This week, we dive headfirst into emotional ruin — courtesy of Look Back, the devastatingly beautiful anime film by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. Before we get our hearts ripped out, we unpack a flood of new music releases — including Testament’s Para Bellum and Fayle's haunting Heretics and Lullabies — rail against Microsoft’s Game Pass price hike, and talk streaming fatigue and piracy. Peter also shares his new plan to train like a writer-athlete with a three-month learning sprint, while Eden reviews Nine Inch Nails’ Tron: Ares soundtrack, gushes about Apothecary Diaries, and explains why a Regency “choose your own adventure” romance might be the most fun book they’ve read all month. It all ends with tears, cello music, and a haunting meditation on why we create art in the first place.
📝 Episode Notes
Intro
- The “lost” episode vanished into the ether — maybe because it was too powerful for the far right to handle.
- Both hosts are feeling post-busy-season burnout and existential malaise.
Music Corner
- 🚨 Rush Reunion Tour: With Neil Peart’s family’s blessing, Rush returns with drummer Anika Nilles.
- Eden: “Neil was never the fastest.”
- Peter: Debates whether to travel for the tour or keep his memories intact.
- 🎻 Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Lifeblood: Beautiful, emotive cello-driven prog from the Leprous collaborator.
- ⚡️ Testament – Parabellum: Experimental thrash with black, death, and groove elements.
- 🕯 Frayle – Heretics and Lullabies: October-perfect doom — haunting vocals and atmosphere. Peter’s album of the month.
Gaming & Streaming Rant
- Microsoft’s Game Pass price jump to $30/month = cancellation time.
- Broader discussion: streaming bloat, rising costs, and the rise of “ethical piracy.”
- Quote of the section: “You wouldn’t scrape all the art ever made to create an anime titty generator.”
Writing & Learning Sprint
- Peter’s “Three-Month Learning Sprint” inspired by Dave Perell’s athlete model of skill-building.
- October–December: studying the craft of novel writing before starting Book #4 in January.
- Reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel (Jessica Brody) and joining Writing Mastery Academy.
- Reflections on learning structure, story beats, and wanting to finally write a novel he’d let others read.
- Eden debates joining NaNoWriMo again… maybe.
Eden’s Media & Reading Corner
- 🎬 Tron: Ares (2024): “No one’s seeing it — and for good reason.”
- Weak Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, but still better than most.
- 📚 Apothecary Diaries — finished all 15 volumes.
- 🐀 Though I Am an Inept Villainess — courtly fantasy with body-swap hijinks and fried potatoes.
- ❤️ My Lady’s Choosing — a hilarious, Regency-era, choose-your-own-romance adventure.
- 🕹 Doll’s Nest — “What if Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Frame Arms Girls had a baby?”
Main Event — Look Back
- 58-minute emotional gut punch about art, friendship, and loss.
- Recap: child prodigies Fujino and Kyomoto become artistic partners, drift apart, tragedy strikes, and grief reignites creation.
- Themes: rivalry, purpose, creative identity, and the way art bridges life and death.
- Peter: “The moment that cello started playing, I knew this was going to fuck me up.”
- Discussion on Fujimoto’s tone shifts, showing vs. telling, and the balance of subtlety and brutality.
- Shared conclusion: gorgeous, devastating, and they’ll never watch it again.
Wrap-Up
- Look Back is available on Amazon Prime.
- Next episode in a couple of weeks.
- Sign-off reminder: leave a review and email feedback@themiddleofculture.com
What is The Middle of Culture?
The Middle of Culture is what happens when two siblings with too many opinions and not enough chill dive headfirst into movies, music, video games, and whatever else is rotting our brains this week. It’s part pop culture podcast, part sibling rivalry, and fully unfiltered. Expect passionate arguments, niche references, unsolicited rankings, and the occasional moment of unexpected insight. If you’ve ever wanted to eavesdrop on the kind of argument you’d hear at the family dinner table—only with better audio—this is your show.