S3E8: This week, Josué & Rae talk about inspiration and perseverance gained from anime! Josué has been noticing a trend on his socials' where people are talking about how anime characters inspired them to keep going, to keep fighting, to never give up during hard times. This is by far, most often seen in Shonen series, and Josué & Rae examine classic Shonen tropes such as "leveling up", the "I wanna be" motivations, and the training arcs. Rae embarrassingly struggles to pronounce "Hokage". The hosts compare and contrast Eastern vs Western mythology and storytelling tropes, such as "leveling up" vs "the chosen one" in eastern and western cultures, respectively, with the eastern collectivist "grind culture for the benefit for everyone" culture vs the western "individualistic power and privilege above all" expectation. Josué & Rae explore how these series and characters portray courage, bravery, fear, "doing it scared", and how supporting characters especially grow by recognizing and accepting their limitations and focus on helping their friends through their strengths (which usually doesn't involve literal physical strength). Themes/Topics Discussed: Change Cultural representation Fear Finding Oneself/Identity Development Leadership Moral dilemma  Power struggle Problem Solving Resilience Standing up for others Standing up for oneself Relatable Experiences: Acceptance Clarity/Understanding Fear/Anxiety Fighting Loss (other than death) New Life Event (New Rules) Separation Growth  Anime/Characters Mentioned:  Deku (My Hero Academia) Goku (Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z) Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z (series) Naruto (Naruto/Naruto Shippuden) One Piece (series) Roronoa Zoro (One Piece) Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) Jinbei (One Piece) Sanji (One Piece) Nami (One Piece) Nico Robin (One Piece) Silvers Rayleigh (One Piece, mentioned) Sailor Moon Shonen (genre) Pokemon (anime) Record of Ragnarok (Netflix) Celestial Dragons (One Piece) Usopp/Sniper King (One Piece) Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece) Franky (One Piece) Krillin (Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z) Rock Lee (Naruto) Sasuke (Naruto) Witch Hat Atelier (referenced) Attack on Titan (referenced) Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  Batman (DC Comics) Superman (DC Comics) The Flash (DC Comics) Rocky (film) Star Trek: The Next Generation (Best of Both Worlds part I & II) Jean-Luc Picard/Locutus of Borg (Star Trek TNG, Star Trek: Picard) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Worf (Star Trek: TNG and DS9) Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: DS9) Doctor Who (series) The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) Mortal Combat (game) Super Smash Bros. (game, referenced) One Piece Live Action (Netflix) SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver, and More Resilient by Jane McGonigal  Contact Us: Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/. Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/   Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social  Conversation Starters:  Which anime characters have inspired you? How have your favorite characters made you more resilient or determined? 

S3E7: This week, Josué and Rae are talking about Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, a beautiful high fantasy story that begins at the adventure's ending. They explore how Frieren (series and character) models a different way to grieve, one that centers on curiosity, reflection, gratitude, and celebration. They both share personal anecdotes about grief- Josué celebrating and recontextualizing his perception of his grandfather, and Rae rediscovering and revisiting her ancestors through family genealogy research. They then discuss the role of gratitude in grief-based practices as well as its role in living with intention fully in the moment and having no regrets in life.   [Producer's note: this was recorded during the first heat wave of July 2026 so our brains were a little more cooked than usual.] Themes/Topics Discussed: Death Feeling alone Finding Oneself/Identity Development Guilt Love Working with others Grief Loss Bereavement  Mourning Disenfranchised grief  Closure  Grief-based practices  Gratitude Relatable Experiences: Acceptance Clarity/Understanding Coming of age/Getting older Death Loss (other than death) Guilt Moving Seeking closure with loss Living with intention/mindfully/fully in the moment to live without regrets Recontextualizing past experiences Anime/Characters Mentioned:  Frieren: Beyond Journey's End One Piece Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  Lord of the Rings (books and movies) The Hobbit (book & movies) Dungeons & Dragons Contact Us: Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/. Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/   Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social  Conversation Starters:  What stories about grief have been the most impactful in your life? Which stories have helped you through your own grief?  

49: Can doing less make Disney feel more magical? In the Happiest Pod’s first shorter episode, Ariel and Stef reflect on how their relationships with Disney and the podcast have evolved. They talk about slower park days, letting go of FOMO, experiencing Disneyland through growing children, and finding Disney community in unexpected places. They also look ahead to live-action Moana, revisit the X-Men, and share how Toy Story 5 became part of Ariel’s wedding weekend. Sometimes loving something more means experiencing it more intentionally. Summary 00:00 Episode 49 and trying a shorter format 01:31 Why this season of life calls for smaller episodes 03:03 Slower park days and letting go of Disney FOMO 04:45 How absence made Disneyland feel magical again 05:36 Experiencing the parks through growing children 07:55 Why Disneyland still feels like the “real” park 10:00 Trading Hollywood Studios for Tokyo Disney 11:02 When FOMO becomes anticipation 12:36 Disneyland, Disney World, and the right timeline 13:53 How an EPCOT bachelorette changed group travel 15:18 Expanding the podcast beyond Disneyland 16:37 Finding community through niche fandoms 18:35 Spotting Disney people everywhere, even at CrimeCon 19:45 Upcoming Disney projects and what still feels exciting 21:02 X-Men ’97 and returning to stories that endure 22:30 Live-action Moana, representation, and The Rock’s wig 23:59 Lilo & Stitch and Pacific Islander representation 25:26 Gramma Tala, Disney tears, and fixing it in post 26:43 Toy Story 5 and wedding-weekend synchronicity 28:22 Experiencing fandom more slowly and fully 30:36 A new phase for the Happiest Pod Media/Characters Mentioned Disneyland Resort Walt Disney World Resort EPCOT Magic Kingdom Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney California Adventure Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo DisneySea Disney Cruise Line Magic Key Pirates of the Caribbean Haunted Mansion “it’s a small world” Guardians of the Galaxy Moana Moana 2 Live-action Moana Moana Maui Gramma Tala Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Bretman Rock Lilo & Stitch Lilo Stitch The Lion King X-Men ’97 X-Men: Days of Future Past Quicksilver Mystique Evan Peters Jennifer Lawrence Avengers: Doomsday Doctor Doom Toy Story 5 Fast & Furious Hawaii Five-0 Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. Jason Momoa CrimeCon Topics/Themes Mentioned The evolution of the Happiest Pod Experimenting with shorter podcast episodes Changing attention spans and media habits Intentional content consumption Slowing down and being present Letting go of Disney FOMO Anticipation versus fear of missing out Changing relationships with Disney parks Enjoying parks without completing a checklist Returning to Disneyland after time away Experiencing Disney through growing children Disneyland versus Walt Disney World Familiarity, comfort, and a sense of home Curated experiences and authenticity The cost and accessibility of Disney trips Group travel and Disney bachelorette parties Building community through shared interests Disney adult stigma Fandom as a source of belonging Polynesian and Pacific Islander representation Expectations for live-action adaptations Revisiting enduring stories and characters Friendship, family, and changing seasons of life Experiencing fandom more fully rather than expansively Links & Resources Host & Show Links: Instagram: @HappiestPodGT Facebook: @HappiestPodGT Ariel on IG: @airyell3000 Geek Therapy Links: Website: www.geektherapy.org GT IG: @GeekTherapy GT Facebook: @GeekTherapy GT Facebook Group: @GeekTherapyCommunity GT YouTube: @GeekTherapy GT Discord: geektherapy.com/discord GT Forum: forum.geektherapy.com Geek Therapy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that advocates for the effective and meaningful use of popular media in therapeutic, educational, and community practice.

S3E6: [SPOILERS FOR END OF WANO ARC IN ONE PIECE] Josué comes out swinging with an open discussion about the trait of openness and novelty-seeking, and how anime largely dominates the market for truly unique concepts and interesting new spins on genre or well-known tropes. They shift into a discussion about positive and negative bias and potential harm from negative media or anime bias in a clinical setting. Rae speaks about best practices with gathering potential clinical data from favorite media, hobbies, and interests using the Geek Therapy model. Both hosts share personal stories and experiences living with ADHD and how ADHD impacts what they find interesting, their struggles with engaging with certain hobbies, and how ADHD heavily influences their love of anime. Rae shares about how she reclaimed her love of reading and touches on ADHD coping strategies. Josué shares two anime that made him feel extremely seen and how this media representation encapsulates the internal experience of ADHD, contrasting it with negative clinical bias discussed previously.  Themes/Topics Discussed: ADHD Burnout Change Finding Oneself/Identity Development Mental Health Services Problem Solving Resilience Positive and negative biases Best practices in clinical settings Openness and novelty Personality Relatable Experiences: Clarity/Understanding Coming of age/Getting older Disability Fear/Anxiety Trauma Late-diagnosed ADHD Anime/Characters Mentioned:  One Piece My Hero Academia Gundam (referenced) Undead Unluck Marriage Toxin Spy x Family Death Note Isekai (genre) The Master of Killing Time Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions  Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  Looney Tunes Behind Your Touch (K-Drama) Chicken Nugget (K-Drama) Avatar: The Last Airbender Invincible (comic and animated show) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (film) The Mask (film) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (film) South Park Rick & Morty Transformers (referenced) Lisa Frank (referenced) Rainbow Bright (referenced)  Kill Bill (films) Chronicles of Narnia Alice in Wonderland The Wizard of Oz Contact Us: Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/. Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/   Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social  Conversation Starters:  What anime-specific tropes are you most drawn to? What does that say about your personality, if anything? 

S3E5: COME ABOARD AND BRING ALONG ALL YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS!! It's time to talk about One Piece! Rae and Josué discuss the overall themes of One Piece and how it's important to not judge this manga by it's cover, per se. They discuss the setting and worldbuilding, examine the factions that make up this world, explore the values of various pirate crews/captains, and explore the nuance and role of neutrality, morality, and propaganda in this story. They then talk extensively about the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, his strengths, relatability, how he inspires and empowers others, and how his nuanced and balanced character fits in amongst other iconic Shonen protagonists. This episode is meant as an introductory episode for One Piece and will likely be the first of many more to follow. Themes/Topics Discussed: FREEDOM Found family Authenticity Liberation Selfish vs. selfless Finding Oneself/Identity Development Making new friends Moral dilemma Power struggle Resilience Standing up for others Standing up for oneself Relatable Experiences: Following your dreams Rejecting the things that don't serve you Self-care and balance Determination and ambition Seeing the best in everyone Empowerment and inspiration Acceptance Death Fighting Anime/Characters Mentioned:  One Piece Monkey D. Luffy (character) Gundam (franchise)  Dragon Ball Super/Z Goku (character)  Naruto Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  One Piece Live Action Contact Us: Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/. Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/   Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social  Conversation Starters:  Are you as dedicated to your pursuits as Luffy? What could you learn from his character and his ambition, and how could you apply it to your pursuits?