Like My Anime – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Like My Anime

Tom Scullin

Arts

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/37d. Total Eps: 15

A podcast dedicated to helping you find more of the anime, manga, and other Japanese media you’ll love

Site

RSS

Apple

Data updated on 21/09/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDnC5ZbshQM-1Yp1FWilwcA
15 shares
https://www.youtube.com/@likemyanime
2 shares
https://www.youtube.com/@kodokunogourmet-tvtokyo
1 share

https://dova-s.jp/bgm/play13002.html
15 shares
https://davidevelyn0825.wixsite.com/works
2 shares
https://calebdcook.com/translatedworks/
2 shares

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2439138/fan_mail/new
15 shares
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2439138/episodes/1964994
1 share
https://likemyanime.buzzsprout.com
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 78%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

We Need to Talk About RuriDragon and Half is More

Season 2 · Episode 14

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 21:26

Send us Fan Mail

This time we take a look at two manga about racism and finding where you belong with RuriDragon and Half is More

RuriDragon ルリドラゴン

Genre: Slice of life, coming of age, fantasy

Author: Masaoki Shindo

Translation: Caleb D. Cook https://calebdcook.com/translatedworks/

Original Run: June 13, 2022 - Present

Publisher: Shueisha

English Publisher: Viz Media

Imprint: Jump Comics

Magazine: Weekly Shonen Jump (June 13, 2022 - August 1, 2022); Shonen Jump+ (August 22, 2024 - Present)

Japanese Volumes: 5

English Volumes: 4

Anime Adaptation: Announced (Kyoto Animation)

Learn Natively Level: 22 (Intermediate, ~JLPT N3)

Half is More 半分兄弟

Author: Yoiko Fujimi

Genre: Drama

Translation: David Evelyn https://davidevelyn0825.wixsite.com/works

Original run: June 29, 2022 - Present

Publisher: Leed Publishing

English Publisher: Viz Media

Imprint: Torch Comics

Magazine: Torch Web Comics

Japanese Volumes: 1

English Volumes: 1

Anime Adaptation: No

Learn Natively Level: 32 (Upper Intermediate, ~JLPT N2)

Links:

Masaoki Shindo Interview: https://www.reddit.com/r/RuriDragon/comments/1igr020/masaoki_shindo_interview/

Sagamihara Stabbings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagamihara_stabbings#Legacy

Isaiah D. Colbert’s article for Aftermath:

https://aftermath.site/half-is-more-yoiko-fujimi-josei-manga-haafu-racism-review/

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime!
If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube:
🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel

Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

Read moreCollapse

It's Getting Harder to Live in Japan

Season 2 · Episode 13

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 • Duration 16:50

Send us Fan Mail

This time, we unpack why life in Japan feels harder right now for both citizens and foreign residents alike. The episode connects Japan's weak currency, a record-breaking tourism boom, and a sweeping tightening of visa and permanent residency rules under the Takaichi government. All framed against a backdrop of rising anti-immigrant sentiment.

Key Discussion Points

COVID-era border closures (2020–2022): Japan barred even permanent residents from reentry for roughly a year while citizens moved freely; tourists weren't allowed back until October 2022.
Shrinking outbound curiosity: Japanese passport ownership has dropped from ~24% pre-pandemic to 17.8% currently; students show declining interest in studying or traveling abroad.
Tourism boom: Foreign tourism hit record highs, 42+ million visitors in 2025 and 21+ million already in 2026, but Japan still lags far behind top destinations like France (102 million visitors in 2025) and lacks infrastructure to match the volume.
Why the yen is weak: Three decades of economic stagnation, government bond-buying to keep interest rates near zero, delayed Bank of Japan rate hikes compared to the US and Europe, and the resulting sell-off of yen by currency investors.
The yen carry trade: Investors and institutions borrowed cheap yen to invest in higher-return assets abroad, making Japan the largest holder of US debt; in 2026 the BOJ began selling US bonds to defend the yen, prompting US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to intervene by buying yen.
Wage-price spiral: Rising cost of living has forced employers to raise wages, which in turn pushes prices higher. With wages currently outpacing inflation, though unevenly across industries.
Immigration by the numbers: Foreign residents now exceed 4 million (an almost 50% year-over-year increase) but still represent only about 3% of Japan's population.
New visa and PR costs: Visa fee caps rose from 10,000 yen to as much as 200,000–300,000 yen; standard visas now cost roughly 33,000–75,000 yen, and permanent residency around 200,000 yen.
New PR eligibility rules: Applicants must now earn above the average household income (5.75 million yen) rather than average individual income, and must show 30 years of pension contributions or equivalent savings, a requirement I flag as vague and difficult to calculate.

Summer is Scary in Japan

Season 2 · Episode 12

Sunday, August 16, 2026 • Duration 07:07

Send us Fan Mail

Episode Overview
We explore Japan's summer horror tradition — rooted in the Obon festival and kaidan ghost stories — through five recommendations spanning film, Netflix TV, legal drama, and anime.

Key Discussion Points

Obon and the belief that ancestral spirits return each summer, and how that gave rise to the kaidan storytelling tradition
Dollhouse (2025): a haunted-doll J-horror film from comedy director Shinobu Yaguchi, driven by parental grief rather than jump scares
Human Vapor: a 2026 Netflix Japanese-Korean co-production rebooting a 1960s Toho tokusatsu film, blending body horror with an investigative crime drama
Sins of Kujo: a non-supernatural legal drama about a lawyer defending morally repugnant clients, included as a different flavor of darkness
Mushishi: an anime following wandering healer Ginko and the Mushi, ancient beings treated as an ordinary part of the world rather than monsters
Yami Shibai: an anime that recreates kamishibai, a traditional street-performance storytelling format, through ultra-short horror episodes

Main Takeaways

Japanese horror media leans on grief, moral ambiguity, and atmosphere as much as jump scares
Obon and kaidan give Japanese horror a distinct summer-season identity separate from Western Halloween horror
Kamishibai is a direct cultural ancestor of the ghost-story format still used in anime today

Who This Episode Is For

Anime and J-horror fans looking for a varied watchlist
Listeners interested in Japanese folklore, Obon, and the kaidan tradition
Fans of Japanese-language content who want cultural context alongside media recommendations
Anyone who wants horror recommendations outside the typical October season

Resources & Media Mentioned

A Manga That Finally Felt Like Me | Spacewalking With You

Season 2 · Episode 11

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 09:40

Send us Fan Mail

Episode Overview
A personal, spoiler-light review of the manga Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda — a slice-of-life story about a "lazy" high schooler, Kobayashi, whose friendship with an unusual transfer student, Uno, slowly reveals just how much of his struggle was never really laziness at all.

Key Discussion Points

Overview of the manga's premise, setting, and central friendship
How the story portrays neurodivergence without ever naming a diagnosis
The host's personal ADHD diagnosis and how it shaped their reaction to the story
Specific scenes discussed (spoiler-light): the notebook incident, the part-time job training manual, the glasses subplot, a sensory-overload moment between Uno and Kobayashi
What makes the manga's approach to representation feel different from typical media portrayals
A brief, honest critique (some side characters are hard to distinguish)
Publication details: English release status and Japanese reading difficulty

Major Takeaways

Representation doesn't require clinical labels to feel authentic — sometimes showing the experience is more powerful than naming the condition
Curiosity and empathy, rather than assumptions, are the engine of the story's emotional arc
Struggles that look like "laziness" or "weirdness" often have deeper, unspoken explanations
Small, unglamorous acts of kindness carry as much narrative weight as any dramatic plot turn

Who This Episode Is For

Manga readers looking for a thoughtful, low-stakes slice-of-life recommendation
Neurodivergent listeners (diagnosed or self-identifying) interested in representation done with care
Parents and teachers who want media that might help them understand a child or student
Japanese-language learners looking for an intermediate (N3-level) manga to read in the original

Starting a Japanese Literature Channel: BookTube Newbie Tag

Season 2 · Episode 10

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 09:50

Send us Fan Mail

This month's episode is a sort of announcement, I'm gonna be taking a break from the podcast for a bit to focus on YouTube. If all the same content as video essays and booktube videos sounds interesting to you then I'd love for you to subscribe to the Like My Anime YouTube channel

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime!
If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube:
🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel

Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

Read moreCollapse

The Solitary Gourmet: A Hit Japanese Drama No One Talks About (in English)

Season 2 · Episode 9

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 • Duration 14:24

Send us Fan Mail

We try to explain why The Solitary Gourmet, a plotless Japanese food drama about a man eating alone, became a massive hit across East Asia. We also dig into why it’s one of the best resources for real Japanese listening practice and what “healing” media reveals about modern comfort viewing.

• the show’s simple formula and why “nothing happens” works
• how real restaurants turn episodes into a food culture guide
• why the inner monologue is gold for Japanese language learning
• three reasons the drama clicks, from Matsushige’s performance to solo dining
• iyashi-kei and the demand for comfort media after stress
• our small gripes, from dreamlike pacing to non-bingeability

Check out The Solitary Gourmet on YouTube

a few more food-focused dramas to watch next:

Midnight Diner

Then You Try Making It!

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

And if you enjoyed this episode then check out another episode where I talk about the anime My Dress-Up Darling:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime!
If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime

The Most Wholesome 'Fan Service' Anime | My Dress-Up Darling

Season 1 · Episode 8

Monday, March 23, 2026 • Duration 22:08

Send us Fan Mail

We dig into why My Dress-Up Darling is more than a spicy high school rom-com and why dropping it after the first three episodes misses the real point. We talk craft, cosplay culture, gender expression, and why the series works surprisingly well for Japanese language learners.

• why the show gets mislabeled early and what changes after episode four
• Wakana Gojo’s Hina doll craftsmanship, childhood trauma, and loneliness
• Marin Kitagawa as the driver of the story and the cosplay partnership that builds real trust
• how the romance develops mostly through Marin’s point of view
• gender role reversals, gender-swapped cosplay, and naming and speech choices
• what “fan service” means, where the series justifies it, and where it feels exploitative
• how cosplay is viewed in Japan versus the US and why “time and place” matters
• CloverWorks’ animation choices and why the show feels so cozy
• manga and adaptation notes, including the final volumes and season three uncertainty
• Japanese learning value: everyday language, plus a heavy dose of modern slang
• extra recommendations: The Full-Time Wife Escapist, K-On, Who Does Housework Anymore

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime!
If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube:
🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel

Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

Read moreCollapse

Podcast Trailer

Season 1

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • Duration 00:40

Send us Fan Mail

Explore Japanese media, language, and culture every month on the Like My Anime podcast!

Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime!
If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube:
🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel

Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

Read moreCollapse

Why Adults Learn Languages Faster Than Kids

Season 1 · Episode 7

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 • Duration 25:29

Send us Fan Mail

We unpack why L1 and L2 learning differ, where adult learners can excel, and how to use child‑like methods without buying the myth of effortlessness. Along the way we revisit the critical period, language intuition, and practical tools like nursery rhymes for better input.

• L1 dominance, age of acquisition, and processing speed
• Near‑native performance vs intuition in lab tests
• Why the critical period applies to L1, not adult L2
• Transfer from L1 shaping L2 learning paths
• Kids’ advantages: fearlessness, repetition, support
• Adult strengths: strategy, focus, deliberate practice
• Using nursery rhymes and skits for prosody and chunks
• Cultural cues missing from beginner textbooks
• Building your own support system and routines

The best way to support the show is to recommend it to friends, rate us on whatever podcast listening app you are using, subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our Patreon for more.

References

Abrahamsson, Niclas & Hyltenstam, Kenneth. (2008). The robustness of aptitude effects in near-native second language acquisition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 30. 481 - 509. 10.1017/S027226310808073X.

Recommendations
From a future episode on the effectiveness of nursery rhymes on L2 acquisition

How to Build a Daily Japanese Study Habit (Without Burnout)

Season 1 · Episode 6

Friday, January 30, 2026 • Duration 47:59

Send us Fan Mail

We connect New Year momentum, Ekiden grit, and Murakami’s running log to practical Japanese study that survives real life. Flexible systems, tiny daily wins, and the power of noticing replace vague goals and pressure to “master” everything.

• defining minimum viable study to protect consistency
• replacing output goals with input systems
• using interests and authentic media to sustain motivation
• embracing ambiguity and iterative understanding
• making phones boring to reduce distraction
• self-compassion, “don’t miss twice,” and growth mindset
• safe uses and limits of AI for learners
• input, output, interaction, and the noticing hypothesis
• note refactoring to test and deepen understanding
• recommendations: Look Back, Hundred Meters, inakyu’s Hope Core video, Murakami’s running book

Links

Nathan Laundry This Psychology Experiment Helped 121 People Beat Doomscrolling
Extranet Shaquille I'm Tired of Listening to Nerds and Dweebs
Psycho Lingo The problem with Comprehensible Input
Python Programmer What the Science Actually Says about ChatGPT and Brain Rot
Theories of Second Language Acquisition
inakyu You’re Not Lazy. You Need Hope Core Anime

We’ll post an episode in February, so see you then

Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!

Like My Anime – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Like My Anime – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Youtube23

Other19

Buzzsprout3

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Youtube23

Other19

Buzzsprout3