Friday, August 9, 2024

The Audio File: Project Pulse

Anime and audio dramas have a bit of a history together. Many anime often create audio drama tie-ins. There are several anime fans within the indie audio drama scene. Many audio dramas take influence from anime in on form or another. The audio drama we’re taking a look at today, however, truly captured lightning in a bolt. It managed to perfectly distill the essence of a shonen anime, and put it into audio drama form. Without further ado, onto the main event. We’re taking a look at Project Pulse


The world was changed forever on April 15th, 2022. That was when a company called Octic burst onto the scene. Brent Nolewood, the CEO of Octic, lead a revolution in the field of augmented reality. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and medical technology saw almost overnight advances. Much of the workforce was rendered obsolete thanks to advances in automation. Though, Universal Basic Income also became a thing, so that helped. Still, the people needed something to keep them occupied. That something was Project Pulse. A unique three-on-three battle of wills and human spirit. Each team uses special augmented abilities to defeat their opponents in combat.

It is into this world that Derrick Walker enters. He is the last blind kid on Earth, but he carries the legacy of his mother. She believed that disabilities aren’t a weakness, but a difference to be accepted and cherished. He’s determined to climb his way to the top of Project Pulse.

I’d discovered Project Pulse thanks to Julie Hoverson of 19 Nocturne Boulevard. She used to run the AD Infinitum account on Twitter. It was decided to promoting indie audio dramas. She had to shut it down due to changes to the way Twitter lets you set up automated tweets. Still, we here at The Audiophile, and by extension The Books of Thoth, thank Julie for her service. It truly was an invaluable resource.

Back on topic, I’m glad I finally got to listen to Project Pulse. There have been many audio dramas that take inspiration from anime. However, Project Pulse is, in my opinion, the one the really managed to distill that essence. Now, I should probably preface this by saying that anime is a medium, not a genre. Nine time out of ten, whenever someone says that something is anime-inspired, they are referring to shonen. That is, anime aimed at boys between the ages of twelve and eighteen. That tends to be stuff like Naruto, One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist, or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Though, on occasion, you also get darker stuff that startles the line like Attack on Titan, Death Note, or Neon Genesis Evangelion. When you have an anime that is aimed at adult men, we call that seinen. Shojo and josei are the female counterparts to shonen and seinen respectively.

Derrick starts off as an underdog, but one with great potential. He is taken in by an unlikely ally. Said ally whisks him into a world of adventure. Derrick proves himself to be incredibly talented, despite being a newcomer to the world of Project Pulse. One of his new allies is a guy with glasses who oozes cool. The other is a snippy, sarcastic girl, but she turns out to have hidden depths. Throughout it all, Derrick strives to be the very best, like no one ever was. Oh, and it all takes place in a future with super advanced holograms and AI. Put that all together, and it sure sounds like the start of a science fiction shonen, doesn’t it?

Ah, but it isn’t just the premise that gives that anime feeling. I have to take a moment to praise the fantastic voice acting. I don’t know if Project Pulse was intentionally trying to sound like an anime dub, but they really captured the aesthetic. Now, I know dub vs sub is a very touchy subject in the anime fandom. I admit I tend to consume my anime dubbed. That’s a personal preference on my part. There’s nothing wrong if you prefer subbed anime. I will admit I’ve watched some anime where the subbed version was, overall, a bit better. That having been said, there’s also plenty of quality voice acting on the dubbed side of things. I am pleased to say that the spirit of those quality dubs is alive and well in the voice acting of Project Pulse.

Okay, now it is time to meet the characters. Derrick is blind, so in a way, we are experiencing the story from his point of view. Or lack thereof, as the case might be. He could have had this corrected via surgery, but he chose not to. However, he compensates for this using the same technology that Pulse players use. Octic tech grants Pulse players enhanced physical abilities. In Derrick’s case, he uses an app called Telescopic Hearing, which allows him to focus his hearing, and tune out excessive noise. I wondered if perhaps he was going to be depicted like Daredevil. That is, having his other senses heightened to superhuman levels to compensate for his blindness.

Well, there’s a scene early on where Derrick runs into some thugs…and promptly gets his ass handed to him. Honestly, that was actually a really smart move on the part of the creators. That scene shows that Derrick has a lot to learn before he’s going to make it to the top of Project Pulse. It makes his victors feel more genuine and actually earned.

Kato Atadori fills the role of the smart guy with glasses who absolutely oozes coolness. I mean, the dude is cool as ice, and that extends to his Pulse abilities. You see, there are different classes of Pulse players who each specialize in different abilities. In Kato’s case, he is an Elemental. He is the master of all things ice, and he’s very creative in how he uses it. The way that Project Pulse is described, everything is created using holograms. However, the Elemental powers sound more like magic. Kato’s ice is genuinely cold, and he can use it to make shields and protective domes. He can also use it offensively to create blizzards. Maybe it's like in Star Trek where the holograms are somehow solid. Then again, plenty of anime also feature surprisingly solid holograms. Clarke’s Third Law is clearly at play here.

Kato is the one who takes Derrick under his wing and introduces him to the world of Project Pulse. The Project Pulse website has a section that includes information about the characters that hasn’t been included in the show. At least, not yet anyway. From this, we learn that Kato is third generation Japanese-American, and is quite proud of his heritage.

Mia Clark is the Speedster of the group. As the name suggests, they are Pulse players who specialize in fast attacks. She is also the resident tsundere. For those of you who aren’t otaku, a tsundere is someone who starts off kind of mean and snippy, but then they turn out to have a hidden nice side. Sometimes, though not always, they act mean because they’re hiding a deep sadness or hurt. This is certainly the case with Mia. She comes from a wealthy family, but her parents are dead. So, she lives with her Uncle Heath. He used to be a construction worker, but that was rendered obsolete due to the technological revolution Octic ushered in. Heath didn’t know what to do with himself, and turned to drinking to drown his sorrows. 

Mia gets a monthly stipend, which should be enough to live in a nice loft uptown. Unfortunately, Heath usually spends the money on alcohol and drugs. Quite ironically, Mia’s family got so wealthy because her mother invested stock in Octic during the early days of the company. Heath tries to pull himself together for Mia, but almost always falls back into temptation. Mia could easily abandon him, but Heath’s the only family she has left, and she feels obliged to him. I feel kind of bad for finding Mia’s tsundere tendencies amusing in the first season. Poor girl sounds like she could seriously use a hug.

In other characters, we have Emma. She is Derrick’s AI assistant. She takes the form of a blue-haired anime girl. She likes to tease and sass Derrick, but she’s always there for him. Especially since she doesn’t want to be factory reset. I would remark that this is slavery, and that factory reset amounts to lobotomy, but that’s kind of an omnipresent trope in works featuring artificial intelligences. Well, that, and we increasingly see the world of Project Pulse is not quite as utopian as Octic would have us believe.

Speaking of AI, let’s talk about Mark Bolt. Well, technically the Mark Bolt in the series is an AI replicant of the real Mark Bolt. Mark is a popular Pulse announcer who gives play-by-plays of the action. This is a creative way of letting us, the out-of-universe audience, know what we should be visualizing. It has the bonus of being diegetic, and makes sense in-universe without coming across as unnatural or forced. Although, if AI voices have gotten that advanced, well, that has grim implications for the voice acting industry.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one unexpected ally Derrick finds. Derrick is transported to the underworld during one of his first Pulse matches. He meets the Greek god Hades. Hades offers Derrick the use of his bident as a Pulse ability. The bident is the two-pronged staff Hades is often depicted holding. Okay, so we started off as an anime, and then we turned into Percy Jackson. I remember listening to that scene and thinking “This show just keeps getting better and better!” Hades might have only appeared in that one scene, but it was certainly a memorable one. Though now that I think about it, a mythological god in a futuristic anime setting, is that a Persona reference?

Okay, now we’re going to switch gears and talk about a few of the things I didn’t like. The creators of Project Pulse were clearly trying to give positive representation to people with disabilities. However, I feel that they missed the mark. Derrick’s mother, Catherine, was a big champion for the downtrodden. She was also a big believer that disabled people can do anything. Unfortunately, that attitude also got her killed. When Derrick was little, he and his mom came across a burning apartment building. The automatic firefighting drone malfunctioned, and Catherine decide to rush in and rescue the trapped tenets. Did I mention that she was paraplegic?

I mean, where do I even begin? Catherine’s wheelchair didn’t appear to be anything other that a standard chair. How did she get up the stairs? How did she navigate fallen debris and fires? She didn’t come across as a hero, she came across as an idiot who senselessly threw her life away. Derrick had to grow up with a mother, and Mr. Walker lost his beloved wife. Frankly, I wonder if Catherine really cared about those people in the burning building. Let’s suppose she’d done the sensible thing and hadn’t intervened. In doing so, she’d have to admit that there are legitimately some things disabled people just can’t do. Yes, sometimes in life we have to make hard calls. It might seem cruel, but the cold equations have to be balanced somehow. Sometimes that means not everyone gets to live.

This also leads me to another point. I feel that having Derrick willing abstain from corrective surgery might not have been the best move. One of the arguments disability advocates give against such procedures is that there will always be those who can’t get them. The thinking is, this will lead to a shrinking of the disabled community. Those who get left behind will find themselves increasingly isolated from society. However, this is not the case with Derrick. His refusal frankly comes across more as him wanting to feel special and unique. Personally, I feel it would have been better if Derrick had a one in a billion genetic fluke that not even Optic could fix. He’d still get to be the last blind kid, he’d still be disability representation, but he wouldn’t come across as trying to be special for the heck of it. Plus, it would tie into the previously mentioned real world issues.

Now, I want to emphasize I don’t think any of this is inherently unfixable. One of the key points of Pulse is the case system. Each special ability takes up a certain number of slots in a player’s case. There are ten slots total, so players have to pick and choose carefully. Telescopic Hearing takes up three slots already. Kato emphasizes that Derrick might have to consider switching it out some day. Perhaps, when that day comes, Derrick will seriously have to consider getting corrective surgery. Now, I’m not saying he’s got to go through with it, but I do see that as a potential source of internal conflict for him.

Perhaps, we could also have him question his mother’s choices. He could acknowledge that she was a good woman at heart, but had her share of flaws. He can decide to honor her legacy, but avoid repeating the same mistakes she did. Unrelated, but at one point Derrick realizes he’s been holding a corndog upside-down, and Kato didn’t tell him. Uh, do what now? You don’t need eyes to figure that one out.

On an unrelated note, I also felt the depiction of Universal Basic Income was a bit inconsistent. Derrick hypes it up as being this wonderful thing that finally ensured equality for everyone. Yet we see that there’s still a fair degree of wealth inequality. Mia and her uncle aren’t the only people we see living below the poverty line. Granted, it would make sense that there would still be rich and middle class people. Presumably, wealth from the old world carried over to the new. However, the way things are presented, it gives the impression that the only reason poor people still exist is that they’re irresponsible with their money. Granted, we do get hints that there’s a sinister undercurrent lurking just beneath the surface of this world. So, perhaps this is by design.

I don’t want to end this review on a negative note. Taken as a whole, I was very pleased by Project Pulse. Season one was absolutely fantastic. Season two only has a couple episodes out so far, and production seems to have stalled. I certainly hope it gets moving again, because I’m dying to know what happens next. Season one was centered on Derrick, but it seems that Mia will be taking center stage in season two.

So, there you have it. Project Pulse is an absolutely fantastic anime-inspired science fiction audio drama. I have seen few other audio dramas that capture the spirit of anime so perfectly. You definitely do not want to miss this one if you are an anime fan. Don’t sit on this one like I did. 

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Sunday, August 4, 2024

The Audio File: Sorry About the Murder

What comes to mind when you think of Canada? Is it a moose munching on maple leaves? Is it a hearty plate of poutine at a cafe in Montreal? Is it a rowdy night at the local hockey arena? Perhaps is it the dark killing instinct that lurks within the hearts of all humans, no matter how polite? In case it wasn’t obvious already, we’re going with that last one for this audio drama. We’re taking a look at Sorry About the Murder


The sleepy little town of Beavermount, Ontario is one of those picturesque little slices of heaven. The sort of place where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and the children are above average. It is the last place you’d expect a murder to occur, but that’s precisely what has happened. Scott, Scotty, McDonald was the owner of the local hockey rink. He has been found murdered. Specifically, run-over by the Zamboni. Frenchie, the sole 
Quebecois in town, is the Zamboni driver. He’s just become the prime suspect in the investigation. Frenchie has to clear his Quebecois name, and get the ice ready in time for the night’s hockey game. It’s a story of small towns, hockey, Stubbies, smelts, and a very Canadian murder mystery.

Sorry About the Murder is created by Drew Frohmann. He is also the creator of Human B-Gon. Naturally, this means that Sorry About the Murder is a member of the Fable & Folly podcast network. As such, it is time for another podcast roll call. Other members of the Fable & Folly family include show such as Hannahpocalypse, Harlem Queen, We Fix Space Junk, Alba Salix, The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles, Spaceships, Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature, and Who is Cam Candor?

Sorry About the Murder is a loving spoof of True Crime podcasts. I also detect hints of Lake Wobegon from A Prairie Home Companion. Though, perhaps this could be incidental. Minnesota has always had a bit of a Canadian character to it. And this audio drama proudly wears its Canadian influences on its sleeve. It lovingly pokes fun at numerous Canadian stereotypes. Fear not, you don’t have to be Canadian to enjoy this audio drama. Sorry About the Murder does a good job of letting the listener in on all of the jokes in a way that feels organic. In fact, you might learn a thing or two about Canada. Or rather, how Canada makes fun of itself.

We learn that Scotty was holding his Stubby upright when he died. You know, just as any good Canadian would. Also, Stubby is slang for beer, because several Canadian beers come in stout bottles. Beavermount is also home to an annual smelt festival. Fried smelts are a popular dish in Atlantic Canada. Well, for the most part. I remember watching MasterChef Canada, and one of the contestants was excited to cook with smelts. Unfortunately, he made what amounted to smelt chicken nuggets. Alvin Leung really did not hold back with how disappointed he was.

In other references, McDonald and MacDonald are both considered stereotypically Canadian last names. Sir John Alexander MacDonald was Canada’s first prime minister. I do on occasion get mistaken for Canadian due to having some many friends in the Canadian audio drama scene. Though, my last name certainly doesn’t help dissuade that notion. Also, I won’t give it away, but the importance of politeness plays a major role in the plot. Specially, the importance of always saying sorry. And not just in the title of the audio drama.

However, I do have to ding Sorry About the Murder for some rather glaring omissions. Where were the ketchup chips? Why did nobody eat Kraft Dinner? And come to think of it, there wasn’t a single reference to Tim Horton’s. I mean, it seriously strains credibility that Beavermount would have at least one Tim Horton’s. This paragraph was a joke, in case it wasn’t obvious.

So, let's now talk aboot the colorful cast of characters. Frenchie is our main character, and is notable for being the only character not voiced by the narrator. Frenchie is voiced by Jeff Tremblay, who really is from Quebec. The narrator is voiced by Tom Goudie. I suppose they had they narrator voice everyone to really give it that Prairie Home Companion feel. I don’t know enough about True Crime to tell if that’s a trope.

Frenchie is quite possibly the most intelligent person in all of Beavermount. And by that, I mean that he actually has common sense. He often muses about the wise words of his grandfather from rural Quebec. It helps that Chieficer Dougie, the closest thing Beavermount has to law enforcement, is easily distracted by sweets. Dougie is cut from the same cloth as lawmen such as Barney Fife and Chief Wiggum. But hey, he’s still a pretty swell guy. In fact, he’s such a polite Canadian, he even takes Frenchie out for bear claws on the way to the station. And he’s more than willing to go on as many detours as Frenchie requests. At times it almost feels like a buddy cop show.

There’s plenty of quirky townsfolk. For example, there’s a group of sextuplets who are produce farms running a protection racket. Nobody sells produce in Beavermount without their approval. Oh, and they all have male names, despite all being women. Then there’s the members of the local Ojibwe tribe. They recently scored a major land settlement with the government. Thanks to reparations, each member of the tribe is a millionaire with plenty of dough to spend. And then there’s the annual smelt festival were…well, let’s just say that shooting fish in a barrel has some slightly different connotations in Beavermount

Honestly, with all of the quirky townsfolk, Sorry About the Murder feels kind of like a slice of life audio drama at times. It does have a cozy feeling, and the murder mystery doesn’t detract from that. It almost feels like a parody of one of those mystery movies from The Hallmark Channel. Well, maybe not quite like that. There’s not enough handsome salt-of-the-earth widower Christmas tree farmers.

It appears we will be getting a season two, and Frenchie will have another murder on his hands. I always wonder, in show like Grantchester and Murder, She Wrote, how the small towns maintain a stable population despite all the murders. To be fair, it does tend to be the come from aways who tend to get murdered in those shows. I suppose Sorry About the Murder will wrestle with this issue as well.

So, there you have it. Sorry About the Murder is farcical, cozy, and true crime inspired. But above all else, it is very Canadian. It is another great audio drama from the creator of Human B-Gon. You don’t have to be Canadian to enjoy it, but that certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.