2025 End of Year Awards!

Awards season hits different when the culture won’t sit still. We spent 2025 swimming through surprise debuts, comeback stories, and one film that hijacked playlists worldwide—and we’ve got the receipts. From a trio of songs that refused to leave our On Repeat, to a sleeper TV hit that turned hospital halls into a pressure cooker, to games that actually respected your time, this annual ceremony is the map to what mattered.

This year's categories are:

• Best Picture
• Best Animated Picture
• Best TV Show
• Game of the Year
• Anime of the Year
• Song of the Year
• Artist of the Year

Find Donald Guzzi here: https://linktr.ee/donaldguzzi

Find Roo Ryder here: https://linktr.ee/rooryder

Find Andrew/The Loyal Undead here: https://www.youtube.com/@LoyalUndead

Find Vintage Macaroni here: https://linktr.ee/retroavrewind

Find Josh Portillo here: https://joshwildfireminist.wixsite.com/vowebsite

Find Ivan Patch here: https://linktr.ee/ivanpatch

Find Gafiltha here: https://gafiltha.com/

🔻You can find all important links for the podcast over at https://linktr.ee/waitforitpodcast🔺

🔻BACKGROUND MUSIC PROVIDED BY:
LAKEY INSPIRED - Distant - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6KmHnXyKIQ
🔺

Chapters

• 0:12 Kicking Off The End‑Of‑Year Awards
• 2:54 Categories Overview And Format
• 3:50 Song Of The Year Guest Submissions
• 9:02 Hosts’ Song Picks And K‑Pop Debate
• 19:40 Artist Of The Year Guest Picks
• 26:36 Sleep Token And Hunterx Take The Stage
• 35:17 Game Of The Year Community Choices
• 46:53 Hosts’ Game Picks And Yotai Praise
• 55:43 Anime Of The Year: Deep Cuts And Favorites
• 1:08:44 TV Show Of The Year: Severance And The Pit
• 1:22:41 Best Animated Feature: Beyond One Big Title
• 1:34:15 Best Picture: Final Picks And Rationale
• 1:51:02 Thank Yous, CTA, And What’s Next

Transcript

SPEAKER_04: 0:12

This is the Wait For It Podcast.

SPEAKER_10: 0:16

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Wait For It Podcast. I am your co-host, Phil Barrera, aka Phil the Filipino.

SPEAKER_09: 0:23

And I'm your other co-host, Mr. Eric Almighty, and we have made it to the end of year awards, the most prestigious award show, the one you've been waiting for. You marked your calendars. It's here. We're ready to do this. We have some clips from friends of the show, as always. But who cares about anybody else's opinions? You want to hear about the best two co-hosts' opinions, and we're always right. Welcome to the End of Year Awards.

SPEAKER_10: 0:50

Yeah, they do say in the industry, Eric, award season starts on December 10th. That is when this episode comes out, and that is when everybody in the industry is looking to see what the Wait For podcast chose for a bunch of different awards when it comes to popular culture. And 2025 was a crazy year. We got some uh hits that came out of nowhere, some insane misses. Like, we don't really talk about like the worst of anymore like we used to in previous iterations of this episode, but like I'm sure some stuff will come up naturally as we talk about our favorites of 2025. But uh, we're so excited to get to this episode again. Uh once uh once again, we do have uh, as Eric mentioned, we've got some submissions from friends of the show, which is always very exciting and throws in a nice little mixture of everybody's opinion. And uh very, very excited to talk about all of this here today. If you're brand new to the show and you want to keep up with us heading into 2026, uh make sure you stick around to the very end of the episode where let you know you can find all the rest of our content. And for all of our returning listeners, thank you so much for being here. Super excited for again another year five of the Wait Forward Award. So, if you have not listened to two one of these episodes before, we have seven categories, and those categories are artist of the year, song of the year, anime of the year, game of the year, best TV show, best animated picture, and best picture. So essentially we take all of our favorite genres and award uh and we give uh all of our give out our awards here uh in this episode. So, Eric, uh without further ado, let's go ahead and jump into this here. We're gonna start off with song and artist of the year. And you know what? Why don't we go ahead and bring in our first clip? It is a uh it's a longer one, but it's one of our favorite guests that we had on the podcast here. Uh they were featured for Creator Spotlight and part of the cast of my dear friend Nokatan. Let's get to our first submission for Song of the Year.

SPEAKER_08: 3:02

Hello, everybody. Uh Donald Guzzi here. Um, so welcome to the Wait For It Podcasts End of the Year Awards. Um thank you guys so much for having me on. It was an absolute blast getting to hang out with you all at a couple of conventions and uh and being able to join you on your podcast. It was tons of fun, and um, you guys are just awesome as hell. So, you know, anyone listening, uh, make sure to give Phil and Eric a round of applause. Um, because they are fantastic humans. Um, so uh my end of the year award is for um my song of the year. This is this is very hard for me. Um so i i'll just get right down to it. Uh my song of the year, uh, for me personally would probably be Caramel by Sleep Token. Now I know what you're thinking. Actually, I don't know what you're thinking, but that's fine. A lot of other people seem to agree with me, uh, considering that this particular song was also nominated for a Grammy. So, um, that being said, uh, it is a very it's a special song for me. Um so for any of you who don't know who Sleep Token is, they are an anonymous, I'll do quote-unquote metal band. They kind of transcend genres. Um, really interesting, interesting stuff, like this song in particular, Caramel. Like uh it features a reggaeton breakdown, like a metal breakdown with a reggaeton beat in there. And blew me away, of course, but I digress. This song in particular is uh is special because so the main singer of uh of Sleep Token, Vessel, as he's called. So, like, you know, they're anonymous. I mean, you can you can figure out who they are. It's not hard to figure it out, but part of the mystery is, you know, part of the fun is the mystery. So this entire song is really about like uh, you know, their their rise to fame so rapidly, um dealing with navigating those channels and how how many people are trying to like bring them down in a specific way and like try to oust their identities to the world and things like that. And and it was just really, it was just a really like emotional driven song. Like, not that any of that really applies to me necessarily, like I'm not famous, I'm not on stage doing all these crazy things, like like you know, mild success, sure, been in a couple animes and things like that, but it just it just hit different. I don't really know what it was that made this song just latch on so much. And you know, my wife as well loves loves the hell out of this song, and like, you know, one of the one of my favorite lines from the song is uh right foot in the roses, left foot on a landmine, and you know, it's like you know, on one hand, everything is amazing, you know, my music is reaching so many people, all these things, but then you've got your left foot on the landmine, you're like, but there's there's that negativity that comes along with it as well, and and it just it just hit me, hit me for I like I said, I don't know why it hit me as hard as it did. It just did. It was very visceral, very heartfelt, open, like it was just a very, very intense, uh intense song, so to speak. And and you know, yeah, I think yeah, that would be my my song of the year, uh, for sure. I I totally would have thrown thrown out uh an electric callboy song, but uh of course um their cover of uh Everytime We Touch came out last year. So uh can't can't can't use that one. Um but caramel definitely for 2025 would be uh my favorite song of the year, Caramel by Sleep Token. So uh yeah, thanks again, guys.

SPEAKER_10: 7:37

Shout out to Donald for that clip, and it was the perfect one to start the episode off with because he gave us such nice words to start off on that clip, which is so so great. So, Donald, uh yeah, we we hope to see you more in 2026. And uh again, thank you so much for uh being on, of course, the uh uh the episode of uh Creator Spotlight had a lot of fun. Eric, uh Sleep Token is a band that I started listening to just this year. What is your familiarity with him?

SPEAKER_09: 8:04

Yeah, so I actually started listening to Sleep Token at their last album, uh 2023's Take Me Back to Eden, and very, very casually listened to it. And over the next two years leading up to this year's album, I started listening to them even more with anticipation, and they were one of my favorite artists of the years. In fact, uh, we're gonna I'm gonna save some of my talk about Sleep Token for either of these categories here in a moment, um, because they really are going to take over a lot of my Spotify Rapped. If K-pop Demon Hunters didn't do it, it was gonna be Sleep Token. So they're definitely gonna be up there for top artists of the year uh in my Spotify Wrapped, and they definitely made an impact in the awards category for me this season.

SPEAKER_10: 8:50

Yeah, 100%. Um their songs have uh found their way onto my playlist over the course of the year. Really, really love their sound, so that is a uh a great selection uh for Song of the Year. Before we get to our next clip, I'll go ahead and throw out my choice. This is incredibly difficult. Um, there are so many songs to choose from that I know are gonna be battling it out for the top of uh my Spotify wrapped and songs. There's so many songs that have also stuck in my on repeat throughout the entire year. Um, some of the ones that I do want to point out here uh that were just really, really good, um, that I listened to a lot. Of course, Olivia Dean was on everybody's playlist this year. Man I Need was such a good song. Um, Justin Bieber put out a really two really good albums this year. Uh Go Baby and Speed Demon were on repeat throughout the entire year. Um, really, really like that. State Champs released some new songs as well. Uh Khalid had a great album. Um, and then of course, everything that came off of the uh uh from K-pop Demon Hunters. Um and then, of course, Eric, Club Husband from C-Pain, which is easily the banger of the year. That guy just continues to reinvent himself. Um, I really want I think this is probably my attempt to not have K-pop Demon Hunters dominate this episode. So, uh, because as much as I want to go with what it sounds like or Golden, I am going to actually go with Folded by Kalani. That song, again, just like Olivia Dean has dominated the charts all year, she released an album of remixes with Jojo and Mario and Neo, Tony Braxton. Like, what are you kidding me? The song is outstanding, it really brings you back to like that classic RB feel, which you know I'm a really, really big fan of. So Kaylani uh folded will get my choice for Song of the Year for 2025.

SPEAKER_09: 10:54

Yeah, not a not a bad choice because I like that song uh earlier in the year, June. Okay, I was like, it feels it felt like that came out.

SPEAKER_10: 11:01

It feels like it's been out for a while, right?

SPEAKER_09: 11:03

Like it's just I was like, it's not it wasn't early in the year, but it also wasn't late, right? So I was trying to figure out like when I had heard that song. Uh yeah, no, great, great, uh, great choice. Kalani's great. And I think uh, you know, that's definitely if you're not gonna pick K-pop demon hunters, which I also tried not to do in this category on purpose. We all know the soundtrack's great. Yeah, uh, maybe as a maybe as a filler, if you don't already know what our favorite K-pop demon hunter song is, Phil, what is what is yours?

SPEAKER_10: 11:33

Well, the this is literally like show yourself from Frozen 2 all over again because what it sounds like is the best song on the album. Objective! Objectively it's the best song. Golden is the one that they release, and then this is what they did in the movie. They released to announce a new album, but what it sounds like is the one that's like, oh shit, like I'm listening to something crazy. So, like, you know, InSync would release Bye Bye Bye, which is a great song, but I think it's gonna be me, is a better song. Same album, right? But you release Bye Bye Bye to get people in, you release Golden, and then you know, they kill the Saja boys. Uh, to this is what it sounds like. I mean, come on.

SPEAKER_09: 12:16

So yeah, and unless you're like the most miserable person on the earth, uh, a person we do actually know in real life, then there's no way you don't enjoy that song when it comes on by the end of the film.

SPEAKER_10: 12:27

Yeah. Yeah, I'm I'm bummed we didn't get to see I didn't get to see that in theaters. I knew you got to see it. I'm hoping they maybe release it one more time uh for the holidays. We'll see what happens. But uh yeah, Eric, before you go with your choice, uh let's go ahead and get our next submission in here for Song of the Year. And you know what? It just so it just worked out that we're talking about K-pop demon hunters.

SPEAKER_03: 12:52

Hey, it's Rue Rider, and I'm presenting Song of the Year. And I gotta say, it has to be golden from K-pop Demon Hunters, and I know that everybody's been listening to that ever since it came out, and it's most likely gonna be in my Spotify raft because that song has been on replay over and over and over again. I absolutely love it. The vocals are great, the instrumental, everything. So yeah, that's my pick for the year.

SPEAKER_10: 13:24

See how juxtaposed these two are? Rue got it done in 30 seconds, and Donald was a four and then.

SPEAKER_09: 13:32

Donald's like, here is the backstory of sleep token. But but respectfully though, Donald Donald understood that like his answer wasn't gonna be a 30 second, like Sleep Token is is getting pretty mainstream now. Yeah, I believe, but they're not as mainstream as K-pop demon hunters ruling the whole world, right? So, like, if you say your favorite song of the year is Golden or any song off of the soundtrack, everyone's like, Yeah, get I get that.

SPEAKER_10: 14:01

Yeah, 100%. But shout out to Rue and Donald for their choices. So uh yeah, Eric, I'm very uh very curious. What was your selection for Song of the Year?

SPEAKER_09: 14:10

Man, oh man. Uh I'm gonna go with there there are a lot of options that I'm gonna mention here. I am gonna end up going uh with the one that's probably gonna take the number one spot because of repeat listens, and I'll explain that a little bit more in a in a minute, but I'll I'll mention some uh honorable mentions, uh songs that have been on repeat in my car recently and really throughout the year, anything epic to musical related. Uh the last uh saga came out at the tail end of last year when we were recording this last year, and I listened to the Ithaca saga quite a bit. Between the challenge and hold them down, at first, I was sure one of those two would be in the top spot, but really any song from that uh last saga could have made the the jump, but it's gonna make an impact in my Spotify raft. Songs like Jump from Blackpink, very catchy, really enjoyed that. Eye Candy from Justin Bieber, Symmetry from Ed Sheeran. I love that fucking song. Uh, I don't feel like enough people are listening to that. That song is really, really good. Uh, but there were a lot of them. Body Bag by Melrose Avenue was another big contender, and there was a whole slew of other songs that I could mention. You know, I had fun with cliche by MGK, of course I did. Uh stuff like that, right? The song, though, came from an album I listened pretty heavily when it came out earlier in 2025. It was actually a January release, and it's a weekend song from its album Hurry Up Tomorrow. It's called Sao Paulo, featuring Anita, and it's a five-minute song. They've released a single version that I don't think is good enough because it feels like a five-minute journey that you need to take. So shortening it actually weakens the song. But this five-minute like journey of a song to get to like the last 15 seconds of instrumental is quite magical, it's quite magical, and it's been played so much that I've had to, by request of my child, play the song constantly. Uh, and whether or not playing a weekend song uh to a preteen is appropriate, I don't know. But this one's you know good enough where we could do it. And while Hurry Up Tomorrow isn't gonna be my album or artist of the year, the weekend, uh, Hurry Up Tomorrow had a couple of bangers in that album, which I think Dawn FM prior to that had it. I don't think that the weekend has had like a consistently fantastic album since that Starboy one, but uh again, he definitely whenever an album of his comes out, there's always two or three songs that end up making my end of year list as far as most listened to songs. And this year, uh, yeah, he he had to have cracked the top spot. Uh, probably the only artist that could overcome K-pop demon hunters and uh Sleep Token.

SPEAKER_10: 16:56

Yeah, I don't think I've heard that song. Star Jones crazy, it's good. We spent probably the least amount of time in the car together than we ever have in a short time. Yeah, so like the really the only time we would ever uh hear each other like was if is if we brought like a speaker to a convention or something like that, you know what I mean? So like we that that we that's where we found a lot of like crossover as far as the music, as we would we would be in the car together, and that just uh yeah, but I also like haven't listened to a lot of the weekend just because of his 2024 gave me the ick, so I just kind of like took a step.

SPEAKER_09: 17:33

Listen, and the movie for this I hurt his ass. So I almost it almost was good enough to make me the singles. Uh, some of the singles on this album were good enough to make me go see that garbage ass movie. I'm so glad I didn't. But uh there are uh Give Me Mercy on this album is really good, Cry for Me is really good. Uh, there are a couple of other songs that I really enjoyed, but this one again, it's very similar to my pick last year, which was Sympathy is a knife by Char uh Charlie XEX. It was not the most notable song on that album, but it was the one instrumentally and just vibe-wise that like caught my ear. Like I could listen to it all the time, almost any mood that I'm in, and it would at some point or another in the song would really like scratch that itch, uh, which is very similar to like I mentioned Ed Sheeran and Your Face was hilarious. Uh, but Symmetry is also a very close contender for that similar reason. I also like uh some of the uh some of the other aspects and remixes for that song. But yeah, that was uh my choice. And if you didn't hear any of those songs that I mentioned, uh you definitely should check them out. This one, uh again, a vibe for me.

SPEAKER_10: 18:41

Yeah, I know the you know, right now, of course, the Spotify uh playlist for the podcast is currently dead, but maybe we can do one more for our wrapped. Uh maybe that'll be a good send-off as far as like our rapt songs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 18:53

Yeah, or share, or share our raps. Yeah, we'll just do that.

SPEAKER_10: 18:56

We always do that anyway. So we always uh Eric always puts together a nice uh um uh thing together on social media. So if you want to see what our rapt looks like here, uh in the next couple of weeks, you'll be able to do that. But yeah, uh great choice. I guess I'll have to go to listen to that song again. Like I said, I kind of took a step back from the weekend uh after his interesting, interesting 2024. But uh, you know, him him with between him and like I said, uh I haven't really heard a whole bunch as far as solo from Khalid, and his album is outstanding. Not that they're like on the same, like they didn't have the same type of year, but like just hadn't heard from him in a while. Yeah, and that album is so good. Uh the Khalid album is is outstanding. So yeah, um, I believe that is all the uh submissions for Song of the Year. Okay, great. So yeah, let's move on to Artist of the Year. Uh, which means, of course, Eric, we have to go to someone we can always depend on uh when it comes to artist of the year. In fact, when I reached out to him for his clips, I said, Hey, game of the year, artist of the year, and he sent them over right away. So let's go ahead and give it away.

SPEAKER_09: 19:57

Actually, do you think we could pivot to game of the year? So the

SPEAKER_10: 20:00

Yeah, you know what? Actually, yeah, actually, you know what? Yeah, let's go ahead and just switch up the word. No, we won't uh we won't do that to him. But yes, let's get to the for uh the first selection as we move into artist of the year.

SPEAKER_05: 20:14

Hello, listeners and viewers of the Wait For It Podcast. My name is Andrew, and I am a longtime member of the Super Bracket Bros Cinematic Universe and a recent member of the Fusion Frenzy Squad. I was the host of the Friendly Neighborhood Gamers podcast, which is still available for your listening pleasure, and am now currently making Soulslike and Action RPG videos on YouTube under the name Loyal Undead. I was invited once again to share my picks for this year's Wait For It Awards. I'm gonna kick things off with my pick for Favorite Artist. My favorite artist of 2025 is Pendulum. For those who don't know, Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band, often credited with blending hard rock and heavy metal influences with high-energy electronic dance music. They were absolute pioneers in the genre throughout the 2000s. They released their first full album in 15 years titled Inertia. After the release of their third album, Immersion, in 2010, the band essentially went on indefinite hiatus from album production and touring, with key member Rob Swire focusing on his side project, Knife Party. While they started trickling out singles and EPs again in 2020, Inertia marks their true, full-scale return to the album format, which is why this release is such a landmark moment for their fans. I remember jamming to their watercolor album back in my late teens. This new album, Inertia, is a perfect blend of classic pendulum with their signature drum and bass euphoria, as well as some heavy new twists. You get those throwback tracks like Archangel and Colorfast that remind you of the Hold Your Color era, but what really makes this album a contemporary banger is the range of collaborations. You have the aggressive metal tinged tracks like Halo featuring Buller My Valentine, the chaotic Screamo influenced Scarlord on Mercy Killing, and the rap rock flare of Joey Valance and Bray on Napalm. It's a cohesive record that's both a hearty summation of their discography and an exciting look at where they can go next. It's full of energy and overall is just a banger of an album from start to finish.

SPEAKER_10: 22:36

And he's just so good at it. But yeah, he's so uh shout out to Andrew. Uh just uh if you want to hear more from him, we just uh heard him. Uh he was just a guest in November's episode of What Did I Miss? Uh but yeah, uh I I have definitely heard a pendulum. I don't believe I have any of their music um on my playlist, but uh I I did like play a couple clips from some of their songs, and it's definitely uh stuff that I have heard before, um, but not an artist uh or a band that I had been familiar with uh prior to this uh really too much.

SPEAKER_09: 23:08

Yeah, me neither. And I was like, where do I start with this so I can maybe talk a little bit about it? And I was like, I'm not gonna try to play their top hits. Let me listen to this album, let me just listen to the beginning of the first couple songs. These things were fucking bangers, like 30 seconds in. That was sick. Those are I'm gonna listen to this album dead ass. I'm gonna listen to this album uh very, very soon because I listened to the first five songs, like 30 seconds. I kind of skipped forward a little bit, and like the vibe is there for sure. Now I don't know how the vocals and the lyrics and all that will hit me, but vibe-wise, like just again, instrumentals, which I've already mentioned is a big thing for me uh musically. Yeah, no, that uh that definitely hits. There were a couple that immediately from like the get got me. So I'm very excited to check this out, but yeah, no, never, never heard of this group. And with the hiatus, I mean, I guess I that shouldn't be shocking.

SPEAKER_10: 24:11

Yeah, we can always depend on Andrew to have a a really, really great choice uh when it comes to our vibe. I mean, we listen to so many different genres of music here between the two of us. Uh, very excited to dive into uh some pendulum. So thank you so much, Andrew, for that submission. Uh, let's get to another person we have not heard from yet here on this episode with their artist of the year. And uh yeah, let's get to that clip.

SPEAKER_00: 24:38

Vintage again, and one of the memorable highlights of music for me, I want to give mention to the artist Lola Young. I heard her, I think maybe for the first time in March of this year. I saw one of her performances on I believe the Tonight Show, and I was enamored with how her voice is just so soulful and deep, and one of her popular songs, Messi, subsequently became played on the radios, and I think she has expanded since I've really enjoyed several of the songs that she's put out. Two of my favorites, I love Conceited, which is an earlier song, but one of her songs from this year of 2025 is Spiders. It's just absolutely a beautiful song that resonates with me. And I hope that Lola Young is um here to stay. She has been vocal about her issues with mental health struggles. In September, she was playing a music festival in New York and she collapsed on stage and then put out a press release that she was postponing any live performances indefinitely to take care of her own mental health and physical health. And I wish her well, and I hope that 2025 she's remembered for her music, and that at some point she's healthy enough to come back and create more. I hope she is remembered fondly in this year of music. Thanks.

SPEAKER_10: 26:14

Shout out to Vintage Eric Vintage, a local podcast legend, if you guys are not aware here in Jacksonville, Florida. Super uh thankful for uh for vintage uh getting that clip uh sent in here. Maybe we'll hear from her again a little bit later in this episode.

SPEAKER_09: 26:27

Well, I'm I'm guessing based off the way how how she started that one. Hey again.

SPEAKER_10: 26:32

Yeah, you you really set her up for failure there, but that's okay. To be fair, she didn't ask like Andrew did.

SPEAKER_09: 26:36

So that's that's well, Andrew, but Andrew has succumbed to that exact scenario before. It's so true.

SPEAKER_10: 26:43

So Vince did she just learn the way that everybody else has to learn. Listen, um maybe I'll start including the order in which we're gonna be doing that.

SPEAKER_09: 26:51

That'd be great because I I just I looked back just to the first time.

SPEAKER_10: 26:53

To be fair, we did just change around the order.

SPEAKER_09: 26:56

No, I thought that I was gonna take half the blame. You start with best picture, so you don't you actually fuck them from the beginning.

SPEAKER_10: 27:03

Well, that's just the list in that's just the list in order we that we have it. I mean, best picture is the most important one, that's why it's at the top when I send the the text.

SPEAKER_09: 27:10

I get it. You may want to change that approach, but uh we'll see what happens in 2026.

SPEAKER_10: 27:15

No promises.

SPEAKER_09: 27:16

Lola Young. I mean, I've heard uh one of her biggest songs is Messi. I've definitely heard that and liked that on my Spotify. I haven't heard too, too much uh from her, but I have heard she's definitely been making some moves. So to hear that name, uh, you know, in this category, not surprised.

SPEAKER_10: 27:32

Yeah, and I know her from the song that she has with Tyler the Creator. Um, so again, like like Vincent was saying, just an incredibly soulful voice. And also, you know, something that resonated with me too, as far as like her having to step away. You know, we just heard uh remember like last year we were lucky enough to see Donald Glover childish gambino right before he had to stop his tour, and we just heard that he had had it suffered a stroke like while on this tour. So uh, you know, definitely sending the best for her. So that you know that that story kind of resonated. Um, but yeah, it's it's crazy, man. You gotta um it's it's a lot to go on tour, um, even though I don't think Eric has forgiven Charlie Pooth to this day. It was Charlie Pooth, right? No, no, Sean Mendez. Sean Mendes. Sean Mendez, Sean Mendes, yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 28:14

Charlie Booth is a saint and he's uh amazing in concert.

SPEAKER_10: 28:18

Um Sean Mendez that that bailed on you guys.

SPEAKER_09: 28:20

Sorry. Yeah, yeah, it's a bummer. Um also, this is so random. Did I tell you I got tickets to go see the Jonas brothers? Oh I'm going on the 30th. Uh they're coming to Daily's place. Motherfucker! Yeah, okay, yeah. I was like, I I gotta go. I gotta wanna go.

SPEAKER_10: 28:36

I wonder who their guest is gonna be. Yellow card? No, they did yellow card. They already did yellow card.

SPEAKER_09: 28:42

Yeah, I don't know who it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_10: 28:43

Why didn't they do yellow card here?

SPEAKER_09: 28:45

I don't know. I gotta use I gotta listen to more of their most recent album, uh, but you know, some of the more recent songs that they've had. I can't wait to hear Waffle House in person. I'm excited, I'm ready to go.

SPEAKER_10: 28:55

Hmm. Okay, yeah, public and C Ray is already going. I'll I'll talk to her. Yeah. That sounds uh really fun. Well, let's get to your pick, Eric, for artists of the year. Is it the Jonas brothers?

SPEAKER_09: 29:06

No, no, uh much different direction uh on my end, and I kind of alluded to it when Donald sent in his clip talking about Sleep Token. So I'm gonna have to scrap the entire backstory conversation that I had planned, uh, and I'm just gonna have to cut right to the chase, guys. I really enjoyed Sleep Token's album, and it was an album that at first I listened to and I was like, oh, that was pretty good. That was pretty good. I really enjoyed it. But just like the album before it, when I first got introduced to them, the more I listened to it, the more I really started to vibe with it. And Donna was talking a little bit about the song Caramel and wondering why him and his partner were not able to figure out like why they liked it so much, and they were kind of you know pulling at some ideas. But I kind of agree with a lot of the ideas he was throwing out there as possibilities, like from the lyricism to the way that some of the songs go left when you expect them to go right musically. Like, there are different things that Sleep Token has done within their music that sound really good, and I think they're fantastic to the point where like any edit, any major edit that I saw on like TikTok uh was basically Sleep Token. And then, of course, K-pop Demon K Hunters comes out, and what do we get? We get a mix of like free and one of the one of the biggest sleep token songs from the album. Like, that's not that's not for nothing, and you know, I will say with this pick, this will start off a kind of domino effect for me of I would call basic bitch picks, where we're like, I I'm going with the popular opinion here with a lot of these, but uh they're genuinely that good. And I think if you haven't given Sleep Token a chance, you should. And even if you have, uh this is an artist I think on multiple re-listens, putting it on in the background really helps elevate a lot of the things that you're not catching on just a one-time listen. And that's the thing I love about music, Phil. Music is something you can have on all the time, you can reassess, re-judge, and just kind of go through the motions where I don't have to watch a movie three or four times and waste a whole day or lose a whole day in hours, right? I could multitask, probably the only thing I can multitask with in my life is music. And yeah, I just cannot say it enough. Check out Sleep Token in general, but their most recent album, uh, even in Arcadia, very, very good. Favorite album of the year, uh, top to bottom. Again, that wasn't K-pop Demon Hunters.

SPEAKER_10: 31:37

Yeah, man, I'm gonna have to really prioritize Sleep Token in 2026. So um love, love that. And you know, again, it's a sound that you're just immediately drawn to. So very much love that pick. Uh, yeah. Uh, we have one more clip for artist of the year. Let's go ahead and get to this person here. First time, uh, first of two times we'll hear from them here in this episode.

SPEAKER_06: 32:04

Hello, this is voice actor Josh Portillo, and I am going to say my artist of the year. So, for me, it's one of the K-pop demon hunters singers, and it is Ray Ami. I love how Ray has been grinding. I love how uh she's been going hard for 10, 10 years, 10 plus years, you know, um, grinding, getting rejected by agencies, you know, different different aspects, and um just finding her way. And you know, it's really inspiring, and yeah, that's the reason why she's my artist of the year. Um, a lot if I could choose all three of them, if I can choose um Audrey, um EJ, and Rayami, um, I would. But in this case, I would definitely choose uh Ray. She's she's pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_10: 32:50

Shout out to Josh, another uh wonderful guest we had on in 2025. Crazy that we met them in January, and here they are. Uh, you know, at least three three out of four of them uh we have here on the end of the year uh episodes, which is which is fantastic. Um, and yeah, first appearance for Rayami. Uh yeah, all three of them, EJ, Rayami, Audrey Nuna. I mean, obviously they had uh a great, great year. Also, shout out to Josh for the production value on that uh on that clip. And Josh, you can choose all three because my artist of the year is Hunterx. I mean, so this is where my basic bitch slide starts with with the 2025 uh Wait Forward Awards, because I I I I thought about cheating and just giving it to Huntryx slash Saja Boys, but Hunterx is alive. Uh so I mean I guess I give I'll give it to them. Uh and and yeah, I mean, we're they they were on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, they're on the Tonight Show, they're everywhere, and not only are they doing you know stuff together, but uh EJ, after you know, I think it's EJ's story that you know, being told that she was too old to be an idol, like put out her single. Uh, they're all having just fantastic years, and of course, this movie uh I'm um uh you know I'm is is going to it put its stamp on pop culture, which is what this show is is all about here in 2025. So Eric, there they are. First appearance. How long are we? How far into the episode are we? Like 20, 25, 30 minutes into the episode. There is Hun Tricks uh in an inevitable um appearance. They're like the the the uh the Thanos meme, like I am inevitable, that's what Hunterx is this year.

SPEAKER_09: 34:26

Yeah, and I mean like again, they deserve to have the light sh like shine on them. Like it just it just is at some point, like you're very much in the minority with this particular take. Like, if you don't like this, and again to that individual in our life that we know that may not have enjoyed this, you know, you're wrong.

SPEAKER_10: 34:45

Or we'll listen to this episode.

SPEAKER_09: 34:46

No, I I would recommend to that person specifically who isn't gonna listen to this, but if you are, you're gonna want to stop here because it's uh this is not the last time K-pop demon hunters is gonna come up.

SPEAKER_10: 34:58

It is not. So uh yeah, shout out to Hunter X and also thank you, Andrew, vintage, and Josh, for those submissions. And Donald. And uh well, Donald was Song of the Year, but yeah, uh I was talking about Artist of the Year specifically, yeah. But uh yeah, uh so let's get to the next category here, Eric, which is going to be Game of the Year, a big one. Uh, we have a couple of different uh submissions for this particular category. Uh let's go to somebody who uh you know what uh I think has been on most uh between Andrew and this particular uh submitter, I think they've been they made maybe the most appearances on the uh end of year awards. So let's hear from them.

SPEAKER_01: 35:42

This is the category that I was dreading the most. I I don't get to play as many video games as I like to, and I'm always gifted a bunch of games, whether they're current and whatnot. I never get to touch them. We had a lot of great games this year, a lot. Um, and I would probably be picking a different game if I was able to play this game, but um, we had games like Silent Hill F and Expedition 33 come out this year, and I definitely would have picked one of these games if I had the time to play them. Um, but my game of the year is Digimon uh Time Stranger. Like, I love Digimon, it's my franchise, it's my like monster franchise. I I grew up with it, and I love the Digimon story games, and this game has just been awesome, it's just been super fun getting back into like making these uh Digimon Digivolve and all that stuff, and like just kind of playing these like traditional JRPG elements. Like, I just it's for me, it's I love it again. I'd probably be changing my answer if I played X position 33 and Silent Hill F. But those uh at least X Pedition 33 is a relatively long game, and uh Silent Hill F, I just I love horror, so like I just know I'm gonna love everything about it. I love Silent Hill, I love the aesthetic they went for for this game. But yeah, Digimon, I just I can't put down. I was gonna like say, like, oh, I won't play this now, play something else, but I just kept picking it back up and I kept playing it. So when I realized I wasn't going to switch games, I was just gonna keep playing Digimon, I just was I just knew I had to finish this before I play something else. And I don't know, as a diehard Digimon fan and all that, like it's definitely up there, and I think it really holds its own, especially in comparison to like I don't know, the new Pokemon game, which I haven't heard great things about, but this is not a uh debate thing between them, but yeah, Digimon, um, even the fact that they even did all the voice acting for like different for all the different Digimon and things like that. Um, for a hardcore Digimon fan, this is the game to go to, and it was the most fun I've had playing a game for a while, especially this year. So sorry for all those who would think I'm crazy for picking this game, but it's Digimon Time uh Digimon Story Time Stranger is definitely the game of the year for me.

SPEAKER_10: 37:58

Shout out to Ivan Patch making his first uh couple appearances on this episode, and uh yeah, I'm looking forward to having him on the show more in 2026 and seeing him at the conventions. But yeah, Eric, Digimon uh Time Stranger, this is a game that is on my wish list, um, both on PlayStation and PC. Um, because uh one, it looks outstanding. I've I've heard wonderful things about it, and also it it really puts to shame. He mentioned it there, like the Pokemon games and their lack of just any effort because the animations in this game are incredible. There's actual voice acting, which for some reason Pokemon refuses to do. I don't understand it to this day. Um, well, I mean, it comes down to they just cut corners and they're gonna sell millions of copies, so it doesn't matter. But this game I've heard incredible things about, and it's definitely on my list to play in 2026.

SPEAKER_09: 38:46

Yeah, I've seen a buddy of mine, Ashwood, uh, play this um on stream, and like it's you know, it's it's it's kind of like in that same Pokemon vein. Like, I I think as long as you do a game like that right, then fans of that genre, whether it's the genre of the game or the genre of the IP, like I think they're just gonna be happy. And it sounds like that's what's happened with Digimon. So, like, kudos to uh the people that made that game and the people enjoying it. Uh, it's not my cup of tea, but I'm glad that you're enjoying it.

SPEAKER_10: 39:18

Yeah, heard heard a lot of really, really good things when it comes to uh Time Stranger. So uh yeah, we get so goes on sale a little bit. Maybe I will jump in. Hopefully, I'll be able to jump into it in 2026. Let's get to someone else we haven't heard from here yet. I believe this is out of order, so let me just introduce them. Uh, let's hear from our buddy Gefiltha.

SPEAKER_07: 39:43

When it comes to game of the year, there's definitely tons of games that I wish I had the time to play. Things like uh Clear Obscure Expedition 33 or Dispatch or even Hollow Knight Silksong, things that I've seen everyone playing, and I can see why they're Putting them up on the mantle of Game of the Year. However, my honorable mention would be blueprints. Me and the fiance got down on blueprints so hardcore. We were in it. We were in it and in it. Man, we wanted to discover and keep seeing how different our progress could be in blueprints. Definitely an honorable mention for me. But the one that I would probably have to say is I was hyped for all year leading up to its release would be Battlefield 6. It delivered exactly what I wanted. I'm a big jet guy on there, and just really delivered. There's a battle pass and you know, store, but there's some grievances and cons there. But I just go in, I play it almost every day, get in a match, call it a day. That's about as much time as I got. And it's just a solid, well robust shooter.

SPEAKER_10: 40:54

Yeah, shout out to Battlefield 6, uh, which is a game we know we discussed a little bit again on what did I miss a couple of weeks ago because of the horrible, horrible state that Call of Duty released in. Uh but yeah, Eric Battlefield 6. I I think we um, you know, we jumped into like the battle royale mode, uh, played a little bit of the beta, or at least I did with uh with Andrew. And you know what? Like it's good to know that if we ever do get that, like we want that fix to play some sort of military shooter, like Battlefield is there, we don't have to revert back to Call of Duty. Will we do that? Probably not, but uh it's I think it's a resounding win that Battlefield is back on track.

SPEAKER_09: 41:31

I think what I like about both of these picks for game of the year is that they're coming from diehards of that particular genre of gaming. And again, if you make a good battlefield game, people who like Battlefield will enjoy said battlefield game. That's again, this is just kind of what people are gonna like. And I'm glad to hear, I think what this definitely tells us is which franchises and which companies are going in the right direction and which ones are going in the wrong direction. Like again, we're not gonna talk about Call of Duty on here, we're gonna talk about like an Arc Raiders. I'd be shocked, I wouldn't be surprised if an Arc Raiders was here instead of Battlefield or vice versa, right? So that is the kind of thing that is nice to have in the diversity of clips and just people's opinions. There's so many different types of games that could fit this award category for people, and again, it's just really telling that Battlefield's going one direction, Call of Duty is going the other.

SPEAKER_10: 42:27

Yeah, so um it's again, it's uh it's crazy that people just want a standard military shooter. Who would have thought uh they don't want to fight a giant Yondu? Uh I know Michael Rooker is a uh very well established actor, but just Yondu is what came to mind first. Uh, let's get to my selection here, Eric, for game of the year before we get to your pick, as well as the uh the other selection for game of the year. What am I gonna do, Eric? You're not there's like no way. There's no way you can do it. What am I gonna do? There's no way here's some honorable mentions uh for games, because uh admittedly, and we kind of talked about this like last week. This is kind of my TV category where I played a bunch of games, but I also played a lot of games that are never gonna get considered. I'm not gonna consider uh the games that I probably played the most this year are college football and NBA 2K26, and another game that maybe I'll bring up in a second. But those are two games that I played the most of because they're time killers, and I can do other things while I'm playing those games. I had fun with them, not gonna be game of the year. I enjoyed split fiction, uh, but it was not it takes two. It doesn't even really come close to hitting the highs of an It Takes Two, um, even though I very much enjoyed that. Uh South of Midnight, I did not beat, but still, uh, you know, would love to go back into that game um at some point, even though I canceled my game pass. I definitely want to go back and play it. Uh Claire Obscure did not beat, but obviously that's gonna be uh, you know, we'll see what happens to the game awards this year. Uh Battlefield 4, I'm sorry, Borderlands 4, in the process of playing with friends, having a lot of fun with that. I know it's getting bad reviews, but I enjoy wasting time in skate. It's not a perfect uh experience, but it's something, again, another another time killer. So now the game I spent obviously the most time in, well, third most time in is Jurassic World Evolution 3. It's outstanding. It is head and shoulders above both of the the previous two games. Uh, maybe we'll have a guest on to talk about that production process here in the future, a little bit of a teaser. Uh, but I'm gonna cheat here a little bit because I haven't beaten this game, but I have put a significant amount of time into it over the last couple of weeks, and I'm pretty pretty confident based on other reviews that Ghost of Yote is gonna end up taking that crown. Um, I loved Ghost of Tsushima. This one was like riding a bike. I jumped right back into this game, and also the new mechanics are outstanding. It's a beautiful game. Um, the the new character is very interesting. The story is, and this also is also compounded by the fact that I hated Assassin's Creed Shadows, and they're very similar in terms of their story. Uh, but I gave Assassin's Creed a shot in 2025, and I just don't have any interest in playing in an Assassin's Creed RPG. Will they get my money for Black Flag when that comes out early next year? Sure. I'm gonna jump back into Assassin's Creed Black Flag and play that game. Uh, but other people are doing Assassin's Creed things better than Ubisoft, and Ghost of Yotai uh is that game, and it's outstanding, and I love it, and I cannot wait to continue playing it. Uh, again, I am cheating a little bit because I haven't beaten it, but again, I'm enjoying it so much I can't imagine that it's gonna fall off that much. So Cris was averted, Eric. Ghost of Yote is my game of the year.

SPEAKER_09: 45:42

You know, and it was scary because like I knew you hadn't beat Yote yet, so I wasn't sure if you go there or even like mention it here. So I'm really glad that that uh that made its way and you made some some strides in that game to know uh that it's a contender, which again, I I don't I I wouldn't argue with that.

SPEAKER_10: 45:58

Uh Jurassic World Evolution 3 up here, different story, but yeah, Yote, I'm gonna it has been no it has been nominated for a uh a game awards award for best uh simulation. So it is okay that's fine.

SPEAKER_09: 46:12

That's fine.

SPEAKER_10: 46:14

So all right, let's get to one more submission here before we get to your pick, Eric, for game of the year. And of course, we have to go back to the uh the the the tried and true, our friendly neighborhood gamer. Former, sorry. Was we neighborhood we heard that Andrew!

SPEAKER_05: 46:35

Hey, it's me again. Now I'm gonna share my pick for Game of the Year. This will all flow together really well unless Phil and Eric decided to swap the run of show on me again, in which case you'll hear my introduction later in the episode. So, similar to Shadow of the Ur Tree last year, my favorite game of the year this year is a DLC slash expansion. So, as an honorable mention, I'll shout out Wu Chang Fallen Feathers as a fantastic souls-like experience that I played this year. The level design was incredible, the character customization, or fashion souls, was great, and the combat was a nice blend of familiar and innovative. And other than some difficulty spikes in the bosses and the Chinese censorship controversy, this was a fantastic game that I highly recommend. But the expansion that I mentioned earlier is the Overture expansion for Lies of P. This expansion takes everything from the already incredible base game and adds to it. The new levels are incredible, the new weapons are a ton of fun, and the story and character moments are some of the best I've seen in a Soul Slight game so far. Overture is actually a dramatic prequel that transports you back to Krat right on the brink of the puppet frenzy. The new areas reflect this, shifting from the ruined Bellapoke city of the base game to unsettling new locations like Krot Zoo and the still operational but deeply twisted Carnival Gardens. They really leaned into the horror and grand architecture, making these levels a masterclass in environmental storytelling. On the gameplay side, the new weapons are fantastic and highly inventive. We got additions like a new gunblade called the Pale Knight, the fast agility focused Death Talon Claws, and even a full-on royal horn bow that lets you deal ranged damage as a main weapon. The new levels are packed with formidable unique bosses that serve as exciting climaxes to each chapter, and the story fills in crucial gaps in the main game's narrative, providing some really satisfying answers. Crucially, the update that came with this expansion also brought a ton of quality of life changes to the game to make it more accessible to more players. This includes three official difficulty settings, Butterfly's Guidance for a cinematic story-focused experience, Awakened Puppet for an easier challenge, and Legendary Stalker for the original Brutal Difficulty. They also added a boss rush mode that lets you refight any boss at varying difficulty levels. So now with all these options, there's absolutely no reason to not experience this incredible game. Oh, and one final shout-out, I'm currently playing through the first Berserker Kazan, and it's awesome so far, but I haven't played it enough to give it any sort of game of the year title. However, I can easily see it earning that prestige unless it massively fumbles somehow. Anyway, that's it from me this year. Thank you, Phil and Eric, so much for inviting me to do this again. I really appreciate it. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to do it again next year, and uh I'll see you guys at the holiday special.

SPEAKER_10: 49:29

Yeah, holiday special 2025 coming up ne this fro this Friday. If you're listening to this on the day the episode releases, if you're listening after December 12th, watch the replay, I guess. I don't know if we're releasing the audio or not for that. We haven't discussed it. Yeah, we probably will. Okay. It's out there somewhere. You can find it. But yeah, Andrew again, uh, shout out to him for game of the year. Uh Lies of P obviously something I will never dive into, uh, but uh not not surprised uh that a Souls like was his pick here, Eric.

SPEAKER_09: 50:01

Yeah, not surprised at all. And a game that because of people like Andrew, I've wanted to check out. Um it's just am I gonna am I gonna commit that amount of time to a singular game? Um when I haven't even played Elden Ring, which has been on my bucket list, when I want to get back into like a Baldur's Gate 3. Um, it just unfortunately falls to the wayside when it comes down to uh you know some of those. So yeah, sorry, but I'm glad you liked it.

SPEAKER_10: 50:26

You can play on your shiny new Steam Deck.

SPEAKER_09: 50:28

I could, I could, but I have I have literally like 15 games installed on there, and genuinely I have I have gameplay left in like all 15, arguably. So yeah, it's it's gonna be tough to fit any more in there.

SPEAKER_10: 50:43

I'm gonna get one and play Jurassic World Evolution 3. You make me sick. Well, Eric, what is your pick for game of the year before we move on to our next topic?

SPEAKER_09: 50:55

Yeah, this year has been man's uh somewhat of a renaissance for me when it comes to gaming. I'm really happy to kind of fall back in love with uh with gaming as a whole versus just some games that I've gotten to enjoy year after year. There are so many games, and of course, like I dive into the roguelike, roguelike category a lot. So a lot of these type of games will just never be considered. So a lot of the games that I've played aren't gonna come up in this conversation, but you know, there's always an option for like a Slay the Spire or a Balatro. Like, I get why some of these games are so appealing. For me, that game, an honorable mention for me would be Absalom, which I've played a couple hours of and is a ton of fun. It's a beat-em-up roguelike that I really enjoyed, aesthetically looks so fucking good. And had I dipped more time into it, I could have seen this being a personal contender for me. Um, now this isn't a contender for me, Gafiltha mentioned Blueprints. I just wanted to make a comment that I'm too dumb to play that game. That game requires an intelligence level that I did not meet the requirements of. So I just wanted that to be well known. But again, there were so many different games that I kind of dived into and enjoyed. When we talk about game of the year, there's really only one that I've played. And despite my problems with some of the game compared to others quoting it as a masterpiece, it's hard to argue that one, it deserves the nomination, and two, it likely deserves what would be and should be the game of the year nomination at the game awards uh to win it. And that is Clear Obscure Expedition 33. Uh, that is a game, a turn-based game that I never thought I would jump into and play. And while I did limp across the finish line in both my feelings for the game and the fatigue of what I was playing, it's hard to argue that a lot of the elements just simply worked. And if you're gonna get me to play as much of that game as I did willingly and having a good time at the end of the day, well then you did something right. And for me, that game was clear obscure. It's probably not even close from a quality standpoint. It's the biggest game I played this year, and it's the game that I'm gonna have to give the nod. Uh, but again, with a little bit more time set aside to complete other games, I would have had some personal favorites that could have contended from a just strictly objective standpoint. Uh, there's really no other better choice.

SPEAKER_10: 53:31

Yeah, in terms of just development and you know how forward that team has been as far as the production of that game and uh artistically what it's meant, and you know, being available on Game Pass and all of that, being available to so many people that never would have played a game like this. Like, this is a game that I caught eye uh like had caught wind of in 2024 just because of the art style. I was like, whoa, what is this? And ultimately, you know, I had to drop the difficulty because I suck at parrying and dodging. Uh, but still I was enamored enough to want to make sure that I at least got through, you know, some of the bigger story point points. And then um, you know, now here in the in the second act, which I, you know, you did say uh does drag a little bit. But uh eventually what I'm gonna have to do is if I'm gonna have to replay that game, I'll have to uh probably just re-sign up for Game Pass as opposed to starting over on the PlayStation. Unless there is like a crazy$10 sale in 2026 for Claire Obscure, then sure, I'll play through the game again. But uh yeah, really great uh great pick there. And you know, hopefully they have I'm hoping to see some success for that show or for that game uh at the game awards this year, which I'm sure we will. Uh Eric, let's get to uh the next category here. Big one. Anime of the year. Um, you had made a comment before we had um recorded this episode. Like, even, you know, movies had really taken a front scene. Movies and roguelikes were really your year. That was your 2025. You could do your own award show for just roguelikes and movies, and you'd have yourself a hell of a time and a really lengthy episode for you to edit on your own. So let's get into uh anime of the year. I'll play our two clips first uh before we get into our selections. This is one of the only years where I think we have the same thing. I don't know, I guess we'll see. I don't know, unless you watch something that I'm totally unaware of. I don't know. I guess we'll see what happens. But let's go back to Gafilte and see what his choice was for anime of the year.

SPEAKER_07: 55:28

Hey guys, it's Gafilta here to deliver the end of year awards for the Wait For It podcast. Now, I'm just gonna start off with anime of the year for you. For Mobile Suit Gundam G Quux or GQ U U U U U X. I don't know why they went with that title, but nonetheless, it's almost like the multiverse of the Gundam franchise. For those that are fond of the original Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam, it's it pays homage and connects things really interestingly, like with alternate universes in a way. Beautifully done, great music, great animation, and that's definitely my anime of the year.

SPEAKER_10: 56:12

A Gundam anime is just something that's like my last kind of frontier. Because it's never I've I've just have not dove into one. Um, whether you know, I know there's so many to choose from. Maybe that's the maybe that's the other reason is like, what do I do? Throw a throw a dart at a wall and just and just pick one? I don't know, but I had never heard of this one here, Eric. What's your uh familiarity with mobile suit gundam? Q you you you you you gqx, I think people just call it GQX.

SPEAKER_09: 56:43

No, I don't I don't think that's what they do. I I've heard nothing but good things uh from that community in general, but I'm not as connected to Gundam as I was uh with the Witch for Mercury, which was my intro to that whole uh subsection of anime. Uh Gundam is something I've wanted to get into for quite some time. Not really my jam because there's so much, it's kind of daunting, but I've always appreciated it from afar. And we always love again. This is another thing of like fans of that franchise enjoying what that franchise has to offer. Love to hear when it comes to something like Gundam.

SPEAKER_10: 57:18

Yeah, 100%. So thanks, Kefilta, for that uh selection. There, we'll hear from them again one more time a little bit later. And let's get to uh one of our favorite anime watchers and see what they had to say for their selection.

SPEAKER_01: 57:34

Anime of the year. Uh, what can I say? Uh ton of great anime this year, and I feel like there's certain ones that some people would have expected me to say. Uh, or it's like just like just like really obvious ones. You know, we had we got Dante on this year, season two, we got Gachi Akata, we got you know, these series that like I've been really talking about and excited for and whatnot. Um, but uh I would have probably picked a different one here too if I finished it. But uh I love Taco P's original sin, but it's only six episodes, and I only got to watch the first four. Whereas this other anime I have watched, I'm all caught up with it. It's still airing, but I am all caught up with it. It is uh Santa, which a lot of people don't know about. It's on Amazon Prime, they don't promote it. But Santa is like fantastic. It has like this weird fixation. I have this weird fixation for it, like it has a grip on me. It's like such a stupid, ridiculous premise. This descendant of Santa living in some like this he's like in a school in this dystopian world, and it's it's crazy. The animation studio is uh the same ones we don't. It is it is balls to the wall like insane, but it is definitely up there. My favorite anime I've watched this year. I the character designs are sick, the animation is sick, the story is actually pretty deep considering the premise is really ridiculous. Um, but yeah, it's just it's definitely anime of the year. Taco P's original sin is really up there, it's like number two for me. It struggled between the two, but it's definitely Sanda. I really think that people need to give this show a shot. Like, I mean, some people don't even know it exists, so I blame Amazon for that and all their terrible promoting of anime. Same with Hulu. But Santa is like fantastic. If you are a Don Don fan, if you like all these kind of like crazy, over-the-top type stories, this is the one for you. Like, it it I do love that it had it is kind of a satire in a way, and it's taking this like kind of very serious issue um that they have in like I guess Japan's society right now, and they're like really going crazy and exaggerating it, but like to prove to like get to a certain point, like to show you, like it's just I don't know, I can't explain too much, but like the basic premise is really not the point of the show, but it is definitely my favorite series. Um, anyway, I'm just rambling now. Um, yeah, Sandah, my favorite anime of the year.

SPEAKER_10: 59:55

This is why I'll die in the sill. The anime. Is a top-tier medium because what the fuck do you mean it's a Santa Claus? I know I've seen this because Ivan shared it, and I remember looking it up. I was like, and I just saw this picture of this jacked fucking Santa Claus, and I was like, what is this? And that that's why, again, anime is a is a top-tier medium. Uh, what have you watched Santa, Eric, or has this been on your watch list?

SPEAKER_09: 1:00:22

No, it is now though. Like, we just we just got done uh saying we couldn't do international feature for December because there probably wasn't enough stuff. We could have done this, we could have done damn it.

SPEAKER_10: 1:00:33

Yeah, so a shout out to Ivan for always having uh some some great suggestions there uh when it comes to uh to anime of the year. Um, yeah, this is definitely gonna be added to the watch list for sure. Maybe we cover it as a late to the party in 2026. Maybe we'll do that. So so thank you so much, Ivan, again, for your participation. Actually, no, we have him, we'll have him one more time, uh a little bit later in the episode as well. So for me, I will go first since of course, Eric, this is your bread and butter when it comes to anime of the year. Um man, I definitely watched the least amount of anime that I ever have in in any year, and that's something I'm as we go through this episode uh that I'm gonna have to commit to more TV shows, finishing more games, and also doing more anime. But like 2025, and you know, this isn't really the point of the episode, is the busiest year Eric and I have ever had on a personal uh level in terms of our own journeys as far as content creation and other things, but the podcast as well, we've had so many cool opportunities in 2025. Um, so I just haven't gotten to as many things as I want. Um, he mentioned Don Danon, which has been outstanding. Um he I'm surprised he didn't mention the summer uh Hikaru died. Uh we know obviously we watched that for an episode that maybe might release in the future uh for the world of Cory. Um obviously, really, really good. Um I very much enjoyed what I've seen so far from Kaiju number eight. Uh, and then also catching up with the episodes of uh uh well did the season two of Blue Lock, did that release this year or am I catching up from last year?

SPEAKER_09: 1:02:04

I believe you're catching up from last year.

SPEAKER_10: 1:02:06

Okay, that's what I that's what I thought. So, but I I just have not been able to keep up with as much anime as I want outside of the you know some of the uh the mainstream ones, like a solo leveling, things like that. I would just be totally remiss, Eric, if I said any anime, and I haven't finished it yet, I'm a little bit behind, but I I just would be lying to myself if I said that any other anime other than the final season of my AR Academia has hit me in the way that anything has in a very, very long time. Um, if I'm sure if Chainsaw Man had been released in episodic form as well uh outside of the movie, maybe be having a different conversation, but um that doesn't qualify here, at least in my opinion. So again, after especially after a couple seasons where I was still enjoying it, but I was like, man, it's there their focus is elsewhere, the story is is is lagging a little bit. Some things we talked about, like you know, how this all takes course over the all takes course over a year or so is kind of crazy, but like what I've seen so far and catching up in 2025, and literally like I felt like Seamus, shout out to the WWE. I have like banger after banger after banger, and I was like, these motherfuckers don't miss, bros. It was an insane run. I don't expect that to slow down here as I catch up to the last few episodes. Um, so yeah, my hero academia, final season hit my my absolute cinema pose. And you know what? Uh whatever the fans have done, I don't care. I'm enjoying the show. Uh final season, my hero is my pick.

SPEAKER_09: 1:03:35

Yeah, you know, it's not my pick only because it's still going on, but I don't blame you for doing that because even despite that, it was highly in consideration here, despite that. So, again, I'm not gonna fault you at all. And what I'll say is, I think a lot of people are echoing this. I think we're gonna look back about a decade from now and we're gonna look at my hero in such a different light, and that's a good thing. Like, I think in a very, very positive way, uh, we're gonna look at the series overall much differently than we do today.

SPEAKER_10: 1:04:06

Do you think and this is totally different, but like in terms of how they have progressed, but the only thing that I can think of, maybe this is a precursor to uh again, we don't do worst anymore, but the worst show I've watched so far this year is easily Stranger Things. But do you think like My Hero has kind of been like in this strange audience of like a Stranger Things audience where it's like holy shit, it it it took off like in a way that I don't know how many people expected it to, and then it has like these obnoxious fans, and then and now the thing is with my hero is that it it stayed good where where Stranger Things uh is not, and you guys can fight me, I don't care.

SPEAKER_09: 1:04:47

Uh yeah, yeah, my hero never really turned out to be bad at any point, it just kind of fell off a little bit, and there's a lot of stuff we've talked about between the movies and some of the story decisions, like even when we talk about the villain arc, uh academia arc, there was stuff that they omitted um and they didn't really flesh out as much that I think would have helped going into uh see the the season before the final season, uh, especially. But again, it's it's one of those things where I just think this is a show not just an anime, it's a show that I have deeply connected to particular characters to, and with when we talk about the show as a whole, there isn't a show that on repeat watches gets me to an emotional point of like I'm gonna cry. Like this show, this show multiple times has done that on one watch, and then on rewatches, I will find myself like fuck man, if I if I just like let it go right now, I'd be fucking balling like a baby, and it'll be like the third or tenth fucking time I've seen that scene or or that that time um that I'm that I'm watching, and it just it's not something you could take lightly, like even though the sum of all of its parts, maybe not everything was top tier, I just think it has too many fantastic moments to ignore, and I think people are starting to recognize that in this final season.

SPEAKER_10: 1:06:10

So I'll I'll compare it to like the the Infinity saga for the uh for the MCU. There are films that I go back and re-watch, like I'm gonna I'll re-watch Silver War, I'll rewatch um uh you know Infinity War and um some of those other movies. Like there, I don't think I'll ever re-watch my hero as a whole, but I will go back and re-watch my favorite episodes. Like that's how it will live for me.

SPEAKER_09: 1:06:37

100%. And that's a great uh comparison because like we especially with what we're getting now, unfortunately, we we will look back at the Ragnarok, you know.

SPEAKER_10: 1:06:46

Like I'll put it like I'll I'll go back and re-watch those movies, you know, yeah, and re-experience them.

SPEAKER_09: 1:06:51

Yeah, and then the the like really shit ones are still tied into like the overall positivity of the Infinity Saga because again, the sum of all of its parts aren't great, but it's just there's too much good shit to ignore. Um, but we do acknowledge like there's gonna be stuff that you miss. Like, I personally like the gentle criminal arc, but I understand why nobody would want to go back to that arc. I like him coming in particular. I like what I've seen recently, but I I've I've heard I've heard more people talk about the the fact that they like the um the hero licensing thing that happens after the all-for-one all might fight. You lost me. I I don't know, I don't know who liked that that arc in particular. What a weird place for that arc to be. Uh, they saved it with the Bakugodeku fight, which they kind of did then again at this the tail end of season four. They did that with Endeavor and Hawks versus the Nomu. Like again, there will be stretches where it's like, this is fine, and then there are stretches where it's like, this is fucking cinema, like this is so fucking good, and it's not just cool to look at, it like deeply affects you emotionally and to your core. And that's what Mike Hero has just been able to do consistently is have those moments that work. That's why it's not a show you can just watch clip of and get. You can't watch a few episodes and get you have to be on the train ride or not.

SPEAKER_10: 1:08:15

Ted Lasso's like that.

SPEAKER_09: 1:08:17

And I vibe with Ted Lasso, the eighth of it that I've seen on TikTok.

SPEAKER_10: 1:08:20

I'm telling you, you can't I can't experience it like that.

SPEAKER_09: 1:08:24

I I love seeing their journeys from you know where they started to where you know they end. Uh Jamie Tart, Nate, you know, all of them. They're really the way they start to where they finish, man, good shit.

SPEAKER_10: 1:08:39

You disgust me. Um, what's your choice? You didn't you didn't give your choice yet, right? No, no, no, no. We got off on a tangent there. We got off on a My Hero tangent, but you know what? Uh, this is ours. So uh yeah, Eric, what is your choice for anime of the year? I also will say the other anime that I wish I had gotten to watch, which is the one that has been most recommended to me across the board, is Gachi Akuda. So I'm gonna be prioritizing that in 2026 as well.

SPEAKER_09: 1:09:04

Yeah, that's one that I really wanted to check out. I think we're purposely avoiding the movies. Um, you know, Demon Slayer, Infinity Castle Part One. I mean, if you considered that, that's in contention. Chainsaw Man, the raise the Rez Arc, uh 100% in contention. Uh, the summer who car died was good, you know. I liked it uh more so than the problems I had with it. I will say, Phil, this is also a weird season for me because there's a lot of shows. Either there's a lot of shows that I wouldn't really consider, like, you know, we're finishing up Doctor Stone. Um, I watch a show uh called Hanukko, uh Toilet Bon Toilet Bound Hanukko Khan. Every time I bring up the show, Phil looks at me like, what the fuck are you talking about? It's a very good show. It's a very good show. I watch it with my family, we have a great time. There are a bunch of those shows that are in like multiple seasons that are just like we're just vibing with them, we're enjoying them. But outside of those, I haven't unfortunately gotten into too many new anime, and I've probably watched the least amount of anime this year as well because we've been so busy. So I'm glad you brought up that precursor. My anime of the year is going to be a sequel season, but it's one that I think already got its flowers, and I think people thought it was undeserving. So I'm just here to remind you that solo leveling season two was fun. It was fun, it was a great time. I thought it was better than the first season, and I thought it was better because it leaned into the premise. I think I just want to watch him fuck up shit and be more powerful than other people. Is this what people thought of one punch man back in the day? Are you guys just sour because your show sucks now? Is that what it is? Is that what it is? I'm curious. I'm very curious. I think that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_10: 1:10:52

This Manoir came in and stepped in, stepped in on your territory. It might what do you mean I read left to right?

SPEAKER_09: 1:11:00

It might be. Um, but no, yeah, there's uh again a couple of different ones. I definitely um I definitely would have uh I definitely would have had a couple of different options possibly come up here. Apothecary diaries, I've heard a lot of great things about um, you know, Sanda. I have I did see on a list or two. I did see on a list or two before Ivan brought it up. So I'm just saying it might not just be him. Uh, but I again it's more my lack of time showing up here this year, more so than anything. I'm gonna be giving anime a little bit more attention next year trying to catch up. But again, solo leveling was like I had to be seated for it when it came out, and I think so much has come out since then. It's kind of like such a different scenario, Phil. But like when Dune came out and everybody pretty much forgot about that movie come award season. Like, I feel like talking about anime at the end of the year versus maybe the middle of the year is a much different conversation because of things like my hero and the you know spurt of fantastic episodes that has been giving out. So that would have been my pick, my hero final season, if it was done. I do know how it ends. I'm curious how people will take this ending. But since it's not over, I went with the one I did see and I had a good time with solo leveling season two.

SPEAKER_10: 1:12:23

Yeah, it's great. There's also a video game that came out that I have wishlisted on Steam that I definitely want to check out. And my thing with solo leveling, and I've talked to our friend Ashley about this, is like he just got in, and it doesn't necessarily bother me too much, but I just want to see him struggle a little bit. And I know I know those are coming, like that's about to happen. But like he just rose through the ranks so easily, and like you said, that's such a good comparison, is like, oh yeah, that's what One Punch Man was, and I'm enjoying seeing him, you know, get taller and fuck up people and like steal your girl, and you know what I mean? Like, that's what I want to see see him do next. It's so good. So it's fantastic. So, um, I want to point out the number one show on Collider's list is To Be Hero X, and this isn't anything that I've heard of. Have you heard anything about this?

SPEAKER_09: 1:13:07

I I have. Um, it's not one that I planned on watching anytime soon, but it is one that is on many people's list. Um, I'm gonna just double check before I say this. But I'm pretty sure, yeah. So 2B Hero X is a dongwa from a Chinese donga uh from Anaplex, and it's uh part of that whole franchise, but it is uh yeah, a little bit different, a little bit out there, not necessarily your traditional Japanese anime, but still I think would fit under that bill. Uh, a lot of people would consider it that same genre. I mean, it comes out just like anything else on Crunchyroll, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 1:13:47

So just wanted to bring that up here. So, all right, let's get into our final three categories. Kicking it off first, we will go with TV show and let's go with um bringing another uh one of our submissions here. This will be the last time we hear from her. Let's get back to Vintage Macaroni.

SPEAKER_00: 1:14:08

Hi everyone, this is Vintage Macaroni here, and I'm here to talk about some of my favorites over the last year of 2025. And when I say favorites, I'm actually gonna talk about what was memorable to me and not my favorite. Because if I were to talk about my favorites, I might be here a while and I don't want to bore anyone to tears. So, what I am gonna talk about are two things that come to mind when I think of 2025 in media that I was enamored with, and specifically the television show Severance. I began watching the first season when I heard the hype around the second season, and I was able to watch along with everyone else what transpired in season two, and I was blown away about just everything as far as the production design, the music, the acting, the uh the the cinematic feel of the show is fascinating to me. So, for instance, when is it it was initially pitched and I asked, well, what is Severance about? And it was communicated to me that oh, well, this is a show about what happens if your personal life was separated from your working life. I mean what that would be like. And my initial thought was, Oh my gosh, I would love to disassociate for eight hours and to be a completely different person going to work and coming home and keeping those parts of my life separate. And when I watched the show, I saw the philosophical consequences of that very thinking that I had like, oh, that sounds like a benefit. Who wouldn't want to go to work and be able to focus on work, and when you're at home, be able to focus on your personal life, and the complications of what would happen when you would have two separate consciousness. Essentially, that's what would happen. And you have what's called the innie and the outie personality, and then you learn about Lumen and what this company or corporation is trying to do. There's this air of mystery, and you're trying to solve it along with the characters, and you really are taken along this journey, this emotional journey with the any characters, and you fall in love with them, and you see their level of vulnerability and trust and connection that they have with one another, and it's so enduring. And I just was blown away by the production quality of the show. For instance, the season two opener is technically one of my favorite shots of uh of a film, of a movie, like the technical aspects of what they did to film the sense of urgency of Mark running through the halls of Lumen is honestly fascinating. And just how they use cinematic language to convey the transition of the Audi to the innie with the Dolly Zoom made famous by Jaws, it it's just mind-boggling and such a marvel. I don't want to spoil too much for or any listeners that haven't seen this show, but it's something it's to behold. It's a show that is memorable, that you can connect and talk to people over. And I mean, Ben Stiller really blew me away with his technical level of expertise when it comes to filmmaking. I really I had no idea, and I'm a little apprehensive that he's not gonna be truly a part of season three, that he is taking a step back, but I do believe with what he has set up for the show in terms of look and feel and overall uh story that it's able to be taken into consideration with comfort and care. Yeah, Severance is just a phenomenal piece of work and definitely the highlight of television and media for me in 2025.

SPEAKER_10: 1:18:46

Thank you so much, vintage, for your submissions here uh this for for this award season. And uh yeah, uh this is like just what we were talking about a couple of moments ago, Eric, with anime. Like, what do you mean Severance came out in 2025? Like it was so long ago. The season two premiered in January of this year, and um, yeah, and I know I know it didn't necessarily hit as hard as it uh did for some of us as it did uh on your end. Uh still a really enjoyable season of television, even though I I do like the first season more than season two. I'm still enthralled, still gonna continue watching it, and uh yeah, Apple TV had themselves another stellar year.

SPEAKER_09: 1:19:25

Yeah, it was one of the TV shows that I was signed up for, like when it dropped. Like I was ready to go, and I enjoyed season two. It it's actually an honorable mention for this award category, but that speaks more to my lack of television shows versus anything else. Like again, you mentioned movies and gaming was really my strong suit uh this year, where TV shows, anime in general, like that that definitely took uh a step back, which will be interesting for my TV show option, which is gonna be you know a clear winner for me because it's it's hard to keep my attention these days on these like Episodic formats and uh yeah, Severance had no problem doing that. Uh, from episode to episode, I very much was intrigued where we were going. Uh, it was just some of the payoff stuff that we still haven't gotten or that we did get that I didn't quite love.

SPEAKER_10: 1:20:14

Yeah, 100%. Hopefully, we won't have to wait, you know, half a decade for you know season three, whatever that does drop. But uh yeah, Eric, actually, before uh I'll actually go first actually with with your TV show of the year because uh me as well as this next submitter have the same choice. So if you want to go ahead and give your pick uh for TV show of the year, yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 1:20:34

So this is a show that we spoiler alert are going to be covering in the month of January. Phil, you gotta get on it, you gotta get started.

SPEAKER_10: 1:20:42

Chaos Theory season five.

SPEAKER_09: 1:20:45

Please. Newest season dropped, and I have to keep telling my child to watch it by himself because I don't want to and my daughter who we we've watched it together, she is also to the point like uh what they need to fucking end this. It's just not it's just not it's not even fun anymore.

SPEAKER_10: 1:21:01

Not only that, is none of the characters are likable anymore, they were likable as children, and they are not likable as teenagers.

SPEAKER_09: 1:21:07

That's a reminder. I gotta take those episodes down. I don't want those episodes up anymore. We just stopped like after season four of Camp Cretaceous. I'm gonna take those down. Um, so anyway, uh, you guys won't be able to find them because they'll be gone. My TV show of the year is The Pit. Uh, it came out early January, so just like Severance, this was I kind of had to make a choice. Like, I kept hearing about the pit of the pit. I didn't know what that was. The pit. I didn't know what that was, and I am not a medical drama person. I'm just not. Uh, I don't watch Grey's Anatomy like that, I don't watch a lot of these shows like that. Uh, the last one I watched, they memed out of existence. I'm a surgeon! I am a surgeon. They uh yeah, they they just meme that one to death. You can't do that. You know, that I thought that was acceptable. Anyway, the pit, on the other hand, though, uh, heard so much good stuff, people really swore by it, so I gave it a shot. And boy, did this show almost every minute of every episode have my attention. It's something about, and again, we're gonna save a lot of this for the late to the party episode. We're gonna release that in January to uh collide with season two's release of The Pit. But yeah, it just it just was so interesting of a concept. This day by day, this not even day-by-day approach, this hour by hour approach that they took to the episodes where you're trying to just uh take in everything that's happening, and there's so much stuff that people have praised when it comes to the way the medical stuff was shown in this uh particular series. I'm not gonna speak on that until I do a little bit more research, but I did appreciate it, and it felt a little different from that aspect watching it. So, Phil, the pit is my choice. I can't wait to talk more about this next month on Late to the Party. But it is uh yeah, it is it is a show that really, really took me uh by the seat of my pants and just said, hold on, and every single episode I was sat for it, I was ready to go, and I wanted to get to the next one as soon as possible.

SPEAKER_10: 1:23:21

Yeah, um our our friends Jordan uh and my sister Falyn have also watched Through the Pit, and they have you know nothing but good things to say about it. Uh so yeah, really excited to cover that. It's one of those shows that I I wanted to get to uh here this year, um, but just didn't get a chance to, along with a bunch of other shows. Uh that that's really what like a lot of my list is is like shows I just didn't get a chance to uh to catch in time for this. I wanted to watch. I've heard good things about Task on HBO. Uh I've heard really good things about that. Um is something like a uh like an what's it called? Uh an Alien Earth. That's something now we can dive into, uh, having been more familiarized with that franchise. Um there's a show that is called The Chair Company, as we are now just the biggest Tim Robinson fans ever. I want to start the chair company on HBO. Um cannot wait for that. We're probably gonna cover Detroiters on uh late to the party in 2026. Um there's another, there's also uh I never got to see Common Side Effects. Never got to it. Uh obviously there was the clip in the mid in the beginning of the year that had us hooked. I never got to it. Um and then there's also another show called Plur uh Plurabys on Apple TV, of course, um that I did not get a chance to start, but I will be starting very, very soon. So, really, there have only been a couple TV shows um that have uh um that I had to choose from. Peacemaker season two. I have not finished it, but it is outstanding what I've seen so far. I've gotten through half of the season, and it is very, very good. But for my choice, um, this uh next submitter and I have the same selection for TV show of the year.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24:55

Alright, so uh with TV show of the year, um I watch a lot of TV, I draw to a lot of shows, and I thought uh like this would be harder, and it actually really wasn't. Uh, we have shows that are still releasing right now, so like I'm a big fan of horror, so it welcome to dairy is out, and I do love that show, but it's not completed, and um this next show like just had me laughing constantly, and just like I don't know, it was like it was like a kind of like a comfort for me. So I would say the my favorite TV show of the year is the studio. I I just loved it. I I loved I loved the direction that the show went. I love all the celebrity uh like cameos and appearances, and I just like the commentary they were like making. Uh like I it was really cool that like this is a show like Seth Rogan made and the fact that I got like nominated. If I can't remember if it actually won any awards this year, I I can't recall, but yeah, the studio just had my attention. I just I I had I just kept watching. I actually couldn't even draw to it. Like I put it on to try to draw to and like just kind of have it as like a show to have on while I work, and I got distracted a lot. I just kept watching and kept laughing and just thoroughly enjoying it. So yeah, the studio is definitely my um my TV show of the year.

SPEAKER_10: 1:26:16

Yeah, I watched through all of the studio in about three days. Uh it's a very bingeable show episode. I think the longest episode is about 35 minutes. Uh Seth Rogan obviously has been one of our uh you know one of my favorites for a very, very long time. And season or episode two of the studio is one of my favorite episodes of television that I've seen in a very, very long time. Um, no surprise here, Eric, that I want Apple TV, but I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the studio. Uh it's outstanding. Uh she's not in it like a ton, but I did not know Katherine Hahn is well, she's she's in a good amount of episodes, but I did not know Katherine Hahn was in this. She is fantastic. Uh Catherine O'Hara, obviously, incredible. Um Ike Barenholtz, top-notch. Uh, and then of course tap uh you know topped off with Seth Rogan. Uh this is a show that I when there are you know very few shows because I know like there's so like you said, there are only so many things that can hold your uh attention. This is one that I would go to bat for when it comes to the studio.

SPEAKER_09: 1:27:11

Yeah, this is one that I really wanted to watch before we got to this episode, and I just I just could not get to it. I just I and again, could I have put it on like Ivan mentioned? And I'm glad that it's still you know TV show of the year for him, but can I put something on and multitask like that? Like, I just don't think I would I wouldn't have appreciated like episode two the way that you had if I was multitasking in that way, and that's just a me thing. So uh is it on my watch list though? Yeah, I do plan on watching this sooner rather than later because it's a hundred percent gonna be up my alley. Like, I already know between the people involved from the comedy satire aspect to just what seems to be an underlying message of love for film. You know, that's those are all things that appeal to me and and are definitely interests of mine when it comes to what I want to watch. And also time-wise, uh, you know, I like hearing that it's like 30 or so minutes under. That's great.

SPEAKER_10: 1:28:05

Yeah, exactly. I know what I'm doing here.

SPEAKER_09: 1:28:07

I know I know that that anime brain picked it right up. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 1:28:11

I know, uh, I know what I'm doing here when it comes to recommendations. Just uh just like Eric knows like which anime to and two not recommend to me at this point. Like we we get it now. So uh yeah, that's uh best TV show. Shout out to again, vintage and Ivan for those submissions. Uh last two here, Eric, the big two. Let's get to best animated pictures. I started laughing like ass because I know what's about to happen here. I think we only have one submission uh for this particular. Let me see. Well, technically there's two, but Gafiltha kind of combined his best picture and best animated, so I'll I'll throw those together in the final selection here. But let's go ahead, Eric, uh, and get to our first submission here. Uh, animated film of the year. We haven't heard from in a little bit. Let's bring back Josh.

SPEAKER_06: 1:29:01

Hello, Josh Portillo again here, and um, I'm going to present my pick for animated film of the year. You know it was coming. You know it was coming. Um, for me, it is K-pop Demon Hunters. Um, that film um was masterfully done. Uh the story was great, simple too, uh, not that hard to, of course, follow. Uh, characters were very endearing. Um, villains were villains were endearing. Uh, and um, you know, it just really did a lot for the industry as a whole. There were a lot of animated films this year that were very impactful. Uh, but um, for me, it is K-pop Demon Hunters, and I cannot wait for the second one.

SPEAKER_10: 1:29:45

What's gonna come out first? K Pop Demon Hunters 2, GTA 6, or the final Spider-Verse film?

SPEAKER_09: 1:29:52

None of the above.

SPEAKER_10: 1:29:55

Yeah, so um, we know what's happening here, guys. So before we talk about animated picture of the year, let's talk about some other really good animated movies that came out this year, starting with a really recent one, which is Utopia 2, which I absolutely loved. And this is see see Moana, like I'm gonna smack them in the back of the head. Like, see, this is how you make a good sequel. It's smashing records uh all over the place, and it's because it's a really, really good movie. Did Shakira phone in the song? Sure. I don't care. Is it just Waka Waka? Yeah, but I like I don't care. I like it! It's a zoo. I don't care. It's a fun time, it's a real you know, uh, as you mentioned, Eric. Um, oh my gosh, why am I forgetting his name? Who voices uh Jason Bateman. Jason Bateman is fucking killing it in this. Um, a really, really great animated film. Uh, a movie that probably only Eric and I talk about, Naja 2 came out in 2025. Uh and it is outstanding. I think it's coming to Netflix this holiday season. So if you want to watch it, um, well, definitely watch the first one, but uh, of course, Naija 2. Um, and then another film, Eric, that I have been campaigning for all year is The Day the Earth Blew Up, the Looney Tunes movie. Uh, it was so good. Again, animation like that is just something you don't see as much. And I really hope we get to see more of these Looney Tunes films. Uh, but those are some animated pictures I wanted to point out before we talk about what's about to happen. And then, of course, Reza Arc, Chainsaw Man movie. Outstanding. Um, but yeah, there is another movie that we'll talk about here in a moment uh that is head and shoulders and again has very much impacted pop culture. But any other animated films you want to shout out?

SPEAKER_09: 1:31:28

Yeah, um, I had a good time with uh these other animated films, maybe not as much as some of the ones Phil has mentioned, but Predator Killer of Killers uh deserves an honorable mention here. The Bad Guys 2, uh franchise that has no business looking as good as it does. Uh, and then yeah, that's uh that was kind of it, other than the Demon Slayer movie, which visually looked really, really great and has one of the most tragic, beautiful fucking arcs in its third act. Uh, does it all work together very well as a movie? Maybe not, but it's still very, very good. So those are just my honorable mentions here. And uh, Phil, we could pretty much jump right into it because uh yeah, this is the part we warned you guys about.

SPEAKER_10: 1:32:14

Yeah, it's K-pop demon hunters. It it can't be anything else. Um, even though I do have Chainsaw Man with a higher grade, uh, in terms of like just film itself. But K-pop Demon Hunters is something that has changed the lives of so many people that weren't even really interested in K-pop or this type of animation or whatever it may be. This uh this type of um, I guess, uh lifestyle just in general, it's being opened up to so many more people because of this movie. Again, we got the the three voice actresses out of it, and and even some I think the voice actor for Mystery Saja uh was just cast in the new season of Jitsu Jujitsu Kaisen. So, like they're finding work because of this incredible story that was told, and it's something remember, Eric, I pick I I had uh honed in on this trailer earlier in the year. I was like, yo, this looks really, really good. And finally, and it came out, and I watched it the day it came out, and I told all of our friends, I was like, yo, this is it. Like, this is there's something special going on here, and then uh just uh over re-watching it more and more, and it's I I've just gained more of an appreciation for it. So can't wait, just like Josh said, can't wait for the second film. Um, and it is uh outstanding, and these songs are gonna be around for a very, very long time.

SPEAKER_09: 1:33:27

Yeah, maybe that's why they're making us wait so fucking long for a sequel.

SPEAKER_10: 1:33:31

Maybe that's why I mean the first one took years to make. I'm pretty sure it's the same amount of production time.

SPEAKER_09: 1:33:36

Man, Sony, get it together, man. Get it together. I know they're good. I know they're good. Stop taking so long. Actually, take as long as you fucking need. Take as long. If they're gonna be this good, take as long as you need. I uh yeah, K-pop demon hunters is the choice from an animation standpoint. I could have gone Naijot 2 here, and I feel like Najah 2 needs a little bit more love domestically, like internationally, and especially obviously in China, it's well known, but I don't think it got like any love.

SPEAKER_10: 1:34:04

Like I no one else the dub got like it it didn't do well at all.

SPEAKER_09: 1:34:09

Yeah, well, Michelle Yo is like 0 for 2 this year. It's really it's really unfortunate on her end. She should probably um stop stop taking bad bad work. But um, as far as as far as love love her as an actress, uh respectfully. So as far as K-pop Demon Hunters, though, I really enjoyed so much about it. There's more I want to say and I'm gonna say in a little bit. But right now, what I'll say for K-pop Demon Hunters is definitely that it's impact on pop culture, it's absolutely something you can't ignore, and it's one of the only movies that I have seen multiple times this year, and I'll talk a little bit more about that. But that uh that says something. I don't just re-watch movies in the same year, especially, unless I really need to. You know, Superman, I didn't expect to go see that movie twice, and I did. K-pop demon hunters, I didn't expect to see that movie once, and I did, and I saw it, and then I wanted to see it again. Then I went to the fucking sing-along. Do you know what it takes for someone like me to go to a fucking sing-along in the theater? I'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_10: 1:35:14

Yeah, no tall task for sure. So uh yeah, K-pop demon hunters, a um again, it will sit in cinematic history, and if they had just put the fucking thing in theaters from the from the get, who knows uh if it could have been even bigger than it is now, but at least we got this thing along, and Netflix, I swear to god, because we see what we're you're doing with knives out. I swear to god, don't do it. Well, I just do the rights go back to Sony for the second one? Like, how does that even work?

SPEAKER_09: 1:35:43

I don't know, but Sony, holy shit, you fumbled.

SPEAKER_10: 1:35:46

Yeah, fucked up. Fucked up real bad, man. So, all right, guys. Let me just make sure I believe that is the that was the only submission for animated film of the year. Like I said, I can felt this is kind of a twofer. So, yeah, let's go ahead and get into Best Picture. Uh, the uh the the cream of the crop when it comes to the Wait Forward Awards. Uh, and in fact, I believe the Academy does revert to this episode, Eric, to uh kind of get an idea of how people are feeling uh when it comes to their their decisions. Yes, also we watch movies.

SPEAKER_09: 1:36:17

Yeah, I was gonna say they would have they would have they would have never nominated Amelia Perez so many times had they listened to the Wait Forward podcast, which is definitely not what happened.

SPEAKER_10: 1:36:26

To be fair, didn't we watch it after it won awards?

SPEAKER_09: 1:36:30

That's true. And it did start to have its downfall around that time, so maybe. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 1:36:37

Oh boy, I can't believe we watched that this year. Anyway, let's get to some of these submissions here for uh film of the year slash best picture, and yeah, let's get Gefilta in here first.

SPEAKER_07: 1:36:54

For my uh best picture, I mean it was tough. I I wanted to say caught stealing, it was a really fun film. Um, I wanted to throw in the Fantastic Four, but it didn't wow me as much. Thunderbolts is for sure an honorable mention for me. Uh, that one was right up there, and I really enjoyed Thunderbolts. Watched it a few more times after its release. How to get that steel book, but my winner here would definitely be Predator Badlands. By far, an incredible film. Uh, not just from my predator fan base alone, but even just from uh looking at it in a cinematic point of view, having a tale of this predator, um, taking the universe that I know and love and spinning it around, something that's challenging, something that's risky to do, and it delivered a nice good story while still maintaining the predator um in his predator-esque, you know, not not being a nice guy, focused on the mission, it's all about the honor and my kill the whole entire time. And ultimately, the fact that he kept speaking Yatwa the whole entire time was good to me. I I would I feared that we were gonna just eventually get English um done dubbed over everything, but I'm glad that it still felt very alien, felt like a great sci-fi flick, and Predator Badlands is definitely gonna be my best picture. If I can cheat, I'm gonna say best animated picture was Predator Killer of Killers. Thanks, guys, and that's my end of your awards.

SPEAKER_10: 1:38:22

Thanks, Filtha. Appreciate that again uh for uh more submissions this year. Uh again, can't wait to hang out with you, and hopefully a Jacksonville trip is in order for him in 2026. But yeah, uh Predator Badlands, like it's I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to, and I really set myself up for failure. I I don't think it's really fair uh for Badland, and I did still enjoy the movie, but I watched Killer of Killers and Prey this year, and that that's the type of violence that I was looking for, and I did and I and I was actually talking to him about this earlier today. Like, I didn't want to see the Predator killing androids, I wanted to see him eviscerate people, and that's unfortunately not what we got. At this point, though, I'm gonna go back and watch the originals like we talked about when we covered um Prey, and I also want to follow this franchise going forward, just like Alien. So, you know, we kind of alluded to this in that episode. There is that MCU void now, and we're filling it with these franchises we've just been ignoring, and I'm happy to be on the ride for Predator.

SPEAKER_09: 1:39:19

Yeah, 100%. I think I'm right there with you. I enjoyed Badlands a little bit more than you did. Um, I liked what they were trying to do. I see what I see the vision. I see the vision. I just think again, in execution, not exactly where it needed to be. But uh no, I mean Gafiltha, you know, is I could see a lot of people co coming to one of these like stable franchises that are putting out really good stuff and picking that as their movie of the year, especially if you're not going to the movies like as much as we are. Like we saw over 30 films this year in Daters, and I think that that probably says something.

SPEAKER_10: 1:39:55

Yeah, uh, you know, and I still gave it a I I gave it a three. Um And again, I'm very interested to see what happens next when it comes to that franchise. But what I really want to see uh is more animated because yes, Killer of Killers is fantastic. So uh yeah, let's get to our last submission for best picture before we give our choices here, Eric. And let's hear from Ivan one more time.

SPEAKER_01: 1:40:22

Hey, it's Ivan here. Um I am here with uh my choice for best picture. I did watch a ton of movies this year, and I thought I did think it would be a little more difficult, uh, especially after seeing movies like Begonia and stuff like that. But my favorite movie of the year, the one that like it like really sat with me more or the most and like really made me like think a lot. I don't know, it's just like everything about this movie was just fantastic. Um we had a lot, like I guess there was a lot of information and discourse about this movie as it was coming on, and then when it came out, uh, but um one battle after another was was my favorite movie of the year. I just loved it. I loved all the technical aspects, I love the performances. I just I just loved it. I everything about it was just like it hit really well for me. Um, I mean, I know some people say it was a long movie, but like I just didn't feel that it was long. Uh it really did feel like there was just a lot going on, and next thing I knew, it was like two hours that went by, and it just I didn't once think about it that it was that long. Um yeah, the the comedy was great, the the all the camera, the the chase scenes, uh the the card scenes, I think the ones like in the beginning, and then even the the one the main one that everyone talks about that's at the end, like it was all just so good. Like I just I couldn't keep my eyes off it. I I just I loved everything, the dialogue, like I said, dialogue performances, whatnot. Yeah, so one battle after another was definitely my uh movie of the year.

SPEAKER_10: 1:41:48

My name's Ivan. I have an IMAX theater near me that doesn't suck. Whatever, man. But yes, uh one battle after another. As of right now, there are a couple more, you know, more movies I want to see before the end of the year. It is a top five film for me. Um, it was outstanding, enjoyed it from beginning to end. And yeah, like you said, but you like you mentioned, Eric the humor is on point. Uh Leonardo DiCaprio, I think, does his best acting when he looks like a bum. Uh, and I think uh that this is definitely uh no exception here. But yeah, one battle after another, not mad with that pick whatsoever.

SPEAKER_09: 1:42:21

Yeah, not mad. It's also a top five film for me as of the uh recording here. So yeah, you got me. It's uh it was definitely a contender. I think on a rewatch, I might have felt differently about my score. I gave it a four out of five. It could have bumped up to it or four and a half, which would have put it in contention for top three, but uh you know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_10: 1:42:39

I think if you saw it again and we watched it together, I think you would give it a four and a half because it is we have memed it quite a bit.

SPEAKER_09: 1:42:45

We we have. I just I think I'm docking a point for having to see Sean Penn have a boner. I think that's really just what it comes down to.

SPEAKER_10: 1:42:53

Or you're gonna up it upon second rewatch. That is true, that is very true. Could go either way. Uh well, yeah, once again, thank you to Ivan and Gafiltha for their submissions here. So, Eric, would you like to go first? Because you've kind of alluded to what's about to happen here.

SPEAKER_09: 1:43:13

Yeah, I I mean, listen, I Phil likes to do this thing where he he like goes off of vibes and feelings and not his actual scores that he gave. And I'm the opposite. If it I'm gonna rank them by the order of the score, and only one film got more than a four, and that was K-pop Demon Hunters, and it got a four on first watch, guys. And I was like, wow, that was a really great time. And then I watched it again, and I was like, wow, that was really good. And then I saw it in theaters, and I said, This is a four and a half, and that the half is like all of the all of the nitpicks you have about the movie completely valid. They're all contained in that point five and thrown away. This movie may never get a five for that reason, but it is a four and a half, and it is my highest-rated film. It is the only other movies that I've given a four are seven other movies: Sinners, Chainsaw Man, Najod 2, One Battle After Another, Warfare, Companion, and I understand I'm in the minority, uh, the how to train your dragon live action. So those are the only ones that uh yeah, have gotten a four, and in that are some surprises. But again, I'm not just handing out fours and fives like candy. If I was to put K-pop Demon Hunters up against most of the movies from last year, it would probably be number five. I gave Duneport 2 a 5, The Wild Robot a four and a half, Conclave 4.5, Wicked Four and a half. I'd put K-pop Demon Hunters right in the mix there of those films, my favorite films from last year. But for this year, it did take the top spot. There are a couple more movies that I hope to watch, so make sure to stay tuned for our letterboxed episode. We typically do like a bonus stream, we turn it into content. If we put that out this year, take a look at that to see if this changes. Very unlikely, though, which is why K-pop Demon Hunters is taking the top spot. The only movie from this year that I have watched more than three times that says everything you need to know.

SPEAKER_10: 1:45:14

Yeah, I mean, listen, not um not mad about that choice whatsoever. Uh, it's it's very similar to the year where um, you know, uh what's it called? Puss in Boots, The Last Wish, Take a Shot, uh took the crown across the board. And I think um maybe it's happened one other time as well. But uh yeah, like what Eric is talking about, like I have given 13 movies fours or higher, and there's still some on the docket that I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy quite a bit. Um, as far as some of these other movies that were in contention, like you said, one battle after another. Uh, there is a film that just released on Netflix. It released in in uh as far as in like festivals, I think last year, but it just now is available to us here. It's called Train Dreams on Netflix, which is outstanding. Uh, some of the other films that I really enjoy, Companion, which is one of those that like gets sent out in the beginning of the year and you forget that you watch later in the year, a whole lot of fun. Really loved Superman. Um, and Friendship is a movie that upon a second watch, I was like, nah, that's a four. I'm gonna give that a four. Uh, and then um, yeah, really enjoyed that as well. So if you want to hear some of the other movies that I ranked highly uh here this year, like Eric said, make sure you check out that letterbox episode. Um, I've given out two fives this year. One of them is to Chainsaw Man, the Rezé Arc, which I just absolutely loved. Uh, like Eric said, we do have we are diametrically opposed foes uh when it comes to how we uh rate our movies. Uh number one for me and the film of the year is going to be Sinners. Um and it is it just hit me on every single level. On a rewatch, it did the exact same thing. I gained even more of an appreciation of the film once uh Dead Meat and the Kill Count came out. As far as how much work went into this movie, uh Michael B. Jordan was outstanding. Uh Ryan Kugler again continues to prove that he is one of the best filmmakers uh out here uh in in the current day. And uh yeah, I I love the performances, I love the music, the cinematography is uh is outstanding. And if we didn't have a shitty IMAX theater, I would have gone and seen it again in IMAX, but not stepping foot in Orange Park or Regency uh for any reason. I would have rather driven to Orlando to go see this movie with Island when we watched it than drive five minutes down the road and go to our IMAX theater in I think name only. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 1:47:28

Now that uh now that tracks, um, as far as Sinners goes, it it was a great film. It deserves that top spot. I will make this comment, which is that if uh and Phil, I know you actually like list these for movies you've seen this year, whether or not they were released, like movies you've just seen. For me, just kind of quickly scanning the horizon. Like, if I tell you what the best movie was, regardless of when it came out this year, Kpop Demon Hunters would be third. Like, I would put Ry Lane up there, which I Phil knows. Like, I fucking loved that fucking movie. Uh upon another rewatch, Perfect Blue could be in contention somewhere, but the movie I would put number one, guys. You already know. Fucking pretty woman, man. Take a shot, take a shot, pretty woman. Crazy, bro. Anybody else, crazy anybody else just fucking love pretty woman?

SPEAKER_10: 1:48:21

I would I cannot believe I do have a separate watch list for movies I've seen in it regardless of year, and Sinners is still number one on that. Crazy, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. The top three is actually still the same, it's still Sinners, Chainsaw Man, K-pop, demon hunters. Number four is Shawshank Redemption, and then Pretty Woman is number 10. Uh on the actually, I need to move this above Companion because it is better than I do enjoy it more than Companion. Um so I do need to move those around. But still, Pretty Woman is still in the top 10. Um, but it's behind things such as um Next to Normal, which is a musical that released um the one shot or the uh Pro Shot release this year. Um, but it's it's it's amongst that uh that top 10. So yeah, I do have a separate list of films, uh, which is at 53. So I did hit that the 53 the 50 mark on just films in general, um, but not for the new films. So but Sinners is is number one on both lists, so but yeah, pretty woman. Eric loves pretty woman, Aaron Brockovich on the horizon. Get ready.

SPEAKER_09: 1:49:17

Oh guys, if it honestly, if it wasn't for the pit, it would be January. So just be ready.

SPEAKER_10: 1:49:24

Yeah, crazy, crazy work, but uh not mad about it. The pretty woman is outstanding. So uh yeah, guys, there it is. The 2025 Wait Forward Award. So all of our winners, uh, your trophies will definitely be in the mail. So don't uh just look past those Grammys, Oscars, and Emmys, uh, Golden Globes, all of those. Uh the Wait Forward Award will be on its way. Uh just as the five timers jackets that we're gonna get our wait for uh what did I miss? Uh um participants, right, Eric? All of that is in the budget for 2026. Thanks to our new Capital One credit card. Stop saying we are we are an LLC now.

SPEAKER_09: 1:50:00

Stop. Stop. We are professionals. I am a surgeon, I am a podcaster.

SPEAKER_10: 1:50:09

Oh boy, uh Capital One, member of FTSC. Not sponsoring this episode. For legal reasons, the Wait for Podcast is not sponsored by Capital One. Yeah, guys, there it is. Uh 2025 was uh an insane year when it comes to uh surprises um as as well as just things that uh dominated pop culture. Cannot wait to see what 2026 brings. If anything, we have a lot of catching up to do because we just left a lot of stuff on the cutting room floor because we were so busy, and that's because of uh the wonderful opportunities that have been presented to us from uh just the people we have gotten to meet over the course of the last few years. So shout out to all of you for continuing to make this episode and this podcast possible. Eric, anything you need to mention before we get out of here? I guess if you are looking forward to what we're looking forward to in 2026, you can listen to our very next episode, which is gonna uh be with our buddy Corey. So since we didn't get his selections this year, we'll probably ask him a couple questions next week uh when we have him on. But uh yeah, anything else we need to mention, Eric, before we get out of here?

SPEAKER_09: 1:51:15

No, assuming Corey shows up for that episode, because again, he's he doesn't release his own episodes, he doesn't send us clips in time.

SPEAKER_10: 1:51:22

Um he does show up for recordings, it's the release.

SPEAKER_09: 1:51:25

Oh, yeah, all the actual like work. Okay, that's fine. He's probably on a bike somewhere.

SPEAKER_10: 1:51:33

Well, we'll be doing the work for this one, so he just has to show up with his much better beard. Uh uh, some would say.

SPEAKER_09: 1:51:40

Yeah, yeah. And uh also fellow patrons, so uh we probably shouldn't chit on him too much. No, I think uh I think uh we pretty much summed it up. Uh, we got a lot of fun stuff in the month of December. I mentioned the letterbox uh recap that we kind of do. Uh we started last year, maybe the year before when we got on to letterbox, but it's kind of been an annual thing. There's so much annual stuff going around this time of year, it makes for a lot of fun. So thanks for checking us out and uh hope you like the episode.

SPEAKER_10: 1:52:06

Yeah, shout out to everybody that submitted clips. Rue, Donald, Vintage, Andrew, Josh, uh, Ivan, Gafiltha. Appreciate all of you for participating in this year's episode. And we uh would love to have you back. And hopefully we'll see you down the road for uh uh, you know, what did I miss or whatever it may be. But folks, thank you so much. If you need, again, a reminder as to where to find everything wait for it podcast related, it's right there in the description of this in every single episode. That link tree link will give you everything you need. Follow us on social media over on TikTok and Instagram, join our growing Discord community and follow us on Twitch where we are streaming basically every single week. If you are on YouTube, hit that like, share, and subscribe button. And if you are whatever podcast player you are on, please give us five stars or whatever the equivalent of that is on any podcast player. One of the best ways you can support the show. Follow myself at uh uh as well as far as my voiceover journey, and make sure to follow Eric's personal Twitch where he streamed a shit ton in 2025, and that number is only gonna be higher in 2026. So make sure you follow us on our personal pages as well. But if you find yourself heading into the new year, wanting to get yourself or others a gift, maybe you want some more wait for it podcast content, and have a hand in uh the content that we release. Eric will let you know more about that before wrapping us up.

SPEAKER_09: 1:53:30

Yeah, it's a really good segue. I couldn't imagine anybody gifting a Patreon membership, but it would be really nice if you did because we appreciate all of the people that signed up for our Patreon and support us on a monthly basis. From Briar to T3 Kato to Vintage Macaroni, Corey from the World's My Burrito, Nick Casparo, the author of the Vitalarium series, and Botter from the Shortbox Podcast. All of these crazy nuts have decided to give us their money and in turn may or may not get jackets. I don't know. We're figuring that out from patrons to to multiple guests recoming uh recurring uh and the like. So, with all that being said, we appreciate you for coming on to this episode. If you can support us in that way, that's great. All the free stuff, we appreciate that. Whatever takes a moment of your time works for us, and we will see you stronger than ever next year. We hope to see you there. My name is Mr. Eric Almighty. That is my co-host Phil the Filipino. And don't remember, don't remember, please remember. Don't remember, don't remember please remember, please remember, please remember, please remember, and please remember we release new episodes every Wednesday for the podcast, and all you have to do is wait for it, or don't.