Shows
Lyfeblerd18 - Fullmetal Alchemist FeverWelcome to yet another episode of Lyfeblerd, where we talk about manga, manhwa, light novels and other types of comic books. I'm your host, Cryptte, and today we're checking out one of my all-time favourites. I’m talking about Hiromu Arakawa’s steampunk, dark fantasy, adventure manga, Fullmetal Alchemist. So, grab a beverage, settle in, and let's get the show rolling!Equivalent ExchangeWe join the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse in a world in which alchemy is a practised science, influencing even their technology and governed by one rule — equivalent exchange. Th...
2023-08-2007 min
Lyfeblerd17 - Reclaiming Shadows in DororoWelcome back, comic book fans to another episode of Lyfeblerd. Today, we plunge into the captivating world of Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece - Dororo. I'm your host Cryptte, and I can't wait to share my thoughts on this iconic manga. StorySet in a war-torn feudal Japan, Dororo tells the story of a warrior named Hyakkimaru. Born without several body parts due to a demonic pact made by his father, Daigo Kagemitsu, Hyakkimaru sets off on a journey to reclaim what he has lost. Early in his travels, he comes across the young o...
2023-08-0406 min
Lyfeblerd16 - Zom 100: Bucket List of the DeadApocalyptic HijinksWelcome to yet another episode of Lyfeblerd. I'm your host Cryptte, and today, we're jumping headfirst into the zombie-filled world of "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead." Hold onto your brains because it's going to be a wild ride! But before we begin, let me tell you a bit more about the manga.Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is written by Haro Aso and illustrated by Kotaro Takata. Both of them have accolades to their names, and together their talents shine just as brightly. Haro-san is good at blending genres, and...
2023-07-2107 min
Lyfeblerd15 - Surviving Battle RoyaleWelcome to Lyfeblerd, a podcast all about manga, manhwa, light novels and other types of comic books. I'm your host, Cryptte, and today we're diving into the intense and thought-provoking seinen manga series, Battle Royale.Originally written by Koushun Takami in 1996, it went unpublished until 1999 after being rejected in 1997 by the Japan Horror Fiction Awards. This was because it was too reminiscent of a recent murder in Kobe involving high school students. For the show, I’ll be covering the manga adaptation which was released from 2000 to 2005 and illustrated by Masayuki Taguchi. Tokyopop released the series in...
2023-07-0607 min
Lyfeblerd14 - KizumonogatariIn this episode Cryptte covers the Japanese light novel "Kizumonogatari," written by Nisio Isin (NisiOisiN) and illustrated by VOFAN. It is part of the "Monogatari Series" and serves as a prequel to the first novel, "Bakemonogatari." Kizumonogatari follows the story of Koyomi Araragi, a teenage boy that is suddenly thrust into the dark and mysterious world of aberrations and various supernatural beings. Set in a contemporary Japanese town, the main protagonist of the Monogatari Series stumbles upon the vampire Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade, which shatters his perception of reality and turns his life upside d...
2023-06-2209 min
Lyfeblerd13 - Legend of the Galactic HeroesThis time I dive into the three volumes of Yoshiki Tanaka's Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Ginga Eiyū Densetsu) . I'm stretching the rules a bit with this one though as it's technically a novel and not a light novel. But since it's spawned multiple anime and manga adaptations, I think we can make an exception. A Cosmic AdventureLegend of the Galactic Heroes takes us to a world in which humanity has expanded far across space. We're introduced to two sovereign nations, the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. T...
2023-06-0822 min
Lyfeblerd12- The Mysterious Man Behind Handrava -part two-Cryptte and Rado return in the second half of "The Mysterious Man Behind Handrava," ranting, raving and geeking out like all good fans should. They discuss the importance of acknowledging others on the path to success and stress the need for a support system, even if it only serves to provide one with encouragement. Rado gives credit to his fans and Cryptte bulldozes his way through Wakanda to prove a point. Ultimately, they cover self-worth and the need to find or create a community in which one can feel comfortable in, free to be...
2023-05-2557 min
Lyfeblerd11- The Mysterious Man Behind Handrava_part one_In this episode of Lyfeblerd, Cryptte interviews Rado of Tana, the creator of the webcomic Handrava. They discuss Rado's background and what led him to create webcomics. The Madagascan native shares the titles that influenced him growing up and how difficult it was to acquire them. Despite these obstacles, he was adequately inspired to create his own webcomics, from Handrava to Cisticola and more to come. Despite all the laughter, the duo still manage to cover some of their favourite anime and manga. During a slight detour to Wakanda, they also address the issue of truly a...
2023-05-121h 00
LyfeblerdSeason 2: Loading...New Season, New Rules Hi, I'm Cryptte and you're listening to Lyfeblerd, a podcast all about manga, manhwa, light novels, and other types of comic books. I know, it's been a while but I'm back for the second season and I hope you're as pumped as I am. Even if you don't admit it, I have to say I missed you guys. Previously on Lyfeblerd… Last season I covered a mix of manga, manhwa, webcomics, and light novels. Nine to be exact and I ha...
2023-04-2704 min
Lyfeblerd09 - Solo LevelingIn the last episode of season one, Cryptte flies solo again as he jumps into the popular Korean web novel, light novel and manga, Solo Leveling. It’s an action fantasy title written by Chugong, with the manga illustrated by the late Jang Sung-Rak (aka Dubu) of Redice Studio. Also known as Only I Level Up, the story tells the tale of Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank Hunter in a world plagued by mysterious Gates that lead into otherworldly dungeons full of monsters. After a devastating dungeon run, Sung begins his rise from the weakest Hunter into a f...
2022-12-1512 min
Lyfeblerd08 - Blue LockWhat is the Blue lock Manga?Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is well underway. With football fever in the air, I decided to try the Blue Lock manga and it was awesome. Blue Lock is a sports manga written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura.In 2018 after failing to win the FIFA World Cup yet again, the Japanese Football Union sought the aid of eccentric coach and enigma, Ego Jinpachi to ensure their success. He is charged with scouting high school...
2022-12-0107 min
Lyfeblerd07 - Log HorizonA Familiar Fantasy WorldIn this episode of Lyfeblerd we raise a party, go questing and navigate the new reality that is Elder Tales. That’s right, I’m talking about Log Horizon, light novel series written by Mamare Toumo and illustrated by Hara Kazuhiro. It’s an isekai science fiction fantasy about gamers that get stuck in a virtual world.Sword Art Online may come to mind for those that are familiar with the fantasy subgenre, while long-time fans will be thinking .hack instead. However, Log Horizon manages to stand on its own two feet i...
2022-11-1712 min
The Shorttales ClubWe Will Talk About Other Things Instead by Deborah OluniranWhen a woman wakes up to find a baby she has no recollection of having lying beside her, you just know you’re in for some drama. That’s just the opening of Deborah Oluniran’s short story titled “We Will Talk About Other Things Instead,” so imagine the twists and turns the author has for you.In this episode of The Shorttales Club, Cryptte takes the helm to lead AbdulHanan, Fresh and Oz into the fractured mind of our protagonist. Does she discover whose baby it is? Is it secretly hers? Is it some sort of setup...
2022-11-1047 min
Lyfeblerd06 - The Promised NeverlandThis week on Lyfeblerd, Cryptte brings you a book that could be summarised as hide and seek: monster edition. We're talking about The Promised Neverland, the shonen manga written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu. Yes, that’s right. We said shonen, but remember that Cryptte has never publicly sworn off of them. He just loves to complain about the ones he isn't into, which are most of them. In a genre filled with battle manga, special powers, training and growing power levels, The Promised Neverland is a dark and beautiful exception that stands pro...
2022-11-0309 min
The Shorttales ClubThis Man by KasimmaIn this episode of The Shorttales Club, we talk about an interesting story written by Kasimma and titled This Man.Kasimma is an Igbo term meaning most beautiful. She is an alumni of Chimamanda Adichie's Creative Writing Workshop, the Short Story Day Africa workshop, the International Writing Program, and others.She's been a writer-in-residence, in artists' residencies across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Her works appear or are forthcoming in The Book Smuggler's Den, Jellyfish Review, Kiwetu Journal, Orbis Journal, and Afreecan Read.Halloween Comes EarlyThis Man is a story...
2022-10-2757 min
Lyfeblerd05 - HandravaThis episode of Lyfeblerd brings us back to the motherland Africa, to the island city of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Handrava is a slice-of-life Tapas webcomic created by Rado R.It is the story about a young woman named Voanio, her friends and their every day life. She works during the day in the market and at night pulling a cart, whether as a mode of transportation for her friends or for hauling her client's goods. A hard worker, she's often accompanied by her cousin and probably best friend, Papango. The two are virtually inseparable but very different p...
2022-10-2108 min
The Shorttales ClubThe Necklace by Guy de MaupassantThey say you can’t beat the classics and in this episode of The Shorttales Club, Oz & friends find themselves in one that sends them to Paris, France. It is the close of the 19th century and Mathilde Loisel is desperate to attend a grand ball, but only if she can bedazzle all in attendance like a diamond.The crew is joined by Peter and Fresh, spicing things up quite nicely. Hanan takes things personal and Habiba disagrees with him wholeheartedly, while Oz is left speechless with Cryptte ever cackling in the background. It’s a wild...
2022-10-1352 min
Lyfeblerd04 - BLAME!In this episode we enter the long, dark, desolate corridors of BLAME! It’s a manga written by Tsutomu Nihei and for this review I read the Master Edition. However, I haven’t been able to finish the series yet, so this episode only covers the first three volumes out of six. (tankobon release is 10 volumes).It’s a manga that combines two of my favourite things — science fiction and seinen. There’s even a whole lot of psychological horror and I can’t wait to get into it with you.Story...
2022-10-0709 min
The Shorttales ClubThe Madman by Chinua AchebeHello story lovers! It’s the first episode of The Shorttales Club and joining our host Oz are Cryptte, Habiba and AbdulHanan. Together they discuss Chinua Achebe’s short story titled The Madman. As the name suggests, it covers mental health, madness attributed to jazz and other forms of Nigerian superstitious beliefs. #shortstories #africanstories #onlinebookclub #ayamba #theshorttalesclubWelcome to The Shorttales Club, a place where I and my friends read, think and discuss short stories that we find fun and interesting. Please note that this is a spoile...
2022-10-0638 min
Lyfeblerd03 - All You Need Is KillWild, adrenaline fueled action, mechanical suits of armour, weird creatures, time loops and even more science fiction. All You Need Is Kill has it all. Join Cryptte on the latest episode of Lyfeblerd as he leaps headfirst into this seinen tale. Will it make it into your reading list or drag you into another loop? Only time will tell. #allyouneediskill #hiroshisakurazaka #lightnovel #sci-fi #seinen #mech #timeloopStoryThe world is under invasion from creatures humanity has named Mimics. Impervious to conventional weapons, th...
2022-09-2214 min
Lyfeblerd02 - OrdealIn this episode, the ancient blerd Cryptte discusses the webtoon, Ordeal by Brent Bristol. Set in a world similar to ours with an alternate history, Ordeal is a story of super-powered beings called kimyo and their impact on the world. Set on the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad & Tobago, this webcomic has a hard-hitting story that combines aspects of western art with Japanese story-telling. It’s clearly inspired by shonen manga like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, but its use of people of colour in a country that is rarely visited in the genre, sets Ordeal apart.
2022-09-0822 min
Lyfeblerd01 - SolaninIn episode 1, Cryptte delves into the manga, Solanin by Inio Asano. He discusses the plot, art style and everything in between, not forgetting the book recommendations. So do make sure to follow the link in our bio to listen to this new podcast.Story Solanin is a story about Inoe Meiko, and her boyfriend Naruo Taneda, as they try to figure out how to find happiness, what happiness. It also covers the lives of their friends, who I shall not name, but their dynamic is particularly nice.If you've ever been to u...
2022-08-2514 min
LyfeblerdEpisode ZeroGeeks are the lifeblood of comic book culture and this black nerd is here to share his love of the medium with you. My name is Cryptte and I’ll be geeking out on light novels, manga, manhwa, and other types of comic books. If you’re as excited as I am, join me on August 25th to listen to my new podcast, Lyfeblerd. It’s a bi-weekly show from Ayamba LitCast.See you soon!RKMxqE4BhW9DvFUmN86Z Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2022-08-1800 min