My Taste is Better Than Yours

We’re back to Hunter x Hunter again, and this time we’re diving into Yorknew City, where things start getting serious, Kurapika steps into the main character spot as we follow his quest for revenge, and we both disagree on whether this feels like a shonen or a seinen arc. Check it out! Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - New York City and how that relates to Yorknew 4:51 Why is Yorknew City arc beloved by fans, particularly pre-2011 anime? 9:22 Shonen vs Seinen debate 19:88 Enzo’s love for the Whale Island section - Gon and Killua pre-Yorknew 23:50 The Phantom Troupe and our feelings with what we learn in the Succession Contest arc 29:30 Togashi’s use of absence of information between character for dramatic tension 31:07 Gon and Killua’s effect on Kurapika’s morality 33:04 The anticlimax quota: no epic showdown between Kurapika and the Spiders 35:20 The other anticlimax: the Hisoka vs Chrollo showdown that never happened 36:36 Pakunoda and Nobunaga’s place in the Phantom Troupe 38:19 Was Hisoka protecting Gon as a long-term investment in his potential? 41:20 Other newly introduced characters we love: Melody and Zepile 45:38 Samu’s Recommendation: Kagurabachi (Rakuzaichi arc) by Takeru Hokozono 47:32 Enzo’s Recommendation: Jormungand by Takahashi Keitarou 50:47 Overview and final scores

This time it’s Enzo’s recommending a series for Samu - and it’s another seinen manga! Habits seem to be forming. A Distant Neighborhood by the iconic Jiro Taniguchi is a 2-volume series about a father in his forties who is transported back to his teenage years leading up to the event that still lingers within him: the night his father disappeared and left his family behind. Could this be his chance to uncover the truth of the incident or perhaps even change the future by preventing it? Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - continuing our conversation on trends in our differing tastes 5:43 Establishing ‘A Distant Neighborhood’ and our initial impressions 10:14 The premise: time travel, the human condition, a reflection of youth 12:36 Exploring the concept of reliving our teenage lives if put into this situation 17:01 The internal age-gap romance with Tomoko - is it icky or successfully explored? 21:06 Jiro Taniguchi is one of the most influential manga of all time, his realism 23:23 Why is he particularly popular in Europe? 27:07 Spoiler discussion begins 27:39 The countdown to understanding his father’s actions and their relationship 30:26 “No one ever truly becomes an adult” and “What is happiness?” 32:26 What would we do if we were in Hiroshi’s situation?? 34:07 Understanding his father and what lead to his decision and the morality behind it 43:48 Predicting our envision endings as reader to compare with the author’s vision 47:35 The ending - Samu’s theory on how he thought it was conclude 49:50 Enzo’s preference for stripped back stories, comparisons to Spirit Circle 51:25 Was it a happy ending? Stories that appeal to the head or the heart 52:41 Enzo’s Recommendation: ERASED by Kei Sanbe 56:18 Samu’s Film Recommendation: Only Yesterday (film by Isao Takahata) 57:38 Samu’s Recommendation: Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa 1:00:46 Overview and final scores

This time it’s Samu’s recommendation for Enzo - and it’s another josei manga! Double by Ayako Noda is a psychologically twisted acting series about the complicated relationship of two men in the industry, one a natural talent and the other a hard worker, with differing levels of success and the drama that unfolds from the power each has over the other. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - a josei acting manga with a complicated relationship at the core 3:52 Is Takara and Yuujin’s relationship toxic? 5:00 Another Big Bang Theory comparison 6:47 The talented natural vs the hardworking grinder 7:41 The evidence/implications of Takara potentially being autistic 12:40 Comparisons to Spacewalking With You - the 2024 Manga Taisho winner 13:58 Examining the ‘toxic’ elements of their relationship, how professionals in the industry view it 20:57 Highlighting the other side characters in the series 21:53 Touching on Enzo’s acting experience - how authentically is it depicted in Double? 26:27 Comparing the intents of Double vs Oshi no Ko 28:42 The unlikely chance of an anime adaptation 29:48 Spoiler discussion begins 30:15 The big revelation in Takara and Yuujin’s relationship - did we think it would become a plot point? 35:31 Can their relationship work going forward for them? 37:26 Hiryuuden play - behind the scenes drama of the double play 41:53 Ayako Noda’s other works under her Arai Niboshiko penname 42:47 Samu’s Recommendation: Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii by Asuka Konichi 45:14 Enzo’s Recommendation: Sakamichi no Apollon by Yuki Kodamai 48:40 Overview and final scores 51:30 Finding patterns in our taste 19 episodes in… discussion to be continued

We’re discussing a series we both read over a decade ago and have revisited for this discussion: Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano - a manga we both love, but have our feelings on this ultra-depressing tale changed or waned years later? Listen to find out. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - getting ready for depression 3:59 Our general feelings about Goodnight Punpun, apprehensive to re-experiencing the series 10:09 Does Punpun’s story resonate with men in particular? 14:05 Does it ever it ever go into torture porn territory? 17:08 Some of our other favourite characters: Shimizu, Seki, Sachi, Harumi 21:42 Why did Asano depict Punpun as a non-human and does it work? 24:19 The complications with a possible anime adaptation 27:32 Inio Asano’s shift in tone and content in his recent series since Goodnight Punpun 30:26 Spoiler discussion begins 30:38 Yuuichi’s storyline - mirroring Punpun’s journey, continuing their tragic cycle 33:49 Sachi and Aiko - did either/both of them Punpun and did he love either of them? 37:43 “Love itself is unhealthy” as the series message? 39:41 The dramatic third act and final message - was it good or bad for Punpun’s character? 46:16 Did we want to see Punpun’s face in the end? 47:52 Was “Goodnight Punpun” Sachi’s manga - was she exploiting him? 49:34 The ending mirroring the beginning - the cycle of life goes on 50:19 Samu’s Recommendation: The Flowers of Evil by Shuuzou Oshimi 54:27 Enzo’s Recommendation: The Climber by Shin-ichi Sakamoto and Yoshiro Nabeda 56:22 Overview and final scores

Hunter x Hunter is back! Let’s talk Hunter x Hunter! We kicked off with the Hunter Exam arc when we began this podcast and there’s no better time than to ride the wave than continue our task of covering the series arc-by-arc, this time continuing with the Zoldyck Family mini-arc as well as what Enzo describes as the most “shonen” arc of the entire series: Heavens Arena. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - breaking our coverage by arc 1:24 Zoldyck Family arc - our thoughts on the short anti-rescue arc 7:58 Heavens arena arc - “the ultimate training arc, the ultimate tournament arc” 9:22 Is Heavens Arena the most “shonen” arc in Hunter x Hunter? 11:29 The most fun portion of the series considering what’s to come 13:03 Dark Tournament vs Heavens Arena - which is better? 14:30 Let’s talk about nen, baby - the best power system in manga 18:18 Which nen type would we have? 21:38 Is this arc underrated by fans? 23:22 The focal characters of each arc reflects the personality of that arc 25:58 The shonen/seinen demographic balance for Hunter x Hunter’s tone 28:13 Gon and Killua’s unique role and relationship with Zushi 29:42 Gon vs Hisoka arena battle, the anime adaptation, how it stacks compared to other battle shonen 33:15 If Hisoka hadn’t been at Heavens Arena, would Gon and Killua have survived? 36:21 The anticlimax quota: the abrupt end to the traditional tournament arc 38:28 Why understanding the anticlimaxes are important 40:05 Enzo’s Recommendation: My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi 42:15 Samu’s Recommendation: My Hero Academia (U.A. Sports Festival arc) by Kohei Horikoshi 45:37 Overview and final scores

We’re continuing with recommendation mode, this time with Samu’s pick of an all-time favorite: Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga. This is tale as epic an detailed as they come, spanning over 200 years of the gender-flipped Tokugawa Shogunate as we follow the lives and trials of various rulers in an alternate-history Japan where a pandemic has wiped out majority of the male population, thrusting these women into the unlikely position of power with all the drama and court politicking that comes with it. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - 19 volumes as dense as 19 novels 1:27 Fumi Yoshinaga’s other well-regarded works: What Did You Eat Yesterday and Antique Bakery 2:47 Ooku - an epic, award-winning retelling of the Tokugawa Shogunate with a gender-flipped twist 7:04 Enzo’s first impressions after years of Samu talking about and the anime adaptation 10:15 Anime vs the manga 10:54 A feminist story unafraid to show morally grey women in position of power 12:12 A rare approach of being a story-driven chronicle of history rather than character-driven narrative 17:40 Ooku: The Inner Chambers breaks ‘The Chrysanthemum Taboo’ 20:47 Spoiler discussion begins 21:04 Did fiction and real history ever blur together at some point? 25:06 Eighth Shogun: Yoshimune - the most important ruler in the series, her daughters, and Hisamichi 30:06 Third Shogun: Iemitsu - a tragic story with Arikoto, and Lady Kasuga as the True Conservative 33:06 Fifth Shogun: Tsunayoshi - the unpopular, extravagant child of Gyokuei 35:58 Harusada, ASOIAF comparisons, other standout morally good characters 40:00 The Fourteenth Shogun: Iemochi - the kind inheritor of a failing dynasty, her relationship with Kazu 42:37 General overview of the course of the series; starting and ending with its best material 44:58 The series’ clever conceit is there to make observations about Japanese character and history 47:00 The ending - the ‘reveal’ that this could have been how history played out all along 50:47 What meaning are we supposed to take from men returning to power over women? 54:20 Samu’s Recommendation: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki 55:42 Enzo’s Recommendation: Hyouge Mono by Yamada Yoshihiro 59:00 Overview and final scores

We’re back into recommendation mode, this time with Enzo’s pick: Yugami Doesn’t Have Any Friends by Jun Sakura. It’s a series that balances a lot of things: comedy, sports, romance, coming of age, rakugo, and more - but do we agree on how well it succeeds? Listen and find out. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 4:32 Samu’s first impressions and expecting it to be set in college 6:50 Chihiro being a representative of a Japanese ideal vs Yugami standing out for the wrong reasons 10:53 Is Yugami coded as autistic or just meant to be the “nail that sticks out”? 16:16 Why did it never receive an anime - will it ever? 18:02 The balance of genres and topics: romance, baseball, rakugo 22:42 Spoiler discussion begins 22:59 A ‘romcom’ without a lot of romance - should there have been? 25:20 A series that speaks to introverts 28:44 Are we supposed to agree with Yugami’s perspective on life 30:33 Did Yugami soften as a character over time or did we just get used to him? 33:32 Yugami’s speech at the end - why it did/didn’t work for us 37:08 The epilogue scene with rakugo and how it ties to Yugami/Chihiro’s relationship 40:11 Speculating the reason why Sakura Jun never created another manga after this 44:07 Samu’s Recommendation: Sket Dance by Kenta Shinohara 46:29 Enzo’s Recommendation: My Little Monster by Robico 49:29 Overview and final scores

We’re once again sticking with the Weekly Shonen Jump, jumping to our favourite (and only) sports-drama-romcom title of the magazine, with Blue Box by Kouji Miura. An instant hit we’ve been following since the beginning and have plenty to discuss ahead of the upcoming anime adaptation. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - continuing with Weekly Shonen Jump with Samu’s favourite 4:52 Kouji Miura’s previous works and how different they are to Blue Box 7:52 Does Blue Box feel like a Weekly Shonen Jump manga? 9:09 Comparisons with Mitsuru Adashi and the 50/50 sports/romance balance 12:56 Differences between the Blue Box one shot with the serialisation 14:44 Relationship dynamics in the series 17:38 Being a sports manga fan yet not loving sports 18:47 Anticipating the anime adaptation and the possible sales boost 23:21 Blue Box's contrast from Nisekoi and We Never Learn 24:12 Spoiler discussion begins 24:20 How the love triangle turned out - Samu’s optimism and Enzo’s pessimism 25:52 Will Enzo’s experience be different re-experiencing the story knowing how it plays out? 29:03 Do we care about ‘new’ love triangle that’s developing + our predictions 31:18 Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship and the time it took 36:41 Predictions on how long the series will go on for 38:25 Enzo’s Recommendation: Baby Steps by Hikaru Katsuki 41:34 Samu’s Recommendation: 18.44- by Suika Momoko 43:00 Overview and final scores

We’re continuing with the Weekly Shonen Jump series, this time to Samu’s favourite currently running in the magazine: Akane-banashi, the rakugo drama that’s been an unexpected hit since it’s debut. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - continuing with Weekly Shonen Jump with Samu’s favourite 2:42 A success story during an era of performing arts series in Weekly Shonen Jump 5:29 Enzo’s impression: more like a sports series, rakugo, comparison to PPPPPP 9:50 Neither sport or battle series but embraces elements of both, similar to Food Wars! 10:44 The prologue first chapter and Shinta’s character 13:58 The Great Akane debate - an insert Mary Sue or a compelling main character? 22:50 The significance of a female main character for this story 27:19 Comparisons to Chihaya in Chihayafuru 30:00 The transportive rakugo world, battle shonen tropes and ‘nin’ battle system 32:33 Issho Arakawa - demystifying the villain as we understand him more 33:43 Could an anime adaptation surpass the manga? 38:33 Spoiler discussion begins 38:48 Akane and her father’s development so far 43:38 Anticipating the anime adaptation of Akane and Issho’s confrontation 44:58 Samu’s Recommendation: Act Age by Tatsuya Matsuki, Shiro Usazaki 49:04 Enzo’s Recommendation: Kabukibu by Eda Yuuri 51:18 Overview and final scores

We’ve recorded this episode in record time in order to release alongside the end of My Hero Academia’s manga, by Kohei Horikoshi. With the end of one of the giants of Weekly Shonen Jump and anime/manga in general for the past decade we’ve got a giant-sized episode discussing everything we wanted to cover about the series: its legacy, its fanbase, and our feelings on the ending while they’re still fresh. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - a series we’ve both been following for 10 years 4:34 How many words has Enzo put into covering My Hero Academia over the years? 6:28 Kohei Horikoshi’s journey in Weekly Shonen Jump towards finding success 8:52 Horikoshi’s big influence from American superhero comics and The Big 3 11:46 My Hero Academia’s infamously negative fanbase 20:12 What makes My Hero Academia stand out compared to other WSJ battle manga? 26:42 Our favourites arcs of the series 32:22 Our critiques: final saga, messy artwork, trying to resolve too much, the ending 37:21 Why we love Deku and he’s a great main character 41:00 Bakugo, Endevour, and Twice’s character arcs and their degrees of successes 47:27 Spoiler discussion begins 47:39 Deku’s father, the war arc wrapping up, the epilogue 54:41 Shipping resolution (or lack thereof) 56:02 A sequel manga - does the series need it? Do we want it? 1:01:13 Samu’s Recommendation: Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono 1:04:16 Enzo’s Recommendation: One Punch Man by ONE and Murata Yusuke 1:06:51 Overview and final scores

For the next several episodes we’re focusing on Weekly Shonen Jump, this time beginning with The Elusive Samurai by Yuusei Matsui, which is currently receiving a stellar anime adaptation - although it’s worth noting we recorded this some weeks before its release. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction and the popularity of Assasination Classroom 5:16 Yuusei Matsui at his most unrestricted after two previous WSJ hits 7:52 The artwork, panelling, meta comedy and how it fits with the time period 14:07 More style than substance 16:56 Is it spoilers to discuss the fates of historical characters + did we know the history? 20:07 Should Matsui be concerned about the sales trending downwards? 23:50 Predictions for the anime in terms of boosting its popularity 27:03 Spoiler discussion begins 27:17 Yorishige Suwa’s character - his importance in the story as the father figure + Hisoka comparisons 31:17 Akiie’s introduction to the story, taking on the similar role as Suwa 33:22 How long do we think the series has left to go? 35:19 Enzo’s Recommendation: Altair: A Record of Battles by Kotono Kato 38:44 Samu’s Recommendation: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic by Shinobu Ohtaka 40:11 Overview and final scores

This time we’re discussing a new hit in Japan, The Days of Diamond by Ohashi Hirai, a seinen baseball manga that started in 2023 and already proved to be an early success from the beginning. Now that MangaPlus are doing simultaneous translations we’re up to date and want to get as many people on board for this mature take on childrens’ baseball. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Enzo anticipating the series before Mangaplus translated it 6:34 The ‘suffering from success” storyline and the young age of the characters 8:09 An authentic presentation of Japanese children of this age 9:36 Why has The Days of Diamond become a breakout hit in Japan? 11:55 Why is it harder for sports series to become breakout hits with English audiences? 16:33 Major theme of the series: “If we can be great at something do we have an obligation to utilise it?” 20:03 Spoiler discussion begins 20:10 Jiro Ayasegawa upbringing around women as part of his character 21:35 Taiwan U12 World Championships: Ayasegawa’s projected feelings and conflict with teammates 28:40 Our feelings on Coach Namiki’s decision not to take Ayasegawa to his academy 33:39 How long do we think the series will cover in Ayasegawa’s journey? 36:05 If Ayasegawa does embrace his gift will that be something readers should celebrate? 37:14 What do we want to see from the series and the directions the series could go? 41:19 Mixed feelings on the current story arc 43:49 Enzo’s (Book) Recommendation: Searching For Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin 46:08 Enzo’s (Manga) Recommendation: Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi 47:15 Samu’s Recommendation: Big Windup (Ookiku Furikabutte) by Asa Higuchi 50:14 Overview and final scores

We’re back to recommending our favourites to one another - this time we’re discussing one of Enzo’s all-timers: Spirit Circle by Satoshi Mizukami, the story of a middle school boy (Fuuta) whose ordinary life is disrupted when a transfer student (Kouko) reveals that their fates are in fact tied between in the past, present, and future in ways that changes everything between them and the life Fuuta thought he lived up until now. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 6:34 Samu’s general impressions 7:47 Enzo’s feelings on Mizukami Satoshi and his history as a mangaka 12:56 Spirit Circle is the matured distillation of Mizukami’s previous ideas 14:45 Why did it take so long for a Mizukami manga to get an anime adaptation? 16:41 Samu’s differing opinion on Mizukami and Spirit Circle 18:53 Spoiler discussion begins 18:59 Spirit Circle main theme of reincarnation and how it’s handled 23:56 The historical settings vs the futuristic/sci-fi ideas 27:20 Other themes: Fate vs free will, burdens on young people 30:39 Our disagreement on the ideas being juvenile vs irreverent 34:41 Samu’s general dislike for end of the world scenarios 29:56 Touma’s coming out moment and the aftermath 31:33 The bedroom conversation scene - effective or overly theatrical? 34:25 The ending - the love triangle, the timeskip epilogue, divisive opinions on the resolution 37:31 Enzo’s Recommendation: Lonely Alien by Maiko Ogawa 39:41 Samu’s Recommendation: Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei 41:51 Overview and final scores

We’re back to recommending our favourites to one another - this time we’re discussing one of Samu’s all-timers: Blue Flag by KAITO, a coming of age high school story that delves into a slew of deep and meaningful themes. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 3:43 Why Samu recommended that Enzo (and you) should read it 5:53 Enzo’s general impressions of the series 8:40 Blue Flag and how it differentiates itself from its contemporary shonen romance series 9:17 (Volume 1) spoiler discussion begins 9:24 The love triangle (square) featuring queer characters 11:52 How Japanese conservatism suppresses the non-traditional topics featured in Blue Flag 14:12 Did the ending come first and the rest of the series sprung from it? 15:53 Full spoiler discussion begins 15:57 Our feelings on how the characters handled within the love triangle 20:46 Blue Flag being specifically about that final year of high school and the decisions we make 21:16 Mami Yagihara: the standout side character of the series 29:56 Touma’s coming out moment and the aftermath 31:33 The bedroom conversation scene - effective or overly theatrical? 34:25 The ending - the love triangle, the timeskip epilogue, divisive opinions on the resolution 43:29 Masumi’s ending - is it a betrayal of her character? 46:42 Samu’s Recommendation: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare by Yuuki Kamatani 47:59 Enzo’s Recommendation: Yugami Doesn’t Have Any Friends by Jun Sakura 50:33 Overview and final scores

This episode we’re thrilled to be joined by Jake Jung, a Japanese-to-English translator who has worked on various anime and manga throughout his career - Made in Abyss, Oshi no Ko, Vinland Saga, and Ya Boy Kongming! to name a few. Together we go through his own personal history in Japan as well as his career as a translator, his tastes in manga, and his insights into the world of anime/manga translation. Timestamps: 4:13 Jake’s photography and time as a tour guide 6:00 Oshi no Ko, Ya Boy Kongming!’s rap battle, and Blue Giant 7:40 Jake’s favourite manga: Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo 10:40 Jake’s guilty pleasure: Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma 12:40 Yotsuba&!, Akira, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind adaptations 15:14 Jake’s prediction for the Next Big Thing: Lazarus by Shinichiro Watanabe 18:23 Non-translated manga to keep an eye on: Bakeneko Anzu-chanby Takashi Imashiro 21:00 What’s the difference between translating anime and manga? 25:23 The usage of slang and vernacular English in translations 28:11 How much contact do translators get with the original creators? 30:18 What’s the most difficult translation you’ve worked on? 34:09 Was Vinland Saga simple to translate? 36:48 Is there an older series you’d like to give a new translation? 38:32 What is your take on AI being used increasingly alongside or in place of translators altogether? 45:18 AI Translation controversies (Rugby Rumble and The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons) 47:26 Jake’s favourite and least favourite thing about living in Japan?

This episode we forecast what we think some of the next big series will be, choosing from manga that have yet to have an anime released. Time will tell if our choices end up fruitful or missed opportunities. Please note: This episode was filmed in March 2024 before the official anime announcements of two of the series mentioned here, so any discrepancies from latest information is due to what was known at that time. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - revisiting a familiar topic 6:08 Discounting Kaijuu No.8 7:10 Enzo’s Prediction: Kindergarten Wars by You Chiba 12:26 Samu’s Prediction: Gachiakuta Kei Urana 16:05 Enzo’s Prediction: Tokyo Aliens by NAOE 20:08 Samu’s Prediction: Sakamoto Days by Yuuto Suzuki 28:28 Weekly Shonen Jump check-in: Why is RuriDragon so popular? 35:04 Is Kagurabachi a success? 37:25 Outro and summary

Please enjoy this discussion of Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzo, on ongoing seinen series that we’ve both kept up with since it’s serialisation and has received plenty of acclaim and accolades that we both agree is well deserved. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 6:08 Adult cast dealing with real life issues done well 9:54 How much longer does it have left? 12:54 Possibility of anime or live-action adaptations - studio suggestions? 16:43 Favourite characters and storylines (Mild spoilers) 19:03 Togashi’s reputation and his spot in Weekly Shounen Jump 21:33 Our thoughts on the current Weekly Shounen Jump; next generation of battle shounen; diverse vs orthodox series 21:55 The ‘love triangle’ between Hiroto/Yomogi/You 24:48 Enzo Recommendation: My Roommate is a Cat by Tsunami Minatsuki/Asu Futatsuya 27:28 Samu’s Recommendation: Koiiji: Love Glutton by Takako Shimura 30:16 Overview and current scores

Please enjoy this discussion of the first arc (Hunter exam) of Hunter x Hunter by Yoshiro Togashi, a series beloved by both of us that we’ve discussed at length before but will now embark on an arc-by-arc breakdown. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:08 Enzo’s and Samu’s histories with Hunter x Hunter; initial impressions of the Hunter Exam arc’s tone 4:53 When did we realise this was something special? (Spoilers) 9:47 Comparisons to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s First-Class Mage Exam; how does it compare? 16:37 Togashi twisting expectations and ending arcs with an anticlimax 19:03 Togashi’s reputation and his spot in Weekly Shounen Jump 21:33 Our thoughts on the current Weekly Shounen Jump; next generation of battle shounen; diverse vs orthodox series 31:15 Samu’s Recommendation: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto 32:38 Enzo Recommendation: Made in Abyss by Akihito Tsukushi 34:45 Overview and final score

This week we're discussing Pluto by Naoki Urasawa, fresh off the heels of its Netflix adaptation in late 2023. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:08 Astro Boy’s “The Greatest Robot in the World” story arc and Osamu Tezuka 2:08 Enzo’s introduction to Pluto and the history of the anime adaptation 5:11 Which is better: Anime vs Manga? 6:26 Overall impressions; Politics of the war in the Middle East; Quality of the series from the start to the finish 10:22 How does Pluto compare to other Naoki Urasawa series? 13:58 What series might Netflix “rescue” in the future? 18:29 Spoiler discussion begins 19:20 Death of the robots; mystery vs tragedy? 25:53 Anticlimactic ending 28:14 Favourite moments; Timely and timeless themes 31:15 Samu’s Recommendation: ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department by Natsume Ono 32:25 Enzo Recommendation: Atom: The Beginning by Kasahara Tetsurou 33:56 Overview and final scores

Following on from last week, this time we're covering Guardian Enzo’s all-time favourite manga - Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Ashinano Hitoshi - and Samu’s reaction to re-reading a decade later. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 4:14 Why is this Enzo’s favourite manga? 11:42 Samu’s perspective on revisiting YKK a decade later 15:25 Not enough focus on the worldbuilding/sci-fi elements in the background? 16:38 The journey, not the destination + subverting expectations 18:14 Is YKK one of the most imitated manga in anime/manga history? 20:12 Our favourite scenes/storylines 23:00 What separates this from other ‘Cute Girls Doing Cute Things’ series? 27:49 The effectiveness of the passage of time and enjoying more on reflection 29:19 Enzo Recommendation: Heavenly Delusion by Masakazu Ishiguro 32:41 Samu’s Recommendation: Kowloon Generic Romance by Jun Mayuzuki 35:57 Overview and final scores