Manga Tak

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but this week Mat is joined once again Tom to talk about another classic manga: The Birth of Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, published in english by Drawn and Quarterly.

Join us as we talk about the Mizuki's incredible art style, his unique way of assembling a story and how in a book all about Kitaro, it's actually a rat-man who managed to steal our hearts!

Find the NHK documentary talked about several times over the course of the pod here, and for non-British listeners, an intro to 'The Beano' here.

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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A historical manga on Heliocentrism? Really? Well don't be alarmed dear listener, because there's more to this manga than meets the eye! This week, Mat is joined by storyteller / cartoonist Ramzee, to talk about the manga by Uoto that is the basis for the NHK/Netflix anime of the same name.

Join us as we discuss this manga's seemingly unusual theme, how it uses science both as the story's engine and it's protagonist, and perhaps most shockingly of all, how you don't even need to like astronomy to get the most out of the book! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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A manga about intelligent machines replacing humans in the work force sounds like something brand new to reflect today's headlines: but what if I told you that My Name is Shingo was originally published in 1982? This week, Mat is joined by the Lord of Shojo, Georgie (aka @Mainly.Manga) to talk about a classic manga from Kazuo Umezu.

Join us as we discuss how this book played with our expectations at every turn, how young love makes you walk into walls and why you should never let two graphic designers anywhere near a book cover this beautiful

For those interested, find the interviews with Kazuo Umezu mentioned in the podcast here and here.

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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On this week's episode, we're dusting off another classic! Mat is joined by one again by Tom to talk about a seminal text of action / battle genre, Fist of the North Star. Written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara.

Join us as we talk about the book's impact on Manga as a whole, including it's influence on works like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Berserk!, how hyper is the 'hyper violence' in the book, as well as discussing great eyebrows and many manly tears...

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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On this week's episode, Mat is joined by LumRanmaYasha to talk about a triple header of firsts for the podcast: Yuri, Food and Josei, with She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki.

Join us as we talk through the books representation of identity, how food is the perfect engine for emotional storytelling, not to mention how joyful it can be to see two people just chow down!  

(Sorry again about the audio hick-ups folks - it won't happen again!)

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Want to hear all about the Manga behind the hottest new Anime of the Fall 2024 line up? Well, look no further! Mat is joined by the hosts of The Undisputed Anime Podcast, ZaneTaichou AND TsuTsuDae to talk about one of our favourite current Manga titles, Dan Da Dan!

Join us as we talk about the book's impact, how it blends incredible art and humour to tackle difficult subjects, not to mention getting into the weeds on how we view different creators and their creations...

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

Find us on:
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Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

Find us on:
X: Manga Tak Pod
Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod
Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

Just in time for the launch of the new anime reboot from Mappa, Mat is joined once again by AC (aka @ProdTally) to talk about another of Rumiko Takahashi's works: this time it's the undisputed classic, Ranma 1/2!

Join us as we talk through Ranma's cultural context and history, both in Japan and as one the trail blazing first manga to crack the Western market, how it differs from Urusei Yatsura, and more importantly, why it's such a beloved work the world over!  

Warning: Light Spoilers on the Manga's end from 37:24 - 38:60

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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On this week's episode, Mat is joined by Christophe Galati to discuss Hayao Miyazaki's epic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Originally published in the pages of Japan’s premier otaku magazine, Animage, Nausicaa is Miyazaki’s Manga Magnum opus. 

Like his movie of the same name, Nausicaa is the story of the titular princess from a small kingdom, who finds herself thrown into a war fought between rival nations over an ancient weapon. 

Set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic earth, Nausicaa is a tale that touches upon man's relationship with nature, the ecological impact of industry and the horrors of war.

Join us as we discuss it's huge impact on Japanese pop culture, how the work ripples through all of Miyazaki's work and why it's always good to support local manga stores!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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On this week's episode, Mat is joined by Bar (aka InkByBar) to discuss Kodansha's epic football / soccer manga, Blue Lock.

First published in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine back in 2018, Blue Lock, written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and drawn by Yusuke Nomura, is a Football Battle Royale mange in which to craft the world’s best striker, 300 Japanese high schoolers are asked to join the Blue Lock program in the hopes of producing the next top striker to help Japan win the World Cup.

It’s an insane premise, but one Yoichi Isagi gladly signs up for. However, he quickly learns that life in Blue Lock isn’t at all like the football he’s been playing all his life, and that to live up to the expectations of the new Japanese coach, Jinpachi Ego, he will have to relearn the game and what it means to be a striker.

Join us as we discuss sports manga in general, the amazing character design and above all else, if we think this book is worth picking up! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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On this episode of Manga Tak, Mat is joined by Nick (aka RetroBreak) to discuss Insomniacs After School by Makoto Ojiro.

First published by Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirit, Insomniacs After School is a seinen manga by Makoto Ojiro. It's the story of Ganta Makami, an insomniac high school student who struggles socially thanks to his constant state of tiredness. 

His life changes one day when he stumbles across Isaki Magari, a fellow student and insomniac, napping in the school's abandoned (and supposedly haunted) observatory, and the two form an unlikely friendship because of their affliction.

It all goes smoothly until one day a teacher discovers they're using the observatory without permission, forcing Ganta and Isaki to restart the school's astronomy club to stay in their sleepy sanctuary. 

Join us as discuss how Nick found out about this book, how we feel about it and more importantly, would we recommend you to pick it up for yourself!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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