My Taste is Better Than Yours

We have a sports-heavy four serialisation round for Weekly Shonen Jump that’s just happened so take a listen to hear our takes on what gives us most optimism between baseball, long distance running, ping pong, and… demon hunting? A unique batch in many ways, with some potential chances of success among them. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction - a four serialisation round, with three sports titles 1:59 C...

With the anime coming next week, we decided to discuss the manga of Gachiakuta by Kei Urana - one that we’ve both been reading since it was first released. In this episode we get into inspirations for its cool factor, our highlights so far, predictions for the series’ future, and whether we think the anime will manage to reach the wider audience we expected it to by this point already. Timecodes:...

We’ve reached the last complete arc of Hunter x Hunter : the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc - a political thriller that picks up directly in the aftermath of the chimera ant threat. Gon is out of commission and this time Leorio and Killua get the focus split between the political and the thriller. We managed to talk the longest about one of the shortest arcs in the series, so check out to see i...

It’s a double bill this time as we delve into the two pillars of Mitsuru Adachi’s iconic career: Touch and Cross Game (with a bit of Mix in the mix). These two series represent a bookend (more on less) on Adachi's catalog, and are the product of a writer at two very different stages of his life and career. Do you prefer a young and vibrant wine that practically jumps out of the glass, or a mature...

We’re bringing back the JUMPing to Conclusions format, where we check-in on the new Weekly Shonen Jump serialisations ( Nice Prison and Otr of the Flame) to give our initial impressions and give our predictions on their chances of survival in the roster, while also doing a check-in on what else has left us (Astro Royale) and how we’re feeling of the magazine as of late. If you’re curious for a new...

Continuing on our arc-by-arc breakdowns of our personal favourite battle shonen, we’re onto Samu’s all-timer: Bleach by Tite Kubo. Much like with Rurouni Kenshin we’re focusing on the first arc (Agent of the Shinigami) for this episode. Check it out to get a glimpse into Enzo’s first proper experience with any of the Big 3! Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Samu’s journey with his favourite manga 6:...

We’ve decided to take on two more of our personal favourite Weekly Shonen Jump series through arc-by-arc breakdowns, similar to what we’ve done with Hunter x Hunter. First up, one of Enzo’s favourite: Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki - a series absent from Samu’s WSJ resume which is partly complete now with this discussion of the initial Tokyo arc. Tune in next episode when it’s Samu’s turn to...

As promised, here’s the second part of our Hunter x Hunte r Chimera Ant arc discussion, where we finally go into the depths of Netero and Meruem, highlights from the palace invasion, and decide if this really is the best shonen arc of all time? Timestamps: 0:00 Re-introduction - second part of the Chimera Ant arc discussion 0:39 Netero vs Meruem (Humanity vs Chimera Ants) - one of the best shonen...

We’ve finally got to the arc we’ve been building up to in Hunter x Hunter : Chimera Ant arc! And because we have so much to discuss, we’re splitting this up into two episodes. This first half covers everything up until the palace invasion - Kite, NGL, Gyro, Knuckle, the Phantom Troupe, and more - so check it out and stay tuned next week for the remaining part of the discussion and our final though...

This episode we’re going full shonen mode and trying to figure out what makes a massive kaijuu hit, going over some of our favourite titles that qualify for that title, and forecasting some potential big hitters on the horizon. 0:00 Introduction - trying to understand what makes a kaijuu shonen hit? 4:11 Series we’d consider big hits that others might not 7:11 One Piece vs Demon Slayer - which is...

We’re covering a series we both love and have a similar history with: Wandering Son by Takako Shimura, a touching coming of age story about transgender children navigating their way through the early years of their life. We both love the anime and both love the manga, so we had a lot to say about the series reception and critics. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - our similar experience in discoverin...

We’re beginning a new segment this time: JUMPing to Conclusions, where we take a look at the new serialisations of Weekly Shonen Jump, break down our first impression, and predict whether we think it’ll survive in the cutthroat magazine. This episode covers Embers and Star of Beethoven which have both released their first chapter as of posting. Do we think football (soccer) and piano prodigies hav...

Back to Hunter x Hunter we go, jumping over now to Greed Island along with Gon and Killua. In a shake-up from the usual HxH arc reviews, this might be the first where we have disagreements about how much we enjoy this one on the whole. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - the third island: Greed Island 4:26 Our experiences of Greed Island and favourite iteration of the arc? 8:34 Is it an Isekai? 10:08...

It's our first episode of 2025 and we're discussing a series that is due to get an anime adaptation later this year: The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokmok Len. This is the first series picked by the LostinAnime patrons, and it’s one we both mostly agree is pretty damn good. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Our first series voted by the LostinAnime patrons, an early sensation in Japan 8:04 Compar...

It’s our second end of year special episode, this time we’re doing a Year in Review for the manga we read in 2024 - we hope you enjoy and can take some recommendations from our choices of across 18 categories that covers the full scope of both our tastes.. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - another special end of year episode 1:43 Best new manga published in 2024 4:51 Best manga that finished in 2024...

It’s the end of the year and we’ve got the first of two special episodes for you. This time we’re getting into Samu’s favourite subject: Weekly Shonen Jump. We’re taking a look over every series that ran in 2024 - concluded and still ongoing - to discuss our takes and how well they’re doing. Hopefully this helps provide some insight into the ever-competitive nature of manga’s most popular magazine...

We’re back to Hunter x Hunter again, and this time we’re diving into Yorknew City, where things start getting serious, Kurapika steps into the main character spot as we follow his quest for revenge, and we both disagree on whether this feels like a shonen or a seinen arc. Check it out! Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - New York City and how that relates to Yorknew 4:51 Why is Yorknew City arc belove...

This time it’s Enzo’s recommending a series for Samu - and it’s another seinen manga! Habits seem to be forming. A Distant Neighborhood by the iconic Jiro Taniguchi is a 2-volume series about a father in his forties who is transported back to his teenage years leading up to the event that still lingers within him: the night his father disappeared and left his family behind. Could this be his chanc...

This time it’s Samu’s recommendation for Enzo - and it’s another josei manga! Double by Ayako Noda is a psychologically twisted acting series about the complicated relationship of two men in the industry, one a natural talent and the other a hard worker, with differing levels of success and the drama that unfolds from the power each has over the other. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - a josei actin...

We’re discussing a series we both read over a decade ago and have revisited for this discussion: Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano - a manga we both love, but have our feelings on this ultra-depressing tale changed or waned years later? Listen to find out. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - getting ready for depression 3:59 Our general feelings about Goodnight Punpun, apprehensive to re-experiencing the...

Hunter x Hunter is back! Let’s talk Hunter x Hunter! We kicked off with the Hunter Exam arc when we began this podcast and there’s no better time than to ride the wave than continue our task of covering the series arc-by-arc, this time continuing with the Zoldyck Family mini-arc as well as what Enzo describes as the most “shonen” arc of the entire series: Heavens Arena. Timestamps: 0:00 Introducti...

We’re continuing with recommendation mode, this time with Samu’s pick of an all-time favorite: Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga. This is tale as epic an detailed as they come, spanning over 200 years of the gender-flipped Tokugawa Shogunate as we follow the lives and trials of various rulers in an alternate-history Japan where a pandemic has wiped out majority of the male population, thr...

We’re back into recommendation mode, this time with Enzo’s pick: Yugami Doesn’t Have Any Friends by Jun Sakura. It’s a series that balances a lot of things: comedy, sports, romance, coming of age, rakugo, and more - but do we agree on how well it succeeds? Listen and find out. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 4:32 Samu’s first impressions and expecting it to be set in college 6:50 Chihiro being a rep...

We’re once again sticking with the Weekly Shonen Jump, jumping to our favourite (and only) sports-drama-romcom title of the magazine, with Blue Box by Kouji Miura. An instant hit we’ve been following since the beginning and have plenty to discuss ahead of the upcoming anime adaptation. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - continuing with Weekly Shonen Jump with Samu’s favourite 4:52 Kouji Miura’s previ...

We’re continuing with the Weekly Shonen Jump series, this time to Samu’s favourite currently running in the magazine: Akane-banashi , the rakugo drama that’s been an unexpected hit since it’s debut. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - continuing with Weekly Shonen Jump with Samu’s favourite 2:42 A success story during an era of performing arts series in Weekly Shonen Jump 5:29 Enzo’s impression: more...