This episode discusses the second half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi.

We're back to talk about the Infinity, Dream, and Stars arcs of the beloved Sailor Moon series. Now that all the Sailor Guardians are here, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Anne LaRose, who runs the Shojo Power blog analyzing Sailor Moon, reveal their vastly different favorite Guardians. As a n00b to the series, Ashley wonders what is even going on with the Sailor Stars. And why there's a creepy circus. And what the heck any of these villains really want. It doesn't really matter, because the Sailor Guardians kick ass, right? And Mamoru is Sailor Earth. Right. Fangirl ChatGPT agrees.

REFERENCES

• Sailor Moon is available from Kodansha Comics
  • The 1992 anime is on Hulu
  • Sailor Moon Crystal is on Netflix
  • The Sailor Moon Cosmos movie is coming out in the summer of 2023
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Codename: Sailor V
  • Weathering with You
  • Your Name
  • One Piece
  • Fruits Basket
    • Anime Feminist article on queerness
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Princess Jellyfish
    • Akiko Higashimura
  • Cyborg 009
  • Princess Knight
  • Yona of the Dawn
  • A Sign of Affection
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Bleach
  • Naruto
  • Madoka Magica
  • Pretty Cure
  • Land of the Lustrous
  • Twin Star Exorcists
  • Rumiko Takahashi
• Two-Spirit people
• Lindy West
• Lord of the Flies
• Fifty Shades of Grey
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Anne runs shojopower.com
• Find Shojo Power on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode discusses the first half of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi.

It's our 100th main episode(!!), so we finally suck it up and cover one of the biggest shojo series of all time: Sailor Moon. To start off, Shojo & Tell host Ashley makes a shocking confession, which Anne LaRose, who runs the site Shojo Power dedicated to analyzing Sailor Moon, takes in stride. From there, Ashley and Anne respond to listener feedback on what makes Sailor Moon so beloved, rank their favorite Sailor Guardians, share feelings about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's romance, and explore how Takeuchi's series altered the course of magical girl stories. The story arcs discussed are the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon.

REFERENCES

• Sailor Moon is available from Kodansha Comics
  • Buy Sailor Moon from a small, family-owned manga shop called MangaMart
  • The 1992 anime is on Hulu
  • Sailor Moon Crystal is on Netflix
  • Sailor Moon Cosmos is on Netflix
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Codename: Sailor V
  • Maid-Sama!
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Saint Seiya
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Tokyo Mew Mew
  • Creamy Mami
  • Alice 19th
  • Fruits Basket
  • Nana
• American cartoons/comics mentioned:
  • Powerpuff Girls
  • Batman: The Animated Series
  • Spider-Man: The Animated Series
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • The Real Ghostbusters
  • The Incredibles
• Gen Z/Generation Alpha doesn't understand the concept of files on a desktop
• Alethea and Athena Nibley did the Eternal Editions/Naoko Takeuchi collection translations
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Anne runs shojopower.com
• Find Shojo Power on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

A discussion about all three volumes of CLAMP School Detectives by CLAMP.

We're rounding out the unofficial Clamp School trilogy with CLAMP School Detectives, which is actually a shojo series! Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira (from Man of Many Faces) make up the elementary student council representatives at Clamp School, and they're determined to help any maiden in distress. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss how Clamp School is a dystopian totalitarian state disguising itself as a utopia, what it does or does not get right about going to prestigious schools, and how the council would react if a girl asked for help with period cramps. Ashley insists multiple times that you don't need to read volume 2 of this manga. It's superfluous!

REFERENCES

• CLAMP School Detectives is available from Viz Media digitally
• Other CLAMP manga mentioned:
  • X
  • Legend of Chun Hyang
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
  • The One I Love
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • Man of Many Faces
  • Duklyon
  • Tsubasa
  • xxxHolic
  • RG Veda
  • Legal Drug
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Chobits
  • Angelic Layer
  • Wish
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Ouran High School Host Club
    • Bisco Hatori
  • Joe from Cyborg 009
  • Tai from Digimon
  • Neo Yokio
  • Danganronpa
  • Princess Jellyfish
  • Escaflowne (shonen manga version)
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
• Other books mentioned
  • Inclusify
  • The Hunger Games
    • Finnick
  • Throne of Glass
  • The Poppy War
• Chinese spy balloon
• You should probably just listen to the CLAMPcast in Wonderland episodes about this manga instead
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Join us next time for a discussion of the first half of Sailor Moon!

A discussion about the two-volume series Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders by CLAMP.

Another two-volume shonen gag manga from CLAMP, an even sillier and shorter Shojo & Tell episode than usual. The CLAMP School Defenders Kentarou Higashikunimaru and Takeshi Shukaido are trying to protect the institution from the Imonoyama Shopping District Association. From there, an alien romance commences. Duklyon is strange, comedic, and a loving send up to  tokusatsu shows. Most of this episode is just Asher and Ashley trying to say "Higashikunimaru" 10 times fast. (No, it's not. That's only part of the episode. We promise.)

REFERENCES

• Duklyon is available from Viz Media digitally
• Other CLAMP manga mentioned:
  • Man of Many Faces
  • RG Veda
  • Clamp School Detectives
  • Tsubasa
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Chobits
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • X
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Angelic Layer
  • Wish
  • Legend of Chun Hyang
  • Shirahime-Syo
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Power Rangers
  • SSSS.Gridman
  • Sailor Moon
  • Space Patrol Luluco
  • Dilandau from Escaflowne
  • Yuu Watase
• You should probably just listen to the CLAMPcast in Wonderland episode about this manga instead
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

A discussion about the two-volume series Man of Many Faces by CLAMP.

This is a two-volume gag manga about a gentleman thief who's in elementary school named Akira. He has two moms who look identical to each other. He's part of the Clamp School Detectives. He's in love with a kindergartener named Utako. It might be one of the best romantic relationships in any Clamp manga. Wait, what? Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband do their best to crack the case as to why this strange, should-be-problematic short series is actually endearing and wholesome.

REFERENCES

• Man of Many Faces is available from Viz Media digitally
• Other CLAMP manga mentioned:
  • RG Veda
  • Clamp School Detectives
  • Tsubasa
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Chobits
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Angelic Layer
  • Wish
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Bungo Stray Dogs
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • YuYu Hakusho
  • Fushigi Yuugi
  • D.N.Angel
  • Sailor Moon
• Persona 5
• Edogawa Ranpo
• Pretty Woman
• Some Like It Hot
• Buzzfeed Quiz: You Know How Old You Are Literally, But How Old Are You Mentally?
• You should probably just listen to the CLAMPcast in Wonderland episodes about this manga instead
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

This episode discusses all seven volumes of Alice 19th by Yuu Watase.

Sisters Alice Seno and Mayura Seno end up falling for the same handsome boy, Kyo, and their fight for his affection threatens to destroy the whole world. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but the general gist of Watase's Alice 19th. Chika and Giana from the podcast Shoujo Sundae join Shojo and Tell host Ashley to talk about the battle between the Lotis Masters and Maram Masters, where words are turned into magical but very deadly violence. We discuss the influences of September 11, 2001, on the story, Watase's efforts at diversity and inclusion, whether we consider Alice a magical girl or not, and more. 

REFERENCES

• Alice 19th is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
• Other Watase series mentioned:
  • Absolute Boyfriend
  • Imadoki!
  • Fushigi Yuugi
  • Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden
  • Fushigi Yuugi: Byakko Senki
  • Appare Jipangu!
  • Ceres
  • Arata
• Other anime/manga series mentioned:
  • Sailor Moon
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • InuYasha
  • Attack on Titan
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Fruits Basket
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
• Other media mentioned:
  • The Lord of the Rings (movies)
  • Atlantis (movie)
  • RRR
  • "Synchronised Sinking" by The Lucksmiths
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shoujo Sundae on Twitter: @ShoujoSundae
• Chika on Twitter: @chikasupreme
• Chika on Instagram: @chikasupreme
• Giana on Twitter: @Giana_Luna_
• Giana on Instagram: @giana_luna_
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

This episode discusses all of Twinkle Stars by Natsuki Takaya

Welcome, hoejos, to the first Shojo and Tell episode of 2023, with special guest Colleen. We're here to discuss Natsuki Takaya's TWINKLE STARS, which is the only series Takaya has completed since she finished this little series called Fruits Basket. (That is, aside from Furuba spinoffs.) Prepare your tear ducts, because it dives just as hard — if not harder — into twisted family dynamics like Furuba. We answer burning listener questions like "which page made you cry the most?", marvel at the star imagery, and of course, make endless comparisons to Fruits Basket. Which Takaya series is better? You'll have to listen to find out.

CONTENT WARNING: Suicide

REFERENCES

• Twinkle Stars is available from Yen Press
• We make frequent comparisons to Takaya's other series, Fruits Basket, which we previously covered:
  • FB episode 1
  • FB episode 2
  • FB episode 3
• Other series mentioned:
  • Kimi ni Todoke
  • Basara
  • Kodocha
  • An example of the servant/high school student dynamic: A Girl and Her Guard Dog
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Colleen on Twitter: @manga_nostalgic
• Colleen on YouTube: @ColleensMangaRecs
• Colleen on TikTok: @colleensmangarecs
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

This episode discusses all volumes of Wotakoi by Fujita.

Gather 'round, gamers, and let you freak flag fly, fujoshi: Wotakoi is the lighthearted, reassuring read all otaku need. It follows six young adults as they navigate fandom and romance, to hilarious, heartwarming effect. Ellie from the Religiously Nerdy podcast joins to discuss our three main couples, answer a slew of listener questions, and generally identify aspects that make the series so relatable. (Ashley, unfortunately, relates a bit too much to Kabakura.)

REFERENCES

• Wotakoi is available from Kodansha
  • Looking to purchase Wotakoi? Use our affiliate link at MangaMart, a family-owned manga shop
• The Wotakoi anime is available on Am*zon Pr!me (a service we do not endorse)
• Other manga mentioned:
  • Sweat and Soap
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
  • Bleach
  • Dimension W
  • Twin Star Exorcists
  • Maid-Sama!
  • A Silent Voice
  • Kill la Kill
  • My Hero Academia
  • Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
  • Sailor Moon
  • InuYasha
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
  • Angel Beats
  • Fruits Basket
• Other anime/manga podcasts mentioned:
  • Religiously Nerdy
  • Manga Mavericks
  • Shoujo Sundae
  • The Otaku Noobs Podcast
• Games mentioned:
  • Fate/Grand Order
  • Elden Ring
  • Granblue Fantasy
  • Dead by Daylight
  • Tales of the Abyss
  • Tales of Arise
  • Tales of Xillia
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Ellie on Twitter: @themuslimblerd
• Ellie on Instagram: @themuslimblerd
• Religiously Nerdy on Instagram: @religiouslynerdy
• Religious Nerdy on Twitter: @3muslimnerds
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Covers all 4 volumes of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san by Honda.

Ever wanted to know what it's like to work in a bookstore? Well, your friendly neighborhood bookseller, Honda-san, has some funny stories to share and will teach you about wholesalers. Oh, and Honda's a skeleton. Of course. Honda relays many hijinks at their Kin*kuniya or B**k*ff in Tokyo, particularly in regards to foreign customers. The Ashes compare the anime and the manga, talk about issues surrounding book distribution and discovery, and name their favorites among Honda's coworkers. Here's a short episode for Halloween that has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween other than everyone's portrayed in a funny costume. Anyway, enjoy our rants about Rakuten Kobo!

REFERENCES

• Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is available from Yen Press
• The K-Drama service we were thinking of is, ironically, Rakuten's Viki
• Manga/authors mentioned:
  • The Story of Saiunkoku
  • The Poe Clan
  • Osamu Tezuka
  • Bleach
  • My Hero Academia
  • Horimiya
• Pixiv
• Barnes and Noble's new strategy away from niche titles
• Dive deep into the confusing world of publishing sales  figures
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram
• Ashley's Tales of Xillia fanfic: Well Suited

Discusses all eight volumes of Marmalade Boy by Wataru Yoshizumi.

Marmalade Boy is a quintessential shojo that has it all: Swingers! Step-sibling romance! Student-teacher relationships! And it does it all in a fast-paced eight volumes. In this episode, Lucy from the CLAMPcast podcast and Shojo & Tell host Ashley answer a ton of listener questions, which cover topics ranging from Marmalade Boy’s place in shojo history, our feelings about Meiko and Namura, how Miki and Yuu’s parents rank against other manga parents, what we hope for from Seven Seas’ upcoming rerelease of the manga, and much more. (Hint: We definitely hope for less sentences like “I love you, Yuu!”)

REFERENCES (WIP! Full show notes TK!)

• Marmalade Boy is being rereleased by Seven Seas
• Lucy was previously on the Paradise Kiss episode
• Other manga/anime mentioned:
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • Trigun
  • Full Moon
  • Horimiya
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Pokemon (you know what Pokemon is)
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
  • Fruits Basket
  • Ouran High School Host Club
  • Peach Girl
  • Mars
  • Planet Ladder
  • Wotakoi
  • Io Sakisaka works: Ao Haru Ride, Strobe Edge, Love Me, Love Me Not
  • Moto Hagio works
  • Waiting for Spring
  • Banana Fish
  • Code Geass
  • Sailor Moon
  • A Couple of Cuckoos
  • Sword Art Online
  • Kodocha
• YA mentioned:
  • Gossip Girl
  • The Hunger Games
  • Speak
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  • The Outsiders
  • Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined
• Some academic books about shojo that are available in English:
  • International Perspectives on Shojo and Shojo Manga
  • Passionate Friendship
  • Straight from the Heart
• Smile Magazine
• The Manga Mavericks Podcast
• Psychology Today article: "The Rise of Lonely, Single Men"
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Listen to Lucy's podcast all about CLAMP manga and anime called CLAMPcast in Wonderland! It's really good.
• CLAMPcast on Twitter @CLAMPcastpod
• Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyinBookland
• Follow Lucy on TikTok @LucyinBookland
• Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram