Taiiku Podcast

A Merry Christmas to every for this edition of Anime Secret Santa, and for those that don't celebrate or don't wish to celebrate, a happy holiday or, at the very least, have a good day to you. It's Anime Secret Santa time again! We've got some anime, and we watched a subset of that anime. Chris ( @gokuffy ) and Patz ( @PatzPrime ) join me ( @taiikumenco ) to talk about some anime: I talk about Pol...

Shohei Ohtani signed a record sports contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and there was much consternation on its structure. I for one am annoyed that I still can't watch him on TV and happy that I can just go to most any game I want to see him. This episode, like every year, we count down our favorite manga that we read in 2023. As always, you can find me on Twitter @taiikumenco , and my co-hos...

This entire MLB offseason is just a constant feeling of low grade dread that Shohei Ohtani will sign somewhere I don't want to root for, and that's just my entire life since the Texas Rangers, the only Major League Baseball team without a pride night, won the World Series. This episode, we're talking about Yumi Hotta (story), Takeshi Obata (art), and Yukari Umezawa (5 Dan) (Go supervisor) Hikaru n...

Can't wait for the Chicago White Sox to continue to be a depressing team to follow in 2024. At least there's the Seattle Mariners! *reads that the Mariners aren't going after big name free agents despite over $100m in wiggle room before the first luxury tax threshold* It's like I never left Chicago! Anyway. This episode, Chris ( @gokuffy ), Ink ( @ink_just_ink ), and Kevin ( @Twitless_Kevin ) join...

It's the World Series! The Texas Rangers are the only MLB team without a pride night. Fuck every billionaire. Go Diamondbacks. This episode, we're talking about Mita Ori's Our Dining Table published by Seven Seas and Jirou Oimoto (art), Yuumikan (original story), and Koin's (character design) Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. published by Yen Press. Our Dining Table cre...

Chelsea, as always, are going through an injury crisis and it is not going well. Coupled with the new coach and new scheme, nothing is going well. This episode, we talk about Monzusu's My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders published by Seven Seas. Then we talk about Muneyuki Kaneshiro (story) and Yusuke Nomura's (art) Blue Lock published by Kodansha. Content warn...

As of the last post, when I became a lifelong Mariners fan, it has been extremely peaceful in my baseball life. It's like a weight of my shoulder for liking an awful organization; one only marginally less awful than Oakland. Anyway. This episode, Ink ( @ink_just_ink ) and Basil ( @itsbasiltime ) join me to talk about the surprisingly charming and good judo anime, Ippon Again! Join the unofficial T...

The Chicago White Sox surprisingly fired Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, one of which had been in charge of baseball operations for like 20 years, and then disappointingly hired their number three, Chris Getz, to replace them. All that's on Getz's resume is a bottom five farm system and concerning hires due to myriad character issues. All that to say I am now a lifelong Mariners fan. This episode, w...

I heard White Sox legend Nick Madrigal hit a home run today, his second of the year and against his former team. The Craig Kimbrel trade is the gift that keeps on giving. Anyway. This episode, Dawn ( @bunnycartoon ) and Randy ( @ChandyRan ) join me to talk about Takehiko Inoue's directorial debut and continuation of his Slam Dunk manga / anime The First Slam Dunk. Listen to our other Slam Dunk epi...

The Women's World Cup is happening and it's very exciting to see games go on at absurd times during the night PT. But Agatha pooped like five times at 5:30a one night, so I watched some of the Australia match. Love Sam Kerr. This episode, we're talking about Yuhta Nishio's Mizuno and Chayama published by Yen Press. Then we talk about Fumi Yoshinaga's What Did You Eat Yesterday? published by Vertic...

The White Sox made a trade for a dude with a 6+ ERA so we're in full give up mode I think. This episode, we're talking about Yuhta Nishio's After Hours published by Viz and Dr. Pepperco's Goodbye, My Rose Garden published by Seven Seas. After Hours credits: Translation: Abby Lehrke Design: Shawn Carrico Editing: Pancha Diaz Touch-up Art & Lettering: Sabrina Heep Goodbye, My Rose Garden credits...

The Chicago White Sox are a bad baseball team. Players are going to be traded at the deadline by the same front office that failed to compete with this team. And that front office will be given another opportunity to compete after this. Sell the team, Jerry. Anyway. This episode, Chris ( @gokuffy ) joins me to talk about season two of Tsurune. Helen ( @WanderinDreamr ) and Basil ( @itsbasiltime )...

Chelsea have begun their fire sale. Kante is out of contract, and out of Chelsea. Onto the increasingly problematic Saudi Premier League. Havertz is headed to score like 20 goals for Arsenal. And Mount, sadly, is headed to Manchester United, by all indications. At least Chelsea still have Enzo Fernandez. This episode, we're talking about Ryousuke Nanasaki's true story (with art by Yoshi Tsukizuki)...

The Chicago White Sox are 26-35, 5 games back in the division race despite also being in fourth, and a mere 10 games back in the wild card race. It's division or bust for a team that just no hit the Aaron Judge-less Yankees for 6 innings! Anyway. This episode is not Tsurune, as voted upon by you, the listeners (or fellow podcasters), but Extreme Hearts! It's about a fake sport and idols. Ink ( @in...

The White Sox have been winning lately (good), which they didn't do at the beginning of the season (bad). And now they're playing a lot of catch up and have to keep winning (questionable). It'll be a sad trade deadline when Tim Anderson, Lucas Giolito, and Liam Hendriks are all traded. This episode, we're talking about Moto Hagio's Lil' Leo published by Denpa for our older series. Then we talk abo...

I watched some of the White Sox game while I was recording and editing this podcast, and they have won a series for the first time this year and have also won consecutive games the first time this year (as of yesterday, and now it's three in a row). They're trending upward! This episode, we talk about Hilnama's I’m a Terminal Cancer Patient, but I’m Fine published by Seven Seas and Honami Shirono'...

The White Sox won a game. Chelsea have not. The Kraken are still in the playoffs though. My chaotic sports life is more chaotic than usual. Anyway. This episode, Basil ( @itsbasiltime ) joins me to talk about Love All Play, the badminton anime. Join the unofficial Taiiku Podcast discord, the OSMCast discord . Listen Show notes: 0:30 - Basil and I talk about Love All Play. 32:21 - We take question,...

White Sox record free agent signing, Andrew Benintendi, is about 25 percent below average in terms of OPS+ and that's just not good. He likely won't be that bad forever, but come on. This episode, we're talking about Mai Matsuda's Hikari in the Light, Natsumi Ito's My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files, and Chiharu Shinagawa's Spear, all published by Azuki. Hikary in the Light credits: Translati...

Speaking of football, Chelsea are about to play Real Madrid in the Champions League, and I happen to like both teams. I have no idea what Chelsea is doing though, between sacking Thomas Tuchel near the beginning of the season to hiring Graham Potter to letting Bruno Saltor manager a game against Liverpool of all teams to now hiring Frank Lampard again as a caretaker manager (I've learned a lot of...

It is the World Baseball Classic right now, which is like the World Cup but far fewer people care about it and not all of the best players from each country participate. Korea, unfortunately, appears basically out of it, but I'll look forward to Ohtani and Darvish for Japan. This episode, we're talking about Mieri Hiranishi's The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend published by Viz and Wataru Midori'...

Chelsea scored a goal! They scored two goals! They're moving on in the Champions League! Life...life finds a way. Anyway. The first half of this episode is Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club and Love Live! Superstar!! featuring Chris ( @gokuffy ), Ruby ( @PassionTentacle ), and Kenny ( @Minoru79 ). And the second half of this episode is Love Live! Superstar!! featuring the folks from the...

Spring training has started, baseball is back, and the White Sox are still an incredibly and unnecessarily sad team to follow. Looking forward to 162 games of this. This episode, we're talking about Uta Isaki's Is Love the Answer? published by Kodansha and Hitoshi Ashinano's Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō published by Seven Seas. Is Love the Answer? credits: Translation: Sawa Matsueda Savage Lettering: Je...

Chelsea should score more goals and allow, well, ideally score a reasonable amount of goals and reasonably allow at or around the same amount of goals, but really allow fewer goals. I dunno, it's been a weird team to follow so far. This episode, special guest Grant joins me to talk about Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto published by Viz. There are some audio issues in this one; we weren't actually talki...

This episode, we're talking about Nagabe's The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún published by Seven Seas and Sekka Iwata (original work) and Yu Aoki's (artwork) Magilumiere Co. Ltd. published on Manga Plus. The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún credits: Translation: Adrienne Beck Adaptation: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Lettering and Retouch: Lys Blakeslee Logo design: Karis Page Cover de...

Chelsea just spent like £1b on a lot of players to make like an amalgam of a team that doesn't know how to all play and meld together, but hopefully it'll work? This episode, special guests Basil ( @itsbasiltime ) and Ruby ( @PassionTentacle ) join me to talk about Shuzo Oshimi's Inside Mari published by Denpa. Inside Mari credits: Translator: Sheldon Drzka Proofreading: Ed Chavez (volumes 1-7), E...