What do you do when companies are erasing art from existence? What do you do if you never really own media if its digital? Alex, Kate, and Adrian talk about the erasing of Funimation as a platform, the taking down of games, and other general dystopian "you don't own it" corporate attitudes and where piracy fits into it all.
This week, Alex, Kate, and Neysha talk about body diversity in media and how casting thin actresses for buff characters perpetuates outdated and colonial ideas of beauty.
This week, Alex, Kate, and Jason talk public domain and why everyone collectively went "But Like, What If Steamboat Willy F***ed?" They discuss the immediate reaction to make anything public domain sexy or a horror story from Pooh Blood & Honey to all of the muder-varients of Steamboat Willy.
This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt ask the question: Do people really like sci-fi? Or do they just like space fantasy and think that everything else is boring?
This week Alex, Kate, and Matt get together to say goodbye to 2023 and talk about all the things they loved in pop culture throughout the year. From video games to movies and why Godzilla Minus One needs an oscar, listen to our last episode of 2023.
This week Alex is joined by Jason and Adrian to talk about the validity of disliking things, and how sometimes it’s alright to hate stuff, no matter what the internet says. From Star Wars to Fast X and beyond, there’s something for everyone (to dislike).
[From Patreon] Welcome to a new bi-weekly Patreon exclusive show, I Bet You Haven't Seen This. Every other week, Patrons at any tier will get to hear about at least three things we bet you haven't seen and why you totally should. This week, But Why Tho's Senior Editor Jason takes the reigns to walk you through what's on VOD, what's seating in theaters, and what's fleeting from streamers at the end of November. #1: Seating/Streaming — Maestro #2: Streaming(ish) — The Shadow of the Sun (La Sombra ...
This week, Alex, Adrian, and Kate talk about the appeal of competition as entertainment. From Survivor to The Challenge and Physical 100, the trio talk about why they like watching this specific genre of entertainment and why we're all just a little bloodthirsty in the end.
Wizards of the Coast and Magic: the Gathering have been embracing diversity in fantasy storytelling. With a beautifully adapted Lord of the Rings set that was released earlier in 2023 and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set, it's a beautiful time to see yourself represented in fantasy in ways that haven't been present before. This month, Magic the Gathering released a stellar Mesoamerican-inspired The Lost Caverns of Ixalan that brought to life gods, places, and the dinosaurs of the Yucatan and reima...
If this week’s episode was a cereal it would be Oops All Recommendations. Listen along as Alex, Swara, and Adrian share the things that have them excited. From manga to TV to games and beyond, if you’re looking for something to love we’ve got you covered.
Alan Wake II is already set to be one of the top games of the year. With layered horror storytelling and a mixed-medium approach to game design, this sequel to 2010's Alan Wake carries on the legacy of one of gaming's biggest horror-mystery icons. Developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games, we got the chance to talk with Creative Director Sam Lake and Game Director Kyle Rowley about Remedy's first survival horror game and revisiting an IP 13 years later. Additionally, we discu...
This week, Alex, Kate, and Swara skip the news, skip the jokes, and get serious. Whether it's saying, "it's a great year for gaming," when every studio is laying off developers, talking about movies during a strike, or having podcasts while a genocide is being allowed to happen, how do we keep talking about pop culture when the world is so...bad? It's a tough question and one we've been grappling with and today, we talk about it. How do you keep talking about pop culture when the world is on fir...
This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt talk about games as service. Which genres benefit from it? Which ones struggle with the pivot? And, we debate, the question: Sequel versus constant expansions? While live service may bring an eye roll from some gamers, we think they may just be an answer to some of gaming's problems.
As the Assassin's Creed franchise returns to its roots in West Asia for Assassin's Creed: Mirage , allowing players to explore the splendor of Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th Century, Ubisoft has recruited a Persian legend to help bring this story to life. An icon in Iranian and many other SWANA communities and beyond, Shohreh Aghdashloo has paved the way for SWANA actors to have roles that transcend beyond the stereotypes we're too often limited to, even though these nuanced rol...
Assassin's Creed Mirage is bringing this iconic video game franchise back to its roots in more ways than one. Perhaps most significantly, by setting this installment in West Asia (the Middle East) once again, like the original Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft has moved the franchise forward by taking it back to its roots. By giving us another Arab Assassin protagonist (after Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad ) in Basim Ibn Ishaq ( Lee Majdoub ) in Assassin's Creed Mirage. When we interviewed the game's star, Lee Majd...
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1 is here and it's expanding the world of the hit series, that some people would say broke the video game adaptation curse (it's me, I'm some people). Set in the 18th century in the middle of the French Revolution, audiences are introduced to a new Belmont, and a new evil, the Vampire Messiah. In this interview, Directors Sam and Adam Deats and showrunner Kevin Kolde talk about bringing Castlevania to life, the changes in animation, Annette's ( Thuso Mbedu ) journey ...
This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt are on to talk about Rotten Tomatoes or, more importantly the "Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes," the Vulture article that questioned not only the legitimacy as the aggregator but the critics of it as well. Do we need a middle ground? Or is fresh and rotten enough? Also, how does widening access almost always result in high scores — hint, it's not from bribing. We dive into the topic and discuss the importance, or the lack thereof the review aggregator.
It's not every day that a studio gets handed the keys to Disney's most magical property, Mickey and Friends. Recently, Dlala Studios was given that chance and more in their new game, Disney Illusion Island . In their fresh take on the Metroidvania genre, Dlala got to create their own fresh story for Disney's Fab 4, and even were one of the historical few to create a new design for Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy. Yet there were some lingering questions after hitting the credits. Like, why was ...
At PAX West 2023, we got the chance to talk to Design Director Artie Rogers and Narrative Director Sam Johnson, developers on Wizard101 and Pirate101. In this interview, the duo discusses the importance of building an MMO that is driven by the community and how Wizard101 has been able to evolve over time to offer players the ability to play how they want to.
This week Alex, Katherine, and a Charles sit down to talk about how consumption and capitalism collide when a movie, game, or show launches. Is it your fault when something “underperforms?” Do studios give shows enough time to breathe before canceling them? All that and more this week on But Why Tho.
Phoenix Labs has swung for the fences with its cozy dungeoneering social sim Fae Farm. With elements of core cozy games like managing your homestead, gathering materials, tending to animals, talking to villagers, fishing, and, of course, customizing your character's appearance whenever you want. But the added ability to find resources in dungeons and move through them, progressing from one floor to the next, is a unique element that begs co-op play. Speaking with Akshay Balakrishnan (Senior Prog...
Hans Vogel is Dead began as a webcomic nearly a decade ago, written and illustrated by Sierra Barnes. Now publishing its first of three volumes with Dark Horse , But Why Tho met Barnes at her studio to hear about the series, its origins, Barnes' influences, comic lettering, and what makes the series special.
Final Fantasy XVI, the latest addition to the storied Square Enix franchise, is a large and beautiful world with complex and dynamic characters. At PAX West 2023, we sat down with Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and some of the voices behind beloved characters, including Clive Rosfield (Ben Starr), Margrace (Jonathan Case), and Benedikta Harman (Nina Yndis) to discuss what it's like joining the legacy of such a special franchise, the skill involved with voice acting, and how ...
This week, Alex, Jason, and Kate talk about time - and more importantly how we just don't have any of it anymore. With longer games coming out like Baldur's Gate 3, a stacked movie season, and more on the horizon, how does anyone find the time to play and watch, well, everything they're interested in?
We were honored to chat with the voices that have skillfully brought some of the most iconic characters in anime to life in the English dub. Their work and dedication to this series have significantly shaped its charm, growth, and adventurous spirit. We dive into all that in this exclusive video featuring Colleen Clickenbeard, the voice of Monkey D. Luffy, Luci Christian, who voices Nami; Sonny Strait, the voice of Ussop; and Eric Vale, the voice of Sanji.
After 9 years, HexWorks is creating Lords of the Fallen , a sequel/reboot to the 2014 title of the same name. The original was one of the earliest games that attempted to put its own spin on the action RPG genre . After nearly a decade of innovation and mainstream success, the latest genre entry is attempting to capitalize on these lessons and invite newcomers to yet another grand adventure. We spoke with Cezar Virtosu, the Creative Director at HexWorks, and Saul Gascon, Head of Studio and Execu...
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a cozy and epic joining of Sanrio and open-world gaming. Described as a combination of Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing, this Apple Arcade exclusive from Sunblink is a large world. With the driving motto of "Small gift, big smile," Sanrio is a cultural touchstone, and in this game, players get the chance to talk to, make friends with, and adventure the world of brand with Hello Kitty, Karumi, Aggretsuko, and more. We got the chance to talk with Chelsea Howe,...
This week, Alex, Neysha, and Kate talk about the things they love that people told them they couldn't. With Barbie smashing the box office, we discuss what to do when someone makes a piece of pop culture "not for you." Barbie isn't for Black girls, anime isn't for women; horror isn't real cinema. We talk about the lies that get told to stop your joy and why you should never listen to them.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow was one of The CW's most popular and critically acclaimed shows . Besides being very diverse for a mainline superhero show, it touched on almost every genre you could think of, and with its delightful cast and witty writers, both sets of whom are now on strike, it created something strikingly memorable. Along with her fellow co-showrunners, writer and co-showrunner Keto Shimizu was a pivotal part of making it the success it was. Many fans bemoaned its somewhat abrupt can...
Mel Blanc was a voice-over legend, originating and playing, for decades until his death, the voices of all the Looney Tunes characters and many more for Warner Brothers. When he passed away in 1989, another voiceover actor would rise to continue his legacy. From Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck, Marvin, the Martian, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, and so many more icons of animation, legendary voice actor Jeff Bergman has voiced them all in TV and film from the late 80s to today, along with oth...
