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Purely Academic with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman

Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman
Doctor Who
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Dragon Ball
Superhero Movies
Anime
Video Games
Akira Toriyama
Gundam
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Xbox
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Mobile Suit Gundam
Doom
Persona 3
Citizen Kane
The Great Gatsby
Dragon Quest
Dynasty Warriors Origins
Persona 3 Reload
Batman

Critics and teachers Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman host this monthly variety series where we talk about our favorite video games, movies, anime, and much more, having fun and maybe even learning something along the way. From the creators of The Weekly Stuff Podcast and Japanimation Station. Visit www.jonathanlack.com for more!

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes578Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Film ReviewsLeisureTV & FilmVideo Games

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Latest Episodes

Christopher Nolan is dominating theaters once again with his adaptation of The Odyssey starring Matt Damon, so we’re taking the opportunity to not just talk about the new movie – which is excellent, though our hosts slightly disagree on how much – bu... more

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It’s been perhaps the darkest few weeks for video games in either of our lifetimes, so we’re back to discuss the ongoing Video Game Apocalypse, from Xbox executing thousands of layoffs and divesting themselves of a half-dozen studios, to PlayStation ... more

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This month marks the 60th anniversary of the premiere of Japan’s most iconic tokusatsu franchise: ULTRAMAN! Created by the legendary special effects wizards at Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman premiered on July 17th, 1966, and has been a phenomenon in... more

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The most wonderful and/or tedious time of the year has come once more: It’s Not-E3 2026, when all of the video game giants share their biggest announcements for the year. As always, we’re here to recap it, with thoughts on Sony’s State of Play, the S... more

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Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Thomas Lack
World champion in Persona 3, Dancing Moon Knight, Persona 4, Dancing All Night, and Persona 5, Dancing Star Knight
Episode: The Weekly Stuff #489 - Reviewing Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade Stage Play

Hosts

Jonathan Lack
Host of Purely Academic with a background as critic and educator; often discussed cinema studies and teaching experiences.
Sean Chapman
Co-host of Purely Academic; English teacher and critic with a long-running partnership with Jonathan Lack.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 67 ratings
  • They like the new doctor who stuff......enough said

    Podcast Addict
    1
    RevanWake
    2 years ago
  • Great Podcast

    Love the discussions on this podcast. Give you great things to think about. Should cover Gamera

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alexmaster13
    United States4 years ago
  • The (Not) Weekly Review of the Weekly Stuff Podcast

    my favorite podcast out there! it’s been going on for so long that there’s plenty to listen to

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    redcomet7107
    United States4 years ago
  • 1.5 years in and loving it, But the audio is low

    Love all the topics and rewatches these guys choose, and I really appreciate the addition of time stamps in the descriptions, but man it gets difficult listening in louder areas with headphones or even just in my car sometimes.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mrhopadopalus
    United States4 years ago
  • Amazing work

    Passionate, well informed and honest review/discussion about a wide range of of popular media. Both hosts are very self aware and both contribute deeply contrasting and complimentary opinions and perspectives in an organic and honest way. The show is a super refreshing listen and has become a part of my weekly routine. Great guys great content. Keep it up!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    eeb189
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great long-form content; the hosts feel like knowledgeable friends.
Engaging, deep dives with clear nerdy enthusiasm.
Occasional nitpicks on obscure topics, but the analysis remains sharp and entertaining.
The show blends academic insight with accessible, humorous banter.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#175
Australia/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#20
South Korea/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#54
Belgium/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#198
South Korea/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#211
Ireland/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#213
China/Leisure/Video Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Purely Academic #10 – The Top 10 Most Unlikely Gundam Creative Collaborations
Q: Can you explain your idea involving the potential collaboration with Studio Trigger?
The collaboration would involve chaotic rivals piloting Gundams with emotional transformations.
Purely Academic #10 – The Top 10 Most Unlikely Gundam Creative Collaborations
Q: What did I challenge you with? What did you bring to the table this time, Sean?
Sean shares his list of the top 10 least likely anime team collaborations with Gundam.
Purely Academic #7 – Listener Mail Extravaganza! Plus Dynasty Warriors, Shows That Should Copy Dragon Ball, & more!
Q: Are you going to cover Cyberpunk 2077?
In a hypothetical scenario where I have infinite time, yes, I would probably like to play Cyberpunk 2077, but in reality where I'm limited on time, probably not any time soon.
Purely Academic #7 – Listener Mail Extravaganza! Plus Dynasty Warriors, Shows That Should Copy Dragon Ball, & more!
Q: If you could redo one episode of Weekly Suit Gundam or Japanimation Station, what would you choose?
I would choose to redo the Zeta Gundam episode to explore its context better, as we could utilize what we have learned since then.
Purely Academic #7 – Listener Mail Extravaganza! Plus Dynasty Warriors, Shows That Should Copy Dragon Ball, & more!
Q: If you could see any unfinished film, but you must erase one of that director's existing films to do it, what would you see and what would you delete?
I would choose to see The Magnificent Ambersons by Orson Welles and delete The Immortal Story, which is less significant in his filmography.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Purely Academic

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These podcasts share a similar audience with Purely Academic:

1. Japanimation Station Season 6 - TOMINO-THON!
2. How Long Gone
3. Blank Check with Griffin & David
4. This American Life
5. Doughboys

How many episodes of Purely Academic are there?

Purely Academic launched 14 years ago and published 578 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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1. Thomas Lack

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