Crunchyroll everywhere, spring ’25 wrap, summer hype (Shield Hero, Vending Machine, Panty & Stocking), Big Three debates, MAL shake-up, and a cozy Ghibli close with The Boy and the Heron. 🔥
Blue and TehWrongGuy are back on the Anime Ignite Podcast with a season send-off and a stack of takes. We open on why Crunchyroll feels inescapable, then spin through spring’s standouts and letdowns: Fire Force delivered, Country Bumpkin → Master Swordsman surprised, while The Beginning After the End… didn’t. We vibe on the Dandadan OP (certified jam), argue “new Big Three” vs the originals (and swat down that SAO rumor), and hit the headlines: MangaDex gone, MyAnimeList’s blockchain buyer, Black Clover teaser on the horizon, and a 2026 Fist of the North Star revival. Plus: summer hype checks for Shield Hero S4, Seventh Prince S2 (7/9), Reborn as a Vending Machine S2 (7/2), and Trigger’s new Panty & Stocking (7/9–10). We also detour into Bleach love (Kenpachi supremacy), Solo Leveling’s mixed Japan reception, and a quick Gunpla therapy session. We close with a spoiler-light review of The Boy and the Heron—magic towers, parakeet tyrants, and that Ghibli food you can practically taste.
00:00 — Cold open: “Why is Crunchyroll everywhere?”
01:10 — Spring ’25 in a sentence (and a sigh)
02:05 — Fire Force & hidden gem: Country Bumpkin → Master Swordsman
03:35 — The Beginning After the End: expectations vs execution
05:10 — Dandadan OP = instant add to the playlist
06:05 — Summer watchlist hype: Shield Hero S4, Seventh Prince S2 (7/9), Vending Machine S2 (7/2), Panty & Stocking (7/9–10)
08:40 — SAO replacing Bleach in the Big Three? (Nope.)
10:05 — What a “new Big Three” would actually need
11:30 — MangaDex shuts down; why official platforms must do better
13:00 — MyAnimeList’s blockchain buyer and what that could mean
14:25 — Black Clover July 7 tease; fingers crossed
15:30 — Kenpachi talk: meteors, bells, and beautiful brutality
18:10 — Solo Leveling love, “Japan thinks it’s mid?” and context
20:00 — Long-runners: Ippo’s endurance & a Fist of the North Star reboot (2026)
21:30 — Gunpla & display-case dreams (mini hobby corner)
22:45 — Movie of the week: The Boy and the Heron (spoiler-light)
26:10 — Favorite moments: whistling arrow, library tower, bread-and-jam scene
28:00 — Voices roll call (Pattinson, Bautista, Hamill) & our verdict
29:30 — Final thoughts & summer outlook
💬 Got takes or recs? Drop ’em at animeignite.com—the official home of the pod.