Shonen Tapes

Shonen Tapes

The Shonen Tapes is a podcast where homies Kevin and Sean deep dive into anime every week. Topical episodes some weeks and deep dives into shows and characters other weeks. Twenty years of friendship between the hosts comes with the non-stop and banter you’d expect while hanging out with your friends. Subscribe to catch The Shonen Tapes every week! read less

Our Editor's Take

Anime is one of the most famous Japanese art forms. In recent years, it has become popular in the US. Shonen Tapes is a podcast that both analyzes and celebrates this popular art style. Whether listeners have been watching anime for years or are new to the genre, they will likely find something to enjoy here.

The title of the podcast shows that the hosts know a good deal about anime. Shonen is a term in Japanese media that refers to art specifically made for adolescent young men. However, the term is somewhat misleading. This is because, despite its intended age bracket, Shonen is the most popular manga style in Japan.

The hosts of Shonen Tapes are Kevin and Sean. They do not use their full names on the show to protect their privacy outside of the podcast. The two have been friends for over 20 years and live in Washington, D.C.

One of the highlights of this podcast is the banter between the two hosts. One needs only to listen for a few minutes to realize they are genuine friends. That sense of camaraderie helps to make the show a fun and compelling listen.

Shonen Tapes has two primary types of episodes. The first are more topical episodes. In these episodes, the hosts will discuss an episode of a newer anime they have watched for the first time. In these instances, the podcast functions as a traditional discussion show.

The second type of episode sees the hosts exploring classic anime. These can include such shows as Cowboy Bebop or Dragon Ball Z. These episodes will often focus on a series as a whole. They offer more of an overview than an analysis of a specific series.

New episodes of Shonen Tapes are available on Wednesday of each week.

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#262: The Yamoshi Tape

#262: The Yamoshi Tape

The very thing that tipped the scale of Dragon Ball world for Goku to reach new heights, is the legendary super saiyan prophecy that Beerus had in his dream, aka Yamoshi. This man single handedly created a butterfly effect that would eventually lead to Goku and Vegeta becoming gods, but who is this man, and how can Dragon Ball Super progress his story?Today, we cover the backstory of what we know so far about Yamoshi, and explore different ways the show can reintroduce the character to have the biggest impact. Jump on that Discord and let us know if you want to see a story around Yamoshi and also who's what-if you liked best!This Episode Includes: Anime podcast, Yamoshi, dbz, beerus dream, goku, super saiyan god, beerus, vegeta, dragon ball super, Bardock, the legendary super saiyan, Dragon Ball ZLinks to everything HERE!

Episodes

#262: The Yamoshi Tape

#262: The Yamoshi Tape

The very thing that tipped the scale of Dragon Ball world for Goku to reach new heights, is the legendary super saiyan prophecy that Beerus had in his dream, aka Yamoshi. This man single handedly created a butterfly effect that would eventually lead to Goku and Vegeta becoming gods, but who is this man, and how can Dragon Ball Super progress his story?Today, we cover the backstory of what we know so far about Yamoshi, and explore different ways the show can reintroduce the character to have the biggest impact. Jump on that Discord and let us know if you want to see a story around Yamoshi and also who's what-if you liked best!This Episode Includes: Anime podcast, Yamoshi, dbz, beerus dream, goku, super saiyan god, beerus, vegeta, dragon ball super, Bardock, the legendary super saiyan, Dragon Ball ZLinks to everything HERE!

#261: The Naruto vs. Sasuke Fight Rankings Tape

#261: The Naruto vs. Sasuke Fight Rankings Tape

Here's the deal, these two have fought FIVE TIMES throughout Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. It's a mix of forgettable fights and crazy showdowns, so we decided we'd rank them from best to worst. We break down the fights between how much it impacted the story, the choreography, the excitement, and the result.Here are the fights in order: 1. Ninja Academy2. Rooftop3. Valley of the End4. After Donzo's Death5. Final BattleHit us up on YouTube or Discord and share your rankings!This episode includes: naruto vs, naruto, sasuke, naruto shipudden, anime podcast, versusLinks to everything HERE!

#260: The Solo Leveling Tape

#260: The Solo Leveling Tape

Like we always say, where there is smoke...there is usually fire. Is that the case with this show though? It has been talk of the internet, so we watched it from start to finish and are giving our immediate reactions. As good as it is, we have a few observations and uncovered a few things that are missing about the show. Overall though, we do think it knocked it out of the park.Are ya'll rocking with the show??This episode includes: Solo Leveling, Shield Hero, Video Games, Anime, IsekaiLinks to everything HERE!

#259: The Demon Slayer Improvement Tape

#259: The Demon Slayer Improvement Tape

Although the show is fire, there is always room for improvements! It's no secret that we were not fans of season 1, but we actually uncovered so many things they could have done in the following seasons to make the show even better. We won't beat a dead horse for the issues we had with the exposition dump and lame dialogue, but we focus on character development misses, episode numbers, demon of the season, and timing of background stories for villains. Make sure you are all caught up on Solo Leveling, as we'll be covering that next week. We're shifting a bit of focus over to our YouTube, so we would super appreciate it if you could show it some love! What's your favorite improvement that we did or didn't mention?This episode includes: Demon Slayer, Naruto, Nezuko, Tanjiro, Shonen, Anime, Dragon Ball, Attack on TitanLinks to everything HERE!

#258: The Goku vs Naruto Tape

#258: The Goku vs Naruto Tape

What's poppin tapeworms?! Today we talk who about who is the OVERALL character between these two juggernauts. Goku obviously washes Naruto in a fight, but was he as entertaining? Did he have a more interesting backstory? Who had the bigger impact?To be honest, neither of us expected the results of this episode. Although Naruto (the show) has the better writing....does that apply to Naruto (the character)? We'd love to hear ya'll's take on this. WHO YOU RIDING WITH?This episode includes: Vegeta, Dragonball, DBZ, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto Shippuden, Sasuke, Itachi, Dragon Ball GT, SakuraLinks to everything HERE!

#257: The Ninja Kamui Tape

#257: The Ninja Kamui Tape

We deep dive into the super popular show Ninja Kamui today, and make our case and point on why we think this is show is incredibly overrated and lacking overall. HEAR US OUT before you dislike and tear us a new one. The show is oddly overrated, and has a lot of glaring issues that the Anime community seems to have given a pass on. Is the story compelling? What about the characters? The dialogue? Good villains at least?? Besides fight scenes and neat animation, what does this show have going for it? Tune in to find out, and let us know how you're feeling about this take.Links to everything HERE!

#256: The Akira Toriyama Tribute Tape

#256: The Akira Toriyama Tribute Tape

So this episode was a hard one, but it felt wrong not addressing. We honor the late great Akira Toriyama. After his sudden passing, we discuss Akira Toriyama’s greatest creation, Dragon Ball, and analyze how it has influenced our lives and ultimately impacted our personalities and values. We realize pretty quickly into the episode was that his influences go way deeper than either of us thought. This episode was therapeutic as we stroll down memory lane and recall our favorite memories watching Dragon Ball during the majority of our lives. We'd love to hear your favorite memories brought to you by Dragon Ball, so please share.We hope you join us as we honor Akira Toriyama and his legendary work that will undoubtable forever live in hearts, and for generations to come. Thank you, Akira.Links to everything HERE!

#255: The Dragon Ball Rankings Tape ft. BlvckBulmaa

#255: The Dragon Ball Rankings Tape ft. BlvckBulmaa

Have you other thought objectively, who are the TOP characters in Dragon Ball? Everyone has their favorite, but who's on the Mount Rushmore (plus 1) of the Dragon Ball world? To help us decide, we are joined by a very special guest, BlvcBulmaa! For those of you that don't know her, she is a super active contributor to Dragon Ball news, knowledge, and driving conversation all over Instagram. If you're a fan of the series, do yourself a favor and subscribe to her ASAP. Bringing an expert on the show was a great idea, as we all opened up each other to brand new points of view. The episode is structured with the usual learning about the guest and sprinkled in between is episode topic. Also...Sean does his Cell impression... You can catch BlvcBulmaa's on all social media platforms spelled the same way. Links below!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blvckbulmaaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blvckbulmaaWebsite: https://blvckbulmaa.com/Links to everything HERE!

#254: The Shigaraki vs. Mahito Tape

#254: The Shigaraki vs. Mahito Tape

In today's episode, we go over two extremely similar villains from My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen (respectively). It's pretty clear Mahito took some inspiration from Shigaraki - but did he follow the JJK trend of getting inspired on something and overall improving on it?The match up actually ended up being super close. Fighting skills, better written character, aesthetics, personality; we compare the whole nine yards.So Tapeworms, let us know. Are ya'll rockin' with the league of villains dork or the curse??Links to everything HERE!

#253: The Vinland Saga Season 2 Tape

#253: The Vinland Saga Season 2 Tape

OK FINE we'll do the episode. Today we cover the second installment of Vinland Saga. You might be surprised by our reactions, especially if you've heard our initial review review in episode 195. We examine the new characters and their impact on the story, shifts for returning characters, shifts in the tone of the show, least and most favorite character, if we think it's headed in a positive or negative direction, and lastly.. our patented 7 thumb rating for the season. So do tune in and enjoy. We're still regularly uploading on youtube as well, so check us out there if YouTube is more your speed!This episode includes, Vinland Saga Season 2, Mappa, Anime, Jujutsu Kaisen, Thorfinn, ShonenLinks to everything HERE!

#252: The Demon Slayer Rankings Tape

#252: The Demon Slayer Rankings Tape

It's been a little while since we did a good ole fashioned rankings tape, so today we decided to jump into the world of Demon Slayer, and give our personal top 5. We also spent some time at the end of the episode trying to pick out the objectively best characters of the show. What made us do Demon Slayer? No idea, but it was so much fun to talk about.What are your top 3 characters? Go on over and comment on the YouTube if you have a moment!This episode includes: Demon Slayer, Tanjiro, Tengin, Zenitsu, Nezuko, Muzan, Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, AnimeLinks to everything HERE!

#251: The Anime Noob Tape

#251: The Anime Noob Tape

Since our favorite baldy is out sick today, we have asked a friend of the podcast, Cisco from the Dough Bois Podcast, to join us today.Cisco specializes in Amazon Reselling but also dabbles in a bit of Anime, so we spend the first part of the episode learning a little bit more about what that entails as a side hustle. We take advantage of picking the brain of somebody who isn't deep into the anime world and getting his very unexpected takes. Very...very unexpected takes.This was a fun episode and Cisco is a natural fit, so please go show his youtube some love if you've ever thought about becoming an Amazon Reseller or want to learn more about an entrepreneurial mindset.Here is their Youtube - https://youtube.com/@doughboismedia?si=wGySJDHEdFCsGDzM Here is his Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flippingitwithcisco?igsh=MThreTFvZ2l5YjZmdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrLinks to everything HERE!

#250: The Redemptions Tape

#250: The Redemptions Tape

So we've been feeling a little introspective here lately, and decided to take a look into what anime we have completely changed our tune on. This podcast has forced us to watch shows we would have otherwise skipped, or not given a second chance on if we were disappointed...and we're seeing that's for the better!What we're noticing is that sometimes we can have some super-valid criticisms about how bad or lacking a show is for the first few seasons, but that doesn't mean the show is going to be continue it's lack of storytelling, character building, or whatever it was that turned us off in the first place.So today we pick some of the shows we have changed our minds on, why we have changed our minds, and what seems to be some trends for stories at the start, versus having some time to flesh the world out.ALSO - We found a platform that works regularly for YouTube! Come show us some love.This episode includes: Dragon Ball Super, Vinland Saga, My Hero Academia, HunterXHunter, Demon Slayer, Goblin SlayerLinks to everything HERE!

#249: The Solo Leveling Reaction Tape

#249: The Solo Leveling Reaction Tape

YAOOO we back baby with another banger. After hearing that a show broke One Piece's Gear 5 Luffy episode, we had to immediately check-in to see what all the hype was about.At the time of the recording, from the 2 episodes out, we react to the show and try to guess why it's so successful. We haven't read ahead, so we throw out some predictions as well.We also start out the episode by giving our thoughts on the first few episodes of Season 2 of Vinland Saga as a sneak peek for the eventual Vinland Sage Tape.Worth noting - we again recorded this video for YouTube, and again the system craped out on us. Sorry yall.. we're trying. Please go give last week's video some love if you haven't already!This episode includes: Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Leveling, Goblin Slayer, My Hero Academia, Shield HeroLinks to everything HERE!

#248: The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Part 2 Tape

#248: The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Part 2 Tape

OUR FIRST EPISODE IS NOW LIVE ON YOUTUBE, GO GO GO! Okay, now that that is out of the way, on to the episode. Honestly, we both felt like we had a lot more to say from last week's episode, and wanted to spend a little more time focusing on some of the positive aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, so that's exactly what we did.Kevin starts off the episode directly speaking to some of the rebuttals you guys tore him up with over discord and social media, while Sean picks up his sword and defends your honor. Afterwards, we shift our focus on to some of the more fun aspects Jujutsu Kaisen brought to us this season, and talk way more about who impressed us this season and why. We also spend a little time theory crafting and other fun stuff. Lastly, especially if you want Vinland Saga Season 2 next week, go show our YouTube some love and feast your eyes on our ugly faces. This episode includes: Gojo, Itadori, Yuji, Todo, Megumi, JJK, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, DBZ, HunterXHunter, BleachLinks to everything HERE!

#247: The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Tape

#247: The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Tape

The rollercoaster of a banger, also known as Jujutsu Kaisen has finally concluded its second season. While the majority of the internet is in an agreement that season 2 was amazing, Kevin spends this episode making the argument that it was overrated. The bulk of the episode is the back and forth with us debating the quality, rushed storytelling, character focus, and its overall performance. We also pick our favorite characters, fights, and moments from the season. What do you guys think: Does Kevin have a point, or is he trippin?This episode includes: Gojo, Itadori, Yuji, Todo, Megumi, JJK, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, DBZ, HunterXHunterLinks to everything HERE!

#246: The Perfect Anime Tape

#246: The Perfect Anime Tape

We start off the episode with an announcement before going into the topic. Plucked directly from our discord, we are going to blend different pieces of various anime to form THE PERFECT ANIME. This is one of those creative juices thinky tapes where we get creative.Pretty much, we take a step back and decide what character archetypes, storylines, power scaling, and other aspects of anime can be molded together to form a banger of a show. First we take turns picking these to create our own, and then at the end we sort which anime's top tier ingredients could be mixed together and produce some fire.Let us know if you like these types of episodes. Also make sure you're tuned into our YouTube next week...This episode includes: Dragon Ball, DBZ, Naruto, JJK, Jujutsu Kaisen, AOT, Attack on Titan, Death Note, Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer, Cowboy Bebop, One PieceLinks to everything HERE!

#245: The Krillin Improvement Tape

#245: The Krillin Improvement Tape

Today we dive into the man that used to be Goku's GO-TO GUY. It's crazy that somebody with such heavy impact early on in the series would go on to not even be considered a top 10 character anymore. The Shonen Tapes take a slight issue with this, so in this episode, we try to rectify it.With these improvement tapes, as always, we break down what the issues with the characters are, and why they have fallen out of flavor. Krillin is one of our more obvious cases, but we really believe we came up with some fixes that could do the series some good.We hope you guys have been enjoying the episodes. And honestly.. we're hoping Akira Toriyama tunes in too for our suggestions! This episode includes: DBZ, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Super, Dragonball, Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, Cell, Frieza, Majin Buu, Jujutsu Kaisen, Piccolo, Dragon Ball Z, Krillin, AnimeLinks to everything HERE!

#244: The Dragon Ball Fights Tape

#244: The Dragon Ball Fights Tape

It's been a little while since we've opened up a can of Dragon Ball, so we decided to chronologically go through from Z to Super and dissect the standout fights. We skipped the OG Dragon Ball, so if you're fan...sorry.We usually like to list out our favorite fights with some sort of top 5, but we decided to take a completely different approach so we wouldn't skip as much. Obviously we know there are some gems we're missing out on, but we're pretty sure we got the most memorable ones! The criteria we used on judging a good fight is the choreography, the story leading up to it, and the finish. Also, for some reason, Sean mentions his loins?Jump on the Discord and let us know which ones we missed out on, or if you disagree with any of these takes!This episode includes: Dragon Ball Z, DBZ, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Frieza, Majin Buu, Beerus, Trunks, Dragon Ball Super, Cell, Android, Dr. Gero, Whis, Gotanks, AnimeLinks to everything HERE!

#243: The Eren Yeager vs Tanjiro Tape

#243: The Eren Yeager vs Tanjiro Tape

Get ready for another good ole' fashioned Shonen Tapes Versus episode, as we take a dive into the world of Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer.In one corner, we have Eren Yeager, the Titan shifter. In the other corner, we have Tanjiro, the kind Samurai of the World of Demon Slayer.But the question remains: who's better? Join us as we pit these powerhouses against each other, analyzing their strengths, sense of humor, character development, backstories, and finally, who’s winning a fight? We had to level the playing field a bit, so for the majority of the episode, it will be Eren pre-season 4.We also jump into how they would handle being the main protagonist for each other's shows and have some fun with it.Side note - We tried some new editing software for this episode, so let us know how the quality compares to the regular ones when you get a sec!This episode includes: Eren Yeager, Tanjiro Yamada, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Anime Links to everything HERE!