The ICONIC Veronica Taylor (Ash Ketchum's English Voice Actor) joins the podcast to discuss the impact Pokemon has had on her life, her advice for aspiring voice actors and so much more. Welcome to The Anime Effect, the weekly podcast hosted by Crunchyroll's own in-house, resident anime experts – Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President. The show is a lively mixture of roundtable news and discussion with Crunchyroll hosts and special guests as they debate hot topics, provide recommen...
Mar 13, 2026•44 min
Hosts LeAlec Murray, Nicholas Friedman and Alex Lebl are weathering the news tornado this week with headlines like the latest Crunchyroll Manga drop, the release of a special Evangelion anime short, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 updates, a new Sword Art Online game and Dorohedoro coming to Crunchyroll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 12, 2026•42 min
Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams takes a break from the WNBA court to gab about her gateway anime, what she’s watching now and why she fell in love with anime. PLUS she builds her DREAM TEAM made up of her favorite anime characters. Welcome to The Anime Effect, the weekly podcast hosted by Crunchyroll's own in-house, resident anime experts – Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President. The show is a lively mixture of roundtable news and discussion with Crunchyroll hosts and special ...
Mar 06, 2026•31 min
Hosts LeAlec Murray, Leah President, and Nicholas Friedman are discovering new depths of anime news this week with headlines covering new Pokemon starters, a ONE PIECE manga milestone and just-released Reze Arc merch. PLUS, they gush over the just-announced Gundam x Apex Legends collaboration, a Rilakkuma anime and a My Hero Anime concert tour kicking off across the pond. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . Pokémon Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Generation 10 Reveal ONE PIECE M...
Mar 05, 2026•30 min
Hannah Bahng joins The Anime Effect to reveal her favorite anime, ships, and why we should all be more cringe. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 27, 2026•31 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President cannot believe they’re talking about a new Evangelion anime series in production! PLUS, they discuss the next projects coming from Ufotable, the latest Pokémon games coming to the Switch, the newest member of the Sonic film franchise cast, and a new way you can rep your favorite manga. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. New Evangelion Anime ...
Feb 25, 2026•41 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray and Leah President are celebrating 100 episodes of The Anime Effect by revealing their favorite moments with guests, spilling behind-the-scenes tea, and testing their anime knowledge. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Feb 20, 2026•45 min
Hosts LeAlec Murray and Alex Lebl discuss Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc coming to streaming, the Texas Rangers JUJUTSU KAISEN night with themed jerseys, the latest on BLEACH "THE STORIES" TV Anime Project, the Spiritbox x Sentenced to Be a Hero AMV, and more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc Streams on Crunchyroll Spring 2026 Texas Rangers MLB Team Brings JU...
Feb 18, 2026•31 min
Khleo Thomas and Lena Lemon join us again but for a very special gamified The Anime Effect episode. Who will be crowned as the ultimate anime fan? Find out now! Follow along with the emoji game: 🐉 ⚽️ 💤 👻 ➡️ 🥚 🍵 📔 🐱 1️⃣ 🤜 👨🏻🦲 ⚓ 🌒 🐈⬛ ⛓️ 🪚 🧍♂️ 💅 🪡 🎎 🍓🍍🗑️ 🦎 👹 🎱 🗡️ 🖼️ 🌐 👽 👻 👵🏻 🃏 👮 🌸 🤖 👼 🪑 🦸♂️ 📚 😭 👩🏻 ❤️ 👱🏻♂️ Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more abo...
Feb 13, 2026•42 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President have so much ONE PIECE news to share like the two baseball teams collaborating with the anime and the first ONE PIECE HEROINES episode coming soon, plus they share the anime and anime creatives that took home 2026 Tokyo Anime Awards, another anime concert coming to the US, and the latest from Digimon. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. ONE P...
Feb 11, 2026•33 min
BABYMETAL is in the studio revealing the anime trios they emulate the most, their first reaction to learning they were joining the One-Punch Man universe, why metal music and anime pair together perfectly, and more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Feb 06, 2026•20 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President are talking about the FIRST announcements for the 2026 Anime Awards, the upcoming JUJUTSU KAISEN in Concert global music tour, the MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe anime film’s shocking ending theme song, and the upcoming THE GHOST IN THE SHELL and Chainsmoker Cat anime adaptations. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Cr...
Feb 04, 2026•35 min
Music icon Crystal Kay stops by the studio during her first North American tour to share her favorite anime, why she would want to create more music for anime, the anime characters that make her feel seen, and more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 30, 2026•32 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President are talking about all the exciting updates Dragon Ball fans got at the Dragon Ball 40th anniversary event, The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie coming to US theaters, our first glimpse of Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy movie, The Apothecary Diaries Steady Hands collection, and more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Frieren: Beyond Journey's...
Jan 28, 2026•38 min
Trigun and TRIGUN STARGAZE creator Yasuhiro Nightow reveals his favorite and least favorite Trigun characters, what he loves about the new adaptation, and so much more, only on The Anime Effect. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 23, 2026•16 min
Hosts LeAlec Murray, Leah President, and Aly Luskey are revealing the winners of the Top 10 Anime Crushes of 2025, KONOSUBA -God's blessing on this wonderful world! Season 4, the Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era film coming to theaters, the MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe theme song by SZA, the live-action ONE PIECE NERF collaboration, and the latest from Sonic the Hedgehog. THEN, we’re discussing the best My Hero Academia OPs. Have a question for The Anime...
Jan 21, 2026•39 min
hemlocke springs takes a break from touring and working on her new album “the apple tree under the sea” to share the anime she would recommend to Chappell Roan and Conan Gray, how anime like Solo Leveling inspires her music, and more! Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 16, 2026•30 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President have ZERO chill on this episode as they dissect the live-action ONE PIECE season 2 trailer, discuss everything we know so far about the upcoming Godzilla Minus Zero film, reveal the anime nominated for 2026 Annie Awards, and so much more. THEN, they share their non-anime gateways to anime and YOUR most anticipated anime of 2026. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcast...
Jan 14, 2026•35 min
We’re welcoming our first ever figure skater, Amber Glenn! She’s a world champion, a 2026 Olympic hopeful, and a major anime fan. She’s sharing her favorite titles and pitching her own figure skating anime plot, only on The Anime Effect. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 09, 2026•33 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Alex Lebl are BACK to discuss all the exciting news out of Jump Festa 2026, the INSANE anime winter season lineup, Gachiakuta season 2, the Kaguya-sama: Love Is War "Final Chapter" film, and more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Jump Festa 2026: All the Big News from the Event! Crunchyroll Winter 2026 Anime Season Lineup Announced! Sentenced to Be a Her...
Jan 07, 2026•34 min
The Solo Leveling Animation Producer Atsushi Kaneko and Action Director Yoshihiro Kanno are answering OUR questions today on The Anime Effect. They share how they navigated the adaptation process, what the fan response has meant to them, and their hopes for the future of Solo Leveling. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 02, 2026•18 min
The world's most resilient VTuber Matara Kan joins hosts LeAlec Murray, Leah President, and Haley Whisennand to discuss how they define anime fandom and their journeys from being hardcore to casual anime fans and what it means to re-embrace anime today. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 31, 2025•48 min
Kei Urana and Hideyoshi Andou, mangaka and graffiti designer of Gachiakuta, are revealing their real-life inspirations for this story, how they teamed up to bring Gachiakuta to life, and so much more. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 26, 2025•22 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, Alex Lebl, and Haley Whisennand are coming at you with a special holiday episode, breaking down the most memorable anime of 2025 with their 2025 Anime Superlatives! PLUS, everyone reveals their favorite anime of the year. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 24, 2025•38 min
The lead voice actors of Solo Camping for Two, Daiki Hamano and Mizuki Niizaki, join us to talk about the real-life camping and cooking that prepared them for these roles. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 19, 2025•20 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President are sharing highlights from their Crunchyroll Arcs and talking about the upcoming Kaguya-sama: Love Is War anime special, the new Sentenced to Be a Hero anime, and the upcoming PSYREN anime adaptation. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Crunchyroll Arc Returns for 2025: Discover Your Anime Year in Review New Kaguya-sama: Love Is War Anime Sp...
Dec 18, 2025•36 min
Mori Calliope, your favorite deadbeat dad and the vocalist behind the Gachiakuta Cour 2 opening theme “LET’S JUST CRASH” is BACK on The Anime Effect to reveal why she loves Rudo, Amo and the world of Gachiakuta and how she would react to a few wild in-world scenarios. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 12, 2025•34 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, Alex Lebl and Haley Whisennand are of course geeking out over Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s Golden Globes nomination! They also had to discuss the new series from the Code Geass franchise, the latest about TRIGUN STARGAZE, the Dallas Mavericks’s Solo Leveling anime night, and who their anime crush of 2025 is! PLUS, hosts recommend the must-see anime of the 90’s in Fan Service. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to lif...
Dec 10, 2025•32 min
The members of SPYAIR and yama talk with hosts Nicholas Friedman and LeAlec Murray about their most iconic anime songs. PLUS yama reveals they love Hamtaro?! Don’t miss this double interview and the exclusive Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Complete Blu-ray box set unboxing. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 05, 2025•22 min
Hosts Nicholas Friedman, LeAlec Murray, and Leah President are back from their holiday break and in rare form as they discuss the new Godzilla and Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim anime adaptations, the latest on Fire Force season 3 and Saga of Tanya the Evil season 2, plus the surprise awaiting you at Crunchyroll Anime Nights and the exciting Assassin’s Creed Shadows x Attack on Titan collab. Have a question for The Anime Effect? Ask it here . To bring your brand to life in this podcast, emai...
Dec 03, 2025•32 min
