Quest for the Best: An Anime Podcast
Hosted by Tristan Gallant
Three veteran anime commentators try to definitively rank the top 100 anime of all time, with frequent detours for game shows and friendly debate.
A panel discussion podcast where three hosts review a specific anime each week to decide its place in a definitive top 100 list. The formal reviews are frequently broken up by game segments, trivia quizzes called 'Sidequests', and long, conversational tangents on everything from Canadian cartoons to the corporate ownership of soda brands. [BgenLu38v_E, _icz2gSmnIM] The show's premise provides a narrative through-line, but its core appeal is the hosts' friendly, often chaotic chemistry.
“While many podcasts review anime, this show's central quest to build a single, definitive top 100 list provides a strong narrative hook. Its charm comes from the chaotic, unscripted banter and recurring game show segments that feel like listening in on a friend group's game night. [BgenLu38v_E, rBpyGodVS7I]”
Who hosts this show
Three friends and anime industry veterans—Tristan Gallant, Miles Atherton, and Geoff Thew—set out to answer the question: what are the 100 best anime of all time? Each week they watch and discuss a specific anime to determine its place on their master list. The show, which grew out of their private weekly calls during lockdown, mixes serious criticism with the chaotic energy of a game night, featuring frequent tangents, trivia, and guest appearances.
Credentials & credits
- Geoff Thew: Creator of the 'Mother's Basement' YouTube channel.
- Tristan Gallant: Creator of the 'Glass Reflection' YouTube channel (also known as Arkada).
- Miles Atherton: CEO of White Box Entertainment, an anime marketing consultancy.
- Miles Atherton: Former Chief Marketing Officer at Anime Limited.
- Miles Atherton: Former sales consultant at Crunchyroll.
- Miles Atherton: Writes 'Anime by the Numbers' data journalism column.
Other ventures
- Mother's Basement (Geoff Thew's YouTube Channel)
- Glass Reflection (Tristan Gallant's YouTube Channel)
- White Box Entertainment (Miles Atherton's Company)
- Anime by the Numbers (Miles Atherton's Substack)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Belladonna Of Sadness (w/ Foxcade) | #belladonnaofsadness | Quest 057Jun 22, 2026 · 1h 27m
- 02Tristan's Top 1 Anime Betrayal | #simplequizgame | Quest 056Jun 15, 2026 · 1h 28m
- 03Yokohama Shopping Log | #yokohamashoppinglog | Quest 055Jun 8, 2026 · 1h 09m
- 04Jujutsu Kaisen | #jujutsukaisen | Quest 054Jun 1, 2026 · 2h 06m
- 05Here We Go Again? | Anime Awards 2026 | BONUS QUESTMay 26, 2026 · 35 min
- 06Mind Game | #MindGame | Quest 053May 18, 2026 · 1h 44m
- 07Summer Wars | #summerwars | Quest 052May 11, 2026 · 1h 37m
- 08Anime & Manga Licensing | #animelicensing | Quest 051May 4, 2026 · 2h 07m
Notable episodes
- 01Belladonna Of Sadness (w/ Foxcade) | Quest 057
A clear example of the show's guest interview format, complete with deep dives and long, humorous tangents on topics like the 90s CGI show 'ReBoot'.
- 02Tristan's Top 1 Anime Betrayal | Quest 056
Showcases the 'Sidequest' quiz format, where Tristan quizzes his co-hosts on trivia from past episodes, culminating in a long-running prank.
- 03Yokohama Shopping Log | Quest 055
Features the 'Newly-Weeb Game' segment and a characteristic tangent where the hosts spend significant time discussing the principles of flag design (vexillology).
- 04UPON JOURNEY'S START | #Frieren #SoloLeveling | Quest 001
The first episode, which lays out the podcast's mission statement and format while establishing the hosts' dynamic.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts favor a conversational, group-chat style over a formal Q&A. An opening question about the guest's "anime journey" serves as a jumping-off point for the entire group. [_icz2gSmnIM] All three hosts actively participate, often using a guest's answer to launch into their own anecdotes or a group debate on a related topic, like the best tournament arcs in shonen history. [_icz2gSmnIM] They probe for specifics on favorites (e.g., "What's your favorite arc in One Piece?") and bring up divisive topics to gauge a guest's take. [_icz2gSmnIM]
The show is hosted by Tristan Gallant, Miles Atherton, and Geoff Thew. Episodes typically focus on one anime but often diverge into structured segments like trivia quizzes ('Sidequest'), 'Question of the Week,' or games like 'The Newly-Weeb Game'. [BgenLu38v_E, rBpyGodVS7I] The tone is highly informal and comedic, with frequent inside jokes and production hiccups (like a mic facing the wrong way) left in the final cut. [rBpyGodVS7I]
Questions Tristan Gallant keeps coming back to
7 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Tristan Gallant reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Tell us about yourself and your anime journey.”
This is the standard opening question for guests to establish their background and relationship with anime.
personal
5- Q.01
“What is your favorite character from a dubiously canon anime spin-off movie?”
A recurring 'Question of the Week' used to spark discussion on niche fan topics.
- Q.02
“What's your favorite shonen of all time?”
Used after a guest discusses their general tastes to get a definitive top pick.
- Q.03
“What's your favorite arc in [specific long-running anime]?”
A follow-up question to probe deeper into a guest's stated favorite series.
- Q.04
“What was your co-host's first anime crush?”
This question appears in 'The Newly-Weeb Game' segment to test how well the hosts know each other.
- Q.05
“What was your co-host's favorite/least favorite anime from last year?”
Another question from 'The Newly-Weeb Game' segment, testing their knowledge of each other's recent tastes.
controversy
1- Q.01
“How do you feel about [controversial arc/topic]?”
The hosts will bring up divisive fandom topics to gauge a guest's opinion.
Signature segments
- · Quest for the Best (main ranking list)
- · Sidequest (game/quiz segments)
- · Question of the Week
- · The Newly-Weeb Game
- · Long, narrative-style intros
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically fellow anime YouTubers (like Foxcade) or industry figures who join the hosts for a conversational deep-dive on a specific film or series, sharing their own history with the medium. [_icz2gSmnIM, dJFLXZRGy-E]
- Foxcadeon Belladonna Of Sadness (w/ Foxcade) | #belladonnaofsadness | Quest 057
- Yazy Thewon Jujutsu Kaisen | #jujutsukaisen | Quest 054
- Varun Guptaon Anime & Manga Licensing | #animelicensing | Quest 051
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is monetized through YouTube Memberships and has an Acast page, suggesting programmatic ads. [BgenLu38v_E, 5] The hosts also frequently joke about soliciting sponsorships from brands like Dr. Pepper and Canadian music retailer Long & McQuade. [_icz2gSmnIM, BgenLu38v_E]
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Tristan Gallant
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts?
- The hosts are Tristan Gallant (YouTuber 'Glass Reflection'), Miles Atherton (CEO of White Box Entertainment), and Geoff Thew (YouTuber 'Mother's Basement').
- Is Geoff Thew from the 'Mother's Basement' YouTube channel?
- Yes, co-host Geoff Thew is the creator of the popular anime analysis YouTube channel 'Mother's Basement'.
- What is the podcast's main goal?
- The hosts are on a quest to watch, debate, and definitively rank the 100 best anime of all time.
- What is a 'Sidequest'?
- A 'Sidequest' is a recurring segment where the hosts deviate from the main anime review to play a game, run a quiz, or engage in another structured activity. [BgenLu38v_E]
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes on a weekly basis.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Quest for the Best - Official Acast Pageshows.acast.com
- [02]Quest for the Best: An Anime Podcast - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [03]Mother's Basement | Wikitubiayoutube.fandom.com
- [04]Miles Atherton's Profile | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [05]Top Anime Critics Announce Quest for the Best Podcast Project | The Outerhaventheouterhaven.net
- [06]Miles Thomas ATHERTON - Anime News Networkanimenewsnetwork.com
- [07]Quest for the Best: An Interview with Miles, Geoff, and Tristan - The After Show from Anime News Networkgetpodcast.com
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