After the disappearance of his classmate, mysterious telephone card leads Ageha Yoshina into an alternative reality called Psyren where his life is always at stake and things aren't quite as they seem... Can Ageha figure out the mystery of this death game? Can he save his friend Sakurako? And just who is the mysterious figure, Nemesis Q who's seemingly pulling the strings...?

On this week's episode, Mat is joined once again by Tsutsudae of the Undisputed Anime to discuss Psyren by Toshiaki Iwashiro. This is one title from the golden age of Weekly Shonen Jump that isn't often discussed, but with it finally getting an Anime adaptation in October, we thought now was the right time to get listeners in on the ground floor!

Join us as we talk about what works about the book, notice it's similarities to Gantz and finally land on why we think this book wasn't held to the same lofty heights of it's contemporaries in WSJ.

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Show Notes

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Gantz by Hiroya Oku

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach by Tite Kubo

Zombiepowder. by Tite Kubo

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

D. Gray-Man by Katsura Hoshino

Reborn! by Akira Amano

Mieru Hito by Toshiaki Iwashiro

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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When the quirky green haired Yotsuba and her father, Yousuke Koiwai, move in next door, the Ayase family don't know what to think. What soon become apparent to them (and us as readers) though is that this little girl is a ray of sunshine who's childlike curiosity and ability to find wonder in the most mundane of subjects is an infectious sight to look up!

This week, Mat is joined once again by AC MacDonald of Twistwood Tales to discuss Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma. We discuss the Mangaka's past hit Azumanga Daioh and how Azuma's start in Yonkoma bleeds into his long form comic work, why this series is a masterclass in character writing, and why we think this series is a home made soup for the soul!

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Show Notes

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Find the interview with Kiyohiko Azuma on Mangabrog here.

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Manga / Comics

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Azumanga Daioh by Kitohiko Azuma

Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi (listen to the previous pod here)

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson

Garfield by Jim Davis

Wash It All Away by Mitsuru Hattori (listen to the previous pod here)

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Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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In a secret ninja village, a young orphan is ostracised by the people around him for an unknown reason. Determined to prove them all wrong, this young boy fights against all odds to surpass them all and become the greatest leader the villlage has ever known. His name is Naruto Usumaki and this is his story...

This week on Manga Tak, Mat is joined by professional chef Andrea Piras to serve up the last of the big 3: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. Join us as we discuss how we both discovered the book as kids, how we feel it compares to the other titles that make up the 'big 3' before asking the ultimate question: would we recommend this book to a young reader today?

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Show Notes

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The link to the Kishimoto interview referenced during the podcast via fanverse.

Follow Andrea's Copenhagen Pop-ups!

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Manga

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Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama

Dr. Slump by Akira Toriyama

My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

Bleach by Tite Kubo

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Ghost In The Shell by Masamune Shirow

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Yan's Trilogy concludes with it's exciting (orange) third volume, so Mat and Georgie (aka Mainly.Manga) jump on the mic to talk about Chang Sheng's latest work.

Now the story's over, was it everything we hoped it would be? Was this super hero thrill ride all killer, no filler? Or did it stumble trying to keep so many plot points afloat? Listen along and find out!

Thanks again to Titan Manga for providing advanced reading copies of the book!

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Music has the power to take it's listener on a journey, and whether it's a recording of a song in an unknown language, or a scratchy bootleg from a rooftop jam session, you can find it all at Miyama Records! Sit back, relax and join us as we take a record journey of our very own!

This week, Mat is joined once again by Georgie (aka Mainly.Manga) to discuss Record Journey by Ryoichiro Kezuka. Right from the off, we dive into the strengths of this book's art and it's anthology style story set up! From there, we weigh up the books pros and cons of it's nostalgic storytelling style, before getting into a list of other music manga we'd love to see make its way into print in English!

Thanks to Titan Manga for sending advanced copies of the book for review before it's May 26th release date!

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Show Notes

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Otomachi Record by Ryoichiro Kezuka

Wandering Island by Kenji Tsuruta

Kids on the Slope by Yuki Kodama

Boku Wa Beatles by Kaiji Kawaguchi & Tetsuo Fujii

Shiori Experience by Yuko Osada & Kazuya Machida

Blue Giant by Shinichi Ishizuka

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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A man with white hair in a long, brown overcoat wanders from place to place, offering help to problems with no clear solution. His name is Ginko and he is a Mushishi: someone wise in the ways of Mushi. What are Mushi? Beings beyond our comprehension, that can only be described as life in it's purest form. They sometimes unintentionally cause harm to humans, and so Mushishi wander Japan to offer aid..

This week, Mat is joined once again by Lea to discuss Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara. Join us as we discuss the differences between the original Del Rey editions and the new hardback collectors editions from Kodansha, how the book seamlessly blends melancholic vibes with slice of life storytelling, and how the stories somehow manage to be uplifting despite their similarities to campfire horror!

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Show Notes

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God Bless The Mistaken by Nio Nakatani

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano

Suiiki by Yuki Urushibara

Wandering Island by Kenji Tsuruta

Kino's Journey by Keiichi Sigsawa and Kouhaku Kuroboshi

Girls' Last Tour by Tsukumizu

Touring After the Apocalypse by Sakae Saito

The Apothecary Diaries by Hyūganatsu

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe

Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino

The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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In the prestigious Rigarden School of magic, young wizards hone their skills with a wand, hoping one day to ascend to the world's greatest honour: becoming one of the Magia Vander - the protectors of all. But one young man, born without magical ability, is set to change that. Wielding a sword instead of a wand, young Will Serfort aims to take on the world, graduate with honours and sit beside his childhood companion, Elfaria, as part of the Magia Vander. But with no magical ability, can Will make the cut?

This week Mat is joined by Zane Reid from the Undisputed Anime podcast to talk about Wistoria: Wand and Sword by Fujino Ōmori and Toshi Aoi just in time for the anime's second season! Join us as we get into the book's obvious comparison points, it's incredible artwork and discuss at great length about how in a time of top tier fantasy manga, the world needs more B-tier books!

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Show Notes

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Mashle: Magic and Muscles by Hajime Kōmoto

Black Clover by Yūki Tabata

Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama

Witch Hat Aterlier by Kamome Shirahama

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

Black Torch by Tsuyoshi Takaki

Heart Gear by Tsuyoshi Takaki

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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