This week’s Manga Review is something of a departure. On Wednesday, I posted a brief message on Twitter, encouraging other users to recommend their favorite podcasts, or share a few details about their own. The response was enthusiastic, introducing me to more than a dozen new podcasts–well, new to me–that explore the mangasphere from just about every angle, from individual series such as City Hunter and Haikyu! to manga so bad they’re good. (Or at least fun to discuss.) Below, I’ve compiled the results of my survey, but feel feel free to suggest more in the comments; the internet is a big place, and it’s a daunting task to try and find smart conversation about any topic, let alone manga.
PODCAST DIRECTORY
I’ve organized this alphabetically, with links to each podcast’s home page. Because of the sheer volumes of recommendations I fielded, my descriptions of each podcast are brief; I encourage you to click through to the sites directly for a better sense of tone and content.
- 19 O’Clock News: A Kodocha Podcast focuses on Miho Obana’s Kodomo no Omocha.
- All-Mighty Podcast (AMP) is one of several podcasts focusing on My Hero Academia.
- Anibae’s Anime bills itself as “3 friends that talk about anime in a sassy and messy way.” They also sponsor monthly manga book clubs.
- The Anime Nostalgia Podcast explores what it was like to be an anime and manga fan before the rise of Tokyopop, Borders, and simulpubs.
- Anime Roundtable offers a Canadian view on anime, manga, and pop-cultural headlines.
- Behind the Manga is a mixture of analysis, discussion, and manga industry news.
- Chatty AF is the official podcast of Anime Feminist, where you’ll find episodes addressing old anime, new manga, and everything in between.
- CLAMPCast in Wonderland is hosted by Lucy and Robin, who are diligently working their way through the entire CLAMP canon, from RG Veda to Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles.
- Dad Needs to Talk is a more wide-ranging podcast that covers “fatherhood, manga, anime, TV, and games.”
- Deal with the Devils: An Eyeshield 21 Podcast celebrates the one and only football manga to be translated into English.
- Demon Slayer Podcast focuses on Koyoharu Gotouge’s blockbuster manga.
- D’OhMance Dawn is a playful mash-up of One Piece and Simpsons content.
- Duckface Diaries: A World Trigger Podcast offers podcasts and video essays about the ongoing Weekly Shonen Jump series.
- Hero Notes: The My Hero Academia Podcast is one of several exploring Kōhei Horikoshi’s wildly popular franchise.
- Into the Shoujo-Verse is a five-person collective podcasting about movies, manga, and webtoons.
- It’s Not My Fault The OASG Podcast Isn’t Popular is a mixture of shop talk, anime reviews, and manga news.
- Kanzenshuu describes itself as “the oldest, biggest, most authoritative Dragon Ball resource” for English speakers.
- Let’s Stay Together: A Fruits Basket Podcast offers a nostalgic look back at Natsuki Takaya’s hit shojo series.
- The Lum Squad is an offshoot of the Manga Mavericks podcast that focuses on Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura.
- Manga In Your Ears offers lively, in-depth discussions of new and ongoing series.
- Manga Machinations is a team effort; the four core cast members regularly post in-depth reviews of current and classic series.
- Manga Mavericks offers a mixture of news, reviews, and commentary on the manga industry.
- Manga Melee is part of the BrosWhoThink Network, and serves up a twice-monthly mix of comics and manga analysis.
- Mangasplaining is to manga podcasting what the the League of Justice is to superheroes; it’s an all-star gathering of smart, funny manga experts with strong opinions.
- MokkoriPlay: A City Hunter Podcast is pretty much what it sounds like: a deep dive into one the 1980s most influential manga/anime series.
- Multiversity Manga Club is a bi-monthly podcast about Shonen Jump titles.
- My Hero Academia Podcast covers the series in all its incarnations, from movies to games to manga.
- No Name Anime Show is hosted by GONZO.MOE, and features roundtable discussions of anime and manga.
- The One Piece Podcast is just what the title implies: an ongoing podcast about the world’s most popular comic.
- OverMangaCast describes the premise of the show as “heated adventures in over-analyzing manga.”
- Over Soul: Shaman King Podcast explores the legacy of Hiroyuki Takei’s classic series.
- Read Right to Left is a monthly podcast in which two friends “discuss, celebrate and criticize the many, many things we read” with a dash of “fangirling.”
- Saint Seiya Cosmocast is the first English-speaking podcast dedicated to Masami Kurumada’s zodiac-themed manga.
- Sailor Manga is an affectionate look at Naoko Takeuchi’s ground-breaking series.
- Saturday Night Shoggy is dedicated to Shogakukan’s enormous catalog of manga.
- Screen Tone Club is a bi-monthly podcast that focuses primarily on new and ongoing series.
- Shojo & Tell focuses on shojo manga, old and new.
- Shonen Flop revisits cancelled shonen series in an effort to separate the gems from the duds.
- Shoujo Sundae describes itself as “safe haven for fans of shoujo anime & manga.”
- Sparkleside Chats with Magical Girl Ayu brings fans together for friendly conversation about their favorite magical girl manga.
- Spiraken Review Podcast just celebrated its 500th episode with a review of Vinland Saga.
- TomoChoco describes itself as “a yuri podcast by queer people for queer people.”
- Trash Manga Friends read bad manga so that you don’t have to.
- The View From the Top focuses on all things Haikyu!!
- Weekly Manga Recap is a great way to keep abreast of the latest Shonen Jump chapters.
- The Wonder of Anime is a weekly podcast featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the American anime industry.
- Volume One is a weekly anime and manga podcast.
- The Yona Podcast offers in-depth conversations about the shoujo fantasy series Yona of the Dawn.
REVIEWS
This week’s must-read review comes to us via the Sports Baka substack, which features an article about Moonland. The series is one party Haikyu!! and one part gymnastic primer, with “textbook-style explanations of skills and scoring” and plenty of drama. Over at The Manga Test Drive, Megan D. resurrects one of my favorite shojo manga of yore, The Secret Notes of Lady Kanako, while the crew at Beneath the Tangles dedicate their latest Reader’s Corner to Alice in Borderland, My Sister the Cat, and Solo Leveling.
New and Noteworthy
- Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- If We Leave It On the Dot, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
- Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand (Publishers Weekly)
- Oshi no Ko, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
- Polar Bear Cafe, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- SCRAMBLUES (Lisa De La Cruz, The Wonder of Anime)
- She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
Complete and Ongoing Series
- Beauty and the Beast of Paradise, Vol. 5 (Onosume, Anime UK News)
- Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 6 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 6 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess, Vol. 6 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- The Fiancé Chosen By the Ring, Vol. 3 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 2 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- Jujutsu Kaiden, Vol. 18 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 5 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Lost Lad London, Vol. 3 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
- My Idol Sits at the Next Desk Over, Vol. 5 (Luce, Okazu)
- Romantic Killer, Vol. 2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Solo Leveling, Vol. 5 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- The Wallflower, Vol. 1 (Ian Wolf, Anime UK News)