Manga Tak

They say that if you go to the third stall from the end of the girls' bathroom on the third floor of the old building... You'll find Hanako-kun! And after knocking three times on the door, maybe Nene wishes she hadn't! After finding herself bound to the spirit of one of the school's Seven Mysteries, Nene begins to assist Hanako-kun in his job as caretaker for the spirits of Kamome Academy! 

This week, Mat is joined by illustrator and designer Irene Chin to talk about Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun by artist/writer duo AidaIro. We discuss the book's mix of shoujo aesthetics into a shonen title, what it reminds us of, and how the book compares to the anime before getting to the important question: is it worth reading? Well, listen along and find out!

Show Notes - 

Interview with AidaIro (translated by d629)

A collection of Japanese Posters from the early 1900's

A compilation of the Toilet Bound Hanako-kun Musical

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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After realising her dreams of art school aren't as close as she thought, a young Akiko Hayashi finds herself out in the sticks attending an unconventional art class, run by a bamboo sword wielding teacher who tells her she'll need to come to class everyday if she has any hope at succeeding. But Akiko realises that this seemingly brash teacher has a heart of gold, and just maybe, might be able to help her achieve her dream of becoming a Manga-ka!

On this week's Manga Tak, Mat's joined once more by Tsutsudae to discuss Akiko Higashimura's autobiographical manga, Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist Journey. We discuss the book's autobiographical nature, get in-deep into our own artistic journeys and compare the work to other similar manga like Blue Period, hoping to answer if this book is worth tracking down despite being between print runs! 

Show note links -

Find the incredible Mangasplaining episode mentioned in the intro here. 

Find the episode of Manben with Akiko Higashimura here.

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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All of humanity's waste finds its way into The Pit... even those society deems unworthy of living on The Sphere. After being convicted of a murder he didn't commit, Rudo finds himself in a place where trash monsters roam and the other humans he finds have become ruthless in order to survive. Fortunately for Rudo, he soon meets Enjin, who offers him a chance at salvation and the answers he seeks: he just needs to join The Cleaners first!

On this week's episode, Mat sits down once again with 7 time guest (!) Zane Taichou from Undisputed Anime to discuss Gachiakuta by Kei Urana. We chat about what works and doesn't about the book, how the first chapter compares to the recent anime, as well as our hopes and fears for the series moving forward!

Show Note Links

Watch 'Behind Gachiakuta' with Kei Urana and Hideyoshi Andou here.

See the Anime Expo trash sculpture here.

And one of the many Bleach references here!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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When high schooler Light Yagami discovers a mysterious “Death Note,” he dismisses it as a prank... That is until he writes a name inside and someone dies! With the death god Ryuk as his guide, Light embarks on a quest for global domination, earning the moniker “Kira” as bodies pile up. But with Interpol’s enigmatic detective “L” closing in, who will be the first to discover the other's true identity?

On this episode of Manga Tak, Mat sit's down once again with Tom to discuss one of the biggest names in Weekly Shonen Jump's history: Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. We discuss the book's tight concept, rollercoaster ride of a plot and talk a lot about the series' signature art style to determine if Death Note still holds up almost 20 years after it's initial conclusion! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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In a world where magic is everything, being born without it means death. Raised in secret by his father Regro, Mash Burnedead has trained his body to impossible limits to survive.

After being discovered by the Bureau of Magic, Mash is given a deadly ultimatum: enrol in Easton Magical Academy and earn the title of ‘Divine Visionary’, the school’s highest honour, or he and his Father will be killed!

How does a magic less boy complete in a world of wizards? Simple: BRUTE FORCE.

On this week's episode, Mat is joined once again by Bar to chat about Mashle: Muscle and Magic by Hajime Kōmoto. With the gags coming thick and fast, we take some time to pick apart the humour a little, talking about what we love about Kōmoto's storytelling and why it's Season 2 Theme Song became part of the cultural zeitgeist but left it's source material behind! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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In the picturesque resort town of Atami, a young woman named Wakana Kinme spends her days running Kinme Cleaning: a laundry service that prides itself on quality and caring for people's clothing. While Wakana clearly enjoys her work, the reason she views it so fondly is that it’s the only thing she can remember from her past. 

As she builds new memories with the residents of Atami, Wakana can't help wonder about the life she's forgotten. Is it a life worth remembering? Or are some mysteries left better off unanswered?

On this week's episode, Mat is joined by Tsutsudae from Undisputed Anime to discuss Wash It All Away by Mitsuru Hattori. The book promised to be 'something to sooth the chaos of the modern world', so we get ready to soak in some Slice-of-Life goodness! We talk plot, art and tone, as well as where we'd like the book to go in it's next volume! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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30 years after the massacre of the Yan Opera troupe, a young woman, dressed in the stage clothes of a Peking opera performer, executes an man on a live stream and claims to be the ghost of Yan Tieh-hua: the only the survivor of the murders who died in an unknown research facility 10 years ago after being framed for her family’s killing.

What follows is a tale of action and suspense, as Yan tries to find the reason for her family’s murder. She’s aided by Detective Lei, the cop who failed to prove her innocence, and Miku Higa, a Japanese Go prodigy who can see 5 minutes into the future... And that's only the beginning!

This week, Mat is joined once again by Georgie (aka Mainly.Manga) to talk about the new Manhua Yan by Chang Sheng (review copies provided by Titan). We dive headfirst into discussing the work's tantalising plot that keeps upping the stakes, reflecting on the clear cinematic and comic book influences we see in the work, before gushing about it's incredible artwork!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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38 years after World War 3 on the streets of Neo Tokyo, a biker gang led by the charismatic Shotaro Kaneda finds itself embroiled in the fate of the world after one of it’s members, Tetsuo Shima has his psychic powers awakened in an accident caused by a chance encounter with a physic child.

To save his childhood friend, Kaneda must become more than a simple street punk and enters a world filled with revolutionaries, government cover-ups and the same psychic beings that started this chain of events. All the while, the city seems to hum with the whisper of one, mysterious name: Akira.

This week, Mat and comic creator Ian Sta. Maria dive into Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary manga. Often called one of the greatest comics ever made, we explore what makes Akira so compelling—its art, pacing, and storytelling—while asking whether new readers can enjoy it on its own merits, separate from its massive cultural impact.

Show Notes:

'The Abridged Akira'

Naoki Urasawa and Hisashi Eguchi talk Otomo (Manga Brog)

Otomo interview on Akira

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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When Dr. Slump burst onto the scene in February 1980, nobody expected that a tale about a mischievous robot girl named Arale and her hapless inventor 'father' would conquer Japan. Fewer still would have guessed that it's young creator, Akira Toriyama, would go on to conquer the world!

On this special anniversary episode of Manga Tak, Mat and Tom dive into Toriyama's debut work, exploring his signature humor, the loveable collection of weirdos who inhabit Penguin Village, and why this manga still feels fresh decades later! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Living with the constant threat of werewolves, the villagers of Kasoka's only hope for survival is to send for a member of The Hunter's Guild... Only the one they got wasn't what they were expecting! When Grimm, a little girl in a red hood appears, Velou, the hamlet's young huntsman is assigned to help her track the wolf and save the town... But as they soon discover, the real threat isn't the wolves outside the gates, it's the one walking amongst them, wearing a human face! 

With the release of Yuki Kawaguchi's new work, Otr of the Flame, we decided to dust of Kawaguchi's short lived fan favourite, The Hunter's Guild: Red Hood, to see if we could uncover why the work got the axe and more importantly, does it give us hope his next work could be in for a happy ending?

Mat is joined once again by Undisputed Anime's Zane Taichou to discuss the book's artistic triumphs but also it's storytelling shortcomings. They dive into all that works and doesn't with the book, before reflecting on the merits of reading "failed" manga as a way to level up your abilities as a reader! 

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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