Shows / Animated Wonders
Animated Wonders
Animated Wonders is an Explosion Network podcast celebrating animation in all its forms—from Japanese anime to Hollywood hits and overlooked international gems, we’re here to celebrate the stories that only animation can tell.
Each episode dives deep into a single film, exploring its story, themes, cultural impact, and the artistry behind its animation.
Episodes
Animated Wonders"Pierrot le Fou" ("Requiem for a Clown"), Boogie Woogie Feng Shui” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 20 & 21 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 20 & 21 of Cowboy Bebop, highlighting the tonal ability of the series between a horror-focused genre and a more light-hearted tone. YOUR…
Animated Wonders"Speak Like a Child, Wild Horses” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 18 & 19 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 18 & 19 of Cowboy Bebop, which explore nostalgia and technology, and we learn about Spike’s love and deep passion for flying YOUR HOSTS 🎙️…
Animated Wonders"Black Dog Serenade, Mushroom Samba” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 16 & 17 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 16 & 17 of Cowboy Bebop, in which Jet discovers a dark secret from his past and how he goes about getting revenge. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan…
Animated Wonders"Bohemian Rhapsody, My Funny Valentine” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 14 & 15 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 14 & 15 of Cowboy Bebop, in which Faye discovers a dark secret of her past. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley EPISODE #1 CREDITS…
Animated Wonders"Jupiter Jazz” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 12 & 13 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 12 & 13, Jupiter Jazz part one and two, in which Faye disappears, and Spike believes he’s finally going to reconnect with Julia. YOUR HOSTS…
Animated WondersForgotten Island - Journey Through Friendship and Mythology | Animated Wonders
We discuss Forgotten Island, breaking down its themes of friendship and culture, as well as its animation style. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley…
Animated Wonders"Ganymede Elegy, Toys in the Attic” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 10 & 11 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 10 & 11 of Cowboy Bebop, which explore Jet’s past more deeply, as well as a story that leaves Spike to save the crew from a nasty surprise…
Animated Wonders"Waltz For Venus, Jamming with Edward” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 8 & 9 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 8 & 9 of Cowboy Bebop, which sees the hacker Edward join the team of Bebop. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley EPISODE #1 CREDITS…
Animated Wonders"Sympathy for The Devil, Heavy Metal Queen” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 6 & 7 | Animated Wonders
We discuss Cowboy Bebop episodes 6 & 7, where Spike meets a dangerous child who may have a secret, and V.T, a space truck hiding a secret. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan…
Animated Wonders"Gateway Shuffle, Ballad of Fallen Angels” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 4 & 5 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 4 + 5 of Cowboy Bebop, in which we see Spike come face-to-face with Vicious, his old friend and now enemy, from when Spike was part of the…
Animated Wonders"Stray Dog Stut, Honky Tonky Women” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 2 & 3 | Animated Wonders
We discuss episodes 2 and 3 of Cowboy Bebop, which introduce Faye Valentine to the series. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW DOT POINTS EPISODE…
Animated Wonders"Asteroid Blues” Review - Cowboy Bebop, Season 1, Episode 1 | Animated Wonders
We kick off our new season focused on Cowboy Bebop by discussing the first episode of this seminal anime. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley EPISODE…
Animated WondersMinions & Monsters - Cinematic Journey | Animated Wonders
We discuss the latest entry in the Despicable Me film universe, Minions & Monsters. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW DOT POINTS This movie is…
Animated WondersToy Story Wrap-Up | Animated Wonders
We wrap up our discussion of all the Toy Story films from Pixar/Disney by discussing the themes of all the films, animation quality, and which ones affected us…
Animated WondersDespicable Me 4 - The Highly Forgettable Entry | Animated Wonders
The Despicable Me series continues its run with the fourth film, featuring Gru and company attempting to be in hiding. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley…
Animated WondersToy Story 5 - Technology: Is It Bad Or Good? | Animated Wonders
We discuss Toy Story 5, breaking down its themes, its focus on how it wants to address technology in our lives, and particularly, children's lives, and the…
Animated WondersMinions: The Rise of Gru - The Gentle Minions | Animated Wonders
Minions: The Rise of Gru was not only delayed for several years because of COVID-19, but is also memorable for the 'gentle minions' trend. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan…
Animated WondersLightyear - Failure Is Part Of Life | Animated Wonders
We discuss the spin-off film Lightyear, which may be the movie Andy watched to be introduced to the character in the Toy Story universe. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan…
Animated WondersDespicable Me 3 - Being Evil Is Hereditary | Animated Wonders
Gru meets his twin brother in the third Despicable Me film, and we head off on another wild adventure. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW DOT…
Animated WondersToy Story Shorts - Party, Terror, Vacation | Animated Wonders
In this part of the Toy Story journey, we discuss several of the Toy Story Shorts. Lamp Life Hawaiian Vacation Small Fry Partysaurus Rex Toy Story of Terror!…
Animated WondersMinions - Slapstick Humor Takes The Front Seat | Animated Wonders
The Minions get their own film that introduces their largest world and the origin story before they meet Gru. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW…
Animated WondersToy Story 4 - It's A Story Of Self Care | Animated Wonders
In Toy Story 4, the series takes a soft reset, sending Woody off on a nearly solo adventure and introducing a bunch of new characters. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan…
Animated WondersDespicable Me 2 - Time To Get Happy | Animated Wonders
It's time to get happy with the second film in the Despicable Me series, now with Kristen Wiig's character joining the team. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️…
Animated WondersToy Story 3 - A Story About Letting Go | Animated Wonders
In the third Toy Story film, things get a little darker, and we discuss how it is a thematically rich film with a lot for kids and adults to take in. YOUR…
Animated WondersDespicable Me - Meeting Our Minion Found Family | Animated Wonders
We start our Despicable Me series re-watch in the lead-up to the newest Minions movie. The first film introduces all the elements that the series will be known…
Animated WondersToy Story 2 - The Standard For Sequels | Animated Wonders
Is Toy Story 2 one of the best sequels ever? That's just one of our discussion points as we talk about the next film in the Toy Story series. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️…
Animated WondersToy Story - A Nostalgic Classic | Animated Wonders
We start our re-watch and discussion of the Toy Story films with the classic that sparked an animation revolution in cinema. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️…
Animated WondersMamoru Hosoda Wrap-Up | Animated Wonders
In the final episode of this season, we wrap up by discussing Mamoru Hosoda’s films, his filmmaking style, themes, and rank all seven of his films. YOUR HOSTS…
Animated WondersSwapped - Netflix's Latest Is Rather Forgettable | Animated Wonders
We discuss the latest Netflix animated film, which is agreed to be a bit of a forgettable surface-level story. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW…
Animated WondersScarlet - Visual Spectacle With A Weak Narrative | Animated Wonders
We discuss the latest film from Mamoru Hosoda, Scarlet, and break down its surface-level themes. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley Hobley SHOW DOT POINTS…
Animated WondersBelle - A New Beauty And The Beast | Animated Wonders
We discuss Belle and its themes around social media, trauma, and healing, while also delving into the film's cultural context and animation style. YOUR HOSTS…
Animated WondersMirai - Growing Up A Sibling | Animated Wonders
Exploring Mirai, we discuss its themes of family dynamics, growing up, and the emotional impact of sibling relationships. They delve into the film's animation…
Animated WondersThe Boy and The Beast - Hate & Lies Are Incredibly Destructive | Animated Wonders
We explore The Boy and the Beast’s themes of found family, personal growth, and the destructive nature of hate and lies YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️ Ashley…
Animated WondersWolf Children - It's Timeless | Animated Wonders
We explore Wolf Children's themes of parenthood, particularly focusing on the challenges of single motherhood, the choices children make as they grow, and the…
Animated WondersThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie - Starts Better & Then Ends Worse | Animated Wonders
We review the newly released Super Mario Galaxy Movie, discussing its animation quality, character development (or lack thereof), numerous references, and…
Animated WondersSummer Wars - AI Is Bad | Animated Wonders
We discuss Summer Wars, exploring its themes of artificial intelligence, family dynamics, and the relevance of its story in today's digital age. Summer Wars…
Animated WondersThe Super Mario Bros. Movie - Going For A Bit Of Silly Fun | Animated Wonders
We discuss the first animated Mario film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, ahead of the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. YOUR HOSTS 🎙️ Dylan Blight 🎙️…
Animated WondersThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time - Love Comes in Mysterious Ways | Animated Wonders
In the debut episode of a brand new Explosion Network podcast, we discuss the first film from Mamoru Hosoda, titled The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. The Girl…