Shojo & Tell: A Manga Podcast

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?

REFERENCES

• Both Cowboy Bebop manga adaptations are out of print. They were previously published by Tokyopop.
• The Cowboy Bebop anime is still beloved by many who aren't the Ashes
• The Netflix live action version of Cowboy Bebop was fun
• Yoko Kanno's music is part of what makes the anime such a hit
• Other series mentioned:
  • Outlaw Star
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
    • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days
  • Dimension W
  • Bleach
  • Legal Drug
  • X
  • Gurren Lagann
  • The Vision of Escaflowne
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Maid-Sama!
• Tech bros trying to colonize space: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

This episode discusses volumes 8–15 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji.

Sariphi has gone from ritual sacrifice to acting queen, but she's still working to gain the respect of members of beastkind. In this episode about the back half of Tomofuji's series, Mackenzie from Mac Loves Manga and Shojo and Tell host Ashley break down the highlights. We get to talk more about our favorite hyena boy, Lante, and his heartwarming worldviews; crotchety Anubis and the amazing journey he went on (where he got stabbed at least twice); the power of Sariphi, particularly in the arc with Fenrir; plus, we finally find out why the king is partially human, and meet some of the best side characters who should definitely have their own series.

• Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is available from Yen Press in English
  • There's a spinoff that's not licensed yet, The White Rabbit and the Beast Prince
• Be sure to check out Shoujo Sundae, Colleen's Manga Recs, and Basic Boi
• Other anime/manga mentioned
  • Vampire Knight
  • One Piece
  • Requiem of the Rose King
  • My Happy Marriage
  • Ooku
  • Tokyo Ghoul
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • The World is Still Beautiful
• Dub actors lobbying for better pay
• Mad Max
• Avengers: Endgame
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Mackenzie on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr
• Mackenzie's YouTube channel
• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter

Covers all three volumes of Legal Drug by Clamp

Get ready to get high. And horny. And gay. And paid. Okay, to be honest, we're not sure what the drug is, or that it's legal, but hey, we're here to talk about it anyway. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher continue their Clamp journey with Legal Drug, which is technically complete, in the same way that QQ Sweeper is complete (which is to say: Not at all, because there's a sequel, Drug & Drop, and it's been on hiatus for forever). None of the central mysteries of Legal Drug is solved within the confines of the volumes. Well, whatever. We're all just here for Kazahaya and Rikuo being in provocative poses, right? The biggest question of the episode is: Is this queerbaiting? Get ready to hear our thoughts about Clamp's fiftymillionth JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fanfic (this one is basically the crappier version of xxxHolic).

REFERENCES

• Legal Drug is available from Dark Horse Comics
  • Drug & Drop is also available from Dark Horse Comics
• You should probably listen to CLAMPcast instead
• Other Clamp works mentioned:
  • MuriKuri
  • Suki
  • Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Clamp School Detectives
  • The One I Love
  • Tokyo Babylon
  • Man of Many Faces
  • Duklyon
  • xxxHolic
  • RG Veda
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Chobits
  • Angelic Layer
  • Wish
• Other manga/anime mentioned
  • Delicious in Dungeon
  • QQ Sweeper
  • Queen's Quality
  • Kimi ni Todoke
  • Cyborg 009
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days
  • Snow White with the Red Hair
• Figs need wasps
• The Ashes love Tales of games maybe too much
  • Tales of Vesperia (Raven)
  • Tale...

This episode discusses all volumes (1-8) of The Vision of Escaflowne by Katsu Aki

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. Instead of being a badass track and field star with short hair who saves Van and Allen more times than anyone in the series bothers to count, Hitomi is now a busty babe with glasses who's necessary to pilot the giant mech, Escaflowne. Prince Van is an annoying uncouth and unskilled swordsman. Sir Allen is a knight who is nothingness. Dilandau is — well okay, Dilandau is still a pretty crazy delight, honestly. But a different kind of crazy delight.

The Ashes discuss what this iteration of ESCAFLOWNE has to offer in comparison to the beloved TV anime and the gritty movie adaptation of the series.

REFERENCES

• Unfortunately (fortunately?), this manga is out of print. It was originally published in English by Tokyopop.
  • The anime is available from Funimation
  • As is the movie
  • The shojo manga version has never been licensed in English
• Other Escaflowne things
  • "Memory of Fanelia" song
  • ANNcast movie episode from 2015
• Other series mentioned
  • Digimon
  • Cardcaptor Sakura
  • Sailor Moon
  • Fushigi Yugi
  • Cyborg 009
  • Evangelion
  • Hot Gimmick
  • Darling in the Franxx
  • Sword Art Online
  • Dragon Ball Z (Master Roshi)
  • Bleach
  • Magic Knight Rayearth
  • xxxHolic
  • Spy x Family
  • Hunter x Hunter
  • Cowboy Bebop
• Misc. memtions
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation
  • The Hunger Games
  • Neo Yokio "Helena Saint Tessero is the plot."
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Shredder)
• Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs

CONTACT US

• Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
• Ashley on Bluesky

This episode discusses volumes 1–7 of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji.

Sariphi goes from ritual sacrifice to acting queen consort in the span of only a few volumes. The real problem? She's a human living among beastkind, hiding the secret of the part-human beast king while trying to win over the hearts and minds of people who look nothing like her. Tomofuji's series pushes boundaries, and Mackenzie from Mac Loves Manga is here to fully break them down. Mackenzie joins Shojo and Tell host Ashley to discuss the political intrigue of this series, how refreshing Sari is as a heroine, how endearing the tsundere boys Anubis and Lanteveldt are, and, as is only natural, make inevitable comparisons to Beastars and Zootopia.

REFERENCES

• Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is available from Yen Press in English
• Be sure to follow Shoujo Sundae and Colleen's Manga Recs
• Other anime/manga mentioned
  • Alice 19th
  • Romantic Killer
  • Yona of the Dawn
  • Skip Beat!
  • Gakuen Alice
  • Tears of a Lamb
  • Sukeban Deka
  • Kill la Kill
  • Bibliophile Princess
  • Bleach
  • Naruto
  • Mob Psycho 100
  • Beastars
  • Demon Slayer
  • Oshi no Ko
  • Takane and Hana
  • A Centaur's Life
  • Monster Musume
  • Darling in the Franxx
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Other media mentioned:
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Zootopia
  • Balto
  • The Hunger Games
  • The Matrix
• Anime Feminist review of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts episode 1
• Hana to Yume magazine
...