shoujo manga

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 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

A discussion about all three volumes of CLAMP School Detectives by CLAMP.

We're rounding out the unofficial Clamp School trilogy with CLAMP School Detectives, which is actually a shojo series! Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira (from Man of Many Faces) make up the elementary student council representatives at Clamp School, and they're determined to help any maiden in distress. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss how Clamp School is a dystopian totalitarian state disguising itself as a utopia, what it does or does not get right about going to prestigious schools, and how the council would react if a girl asked for help with period cramps. Ashley insists multiple times that you don't need to read volume 2 of this manga. It's superfluous!

REFERENCES

• CLAMP School Detectives is available from Viz Media digitally
• Other CLAMP manga mentioned:
  • X
  • Legend of Chun Hyang
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
  • The One I Love
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • Man of Many Faces
  • Duklyon
  • Tsubasa
  • xxxHolic
  • RG Veda
  • Legal Drug
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Chobits
  • Angelic Layer
  • Wish
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Ouran High School Host Club
    • Bisco Hatori
  • Joe from Cyborg 009
  • Tai from Digimon
  • Neo Yokio
  • Danganronpa
  • Princess Jellyfish
  • Escaflowne (shonen manga version)
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
• Other books mentioned
  • Inclusify
  • The Hunger Games
    • Finnick
  • Throne of Glass
  • The Poppy War
• Chinese spy balloon
• You should probably just listen to the CLAMPcast in Wonderland episodes about this manga instead
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Join us next time for a discussion of the first half of Sailor Moon!

The Krewe is back! Season 4 is going to be bigger and better, debuting with a musical journey with the shamisen. Jenn & Doug took about a year getting this special guest onto the podcast, and they're thrilled to finally welcome Norm Nakamura of the YouTube channel Tokyo Lens to share his passion and love of shamisen with the world. Norm’s fascination for the shamisen went beyond admiring the sound, as he actually learned the instrument thanks to many people, like the Yoshida Brothers, who helped grow his skills and interest. Norm shares his journey of learning the shamisen and gives the listener a glimpse at how special and unique of an instrument it is. This podcast episode was well-worth the wait... enjoy!

Shamisen Intro: "Shamisen Traditional Dry C Minor" by Sumie Kaneko. Licensed, royalty-free, & available to anyone to use on Splice.

------ About the Krewe ------

The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!

------ More Info on Norm Nakamura ------

Tokyo Lens webpage

Tokyo Lens YouTube channel

Shamisen in Tokyo (Kiki) YouTube channel

Support Norm

Norm’s Twitter

Norm’s Instagram

This episode discusses all seven volumes of Alice 19th by Yuu Watase.

Sisters Alice Seno and Mayura Seno end up falling for the same handsome boy, Kyo, and their fight for his affection threatens to destroy the whole world. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but the general gist of Watase's Alice 19th. Chika and Giana from the podcast Shoujo Sundae join Shojo and Tell host Ashley to talk about the battle between the Lotis Masters and Maram Masters, where words are turned into magical but very deadly violence. We discuss the influences of September 11, 2001, on the story, Watase's efforts at diversity and inclusion, whether we consider Alice a magical girl or not, and more. 

REFERENCES

• Alice 19th is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• Other Watase series mentioned:
  • Absolute Boyfriend
  • Imadoki!
  • Fushigi Yuugi
  • Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden
  • Fushigi Yuugi: Byakko Senki
  • Appare Jipangu!
  • Ceres
  • Arata
• Other anime/manga series mentioned:
  • Sailor Moon
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • InuYasha
  • Attack on Titan
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Fruits Basket
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
• Other media mentioned:
  • The Lord of the Rings (movies)
  • Atlantis (movie)
  • RRR
  • "Synchronised Sinking" by The Lucksmiths
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shoujo Sundae on Twitter: @ShoujoSundae
• Chika on Twitter: @chikasupreme
• Chika on Instagram: @chikasupreme
• Giana on Twitter: @Giana_Luna_
• Giana on Instagram: @giana_luna_
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

This episode discusses all of Twinkle Stars by Natsuki Takaya

Welcome, hoejos, to the first Shojo and Tell episode of 2023, with special guest Colleen. We're here to discuss Natsuki Takaya's TWINKLE STARS, which is the only series Takaya has completed since she finished this little series called Fruits Basket. (That is, aside from Furuba spinoffs.) Prepare your tear ducts, because it dives just as hard — if not harder — into twisted family dynamics like Furuba. We answer burning listener questions like "which page made you cry the most?", marvel at the star imagery, and of course, make endless comparisons to Fruits Basket. Which Takaya series is better? You'll have to listen to find out.

CONTENT WARNING: Suicide

REFERENCES

• Twinkle Stars is available from Yen Press
• We make frequent comparisons to Takaya's other series, Fruits Basket, which we previously covered:
  • FB episode 1
  • FB episode 2
  • FB episode 3
• Other series mentioned:
  • Kimi ni Todoke
  • Basara
  • Kodocha
  • An example of the servant/high school student dynamic: A Girl and Her Guard Dog
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Colleen on Twitter: @manga_nostalgic
• Colleen on YouTube: @ColleensMangaRecs
• Colleen on TikTok: @colleensmangarecs
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Covers all 4 volumes of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san by Honda.

Ever wanted to know what it's like to work in a bookstore? Well, your friendly neighborhood bookseller, Honda-san, has some funny stories to share and will teach you about wholesalers. Oh, and Honda's a skeleton. Of course. Honda relays many hijinks at their Kin*kuniya or B**k*ff in Tokyo, particularly in regards to foreign customers. The Ashes compare the anime and the manga, talk about issues surrounding book distribution and discovery, and name their favorites among Honda's coworkers. Here's a short episode for Halloween that has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween other than everyone's portrayed in a funny costume. Anyway, enjoy our rants about Rakuten Kobo!

REFERENCES

• Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is available from Yen Press
• The K-Drama service we were thinking of is, ironically, Rakuten's Viki
• Manga/authors mentioned:
  • The Story of Saiunkoku
  • The Poe Clan
  • Osamu Tezuka
  • Bleach
  • My Hero Academia
  • Horimiya
• Pixiv
• Barnes and Noble's new strategy away from niche titles
• Dive deep into the confusing world of publishing sales  figures
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Discusses all eight volumes of Marmalade Boy by Wataru Yoshizumi.

Marmalade Boy is a quintessential shojo that has it all: Swingers! Step-sibling romance! Student-teacher relationships! And it does it all in a fast-paced eight volumes. In this episode, Lucy from the CLAMPcast podcast and Shojo & Tell host Ashley answer a ton of listener questions, which cover topics ranging from Marmalade Boy’s place in shojo history, our feelings about Meiko and Namura, how Miki and Yuu’s parents rank against other manga parents, what we hope for from Seven Seas’ upcoming rerelease of the manga, and much more. (Hint: We definitely hope for less sentences like “I love you, Yuu!”)

REFERENCES (WIP! Full show notes TK!)

• Marmalade Boy is being rereleased by Seven Seas
• Lucy was previously on the Paradise Kiss episode
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • Trigun
  • Full Moon
  • Horimiya
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Pokemon (you know what Pokemon is)
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
  • Fruits Basket
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Peach Girl
  • Mars
  • Planet Ladder
  • Wotakoi
  • Io Sakisaka works: Ao Haru Ride, Strobe Edge, Love Me, Love Me Not
  • Moto Hagio works
  • Waiting for Spring
  • Banana Fish
  • Code Geass
  • Sailor Moon
  • A Couple of Cuckoos
  • Sword Art Online
  • Kodocha
• YA mentioned:
  • Gossip Girl
  • The Hunger Games
  • Speak
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  • The Outsiders
  • Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined
• Some academic books about shojo that are available in English:
  • International Perspectives on Shojo and Shojo Manga
  • Passionate Friendship
  • Straight from the Heart
• Smile Magazine
• The Manga Mavericks Podcast
• Psychology Today article: "The Rise of Lonely, Single Men"
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Listen to Lucy's podcast all about CLAMP manga and anime called CLAMPcast in Wonderland! It's really good.
• CLAMPcast on Twitter @CLAMPcastpod
• Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyinBookland
• Follow Lucy on TikTok @LucyinBookland
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode discusses all six volumes of Absolute Boyfriend by Yuu Watase.

The Ashes are back to do a compare and contrast between two shojo heavyweights, Yuu Watase and CLAMP. Last episode we covered Chobits even though it's a seinen series, partially because we're determined to read every CLAMP series, and partially because we knew Absolute Boyfriend appears to have taken heavy inspiration from Chobits and shojo-ified it. We talk about how Absolute Boyfriend handles sex and A.I. compared to Chobits, whether it's magical and dreamy that your boyfriend can be destroyed and have to go to the Apple Store, and are thankful that, at the very least, Riko is not a schmuck. (Although, she might be the high school female equivalent of a schmuck? You decide after hearing how she handled her love triangle between the figure, Night, and her best friend, Soshi.)

REFERENCES

• Absolute Boyfriend is available in English from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• Why do they keep making live action adaptations of this??
• Other Watase series mentioned:
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden
  • Fushigi Yugi: Byakko Senki
  • Ceres
  • Arata
  • Sakura-Gari
• Other CLAMP series mentioned:
  • Legal Drug
  • X
• CLAMP interview mentioned
• Misc. mentions:
  • Megane
  • Boss Baby
  • Twilight
  • Magical Girlfriend
  • Noragami
  • BioShock
  • Hatsune Miku
  • IA
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

This episode discusses volumes 9–17 of Love Com by Aya Nakahara.

We're back with a walkthrough of the highs and lows of the second half of Love Com, where we no longer see height. Height means nothing when it comes to true love. (Or... does it?) Ashley and Loyola discuss the appearance of Kohori, how Otani and Risa broke up (!!) then got to back together (!!!) and slept together (!!!!) — but no not in that way, they haven't even kissed four times in a row yet (?!?!). We have one of the most heated shipping corners on this podcast so far, where Ashley insists that Haruka and Seiko are a couple and Otani and Risa might be better off just friends. In conclusion: Nobu's still the best and Risa's brother, Takato, is hot.

REFERENCES

• The Love Com manga is available digitally from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• The Love Com anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll
• Other episodes Loyola's been on:
  • Arina Tanemura One-Shots
  • Girl Got Game
  • MeruPuri
• Other anime/manga mentioned:
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Loyola on Twitter: @loyolarankin
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Discusses volumes 1–8 of Love Com by Aya Nakahara.

Ashley and Loyola are here to discuss the first half of the romantic comedy Love Com, aka Lovely Complex, which is the romcom that all other romcoms should aspire to. We gush about how cute Risa and Otani are, the impeccable comedic timing, the emotional levity that hits home, and so much more. Loyola is subjected to Ashley making her take the quizzes at the end of volume 8, to hilarious results.

REFERENCES

• The Love Com manga is available digitally from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• The Love Com anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll
• Other episodes Loyola's been on: 
  • Arina Tanemura One-Shots
  • Girl Got Game
  • MeruPuri
• Other anime/manga mentioned:
  • Waiting for Spring
  • Attack on Titan
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Loyola on Twitter: @loyolarankin
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Discusses all 9 volumes of The Story of Saiunkoku, written by  Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura.

ASHLEY: I'm like, 'I could have been a better person if I'd read [The Story of Saiunkoku] 10 years ago.'
DEE: That's how we should have ended the no spoiler section! 'Read this manga, it will change your life.'

In this episode, we're going to historical China for a semi-supernatural, extremely feminist manga adaptation of a light novel series. Dee, who makes the Josei Next Door blog and writes/edits for Anime Feminist, joins to discuss why this series never got its time in the spotlight in English like it deserves, why Shurei’s journey to fulfilling the seemingly impossible dream she has of becoming a civil servant is one of hope, and how Shurei's dad may just be the best dad in all of anime/manga, despite being a killer. We also, of course, talk about the gaggle of hot men in Shurei's life and her badass boss, Kochou.

Find a full transcript of this episode here.

REFERENCES

• The Story of Saiunkoku manga is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• The only version of the anime that's available legally in English is dubbed and is called Corlourcloud Palace
• Other series mentioned:
  • The Apothecary Diaries
  • Culinary Chronicles of the Court
  • Basara
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Fushigi Yuugi
  • LoveCom
• Anime Feminist articles mentioned:
  • You Don’t Have to Kick Ass to Be Kickass: Shoujo fantasy and the value of the noncombatant hero
  • Fire Balls & Ice Rinks: How My Hero Academia reflects inequality in competitive sports
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• You can find Dee's writing on Anime Feminist and Josei Next Door
• Follow Dee on Twitter: @joseinextdoor
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher are back to talk about the short comedic manga Flower in a Storm. While neither would say they really loved the story of rich-boy Ran going after super-strong Riko, Ashley, at least, thinks it shows lots of promise from the author, and is a funny parody of mid-2000s shojo manga tropes. But the real standouts are the two unrelated short stories that are included.

REFERENCES

• Flower in a Storm is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• The only other manga out by this author in English is Caste Heaven, a BL manga under a different pen name
• Other series mentioned:
  • Snow White with the Red Hair
  • Witch Hat Atelier
  • SP Baby
  • Takane and Hana
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Maid-Sama!
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Covers the entire series of Planet Ladder by Yuri Narushima.

Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher discuss the wild ride that is PLANET LADDER. They're not quite sure what happened, but they both know Bambi is the best. Also, there's a giant chicken. Surely you want to know more?

REFERENCES

• Planet Ladder is out of print. It was published by TokyoPop, and you can find used copies on places like eBay.
• Planet Ladder is inspired by The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
• Other series mentioned:
  • The Vision of Escalfowne
  • Mars
  • Fushigi Yuugi
  • The Young Master's Revenge
  • Shortcake Cake
  • Weathering with You
• Characters mentioned because Planet Ladder characters remind us of them
  • Arisa Uotani (Fruits Basket)
  • Helena Saint Tessero (Neo Yokio)
  • Icktidarl (Haruka)
• We just want to see you turn into a Giant Woman
• Outro song: "Yuri the Only One for Me" by LeetStreet Boys

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

A discussion of volumes 7–12 (the second half) of Shortcake Cake by Suu Morishita.

Ashley and Olive are back to process what the heck happened in the back half of Morishita’s series. They discuss Rei and Riku's family drama, Riku and Ten and Chiaki’s relationship (how is Riku not canonically confirmed bi??), the use of tension in Morishita's works, and much, much more. Because so much happened in these six volumes, and the reader is definitely not prepared for all of them.

REFERENCES

• Shortcake Cake is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• A Sign of Affection, Morishita's current work, is being published by Kodansha
• Other manga mentioned:
  • My Love Mix-Up!
  • Maid-Sama!
  • Ouran High School Host Club
• Other artists mentioned:
  • CLAMP
  • Arina Tanemura
• Truck-kun
• The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• Bridgerton Season 2
• Jacob and Renesmee from Twilight
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Olive on Twitter: @allofthemanga
• Olive writes for But Why Tho?
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram