Shows
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastUtena: After the Revolution (with Rose Bridges)Covers all the short stories in Revolutionary Girl Utena: After the Revolution by Chiho SaitoFor the 20th anniversary of Revolutionary Girl Utena, we were gifted this volume of short stories (one for Touga and Saionji, another for Juri and Shiori, the final for Miki and Kozue) that function as a "sequel" of sorts to the Utena anime (not the manga). Anime scholar Rose Bridges comes back on the Shojo & Tell to talk about Utena without Utena (sort of?). Rose and Ashley debate which story of the three is the strongest, what it means for there to...2021-03-1146 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastOuran High School Host Club Pt. 2 (with Rose Bridges and Aisha Soleil)Covers volumes 10-18 of OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB by Bisco Hatori
OURAN superfan Rose Bridges, manga reviewer Aisha Soleil chat, and Shojo & Tell host Ashley are back to talk about even more host club hijinks. Specifically, this episode is basically about everything that wasn't adapted into the anime version. (You've been warned.) The three dive into more comparisons between the anime and manga, discuss some responses from listeners about their favorite host club boys (y'all are such haters about the twins, you know that?), talk about why there aren't more reverse harem series of late, and...2019-06-271h 49
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMy Love Story!! (with the Manga Mavericks Podcast)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 th...2019-03-071h 51
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastHouse of the Sun Part 2 (with Kelly Quinn Chiu)Covers volumes 8–13 of House of the Sun by TaamoOne 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 wors...2019-02-271h 58
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastHouse of the Sun Part 1 (with Kelly Quinn Chiu)Covers volumes 1–7 of House of the Sun by TaamoOne 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...2019-02-071h 44
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastKimi ni Todoke Part 3 (with Caitlin Moore)Covers volumes 21–30 of Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho Shiina (end of the series)Welcome to our final episode on Karuho Shiina’s contemporary classic. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and shojo manga connoisseur Caitlin Moore FINALLY get to reflect on what went down between Ayane and Pin (how it was all handled was such a pleasant surprise!). Plus, Kurumi finally gets her time to shine in our elaborate alt ending where she ends up with Sawako and as a contestant on TERRACE HOUSE (this episode involves a lot of fanfiction-making). And most importantly, Ashley and Caitlin rank Pin’s hair...2019-01-1955 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastKimi ni Todoke Part 2 (with Caitlin Moore)Covers volumes 11–20 of Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho ShiinaWinter is here, which means it’s time to settle in with the coziest manga for the season: the beloved Kimi ni Todoke. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and shojo manga connoisseur Caitlin Moore are back to discuss the good and the bad about the middle of Karuho Shiina’s hit series. Somehow, Kazehaya and Kento have flipped in quality during these 10 volumes (KAZEHAYA. GET IT TOGETHER. HOLD SAWAKO’S HAND.), so a lot is said about how that weirdness happens. Also discussed: The best Chizu moments (when she says Ken...2019-01-021h 15
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastKimi ni Todoke Part 1 (with Caitlin Moore)Covers volumes 1–10 of Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho ShiinaThe year 2018 marked the end of an era: After 30 volumes, the deeply treasured Kimi ni Todoke is over. And to mark this special occasion, we’re once again embarking on a trilogy of podcasts. Shojo & Tell host Ashley is a huge Kimi ni Todoke fan, as is Anime Feminist author/editor and all-around shojo manga connoisseur Caitlin Moore. The two gush about the series’ best qualities (particularly the developments of healthy and tender female friendships) and how Ayane is the best character but Chizu is more relatable. Kazehaya is cal...2018-12-191h 02
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastWake Up, Sleeping Beauty (with Asher Sofman)Covers Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty by Megumi Morino (all six volumes of the series)
“I can't believe Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty single-handedly convinced me that manga was not a mistake.”
“This is up there with Erased and Princess Jellyfish for me as far as human relations go.”
“I don't know if I'm going to be able to go back to manga after reading this manga, it was everything I ever wanted in a romance manga.”
“This manga is much better than you would expect since nobody’s hyped it up — and we want to be the...2018-11-281h 06
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFruits Basket Part 3 (with ANN’s Jacob Chapman)Covers volumes 17-23 of Fruits Basket by Natsuki TakayaThe curse has finally broken! And did you hear there’s going to be a new Fruits Basket anime?! Great. We don’t talk about that on this podcast! (This is a manga podcast, after all. And this episode was recorded before the announcement.) But don’t worry, massive Furuba fan and Anime News Network editor Jacob Chapman and Shojo & Tell host Ashley find plenty to talk about in the last third of the series (this concludes our trilogy of podcasts!). Jacob explains why Akito is such a compel...2018-11-152h 20
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFruits Basket Part 2 (with ANN’s Jacob Chapman)Covers volumes 9-16 of Fruits Basket by Natsuki TakayaMassive Furuba fan and Anime News Network editor Jacob Chapman is back to discuss the middle third of Takaya’s classic with Shojo & Tell host Ashley. Most of the dark, dark Sohma family secrets have been revealed this time around, and Tohru is in turmoil over Kyo’s fate. But we’re saving most of the Kyo talk for the third and final podcast! This time, Yuki’s struggles shine after his confrontation with Akito. The particular pains of motherhood — with Tohru’s mother complex and many of the Sohma’s...2018-11-011h 57Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFruits Basket Part 1 (with ANN’s Jacob Chapman)Covers volumes 1-8 of Fruits Basket by Natsuki TakayaAt the height of the mid-2000s manga boom in the US, there was no bigger series than Fruits Basket. And this story about orphaned Tohru Honda and the Sohma family curse has endured, getting a very special rerelease in recent years. For a series this influential, we brought on one of the biggest Furuba fans of all: Anime News Network editor Jacob Chapman. We discuss why Fruits Basket left such a lasting impression, who our favorite Sohmas are, how Tokyopop and Yen Press’ translations compare, what the cu...2018-10-171h 59
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastBanana Fish Part 2 (with Marion Bea)Covers volumes 12 through 19 of Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Banana Fish fan Marion goes on an epic rant about The Ending of the series. Seriously! What?! WHY?! Who thought this was okay!? Marion and Shojo & Tell host Ashley also discuss the role of women in Yoshida’s series, touch on the importance of found families, walk through all the ships we’re given in the end (obviously, OTP is Ash and Eiji), and ponder why Blanca has such broad shoulders. Plus: Did Ashley cry while reading the short st...2018-09-191h 34
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastBanana Fish Part 1 (with Marion Bea)Covers volumes 1 through 11 of Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida
It’s a perfect day to discuss Banana Fish, the revived classic about how everyone — except some select gang members and an innocent Japanese boy named Eiji Okumura — wants to kill the brilliant and beautiful and deadly Ash Lynx. Shojo & Tell host Ashley found the biggest Banana Fish fan in Marion, and together they discuss the literary and political history Akimi Yoshida’s work draws from, the representations of race and queerness in the story, answer some of your questions about how the modernized anime compares to this very ’80...2018-09-051h 54
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPrincess Jellyfish Part 2Covers volumes 9 to 17 of Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Don your armor (read: your prettiest, frilliest dress) and get ready to defend Tsukimi and all the residents of Amamizukan from corporate kidnapper Kai Fish. Guest Carrie McClain (an editor at Black Nerd Problems) and host Ashley list off the moments that made them cry in the second half, what clothes come to mean for the Amars, who has agency (and who doesn’t), and have one of the most epic Shipping Corners on the podcast yet. (Shu!! How dare you worm your way into our hearts like th...2018-07-251h 49
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPrincess Jellyfish Part 1 (with Carrie McClain)Covers volumes 1 to 8 of Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Chances are you’ve heard heaps and heaps of praise bestowed upon this manga about a jellyfish otaku whose life is changed forever by a crossdresser. That praise is HELLA ACCURATE. Carrie McClain (an editor at Black Nerd Problems) and host Ashley reveal how much they’ve become Princess Jellyfish otaku by fangirling all over the Amars and Kuranosuke, dissecting how Higashimura explores identity politics through the narrative and motifs in the art, and remind you that everybody, EVERYBODY, is an otaku. Yes, even straight-laced, stuffy Shu. He’s a Ts...2018-07-111h 38
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastThe Full-Time Wife Escapist (with Megan DeYarman)Covers all 9 volumes of The Full-Time Wife Escapist by Tsunami Umino
What would it be like to get married as a job? Megan DeYarman (of The Manga Test Drive) and host Ashley dive into The Full-Time Wife Escapist’s (very good) takes on alternatives to traditional marriage, family generally, and employment in particular (scheduling out twice-monthly hug dates may not be as weird and emotionless as it seems!). Plus, there’s plenty of gushing about the respectful representation of older virgins, a nice in-depth character walkthrough of the main cast (Mikuri, Hiramasa, Kazami, Yuri), and a helpful quiz...2018-06-271h 01
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFushigi Yugi Part 2Covers volumes 10-18 of Fushigi Yugi by Yu Watase
We’re back to talk about the strange saga of Fushigi Yugi’s ending and how Tamahome became Taka, or Taka was always Taka but he allowed Tamahome to exist, one’s a shadow, something like that. Just trust us on this one. Ashley, Caitlin, and Jess also discuss how Miaka and Yui have matured after one of them was consumed by a dragon god (oh, they also graduated middle school), how a young Yu Watase may have been underestimating the power of shojo manga, and, most importantly, everyb...2018-06-131h 08
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFushigi Yugi Part 1 (with Caitlin Moore and Jess Tan)Covers volumes 1-9 of Fushigi Yugi by Yu Watase
Watase’s classic stirs up a lot of feelings in this first Shojo & Tell episode to have three people voicing their opinions. The nostalgia goggles are definitely on for Ashley, Caitlin, and Jessica as they debate who the best celestial warrior is (NURIKO IS THE GREATEST! NO! TASUKI!), ponder the strange choice to have the Seiryu warriors be evil, and discuss how the isekai genre has evolved over the years since Fushigi Yugi (ugh, Sword Art Online). Other questions answered: Should FY get a new anime adaptation? Do lu...2018-05-301h 38
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastStrobe Edge (with Alyssa from Anime Intensity)Covers all ten volumes of Strobe Edge by Io Sakisaka
First: Strobe Edge is an amazing title, and we take many opportunities to remind you of this throughout the episode. How do you not want to read a manga called Strobe Edge? If you need more convincing about how great this work from Io Sakisaka is, Alyssa (who runs the YouTube channel Anime Intensity) and Shojo & Tell host Ashley do a character conflicts rundown, discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of love triangles as a trope (also: Team Ren? Team Ando? Team Daiki? Why not... all of...2018-05-161h 31
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastWe Were There Part 2 (with Nancy from Shojo Beat)Covers volumes 9-16 of We Were There by Yuki Obata
Ultra super special guest Nancy Thistlethwaite, a senior editor for Viz Media’s Shojo Beat line, returns to do an in-depth character analysis of Nanami, Yano, Takeuchi, Yuri, and the rest of the crew in We Were There (Bokura ga Ita). (Host Ashley and Nancy may talk a little too much about Take, against their better judgment. Stop it, Take! Get out of here! Team Yano forever!) Memories, dreams, and metaphors like the internal compass are analyzed, Yano's t-shirts are harshly judged (Yano! You have better shirts th...2018-05-021h 08
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastWe Were There Part 1 (with Nancy from Shojo Beat)Covers volumes 1-8 of We Were There by Yuki Obata
Super special guest Nancy Thistlethwaite, a senior editor for Viz Media’s Shojo Beat line, discusses the first half of the beautiful and devastating series We Were There with host Ashley. Nancy and Ashley get into why Obata’s work didn’t take off in America, which scenes punched them in the gut the most, why people who don’t ship Yano and Nanami just don’t get it, and find out which Disneyland Land Nanami is. Plus, you find out that Ashley really loves Yano’s t-shirts.2018-04-181h 00
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastJapan Trip 2018 SpecialWe’re going on a Japan trip! Ashley’s been on vacation in Japan for the past two weeks, and has gone on some manga-related adventures (and many non-manga-related adventures). She and her romantic partner/Viz Media employee/travel companion Jeff Ruberg discuss the Kimi ni Todoke exhibit at Tokyo Anime Center, how it compares to the ongoing Shonen Jump exhibit, what it’s like seeing the spring cherry blossoms and going to themed cafes, and generally what their favorite activity on this trip has been.
LINKS
Kimi ni Todoke Exhibit
Shonen Jump Exhibit
Rurouni Kenshin Author...2018-04-0552 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastQQ Sweeper (with Laura from Heart of Manga)Covers all three volumes of QQ Sweeper by Kyousuke Motomi
Spring is finally here! So Ashley and Laura prepare to start spring cleaning by first reading QQ Sweeper. Which is legit about sweeping. Like, with a broom. A plain old broom. Sure, it's also about exorcisms and supernatural stuff and punching giant centipedes, but mostly, it's about sweeping. And it is SO GOOD. Ashley and Laura get to the heart of what a Cinderella story even is, why this series has a sequel called Queen's Quality, the power of cleaning in real life and in metaphor, and...2018-03-211h 02
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastArina Tanemura One-Shots (with Loyola Rankin)Covers: I.O.N., Short-Tempered Melancholic and Other Stories, and Mistress Fortune, all by Arina Tanemura
Put on your frilliest dress and lace up as Loyola and Ashley discuss a bunch of one-volume manga from the author of Full Moon O Sagashite. Which of these six short stories was the best? Why exactly did Tanemura think having a lecherous 14-year-old character would be fun? Should you forget your umbrella every time it rains so your crush will be forced to share theirs with you? All that and much more is discussed in this whacky episode. Spoilers: Ashley's...2018-03-071h 19
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastThe Key to the Kingdom (with Megan DeYarman)Covers all 6 volumes of THE KEY TO THE KINGDOM by Kyoko Shitou
Megan and Ashley discuss a very underappreciated title published by the now-defunct CMX. Many comparisons to The Vision of Escaflowne are made as discussions about dragons and fate ensue. Are the dragons a metaphor for nuclear weapons? Do Gaius and Badd have a thing for each other? Just what kind of leader is Asta, anyway? Why the heck did you never hear about this gorgeous manga?! All your pressing questions about just what the heck the Key to the Kingdom even is will be answered...2018-02-211h 09
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastValentine’s Day SpecialRoses are red
Violets are blue
Shojo is sweet
Here are strange ships
Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a bonus episode where we asked various people to answer this question: If you could ship any characters across shojo series, who would you ship and why? The answers may surprise you. Especially since Ashley cheats and takes protagonists from a shonen manga instead.
SOCIAL
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Follow Shojo & Tell on Twitter @shojoandtell
Shojo & Tell is also on Instagram @shoj...2018-02-1434 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastTokyo Tarareba Girls (with Amelia Cook)Covers all 9 volumes of TOKYO TARAREBA GIRLS by Akiko Higashimura
This episode, Ashley and Amelia discuss a josei series for the first time on the podcast. What if, what if, we told you “Tokyo Tarareba Girls” is one of the best manga of the decade? What if, what if, you’ve never read a more relatable manga than this in your life? What if, what if, we told you to stop lollygagging around and read this manga right now? As you’ll find out from our heartfelt and earnest discussion, this story about women looking to settle down bef...2018-02-071h 41
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMillennium Snow (with Caitlin Moore)Covers all of MILLENNIUM SNOW by Bisco Hatori
In the 10 years between the publication of the second and third volume of “Millennium Snow,” Bisco Hatori went off and wrote this little-known manga called “Ouran High School Host Club.” How did that affect this short and sweet four-volume manga? How does this vampire and werewolf love triangle compare to the infamous Twilight Saga? (Hint: It's much better.) How does it handle the themes of morality and time? Ashley and Caitlin discuss all that, and much, much more.
LINKS
Get Millennium Snow from Viz (Shojo Beat line)
It...2018-01-241h 24
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMeruPuri (with Loyola Rankin)All four volumes of MERUPURI are discussed.
Ashley and Loyola discuss a short manga from Matsuri Hino, the creator of Vampire Knight. It’s the first manga covered on the podcast that doesn’t have an anime adaptation, and given its strange mashup of Japanese, German, English, and random symbols, neither Ashley nor Loyola ever figures out how to pronounce ANYTHING! (as-tale? UH-stale? Who knows? Do you know?) There’s talk of tattoos and taboos, mirrors reflecting the past and the present, and fanfiction written about main character Airi’s favorite show, “Tales of Marriage on the Plains.”2018-01-101h 50