dwerkmd

I get your angle, but there is actually a video game analogy here. Giant Bomb and Nextlander are akin to free-to-play models. Giant Bomb gives away the main game and direct community communications, such as the Bombcast and Quick Looks and a message board, while charging one price to unlock all additional content.

Nextlander currently appears to be modeled on free-to-play for the bulk of the content, while banking on a built in goodwill from a dedicated fanbase and whales to buy minor perks similar to vanity cosmetics in the form of having your name read and giving input, whatever that means, about the direction the new company takes. The community board is behind the paywall in the form of Discord.

Functional business models either way. Good luck to both parties. I hope for their continued success.

Also close to this sentiment. Vinny, Alex and Brad are great, and I've loved much of what they've done and they seem like genuinely incredible people. Over the last couple of years I've been less inclined to watch everything they put out though as their energy level and investment seemed lessened over time. I hope that there is more to Nexlander than more of the same. I'm excited for the podcast, but if they don't branch out too far beyond what they've initially released so far then the podcast is as far as I'll be going.

In the same boat on Fire Escape. I like all three of them and the show has a positive friend vibe. My problems are that the money hustle from Dan always feels a little gross to me and Mike's version of hyper is not complimented by Danisms.

My Love Story - Mostly happy without forced drama. Good main characters.

Love is War - My favorite current series, the end of the upcoming season is going to be great.

Boarding School Juliet - Decent goofy rom-com. Short series.

Some to check out that aren't quite in line with your requested styles

Gurren Lagaan - Fun ride with some great absurd action and well placed tragedy.

Kill la Kill - Same people that made Gurren Lagaan. Exceptional animation and weird but fun story.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood - Regularly recommended for good reason. One of the best.

There's a good number of backlog items i never had a chance to watch. I'm happy to look back while they work toward tomorrow.

Though it's exceptionally saddening to see the three of you go, I'd like to say thank you for everything you've given us. Best wishes.

The situation by its nature is going to lead to complicated feelings and speculation. Giant Bomb as an idea and community is more than an individual moving on to do something else. There is the obvious implications of work/life balance, compensation, and wanting to do different things. When it was just Patrick, Drew, Ben, Abby, etc. setting sail, closure was easier to come by.

Where the complication sets in for the community is that Giant Bomb as an idea and community is very much defined by these founding members. As unfair as it may be to place parasocial feelings onto them, it is also the direct result of the business they built and traded in. The partially one-sided relationship is over a decade long for many and the grief, sadness and emptiness is real. Giant Bomb is part of a lifestyle for people.

So while it shouldn't be pushed on Alex, Brad or Vinny to air dirty laundry or be made to talk about their personal situation outside of a "It's been a hell of a ride, thanks and goodbye!", I hope there is an understanding that the empty feeling and lack of closure for the many people that follow this site is a real thing. We can read daily stories at the moment of community members literally crying, feeling devastated and wondering if their time with internet gaming culture is at an end. A simple goodbye without a modicum of explanation for all three leaving at once will only fuel the grief and speculation. And leaving so much room for speculation, being itself rooted in half truths at best, will perpetuate these feelings, further complicating the sites future.

I started up Steins;Gate a couple of weeks ago because it regularly tops suggested watch lists. The first episode threw me off pretty bad, even with having a vague understanding of what the show was about. The editing felt weird, the characters were hard to like... I really wasn't feeling it. I couldn't understand why people love it so much.

I kept going anyway and hit the halfway point. From episode 12 on I binged the whole series. Turns out Steins;Gate is actually pretty great lol.

The first half sets up the rest incredibly well. Even though i had a hard time getting into it at first, it's really important to what was enjoyable for me in the last half. It's a weird feeling to have a retroactive appreciation of something you didn't care for only a day before.

Hearing Dragon Ball references on a lot of content lately is making me want to listen to All Systems Goku again. Are we going to get a followup? If so, would you want another Dragon Ball podcast or a watch of another series?

Get well soon Vinny, but maybe consider keeping that awesome yet slightly disconcerting voice for occasional use. Vocaloid tech?