About Us

Mike here. Over the years, we here at R5 Central have been bombarded by the occasional questions, some of them being the same ones over and over. Not that we’re complaining but I felt that it was high time we answered the most burning ones with a short but sweet (and now updated!) primer section!

ABOUT US
R5 Central was started back in 2005 initially as an Anime and Tokusatsu podcast. We were actually one of the first major anime podcasts and at the same time, one of the only Tokusatsu podcasts. We also gained a reputation for being one of the most well-produced shows on the web…and being notorious for being the only show with its own ongoing storyline! (More on that in a moment…)

Since then, the show has gone through major changes. We expanded from being mostly Anime and Tokusatsu to covering Japanese Pop Culture period. In addition, we added some new co-hosts, started an off-shoot podcast, and were nominated for three Parsec Awards in the past few years. We’ve gained praise from other podcasts and even big names like anime voice actor Kyle Hebert for our production values and our mission to push to truly bring you Podcasting at its Finest. Maybe.

At any given time on R5, you’ll be hearing from myself, Mike Dent, and one or more of my in-character co-hosts:

Sylene: Joined up in Series 2 and has been with us ever since. She tends to be my partner in crime for the most part these days. (Played by Scarlotte)

Mai: Also appeared during Series 2. Our resident android maid mascot, hailing from Kyoto, Japan. She tends to be too cute for her own good at times but mostly handles the R5 Tech Updates and appears during Mid-Show interludes for various segments. (Played by Mippa [Episode 49-53])

Ai: My first co-host..who sort of died…then came back again during Series 4/5. It’s a long story. She’ll occasionally jump in on reviews and handle the finer details of the show (Played by Yours Truly [Series 1-2], Rina [Series 2-4], and Kara [Episode 58-Current])

Why in character? Why not? The fans love them all the same! To find out the finer details, check out the host page.

FORMAT: Episodes of R5 on average tend to run from a half-hour to an hour depending on content. Some of the more prevalent segments on R5 include:

* Newsbreak: A recap of interesting news items, covering all our fields of interest
* Tech Update: This short segment lets listeners know about website/blog updates and upcoming events that we’re running
* Reviews: Self-explanatory, isn’t it?
* Letters/Things I Don’t Get: My very own (occasional) personal soapbox where I try to get to the bottom of things that just boggle my mind
* Pick of the Week: A spotlight on a certain indie or mainstream group that just screams of awesome.

We do also run a Top 5 Cosplayer List at the cons we go to. If you want to check out our hall of fame, click the tab at the top of the site!

STORY ARCS
As I said before, one of our claims to fame is being the only podcast with its own ongoing storyline. We’ll do audio drama subplots on occasion, mostly involving Giant Robots and Stuff Blowing Up. Starting with Series 5, we’ve opted to do Special Editions of these episodes as to not scare away viewers. What do we mean by Special Edition? Well, we minimize on the overall effect it has on the actual episode and put in new scenes to bridge the gaps and give you a completely different experience. It doesn’t take away from anything but it’s a heck of a time saver.

Want to get in on the action in the meantime? Catch up on our Story Arc Wiki.

The little things people tend to ask us…

Why was this week’s episode late?
Every time an episode is late, it is mainly to due with unknown parties hijacking the computer with Sentient Viruses created by Tim Curry. Basically, picture the final battle of the second Digimon Adventure movie happening every other week.

In all seriousness, there’s a little thing called life, folks. You should try it sometime; it gets you out of the house. Real life tends to demand more attention at times, throwing off the episode frequency a bit, along with all sorts of madness that life likes to throw at me. Sll I can say is to just stay subscribed to the feed. One way or another, you’ll get content.

What was the song you used for the opening theme for this week’s episode?
I did have a master list but it became a pain to constantly update. I know, I sound lazy but it’s easier if you guys check the show notes for the episodes.

Where are all the episodes from Series 1-2?
There is a category tab on the left hand column of the site. Scroll down to find the Series you wish to hear and download to your heart’s content. There are two things I must warn you of before you do so…

1.) Some of the links are messed up, meaning that episodes will cut off at abrupt points. I’m working on a way to properly archive all the episodes together in packs. Stay tuned on that one.

2.) Everything before the mid point of Series 2 kiiiiinda sucks. Really, I’m not proud of a lot. It’s the early years when I was still figuring out stuff. In the words of Chad Williams from PBC Productions, it’s signs of me cutting my teeth on the Internet. I suggest you start around Series 3-4ish. Yes, you’ll be missing some Story Arc stuff but that’s nothing the wiki can’t fix. Otherwise, if you try to learn what we’re all about by going back to the beginning, I can guarantee that you WILL hate us. Check out our Episode Guide in the meantime.

Why do you play both indie and mainstream Japanese music?
Because in either case, I’m all for promotion.

I think of it as those times when a friend lets you hear what they’re listening to on their iPod. There are so many good groups out there that a lot of people don’t know about, and the Pick of the Week and Mixtape Episodes are designed so that you can check these artists out and spread the word. In recent episodes, I have been backing away from this (with the exception of convention coverage) as I’ve been somewhat isolating the musical aspects of the show into my other podcast, Friday ACE. However, I do urge you guys to actually buy the CDs and support the artists.

Will you appear on my show?
If we’re not busy and you’re at least 10 episodes into your show, shoot me an email and I’ll see what I can do.

Why 10 episodes? Because 10 episodes is the Point of No Return for podcasting. If you can make it past this milestone, you know you’re committed. You need that time to figure out your style, rhythm, and if you even want to keep on making the show in spite of the madness. Hoping I don’t sound elitist there but I speak from experience: Get past your 10, find your style, and then we’ll talk.

Now, we do have a couple of pet peeves…

CONTACT: I understand you guys and gals want to talk to us, but tracking us down on AIM/Skype/GChat/etc. isn’t exactly the best of ideas. For one, the people who have found us in the past have done nothing but bombard us with questions (most of which can be answered in this FAQ here) and compliments. As flattering as that is, my co-hosts are busy people. You might end up catching us at a bad time and believe me, the last thing any of us want to do is put you guys/gals off. But if you want to interact, there are multiple ways:

* The comments for each episode
* Our Facebook group
* The R5 Twitter Page
* And/or the Master Thread at Henshin Justice

That said, you’re more than welcome to e-mail the show. We’re not trying to sound unapproachable but just don’t fret if we don’t get back to you right away.

IDEAS: Forgive me for being blunt but DON’T send me ideas for the show’s audio drama segments. If you send me something, I will delete it. Why? Because sending me synopses about your original character coming into the middle of the story arc, showing up with your own giant robot, and stealing the hearts of my co-hosts while we execute a double attack doesn’t really work well with me.

I don’t mean to sound like a jerk about it but I’ve got enough stories on the backburner to start a house fire. If you’ve got a story idea, flesh it out yourself with your own original characters. You don’t need to use something that’s already established to create something, just go for it!

PICS: Do NOT bug us about when your picture will show up on our site following a con. It doesn’t make things go any quicker when you demand I upload that instant.

PLUGS: If you’re on the heels of the next big Indie Tokusatsu/Anime short, you’ve got evidence of a ridiculously obscure series that needs reviewing, and so on, feel free to shoot us an e-mail and we’ll try to give you a plug in the next episode.

That said, if you’ve got the Best Viral Video Clip EVAR or you feel your the second coming of [Insert Kickass Author Here] with your Inu-Yasha/Hurricanger crossover fanfic….we’re probably not going to plug them.

Got a question that I didn’t cover, drop me a line at r5centralATgmailDOTCOM!