Behold! Manga!

Which series will be the ULTIMATE CHAMPION OF 2023?! And what are some other things we liked last year??

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

Find the crisis line for your country here: https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

For the last month of 2023, Maddie and Al discuss "Orange" by Ichigo Takano! They also discuss Maddie's disorienting nap, Tik Tok kids these days, and Al being tricked by a fictional baby name.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Al and Maddie read My Love Mix-Up! By Wataru Hinekure and Aruko. They also talk about the wildest bravest thing a mangaka has ever done, illicit bookstore visits, and Maddie says the word "warm" a lot.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

For the end of this ~spooky~ month, Maddie and Al discuss Uzumaki by Junji Ito! They also discuss serious mental fortitude, small city life, and the horrible snail at the Montreal biodome.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

In the first of two October episodes, Al and Maddie talk about the BEHEMOTH that is Basara by Yumi Tamura! They also talk about bird welfare, coop de aytah, and you get introduced to Al's whole family via random background noise at the end! This is an intentional bonus and not a mistake!

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

For July, Maddie and Al discuss Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani! They also discuss mysterious goldfish symbolism, mean children, and why Yuhki Kamatani is just the best ever, okay?

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Al and Maddie discuss the first 7 volumes of Natsume's Book of Friends by Yuki Midorikawa! They also discuss chill vibes, left egg, and how this boy is DOING HIS ABSOLUTE BEST.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al (and Stella the dog?) are talking about Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge! They also talk about The Narrator, Tengen's weed smoking girlfriends, and BARK BARK THERE IS A DOG OUTSIDE BARK BARK BARK...

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

In this (very late) episode, Al and Maddie talk about Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya! They also talk about judgy funeral guests, one tin soldier, and a LOT of (fictional) family trauma.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

A very relevant article that came out after we recorded:

The Transient Queerness of Fruits Basket by Garrick Schultz - https://www.animefeminist.com/the-transient-queerness-of-fruits-basket/

It's time to crown the BEHOLD! MANGA! 2022 CHAMPION! We also discuss some other favourites from the year.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

Happy December! This month, Maddie and Al talk about Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama! They also talk about Gods of Death, and the rules for blackmailing someone, and one of them has a very suspicious cold!

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

For November, Al and Maddie discuss Tegami Bachi by Hiroyuki Asada! They also discuss becoming the sun, Jesus metaphors, and........ the author's favourite things to draw

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This ~spooky~ month, Maddie and Al read The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu! They also discuss traumatized children, some wonderful gay dads, and... a football covered in ants? I don't know, that metaphor got away from me, but I STAND BY IT... 

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

Videos mentioned in the episode:

Sister Krone - A Bit Racist Right? by Cid Aghast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2-do75zP0I&t=23s

Let's Talk About Sister Krone by Zeria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x7FVeFEVyc&t=2s

The Day Rue "Became" Black by Yhara zayd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie9NOhSG6rI&t=774s

This month, Maddie and Al read Strobe Edge by Io Sakisaka! They also discuss public transit, how Manabu is a GOOD BOY, and deeply analyze the relationship drama between fictional teenagers.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al are talking about the first arc of Pokemon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka and Mato! They also touch on 90's slang, rereading things as an adult, and unhinged childhood fanfiction documents!

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al talk about Nabari No Ou by Yuhki Kamatani. They also talk about every character in too much depth, have a fortune cookie interlude, and pronounce "shinrabanshou" in maybe 700 different ways!

LISTEN. This episode came out in May. It did. And the next one will be out in August. June. August is the new June.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al discuss "Assassination Classroom" by Yusei Matsui! They also talk about coming of age, jumping across logs like a shonen protagonist, and the WcDonalds Cinematic Universe.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al read "Ultra Maniac" by Wataru Yoshizumi! They also talk about the middle school experience, author's asides, and library thievery.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This February, Maddie and Al read "After Hours" by Yuhta Nishio! They also discuss all the things they've learned about DJing, the hottest party scene (high school prom), and COMMUNICATION.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This week, Maddie and Al discuss "We Were There" by Yuki Obata. They also discuss the detailed psychology of fictional characters, "bone town", and WHERE ARE THE ADULTS?

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

This month, Maddie and Al discuss "+Anima" by Natsumi Mukai! They also discuss Al's criminal past, problematic takes from the year 2000, and The Power Of Friendship.

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo

In their debut podcast episode, Maddie and Al discuss "The Earl and the Fairy", by Mizue Tani and Asako Takaboshi! They also discuss YA novel tropes, fractions, and TWENTY-SEVEN NOVELS???

🎈Theme Song : Daystar - Strawberry flavor love / https://youtu.be/zMi0dxVgqvo