Anime has something for everyone.
Storylines range from strictly adult themes to child-friendly, and they can be dramatic, funny, full of adventure, and/or action-packed.
For fans of the genre, there is a variety of podcasts available from which to choose—from television show-specific to those that highlight all different aspects of anime.
Anime Talk! is one of the latter. Matt St. Jack is the host, and he has dropped episodes consistently now for over a year. Matt has a radio-smooth voice, and his content reflects his vast knowledge of anime as well as the in-depth research he completes for each episode.
Why is anime so popular?
Matt explains: “I think there are a lot of people who really enjoy anime and the anime community because they find something they resonate with. I’ve said this on my show multiple times—it’s the same way people get into The Good Doctor, or House, or other big television shows. There’s something they connect with or enjoy about a character or storyline.
“My job, as a podcast host and anime fan, is to undo the negative stereotypes that come with anime. I tell people all the time that, if they can get into those traditional types of TV shows, they can get into anime the same way. 
“I think people just look at it from a fantasy standpoint. They enjoy the fact that the characters have different abilities and the way they’re drawn. The color scheme, the storyline, and the music create a total experience when you watch it. Not many types of shows offer the whole experience like anime does.”
Anime Talk! was born from the pandemic. One of Matt’s friends had a life-coaching podcast, and he suggested that Matt look into hosting a show of his own. This planted the seed.
“He basically said, ‘You have a voice and something you know a lot about.’ I thought since people were staying at home, why not go ahead and do something with my time?”
Matt decided that his podcast would cover the spectrum of anime in a review-type format. Having watched anime since he was 18, he had much to draw from. However, the format presented challenges:
“I work a full-time job, so fitting in the podcast and the research required has been interesting. Now, I have to watch a lot of shows, and some I’m not really interested in, so I have to kind of force myself. Then I need to determine if they fit a specific genre or theme. Since most anime shows are 150-200 episodes, I want to make sure I know it well, so I can answer people’s questions about it, if they have them.”
Matt also brings guests on to interview:
“Many of them come from Twitter. I’m in some retweet groups, and I’ll just ask for what I’m looking for. I’ll also post when I’m looking for something specific, like women in anime for International Women’s History Month. I had five really great women-led anime podcasts as a result of simply reaching out on social media.”
For the listener just starting to discover anime, Matt has some great advice:
“You have to get past the first episode. A lot of times in anime, they kind of throw everything at you in the beginning episode, and then, they do the unraveling. Once you get past that, you have to give it a couple of episodes, because every show is going to be different. And if you’re not the type to enjoy reading closed captions, then you’ll want to find one that’s dubbed in English. Voice acting plays a huge part in anime. There are a lot of different variants that go into finding an anime show you might enjoy. Try a variety.”
Matt’s podcasting philosophy is, “To do a good job, try to put out all the content you can, and speak to it. For me, if at least one person can walk away from each episode with a takeaway, it’s a win.”
For listeners of Anime Talk!, it’s a win, indeed.
November 2021 Issue
