The Penumbra Podcast

I never caught up to the podcast the first time around, so I started from the beginning and gave it another go. The characters and world are so fresh and interesting — the futuristic martian setting combined with the noir/cyberpunk genre fusion is both original and timeless. It’s the perfect combo of familiar and new. Characters are casually and deliberately queer in a variety of ways, and it’s perfectly integrated into the story and dialogue without feeling performative or fake. This is genuine and from the heart, and you can tell. The performances are typically top-notch, especially Juno Steel. The only “criticism” i have is that, at least in earlier seasons, the smaller recurring cast necessitates that voice actors put on increasingly distinct voices for each new character. Some of those incredibly distinct voices can get really grating after a couple of episodes. I’m thinking mainly of Miasma and the Piranha here, who are voiced by two otherwise really talented voice actors and series regulars/producers. I don’t think anyone can pull off making a character’s voice intentionally grating and gravelly without it becoming annoying after five straight episodes, though.