I am no stranger to podcasts, so on a Thursday night I find myself excited to experience something for the first time: a live podcast viewing. The podcast in question is Dexperience: The Live Podcast 2000. The show is one of four Listen to This: Live Podcasts which is part of the Six Degrees Festival.

Dexperience has been around since lockdown 2020 (with the idea first conceived of in 2019) and can be found on podcast platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It is exactly the kind of thing you want to listen to if you like a blend of humour, critical review and Pokemon themed content. This third annual live show features three friends – Dennis Eir Lim, Oliver Knott and Logan Delaney – as well as Lachlan Oosterman on guitar and Brittany Meiklejohn on the piano. A fourth member of the podcast, Harri Hashim, does not join in with this show but is present in the audience.

Given the choice of viewing the show live from BATS theatre, or through a free live stream at home, I choose to tune in via the live stream. The video quality from the two cameras, while not high definition, is good and does not lag or cut out throughout the show. The sound quality is excellent for the most part, though there is an issue during the second half of the podcast where the sound becomes so quiet that it is difficult to hear what anybody is saying. There is a pre-show section where equipment is tested and I have a chance to make sure I am well set up to watch the show.

The show is introduced with music by Brittany and Lachlan. The piano music in particular is the sort of beautiful, inspirational music that makes it feel like something epic is about to happen. While I have not watched much Pokemon since I was a child, it is the feeling I imagine a fan gets when they watch the main character Ash and his friends embarking on an adventure. Throughout the show we hear three wonderfully funny songs from Lachlan: a love song to Ash Catchem, a song about someone who has only ever seen the three Kung Fu Panda movies, and another that is difficult to hear during the second half audio difficulties but seems to reference Wii Sports. While two of these songs seem out of place in a Pokemon themed show, all of the songs are nevertheless enjoyable and catchy with clever lyrics.

After the introductory song, Dennis, Oliver and Logan sing the Dexperience theme tune and explain that tonight’s show will be about reviewing the second Pokemon movie, The Power of One, released in the year 2000. 

One of the first things I notice is the outfits each person is wearing. Everyone, including the musicians, is donning a Hawiian shirt. It is later explained that the movie begins in a tropical setting, “hence the Hawiian shirts” (I enjoy the following remark that if you are tuning in to the audio podcast that you will only be able to hear the Hawiian shirts). Oliver is also wearing a Pikachu hat with toggles you can squeeze to make the ears flip up, which is often used to humorous effect throughout the show. A plush Bulbasaur and two other Pokemon I don’t recognise also join the cast on the set.

Dennis begins the show with a game of Wordle, in which the rest of the cast and the audience try to guess a five letter Pokemon themed word. As the game progresses I find myself wishing I was in the theatre and yelling guesses at my screen until it is revealed that the winning word is “Misty” (a main character from the show). The game, along with the music, the banter between the cast members, and the costumes set this show up with a fun, relaxed atmosphere which makes me feel at home as an audience member. 

Next there is a recap of the film. As someone who has not watched Pokemon since I was a child, and has not seen the movie in question, I do find this section of the podcast confusing and difficult to follow. However I appreciate that it includes basic elements of the plot and a summary of important characters. To anybody who wants to listen to this episode of the podcast I recommend going away and watching the film beforehand to have a clearer idea of the storyline and the aspects being reviewed. 

The review itself takes up the majority of the podcast. Even as someone who has not seen The Power of One, I find this part entertaining and easy to follow. Each cast member gives their opinions of the film, which gives me the impression that it falls short of expectations. A lack of character development is discussed, and several online reviews are read out expressing almost universal disappointment in the film. Despite this harsh critique, I find the review itself compelling and feel encouraged to watch the film myself at some point to make up my own mind. I also enjoy how the cast involves the audience, periodically asking them questions and getting them to express their opinions of the film.

Some of the most interesting points raised throughout the review are the philosophical points. What are the differences between the villain Lawrence and the main character Ash in their quests to “catch ’em all”? Indeed, what level might the fans themselves stoop to catch a certain Pokemon, for instance when playing Pokemon video games? The matter of the Bechdel test is raised: it is noted that Misty does not have much of a role to play in the film besides mentioning that she is worried about Ash, and most of the action in the film is reserved for the boys. There is some discussion about how the Americanised version of the film is different to the Japanese version, with the Americanised version being more about Ash as an individual hero and the Japanese version having more of an “all of us” sentiment.

If I have one qualm with the podcast, it would be that while the show begins with a feeling of structure and purpose, it seems to lose this as the conversation goes on. Certain points are repeated, and the review could benefit from more predetermined questions. From the pre-show to the end of the podcast it is about two hours long – with the show itself being about an hour and a half. I find that towards the end it is difficult to maintain my concentration, especially with the audio difficulties in the second half. 

I am interested to hear what the edited version of this podcast will sound like, once it has been cut down and the audio problems have been fixed. I may well go away and watch The Power of One before listening to this podcast again with a fresh perspective when the audio version is released on podcast platforms. Dexperience: The Live Podcast 2000 definitely deserves a second listen, and I can’t wait to hear what the rest of their episodes have to offer as well.

Overall, I find Dexperience to be quite the experience. It features a likeable cast, excellent music, and interesting opinions and critique. It is exactly the sort of podcast I like – a long form conversation between a group of funny, clever people who are talking about something they are passionate about. As someone returning to Pokemon after many years away, it is a chance for me to fall in love with the world and the characters all over again. And if you’re currently a fan, I can assure you that there is nothing else in the world you would rather be listening to. 

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