My Taste is Better Than Yours

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 if we think this would have been a satisfying conclusion to the series as a whole.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - the final ‘comp...

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 and subtle one full of bittersweetness that demands contemplation?

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - Mitsuru Adachi, a giant in t...

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 potential breakout then perhaps you’ll fine one here after listening to our thoughts!

Timestamps:

0:00 Returning feature: JUMPing to Conclusions

8:11 C...

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

6:27 Enzo’s experience with the Big 3 and expectations for Bleach specifically

8:32 Comparing the first arcs of the Big 3

9:05 Ichigo as a main charact...

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 introduce his favourite to Enzo!

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - A new arc-by-arc coverage of our favourite Weekly Shonen Jump hits

5:31 What is it a...

As promised, here’s the second part of our Hunter x Hunter 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 fights of all time

12:06 The anti-climax quota: the lack of Gon’s inclusion in the final fight, how Meruem lost

15:32 Meru...

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 thoughts.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - our most anticipated conversation so far for Hunter x Hunter

2:12 Why we bot...

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 the bigger hit?

12:38 How big of a factor is a publisher/magazine for a series to become a hit?

15:56 What did...

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 discovering the series

5:33 The slice of life approach to serious topics, Takako Shimura’s artwork, and the anime adaptation

9:30 The anime’s decisions to onl...

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 have a place in Jump in 2025? Listen to find out!

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - a new Jump-centric segment

0:57 Saying goodbye to the series that left - Mission: Yoza...

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 Hisoka’s role this arc - enemy turned ally with all his “quirks”

19:28 Biscuit - Gon and Killua’s new me...

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 Comparing our experiences of binging vs followed it as it’s published

11:04 Momok Len’s ‘slice of life’ approach to drama

16:35 Is Hikaru still Hika...

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

7:41 Best ongoing manga of 2024

11:04 Best manga we discovered in 2024

15:38 Newcomer mangaka to look out for

18:00 Up-a...

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 as well as some series worth checking out.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - our relationship with the magazine

2:36 Table of content explan...

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 beloved by fans, particularly pre-2011 anime?

9:22 Shonen vs Seinen debate

19:88 Enzo’s love for the Whale Island section - Gon...

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 chance to uncover the truth of the incident or perhaps even change the future by preventing it?

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - continuing our conver...

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 acting manga with a complicated relationship at the core

3:52 Is Takara and Yuujin’s relationship toxic?

5:00 Another Big Bang Theory comparison

6:47 T...

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 series

10:09 Does Punpun’s story resonate with men in particular?

14:05 Does it ever it ever go into torture porn territory?

17:08 Some of our other favo...

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 Introduction - breaking our coverage by arc

1:24 Zoldyck Family arc - our thoughts on the short anti-rescue arc

7:58 Heavens arena arc - “the u...

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, thrusting these women into the unlikely position of power with all the drama and court politicking that comes with it.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - 19 volumes as dense as 19 novels

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 representative of a Japanese ideal vs Yugami standing out for the wrong reasons

10:53 Is Yugami coded as autistic o...

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 previous works and how different they are to Blue Box

7:52 Does Blue Box feel like a Weekly Shonen Jump manga?

9:09 Comparisons with Mitsuru Adashi a...

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 like a sports series, rakugo, comparison to PPPPPP

9:50 Neither sport or battle series but embraces elements of both, similar to Food Wars!

10:44...

We’ve recorded this episode in record time in order to release alongside the end of My Hero Academia’s manga, by Kohei Horikoshi. With the end of one of the giants of Weekly Shonen Jump and anime/manga in general for the past decade we’ve got a giant-sized episode discussing everything we wanted to cover about the series: its legacy, its fanbase, and our feelings on the ending while they’re still fresh.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - a series we’ve both been following for 10 years

4:34 How many words has Enzo put into c...

For the next several episodes we’re focusing on Weekly Shonen Jump, this time beginning with The Elusive Samurai by Yuusei Matsui, which is currently receiving a stellar anime adaptation - although it’s worth noting we recorded this some weeks before its release.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction and the popularity of Assasination Classroom

5:16 Yuusei Matsui at his most unrestricted after two previous WSJ hits

7:52 The artwork, panelling, meta comedy and how it fits with the time period

14:07 More style than substance

16:56 Is it spoilers to discuss the fate...

This time we’re discussing a new hit in Japan, The Days of Diamond by Ohashi Hirai, a seinen baseball manga that started in 2023 and already proved to be an early success from the beginning. Now that MangaPlus are doing simultaneous translations we’re up to date and want to get as many people on board for this mature take on childrens’ baseball.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - Enzo anticipating the series before Mangaplus translated it

6:34 The ‘suffering from success” storyline and the young age of the characters

8:09 An authentic presentati...

We’re back to recommending our favourites to one another - this time we’re discussing one of Enzo’s all-timers: Spirit Circle by Satoshi Mizukami, the story of a middle school boy (Fuuta) whose ordinary life is disrupted when a transfer student (Kouko) reveals that their fates are in fact tied between in the past, present, and future in ways that changes everything between them and the life Fuuta thought he lived up until now.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

6:34 Samu’s general impressions

7:47 Enzo’s feelings on Mizukami Satoshi and his history as...

We’re back to recommending our favourites to one another - this time we’re discussing one of Samu’s all-timers: Blue Flag by KAITO, a coming of age high school story that delves into a slew of deep and meaningful themes.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

3:43 Why Samu recommended that Enzo (and you) should read it

5:53 Enzo’s general impressions of the series

8:40 Blue Flag and how it differentiates itself from its contemporary shonen romance series

9:17 (Volume 1) spoiler discussion begins

9:24 The love triangle (square) featuring queer ch...

This episode we’re thrilled to be joined by Jake Jung, a Japanese-to-English translator who has worked on various anime and manga throughout his career - Made in Abyss, Oshi no Ko, Vinland Saga, and Ya Boy Kongming! to name a few. Together we go through his own personal history in Japan as well as his career as a translator, his tastes in manga, and his insights into the world of anime/manga translation.

Timestamps:

4:13 Jake’s photography and time as a tour guide

6:00 Oshi no Ko, Ya Boy Kongming!’s rap battle...

This episode we forecast what we think some of the next big series will be, choosing from manga that have yet to have an anime released. Time will tell if our choices end up fruitful or missed opportunities.

Please note: This episode was filmed in March 2024 before the official anime announcements of two of the series mentioned here, so any discrepancies from latest information is due to what was known at that time.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - revisiting a familiar topic

6:08 Discounting Kaijuu No.8

7:10 Enzo’s Prediction: Kindergarten Wa...

Please enjoy this discussion of Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzo, on ongoing seinen series that we’ve both kept up with since it’s serialisation and has received plenty of acclaim and accolades that we both agree is well deserved.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

6:08 Adult cast dealing with real life issues done well

9:54 How much longer does it have left?

12:54 Possibility of anime or live-action adaptations - studio suggestions?

16:43 Favourite characters and storylines (Mild spoilers)

19:03 Togashi’s reputation and his spot in Weekly Shounen Jump

21:33 Our though...

Please enjoy this discussion of the first arc (Hunter exam) of Hunter x Hunter by Yoshiro Togashi, a series beloved by both of us that we’ve discussed at length before but will now embark on an arc-by-arc breakdown.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:08 Enzo’s and Samu’s histories with Hunter x Hunter; initial impressions of the Hunter Exam arc’s tone

4:53 When did we realise this was something special? (Spoilers)

9:47 Comparisons to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s First-Class Mage Exam; how does it compare?

This week we're discussing Pluto by Naoki Urasawa, fresh off the heels of its Netflix adaptation in late 2023.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:08 Astro Boy’s “The Greatest Robot in the World” story arc and Osamu Tezuka

2:08 Enzo’s introduction to Pluto and the history of the anime adaptation

5:11 Which is better: Anime vs Manga?

6:26 Overall impressions; Politics of the war in the Middle East; Quality of the series from the start to the finish

10:22 How does Pluto compare to other Na...

Following on from last week, this time we're covering Guardian Enzo’s all-time favourite manga - Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Ashinano Hitoshi - and Samu’s reaction to re-reading a decade later.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

4:14 Why is this Enzo’s favourite manga?

11:42 Samu’s perspective on revisiting YKK a decade later

15:25 Not enough focus on the worldbuilding/sci-fi elements in the background?

16:38 The journey, not the destination + subverting expectations

18:14 Is YKK one of the most imitated manga in anime/ma...

To kick off the podcast officially we're beginning with Samu’s all-time favourite manga - Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Kakukaku Shikajika) by Akiko Higashimura - and Enzo’s reaction to reading it for the first time.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

3:04 Why is this Samu’s favourite manga?

6:47 Enzo’s perspective on Blank Canvas

12:51 Melancholic reflection felt throughout and building up to ‘something’

14:28 The difference between the Japanese and English titles, how they both represent the series

16:31 Samu’s vision for an Noitmamina anime...

Welcome to My Taste is Better Than Yours, the manga podcast with Samu and Guardian Enzo! Who are we? Two anime bloggers (Samu former, Enzo current - at https://lostinanime.com) who love manga.

We'll discuss some of our favourite manga series and let you decide which one of us has the better taste. Throughout this podcast we’ll be covering series we've both already read or follow, as well as series one of us recommends to the other to compare our opinions. From time-to-time we’ll also cover some general manga-related topics and disc...