We're starting 2022 by deep diving into some of Shueisha and Viz's lesser know series available on their simulpub service for English-speaking territories: The Shonen Jump app!! From long-time fan favourites to hidden gems to things that were definitely cancelled for a reason, the catalogue of comics from this foundational publisher on their cutting-edge service has something for everyone to enjoy!! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of...

Once again this December, Ray and Gee spotlight their favourite new  series for the year! From sweet shojo love stories to action-packed  sci-fi horror, and a whole breadth of honourable mentions, come listen  to our picks for the year!! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

This month, we're joined by the fabulous Ellie from Religiously Nerdy to talk about the good, the bad, and the weird of Manga About Manga. Whether it's poignant autobiographical comics like Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist Journey, the psychological oddity of Opus, or the shonen 'tournaments' of Bakuman, there are all sorts of manga featuring the creation of manga and the day-to-day of the people making our favourite media. We hope you enjoy this deep-dive into comics about comics, as we all...

This month Ray and Gee are joined by the wonderful LumRanmaYasha to talk Fruits Basket!!! From talking about the themes of cycles of abuse, to deep diving into our favourite characters, come join us in our discussion of one of the classic 90s shojo. lumranmayasha website: https://bit.ly/3bvxfyb twitter: https://bit.ly/3juapse podcast: https://bit.ly/3jv9tyg * Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube...

This month we've put another of our favourite creators in the spotlight: Taiyo Matsumoto! From the critically-acclaimed sports drama Ping Pong, to the quirky exploration of childhood fears and friendships in Go Go Monster, this mangaka's catalogue is as varied as it is perfected! So whether you're a long-time fan, or have never read Matsumoto's work, join us this month as we praise (and criticise!) Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me,...

This month, join us as we explore the many genres and styles of music manga! From rock and roll, to smooth jazz, to concert piano, music has been captured and shared in manga for decades--to varying degrees of popularity and success. How exactly is an audial art captured in illustration? How important is familiarity in genre to a series' success? Which music series are our favs? Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to...

This month we're joined by two very special guests: Matt from Star Fruit Books, and Emuh from Glacier Bay Books, as we spotlight the small press publishers in the manga community. We talk about their exciting releases, under-represented indie artists, and the nitty-gritty realities of publishing! Find Star Fruit Books on their website and Twitter Find Glacier Bay Books on their website and Twitter Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of...

This month we look at one of Ray and Gee's favourite ongoing manga, Yona of the Dawn! Following the adventures of a young princess, her bodyguard and the four dragon warriors fated to help her, she is on a journey of growth and self-actualisation after she's ousted from the throne by her cousin. We jump in discussing both the serious moments and shenanigans that ensue, and hopefully share our love of this series with you all! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if...

Sometimes you just want something short and sweet to read, without flipping through dozens upon dozens of chapters. Enough story to really sink your teeth into, but not so much it outstays its welcome! So for this month, we're spotlight manga that conclude at five volumes or fewer. From spunky Shonen Jump fare, to weighty personal dramas, join us on uncovering a few titles that you might've missed!! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of...

April is for fools, so be sure to join Gee and Ray for this episode as we talk about the huge range of comedy manga! From gag series to 4-panel, sitcoms and the bizarre, humor can come in all types---but some is definitely more effective than others! Are poop jokes the peak of comedy, or overly crass? Just how many times can the same joke be told before it's dead?? We talk about series new and old, popular and forgotten, whilst answering all your questions!! Follow Ray on her channel...

This month we're spotlighting Gee's favourite mangaka: Fumi Yoshinaga!! From her humble beginnings as a BL artist, to the critically acclaimed Ooku: The Inner Chambers, All My Darling Daughters and What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Yoshinaga has spent her career writing beautifully imperfect characters, struggling, surviving and thriving in their lives. With her adoration of food, love of historical settings, and biting wit, there's a lot to love with her work. So join us as we discuss the many,...

February is here, and Ray and I are talking about the josei demographic! We're answering your questions about manga for women, and the many amazing series we've gotten in English over the years. From Princess Jellyfish to Haru's Curse, come discover your favourite new series about women being women (and everything that entails!!) Series mentioned in this episode: Princess Jellyfish, Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey, Haru's Curse, My Broken Mariko, Ooku, My...

Phosphophyllite is a little ditzy and direct, and wants nothing more to fight against the violent Lunarians who come to Earth to capture them and their friends. Unfortunately, Phos isn't that tough, literally, and can shatter under a strong breeze if not careful. So, under the direction of ever-calm Kongo-sensei, Phos starts writing a natural history of the land, which quickly steers them off course into learning the vast secrets of life for the Lustrous, and the truth behind the never-ending...

There were just SO many exciting new books to talk about this year, so  we've put together just a few of our favourites that didn't quite make  the list. All of these are still wonderful and worth the read!   In this podcast we talk about: Blue Flag Perfect World  -  read AnimeFeminist's article on the series' handling of disability here A Sign of Affection Cherry Magic! 30 Years of Virginity Makes You a Wizard?! Liquor & Cigarettes The Conditions of Paradise Our Teachers Are...

It's the end of the year, so that means Ray and I can spotlight some of our favorite new series from the past year!! From an exciting amount of romance manga, to the creepy horror of inhuman monsters, how many of our standout series did you read this year? In this podcast we talk about: Given My Dress-up Darling My Androgynous Boyfriend Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku SpyxFamily Heterogenia Linguistico Sweat and Soap Ping Pong Not Your Idol The Rose of Versailles Follow Ray...

November is the month of giving thanks and eating food (and unfortunate  rewriting of Native American history), so for this episode we're doing  another creator spotlight: Natsume Ono!! How will her European aesthetic and love of baked goods translate on the page? And how many of her  titles have YOU read in English?   In this podcast we talk about: Ristorante Paradiso Gente La Quinta Camera House of Five Leaves Not Simple ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. Follow Ray on her channel...

It's October yet again, so this month Ray and I will be covering the weird and wonderful world of horror manga!! From the popular to the niche, we talk about how much horror manga available in English, the history of the manga genre in Japan and some of the most influential titles. From the terrifying classic The Drifting Classroom, to the ever-expanding Higurashi: When They Cry franchise, be sure to give some of these spooky books a try 🎃 Buy a BUNCH of Kodansha's spookiest books on Humble...

This month Ray and I will be talking about the wonderful mangaka Yuhki  Kamatani, and their titles; both those available in English, and  Japanese only. Whether its the fast-paced action of Nabari no Ou, the  captivating care of growing up in Shonen Note, or the brilliantly  nuanced and inclusive LGBT series Our Dreams at Dusk, Kamatani's works  have capture people's attention in Japan and overseas for longer than  many may realise! Let us know your thoughts on this brilliant creator!! Read...

This month we're talking about manga that is released as a single  volume! Including, but not limited to, short story collections,  anthologies, and one-and-done narratives. Why are these books brought to English, and how well do they do? Are short books able to rival their longer counterparts?  Hear our thoughts! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

Summer means sports---and it was supposed to mean the start of the Tokyo  2020 Olympics! Fortunately, whilst real-life athletic events have had  to be put on hold, we can still dive into the passionate world of sports  manga. From the recent flux of shonen heavy-hitters, to the original  post-war classics, this fun and diverse genre only seems to grow in  popularity! Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on...

This month we're celebrating Pride Month by talking about the wide breadth of LGBT manga available in English and otherwise, and how the genre has diversified over time. Also, in support of the current protests and BLM efforts, please consider supporting some of these important causes: • Community bail fund directory • list of petitions to sign to reopen dropped cases • Sylvia Rivera Law Project for low income immigrants and poc • Resources for Human Development Morris Home Project...

This month we're spotlighting the new-to-print drama Blue Flag! We talk about the good and bad, answer your questions and hopefully encourage YOU to try it. (Please note there are series spoilers after the 25 minute mark) Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

This month we're spotlighting the recently-completed drama-thriller-romance Devils' Line! We talk about our favorite characters, the effectiveness of the themes, and why YOU should read it. CW: pedophilia, rape/sexual assault, gore, child grooming, human experimentation, light BDSM, light body horror, emotional abuse, manipulation, domestic terrorism Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

Whilst the entire world stays inside this month, we're talking about the amazing women of the Year 24 Group!! From Hagio to Aoike, we talk about the incredible impact these mangaka have had on the manga industry  and a few of their titles available in English & in Japanese. Let us know if you're reading any of these titles. Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

Welcome to part two of this love extravaganza!! This month is a time for love, so our topic reflects that with romance manga!! We were also super excited to have two very special guests and relative experts on the topic: MommaLuvsManga and ShaeGeeksOut!! Listen to all the ups and downs of fictional romances (and the manga that feature them) in this special Valentine's Day podcast!!❤ Follow our guests on their social media!! Aisha at MommaLuvsManga on Youtube, Twitter & Instagram Shae at...