PODCAST · arts
Mangasplaining
by Deb Aoki, David Brothers, Christopher Butcher, Chip Zdarsky
Curious about manga, or Japanese comic books, but don't know where to start? Well neither does comics writer/artist Chip Zdarsky! Join manga experts Deb Aoki, David Brothers, and Christopher Butcher, as they introduce the medium through some of its best and most important works. Every week a new volume of manga to discover, discuss, and enjoy!
Episodes
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Ep. 120: Dogsred, by Satoru Noda
Back before there was a print edition, the Mangasplainers read the weekly chapters of Golden Kamuy creator Satoru Noda’s new hockey manga, DOGSRED! Christopher hosts for a series he was excited to read, Deb already loved, and David was unsure of… And what about Chip, who “hates hockey?” Is there...
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Ep. 119: Kaiju No. 8, by Naoya Matsumoto
A Japanese take on superheroes? A henshin series? A kaiju/giant monsters manga? A workplace drama? The new-ish Shonen Jump series Kaiju No. 8 is all of these and more! But will the Mangasplainers dig this multifaceted action series? Or is it merely… Competent!!!? Come for Kaiju No. 8, but stick...
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Ep. 118: Guardians of the Louvre, by Jiro Taniguchi
Welcome back to Mangasplaining, the podcast for people who are curious about manga but don’t know where to start! This week we choose a work from one of our favorite authors with potentially broad appeal—Jiro Taniguchi’s Guardians of the Louvre. But will this title live up to the love we have for...
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Ep. 117: Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vol. 1, by Takamori and Chiba
Hello Mangasplaining fans, have we got a treat for you! Thanks to our friends at Kodansha who sponsored this episode, we were given an advance peak at the forthcoming hardcover omnibus Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Volume 1. This classic boxing manga (and so much more!) has been one of the...
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Ep. 116: Daredevil: Born Again, by Miller and Mazzucchelli
Welcome to our very first episode of… Comicsplaining?! That’s right, this week we're covering a “mainstream, superhero” book, Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli. Chip calls it his “Nausicaa,” and everything THAT means. But wait, why are covering a non-manga title? What…
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Ep. 115: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics! by Frederik Schodt
Welcome to Season 5 of Mangasplaining! We’re jumping right in on our new bi-weekly schedule with both our longest episode AND our first prose book: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, by Frederik Schodt. It’s literally THE book on Manga for North America, or at least it was when first...
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Ep. 114: Interview with Robin Brenner, Graphic Novel Librarian!
Did you know that comics, graphic novels, and manga can (usually) be found at your local library? We talk to American Library Association's Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable President Robin Brenner about her history promoting manga in libraries and how you can save a few bucks and enjoy your…
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Ep. 113: The Best of Season 4!
What a season it’s been! Lasting basically the entirety of 2023, we covered a ton of great manga, from the popular anime-fueled hits of the day to the obscure and wonderful titles hiding on shelves across the world. So what were our favs? What are the manga for YOU, the person who doesn’t read…
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Ep. 112: AKIRA Volume 5, by Katsuhiro Otomo
It's the end of the season (almost) and so it's time to read the next volume of AKIRA by Katsuhiro Otomo! Will the title that introduced Chip Zdarsky to manga continue to be his fav? Deb Aoki hosts, and David Brothers and Christopher Woodrow-Butcher join in on this merry tour through the biggest...
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Ep. 111: Heavenly Delusion, by Masakazu Ishiguro
Season 4 is nearing its conclusion, and it's time for David's last pick: Heavenly Delusion, by Masakazu Ishiguro! This sci-fi (comedy?) manga has a huge fan-following already thanks to its great art and story AND a hit anime series too! But will that be enough to meet the high standards of the…
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Ep. 110: The Yakuza's Bias, by Teki Yatsuda
See what happens when a stoic yakuza gets sucked into the world of K-Pop in The Yakuza’s Bias, a hilarious culture clash between the manly men of the mob and glamly men of Korean boy bands. BUT WILL CHIP LIKE IT TOO? Find out this episode! Read along with the extensive show-notes at...
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Ep. 109: River's Edge by Kyoko Okazaki
Happy New Year! Hope you had time to catch up on the podcast while we were away. :) - For the first episode of 2024 we're starting off with a complex work, Kyoko Okazaki's River's Edge. In this mature-rated episode, we dig into the startling secret lives of teens in the 1990s, through the unique...
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Ep. 108: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, by Yuu Toyota
In this episode, Deb bring back the BL and we end up with possibly the best title for a manga we've covered on this podcast: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard!? Despite reservations, a very fun time is had on this week's episode. Plus: The Return of the reader Q&A!...
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Ep. 107: Nejishiki, by Yoshiharu Tsuge
Diving into the world of Gekiga this week with the recently released Nejishiki by Yoshiharu Tsuge! Featuring one of the most well-known and important works of Tsuge, ‘Screw Style’, this massive reprint series has been long-awaited by art comix & manga fans and collectors. But how will the...
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Ep. 106: Eniale & Dewiela, by Kamome Shirahama
The Mangasplainers return to one of their fav artists, Kamome Shirahama of Witch Hat Atelier to take a look at her earlier and steamier work, the angel and devil roommate comedy Eniale & Dewiela. Will the angels and devils in this manga provide a chaste reading experiences? Or are the sultry…
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Ep. 105: Goodbye, Eri, by Tatsuki Fujimoto
This week, the Mangasplainers go back for a TRIPLE Chip-Dip into the oeuvre of one Mr. Tatsuki Fujimoto, creator of Chainsaw Man and Look Back. Have we pushed Chip too far this episode, making him read a third title by the same person? Does liking those first two titles automatically mean that...
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Ep. 104: Blood Blockade Battlefront vol.1, by Yasuhiro Nightow
Is this manga meets X-Men: Inferno? That's how David pitched Blood Blockade Battlefront by Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow to good 'ole Chip, but will this over the top spectral superhero series live up to that moniker? Only one way to find out...! Plus: Read and listen along with the show-notes…
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Ep. 103: What's Michael? by Makoto Kobayashi + Garfield + Heathcliff
Chip did it, he called our bluff, and so this episode we're discussing the funny orange comic book cat phenomenon, centering on Japan's entry into that particular sweepstakes, Makoto Kobayashi's What's Michael? It's a weird one folks, strap in. Read the show notes and more at Mangasplaining.com,...
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EP. 102: Not All Girls Are Stupid, by Minami Q-ta
After our episode on The Blood Red Boy introduced us to Minami Q-ta, the Mangasplaining gang take a deeper dive into their oeuvre with Not All Girls Are Stupid, a brand-new and blistering look at the difficulties of being a woman in your late teens and early 20s. A great chat came out of this…
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Ep. 101: Real vol. 13, by Takehiko Inoue
This week, we take a flying leap into the worlds of WRESTLING and REHAB... By way of a basketball manga? Yep! David skips ahead to get to the good stuff with volume 13 of Real by Takehiko Inoue. Plus! A special segment celebrating 100+ episodes of Mangasplaining. Listen and read the show notes at...
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Ep. 100: Okinawa, by Susumu Higa
It's the 100th episode, and the team are doing something special! This week David and Chip take over, interviewing translator Jocelyne Allen and Editor Andrew Woodrow-Butcher on the new manga Okinawa, by Susumu Higa! Produced by MSX and published by Fantagraphics, this gripping historical manga…
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Ep. 99: Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Vol. 1, by Naoki Urasawa
The manga you’ve been waiting for Mangasplaining to cover has finally arrived! The Mangang dives into PLUTO volume 1, Naoki Urasawa’s epic reimagining of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy story 'The World’s Strongest Robot!' But will this first volume live up to the hype? Is it the Watchmen of manga, or…
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Ep. 98: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Vol. 1, by Nami Hidaka and Satoru Yamaguchi
Oh no! You died in the real world and woke up inside a video game world! Except you're not the heroine of this dating-simulation, you're the villainess who tries to take her down! You've got a bad end coming because the hero(ine) always wins... so what are you going to do? Well you should…
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Ep. 97: The Untouchable Midori-Kun, by Toyo Toyota
So close and yet so far, the gorgeous idol singer Midori-kun lives next door to our hero, Melon-chan. But Melon is an adult video actress, and if Midori and Melon are seen together it could be disastrous for Midori's career! As the two grow closer, will Midori-kun remain... Untouchable? Deb leads...
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Ep. 96: Interview with Abby Denson & Matt Loux
This week on Mangasplaining we talk to one of the creators who's been making manga-influenced comics since the early 2000s, Abby Denson, and a creator whose recent work perfectly encapsulates a life spent soaking in Japanese popular culture, Matthew Loux. The kicker? They're married, too! They're...
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Ep. 95: The Boxer, by JH
Wait, is this episode MANHWAsplaining? It's true! Deb leads the team through their first ever Korean Webtoon, JH's The Boxer from Yen Press. What fascinating differences and similarities will the Mangang discern between this title and the previous 100+ manga they've read? And how does a unique...
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Ep. 94: Pop Team Epic Season 1, by Bkub Okawa
Out of the darkest corners of the internet crawls Popuko and Pipimi, the stars of the internet-based comedy manga sensation, turned nearly-inexplicable anime, POP TEAM EPIC. Will the jokes in this VERY 2014 brand of Japanese internet humour land with the Mangasplaining Crew? Will Chip FINALLY…
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Ep. 93: Bleach Vol. 1 & 55, by Tite Kubo
One of the ‘big three’ from the most recent Golden Age of Shonen Jump Magazine, Bleach by Tite Kubo has a long and influential history with North American manga fans… But how will it hold up 20 years after its debut, and after the Mangasplaining crew have read so many other more recent shonen...
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Ep. 92 - My Love Story!! vol. 1 by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko
The Mangasplainers dig into a “Missed Connection” from a prior episode, as Deb hosts a rollicking discussion of My Love Story!! by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko! This shoujo manga turns a lot of the conventions of the genre on its head, but will that mean the crew enjoys it more… or LESS!? A very fun...
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Ep. 91: Mangasplaining X Pure Tokyoscope: Podcast Gattai!
This week, Mangasplaining has its first official crossover episode with ANOTHER podcast, as Deb and Christopher interview the hosts of Pure Tokyoscope, Patrick Macias and Matt Alt! These esteemed gentlemen have long histories in North America’s manga and anime industries and boy, do they have...
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Ep. 90: Baki, by Keisuke Itagaki
David hosts this week, continuing his “Violence Hell!” series of manga picks for season 4 with BAKI, by Keisuke Itagaki! Will this hyper-violent treatise on masculinity hit with the crew, or is it going to be “Too Las Vegas” for some? What does ANY of that mean!? Listen to find out! And don't...
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Ep. 89: Goodnight PunPun Volume 1, by Inio Asano
This week the Mangasplaining team dive into one of the most infamous manga in fandom, Inio Asano’s Goodnight Pun Pun. Or Oyasumi PunPun, depending on where and when you read it. But Chip has a very unexpected reaction to the book that calls the Mangang to reconsider their memories of the series....
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Ep. 88: Under Ninja Vol 1, by Kengo Hanazawa
Slipping into your apartment to drink your precious hidden bottle of booze, the low-rent "Under Ninja" Kudo has his sights set hilariously low, and that might just be enough for the Mangasplaining crew to have a Very Good Time with this manga coming alllll the way out of left field. Plus check…
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Ep. 87: The Rose of Versailles Volume 1, by Riyoko Ikeda
One of the great classic shojo manga is finally available in English, Riyoko Ikeda's Rose of Versailles, and the Mangasplaining team dig in to see if it lives up to the decades of hype! Will Chip like this better than his last foray into the [manga] classics? You'll have to listen to find out!...
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Ep. 86: Even Though We’re Adults Volume 2, by Takako Shimura
The Mangasplaining gang returns to a favorite josei manga from way back in the first season, Takako Shimura’s Even Though We’re Adults! But when the second volume goes in a different direction than the first, will the team still find themselves as passionate about the series as leads Ayano and...
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Ep. 85: Chainsaw Man Vol. 1, by Tatsuki Fujimoto
Welcome back to Mangasplaining, the podcast where we recommend manga to folks who haven’t read much manga before! We’re kicking off Season 4, aka episode 85, with the biggest manga out there right now, Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man Vol. 1. Will the Mangasplaininers, Deb, David, Chris, and Chip,...
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Ep. 84: Season 3 Retrospective
A great jumping-on point! The Mangasplainers pick their favorite books from Season 3, making recommendations of manga... For people who don't read much manga! Which titles will take home the coveted Triple Crown? Listen and find out! Show notes at Mangasplaining.com and sign up for our newsletter...
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Ep. 83: AKIRA Volume 4, by Katsuhiro Otomo
This week the Mangasplainers wrap up the third season of the podcast with their continuing look at Katsuhiro Otomo’s legendary manga series AKIRA. Will this be the volume that causes everyone to fall out of love with the series? No, obviously not, but it's a good discussion! Plus Q&A is back with...
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Ep. 82: Division Chief Kosaku Shima - Bilingual Edition, by Kenshi Hirokane
It’s Business Time! We’re back with a new episode and a “new” manga, the dramatic day-in-the-life Division Chief Kosaku Chief. Only published in Japan in a bilingual edition designed to teach and reinforce English language learning among Japanese readers, we got our hands on this Japanese import...
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Ep. 81: Sweetness & Lightning Vol. 1, by Gido Amagakure
This week Chip hosts his pick from our "Four First Chapters" special in Episode 75, the seinen parenting & food manga Sweetness & Lightning, by Gido Amagakure! But will this manga be a little TOO sweet for Chip's now-refined manga palette? Listen and find out! Check out the show notes at...
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Ep. 80: Space Brothers, by Chuya Koyama
SPAAAAAACE BROTHERS! It's the story of two young brothers who promise each other to join Japan's space program and journey to the moon, to Mars, and beyond! Except one of them just got fired from his job for headbutting his jerk boss. What will happen in this episodic dramedy of a manga series?…
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Ep. 79: Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 1, by Jun Mayuzuki
This week, Deb takes the Mangasplainers to a place that no one can go, the demolished Kowloon Walled City, in Jun Mayuzuki's Kowloon Generic Romance! A unique seinen manga from a mangaka that got her break in Shojo, the book both lives up to its title and surpasses it in ways that will surprise…
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Ep. 78: Our Colors, by Gengoroh Tagame
Every generation needs its coming-out story, and Gengoroh Tagame’s Our Colors is both groundbreaking and timeless. This week Christopher leads the crew through this autobiographically-informed title and many personal, hilarious, and even heartwarming stories are shared. Show notes and more at...
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Ep. 77: MOB PSYCHO 100, by ONE
This week on the podcast, David hosts a story about a young boy with immense psychic power, and the nefarious forces that want to control them. Wait, did we skip to the end of the season to do an episode on AKIRA? Nope, it’s the comedy manga MOB PSYCHO 100 by ONE, on Mangasplaining! Plus, in the...
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Ep 76: Chi's Sweet Home, by Konami Kanata
Is Chi just a cute little kitty, or a personification of the bittersweet memories of growing up and away from your innocence? Deb asks this, and the other Big Questions on this week's episode of Mangasplaining! Check out the show notes at Mangasplaining.com, or subscribe to our newsletter at...
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Ep. 75: Four First Chapter Special: Food Wars!, Kokkoku, Sweetness & Lightning, and How Are You?
FOUR FOR THE PRICE OF... NONE!? This week Christopher leads the Mangaskateers (?) through four different first-chapters from four different manga, all of which are free to read (legally) on the internet! Check out Chapter 1 of Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma, Sweetness and Lightning, Kokkoku: Moment...
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Ep. 74: WITCHES by Daisuke Igarashi, and Drops of God by Agi & Okimoto
Our third and final entry into witch-week ends with what might be the witchiest book of them all, Daisuke Igarashi’s WITCHES. Exploring different traditions of witches across a selection of magical realist stories, this is an ambitious book…but does its reach escape its grasp? The Mangasplainers...
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Ep. 73: Witchcraft Works Vol 1 & You're My Pet Vol 1
It's another Witchy Week on Mangasplaining, as David leads the crew through Ryu Mizunagi's Witchcraft Works! Will this silly harem comedy bewitch the Mangasplainers? And then, Chris leads the team through our bonus read, the classic josei manga Tramps Like Us... er.. You're My Pet, as it's now...
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Ep. 72: Witch Hat Atelier Vol.1 by Kamome Shirahama, & MARS Vol. 1 by Fuyumi Soryo
Get ready for the witchiest month of them all, AUGUST, as we begin three weeks of Very Different books about Witches! We kick things off with the darling of the witchy world (and one of the bestselling manga in North America), Kamome Shirahama's Witch Hat Atelier! Deb hosts and says this manga is...
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Ep. 71: Moonlight Mile S3 by Otagaki & Knights of Sidonia by Nihei
This week the team 'reads' its first UNTRANSLATED manga, jumping into Season 3 of MOONLIGHT MILE by Yasuo Otagaki. Self-serialized by the author, this sci-fi action manga set on the moon creates a unique experience for the Mangasplainers, but will Chip dig it when he has to turn his head sideways...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Curious about manga, or Japanese comic books, but don't know where to start? Well neither does comics writer/artist Chip Zdarsky! Join manga experts Deb Aoki, David Brothers, and Christopher Butcher, as they introduce the medium through some of its best and most important works. Every week a new volume of manga to discover, discuss, and enjoy!
HOSTED BY
Deb Aoki, David Brothers, Christopher Butcher, Chip Zdarsky
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mangasplaining have?
Mangasplaining currently has 121 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mangasplaining about?
Curious about manga, or Japanese comic books, but don't know where to start? Well neither does comics writer/artist Chip Zdarsky! Join manga experts Deb Aoki, David Brothers, and Christopher Butcher, as they introduce the medium through some of its best and most important works. Every week a new...
How often does Mangasplaining release new episodes?
Mangasplaining publishes regularly with 121 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Mangasplaining?
You can listen to Mangasplaining on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mangasplaining?
Mangasplaining is created and hosted by Deb Aoki, David Brothers, Christopher Butcher, Chip Zdarsky.
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