Explore every episode of the podcast Shojo & Tell: A Manga Podcast
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| Hot Gimmick First Half (Pt. 1) Discussion (with Naja B. of Blerdy Otome) | 01 Jul 2024 | 01:52:26 | |
This episode discusses the first half (volumes 1-6) of Hot Gimmick by Miki Aihara It's here. It's finally here. Shojo & Tell host Ashley has been trying to make this episode happen for at least two years. And now, here we are. We're talking about the first half of Hot Gimmick, aka, Hot Trash, aka Hot Mess. Seriously: Content warning for basically everything. Ashley was prepared to have nothing nice to say about this series (she's read it before and thought it was the worst shojo series ever), but it's surprising what reading something 12 years after your initial encounter with it can do... Naja of Blerdy Otome is a big fan of Hot Gimmick, despite also recognizing that it's extremely problematic. There's underage sex and drugs, there's blackmail, there's demeaning servitude, there's gang rape. And that's just the first three volumes. Hatsumi's a doormat, Ryoki's bad, Azusa's bad, Shinogu's bad trying to be good, Akane is the reason we're in this mess. Only Subaru is good. Team Subaru! Let's talk it through. REFERENCES
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| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days (with Joshua McHugh) | 29 May 2024 | 01:29:02 | |
This episode discusses all of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days (volumes 1-6) by Fumino Hayashi. Shinji, get in the robot! Shojo & Tell host Ashley and the guy previously known as Ashley's "Cyborg 009 buddy," Josh McHugh, delve into this version of the beloved series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is an alternate universe of the video game Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel 2nd (a PlayStation 2 game, and yes there is first Girlfriend of Steel before this entry), which is an alternate universe of the events in the final episode of the original anime. The main plot is mostly about whether Shinji will pick Rei or Asuka to be his life partner while they're all still in high school. Are you keeping up? Great! Ashley and Josh do a sort of cultural exchange in this episode: Ashley doesn't really like Evangelion (ikr?), and Josh, like many a millennial, thinks Eva is the GOAT and is very hype to discuss the Instrumentality sequences; Ashley is over 100 episodes deep on a shojo manga podcast, while Josh hadn't read a shojo manga before this. The two talk about how, in Angelic Days, Rei is a completely different person from her beloved anime self; the shortcomings of the backstory about Shinji's parents, Gendo and Yui Ikari; what punk bands Gendo would be into; and much more. And if you're wondering: There ARE still mech fights in this, but there shouldn't have been. So on second thought: Shinji, don't get in the robot! REFERENCES
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| Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Pt. 1 (with Mackenzie of Mac Loves Manga) | 27 Jul 2023 | 01:39:45 | |
This episode discusses volumes 1–7 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji. Sariphi goes from ritual sacrifice to acting queen consort in the span of only a few volumes. The real problem? She's a human living among beastkind, hiding the secret of the part-human beast king while trying to win over the hearts and minds of people who look nothing like her. Tomofuji's series pushes boundaries, and Mackenzie from Mac Loves Manga is here to fully break them down. Mackenzie joins Shojo and Tell host Ashley to discuss the political intrigue of this series, how refreshing Sari is as a heroine, how endearing the tsundere boys Anubis and Lanteveldt are, and, as is only natural, make inevitable comparisons to Beastars and Zootopia. REFERENCES
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| Princess Jellyfish Part 2 | 25 Jul 2018 | 01:49:12 | |
Covers 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 this?! HOW DARE YOU make us doubt Kuranosuke x Tsukimi for even a minute?!) Plus, in an author’s note, Higashimura questions why Princess Jellyfish is so popular in America, so Ashley and Carrie, as Americans, provide personal (and speculative) answers. LINKS
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Comments, questions, constructive criticism, concerns? Want to tell us what made you cry? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Princess Jellyfish Part 1 (with Carrie McClain) | 11 Jul 2018 | 01:38:29 | |
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 Tsukimi otaku. LINKS
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Comments, questions, constructive criticism, concerns? Want to tell us who your favorite member of the Amars is? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| The Full-Time Wife Escapist (with Megan DeYarman) | 27 Jun 2018 | 01:01:20 | |
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 to figure out what job Mikuri should be pursuing with her psychology degree. EPISODE CHAPTER TIME CODES
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to tell us how cute you think Mikuri and Hiramasa are? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Fushigi Yugi Part 2 | 13 Jun 2018 | 01:08:14 | |
Covers 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, everybody weighs in on which of the Celestial Warriors has the best hair. LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Need to gush about your OTP? Want to tell us who you think has the best hair? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Fushigi Yugi Part 1 (with Caitlin Moore and Jess Tan) | 30 May 2018 | 01:38:11 | |
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 luck and privilege intersect? Is Genbu Kaiden the superior FY? Is love really war? LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Need to gush about your OTP? Want to tell us your favorite Celestial Warrior? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Strobe Edge (with Alyssa from Anime Intensity) | 16 May 2018 | 01:31:12 | |
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 them? Or maybe we should be Team Ninako?), and gush about Sakisaka’s simple yet gorgeous art. LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Need to gush about your OTP? Need to rant about how excited you are for Ao Haru Ride? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| We Were There Part 2 (with Nancy from Shojo Beat) | 02 May 2018 | 01:08:03 | |
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 than that!), and Ashley definitely overuses the word “poignant.” But seriously, this manga is really really poignant! LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to tell us how unfair we’ve been to Takeuchi? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| We Were There Part 1 (with Nancy from Shojo Beat) | 18 Apr 2018 | 01:00:47 | |
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. LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to tell us how much you also love Yano’s t-shirts and think Take lacks a personality? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Japan Trip 2018 Special | 05 Apr 2018 | 00:52:09 | |
We’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
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to let us know which city is better, Kyoto or Tokyo? Have a manga you really want us to get to sooner rather than later? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com, leave a comment on the episode page, or tweet us. | |||
| QQ Sweeper (with Laura from Heart of Manga) | 21 Mar 2018 | 01:02:29 | |
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 take a quiz on how to properly clean your kitchen. (Sorry. Only your kitchen will be spotless. Kyutaro is very disappointed.) LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to give us your speculations on why QQ Sweeper stopped after three volumes and has a sequel? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Codename: Sailor V (with Honey and Vixen) | 29 Jun 2023 | 01:25:10 | |
Discusses all of the manga Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi. Before there was Sailor Moon, there was Sailor V. Or... maybe? Is that how the timeline lines up? Well, anyway. We're continuing our journey with the Sailor Guardians by discussing the prequel/sequel/???? to Sailor Moon, which is all about Minako/Sailor Venus. Minako superfans Honey and Vixen explain how Usagi and Minako differ, why Sailor Venus is their favorite Sailor Guardian, and why everyone should be on Team Minako. Shojo & Tell host Ashley has to admit that Minako makes a lot more sense after reading this superhero gag manga. If you liked the silliness of the 1990s Sailor Moon anime, then you should be reading Sailor V! REFERENCES
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| Arina Tanemura One-Shots (with Loyola Rankin) | 07 Mar 2018 | 01:19:02 | |
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 favorite characters were definitely Tagosaku and the infamous Truck-kun. Also, Loyola and Ashley would like to apologize to any listeners who speak Japanese; Loyola and Ashley are definitely not good at pronouncing Japanese names and terms. LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to give us your ranking of these six short stories? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| The Key to the Kingdom (with Megan DeYarman) | 21 Feb 2018 | 01:09:59 | |
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 here. LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to gush about your OTP and favorite series? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Valentine’s Day Special | 14 Feb 2018 | 00:34:18 | |
Roses 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
Comments, questions, concerns? Want to let us know who you would ship across shojo canons? Have a suggestion on what to do for a special White Day episode? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com, leave a comment on the episode page, or tweet us. | |||
| Tokyo Tarareba Girls (with Amelia Cook) | 07 Feb 2018 | 01:41:32 | |
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 before they reach 40 will hit you hard in the feels. Also KEY SUCKS, Team Hayasaka forever! LINKS
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to gush about your OTP and favorite series? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| Millennium Snow (with Caitlin Moore) | 24 Jan 2018 | 01:24:06 | |
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
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Comments, questions, concerns? Want to gush about your OTP and favorite series? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page. | |||
| MeruPuri (with Loyola Rankin) | 10 Jan 2018 | 01:50:22 | |
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.” LINKS
SHIPPING CORNER Most popular combos (according to poll in the manga, volume 4, pg 67)
SOCIAL Comments, questions, concerns? Want to gush about your OTP and favorite series? Have suggestions for the show? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com | |||
| Maid-sama! Part 2 | 27 Dec 2017 | 01:38:46 | |
Vol 10-18 of Maid-sama! (end of the series) Asher and Ashley are back to discuss the second half of Hiro Fujiwara’s modern masterpiece about Maid Latte. As promised, the Ashes discuss Maid-sama!’s portrayal of social class and the tension between the aristocracy and the meritocracy, lament that some characters end up in problematic pairings, and gush about how cute Misaki and Usui were during the hot springs trip (and later, when they exchange scarves — too freakin’ cute!). LINKS
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| Maid-sama! Part 1 (with Asher Sofman) | 13 Dec 2017 | 01:24:52 | |
Covers: MAID-SAMA! Vol. 1-9 After doing two classic shojo series, we’re finally covering Ashley’s favorite manga of all time: Maid-sama! Yes, Ashley’s favorite manga is about working in a maid cafe. Asher and Ashley discuss how liking a manga about maids is okay (also discussed: whether this manga is actually about maids), what this battle of the sexes story has to say about gender roles, and whether Misaki Ayuzawa and Usui Takumi make a good couple. Mostly, Ashley just rants about how Misaki is the greatest. LINKS
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| Cardcaptor Sakura Part 2 | 29 Nov 2017 | 02:04:39 | |
Jess and Ashley discuss Cardcaptor Sakura vol. 7-12, plus the first volume of the new CCS: Clear Card manga! There's a debate about the merits of passive versus active heroism, Ashley likes Ruby Moon while Jess crushes on Yue, they take a very definitive Teen Vogue quiz to assess if Sakura and Syaoran are ready for their long-distance relationship, and — wait a second, there are like four student/teacher romances in this manga?! Oh, CLAMP. LINKS
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| Cardcaptor Sakura Part 1 (with Jess Tan) | 15 Nov 2017 | 01:14:16 | |
Kyahhhh! It’s time to release the first episode about one of the most iconic shojo series ever! Ashley and Jess cover volumes 1-6 of Cardcaptor Sakura and discuss who is the best character (hint: Toya, but also maybe all of them?), how CCS represents every type of love you could think of (for better or worse), and come up with an excellent marketing plan to help CLAMP’s iconic series take advantage of the collectible card genre. LINKS
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| Sailor Moon Pt. 2 (with Anne LaRose, creator of Shojo Power) | 09 May 2023 | 01:29:14 | |
This episode discusses the second half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi. We're back to talk about the Infinity, Dream, and Stars arcs of the beloved Sailor Moon series. Now that all the Sailor Guardians are here, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Anne LaRose, who runs the Shojo Power blog analyzing Sailor Moon, reveal their vastly different favorite Guardians. As a n00b to the series, Ashley wonders what is even going on with the Sailor Stars. And why there's a creepy circus. And what the heck any of these villains really want. It doesn't really matter, because the Sailor Guardians kick ass, right? And Mamoru is Sailor Earth. Right. Fangirl ChatGPT agrees. REFERENCES
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| Revolutionary Girl Utena (with Rose Bridges) | 01 Nov 2017 | 01:20:29 | |
Ashley and Rose discuss how divergent the manga and anime of Revolutionary Girl Utena are, debate whether the manga is still a deconstruction of the shoujo genre, figure out which Disney prince Utena is, and ponder whether Kill la Kill is an homage to Utena. Somehow, even though Ashley’s middle name is Rose and she was talking to someone named Rose, jokes about being the Rose Bride don’t happen. Oops? Click here for a transcript of this episode LINKS | |||
| Intro & Teaser | 26 Oct 2017 | 00:04:56 | |
A teaser of the Revolutionary Girl Utena and Cardcaptor Sakura episodes, plus some info on the format and vision of the podcast. | |||
| Sailor Moon Pt. 1 (with Anne LaRose, creator of Shojo Power) | 23 Apr 2023 | 01:28:46 | |
This episode discusses the first half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi. It's our 100th main episode(!!), so we finally suck it up and cover one of the biggest shojo series of all time: Sailor Moon. To start off, Shojo & Tell host Ashley makes a shocking confession, which Anne LaRose, who runs the site Shojo Power dedicated to analyzing Sailor Moon, takes in stride. From there, Ashley and Anne respond to listener feedback on what makes Sailor Moon so beloved, rank their favorite Sailor Guardians, share feelings about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's romance, and explore how Takeuchi's series altered the course of magical girl stories. The story arcs discussed are the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon. REFERENCES
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| Clamp School Detectives (with Asher Sofman) | 06 Apr 2023 | 01:26:59 | |
A discussion about all three volumes of CLAMP School Detectives by CLAMP. We're rounding out the unofficial Clamp School trilogy with CLAMP School Detectives, which is actually a shojo series! Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira (from Man of Many Faces) make up the elementary student council representatives at Clamp School, and they're determined to help any maiden in distress. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss how Clamp School is a dystopian totalitarian state disguising itself as a utopia, what it does or does not get right about going to prestigious schools, and how the council would react if a girl asked for help with period cramps. Ashley insists multiple times that you don't need to read volume 2 of this manga. It's superfluous! REFERENCES
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Join us next time for a discussion of the first half of Sailor Moon! | |||
| Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders (with Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #4] | 04 Mar 2023 | 00:35:26 | |
A discussion about the two-volume series Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders by CLAMP. Another two-volume shonen gag manga from CLAMP, an even sillier and shorter Shojo & Tell episode than usual. The CLAMP School Defenders Kentarou Higashikunimaru and Takeshi Shukaido are trying to protect the institution from the Imonoyama Shopping District Association. From there, an alien romance commences. Duklyon is strange, comedic, and a loving send up to tokusatsu shows. Most of this episode is just Asher and Ashley trying to say "Higashikunimaru" 10 times fast. (No, it's not. That's only part of the episode. We promise.) REFERENCES
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| Man of Many Faces by CLAMP (with Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #3] | 18 Feb 2023 | 00:56:43 | |
A discussion about the two-volume series Man of Many Faces by CLAMP. This is a two-volume gag manga about a gentleman thief who's in elementary school named Akira. He has two moms who look identical to each other. He's part of the Clamp School Detectives. He's in love with a kindergartener named Utako. It might be one of the best romantic relationships in any Clamp manga. Wait, what? Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband do their best to crack the case as to why this strange, should-be-problematic short series is actually endearing and wholesome. REFERENCES
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| Alice 19th (with Chika and Giana from Shoujo Sundae) | 30 Jan 2023 | 01:32:24 | |
This episode discusses all seven volumes of Alice 19th by Yuu Watase. Sisters Alice Seno and Mayura Seno end up falling for the same handsome boy, Kyo, and their fight for his affection threatens to destroy the whole world. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but the general gist of Watase's Alice 19th. Chika and Giana from the podcast Shoujo Sundae join Shojo and Tell host Ashley to talk about the battle between the Lotis Masters and Maram Masters, where words are turned into magical but very deadly violence. We discuss the influences of September 11, 2001, on the story, Watase's efforts at diversity and inclusion, whether we consider Alice a magical girl or not, and more. REFERENCES
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| Twinkle Stars (with Colleen from Colleen's Manga Recs) | 04 Jan 2023 | 01:05:43 | |
This episode discusses all of Twinkle Stars by Natsuki Takaya Welcome, hoejos, to the first Shojo and Tell episode of 2023, with special guest Colleen. We're here to discuss Natsuki Takaya's TWINKLE STARS, which is the only series Takaya has completed since she finished this little series called Fruits Basket. (That is, aside from Furuba spinoffs.) Prepare your tear ducts, because it dives just as hard — if not harder — into twisted family dynamics like Furuba. We answer burning listener questions like "which page made you cry the most?", marvel at the star imagery, and of course, make endless comparisons to Fruits Basket. Which Takaya series is better? You'll have to listen to find out. CONTENT WARNING: Suicide REFERENCES
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| Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (with Ellie from Religiously Nerdy) | 27 Nov 2022 | 01:18:44 | |
This episode discusses all volumes of Wotakoi by Fujita. Gather 'round, gamers, and let you freak flag fly, fujoshi: Wotakoi is the lighthearted, reassuring read all otaku need. It follows six young adults as they navigate fandom and romance, to hilarious, heartwarming effect. Ellie from the Religiously Nerdy podcast joins to discuss our three main couples, answer a slew of listener questions, and generally identify aspects that make the series so relatable. (Ashley, unfortunately, relates a bit too much to Kabakura.) REFERENCES
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| Miyuki-chan in Wonderland and The One I Love (with Asher Sofman) | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:52:48 | |
This episode discusses Miyuki-chan in Wonderland and The One I Love by Clamp A short episode to discuss two short Clamp works. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband/journey-through-all-of-Clamp-buddy Asher recognize that hentai Miyuki-chan was perhaps.... just not at all for them. And also isn't meant to be taken seriously anyway. Which is good, because neither Ash really enjoyed it. Then there's The One I Love, which feels like a strange gender experiment gone wrong. To quote Asher: It feels gender essentialist and "homework-y." The best we can say is we did our homework assignments of reading these for our Clamp 101 course. REFERENCES
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| Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san (with Asher Sofman) | 29 Oct 2022 | 00:45:55 | |
Covers all 4 volumes of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san by Honda. Ever wanted to know what it's like to work in a bookstore? Well, your friendly neighborhood bookseller, Honda-san, has some funny stories to share and will teach you about wholesalers. Oh, and Honda's a skeleton. Of course. Honda relays many hijinks at their Kin*kuniya or B**k*ff in Tokyo, particularly in regards to foreign customers. The Ashes compare the anime and the manga, talk about issues surrounding book distribution and discovery, and name their favorites among Honda's coworkers. Here's a short episode for Halloween that has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween other than everyone's portrayed in a funny costume. Anyway, enjoy our rants about Rakuten Kobo! REFERENCES
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| Marmalade Boy (with Lucy from CLAMPcast) | 27 Oct 2022 | 01:55:12 | |
Discusses all eight volumes of Marmalade Boy by Wataru Yoshizumi. Marmalade Boy is a quintessential shojo that has it all: Swingers! Step-sibling romance! Student-teacher relationships! And it does it all in a fast-paced eight volumes. In this episode, Lucy from the CLAMPcast podcast and Shojo & Tell host Ashley answer a ton of listener questions, which cover topics ranging from Marmalade Boy’s place in shojo history, our feelings about Meiko and Namura, how Miki and Yuu’s parents rank against other manga parents, what we hope for from Seven Seas’ upcoming rerelease of the manga, and much more. (Hint: We definitely hope for less sentences like “I love you, Yuu!”) REFERENCES (WIP! Full show notes TK!)
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| Absolute Boyfriend (with Asher Sofman) | 05 Oct 2022 | 01:14:56 | |
This episode discusses all six volumes of Absolute Boyfriend by Yuu Watase. The Ashes are back to do a compare and contrast between two shojo heavyweights, Yuu Watase and CLAMP. Last episode we covered Chobits even though it's a seinen series, partially because we're determined to read every CLAMP series, and partially because we knew Absolute Boyfriend appears to have taken heavy inspiration from Chobits and shojo-ified it. We talk about how Absolute Boyfriend handles sex and A.I. compared to Chobits, whether it's magical and dreamy that your boyfriend can be destroyed and have to go to the Apple Store, and are thankful that, at the very least, Riko is not a schmuck. (Although, she might be the high school female equivalent of a schmuck? You decide after hearing how she handled her love triangle between the figure, Night, and her best friend, Soshi.) REFERENCES
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| Chobits (with Asher Sofman) [Seinen Exception #2] | 11 Sep 2022 | 01:41:10 | |
This episode discusses all eight volumes of Chobits by CLAMP. We're continuing our journey through CLAMP with their most provocative, perverted, and problematic series yet: The sci-fi series Chobits, where personal computers (persocoms) take the form of cute high school girls with cat ears. Hideki, peak schmuck boy, finds a free one in the trash, and he names her Chi, and then he may or may not fall in love with her, even though she behaves like a child. Talk about awkward. Asher and Ashley have A LOT of feelings about the moral implications of the relationships between humans and persocoms that are presented by each character arc, the way artificial intelligence and computer memory is discussed, and about the handling of the sexual topics. Look. CLAMP apparently isn't saying it's okay to marry Hatsune Miku. But your love of Hatsune Miku is real love. Ashley's still waiting for the "so what?" of it all. PLEASE NOTE: This episode is marked explicit due to being unable to avoid talking about lewd topics. Knowing that, Ashley also curses more than she ever has on this podcast. Proceed with caution! REFERENCES
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| Love Com (Lovely Complex) Pt. 2 (with Loyola Rankin) | 27 Aug 2022 | 01:39:12 | |
This episode discusses volumes 9–17 of Love Com by Aya Nakahara. We're back with a walkthrough of the highs and lows of the second half of Love Com, where we no longer see height. Height means nothing when it comes to true love. (Or... does it?) Ashley and Loyola discuss the appearance of Kohori, how Otani and Risa broke up (!!) then got to back together (!!!) and slept together (!!!!) — but no not in that way, they haven't even kissed four times in a row yet (?!?!). We have one of the most heated shipping corners on this podcast so far, where Ashley insists that Haruka and Seiko are a couple and Otani and Risa might be better off just friends. In conclusion: Nobu's still the best and Risa's brother, Takato, is hot. REFERENCES
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| Love Com (Lovely Complex) Pt. 1 (with Loyola Rankin) | 24 Jul 2022 | 01:36:31 | |
Discusses volumes 1–8 of Love Com by Aya Nakahara. Ashley and Loyola are here to discuss the first half of the romantic comedy Love Com, aka Lovely Complex, which is the romcom that all other romcoms should aspire to. We gush about how cute Risa and Otani are, the impeccable comedic timing, the emotional levity that hits home, and so much more. Loyola is subjected to Ashley making her take the quizzes at the end of volume 8, to hilarious results. REFERENCES
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| The Story of Saiunkoku (with Dee of Josei Next Door) | 05 Jul 2022 | 01:23:29 | |
Discusses all 9 volumes of The Story of Saiunkoku, written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura. ASHLEY: I'm like, 'I could have been a better person if I'd read [The Story of Saiunkoku] 10 years ago.' In this episode, we're going to historical China for a semi-supernatural, extremely feminist manga adaptation of a light novel series. Dee, who makes the Josei Next Door blog and writes/edits for Anime Feminist, joins to discuss why this series never got its time in the spotlight in English like it deserves, why Shurei’s journey to fulfilling the seemingly impossible dream she has of becoming a civil servant is one of hope, and how Shurei's dad may just be the best dad in all of anime/manga, despite being a killer. We also, of course, talk about the gaggle of hot men in Shurei's life and her badass boss, Kochou. Find a full transcript of this episode here. REFERENCES
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| Flower in a Storm (with Asher Sofman) | 13 Jun 2022 | 00:42:10 | |
Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher are back to talk about the short comedic manga Flower in a Storm. While neither would say they really loved the story of rich-boy Ran going after super-strong Riko, Ashley, at least, thinks it shows lots of promise from the author, and is a funny parody of mid-2000s shojo manga tropes. But the real standouts are the two unrelated short stories that are included. REFERENCES
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| Planet Ladder (with Asher Sofman) | 03 Jun 2022 | 01:17:55 | |
Covers the entire series of Planet Ladder by Yuri Narushima. Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher discuss the wild ride that is PLANET LADDER. They're not quite sure what happened, but they both know Bambi is the best. Also, there's a giant chicken. Surely you want to know more? REFERENCES
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| Shortcake Cake Pt. 2 (with Olive St. Sauver) | 08 May 2022 | 01:27:58 | |
A discussion of volumes 7–12 (the second half) of Shortcake Cake by Suu Morishita. Ashley and Olive are back to process what the heck happened in the back half of Morishita’s series. They discuss Rei and Riku's family drama, Riku and Ten and Chiaki’s relationship (how is Riku not canonically confirmed bi??), the use of tension in Morishita's works, and much, much more. Because so much happened in these six volumes, and the reader is definitely not prepared for all of them. REFERENCES
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| Legal Drug (with Asher Sofman) | 27 Mar 2024 | 00:58:18 | |
Covers all three volumes of Legal Drug by Clamp Get ready to get high. And horny. And gay. And paid. Okay, to be honest, we're not sure what the drug is, or that it's legal, but hey, we're here to talk about it anyway. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher continue their Clamp journey with Legal Drug, which is technically complete, in the same way that QQ Sweeper is complete (which is to say: Not at all, because there's a sequel, Drug & Drop, and it's been on hiatus for forever). None of the central mysteries of Legal Drug is solved within the confines of the volumes. Well, whatever. We're all just here for Kazahaya and Rikuo being in provocative poses, right? The biggest question of the episode is: Is this queerbaiting? Get ready to hear our thoughts about Clamp's fiftymillionth JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fanfic (this one is basically the crappier version of xxxHolic). REFERENCES
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| Shortcake Cake Pt. 1 (with Olive St. Sauver) | 14 Apr 2022 | 01:14:49 | |
This episode covers volumes 1–6 of Shorkcake Cake by Suu Morishita (that's the first half). The duo that makes up Suu Morishita burst onto the English manga scene in recent years with Shorkcake Cake and A Sigh of Affection. In this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and manga reviewer Olive discuss what makes SCC a breath of fresh air, from Ten's kind frankness, to Chiaki's dorkiness, to Riku's fumbling sincerity. Then again, there's also Rei, who's been going Goblin Mode since before it was cool. Why?? REFERENCES
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| After Hours (with Asher Sofman) [Seinen Exception #1] | 10 Feb 2022 | 00:59:58 | |
We discuss all three volumes of After Hours by Yuhta Nishio. Welcome to the club. Emi knows nothing about dance music. Kei is a DJ with manic pixie dream girl energy. Emi gets sucked into Kei's world in this series that's basically a 101 lesson in EDM. "Isn't this a seinen manga?" Yes, yes it is. But Shojo & Tell host Ashley has a soft spot for these lesbian DJs, so we're covering it anyway! Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss the particular moment in music time the series is in response to, how relatable Emi's millennial struggle is, the rosy portrayal of technology and the club scene we get, and more. Let's vibe. REFERENCES
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| Takane and Hana Pt. 2 (with Kelly Quinn Chiu) | 23 Jan 2022 | 01:38:24 | |
Covers volumes 10–18 of Takane and Hana by Yuki Shiwasu (that's the second half of the series). Takane is 27. Hana is 17. They're arranged marriage partners, and they're finally read to admit that they're in love. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and librarian Kelly are back to discuss how this age-gap romance wrapped up its story with a blissfully minimal amount of squick but still a high amount of disappointment. That's what the drama was between Takane and his mom and the whole Takaba corporation? Takane and Hana have to get married right now? Hana ends up just as a housewife? But we did get something great in the end: a possible OT3 with Yukari, Kirigasaki, and Rino. REFERENCES
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| Takane and Hana Pt. 1 (with Kelly Quinn Chiu) | 17 Dec 2021 | 01:36:40 | |
Covers volumes 1–9 of Takane and Hana by Yuki Shiwasu. Hana is a perfectly average high school girl. Takane is a 26-year-old scion of a conglomerate. Together, they are arranged marriage partners (but they're definitely not dating!!). Kelly returns once again to talk about an age-gap romance — one that both she and Ashley are highly positive on. In this episode about the first half of the series, Kelly and Ashley try very, very hard to articulate how the series never (well, almost never, anyway) enters squick territory, talk about the wide cast of characters (Rino is great! Also, why is Rino here??), and discuss the funniest parts of the series. We promise, it's worth giving this hilarious contemporary a chance! REFERENCES
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