Great stories follow characters (both good and bad) as they pursue their dreams and ideals, and many of our favorite anime characters have big dreams, whether it’s simply to be the strongest there ever was, to play a sport really good, or even to become, let’s say, the king of pirates.

For this episode of the MANA (Manga Anime Netflix Adaptation) Podcast, Matt sits down with Juju Green (AKA Straw Hat Goofy) to talk about all the ways the pursuit of dreams play a role in their favorite anime, which anime dreams are played out, and why villains might actually have the best dreams. 

Timecodes for potential spoilers:

2:30 – Haikyuu

3:53 – Fire Force

5:49 – One Piece

15:00 – Dragonball

19:12 – My Hero Academia

27:12 – Chainsaw Man

30:00 – Haikyuu

The MANA Podcast is produced by Netflix and hosted by Matt Owens. Rae Votta and Josie Kavadoy are executive producers, Marvin Yueh is our senior producer and Sean Cook is our editor. Episodes were recorded earlier this year.

Before superhero movies became mainstream, you could always count on Anime series to feature some cool special powers. From shooting giant fireballs to the ability to transform into a literal Chainsaw demon, Anime characters have always thrilled us with their over the top powers.

On this episode of the MANA (Manga Anime Netflix Adaptation) Podcast, Matt geeks out with actor Mason Gooding (Scream 6, Love, Victor) about their favorite anime powers and abilities, while Mason attempts to convince the HunterxHunter hater in Matt that the nen system is good actually. 

Timecodes for potential spoilers:

6:16 – HunterxHunter

10:47 – One Piece

17:51 – Naruto

19:00 – My Hero Academia/Black Clover

20:10 – Jujutsu Kaisen/Chainsaw Man

24:08 – Naruto

29:05 – Vigilantes

32:20 – Card Captor Sakura

37:00 – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

38:24 – My Hero Academia

The MANA Podcast is produced by Netflix and hosted by Matt Owens. Rae Votta and Josie Kavadoy are executive producers, Marvin Yueh is our senior producer and Sean Cook is our editor. Episodes were recorded earlier this year (2023).

If you’re a fan of anime, then you’re probably familiar with the Japanese term Nakama, which means friend, colleague, or compatriot (but really means so much more). For many of our favorite Anime shows, Nakama is the core of our heroes’ power, allowing them to harness the power of friendship to overcome any and all obstacles.

For this episode of the MANA (Manga Anime Netflix Adaptation) Podcast, Matt invites actor Adelaide Kane (Reign, Grey’s Anatomy) to discuss Nakama in anime and how she applies the power of friendship in her real life as well as who would make up her own nakama dream team.

Timecodes for potential spoilers:

13:16 – One Piece

14:45 – Kotaru Lives Alone

16:09 – HunterxHunter

17:51 – Yu Yu Hakusho

22:19 – My Hero Academia

30:53 – Sailor Moon

32:15 – Kakegurui

36:27 – Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

37:13 – One Piece

38:07 – Shaman King

The MANA Podcast is produced by Netflix and hosted by Matt Owens. Rae Votta and Josie Kavadoy are executive producers, Marvin Yueh is our senior producer and Sean Cook is our editor. Episodes were recorded earlier this year (2023).

Shōnen is one of the most popular categories of anime. Mainly targeting young males, Shōnen stories are often the first things that come to mind when people think about anime, and are known for their tales of heroism, camaraderie, and of course dope fights.

On the first episode of the MANA (Manga Anime Netflix Adaptation) Podcast, Matt sits down with actor, and fellow lifelong fan of anime, Tony Revolori (Scream 6, Willow, Spiderman) to talk about their favorite Shōnen anime, including their favorite tropes, and Tony offers his spiciest take on which beloved Shōnen series is better, Naruto or Bleach.

Timecodes for potential spoilers:

3:45 – Bleach

7:13 – Jujutsu Kaisen

7:54 – Chainsaw Man

13:00 – Chainsaw Man

21:40 – My Hero Academia

27:12 – Bleach & Naruto

32:51 – One Piece

41:11 – One Piece

42:32 - Bleach

The MANA Podcast is produced by Netflix and hosted by Matt Owens. Rae Votta and Josie Kavadoy are executive producers, Marvin Yueh is our senior producer and Sean Cook is our editor. Episodes were recorded earlier this year (2023).

Introducing the MANA Podcast from Netflix, hosted by Matt Owens, screenwriter and co-showrunner for the upcoming live action adaptation of one piece from Netflix, and more importantly, a lifelong anime fan. On the MANA podcast, which stands for Manga Anime Netflix Adaptation, Matt invites some of his closest entertainment industry friends to chat all about their favorite anime series and tropes.

The first episode of the MANA podcast premieres on August 10, 2023, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast feed so you don’t miss an episode!

The MANA Podcast is produced by Netflix and hosted by Matt Owens. Rae Votta and Josie Kavadoy are executive producers, Marvin Yueh is our senior producer and Sean Cook is our editor. Episodes were recorded earlier this year.