Read Right to Left

Kaoru Mori is well known for her lush artwork and brilliant characters, but most of all for the beautiful love stories she crafts. For this Valentine's month, Ray and Gee take a deep-dive into the catalogue of this fantastic seinen mangaka, spotlighting their favourite couples, the perfection of simplicity, and Mori's perfect depiction of the ongoing human craving for love and connection she explores throughout time.

In this episode we talk about:

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

**TIMESTAMPS**

We're starting 2022 by deep diving into some of Shueisha and Viz's lesser know series available on their simulpub service for English-speaking territories: The Shonen Jump app!! From long-time fan favourites to hidden gems to things that were definitely cancelled for a reason, the catalogue of comics from this foundational publisher on their cutting-edge service has something for everyone to enjoy!!

In this episode we talk about:

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

**TIMESTAMPS**

(0:00) Introduction to the app

(9:05) Introduction to Ray's rating system

(11:20) One-star titles (no desire to continue)

(37:36) Two-star titles (maybe someday, but probably not)

(44:05) Three-star titles (promising but not great, will continue)

(1:26:09) Four-star titles (loved, will continue)

(2:21:49) Five-star titles (excellent, new faves)

(2:51:49) Questions

(3:24:05) Conclusion/next month's topic

Once again this December, Ray and Gee spotlight their favourite new  series for the year! From sweet shojo love stories to action-packed  sci-fi horror, and a whole breadth of honourable mentions, come listen  to our picks for the year!!

In this episode we talk about:

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

***

TIMESTAMPS:  

(0:00) Introduction  

(1:50) Honorable Mentions  

(49:28) Gee's #5 

(56:31) Ray's #5  

(1:08:03) Question: Series with Stand-Out Art  

(1:10:46) Gee's #4 

(1:27:37) Ray's #4  

(1:34:51) Question: Series with Cross-Over Appeal in Other Reader Spaces  

(1:40:00) Ray's #3 

(1:47:35) Gee's #3  

(1:58:52) Question: Authors We'd Like to See More of 

(2:01:58) Question: Series That Surprised Us  

(2:05:06) Ray's #2 

(2:18:02) Gee's #2  

(2:21:55) Question: Trends in Manga This Year 

(2:24:31) Viewer Top 5 Lists  

(2:27:36) Gee's #1 

(2:36:51) Ray's #1  

(2:56:15) Wrap-Up and Next Month's Topic  

Happy New Year, everyone!

This month, we're joined by the fabulous Ellie from Religiously Nerdy to talk about the good, the bad, and the weird of Manga About Manga. Whether it's poignant autobiographical comics like Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist Journey, the psychological oddity of Opus, or the shonen 'tournaments' of Bakuman, there are all sorts of manga featuring the creation of manga and the day-to-day of the people making our favourite media. We hope you enjoy this deep-dive into comics about comics, as we all enjoy comics!

Find Ellie on her personal Twitter and the Religiously Nerdy website and Twitter!

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

This month we've put another of our favourite creators in the spotlight: Taiyo Matsumoto! From the critically-acclaimed sports drama Ping Pong, to the quirky exploration of childhood fears and friendships in Go Go Monster, this mangaka's catalogue is as varied as it is perfected! So whether you're a long-time fan, or have never read Matsumoto's work, join us this month as we praise (and criticise!)

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

This month, join us as we explore the many genres and styles of music manga! From rock and roll, to smooth jazz, to concert piano, music has been captured and shared in manga for decades--to varying degrees of popularity and success. How exactly is an audial art captured in illustration? How important is familiarity in genre to a series' success? Which music series are our favs?

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

This month we're joined by two very special guests: Matt from Star Fruit Books, and Emuh from Glacier Bay Books, as we spotlight the small press publishers in the manga community. We talk about their exciting releases, under-represented indie artists, and the nitty-gritty realities of publishing!

Find Star Fruit Books on their website and Twitter

Find Glacier Bay Books on their website and Twitter

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Channel and Twitter

This month we look at one of Ray and Gee's favourite ongoing manga, Yona of the Dawn! Following the adventures of a young princess, her bodyguard and the four dragon warriors fated to help her, she is on a journey of growth and self-actualisation after she's ousted from the throne by her cousin. We jump in discussing both the serious moments and shenanigans that ensue, and hopefully share our love of this series with you all!

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

Sometimes you just want something short and sweet to read, without flipping through dozens upon dozens of chapters. Enough story to really sink your teeth into, but not so much it outstays its welcome! So for this month, we're spotlight manga that conclude at five volumes or fewer. From spunky Shonen Jump fare, to weighty personal dramas, join us on uncovering a few titles that you might've missed!!

Follow Ray on her channel Whimsical Pictures and Twitter

And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on Twitter

***

- Antique Bakery

- Flower of Life

- To Terra

- Astra Lost In Space

- Witch Watch

- They Were 11

- Our Dreams at Dusk

- Ping Pong

- Genkaku Picasso

- Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey

- Marginal (not available in English)

- Love Me For Who I Am

- Boys Run the Riot

- That Blue-Sky Feeling

- My Brother's Husband

- I Wanna Be Your Girl (digital only, Mangamo)

- Cross Manage (digital only, Shonen Jump)

- Maria the Virgin Witch

- Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen (digital only, Crunchyroll Manga)

- Buffalo 5 Girls (digital only, Crunchyroll Manga)

- The Ghost and the Lady

- Children of the Sea

- That Wolf-Boy is Mine

- No Vampire, No Happy Ending

- Clover

- Backstage Prince

- Yukarism

- Love in Focus

- Phantom Seer

- Gakuen Polizi

- Girl Friends

- Hana and Hina After School

- A Blissful Land

- BL Metamorphosis

- Jujutsu Kaisen 0

- GANGSTA: Cursed

- Nonnonba

- Tono Monogatari

- Glaeolia (and other Glacier Bay publications)

- Devilman

- Sunny

- The Poe Clan

- The Heart of Thomas

- Cat-Eyed Boy

- Paradise Kiss

- Gokinjo Monogatari (not available in English)

- Itoshi no Nekokke (not available in English)

- Planetes

- Skull-Face Bookseller Honda

- Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan