Welcome to the Anime Effect! Hosts Nick Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President are sharing their anime origin, but not before bringing you up to date on the latest Anime Awards announcements, what anime film is coming to the big screen, and the newly crowned best selling Mario video game of all time. Listen to the first episode of Crunchyroll Presents: The Anime Effect for all this and more.

The Anime Effect is welcoming our first guests! ADR Director Caitlin Glass and voice of Sung Jinwoo, Aleks Le, give the inside scoop on all things Solo Leveling, the English dub. But first, Nick, LeAlec, and Leah are dishing on Anime Awards category nominees, sharing their excitement over the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer, and dreaming up their ideal Pokémon Day announcements.

Nick, LeAlec, and Leah welcome Polygon’s Editor-in-Chief and co-host of The Besties podcast Chris Plante to dissect findings from “The Anime Opportunity,” a study that revealed the actual numbers behind what we already knew: Anime is everywhere. First, the table had to discuss the latest Final Fantasy projects, their favorite reveals from Pokémon Day, and which side of Missouri is the “right” side? All that and more, only on The Anime Effect.

"Nick, LeAlec, and Leah are closing out the Anime Awards 2024 coverage with final takeaways, shoutouts, and favorite moments. Catch all this, as well as the latest updates on the Kaiju No. 8 anime, One-Punch Man Season 3, and more, only on The Anime Effect. Today’s episode released late today as we wanted to first acknowledge the passing of Akira Toriyama. We recorded this episode before the news about Akira Toriyama was shared.

LeAlec and Leah take the reins this week – with occasional help from a cardboard cutout of Nick – and dish on their favorite announcements from Mario Day and all the new anime coming out this year like Demon Slayer, DAN DA DAN and BLUE LOCK: Episode Nagi, but only after gushing over the Godzilla Minus One and The Boy and the Heron Oscar wins. Stick around for their own deep dive on sci-fi and mystery anime and their debate on whether mecha anime qualifies as sci-fi? Catch all this and more, only on The Anime Effect.

Leah, LeAlec, and the real Nick are counting down their most anticipated anime of the spring season, including Kaiju No. 8, KONOSUBA S3, Black Butler, WINDBREAKER, and more. But first, LeAlec the sneakerhead reviews the new Hunter x Hunter X Reebok collection, Nick shares all the anime concerts that have brought him to tears in anticipation of the One Piece Music Symphony, and everyone debates which Suicide Squad ISEKAI cast member they’re most anticipating.