In this second part of the Arrancar arc discussion we get into the Turn Back the Pendulum and Fake Karakura Town sections of the story, filled with: more backstory and more fights than ever before. Find out where this stacks up compared to Soul Society in our estimations.

Timecodes:

0:00 Re-introduction - second half of the Arrancar arc

0:32 Turn Back the Pendulum sub-arc - a flashback to break up the action

5:05 Aizen vs Urahara as the central conflict of the Arrancar arc (and the series)

8:02 The morality of Soul Society, The Maggot’s Nest, and Mayuri’s ‘crimes’

11:83 Death as a core theme of the series and an unforgiving afterlife

13:21 Kubo at his most details with backstories and character connections

16:00 Turn Back the Pendulum ratings

17:24 Fake Karakura Town arc - a Bleach fan’s dream, a Bleach hater’s nightmare

23:03 The fights are conversations

28:40 Standout fights worth shouting out

39:00 Ichigo vs Ulquiorra - comparing Ichigo to Kenshin

42:13 Gin and Rangiku’s history and Gin’s betrayal of Aizen

46:35 Kubo doesn’t seem like a writer who regrets his choices

48:58 Ichigo vs Aizen final fight, Urahara’s involvement, hint of the Soul King

57:31 The resolution of Ichigo losing his powers - could the series have ended here?

1:00:15 Explaining Toshiro Hitsugaya’s massive popularity

1:03:56 Fake Karakura Town ratings

1:05:18 Samu’s recommendation: Rurouni Kenshin (Kyoto arc) byNobuhiro Watsuki

1:06:22 Enzo’s recommendation: Yu Yu Hakusho by Togashi Yoshihiro

1:10:21 Final overview + rating

Enzo’s journey with Bleach continues, this time finally stepping into possibly the longest arc in shonen manga (or manga in general?). We’ve split this giant arc into two episodes, this first one covering everything including the Arrancar Invasion up to the end of Hueco Mundo.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - first of two episodes on the massive Arrancar arc

1:25 Is this the longest arc in all of manga?

2:57 Arrancar Invasion sub-arc - introducing the Arrancars and the Vizards

6:44 An even-paced arc with intention - is Kubo still an architect?

10:17 Early hints: Shinji in chapter 1, arrancars in the first arc

11:23 Kubos’ use of other languages, other cultures, and stylistic aesthetic

13:50 Grand Fisher and the reveal with Isshin Kurosaki

16:48 The Vizards - an eclectic group, our favourites?

23:03 Ichigo’s training, his hollow identity (White) - self-acceptance as a key theme in Bleach

29:19 Orihime’s importance in this arc, another damsel in distress, her relationship and powers

39:50 Arrancar Invasion ratings

41:53 Hueco Mundo sub-arc begins - a featureless white desert!

43:42 Bleach and Kubo’s minimalism, a series with no “fluff”

49:43 Bleach’s lack of an omniscient narrator

50:53 What popular kaijuu series is the most opposite of Bleach in style?

52:48 Is Hueco Mundo a lazy copy of Soul Society or an intentional reimagining?

56:15 The Espada - standout characters, the aspects of death

1:05:05 Rukia vs Aaroniero as a standout fight in Hueco Mundo

1:06:26 Mayuri vs Szayel - his speech on perfection, Kubo’s freedom with him

1:10:30 Enzo’s highlights: Nel’s reveal, Cirucci’s poem

1:13:10 Hueco Mundo ratings - end of Part 1 of this discussion

We come to the end of the main Rurouni Kenshin series, the yet-to-be-properly-animated: Jinchu. Is this a case of the best arc saved for last? Does it serve as a fitting conclusion for the series? Will Enzo throw in another Kaijuu wall? Stay tuned to find out.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - the final arc of the main series that never got its anime adaptation

3:05 Jinchu being an opposite arc to Kyoto by comparison

8:03 Watsuki’s self-depricating author comments

11:49 Rurouni Kenshin as a archetypical battle shonen and the WSJ family tree

22:02 The series feeling off the time it’s set

25:29 Enishi as a villain and the remembrances flashback

31:31 Historical context for the era of the end of the swordsman + Yahiko’s arc

39:18 Characters returning and side stories - disappointment in Sannosuke’s

42:47 Enishi as a villain and the reflection on Watsuki

51:21 Kaoru’s “death” - does the fakeout ruin this emotional moment?

57:30 Final battle with Kenshin vs Enishi - does this live up to the fight with Shishio?

1:04:47 The epilogue - the true ending, is it satisfying?

1:07:32 Enzo’s Recommendation: Peace Maker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono

1:10:03 Samu’s Recommendation: Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana

1:11:29 Overview and final scores

1:15:12 Bonus: The Kaijuu Wall

It’s the first series review of 2026 and it’s one Samu and Enzo had a similar introduction to with an excellent anime adaptation and decided to venture into the manga post-anime. A shoujo romance fantasy that takes unexpected turns the longer it goes on, but how much of it do we agree on?

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - our first experiences with Snow White with the Red Hair

9:44 Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship

13:31 Other significant side characters in the series: Obi, Ryu, Izana, Mitsuhide, Raji, Hisame, Garack

22:32 Spoiler discussion begins

22:38 Too many characters and too many side quests where the main cast is split up

25:37 Did Akizuki Sorata learn to like Shirayuki/Obi more than Shirayuki/Zen?

28:08 Is the anime the definitive version of the series?

29:23 Comparison to Hunter x Hunter with splitting up the cast and pairing them up

31:16 It’s actually a slice of life series

33:58 Later side-quest arcs: Lilias arc, Bergatt arc, Shinsu arc

37:45 Zen needing a narrative shift to allowed to be more proactive

39:49 Kiki and Hisame

43:43 Samu’s Recommendation: The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga (manga by Erika Ikeda)

47:11 Enzo’s Recommendation: The World is Still Beautiful by Dai Shina

52:33 Overview and final scores

With the start of a new year we thought it best to highlight some of our favourite ongoing manga that deserve more love. We’ve put together a list of ten series we think are worth checking out in hopes that they can blow up, which perfectly summarise our tastes.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - shouting out manga we love that deserve more love

2:04 Kemutai Hanashi by Fumiya Hanashi

5:47 Starting Today We Are Childhood Friends by Midori Obiya

10:19 My Oh My, Atami-kun by Asa Tanuma

17:32 They Are Still Being Shaken This Morning by Eiji Masuda

24:42 Here And There And Us (And Then And After) by Thanat

29:32 Go With the Clouds North by Northwest by Aki Irie

37:44 Dig It by Yoshidamaru

44:01 The Great Villain Boy by Koume Fujichika

52:36 Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda

1:01:05 Touge Oni: Primal Gods in Ancient Times by Kenji Tsurubuchi

1:10:37 Extra mention: Double by Ayako Noda

1:11:09 Overview of our picks

What better way to kick off the year than by revisiting our favourite topic: What’s the next big thing in anime/manga? In this episode we revisit our picks from 2024 and go through our new ones for 2026.

Timecodes:

0:00 Revisiting the topic: The Next Big Thing

3:25 Enzo’s #2 pick: Phantom Busters by Neoshoco

11:01 Samu’s #2 pick: Gokurakugai by Uto Sano

19:07 Checking in our preview picks for The Next Big Thing 

19:21 Sakamoto Days and Gachiakuta - both had anime, neither became mega hits

24:45 Tokyo Aliens and Kindergarten Wars - neither have had anime yet

29:16 Spy X Family vs Chainsaw Man - which won in the long run and which do we prefer?

36:33 Apothecary Diaries vs Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End tight race as the current top hits

38:46 Refresher on the Enzo’s “Kaijuu” term

39:59 The Kaijuu Wall

55:04 Samu’s #1 pick: Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono

59:18 Enzo’s #1 pick: Ichi the Witch by Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki

1:09:20 The Next (Next) Big Thing predictions for further in the future

Just like last year, we’re ending 2025 with a ‘best of’ episode, going through various categories to shout-out as many titles that we think deserve recognition and added to your recommendations if you aren’t already familiar. Happy new year!

Timecodes:

0:00 - Introduction to rules, carrying on from last year

1:14 Best new manga published in 2025

5:13 Best manga that finished in 2025

10:19 Best ongoing manga of 2025

13:53 Best manga we discovered in 2025

18:08 Best one-shots of the year

20:04 Up-and-comer manga to keep and eye on

23:10 Underappreciated gem of 2025

27:30 A newcomer mangaka to look out for

30:42 Best character of 2025

37:27 Best artwork of 2025

42:07 Biggest trend for manga in 2025

47:53 Which manga got the best adaptation in 2025

50:15 Our most anticipated manga to anime adaptation for 2026

53:58 Predictions for likely anime adaptations announced in 2026

57:10 The manga we think our counterpart should read

1:16:19 Wrap-up and reflecting on starting the podcast this year

We’re covering Dandadan by Yukinobu Tatsu this week - a series both of us have followed since the manga’s debut. Our opinions might go against the mass opinion right now, as the series has reached new audience with its impressive anime adaptation. Check it out to see what we really think of the series, its origins, and its many characters.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - the kitchen sink action series we’ve read since the beginning

4:04 Tatsuki Fujimoto and his many successful assistants

11:19 Manga vs anime adaptation

17:34 Momo’s character and her objectified depiction

21:10 Golden Kamuy Effect - side characters that feel like main characters + our favourites

31:35 Spoiler discussion begins

31:44 Our problems with the manga’s repetitiveness and the current amnesia arc

40:20 How long do we think the series will go on for?

42:38 Enzo’s Recommendation: Bug Ego by ONE and Shitara Kiyoto

45:24 Samu’s Recommendation: Fire Punch by Tatsuki Fujimoto

49:48 Overview and final scores

We’re finally tackling a series close to Enzo’s own heart: The Dangers in My Heart by Norio Sakurai - a junior high rom-com and coming-of-age story of an introverted boy with sinister thoughts and the extraverted and most popular girl in the class; an unlikely but adorable pairing which has gotten even more popular thanks to well-received anime adaptation.. It’s finally time to get into it and see just how much we differ in our takes.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - finally covering one of Enzo’s favourite titles

7:40 An unvarnished depiction of puberty

10:00 Kyoutarou as a romcom protagonist: chuuni, twisted, introverted

16:32 Anna and her role in the story: seemingly ditzy girl who is in on the joke, depictions of her sexuality

21:20 Anime vs manga comparisons

23:15 Supporting cast shout-outs: Moeko, Kana, Adachi, Kenta, Honoka, Hanzawa, Yukina

30:00 Spoiler discussion begins

30:32 Pre-relationship and post-relationship - comparing our feelings on both 

34:25 Kyoutarou’s strong relationships with other girls in the series

40:15 Moeko’s character, her relationship with Kyoutarou and getting her own boyfriend

47:52 Our favourite moments of the series so far

54:08 The absence of Kyoutarou’s parents in the narrative

55:44 The sexualisation of Anna throughout the series and depiction of their physical relationship

1:10:58 High school entrance exams - how long will the series last + the anime adaptation?

1:17:28 Enzo’s Recommendation: Mysterious Girlfriend X by Ueshiba Riichi

1:19:18 Samu’s Recommendation: My Perverted Youth by Hata Takashi

1:21:03 Overview and final scores

It’s the final serialisation round of the year for Weekly Shonen Jump, with three new series joining the party - Gonron Egg, The Mage Next Door, and Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call it Quits. We think this batch has some potential for commercial success, and a couple of entries that seem to be trying to expand beyond the usual Jump formula.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - our special guest this episode: Princess Usagi

2:25 Check-in on the previous serialisation round: Jujujutsu Kaisen Modulo

11:31 Series that ended: Kaedegami, Ekiden Bros, Ping-Pong Peril

15:48 Gonron Egg by Shuuhei Tanizaki

26:44 The Mage Next Door by Hideyaki Nabe

40:50 Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call it Quits by Hatsubina Matsuri

49:04 Prediction future hits and what will leave the magazine next

50:51 Our top 5 currently running series in Weekly Shonen Jump this year