shoujo manga

Covers all five volumes of Angelic Layer by CLAMP.

What if battle shonen, but for GIRLS? That's the premise of Angelic Layer, where young girls get to fight with super-cool dolls that they control with their minds (OK, Ohjiro can play too). Upon coming to Tokyo, Misaki immediately becomes smitten with this game and learns the ropes very quickly. Shojo & Tell host Ashley, her boytoy Asher, and guest Aisha discuss the gender dynamics of the manga (moms can play with VR tech too!!), the fanfiction-y nature of CLAMP’s works, and who the best deus and angel are (Sai! Wizard??).

REFERENCES

• Angelic Layer is currently out of print, but you can find copies of the Dark Horse edition floating around
• Other CLAMP works:
  • Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
  • xxxHolic
  • Shirahime-Syo
  • Chobits
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • Wish
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • X
• If you want to hear more podcasts about CLAMP works, you should listen to CLAMPcast in Wonderland
• Aisha's series about smutty manga: Thirsty Thursday
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: dashery
• Follow Aisha on Instagram and Twitter @MommaLuvsManga
• Watch Aisha's manga reviews on her YouTube channel
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

The next episode will cover Fruits Basket Another with Jacob Chapman.

Covers both volumes of Beast Master by Kyousuke Motomi

"There is a beast inside of each of us that protects the things we hold dear." That’s the driving force behind this short story from Kyousuke Motomi (Dengeki Daisy, QQ Sweeper). It follows Yuiko as she tries to tame the beast of a boy named Leo. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher discuss how moar money leads to moar problems in Leo’s family, why English is wrong for having “fear” and “hatred” be separate words, how this story of domestication and bestiality compares to manly man menfolk literature from the likes of Jack London and Ernest Hemingway, and how the lion testicles are a metaphor for manhood. Plus, we revel in the one-shot, "Cactus Summer Surprise."

REFERENCES

• Beast Master is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• Other works by Motomi: Dengeki Daisy, QQ Sweeper
• Western comparisons:
  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  • Ernest Hemingway
  • Beauty and the Beast
• Other anime/manga references:
  • Hayate the Combat Butler
  • Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time
  • Yuu Watase
  • Digimon
  • Outlaw Star
  • Basara
• Character lookalikes:
  • Mowgli from The Jungle Book
  • Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toons
• Misc:
  • The Good Place
  • Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America!
  • Hatchet
  • My Side of the Mountain
• 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 on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 1–7 of Ao Haru Ride (aka Blue Spring Ride) by Io Sakisaka.

Ao Haru Ride is the story of sweethearts Futaba and Kou after they were separated in middle school and reunited in high school. On this special episode, Nancy Thistlethwaite (the editor of the series for Viz Media's Shojo Beat!) delves into the enduring appeal of Io Sakisaka's work, how Ao Haru Ride pays homage to We Were There by Yuki Obata, and explains the use of some unexpected slang. This is also the first time the podcast has covered a series that is currently still publishing in English.

REFERENCES

• Ao Haru Ride is currently being published by Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• Other works Nancy has edited: Ouran High School Host Club, Vampire Knight, Not Your Idol, An Incurable Case of Love, The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Fushigi Yugi: Byakko Senki
• Other Io Sakisaka works: Strobe Edge, Love Me, Love Me Not
• Ao Haru Ride pays homage to We Were There
• Other manga mentioned: Shortcake Cake, Daytime Shooting Star
• Anime mentioned: Yuri!!! on Ice, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken
• YA books and authors mentioned: Meredith Russo, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Angie Thomas, The Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, Children of Blood and Bone, The Wicked King

CONTACT US

• Nancy runs the Shojo Beat Twitter: @shojobeat
• You can ask questions and make licensing requests on Shojo Beat's Tumblr: officialshojobeat
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

The next episode will be about the short series Beast Master by Kyousuke Motomi.

Covers all 4 volumes of That Wolf-Boy is Mine! by Yoko Nogiri

That Wolf-Boy is Mine! is a lot cuter and more innocent than its title suggests. Four hot boys can shapeshift into animals in a story that's a much lighter and faster FRUITS BASKET. Sara Linsley, the letterer of the series, explains what exactly a letterer does in manga, and why she loves working on Yoko Nogiri's series so much. Discussion topics include: Who is best boy (of course!), how cool Komugi is (so cool), and how actually, wolves are way bigger than that.

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

REFERENCES

• That Wolf-Boy is Mine! is available from Kodansha Comics
• Other series Sara has worked on: Love in Focus (Yoko Nogiri's other series), Waiting for Spring, LDK, Love Me, Love Me Not, the upcoming Fushigi Yugi: Byakko Senki
• Other manga and anime mentioned: Tramps Like Us (Kimi wa Petto), Maid-Sama!, Wolf Children, Fruits Basket, Boys Over Flowers, Beastars
• Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico is very cool
• Terry Pratchett had a lot of fantastical thoughts
• Yoko Nogiri's newer series, which was mentioned in the episode as not being licensed yet, was licensed recently. It's called Those Not-So-Sweet Boys can comes out in January 2021.
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Sara on Twitter: @salinsley
• Sara's website: http://sara.pizza/
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will cover volumes 1-7 of Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka.

This is a review of Not Your Idol volume 1, a new series by Aoi Makino that's going to be released by Viz.

Not Your Idol tackles the ups and downs of idol culture in Japan (as you can probably tell from the title). It follows a girl named Nina, who was once the leader of the idol group Pure Club. At an event for Pure Club, she was attacked by a supposed fan, which leads her to drop out of the group and start dressing as a boy to protect herself. That's only the beginning of the drama, though. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and basically a cohost Asher give their thoughts about what a promising start volume 1 is for the series. (With a warning that Not Your Idol is also pretty upsetting.) 

REFERENCES

• Not Your Idol is coming out in May. Please preorder the series if you're intrigued!
• Other series recently released or coming out soon from Shojo Beat: Love Me, Love Me Not, Prince Freya, and Fushigi Yugi: Byakko Senki
• Series mentioned: A Silent Voice, Beast Master, and  Takane and Hana
• 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 on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 19–27 of Basara by Yumi Tamura (the last third of the series).

The war epic that is Basara finally comes to an end in this long denouement (and two volumes of side stories). Shojo manga master Caitlin and Shojo & Tell host Ashley answer a listener question about lost limbs, pay tribute to the characters who didn't survive to the end of the story, go into the handling of the later plot developments involving the White King, Ginko, and chat about all the side stories (there were so many!). Along the way, dolphin bombs are discussed, and Nachi canonically becomes a California surfer bro.

REFERENCES

• Basara is available digitally in English from Viz Media
• Basara also has a 13-episode anime adaptation
• 7SEEDS is another work by Yumi Tamura that got a (not great) anime adaptation recently (available on Netflix). The manga has not been licensed in English.
• The Vision of Escaflowne features a character with a  lost limb
• Other manga/anime references: Fushigi Yugi, Boys Over Flowers
• The "military marine mammal" Wikipedia page is probably the best/worst thing you'll have read in a while
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Caitlin on Twitter: @alltsun_nodere
• Caitlin’s writings on  The Daily Dot and Anime Feminist
• Visit Caitlin’s blog, where she writes a lot about shojo
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will cover the short series Meteor Prince by Meca Tanaka.

Covers volumes 10–18 of Basara by Yumi Tamura (the middle third of the series).

The middle third of Basara contains some wacky stuff, like a baby who's not really a baby and threatens to stab Sarasa. But honestly, we don't get into all that: shojo manga master Caitlin and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss the identity crisis of Sarasa/Tatara and how that's wrapped up in gender, get into Ageha as a character and the manga's main theme about reconciling with your perceived enemies, and both applaud and laugh at the sexy sex scene between Sarasa and Shuri. Plus, we weigh in on the most important part of all: Ageha's haircut, yay or nay?

REFERENCES

• Basara is available digitally in English from Viz Media
• Basara also has a 13-episode anime adaptation
• 7SEEDS is another work by Yumi Tamura that got a (not great) anime adaptation recently (available on Netflix). The manga has not been licensed in English.
• Yona of the Dawn is a lot like Basara
• Other manga/anime references: Fushigi Yugi, Tokyo Babylon, Ceres: Celestial Legend, and The Vision of Escaflowne
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Caitlin on Twitter: @alltsun_nodere
• Caitlin’s writings on  The Daily Dot and Anime Feminist
• Visit Caitlin’s blog, where she writes a lot about shojo
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will cover volumes 19–27 of Basara.

Covers volumes 1–9 of Basara by Yumi Tamura (the first third of the series)

Strap in for a classic epic fantasy shojo series with Basara. Though it never quite blew up in the United States, Yumi Tamura's manga is spectacular, and Anime Feminist's Caitlin and Shojo & Tell host Ashley are here to set the record straight about its greatness. Basara tells the story of Tatara, the child of destiny, who's fated to overthrow the evil rulers of Japan. When Tatara dies, his sister, Sarasa, takes his place. And she falls in love, unknowingly, with her greatest enemy, Shuri, the Red King. Talk about drama. Again — it's the best drama. Caitlin and Ashley delve into exactly why Basara never blew up with the English fandom, celebrate that sweet, sweet menstrual period representation, fawn over Ageha, and much more.

REFERENCES

• Basara is available digitally in English from Viz Media
• Basara also has a 13-episode anime adaptation
• 7SEEDS is another work by Yumi Tamura that got a (not great) anime adaptation recently (available on Netflix). The manga has not been licensed in English.
• Caitlin only likes to discuss long series, like Kimi ni Todoke
• We've got a Princess Tutu mention up in here
• Ashley manages to bring up Maid-Sama!
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Caitlin on Twitter: @alltsun_nodere
• Caitlin’s writings on  The Daily Dot and Anime Feminist
• Visit Caitlin’s blog, where she writes a lot about shojo
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will cover volumes 10–18 of Basara.

Covers all 3 volumes of Love in Focus by Yoko Nogiri

Love in Focus is a very cute and subtly subversive series about a high school love triangle between Mako, Kei, and Mitsuru and their experiences with a photography club. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher heap tons of praise on this highly aware manga. Ashley rants about why Kei is too relatable and therefore is aggravating, there's debate about the state of photography in the modern day, and there are revelations about what makes Mako a refreshing shojo manga protagonist. In the end, this episode turns into a relationship advice podcast.

REFERENCES

• Love in Focus is available physically and digitally from Kodansha
• If you like Love in Focus, you may also like these series: Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Waiting for Spring, and Daytime Shooting Star
• Other manga mentions: Magic Knight Rayearth, SP Baby, Ouran High School Host Club, Kimi ni Todoke, Maid-Sama
• Yoko Nogiri's other series is That Wolf-Boy is Mine!
• Kei reminds Ashley of Kento from Kimi ni Todoke
• 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 on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all 10 volumes of Girl Got Game (also known as Power!!) by Shizuru Seino

Girl Got Game is a basketball manga about Kyo Aizawa, who’s pretending to be a boy so she can play on the men’s team and live out her father’s dream of becoming an NBA star. And yet it’s also not at all a basketball manga, because they never actually play a basketball game. (Okay. Maybe once. In 10 volumes.) Even so, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her good friendo Loyola Rankin have a soft spot for this ’90s manga. Ashley relates perhaps too much to Kyo, and Loyola definitely likes bad boy Yura far too much. In the episode, Ashley and Loyola list off all the crimes Yura commits and somehow doesn’t go to jail for, praise the representation of menstrual cramps and periods generally, have a heated shipping corner, and come up with many lucrative business ideas. This is the funniest episode of the podcast to-date.

REFERENCES

• Girl Got Game is out of print (originally published by Tokyopop), but you can still find copies of it on eBay and the like
• The team in Girl Got Game has practiced SO MUCH, surely they can take on the boys in Kuroko's Basketball
• Claudine prepared Ashley for Seino's art
• Libib is Ashley's preferred G**dreads alternative
• Tsuyaka Himejima from Girl Got Game and Sawako Kuranuma from Kimi ni Todoke look very similar
• Outro: This mashup of Allen Iverson's infamous "practice" rant with "Dreams and Nightmares" by Meek Mill [CONTENT WARNING for the Meek Mill song!] (essentially, the most Philadelphia thing possible)

CONTACT US

• Loyola on Twitter:  @loyolarankin
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

The next episode will be about Love in Focus  by Yoko Nogiri

Covers all seven volumes of Behind the Scenes!! by Bisco Hatori

What if Ouran High School Host Club, but with college students who are members of the “art squad”? That’s the premise of Bisco Hatori’s follow-up to her smash-hit, formative comedy series. Shae from Shaegeeksout and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss all the ways in which Behind the Scenes!! is and is not like Ouran, give some sound dating advice, shout-out the representation of anxiety in Ranmaru, choose which Goda is better (long hair? short hair?!), and stan Tomu x Maasa forever. If you don’t want to craft after reading this series, do you have a soul?

REFERENCES

• Behind the Scenes!! is available from Viz Media
• Gateway shojo: Ouran High School Host Club and Fruits Basket
• Maasa needs to read Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day
• Maasa also needs to listen to this podcast episode about surviving the zombie apocalypse from Charles Duhigg's How To!
• Soulless by Gail Carriger
• Forever stanning Akiko Higashimura
• Outro song: "Smile Its Me!" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shae on the Internet: Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

The next episode of the podcast will cover My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and My Solo Exchange Diary by Nagata Kabi.

Covers all of Wish by CLAMP

I can be your angle or yuor devil. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and journey-through-all-of-CLAMP pal Asher Sofman go on a bizarre adventure with CLAMP’s JoJo’s fanfiction. Topics of discussion include gender pronouns, purity, tests of love, and shipping, where the conclusion is that the most interesting romantic ship is between Shuichiro and his mom, Hotaru, who is a tree fairy. We know this manga about the angel Kohaku was very formative to plenty of people. Please explain to us why?

REFERENCES

• Wish is available from Dark Horse Comics
• Wish is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fanfiction
• Everyone on Archive of Our Own won a Hugo Award
• "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction
• If you like Wish, you will like Phantom Thief Jeanne
• Original "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle
• We got so wrecked by Devilman Crybaby
• Everyone should read Tokyo Babylon
• Outro song: Remix of "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Kill Frenzy

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will be about Behind the Scenes!! by Bisco Hatori

Covers They Were Eleven, A, A Prime, and A Drunken Dream, all short works by Moto Hagio

In honor of the release of The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio, longtime manga reviewer Kate Dacey (@manga_critic on Twitter) and Shojo & Tell host Ashley take a look at some of Hagio’s shorter works. They talk about how rare and refreshing it is to read a shojo scifi story, Hagio’s influence on the space of girl’s comics, and how the exploration of gender in THEY WERE ELEVEN and A,A' does or doesn’t align with our modern understanding of gender. If you learn nothing else from this podcast, remember: Iguanas and bulls forever.

Click here for a transcript of this episode

REFERENCES

• Unfortunately, all the Moto Hagio works covered on the podcast are out of print. You can generally find cheap copies of They Were Eleven from eBay and other used sellers, though.
• Support the recent released of The Poe Clan, also by Moto Hagio
• Kate contributed to Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices
• Other science fiction shojo manga: Please Save My Earth, Clover, X/1999, Jyu-Oh-Sei, Moon Child, A.I. Revolution
• Absolute Boyfriend by Yu Watase
• Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio
• Masters of long works: Naoki Urasawa, Rumiko Takahashi, Katsuhiro Otomo, Osamu Tezuka
• Other Moto Hagio works: Otherworld Barbara, Heart of Thomas
• People crucial to publishing Hagio’s works in America: Rachel Thorn, Fantagraphics
• The saga of Four Shojo Stories
• Urusei Yatsura was also initially published in floppies by Viz
• Influential female manga artists: Machiko Hasegawa, Hideko Mizuno, Keiko Takemiya
• Other queer shojo series from the ’70s: Claudine, The Rose of Versailles (releasing soon in the US!)
• Random other authors mentioned: David Levithan, Madeleine L'Engle, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Shirley Jackson
• Outro song: "Smiles Its Me!" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Kate on the Internet: @manga_critic on Twitter, Manga Critic on Manga Bookshelf
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of Phantom Thief Jeanne by Arina Tanemura

This is the first series by Arina Tanemura discussed on the podcast! What the heck’s a Phantom Thief, and what does it have to do with Jeanne d’Arc? Wait, God and some angels are here, too? There’s time travel? Long-time Tanemura fan Laura Spicer, Shojo & Tell host Ashley, and begrudging participant Asher Sofman delve into “Arina’s Christianity fanfiction” to discuss purity politics, how the anime compares to the manga, and how everyone in this manga got with the wrong person except Finn Fish and Access Time. (Chiaki doesn’t deserve Maron! HE DOESN’T DESERVE ANYBODY!) Also, did you know that Jeanne d’Arc and Eve (of Adam and Eve fame) are the same? Yeah. You’re in Tanemura land now. Proceed with caution.

REFERENCES

• Phantom Thief Jeanne is available from Viz Media’s Shojo Beat line
• Other Tanemura works mentioned: Full Moon o Sagashite, The Gentlemen’s Alliance, Idol Dreams
• Everyone’s Getting Married episode of the podcast
• Tanemura did character designs for IDOLiSH7
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Laura’s social media: Twitter, Instagram, Art Tumblr
• Asher’s social media: Tumblr, Archive of Our Own
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will be about the first 9 volumes of Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori

Covers all of Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP

In an alternate Tokyo, Subaru, Seishiro, and Hokuto have otherworldly adventures in this prequel to CLAMP’s unfinished series, X. In a poll about which CLAMP series we should cover next, Tokyo Babylon came out victorious. We’re here to give the people what they want, so on this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her journey-through-all-of-CLAMP buddy Asher Sofman answer many listener questions, like: Does Seishiro love Subaru? Why is Hokuto so great? What’s the true nature of evil? What were our favorite cases? This is a heavy episode to go with a heavy manga. Watch out for the turn about 30 minutes in. You’ve been warned.

REFERENCES

• Unfortunately it’s a bit difficult to find new copies of Tokyo Babylon. The manga has been previously licensed by Tokyopop and presumably is currently still licensed by Dark Horse, though the manga is out of stock most places as of this posting.
• Other CLAMP works mentioned: X, Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chobits
• Other manga mentioned: Count Cain
• “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates in The Atlantic
• Starter article into the Barbara Jean Horn case
• “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Next episode will be about Phantom Thief Jeanne by Arina Tanemura.

A bonus episode discussing the release of the first two episodes of the new FRUITS BASKET anime in theaters and the performance of PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON: THE SUPER LIVE in Washington, DC for the start of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and friendo Asher delve into the highs and lows of these shojo special events.

REFERENCES

• Fruits Basket in theaters
• Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live to start the Cherry Blossom Festival
• Our list of iconic shojo anime: Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Ouran High School Host Club, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and the original Fruits Basket
• The shojo anime we could think of more recently that have more than one season: Full Moon o Sagashite, Kimi ni Todoke, and Shugo Chara
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of The Young Master’s Revenge by Meca Tanaka

What if you had scars on your butt. From being bitten by snapping turtles when you were little. That is the whole premise of this comedy from Meca Tanaka, and for such a quick, silly series, it really is delightful. The revenge that Leo, the boy with the turtle butt scars, wants to exact on his childhood friend and crush Tenma of course turns into true love. You’ve seen all these tropes before, but not quite with this amount of disregard and subtle subversion. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and librarian and manga reviewer Anna discuss their favorite scenes (girls kabedon'ing boys!!), how this slots into the current crop of shojo manga with male leads, and have a very silly shipping corner. A short and sweet episode for a short and sweet series!

Click here for a transcription of this episode

REFERENCES

• The Young Master’s Revenge is available in English from Viz Media
• “I Like Turtles” Meme
• One of the most epic mashups of all time that samples the “I like turtles” meme
• If you like Maid-Sama, you’ll probably like The Young Master’s Revenge
• What the heck is a kabedon?
• Other shojo manga with male leads: My Love Story!!, Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, *Behinds the Scenes!!, [Otomen*]9
• The one thing in Shonen Jump with a female lead: The Promised Neverland
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Anna on Twitter: @tangognat 
• Anna’s manga reviews on Manga Bookshelf
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of My Love Story!! by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko

Just how subversive (or not) is this story about an unconventionally attractive hero (Takeo Gouda), his best friend (Makoto Sunakawa), and his cute girlfriend (Rinko Yamato)? What’s up with its purity politics? How does it fit into the rise of shojo with male protagonists? How pleasant is it to see a story about characters in a relationship through 97.892749%* of the story, instead of having a series of miscommunications preventing them from dating? (*This number is an estimate.) And just who IS the better boy in this beautiful manga, Takeo or Sunakawa? (Hint: It’s Sunakawa.) Shojo & Tell host Ashley discusses these topics and more with the hosts of the podcast Manga Mavericks. (This actually isn’t an episode of Shojo & Tell! It’s an episode of Manga Mavericks. If you already listened on their feed, you don’t need to listen again here!)

REFERENCES

• My Love Story!! is available from Viz Media
• Listen to more episodes of the Manga Mavericks podcast
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Manga Mavericks on Twitter: @manga_mavericks
• Colton on Twitter: @sniperking323
• Lum on Twitter: @LumRanmaYasha
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

If you have any comments or questions about the episode, email us at shojoandtell@gmail.com, reach out to us on your preferred social media network, or comment on the episode page.

Covers volumes 8–13 of House of the Sun by Taamo

One Panel Later co-host, librarian, and manga reviewer Kelly Quinn Chiu and Shojo & Tell host Ashley dig deeper into the small moments that make this sleeper hit from Taamo so special. OK, honestly, Ashley mostly just rants about how Daiki is perfect and how he was robbed in this manga, while Kelly details how perfect Mao and Hiro’s relationship is. Both express shock and dismay at how, in a manga full of crummy characters like Mao’s dad and Sugimoto, Mao’s mom somehow ends up being the worst of them all. Both appreciate the understanding Mao’s dad and Hiro’s sister, Hina, have. There’s also a long discussion about the woes of publishing quiet romance manga that never get the hype they deserve.

Just one more time, for emphasis: DAIKI IS THE BEST.

Click here for a transcript of this episode

REFERENCES

• House of the Sun is available from Kodansha USA (digital only)
• Spoilers for The Hunger Games abound at ~1 hr and 5 minutes in. But if you haven’t read those novels yet, what’s wrong with you?
• House of the Sun is not to be confused with Dreamin’ Sun
• A great currently running manga you should read: Waiting for Spring
• Not shojo manga: Horimiya, Nozaki-kun
• Not manga, but really good sports comics: Fence, Check, Please!
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute
• Kelly’s podcast, One Panel Later
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

If you have any comments or questions about the episode, email us at shojoandtell@gmail.com, reach out to us on your preferred social media network, or comment on the episode page.

Covers volumes 1–7 of House of the Sun by Taamo

One Panel Later co-host, librarian, and manga reviewer Kelly Quinn Chiu explains why Taamo’s House of the Sun is such a hidden gem. Kelly and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss the ups and downs of this slice-of-life drama and age gap romance, why libraries don’t often have digital manga, why Mao is so obsessed with a phallic creature, how Hiro needs therapy (lots and lots of therapy), and how truly awful Mao’s family (and Sugimoto) are. The metaphors of umbrellas and fireworks and the trap that is the influence of consistency are also scrutinized. Spoiler: Daiki is the best, can’t nobody tell Ashley otherwise.

Click here for a transcript of this episode

REFERENCES

• House of the Sun is available from Kodansha USA (digital only)
• Another age-gap romance: Takane & Hana
• Library apps: Hoopla and Libby
• Here’s an overview of the six powers of influence
• Listen to the podcast One Panel Later, which is Kelly’s podcast that compares manga and Western comics!
• In particular, listen to the episode of One Panel Later about slice of life
• Outro song: “Smile Its Me!” by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute
• Once again, Kelly’s podcast, One Panel Later
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

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