Shojo & Tell: A Manga Podcast

Red River by Chie Shinohara has finally gotten an anime adaptation, so, just as everyone else is talking about it right now, we, too, are entering the fray of the ancient Hittite Empire. Shojo & Tell host Ashley is persuaded by her husband, Asher, that he's the guy fit for discussing this iconic series, because his rabbinic studies give him an informational edge. The Ashes debate what the relentlessness of sexual assault against Yuri culturally signifies, wonder at the limits of historical fiction, and get wistful about isekai of yore. On sillier notes, Ashley fawns over Yuri and praises Prince Kail for being so corny. This episode covers the first third of the series.

New episode:

This episode discusses volumes 11-21 of PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH by Saki Hiwatari.

This episode discusses all of FULL MOON O SAGASHITE by Arina Tanemura.

There are few authors more synonymous with "shojo" than Arina Tanemura. We've done Tanemura works before. But Full Moon is peak Tanemura. Which is not to say it's a masterwork.

For those who don't idolize Tanemura and are wondering what Full Moon is about, the series follows a 12-year-old girl named Mitsuki who wants to be a singer so she can reconnect with her childhood crush, whom she met when they both lived at an orphanage, but she can't become a singer because she has throat cancer that, if left untreated, will kill her. Some shinigami show up telling her she only has one year left to live, and she somehow convinces the shinigami to turn her into a 16-year-old so she can become the idol of her dreams before she dies. Are you keeping up? Tanemura fan Laura Spicer joins Shojo & Tell host Ashley once again to go through the whirlwind of a manga to, first, figure out what even all happened here, and second, to determine what the good emotional beats are.

Listen wherever you prefer to listen to podcasts!

New episode discusses all eight volumes of MIXED VEGETABLES by Ayumi Komura.

Hanayu wants to be a sushi chef, but her father expects her to take over the family pastry shop. Hayato wants to be a pastry chef, but is expected to take over his family's sushi restaurant. Uh, you can see where this is going, right? Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher discuss this romantic comedy series in which these 15 year old children place the weight of the world on their shoulders. Mixed Vegetables may be a mixed bag, but hey, maybe that's your cup of tea (to mix metaphors).

Listen to the podcast in your favorite podcast app or on YouTube.

(p.s. have i been obsessed with dita and zima for days??? do i go around telling all my friends that i personally found chobits worth reading for dita and zima alone??? haha. ha.)

Glad you enjoyed the episode! Usually people don't like the Chobits episode of this podcast because they think it's all inflammatory.... But like most CLAMP things, there's a lot of compelling, mind-altering ideas and characters there, just happens to come with a lot of "?????? ew no why" as well.

New episode! We discuss the first 10 volumes of Snow White with the Red Hair on the podcast. Ashley professes her undying love for Prince Izana, and Asher tells everyone about why Obi is his favorite boy. Of course, the stars of the show are Shirayuki and Zen and their excessively cute relationship.

Heads up we’re doing a giveaway for this episode with MangaMart, a family-run online manga shop. The giveaway will start on Bluesky tomorrow (Wednesday). Be sure to follow us over there!

You can listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app, on Spotify and YouTube, or on our website. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Our episode about My Love Mix-Up! is out now!

My Love Mix-Up! (not to be mixed up with Aruko's other work, My Love Story!! .... deep sigh) tells the story of Sota Aoki, a seemingly happy-go-lucky boy who has a crush on a female classmate, Mio Hashimoto, but winds up in a relationship with male classmate Kōsuke Ida. It sure is all mixed up, and it's a pure delight. Romance novelist Megan Frampton joins Shojo & Tell host Ashley to discuss what makes the series so funny, how that does or does not translate to the Japanese live-action screen adaptation, and the surprising amount of character growth the main cast goes through. Jump into the fluff and feels with us!

Pictured: volume 8 featuring Ida, and Ashley’s husband Asher recreating Ida’s pose

Listen in your favorite podcast app, or find us on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/546w835Gk7b3RmPtuEpe7K?si=Sub0Ns0DTQiEy05KLzasJA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84m-I2joKSE

This episode discusses MARS volumes 9-15 and the prequel story, "Horse with No Name"

How many suicide attempts can happen close to Kira and Rei? How many car crashes and motorcycle accidents? Shojo & Tell host Ashley and CLAMPcast in Wonderland co-host Lucy are back to discuss the second half of the melodrama MARS by Fuyumi Soryo, and their biggest question is about whether the series accurately portrays the way trauma stacks (both Ashley and Lucy lean toward no). Ashley and Lucy share their thoughts about Kira seeming to give up her dreams to be with Rei, and so Rei can pursue his, what they wish "Horse with No Name" had been about instead, how they're glad Tatsuya made it out unscathed, and more.

Subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcast app, or listen here:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wVCizkWPdNfb2JxwzdDGi?si=5CEpCRmMRiawgPlbtjX1-g

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QrTbvbGyLHI

Our newest episode discussing the first half of MARS with @lucyinbookland of @clampcastpod is out now!

We continue our melodrama mood with the late 1990s/early 2000s series, MARS. Kira Aso is a quiet girl who loves to paint. Rei is a bad boy who loves to race motorcycles. Naturally they fall in love, and all the dark secrets come out about them both. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Clampcast in Wonderland co-host Lucy discuss what makes this series so gripping despite it being over the top, how iconic the art is, the portrayal of America, how cute Rei and Kira are, and much more.

Find us in your favorite podcast app as Shojo & Tell.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ChPN2QxOGeZuMzVpcqo31?si=6YProfuIRFm6fa8SQhW9iw

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hjfbVQleEaE&t=4s&pp=ygUOU2hvam8gYW5kIHRlbGw%3D

Remember Hot Gimmick? Yeah. We have not one but TWO podcast discussions about this..... iconic? Infamous? ... early 2000s series.

@blerdyotome joins to discuss the.... Love? Harassment?... story of Hatsumi Narita being blackmailed by Ryoki Tachibana. Somehow, constant blackmail, emotional abuse, and repeated disrespect of physical boundaries is not the worst the series has to offer!

Hear our hot takes in your favorite podcast app! Or you can also find the episodes here:

Ninjas + shojo manga = yes please give now

New podcast episode out now!

This episode discusses all volumes (1-5) of JULINE by Narumi Kakinouchi.

When you think "shojo manga," you typically don't think "ninjas." But that's just a stereotype, and we're here to defy stereotypes. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Megan DeYarman, of the sites Manga Test Drive and Renaissance Josei, talk about JULINE, a manga series from animator Narumi Kakinouchi (of VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU fame). The titular Juline, along with other young female ninjas Bakuya and Seika (and inevitable male love interest Kio), are looking for male relatives and lovers who have disappeared. They encounter a mysterious foe in Black Pearl (also known as Tamayo, also known as Mei). Is Tamayo a woman or a man? Can Juline, Bakuya, and Seika undo the spell that's been put on their loved ones? Ashley and Megan dive into the art style, the gender representation, and the overall ~vibes~ of this strange little series.

Listen on YouTube

Listen on Spotify

Did you know Cowboy Bebop is shojo?

Well, at least the 2 manga adaptations are!

In our latest episode, we discuss the two shojo manga versions of Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop by Hajime Yatate [Sunrise staff] and Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star by Cain Kuga

Ask an anime fan above the age of 30 what their favorite anime is, and chances are high they'll say Cowboy Bebop. The music, the animation, the mood — it's iconic. And then there are the two shojo manga iterations of Cowboy Bebop, which have largely been lost to the sands of time (and then, there's the Netflix live action version...). Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, read both of these severely out of print manga adaptations, and discuss here. Topics of discussion include: Ed and gender, why the heck is Shooting Star the way it is, and why was it decided that this seinen anime needs not one, but two shojo manga adaptations?

Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app, or:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/M26WRUuRZwo

Alright! We’re BACK!

And it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The episode where we talk about the not-very-good shonen manga adaptation of The Vision of Escaflowne.

THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE is the anime that got Shojo and Tell host Ashley into anime. It sparked one of only a handful of great obsessions in Ashley's life. It's probably the reason this podcast exists at all.

Katsu Aki's shonen manga version of the story is..... not like the anime you know and love.

It's explicitly billed as a shonen series, and it's all downhill from there.

Listen on your favorite podcast app, or:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Cl2BNsW6q38VPfCVeeMPW?si=ylBSHq5ISYCrczlXo9IeBA

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3m9zhn7wcQk?si=iaZ610RZiLFez2d_

Our website: https://www.shojoandtell.com/episodes/the-vision-of-escaflowne-shonen-exception-5