The Damage Report: We put our emotional stability on the line across three wildly different titles this week. First up is Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters per Second, where we debate whether tragic romantic longing is high art or if someone simply forgot that cell phones exist. We also discuss the opening four episodes of Code Geass and the pure tonal whiplash of high-stakes military rebellion colliding with roller-skating mechs and mandatory classroom cleaning duty. Finally, we break down episodes 1 through 5 of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, trying to make sense of the Clark Kent effect behind the convenience store while desperately hunting for a phantom dog that Google’s AI promised us was in the cast.

00:00:00 – Welcome to Episode 2 & The Leeds Demographic

00:00:53 – 5 Centimeters per Second (Shinkai's Train Delays)

00:03:37 – The Unsent Letter & Why Didn't He Just Call?

00:07:08 – Surfer Girl Sympathy & Romanticizing the Past

00:09:23 – Snuggling with "Honor"

00:13:20 – PedidosYa Beer Delivery & Acheson Barbera

00:16:06 – Miranda Priestly & The Devil Wears Prada Confusion

00:18:26 – 5 Centimeters per Second Official Ratings

00:22:56 – Code Geass (Assassinations & Area 11 Lore)

00:26:26 – C.C. the Green-Haired Girl & Swapping to Dub

00:29:45 – 21 Jump Street with Mechs

00:32:24 – Code Geass Ratings & Roller-Skating Mechs

00:34:01 – What Actually Makes Animation "Good"?

00:36:45 – Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (The AI Dog Mystery)

00:41:06 – Yamada vs. Tayama & The Clark Kent Disguise

00:44:18 – The Midriff Incident & Two-Timing Theories

00:49:03 – How Sasaki Will Handle the Reveal

00:50:45 – Smoking Behind the Supermarket Official Ratings

00:53:23 – Frieren & The Existential Dread of Immortal Elves

00:57:04 – Next Week's Homework: Evangelion & Toradora!

01:00:32 – Vermeil in Gold & Demon Mana Logistics

01:02:48 – Deep Pontifications: Búhos, Cat Sounds & Rubén Darío

01:06:36 – Sign-Off: Stay Damaged

Music:

"I Got a Stick Arr Bryan Teoh" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this pilot episode, Zach confesses he gets emotionally wrecked by high school rom-coms just to feel something, Ron dodges construction workers and tracks down a runaway cat in Nicaragua, and we both try to understand why anime student councils possess the sovereign authority to overthrow governments.

Plus: ghost kitchen delivery economics, Sir Hiss-a-lot the ball python, why werewolves make terrible tenants, and naming the show in real time. This week's homework: Code Geass, 5 Centimeters per Second, and smoking with a dog at the grocery store... or something.

Contact: emotionaldamagecast@gmail.com

00:00 - The Squeaky Chair Solo & Construction Woes

02:12 - Metal Scape Returns & Bass Finger Surgery

04:15 - Mic Rust & Nicaraguan Cigarettes

05:57 - Why We Skipped Anime as Kids

06:56 - Gambling High Schools & Student Councils (Kakegurui)

07:38 - Ron's Delivery Food, PedidosYa & Ghost Kitchens

11:58 - Tearjerkers, AI Recommendations & Frieren

14:43 - Evangelion at 8 Years Old & Ranma ½

17:58 - "Smart Anime" vs. Death Note

21:27 - Soccer Anime & Giant Robots

23:42 - Zack's Gateway: Falling for Toradora! & Tsunderes

26:58 - Intermission: Ron's Cat Escapes

30:15 - Meet Sir Hesselot the Ball Python

31:45 - Ron's Gateway: Code Geass & Lelouch

37:35 - WW2, Nukes & Geopolitics in Anime

43:27 - The Evangelion Hospital Scene & Rebuilds

47:22 - Beastars, Furries & Wolf Children

50:35 - The Tinder Rec: Smoking Behind the Supermarket & Chainsmoker Cat

52:56 - The Way of the Househusband & Anime Comedy Tropes

56:40 - Naming the Podcast: MetalSucks, Fred Durst & Limp Bizkit

1:02:39 - Aging Out of 2000s Edgelord Humor

1:07:14 - Locking in the Name: Emotional Damage

1:09:35 - Episode Formats & Watch-Along Plans

1:13:52 - Why Are Cats Everywhere in Anime?

1:15:44 - Samurai Champloo & "What Is a College?"

1:20:31 - Persona 3 Reload & Jazz Soundtracks

1:21:10 - Investigating Other "Emotional Damage" Podcasts

1:24:23 - The Phenotype Debate: Why Is Everyone Blonde? (Mukokuseki)

1:28:54 - The Sub vs. Dub Philosophy

1:32:07 - Future Robot Daltanius (1979) Screen Share

1:35:49 - Vinland Saga & The 57-Ship Spoon Massacre

1:38:41 - The Gyaru Screen Share Rabbit Hole

1:40:15 - Setting the Homework: Code Geass vs. 5 Centimeters per Second

1:42:03 - The Phantom Stray Dog in Smoking Behind the Supermarket

1:46:12 - The 10-Minute Drop Rule & Spy x Family

1:48:36 - Where to Watch Anime: Crunchyroll, Netflix & HIDIVE

1:50:32 - "Stay Damaged" Sign-Off & Metal Scape Nostalgia