S3E10: Time skips! Love them or hate them, we all experience a time skip or two in our lives. With every ending comes a new beginning, and with new beginnings come new opportunities for growth and reflection. As Josué and Rae prepare for their own time skip as season 3 comes to a close (hopefully NOT another 5 year time skip!), they examine the concept of time skips, discuss their favorite and least favorite time skips, and explore all the different ways time skips can be used through the Geek Therapy lens- excitement, growth, reflection, goal-setting, curiosity, as well as using time skips to process grief, disappointment, and practicing radical acceptance.  Themes/Topics Discussed: Change Resilience Grief Acceptance Transitions  Relatable Experiences: Acceptance Clarity/Understanding Coming of age/Getting older Loss (other than death) Guilt Moving New Life Event (New Rules) Separation Disappointment  Difficult transitions Anime/Characters Mentioned:  One Piece  Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Dragonball/Z/Super/GT Naruto/Naruto Shippuden  Attack on Titan Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  Star Trek: Discovery Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon  Spider-Man: Brand New Day Star Wars (prequels, original trilogy, sequels) Star Wars Legends (extended universe, now non-canon content) 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 time skips have you observed in your own life? How have they affected you? What did you learn from those transitions? [These show notes were proudly written with NO AI by a real human.] Josué and Rae will return.

S3E9: STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS! Because it's bullshit that only the boys get to do cool things. Rae talks about how representation of strong female characters is important and powerful for women and girls; for her specifically, seeing female fighters, tomboys, and women with masculine skills/interests has been crucial for her identity as a queer woman. Josué & Rae explore several examples of positive, mixed, and negative representation throughout different anime series and categories, as well as a few standout non-anime series, and examine several common writing/character tropes frequently used with female characters. Josué declares further reflection on My Hero Academia is forbidden. (Producer Rae's note: turns out there are a handful of Shonen's with female main characters- the ones I could find are Soul Eater, Kill la Kill, Undead Unluck, Dandadan, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 6: Stone Ocean, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Slayers, and Claymore. Frieren: Beyond Journey's end is technically classified as a Shonen due to being published in a Shonen magazine, but there seems to be a lot of debate around this. Know of others? Let us know!) Themes/Topics Discussed: Cultural representation Death Difficult emotions Family Finding Oneself/Identity Development Leadership LGBT Issues Love Power struggle Problem Solving Resilience Standing up for others Strong female role models Standing up for oneself Misogyny Wish fulfillment  Female character/writing tropes Relatable Experiences: Diverse female representation in media Gender roles and expectations for women Queer gender expressions such as tomboys and masc women  Parentified daughters  Strength from physical abilities/acuity  Strength from mental or emotional abilities/acuity Acceptance Clarity/Understanding Disability Fighting Anime/Characters Mentioned:  Shonen (anime/manga category) Shojo (anime/manga category) Seinen (anime/manga category) Winry Rockbell (Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood) Nami (One Piece) Robin (One Piece)  One Piece: Fan Letter Witch Hat Atelier Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Attack on Titan  Berserk Vinland Saga Monster Ghost in the Shell  Dragon Ball/Z/Super  Goku (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Bulma (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Master Roshi (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Android 18 (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Videl (Dragon Ball/Z/Super) Naruto/Shippuden/Boruto Sakura (Naruto/Shippuden/Boruto) Team Seven (Naruto/Shippuden/Boruto) Tsunade (Naruto/Shippuden/Boruto) Sarada (Boruto) Tenya Iida (My Hero Academia) Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) Kamille Bidan (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam) Caulifla (Dragon Ball Super) Kale (Dragon Ball Super) Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia) Ochaco Uraraka (My Hero Academia) Sailor Moon (series) Sailor Moon/Usagi (character) The Sailor Scouts (Sailor Moon) The Outer Sailor Scouts (Sailors Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) (Sailor Moon) Non-Anime Media Mentioned:  If She Can See It, She Can Be It (non-profit organization founded by Gina Davis) Star Trek: Voyager & Captain Janeway Battlestar Galactica & Starbuck Doctor Who & the 13th Doctor Untitled live action Naruto project  Avatar: The Last Airbender Katara (A:TLA) Aang & Katara's relationship (A:TLA) "Sydney Sweeny-led Mobile Suit Gundam movie" (Upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam live action film) Toph Beifong (A:TLA) Korra (The Legend of Korra) Asami Sato (The Legend of Korra) Conan: The Barbarian Hercules (character/archetype) 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:  Who are your favorite strong female characters? Which female characters have had the biggest impact on you? Who is your go-to example to use in clinical work?  [These show notes were proudly written with NO AI by a real human.]

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?  [These show notes were proudly written with NO AI by a real human.]

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?   [These show notes were proudly written with NO AI by a real human.]

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.