Forum - View topicAnime podcast content - what do you listen for?
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BrentNewhall
 Posts: 31 |
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I and a couple of friends do a weekly anime podcast, and we're struggling with the question of what content to include. We already talk about news stories and how they relate to the anime industry as a whole, and we review and discuss the anime we've seen.
But we wonder...what do people actually listen to podcasts for? What would people like to hear in podcasts? I like Anime World Order because they watch an entire show before reviewing it, so they say intelligent, comprehensive things about their shows. But I wonder if there's more than that. So, what do you all listen for in an anime podcast? Are there any podcasts you can point to that you think do it right? Anime World Order is the only one I've found so far. (Incidentally, the podcast we do is at http://www.otakunovideo.net/ - feedback welcome.) (I hope this doesn't contravene forum rules against advertising. I'm less interested in promoting my podcast than in starting a discussion about how to make a good anime podcast, using ours as a starting point.) |
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Maryohki
 Posts: 526 |
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Hm. I always have trouble picking out podcasts. I love AWO, but I have trouble finding others I like. Here's some things I like to see in anime podcasts:
-Having seen at least half the show that is being reviewed so you have some clue what you're talking about, preferably having seen it all. -Don't have a ton of hosts. I want to be able to match a voice with a name, and I want to get to know the people I'm listening to so I can recognize who has taste similar to mine, etc. -However, have more than one host going at a time. I don't like listening to one person basically talking to themselves. -If at all possible, please have at least one host be female, or at least be understanding of the female fanbase. As a female anime fan, I really don't like hearing podcasts that blather about hentai/hot girls/tits/etc, but won't mention yaoi and bishonen, or bash that type of thing. -If the conversation derails, that's fine, but please don't derail about things that the listeners have no relation to. For example, one podcast I tried out went off on a conversation about something that had happened at a neighborhood barbecue for 20 minutes. I was just "...why do I care?" and stopped listening to that show. |
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cake
Posts: 5 |
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I like the podcast from The Rightstuf. But since they are part of the industry, they will have the advantage in the material that they can cover, like interview with people in the Anime field. As per content: 1. News about latest Anime from Japan and releases from the State. 2. Should have at least one anime as feature for general discussion. Also you discussion must be thorough. Quite often people will say an anime is good, is cool, but they do not say why (perhaps in the culture, arts, production aspects). 3. Other anime related products like games, anime songs and music. |
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SalarymanJoe
 Posts: 468 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA |
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Believe it or not, I don't look for content specific to anime podcasts, but rather I look for anime podcasts that have a content or formats that suit my audio entertainment tastes.
I like listening to NPR's news and talk segments and, ironically, I like listening to commercial talk radio. So, I prefer commentary that moves from topic to topic with each panelist giving their view. Like you, Brent, I've got a little webcast I run with some friends (though, we're on a bit of hiatus here due to some hosting and web issues): SHAMELESS PLUG Akihabara Renditions Webcast. And, when I start thinking of the topics and reviews to discuss with my co-hosts, I think of what entertains me and maybe we can find an audience. Personal inspiration comes from both Anime World Order, The Anime Roundtable and DaizenshuuEX, since they are my most favorite anime podcasts but I still go about once every couple months and listen here and there to different anime podcasts to see what I like about them (to listen to them more) and what I might adapt from them.
To get to the more specific question of the thread and out of the shameless self promotion field, if I had to sum it up in one word, I'd say, "information". But it of course goes much deeper than that. News: When doing the news, I like podcasts that go the extra length - like NPR news programs such as All Things Considered or Morning Edition, which has a bit of background in the news and what makes it news. Also, if you have a multiple host show, I think it best to have discussion about the news segments. Just reading or (worse) rattling off news points to me is unproductive for the audience, as if I want straight news, I can go to ANN or other reputable news sources. Tell me why you think this is important enough to mention on your show. In that same vein, I've not really noticed it necessary for other podcasts, but on mine, we have a more strict genre ("OLD") for what we review and talk about, so the only news that gets mentioned is news that relates to our niche. Reviews: It's taken us a bit to get used to actual reviews but we've found that discussing the subject matter in a summary, while interjecting small opinion pieces and a final discussion section about what our thoughts were works the best. A lot of our earlier reviews were much more stream of consciousness but we're trying to limit some of that. I don't particularly like the assignment of scores (fractional or otherwise) because of the law of averages - most everything will wind up being average because of something or another. Instead, I'd rather focus on the good points that make the subject enjoyable (or not) to watch. An anime with a weak story but beautiful art maybe worth watching when you want to see pretty pictures, and I've found that even anime with subpar or substandard animation with excellent story are always enjoyable. Finally, something I try to integrate into each review we do, is not just a contemporary release history, but a more total release history. This goes back to the point in the news where I like the show that goes the extra mile and digs a little deeper. Especially if the review topic is something like our Nausicaa review and the earlier release was something horribly traumatic. Discussion Topics: Like in the news and reviews, I think opinionated discussion is a great way to try and get listeners involved and think more about the subject matter. This can vary wildly; I personally like Anime World Order's interviews with BNF (Big Name Fans) from the earlier ages of anime fandom. Some of it is nostalgia but a lot more of it is for perspective. In our early episodes, we incorporated a round-table segment where we discussed a topic, sometimes news related, sometimes just for fun stuff. It's a good way, I think, to really differentiate yourself from the catch-all-anime-and-manga-news-and-review podcasts, especially if you don't have a niche already. Hosts/Panelists: The host or panel needs to be someone excited about being there and doing the show. Personality matters a lot, even though the shows I enjoy most have hosts or panelists that have opposing personalities (such as Daryl Surat's outrageous rants or Mike Nicolas's cool composure). You've got to have good chemistry together, too. In my personal opinion, it's not so much the gender that matters but, being the male, technology-oriented fan, I'm probably missing the point. I think it's more important to have a diverse panel as far as interest in genres. I like my robots and sci-fi like most of my panel, but I also enjoy the hell out of sports anime. One of my panelists is a devoted shoujo and romance fan. Another is pretty much devoted to mecha and little else. Having too narrow a scope can limit listeners unintentionally so it's something to be very mindful of when doing reviews or topic discussions. So, for the "tl;dr summary": it's not so much the specific topic or formats I look for, but I look for the ones that go the extra mile on topics and really generate discussion. Anime's presence of the Internet has grown beyond just being able to repeat news and give simplistic reviews. There's got to be some more meat to the entire presentation. I'm not saying any show is perfect for everyone, most especially mine, but I try to incorporate things I would want to listen to in a webcast, in the hopes of striking a chord with an audience that likes the same things I like. |
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