30 years after the massacre of the Yan Opera troupe, a young woman, dressed in the stage clothes of a Peking opera performer, executes an man on a live stream and claims to be the ghost of Yan Tieh-hua: the only the survivor of the murders who died in an unknown research facility 10 years ago after being framed for her family’s killing.

What follows is a tale of action and suspense, as Yan tries to find the reason for her family’s murder. She’s aided by Detective Lei, the cop who failed to prove her innocence, and Miku Higa, a Japanese Go prodigy who can see 5 minutes into the future... And that's only the beginning!

This week, Mat is joined once again by Georgie (aka Mainly.Manga) to talk about the new Manhua Yan by Chang Sheng (review copies provided by Titan). We dive headfirst into discussing the work's tantalising plot that keeps upping the stakes, reflecting on the clear cinematic and comic book influences we see in the work, before gushing about it's incredible artwork!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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38 years after World War 3 on the streets of Neo Tokyo, a biker gang led by the charismatic Shotaro Kaneda finds itself embroiled in the fate of the world after one of it’s members, Tetsuo Shima has his psychic powers awakened in an accident caused by a chance encounter with a physic child.

To save his childhood friend, Kaneda must become more than a simple street punk and enters a world filled with revolutionaries, government cover-ups and the same psychic beings that started this chain of events. All the while, the city seems to hum with the whisper of one, mysterious name: Akira.

This week, Mat and comic creator Ian Sta. Maria dive into Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary manga. Often called one of the greatest comics ever made, we explore what makes Akira so compelling—its art, pacing, and storytelling—while asking whether new readers can enjoy it on its own merits, separate from its massive cultural impact.

Show Notes:

'The Abridged Akira'

Naoki Urasawa and Hisashi Eguchi talk Otomo (Manga Brog)

Otomo interview on Akira

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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When Dr. Slump burst onto the scene in February 1980, nobody expected that a tale about a mischievous robot girl named Arale and her hapless inventor 'father' would conquer Japan. Fewer still would have guessed that it's young creator, Akira Toriyama, would go on to conquer the world!

On this special anniversary episode of Manga Tak, Mat and Tom dive into Toriyama's debut work, exploring his signature humor, the loveable collection of weirdos who inhabit Penguin Village, and why this manga still feels fresh decades later!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Instagram: Manga Tak Pod