The Southern Senpais provide mixed reviews of the anime series "Drifters," praising the battle scenes but criticizing the lack of plot progression, character development, and representation of historical figures. They also mention that the anime incorporates too many genres without excelling in any particular area. Regardless, they enjoyed it! Listen in for their deep dive!

howdy.

It's the Southern Sin Pie Show.

We're small town southerners.

Explore big time Japanese entertainment, anime, manga, and everything in between.

Here's your hosts, Nicholas and DJ

for Japanese culture.

I'm dj.

I'm Nicholas.

And Nicholas.

Are we talking about today?

Today we're going to be talking about part two of Drifter.

So it'll be episode six through 15.

Yes, six through 15.

The first part was episode one through six.

We were suggested this by by our fans and we've got a bit of a change of heart here.

Yeah, a bit of change of heart.

, I still, I like and I dislike the anime.

So when we start off on episode six, I like the fact that, oh,

hold on, spoilers for, anyway.

First of all, this is part two.

So you probably should know that this is going to be spoilers, but whatever.

But then it's a review, right?

But spoilers for episode 60 15, just in case you, you are listening

to this and for some reason have not heard the, the previous one.

So if you had it, go check 'em out.

Yeah, go check it out.

So, like I said, episode six, I like it.

It starts off pretty much the whole episode is just one big battle.

Yeah.

The episode six is one big battle, Toyo versus Joan of Arc

and what's the other guy's name?

The, the Archer.

See, this is this, this is how I, I know this is like you, because it's like,

I, I don't, I, I don't know what it is.

Their names are really hard to pronounce.

I, I guarantee you, if we were probably like Japanese or something like that,

we'd be able to pronounce these names.

Well, yeah.

And then a lot better.

And then the Archer guy.

And then the Gilles, he was Jon of Arks squeeze or something.

They were like, they, well, that was, that was, that was her, like her

lieutenant or something like that.

Right?

Yeah.

But he was in love with her and because of course he was, because, you know, story.

Yeah, exactly.

And then, but and then ota, I don't think OTI was, who was o der

wasn't fighting anybody, was he?

No, OTA doesn't really like to fight all that much.

He's, he's a master planner.

Yeah.

He likes to he calls himself a demon lord, and then doesn't do anything.

Yeah.

And demon, what does he call himself the demon lord of the

seventh, sixth or seventh heaven.

Yeah.

Something like that.

But anyway, pretty much the whole episode is one is not one

big battle, but two big battles.

Yeah.

And I think it's, I think it's a great episode, but one big elephant in the room

that I think we need to talk about is the fact that we're halfway through the season

and there's not much plot progression.

Yeah.

We talked about this last time in which we were like, eh, like.

Barely anything happens in these episodes.

The plot is like so slow.

Like this is beyond regular.

Like usually with animated, they do a lot of talking, right?

But like there's a lot of just, just straight up regular dialogue in this.

It's just a lot of just like random back and forth that

doesn't need to be happening.

It's also I see that the tags under the anime, it's like comedy.

And c r Ss at the same time, which I think, I think, I think

that's part of the reason why it didn't get super, super popular.

They'll be talking very like, so it's drawn in like this in a style that

I would say they're little comedy based doom not add up too much.

In fact, I would say that it would probably be better if the whole thing

was just taken seriously and there was no like random co, like if the

comedy was still done in the art style, when they, when they break off into

comedy, the art completely changes.

Mm-hmm.

Which is, , a lot of shows do that, but I think that theirs art

just stayed the same while they were doing it, and it wouldn't be.

So it's kind of cringy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It, it's, it's a bit cringy except especially with ota.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Otis is kind of cringy and then like, it's also really weird to, you know,

I, I'm just gonna say last time we.

Suspected that the Black King was Jesus.

And all I gotta say is that it's probably last time I go like, yeah,

we're not really sure this and that.

Okay.

He's definitely Jesus.

So, 'cause we had suspicion that for some reason the creator had some sort

of issue with, , first of all anyone it could be any religion they want to.

Right, right, of course.

But at the same time, it's like, okay, well if you're gonna poke

fun at someone's religion, like there's like a way that you do it.

You don't, you don't just be like, oh, your religion's, you know, stupid.

Like, okay, he shouldn't do it.

But like, it's weird that like the bad guys have all Christians

basically, and then like Hitler.

Well, it's like I was telling you, right.

I.

I understand, like you, we were talking about Joan of Ark, right?

Yeah.

And how she's an end, she's on the evil side.

Yeah.

And how she has her power of fire.

Yeah.

Right?

And you see these ends are basically, they've given up on

humanity because people who were portrayed by humanity, right.

So Joan of Ark was, you know, she did everything she was

supposed to and she came back.

So I, I get why they made her a villain, right.

It's the same thing of Jesus, right?

So if you, like I was telling you before, if you take the emotion out

of it, if you take the emotion, if you take the fact that we are both

Christians, if you both take out all of that and just objectively look at Jesus,

he's, if you flip it on its head, He's basically the best and ultimate villain.

Yeah.

But if you, if you're saying that he's mad that humanity did this, it basically

defeats the purpose of him in general.

So it's like, oh yeah, no, I know.

It would be, it was like, okay.

Yeah.

You know, he, they're, they're basing it off of people who

would existed this and that.

Okay.

Yeah.

But as an artist or as someone who writes a next show, you can,

like, you're doing it for a reason.

It's not random, I don't think, I don't think people have, I think that

if, if, , south Park has had several episodes in which Jesus, , he's not

the, the the antagonist a lot per se, but like he gets in the way of

some stuff they're trying to do.

Right.

And no one blacks an eye.

, some people have bad eyes, but like, it's not that big of a deal.

No.

Right.

But it's done in such a way in which is like, Nuanced or something like that.

Right.

This guy is, , it'd be different.

It was like only Jesus.

And it was like, okay, well in this one scenario, this and that,

but then Jesus, Joan of Arc St.

Germaine, it's like, well, what are we doing here?

Right?

Yeah.

Like you specifically chose them for a reason.

Yeah.

And then you're saying that, oh, it's 'cause they were portrayed by humanity.

Are you trying to tell me that only Christians get betrayed by humanity?

Well, maybe it's like I said maybe, and I, I hate to sound like.

Self-centered and they were making it for Americans, but maybe they

were like, well, hey, maybe this be really controversial in America.

Maybe this will make people hate.

Watch it.

Maybe it'll, maybe it'll, I think, I think hate watching is only like a new thing.

This came out, I think hate watching only became popular.

With Velma before people used to just hate, hate clips.

You know what I'm saying?

Like with YouTube and stuff like that or something.

, the terrible part is, is or the un the unfortunate part about this anime

it is, it's, it's still pretty good.

Like if we take out the fact that Jesus, Joan of Ark and k Shane Jermaine,

it's still a pretty good anime.

I think it's okay.

I think that my issue is with it is like it would be, it has, its,

I feel like it has its moments.

Right.

You know what I'm saying?

It's very, it.

Like there's some parts where it's good and some parts, and when

it's good it's like really good.

Like I'm really get into it.

I really get into like the action scene and stuff like that, but

then the character start talking and I'm like, all right, cool.

And there's like nothing happening and they're still talking.

It's like, it's like, it's like dragging Ball Z, but with dragging Ball Z.

Their fights also lasted several episodes.

They would talk for like two episodes, power up for like one

episode, but then the fight was like 30 episodes long, right?

That five minute explosion on dynamic took forever.

Right?

But for this one, it's just like, there's like a fight.

Hopefully, and then the rest of it is just talking.

Yeah.

I, I think that a lot of the anime doesn't really drive this story forward.

We also don't know a whole lot.

Yeah.

We also, like, for example, okay, the thing is, is.

Overarchingly for me.

It's like, okay, they're building up to a big chess battle.

Right?

They have these pieces.

Yeah.

Right.

Which are the drifters and the ends, right?

Mm-hmm.

And those are the two sides, and they're basically building

up to this big chess battle.

Yeah.

Right.

And I feel like now there's a lot of animes that are

building up two things, right?

You got Naruto, you got dragon ballsy, you got all those types of animes.

But the thing is, is I feel like it was built into that.

Well, I, I, I would say that, and this one just makes it seem like

it's just dragging everything out.

I would argue that there, that this anime is like, They

definitely expected a season two.

That's what I'm saying.

I I, they definitely expected to have more seasons in which they did.

They, that's why they're kinda like trying to take their time with , blah, blah.

The difference is with, with nato, , dude, some of NATO's filler that has nothing

to do with anything is very watchable.

Right.

The, the, the, the episodes themselves.

So I think that the issue is, is that they're just banking on, like you said,

they're building to something, right?

And they're banking on the fact that people's like, oh, they're

building to it, so I'm just gonna sit here and wait patiently.

No, you're supposed to enter.

Like, that's not how entertainment works.

Entertainment isn't like, oh, I'll give it to you.

I'm gonna entertain you later.

Like, oh, let me go sit down and watch this movie.

'cause I know the ending will be good.

That's not why you watch your movie, you watch your movie.

'cause you expect the movie itself to be good.

And I think that they take too much liberty in waiting and telling

the audience they have to wait.

No, absolutely.

I, I think, well, , think about it like this.

They don't even get to what I would consider the first chess

battle until like episode 15.

You're right.

And I think, and dude, and it's weird to say like, oh, that's it.

Like the battle to me personally, I was not satisfied.

, yeah, it was a lot of buildup and they overran the castle really quickly.

Yeah.

, I feel like someone must have told them like, Hey, like

you're not getting a season two.

So they just like wrapped it up as fast as possible.

But this goes back to what something we talked about previously where

it's like, you know, if you get canceled in the middle of it, a lot

of times not anime, they just drop it.

Like it's hot.

Like it's a hot potato.

Oh, it's over.

That's it.

Last episode.

No one cares.

Well, , the thing is, and it was extra too.

Like this is not in the regular 12 season run.

Yeah.

Like regularly.

It was the 12 season mean, oh, 12 episodes.

12 episode run.

Yeah.

And the thing was also is that their confirmed for a second season.

Right.

Yeah.

But the, the anime came out what, in 2017?

Yeah, 17.

So initially they were not green lit for a second season.

So I think that's probably why the ending of it feels rushed.

There's gonna be a lot of people who really liked the

anime for it to come back.

I know the manga did better than the anime did, but.

I really, I, I really, really hope that apparently the mug is pretty good too.

, obviously it would be because as a show, but , I think they, I, I hope they fix

that pacing, the pacing needs to be fixed.

And I'm just a guy, like I, if I, if, if your audience has shown it, shown

an audience, they like people fighting.

They need very little explanation to fight, but you have to give them

some explanation, Hey, this side is a good side, this side is bad side.

And then, They're fighting over, you know, the, some water or something

like, just some, something random.

Right.

Well, also I think that the fact is, but then you have to deliver fights, right?

They, I think they deliver fights, I think, I don't think they deliver

enough fights, I'll say that.

Right.

They, I feel like it tries to be everything.

I feel like it tries to be a very serious anime.

Yeah.

It's, it tries to be comedic.

Yeah.

That's a good point.

It tries to be, I think it tries to be everything.

It tries to be dramatic, and then it tries to be funny.

Then it tries to be action, and then it tries to be like horror for a minute,

and then it tries to do, and it's like, because it tries to do everything

and it tries to be philosophical with like the Black King and so, so like,

because it tries to do everything and ends up not being able to do anything.

Right.

Because isn't isn't the saying though, is if you try to please everybody, you

are gonna please absolutely no one right.

Right.

And the weird part is, like you said, when it's good, it's actually pretty

good, but it's not good enough to carry the parts that are, are bad.

Well, also, I feel like the anime sets up a lot of the storylines like it,

it sets up a bunch of its storylines.

Yeah.

But it's only 30 episodes long.

, 30 minutes long.

The episode, , let's be real here.

There is a lot of other animes that have the same restrictions as these guys do.

Some of 'em with less money, who do a lot more.

It's not about, you know, like, yeah, they're setting some stuff up, but you're

supposed to do that throughout the story.

, that's how a good story works.

A good story is like, Hey, I'm gonna plant this for later.

That's what they're set up for, not, oh, I need this whole episode to explain why I'm

making, now I will say this, I didn't know what Soul Peter was before watching this.

No, no.

That was definitely educational.

Hey, I gotta give the Ws with the Ws are like, there are some interesting

things I didn't I and plus it's like, oh.

This is a fantasy land of LS and drawers, whatever.

And there is, and this is an original, more or less, a more original concept

than what I've seen previously where it's like, oh, only these historical

figures and then these two people in the hallway, whatever they're doing.

Yeah, no, it's, it's, but like I was, like I was saying when, by like other

characters, like the Navy captain or the Navy pilot or Skipio or Butch

Cassidy and the Sundance kid also in my earlier point is, Poor plot progression.

That's, that's, that's like, it's like, it's like that's the crux of it.

Like that's, you know what this is like, this is like with recreators

where it had all, it has all the elements, but it doesn't quite unlike

Recreators where it was like they kind of had a really great concept and then

didn't really execute it very well.

Like this one was a little bit different.

Drifters was further along for me, in which I was gonna like, okay, yeah,

I can sit here and, and watch this.

Right, right.

Yeah.

But it's like, it's, I think it, if they fix the pacing in the second

season, it, it could be hype.

Oh, it could be, it be phenomenal.

It could be really, really hype.

And especially I think since they know like, okay, last time we got

shut down, and it's better incentive for you to say, oh, lemme try to

get as much story here as possible.

Now, caveat to that, if things are happening so fast, I don't understand.

It could feel random, right?

But they did, they took so much time setting all that stuff up.

Like you said, like they take all their time to set up this person, that person

set up this, this, that they, all this talking, make it pay off by helping the

pacing in the second season enough to where it's like, okay, well now we don't

need to explain stuff as much anymore.

Yeah.

You could be, second season is just like all action, all story, right?

All, all everything.

Yeah.

Like all action.

As far as I will say this, I feel like, I, like, I feel like there's going to be I

feel like eventually we might see Hitler.

I don't know why I have this feeling, but we'll eventually see Hitler.

Yeah.

I don't know why.

, they can, they can die in the other realm and they turn into salt.

Right?

Right.

When they die.

But I don't know, actually, we don't know if drifters turn to

salt when they die because only one person, only one end has died.

Right.

Yeah, I think, I think, yeah, only so far one N has done.

Yeah.

Just, just, just, just that one guy who fought, who, who's, well, they, they

might, they might, they might weave it into the story because in the story

counts, Saint Jermaine was instrumental with Hitler in creating the OR to Empire.

Yeah.

Which I also thought was like, okay, well, When exactly did he get there?

Because St.

Germaine says that they, the humans have now been controlling it for

50 years because of Adolf Hitler.

Right.

Okay.

And St.

Germaine helped him.

Right.

But then the, , St.

Germaine has been alive for 50 because it isn't, he doesn't seem

like he would be that old in the show.

Right.

And so does it, like they, have they stopped aging or like

what's, I feel like that's a, a.

They haven't even explained it at all.

So there are some things I I questioning, especially like some

of the things you just leave it up to like, oh, it's anime, right?

But for you to say like, oh yeah, we got here 50 years ago and we've

been here kicking ass, and then now Hitler's just gone and it's just

me, but yeah, I helped do this.

You're like, bro, 50 years.

That's a long time.

Yeah.

And then everything is just falling apart around them.

Even if, let's say, just give him the, the biggest.

Biggest doubt ever and say, actually, I'm not really sure when St.

Germaine died, but let's just say it was 20.

Just say it was, it is probably wrong.

Right.

But let's just say it was 20, 50 years.

That means he would be 70 in this show and he is clearly not 70.

Yeah, that's true.

Also, one thing I don't under, one thing I also don't understand

is why did they make like.

What happened to Hannibal?

I, they made him like, oh, now he's like crazy.

Or something like that.

Berry addict or something.

I have no idea.

I feel like they tried to see like, oh, because he doesn't have Skipio, there's

no point, like kinda like, oh, without the enemy, there's no need to fight.

But at the same time, I don't believe their relationship

was like that in real life.

No.

And then also at the very end, like in episode 12, he says something and Otis

like, oh wow, this dude's a genius.

Because he says something like, I just, yeah, he made some sort of

hand gesture and the OTI was, whoa.

Oh my gosh.

Like, you right.

And then.

Nothing came of that.

I'm not really sure what, like I said, maybe we're just not, this

is, this is what I had said before.

Maybe we're just not cultured enough to know what Yeah, I'm trying.

I'm trying, man, because I'm like, dude, I just don't get it.

Although, do me a fair, like I, the story itself is starting to

just fly by the seam of his pants.

I think that there was definitely some planning done in this, but you could tell

some of this stuff just feels like random.

Okay.

So why does Hannibal lose his mind?

Because of Skipio?

It seems like they didn't like each other in the first place, right?

No.

So , it's not like, you know, they crossed over and they both were like,

oh, hey, now that we're both dead, I have so much respect for you now.

Now we're friends after the fact that didn't happen.

Right?

And then.

Also, I, I feel like, I can't even say that he has a distaste for

Americans because Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, I feel like

that was just dropped in there.

I think we said that down on the, on the last podcast.

Yeah.

I, I think it was just, ah, we gotta figure out a way to get guns in this.

Cowboys.

Yeah.

Cowboys have guns.

Let's just put, let's just put these cowboys in here.

Which I, to be fair, I was like, I was telling Nick this off the podcast.

I was like, bro, Samura Ryan Cowboys.

That's awesome.

That's awesome.

But at the same time, it's like they barely use them.

All they do is just drive around from place to place, you know?

And it's like, well they had the Gatlin gun.

Yeah, but they only used it like what?

Once or twice.

Yeah.

And also, which one of them died that had a Gatling gun with them?

That's just not something you're just carrying around.

That's true.

Like the other guy, like he was like he was, you know, he was in the airplane.

Right, right.

So I can totally see that.

Like he's going down, or really, anytime in the air, you easily, a

portal opens up and he goes into the airplane, fine, whatever.

And then you go into a hallway, banks left.

I have no, it doesn't, that doesn't matter.

Right.

'cause you saw a portal open up in the sky, so it kind of seems like, oh, he was

just flying straight bleeding to death.

And then the whole plane went to him.

I got that.

But the other guy are drifters and he has like a ga You be, he's like

touching the plane when he goes through.

So they were touching a gatlin gun or like they're holding it.

You are using it.

That that's not light.

That's why everybody pulled by a car.

And also he becomes like a sky guy to these cat and dog

creatures with cat wolf people.

I, although I did think it was kind of funny Skipio was like, oh, I,

I don't speak Japanese, but Rome.

And he's like, oh, you're Italian.

That's one of the access powers.

So we're friends.

' cause I'm a Nazi and I, dude, I think, I think he's one of the

good guys, which is weird, right?

Yeah.

I don't.

I, because the thing is, this is the thing, right?

So this is what I say about like, so who are we to like criticize this?

Like we sit there and say all this about this, but then again,

who are we to criticize this?

We're the people watching it?

Like this is the whole point.

We're supposed to criticize it.

That's that, that's that, that's the point.

You know what I'm saying?

If you're, if you.

Watch media, you're like, oh, I can't have opinions about it

because I don't know the context.

I don't know where they're from.

Then don't watch any media.

That's true.

Don't watch anything.

In fact, if you create stuff like me, if you would, you don't create a, you don't

write a book for people not to read it.

You don't make a TV show for people not to watch it Now.

I would, especially this was, it came on in 2017.

I'm not really sure when it was written.

Probably several years prior.

Right, right.

But anything after, I would argue after the year 2010, you know, Americans might

be watching it or interested in it.

Yes.

But especially because anime is so popular now.

Right, right.

, tuna was like, what?

That was like the early thousands.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

So, If you're making anime, that might be popular, especially the ones that

went to America made a lot of money.

You, that's like, I'm not saying that.

You know, once, if you go, if they go to America, they become very popular.

But if they usually make it to the West, that means they

have a lot of push behind them.

You know what I'm saying?

So for him to be like, for, for us to be like, oh, well we shouldn't

judge it 'cause we don't know it.

No, , we might not understand its origins per se.

Right.

But it's like, No, I think we have every right to criticize us.

Everything.

Everything's up, up to criticism, you know what I'm saying?

It's like, you know, if someone listens to our podcast and they're like, oh,

well, you know, I'm, I'm not from the South, so I can't judge them.

No, that's not how, that's how life works.

They're, they're not gonna, they're not gonna take that into account.

Right.

No, I, I think that's, I think that's fair.

I would love to understand the background of how this got made,

because it seems like, again, everywhere that I see this on the internet.

Yeah.

It's very highly rated.

Yeah.

Like, yeah, it's very highly rated.

Maybe that's why I was telling you before, like, you know, the fact that

Joan of Art is evil, the fact that, and the also the thing is, is like

they don't confirm that it's Jesus.

Right?

But it's very heavily implied.

It's very heavily like, like so much so in which like, they don't

even need to say that it's Jesus.

It just, it just, you just got, and plus now the monsters

are forming a new religion.

Yeah, they, yeah, they started, they're the followers, the Black King also, you

had the fact that they, that Jesus, well, the Black King's right hand man started

to create a society literacy language.

Their farming.

Farming, you know, they were like these, these golans didn't know.

They didn't know farming.

They didn't know agriculture.

Yeah.

They didn't know.

, they captured the bronze dragon.

Yeah, bro.

That was hype.

That was pretty cool.

They captured the bronze dragon.

That was pretty cool.

But that's what I'm, I want more of that.

I want less of the just philosophical talking.

Right.

They, they created society, they created commerce, you

know, the currency was copper.

Yeah.

Literacy all this type of stuff.

Even one of the characters were like, It would, it takes humans hundreds

and hundreds of years to develop this kind of society between goblins and

orcs and whatever you wanna call 'em.

Well, to be fair, you can, you can definitely speed up things.

We create a bunch of wheat from one hand.

Yeah, it's, it's, you know what, I'll say it, I'll say it like this.

It's so heavily implied that Jesus, if it's not Jesus, that

would probably piss me off more.

Right.

If it was not Jesus and it was somebody else, I don't care if they was like, oh,

it's J F K, it's Nero or some, or, yeah, or some, some random, but I'd be like,

no, no, I, that, that makes me more upset.

That makes me more upset that it's not Jesus.

Right, right.

I was looking on comments and criticisms all over the internet about it, and

people were sitting saying, oh, it's Nero.

Oh, it's this.

Oh, it's that new ev.

Then there's a lot of commenters are like, it's obviously Jesus.

Like he's got marks on his hands.

Who else?

Who else has the marks?

Marks on his hands, makes the food grow, heals people, you know, just the way

that he talks, the way that he talks.

The first shall be last.

Then the last shall be first.

And like, who else do you like?

The me equal, inherit the earth type of . Who else talks like that?

Nobody.

Nobody, you know?

To be fair though, since he hasn't been quote unquote revealed, they could

pull the curve ball and be like, oh, actually it's Sardi, harra, eat it.

And I'd be like, eh, I What about the marks on his hand?

But still, I'd be like, okay, I can maybe, but at the same time,

I still not, would not believe it.

Well, , they, they call the, they call the, at least in the Catholic church, they

call the marks on the hand of stigmata.

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't, so who else would have a stigmata?

, I don't think Buddha had those.

No, don't think, don't think Buddha had those.

I don't.

I don't think so.

Also, I think it would, I think it would be different if they had the emphasis

on religion or the emphasis of Jesus.

Like, okay, it was, it was offensive, but also Buddha also, Whatever.

Yeah.

, it could also be that he is Buddhist and he could be just tired of all

these Westerners coming over to, and, and culturally invading his country.

Yeah, that's true.

to be fair, that could also be the point, but yeah.

So what's your verdict on it so far?

, I, and now we've seen the whole season, the we've seen the 12

episodes plus the, the extras.

Three three extras.

I don't really like it all that much, but I still think it's a, it's a good anime.

I think it's, I think it's worth the watch.

Yes.

But it's not gonna be one of your favorites.

No.

It's not gonna be your favorite, but it's worth the watch.

Like I'm not, I, I can't say that I, it's different than some that

will be quote unquote forgettable.

It's definitely not that.

It's definitely worth the watch.

I definitely wear high parts when I enjoy myself.

I just, even if it wasn't.

The, the Christian thing was something you just picked up late later on after

several, several episodes of watching it.

Right, right.

So, I dunno.

, I think it's worth it.

Watch.

Yeah, me too.

Yeah.

Alright, well that has been Southern s stay tuned for another

episode next Wednesday, guys.

Alright.

I'm Nicholas, I'm dj and this has been Southern S See you.

This has been Southern Sin Pies on Comic-Con Radio.

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