The Great Final Fantasy Ranking!

Hello Adventurers! Wait, is that how it goes for this? Does it even matter? Who knows! So this episode, theoretically a “bonus” episode, is actually a product of two years worth of work. In 2024, over the course of two different panels at MomoCon and KamiCon HAI (RIP), we had panels where we attempted to rank all the mainline Final Fantasies (plus two bonus games). As we had different people on each panel, we of course had two different rankings!  What was a podcast to do? Well, all six of us got together to record One Final (Fantasy) Podcast to determine the final ranking. This is that episode! 

PS You may notice that we have not indicated if this is an OSMcast! or a Carbuncle Chronicle episode. That’s because it’s both! Almost all of the OSMcast! side, and all of The Carbuncle Chronicle side are in this, AND it covers Final Fantasy XIV to boot, so it made sense to just call it an episode for both.  

OSMnotes

Whoo boy! This was a real pain to edit! But Basil also got real extra with the audio and music for the episode this time, so we hope you enjoy the half a year he took at poking and prodding this thing into Listenable Audio™. Anyroad, have some Time Cues:

  • We start the OSMcast!ing – 00:00
  • General Gabbing (Introductions and explaining The Process) – 02:04
  • The Great Final Fantasy Ranking!
    • Part I: Where we talk about all the Final Fantasies
      • Final Fantasy I – 04:44
      • Final Fantasy II – 10:36
      • Final Fantasy III – 17:06
      • Final Fantasy IV – 21:45
      • Final Fantasy V – 32:13
      • Final Fantasy VI – 35:37
      • Final Fantasy VII – 41:41
      • Final Fantasy VIII – 49:56
      • Final Fantasy IX – 53:49
      • Final Fantasy X – 58:24
      • Bonus Game: Final Fantasy Tactics – 01:05:00
      • Final Fantasy XI – 01:09:05
      • Final Fantasy XII – 01:11:48
      • Bonus Game: Lost Odyssey – 01:15:58
      • Final Fantasy XIII – 01:21:18
      • Final Fantasy XIV – 01:27:30
      • Final Fantasy XV – 01:34:24
      • Final Fantasy XVI – 1:38:10
    • Part II: Where we actually rank said Final Fantasies
      • The Battle Begins – 01:41:39
      • The Battle Ends – 02:03:09

Oh! And if you want to see them all in one handy dandy graphic once we were finished, here it is (but warning it’s a long long image):

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

OSMre:cast! Show #200: Re: Cutie Honey

Back in May of 2008 for our 5th episode of the OSMcast, we talked about the 2004 OVA Re: Cutie Honey from Hideaki Anno and pals. So for our 200th episode, we have decided to go back and do it again! And for a decent bit longer than last time. Thankfully since then Discotek and Media OCD continue to do the lord’s work, and we have an amazing new Blu-ray release to talk about. The anime finally has a kick ass release, and more people need to know about it. Only took 20ish years to do it!

OSMnotes

While at the moment there is no easy to way to find a handy dandy streaming service to watch Re: Cutie Honey, the Blu-Ray of it is absolutely amazing!

Plus, Time Cues:

  • We start the OSMcast!ing – 00:00
  • General Gabbing (200+ Episodes and 17 Years of Podcasting) – 00:35
  • Re: Cutie Honey – 09:34
    • Re: Cutie Honey, Sans Spoilers (Mostly) – 10:08
    • Re: Cutie Honey, Full of Spoilers – 33:49
    • Questions from Listeners Like You About Re: Cutie Honey – 0:49:58
    • OSMs Out of OSM and Final Thoughts – 1:02:26

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

OSMinterview! Robert McCollum @ MTAC Another World

We’re bringing back yet another MTAC Another World OSMinterview! Today, we’ve got our interview we did alongside The Side Quest Podcast for Robert McCollum! Here’s what MTAC had on their webpage about him:

Robert McCollum has been working in anime for almost twenty-five years, voicing more than 300 roles going all the way back to Teen Goten in DRAGONBALL GT. Notable work includes Reiner in ATTACK ON TITAN, Stain in MY HERO ACADEMIA, Donquixote Doflamingo in ONE PIECE, Jellal in FAIRY TAIL, Julius The Wizard King in BLACK COVER, Marcus in DEMON LORD 2099, Earl Vincent Phantomhive in Black Butler, Baki Hanma in Baki The Grappler, and Kogami in PSYCHOPASS. Rob is also the voice of Axton in BORDERLANDS 2, and has done work for the games ORCS MUST DIE (as Max) and BROTHERS IN ARMS: EARNED IN BLOOD. In addition to acting, McCollum is a father of two living in Dallas and working as a producer and director of corporate communication and commercials in the U.S. and U.K.. He is the creator of The Inside Man- the world’s first I.T. security training action series- for KnowBe4 and directed the wildly successful historical audio drama podcast 1865. Among his personal favorite anime roles are Sweden in HETALIA, Date Masamune in SENGOKU BASRA, Mifune in SOUL EATER, Kaze in KAZE NO STIGMA, and his first bad guy, Shinobu Sensui from YU YU HAKUSHO: GHOST FILES. (You always remember your first.)

A proud trans ally, a portion of all proceeds Robert earns through conventions goes to ANIME STANDS UP FOR ALL, a fundraising effort for Lambda Legal. Make a donation at https://give.lambdalegal.org/AnimeStandsUpForAll

Robert McCollum

OSMnotes

We want to thank Robert and once again for taking the time to chat with us! And you can find all the places where Robert is by checking out him online at:

Plus, a big thank you to MTAC for both letting us have the chance to chat, but also credit for the convention logo used.

We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

The Carbuncle Chronicle Issue 34: Our Experiences at GATEway FATE 2.0

Hello Adventurers! Earlier this year we took a trip out to St. Louis, Missouri to check out a most excellent Final Fantasy XIV fan convention: GATEway FATE 2.0! This was their second year and we had heard so many good things about its first year, we were really excited to try it out for ourselves. And we were not disappointed. But don’t take our word for it! Wait, no… Actually do take our word for it, but in audio form! This is a podcast, after all. 

Spoiler Levels: Larboard/Starboard Chicken Tenders with fries “are ready to fry!” This was just one of the many delicious food options that they had in their Last Stand food stall in the convention center. And yes, we do realize that we said both “delicious food options” and “in the convention center” within the same sentence! It was just one of the many things that really impressed us about this con. (Just wait till you hear us gush about the flooring!)

OSMnotes

GATEway FATE 2.0 was a lot of fun, and we are very much looking forward to GATEway FATE 3.0 on October17th-18th, 2026! They just announced their dates and will have more information upcoming soon. But until then, have some Time Cues:

  • 00:00:00 – We Start The Carbuncle Chronicling
  • 00:00:45 – Intro and General Gabbing
  • 00:15:29 – GATEway FATE 2.0
    • 00:17:30 – The Venue, but importantly that flooring
    • 00:21:59 – The Exhibit Hall
    • 00:23:19 – The Art Party Room
    • 00:25:53 – The Upper Level
    • 00:29:06 – The Last Stand (and the best food from a convention center ever?)
    • 00:31:41 – The food options around the con were also pretty great!
    • 00:33:57 – The Exhibitors
    • 00:35:08 – The Staff
    • 00:39:00 – Saturday at GATEway
      • 00:40:26 – The Music of Final Fantasy XIV: Retro Edition
      • 00:43:48 – Name That Orchestrion Roll with Vickybunnyangel
      • 00:46:48 – 1.0? NIGHTMARE!!
      • 00:51:14 – Being a Wandering Minstred 101 with Amanda Achen and Jason Charles Miller
      • 00:51:57 – Mientras El Micrófono Graba: Voice Acting Journeys with Erica Mendez, Javier Prusky, and Luis Bermudez
      • 00:52:23 – From Pon to Ron: Mahjong 101
      • 00:54:09 – Eorzea’s Fiscal History and Impending Coinage Disaster
      • 00:58:15 – World Racin’ with Frosty & Rookuri
      • 00:59:08 – At Art’s Horizon: An Omnicrafter Art Party
      • 00:59:41 – Dragsidia Drag Show
      • 01:02:07 – Karaoke: A Test of Your Vocal Reflexes
    • 01:03:15 – Sunday @ GATEway FATE
    • 01:13:59 – Final Thoughts on GATEway FATE 2.0, and Looking Forward to 3.0

Music is this episode features tracks such as “Paradise Found” by Masayoshi Soken, “On Windy Meadows”  by Nobuo Uematsu, and “ Sanctuary’s Heart: With Hearts Aligned” by Masayoshi Soken, arranged by grooveman Spot.

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

OSMinterview! Natalie Van Sistine @ MTAC Another World

We’re bringing back yet another MTAC Another World OSMinterview! Today, we’ve got our interview we did alongside The Side Quest Podcast for Natalie Van Sistine. Here’s what MTAC had on their webpage about her:

Natalie Van Sistine is a voice actor, audio engineer, and writer who currently lives near Dallas with her dog, Nico.

In anime, you can hear her as Yor Forger in Spy X Family, Star and Stripe in My Hero Academia, Miorine in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Selene in Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, the Fox Devil in Chainsaw Man, Irene Adler/James Bonde in Moriarty the Patriot, Yihdra in The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World, Lilith in The Maid I Hired Recently is Mysterious, Arnheid in Vinland Saga, Natsuko Aki in Re: Cutie Honey, and in dozens of other titles, including Attack on Titan, Full Dive, Overlord, and One Piece.

She has also appeared in over two hundred games, including Honkai: Star Rail as Serval and World of Warcraft as Dark Ranger Velonara. You can also hear her in Hearthstone, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Fire Emblem Heroes, CookieRun: Witch’s Castle, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Book fans may also recognize her from the Graphic Audio production of A Court of Thorns and Roses as Nesta.

She can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok @nvansistine.

Natalie Van Sistine

OSMnotes

We want to thank Natalie and once again for taking the time to chat with us! And you can find all the places where Natalie is by checking out her online at:

Plus, a big thank you to MTAC for both letting us have the chance to chat, but also credit for the convention logo used.

We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

The Carbuncle Chronicle Issue 33: Grinding the Gears of Final Fantasy I, II, & III and Their Place in XIV

Hello Adventurers! Did you know that Final Fantasy XIV is the fourteenth mainline Final Fantasy game? It’s true! In fact there were a whole thirteen other games that came before it, if you can believe it. So for this episode, we are talking about the first three. But it’s been a minute since some of us (Basil) has played the first three games, and we needed some help. Some fresh eyes on these games, some eyes that really know how to grind out some gear. If you haven’t figured it out yet, our special guests for this episode are none other than Garrett and Kyle from Grinding Gear! 

Spoiler Levels: Chicken Fettuccine “Flat, thick pasta smothered in a rich cream sauce with tender slices of chicken thigh.” This food that offers bonuses to Critical Hit, Vitality, and Skill Speed was introduced in patch 5.4 Futures Rewritten during the Shadowbringers expansion and also included the Matoya’s Relict dungeon! You know, Matoya! From Final Fantasy (I)!

OSMnotes

Once again we want to think Garrett and Kyle for joining us! Have you heard of them before? They’re on YouTube! They’re pretty great, you should watch them. Also, while we were chatting, they announced the new All Saint’s Wake event starting this Friday? That’s the day right before GATEway FATE! Such good timing. Speaking of timing, here have some Time Cues:

  • 00:00:00 – We Start The Carbuncle Chronicling
  • 00:00:47 – Intro and General Gabbing
  • 00:31:57 – A Prelude to Talking About Final Fantasy I, II, and III
    • 00:32:34 – How did you first learn about Final Fantasy?
    • 00:41:06 –What draws you to Final Fantasy?
    • 00:48:09 – When you think about what is Final Fantasy, what does it make you think of?
    • 00:52:09 – What prompted Garrett and Kyle to play the older ones?
  • 00:59:18 – Talking About Final Fantasy I, II, and III
    • 00:59:59 – Final Fantasy I
    • 01:17:23 – Final Fantasy II
    • 01:29:36 – Final Fantasy III

Music is this episode features tracks such as “Final Fantasy I Main Theme FFPR Ver.” by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Kento Hasegawa and Masato Kouda, “Final Fantasy I Battle FFPR Ver.” and ” Final Fantasy I Victory FFPR Ver.” by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Yuji Aoyama and Ayumu Murai, “ Matoya’s Cave FFPR Ver.” by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Shingo Kataoka and Hidenori Miyanaga, “Final Fantasy I Opening Theme FFPR Ver.” by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Ryoue Takagi, “Final Fantasy II Main Theme FFPR Ver.” and “Eternal Wind FFPR Ver.” by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Shingo Kataoka,”Pa-paya, Scions & Sinners FINAL FANTASY XIV ~ Arrangement Album ~” by Masayoshi Soken, Arranged by Keiko, and “A Victory Fanfare Reborn (Full)” by Masayoshi Soken.

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

The Carbuncle Chronicle Issue 32: The Promise of Talking About Patch 7.3

Hello Adventurers! Well, here we are again. There has been a brand new patch, and we are here to talk about it all! Well… at least a lot of it, anyroad. We cover some of the less spoiler-y parts of patch 7.3 The Promise of Tomorrow, before really digging into spoilers talking about the MSQ, dungeon, the trial, and more! That more includes a bunch of things that has just happened, but also things that are happening right now… But also in the future? This podcast contains multitudes, and we welcome you to come listen.

Spoiler Levels: DAM! This rainbow energy beverage will allegedly bestow the drinker with metaphorical fangs to gnaw through any challenge and do their DAM-dest. Excessive consumption is ill-advised… But only if you haven’t filled yourself up with all that Patch 7.3 MSQ goodness! If it is the case that you have, you’re free and clear to listen away. But worry not we have time cues for everyone, current or no.

OSMnotes

That’s right folks! Time Cues:

  • 00:00:00 – We Start The Carbuncle Chronicling
  • 00:00:52 – Intro and General Gabbing
  • 00:19:32 – FFXIV Patch 7.3: The Promise of Tomorrow
    • 00:19:50 – The Spoiler Free Parts
      • 00:20:01 – Chat Bubbles!
      • 00:22:37 – T-shirts!
      • 00:25:03 – Wondrous Tails Updates!
      • 00:26:09 – “A large number of headgear items will now display when worn by Viera and Hrothgar.”
      • 00:26:48 – Phoenix Downs are now super useful!
      • 00:28:29 – “A progress bar can now be displayed under the nameplate of certain enemies.”
      • 00:30:12 – The Wreath of Snakes (Unreal)!
      • 00:34:14 – The New Treasure Map Dungeon!
    • 00:38:00 – The Parts That Are Filled With Spoilers!
      • 00:38:49 – How the MSQ Kicks Off
      • 00:44:03 – Adventure Game/Escape Room Times
      • 00:50:19 –The Meso Termial
      • 00:55:25 – The 7.3 Trial
      • 01:02:59 – What Comes After the Trial
      • 01:17:52 – How the 7.3 MSQ Wraps Up… and Wild Speculations from Us!

Music is this episode features tracks such as “Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail – Outlaws (Theme of the Tantalus)” by Nobuo Uematsu, “Remembrance” by Masayoshi Soken (The Meso Terminal), “Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail – The Ageless Necropolis (The Final Battle)” by Nobuo Uematsu.

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

OSMtable! TTRPGs & the Social Contract

The OSMtable! returns with a new TTRPG discussion. Dylan, Basil, and Tobias are once again joined by Niko (con co-chair of the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention) to talk about safety tools, session zero, and other elements of the social contract. As people with familiarity with these approaches, how do they play out in different contexts?

OSMnotes

Resources:

Hosts:

We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

The Carbuncle Chronicle Issue 31: Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy

Hello Adventurers! Over these past couple of months, some of us have reignited with an old collectible card game flame (and some of us are brand new to it)! That flame of a card game is Magic: The Gathering, and we’re playing it all thanks to it’s latest expansion: Final Fantasy! All sixteen mainline games are represented, which includes the critically acclaimed MMORPG that this podcast is all about. So here is an episode all about it. We talk about what cards we like, what it was getting back into it, how well it works as a Final Fantasy thing that’s also a Magic: the Gathering thing, and the perils of buying card games that are also collectible.

Spoiler Levels: Food Token! , , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life. Feel free to chow down on this episode that’s full of Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy, but pretty light on spoilers. 

OSMnotes

If you are interested into looking more Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy yourself, here’s a link to Magic’s website for it. And we even have Time Cues for you this time:

  • 00:00:00 – Intro and some of the decks we’ve made so far
  • 00:03:53 – Our previous experiences with Magic: The Gathering
  • 00:13:49 – How well did they get Final Fantasy to work as a set in Magic: The Gathering?
  • 00:25:33 – Magic: The Gathering Formats, and just what IS Commander, anyway?
  • 00:38:10 – Getting started in Magic: The Gathering and the wonders of Arena
  • 00:44:13 – Dylan’s pitch for you to frequent your Local Game Store
  • 00:51:28 – Trying to actually buy the things, and the perils thereof
  • 01:06:57 – Playing online via Arena vs playing in person
  • 01:09:43 – Final Thoughts on Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy

Music is this episode features tracks such as “Shuffle or Boogie (Shadowbringers)” (Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Takafumi Imamura), “Shuffle or Boogie – Final Fantasy VIII” (Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by HCBailly), and “Final Fantasy VIII – Shuffle or Boogie (accordion cover)” (Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Jackson Parodi).

We also have YouTube Channels! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

OSMtable! TTRPG World Building

A new episode format appears! In this episode, Dylan, Basil, and Tobias are joined by Niko (con co-chair of Middle Tennessee Anime Convention) to talk TTRPGs. Today’s roundtable topic: general approaches to world-building when gamemastering.

OSMnotes

It’s an old name, but a new format! Big thanks to Dylan for wanting to spearhead a whole new OSMtype of podcast. What did you think about it? Let us know! Hit us up on Bluesky or on Discord! But also, have some links of things mentioned in this episode:

We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.

And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.