Queering the Guillotine

It’s our first boys’ love episode! Specifically, we’re discussing two works by the mangaka Syundei. This week we share our queerpinions on:

Valid and invalid criticisms of yaoi as a genre

Go For It, Nakamura!

Sea creatures as metaphors for the queer experience

Gay love stories with and sans trauma

Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart

Exploitative handling of serious subject matter

Content warning: We’re a fairly NSFW podcast and this episode includes use of reclaimed homophobic slurs. This episode in particular includes discussion of a manga which contains sexual abuse, particularly that of a child by an adult. It is impossible to discuss this manga without discussing the abuse used in the story and while we do not graphically describe any scenes in particular, those wanting to avoid discussion of this kind of topic should stop listening around 32:19. We very clearly note when we are transitioning from discussing one manga to the one in question and say when to head out, but we wanted to post a timestamp here as well. As usual, we also spoil the hell out of both books discussed.

Pokémon creatures!!!

This week, the topic is Detective Pikachu! We share our queerpinions on:

Our introductions into the world of Pokémon.

Whether or not Mewtwo was represented as the thicc legend they are.

Pokémon as fateful representations of our trauma.

The movie’s troubling politics surrounding people who use wheelchairs.

Tuning out Ryan Reynolds’ voice while tearing up in awe of real Pokémon on screen!

Content warning: We’re a fairly NSFW podcast and this episode includes use of reclaimed homophobic slurs. As with our Naruto episode, this podcast is full of spoilers!

We’re here, we’re queer for Kakashi, get used to it.

It’s our debut episode, and the topic this week is Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto. We share our queerpinions on:

Naruto in general

Hinata and Neji’s clan politics

Gaara as Cool™ and subversion of Cool™

Sakura’s character arc or lack thereof

Haku, Zabuza, and the Land of Waves arc

Might Guy and Rock Lee’s hair

Jiraiya as Diet Mineta

Weird, wild, and wonderful frogs and slugs

Whether or not Naruto passes the Bechdel Test, and if so, with what score

Content warning: We’re a fairly NSFW podcast and this episode includes use of reclaimed homophobic slurs. Plot-wise we don’t dive too deeply into much after the Pain arc, but we still spoil the hell out of early-to-mid Naruto.