Chobits (with Asher Sofman) [Seinen Exception #2]

Covers all of the original The Poe Clan series by Moto Hagio

It's time to talk about the gay vampires who built shojo manga. Year 24 author Moto Hagio, one of the most influential names in shojo, tells the tale of the Poe clan, a group composed of immortal vampirnella who turn the young siblings, Edgar and Marybelle, into one of their kind. Edgar turns his classmate, Alan Twilight, into a vampire, and the two go gallivanting through the forest like fairies. (Okay, they go on other adventures over the decades, too.) Vrai Kaiser, a managing editor at Anime Feminist, explains The Poe Clan's place within vampire literature, while Megan DeYarman, of the sites Manga Test Drive and Renaissance Josei, explains THE POE CLAN's and Moto Hagio's impact on the history and trajectory of shojo manga. Shojo & Tell host Ashley is just here to look pretty and facilitate. 

REFERENCES

• The Poe Clan is available from Fantagraphics
  • As mentioned in the episode, there is a rebooted Poe Clan series that Hagio started in 2016. Fantagraphics will also be releasing that starting in 2025.
• Other Hagio works mentioned:
  • Heart of Thomas
  • Otherworld Barbara
  • A Drunken Dream
  • A Cruel God Reigns
  • Rachel Thorn (translator)
• Previous podcasts with Megan and Vrai:
  • Earthian (with Vrai)
  • The Full-Time Wife Escapist (with Megan)
  • Key to the Kingdom (with Megan)
  • Juline (with Megan)
• Other manga/anime/artists mentioned:
  • Yun Kouga
  • Yumiko Igarashi
  • Tokimeki Tonight
  • The Sword of Paros
  • Sakura-Gari
  • Boy's Abyss
  • Keiko Takemiya
  • Oizumi Salon
  • Fruits Basket
  • Shotaro Ishinomori
    • Mist, Rose, and Stars
  • Fairy Ranmaru
  • Riyoko Ikeda
    • Dear Brother
  • Ooku: The Inner Chambers
• Vampires
  • The Palgrave Handbook of the Vampire (Vrai cowrote an essay in this!)
  • Our Vampires, Ourselves
  • Frankenstein
  • Lord Byron
  • "Christabel"
  • Carmilla
  • Bram Stoker
  • Anne Rice
    • Interview with the Vampire
  • The Gilda Stories
  • Twilight
  • Vampire Princess Miyu

CONTACT US

• Follow Vrai on Blue Sky @writervrai.bsky.social
• Read Vrai's work on Anime Feminist
• Support Anime Feminist on Patreon
• Follow Megan on BlueSky @brainchild129.bsky.social
• Follow Manga Test Drive on BlueSky @mangatestdrive.bsky.social
• Support Megan on Patreon
• Visit Renaissance Josei
• Read Megan's work on Anime Feminist
• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

This episode discusses all volumes (1-5) of Juline by Narumi Kakinouchi.

When you think "shojo manga," you typically don't think "ninjas." But that's just a stereotype, and we're here to defy stereotypes. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Megan DeYarman, of the sites Manga Test Drive and Renaissance Josei, talk about Juline, a manga series from animator Narumi Kakinouchi (of Vampire Princess Miyu fame). The titular Juline, along with other young female ninjas Bakuya and Seika (and inevitable male love interest Kio), are looking for male relatives and lovers who have disappeared. They encounter a mysterious foe in Black Pearl (also known as Tamayo, also known as Mei). Is Tamayo a woman or a man? Can Juline, Bakuya, and Seika undo the spell that's been put on their loved ones? Ashley and Megan dive into the art style (and unfortunate lack of lettering skills from Tokyopop), the gender representation, and the overall ~vibes~ of this strange little series.

REFERENCES

• Juline is out of print. It was published by Tokyopop.
  • There's a sequel called Shaolin Sisters
• Megan has been on episodes for The Key to the Kingdom and The Full-Time Wife Escapist
• Other anime/manga mentioned:
  • Revolutionary Girl Utena
  • Sailor Moon
  • Space Runaway Ideon
  • Dr. Slump
  • Urusei Yatsura
  • Macross
  • Megazone 23
  • The Pilot's Love Song
  • Aldnoah.Zero
  • Lupin the 3rd Part IV: The Italian Adventure
  • Apocalypse Zero
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Vampire Princess Miyu
  • Ryoko's Case File
  • Naruto
  • Tail of the Moon
  • Maid-Sama!
  • Gundam Wing
• Stu Levy is why everything is bad
• Archive of Our Own
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Follow Megan on BlueSky @brainchild129.bsky.social
• Follow Manga Test Drive on BlueSky @mangatestdrive.bsky.social
• Support Megan on Patreon
• Visit Renaissance Josei
• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

We discuss the two shojo manga versions of Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop by Hajime Yatate [Sunrise staff] and Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star by Cain Kuga

Ask an anime fan above the age of 30 what their favorite anime is, and chances are high they'll say Cowboy Bebop. The music, the animation, the mood — it's iconic. And then there are the two shojo manga iterations of Cowboy Bebop, which have largely been lost to the sands of time (and then, there's the Netflix live action version...). Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, read both of these severely out of print manga adaptations, and discuss here. Topics of discussion include: Ed and gender, why the heck is Shooting Star the way it is, and why was it decided that this seinen anime needs not one, but two shojo manga adaptations?

REFERENCES

• Both Cowboy Bebop manga adaptations are out of print. They were previously published by Tokyopop.
• The Cowboy Bebop anime is still beloved by many who aren't the Ashes
• The Netflix live action version of Cowboy Bebop was fun
• Yoko Kanno's music is part of what makes the anime such a hit
• Other series mentioned:
  • Outlaw Star
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
    • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days
  • Dimension W
  • Bleach
  • Legal Drug
  • X
  • Gurren  Lagann
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Maid-Sama!
• Tech bros trying to colonize space: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

This episode discusses all volumes (1-8) of The Vision of Escaflowne by Katsu Aki

The Vision of Escaflowne is the anime that got Shojo and Tell host Ashley into anime. It sparked one of only a handful of great obsessions in Ashley's life. It's probably the reason this podcast exists at all.

Katsu Aki's shonen manga version of the story is..... not like the anime you know and love.

It's explicitly billed as a shonen series, and it's all downhill from there. Instead of being a badass track and field star with short hair who saves Van and Allen more times than anyone in the series bothers to count, Hitomi is now a busty babe with glasses who's necessary to pilot the giant mech, Escaflowne. Prince Van is an annoying uncouth and unskilled swordsman. Sir Allen is a knight who is nothingness. Dilandau is — well okay, Dilandau is still a pretty crazy delight, honestly. But a different kind of crazy delight.

The Ashes discuss what this iteration of ESCAFLOWNE has to offer in comparison to the beloved TV anime and the gritty movie adaptation of the series.

REFERENCES

• Unfortunately (fortunately?), this manga is out of print. It was originally published in English by Tokyopop.
  • The anime is available from Funimation
  • As is the movie
  • The shojo manga version has never been licensed in English
• Other Escaflowne things
  • "Memory of Fanelia" song
  • ANNcast movie episode from 2015
• Other series mentioned
  • Digimon
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Sailor Moon
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Cyborg 009
  • Evangelion
  • Hot Gimmick
  • Darling in the Franxx
  • Sword Art Online
  • Dragon Ball Z (Master Roshi)
  • Bleach
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • xxxHolic
  • Spy x Family
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Cowboy Bebop
• Misc. memtions
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation
  • The Hunger Games
  • Neo Yokio  "Helena Saint Tessero is the plot."
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Shredder)
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

Wondering if you should pick up Lord Hades' Ruthless Marriage by Ueji Yuho? Ashley and Asher discuss the first volume of this new manga published by Yen Press, in which Lord Hades has been shot by one of Eros' arrows and thus is fated to fall in love. But not without a lot of hijinks happening first, harem manga style.

This is a short review of Lord Hades' Ruthless Marriage volume 1.

REFERENCES

• Lord Hades' Ruthless Marriage is available from Yen Press
• Other Greek mythology-inspired media we mentioned:
  • Percy Jackson series
  • Circe by Madeline Miller
  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  • Neon Gods by Katee Robert
• Misc mentions
  • Renji from Bleach
  • Disney's Hercules
• Morgana was a guest for the Pet Shop of Horrors episode, which you can listen to here

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode discusses volumes 8–15 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji.

Sariphi has gone from ritual sacrifice to acting queen, but she's still working to gain the respect of members of beastkind. In this episode about the back half of Tomofuji's series, Mackenzie from Mac Loves Manga and Shojo and Tell host Ashley break down the highlights. We get to talk more about our favorite hyena boy, Lante, and his heartwarming worldviews; crotchety Anubis and the amazing journey he went on (where he got stabbed at least twice); the power of Sariphi, particularly in the arc with Fenrir; plus, we finally find out why the king is partially human, and meet some of the best side characters who should definitely have their own series.

• Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is available from Yen Press in English
  • There's a spinoff that's not licensed yet, The White Rabbit and the Beast Prince
• Be sure to check out Shoujo Sundae, Colleen's Manga Recs, and Basic Boi
• Other anime/manga mentioned
  • Vampire Knight
  • One Piece
  • Requiem of the Rose King
  • My Happy Marriage
  • Ooku
  • Tokyo Ghoul
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • The World is Still Beautiful
• Dub actors lobbying for better pay
• Mad Max
• Avengers: Endgame
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Mackenzie on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr
• Mackenzie's YouTube channel
• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter

This episode discusses volumes 1–7 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji.

Sariphi goes from ritual sacrifice to acting queen consort in the span of only a few volumes. The real problem? She's a human living among beastkind, hiding the secret of the part-human beast king while trying to win over the hearts and minds of people who look nothing like her. Tomofuji's series pushes boundaries, and Mackenzie from Mac Loves Manga is here to fully break them down. Mackenzie joins Shojo and Tell host Ashley to discuss the political intrigue of this series, how refreshing Sari is as a heroine, how endearing the tsundere boys Anubis and Lanteveldt are, and, as is only natural, make inevitable comparisons to Beastars and Zootopia.

REFERENCES

• Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is available from Yen Press in English
• Be sure to follow Shoujo Sundae and Colleen's Manga Recs
• Other anime/manga mentioned
  • Alice 19th
  • Romantic Killer
  • Yona of the Dawn
  • Skip Beat!
  • Gakuen Alice
  • Tears of a Lamb
  • Sukeban Deka
  • Kill la Kill
  • Bibliophile Princess
  • Bleach
  • Naruto
  • Mob Psycho 100
  • Beastars
  • Demon Slayer
  • Oshi no Ko
  • Takane and Hana
  • A Centaur's Life
  • Monster Musume
  • Darling in the Franxx
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Other media mentioned:
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Zootopia
  • Balto
  • The Hunger Games
  • The Matrix
• Anime Feminist review of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts episode 1
• Hana to Yume magazine
• Mackenzie's video on Romantic Killer/performative shojo
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Mackenzie on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr
• Mackenzie's YouTube channel
• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter,

Discusses all of the manga Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi.

Before there was Sailor Moon, there was Sailor V. Or... maybe? Is that how the timeline lines up? Well, anyway. We're continuing our journey with the Sailor Guardians by discussing the prequel/sequel/???? to Sailor Moon, which is all about Minako/Sailor Venus. Minako superfans Honey and Vixen explain how Usagi and Minako differ, why Sailor Venus is their favorite Sailor Guardian, and why everyone should be on Team Minako. Shojo & Tell host Ashley has to admit that Minako makes a lot more sense after reading this superhero gag manga. If you liked the silliness of the 1990s Sailor Moon anime, then you should be reading Sailor V!

REFERENCES

• Codename: Sailor V is available from Kodansha Comics
• Be sure to listen to our Sailor Moon episodes with Anne LaRose
• The one true Sailor Moon fansite, Tuxedo Unmasked
• Other anime/manga mentioned
  • Bloom Into You
  • Revolutionary Girl Utena
  • Hot Gimmick
  • Duklyon
  • Fruits Basket
  • Nichijou
  • Yona of the Dawn
  • Princess Jellyfish
  • Dragon Ball Super
  • Digimon
  • Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts
  • Cutie Honey
  • Astro Boy
• Video games mentioned:
  • Fantasy Zone
  • TwinBee
  • Breath of the Wild  / Tears of the Kingdom
  • Skyrim
  • Dragon Quest
  • Resident Evil
• Listen to fellow manga podcast, Manga Mavericks
• Check out Kodansha's new manga streaming service, K Manga
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Follow Honey on: Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch
• Follow Vixen on Twitter
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode discusses the second half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi.

We're back to talk about the Infinity, Dream, and Stars arcs of the beloved Sailor Moon series. Now that all the Sailor Guardians are here, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Anne LaRose, who runs the Shojo Power blog analyzing Sailor Moon, reveal their vastly different favorite Guardians. As a n00b to the series, Ashley wonders what is even going on with the Sailor Stars. And why there's a creepy circus. And what the heck any of these villains really want. It doesn't really matter, because the Sailor Guardians kick ass, right? And Mamoru is Sailor Earth. Right. Fangirl ChatGPT agrees.

REFERENCES

• Sailor Moon is available from Kodansha Comics
  • The 1992 anime is on Hulu
  • Sailor Moon Crystal is on Netflix
  • The Sailor Moon Cosmos movie is coming out in the summer of 2023
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Codename: Sailor V
  • Weathering with You
  • Your Name
  • One Piece
  • Fruits Basket
    • Anime Feminist article on queerness
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Princess Jellyfish
    • Akiko Higashimura
  • Cyborg 009
  • Princess Knight
  • Yona of the Dawn
  • A Sign of Affection
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Bleach
  • Naruto
  • Madoka Magica
  • Pretty Cure
  • Land of the Lustrous
  • Twin Star Exorcists
  • Rumiko Takahashi
• Two-Spirit people
• Lindy West
• Lord of the Flies
• Fifty Shades of Grey
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Anne runs shojopower.com
• Find Shojo Power on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode discusses the first half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi.

It's our 100th main episode(!!), so we finally suck it up and cover one of the biggest shojo series of all time: Sailor Moon. To start off, Shojo & Tell host Ashley makes a shocking confession, which Anne LaRose, who runs the site Shojo Power dedicated to analyzing Sailor Moon, takes in stride. From there, Ashley and Anne respond to listener feedback on what makes Sailor Moon so beloved, rank their favorite Sailor Guardians, share feelings about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's romance, and explore how Takeuchi's series altered the course of magical girl stories. The story arcs discussed are the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon.

REFERENCES

• Sailor Moon is available from Kodansha Comics
  • The 1992 anime is on Hulu
  • Sailor Moon Crystal is on Netflix
  • The Sailor Moon Cosmos movie is coming out in the summer of 2023
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Codename: Sailor V
  • Maid-Sama!
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Saint Seiya
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Tokyo Mew Mew
  • Creamy Mami
  • Alice 19th
  • Fruits Basket
  • Nana
• American cartoons/comics mentioned:
  • Powerpuff Girls
  • Batman: The Animated Series
  • Spider-Man: The Animated Series
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • The Real Ghostbusters
  • The Incredibles
• Gen Z/Generation Alpha doesn't understand the concept of files on a desktop
• Alethea and Athena Nibley did the Eternal Editions/Naoko Takeuchi collection translations
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Anne runs shojopower.com
• Find Shojo Power on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram