natural—and more emotionally grounded—than a lot of shonen romance.I also connect Kekkaishi to the broader shonen lineage, touching on its similarities to Yu Yu Hakusho, Bleach, and even how its restraint foreshadows modern anime storytelling. From its music and visual framing to its quiet confidence as a “smaller” series, this is a show that knew exactly what it wanted to be.If you’re into underrated anime, forgotten Toonami-era shows, or thoughtful conversations about how shonen has evolved, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Bento Radio, I dive into FLAG, a largely forgotten anime from 2006 that feels uncannily ahead of its time. Originally released as one of the earliest ONAs, FLAG experimented with web-first distribution, documentary framing, and POV storytelling long before streaming became the default way we watch anime.What really drew me back to FLAG wasn’t just its war-torn political thriller plot, but the way it centers photography, journalism, and the ethics of image-making. The series tells its story almost entirely through cameras—photo lenses, video feeds, recordings—forcing you to think about who’s watching, who’s being seen, and what gets lost when history is reduced to an image.I talk through FLAG’s unusual production history, why it slipped into obscurity despite critical respect, and how its formal experiments echo through modern anime and even contemporary streaming culture. This isn’t a show that failed—it’s a show that arrived too early, in an industry that didn’t yet know how to support it.If you’re interested in forgotten anime, early internet releases, or series that took big creative risks before the medium caught up, this episode is a deep dive into why FLAG still matters—and why it’s worth remembering now.

Winter 2026 anime is already shaping up to be something special.In this episode of Bento Radio, I walk through what I’m actually watching this season—and why this lineup feels like a real shift in the air for anime.I talk about returning heavy-hitters like Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren, Hell’s Paradise, and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, along with the one new adaptation that completely caught me off guard after seeing it at Anime NYC. This season feels confident in a way anime hasn’t always allowed itself to be lately—less interested in smoothing out rough edges, and more willing to embrace strong ideas, genre messiness, and point-of-view storytelling.We get into why horror-adjacent shonen works so well right now, how fantasy anime is quietly evolving, and why some shows hit harder when they stop trying to be for everyone. If you’re looking for a thoughtful seasonal watchlist, an old-head otaku perspective, or just want help figuring out what’s actually worth your time this winter, this episode’s for you.New episodes of Bento Radio drop every Thursday night.If you enjoy grounded anime discussion, convention coverage, and seasonal breakdowns with context, I’m glad you’re here.

In this episode, Alex examines how modern shonen has shifted from the perpetual optimism of Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach to darker, system-conscious stories like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Gachiakuta. After a brief return from hiatus, Alex introduces Gachiakuta’s stratified floating city that discards both waste and people into an abyss, then hands the mic to Ai for a tight plot rundown following Ruto—an orphan taught to repair and respect objects—who is framed, cast down, and reborn among trash mountains and the Cleaners. Alex explores Vital Instruments, tools powered by emotional attachment, and how these everyday objects become symbols of dignity and resistance. Along the way, he connects the genre’s evolution—bridge works like Soul Eater and Fire Force, seasonal pacing, and algorithm-shaped discourse—to Gachiakuta’s “trash punk” aesthetic and critique of hyper-consumerism, highlighting moments like low-waste merch at Anime NYC. He also dives into sustainability themes, Ruto’s “giver” ethos, and the naming of his gloves “R3” as reduce, reuse, recycle. Whether listeners are nostalgic for the classics or drawn to shonen’s grim present, Alex’s analysis blends world-building, social commentary, and character vulnerability into a sharp, engaging guide.

In this episode of Bento Radio, I dig into As an Assassin, My Skills Clearly Outrank the Hero—an anime that looks stunning but left me frustrated once the story kicked in. On the surface, it delivers polished production, old-school fantasy character designs, and a visual style that feels lifted from classic ’90s anime. But beneath all that? A familiar, hollow isekai power fantasy that struggles to justify its own plot.I use this series as a jumping-off point to talk about a bigger issue facing modern isekai anime: recycled storytelling, shallow character arcs, and why strong aesthetics can’t make up for weak narrative foundations. Along the way, I compare it to other isekai and fantasy series, explore how genre trends evolve (and stagnate), and ask what separates a “fine” show from one that actually sticks with you.If you’ve ever wondered why some anime look incredible but still feel empty, this episode breaks down exactly why—and what the genre needs to do next.