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A discussion of volumes 7–12 (the second half) of Shortcake Cake by Suu Morishita. Ashley and Olive are back to process what the heck happened in the back half of Morishita’s series. They discuss Rei and Riku's family drama, Riku and Ten and Chiaki’s relationship (how is Riku not canonically confirmed bi??), the use of tension in Morishita's works, and much, much more. Because so much happened in these six volumes, and the reader is definitely not prepared for all of them. REFERENCES Shortcake Cake is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line A Sign of Affection, Morishita's current work, is being published by Kodansha Other manga mentioned: My Love Mix-Up! Maid-Sama! Ouran High School Host Club Other artists mentioned: CLAMP Arina Tanemura Truck-kun The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman Bridgerton Season 2 Jacob and Renesmee from Twilight Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Olive on Twitter: @allofthemanga Olive writes for But Why Tho? Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

This episode covers volumes 1–6 of Shorkcake Cake by Suu Morishita (that's the first half). The duo that makes up Suu Morishita burst onto the English manga scene in recent years with Shorkcake Cake and A Sigh of Affection. In this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and manga reviewer Olive discuss what makes SCC a breath of fresh air, from Ten's kind frankness, to Chiaki's dorkiness, to Riku's fumbling sincerity. Then again, there's also Rei, who's been going Goblin Mode since before it was cool. Why?? REFERENCES Shortcake Cake is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line A Sign of Affection, Morishita's current work, is being published by Kodansha Other manga mentioned: Ao Haru Ride Daytime Shooting Star Dengeki Daisy Princess Jellyfish Fruits Basket Snow White with the Red Hair My Love Mix-Up! Bleach How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Olive on Twitter: @allofthemanga Olive writes for But Why Tho? Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

We discuss all three volumes of After Hours by Yuhta Nishio. Welcome to the club. Emi knows nothing about dance music. Kei is a DJ with manic pixie dream girl energy. Emi gets sucked into Kei's world in this series that's basically a 101 lesson in EDM. "Isn't this a seinen manga?" Yes, yes it is. But Shojo & Tell host Ashley has a soft spot for these lesbian DJs, so we're covering it anyway! Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss the particular moment in music time the series is in response to, how relatable Emi's millennial struggle is, the rosy portrayal of technology and the club scene we get, and more. Let's vibe. REFERENCES After Hours is available from Viz Media in English Ashley's been reading Tim: The Official Biography of Avicii, which provides a great history of the scene After Hours is in response to (and also, it's sad :( RIP Tim) Take a look at the top 100 DJs in the world throughout the years on DJMag. You will see a lack of women. Asher keeps raving about One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, no matter what the discussion Other series mentioned: Dimension W Chobits Daytime Shooting Star Nonstandard/specific tech mentioned: Google Glass Apple AirTag Songs/artists mentioned in episode but not in the manga: DJ Sumirock Avicii deadmau5 Calvin Harris Skrillex Swedish House Mafia The Chainsmokers "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" [Seeb Remix] by Mike Posner Lil Dicky "Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry "Save Me, San Francisco" by Train Songs/artists mentioned in the manga (at least, the ones we know are real): "Music Sounds Better With You" by Stardust Daft Punk "We Are Your Friends (Justice Vs Simian)" "Lucky Star" by Basement Jaxx "Local Distance" Rytmeklubben Pa's Lam System Iglooghost DJ Wildparty Ducky Slugabed GRRL Female DJs Ashley likes: Rezz Buddygrrl Chantel Jeffries Havana Brown Juicy M Krewella NERVO Rebecca & Fiona The Jane Doze Cool EDM/electronic-y songs/artists Ashley is forever sad don't get enough attention: Dave Edwards "Slow Down" by BeatauCue The Naked and Famous Broke for Free "OMG" by Gryffin ft. Carly Rae Jepsen is a god-tier level song, it is a CRIME that it was not played on mainstream radio Hujje The Knocks I'm sure there are 50 million things I'm forgetting but you get the picture Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery Asher on Twitter:  @asherdashery Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 10–18 of Takane and Hana by Yuki Shiwasu (that's the second half of the series). Takane is 27. Hana is 17. They're arranged marriage partners, and they're finally read to admit that they're in love. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and librarian Kelly are back to discuss how this age-gap romance wrapped up its story with a blissfully minimal amount of squick but still a high amount of disappointment. That's what the drama was between Takane and his mom and the whole Takaba corporation? Takane and Hana have to get married right now? Hana ends up just as a housewife? But we did get something great in the end: a possible OT3 with Yukari, Kirigasaki, and Rino. REFERENCES Takane and Hana is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line Kelly used to host a podcast called One Panel Later Kelly has been on to discuss House of the Sun and Waiting for Spring There are some Maid-Sama vibes in Shiwasu's series Other manga mentions: Tokyo Ghoul Demon Slayer Naruto A Silent Voice Princess Jellyfish Fullmetal Alchemist Kelly said she got Breaking Dawn vibes from this ending Aren't we all hikikomori now? Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute She says her Twitter is now a danmei/MXTX fan account Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 1–9 of Takane and Hana by Yuki Shiwasu. Hana is a perfectly average high school girl. Takane is a 26-year-old scion of a conglomerate. Together, they are arranged marriage partners (but they're definitely not dating!!). Kelly returns once again to talk about an age-gap romance — one that both she and Ashley are highly positive on. In this episode about the first half of the series, Kelly and Ashley try very, very hard to articulate how the series never (well, almost never, anyway) enters squick territory, talk about the wide cast of characters (Rino is great! Also, why is Rino here??), and discuss the funniest parts of the series. We promise, it's worth giving this hilarious contemporary a chance! REFERENCES Takane and Hana is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line Kelly used to host a podcast called One Panel Later Kelly has been on to discuss House of the Sun and Waiting for Spring There are some Maid-Sama vibes in Shiwasu's series Yuki looks like Hitomi from Escaflowne Nicola looks like a combo of the priest from Yona of the Dawn and Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club Terrace House: Aloha State Suicide of Terrace House resident Hana Kimura Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all 10 volumes plus the 10th anniversary side stories of The Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda (that's the five omnibus volumes released by Udon!) It's hard to overstate how significant The Rose of Versailles is to the history of shojo manga and beyond. In this episode about Riyoko Ikeda's masterpiece, Erica Friedman, the editor of the English edition of the series, details the legacy of Oscar François de Jarjayes, the ultimate girl prince. Erica answers listener questions about the localization, plus she and Ashley dive into the series' queerness (despite not being about gender or sexuality), how historically accurate it is to the events of the French Revolution (immensely), and much more. We hope you're as delighted as we are to finally be able to read this iconic series legally, in gorgeous English editions. REFERENCES The Rose of Versailles manga is available physically in omnibuses from Udon Entertainment The Rose of Versailles anime is available from Discotek. (But you have to watch the Dear Brother anime first.) Ikeda is part of the legendary Magnificent 49ers group of manga artists  Erica's book, By Your Side, will be coming out in 2022. It's about the history of yuri manga. Other great folks who worked on the English edition of The Rose of Versailles: Erik Ko (head of Udon) Mari Morimoto (translator) Jocelyne Allen (translator) The first Girl Prince was Sapphire in Osamu Tezuka's Princess Knight (available in English from Kodansha) Erica's equation on manga legends: If Osamu Tezuka is the god of manga, then Riyoko Ikeda is the goddess of manga, and Go Nagai is the creepy uncle Now you know why Sarasa is always saying she wants to play Oscar in Kageki Shojo!! The Rose of Versailles is important to the Takarazuka Revue Legacy of girl princes: Utena in Revolutionary Girl Utena Haruka Tenou from Sailor Moon Redacted letters between Marie-Antoinette and Axel von Fersen were recently decoded Historian Evelyn Farr has a great video on Marie-Antoinette and Fersen  One of the Lulu stories is based off Elizabeth Báthory Miscellaneous mentions: ALA list of great graphic novels for teens The Heart of Thomas Flower Stories Revue Starlight Babylon 5 reboot Other Ikeda work: Claudine Mangasplaining is another good manga podcast Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Erica's Yuricon site: https://okazu.yuricon.com/ Erica on Twitter: @OkazuYuri Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers both volumes of SP Baby by Maki Enjoji. We're back with another Enjoji title! This time, it's a classic bodyguard romance, full of tragic backstories and sexual harassment. Tamaki joins the Security Police for Kagetora, the prime minster's nephew, against her better judgment (she really needs this job) and of course, romance ensues whether the heroine wants it or not. Ashley and Asher discuss how Tamaki's extreme form of accountability is actually refreshing, while Kagetora manages to avoid landing at the very bottom of the barrel for romantic heroes. We've seen worse. We've also seen way better. REFERENCES SP Baby is available from Viz Media Listen to our House of the Sun episodes Listen to our Princess Jellyfish episodes Kagetora is Anti-Everything, but he loves Tamaki Remember The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Good times.... Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery Asher on Twitter:  @asherdashery Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all 7 volumes of An Incurable Case of Love by Maki Enjoji. We're back with a cute josei series! It's like Grey's Anatomy, but with a more contained cast and a lot more sexual harassment from the patients. Sakura has had a crush on Dr. Tendo since she saw him save a stranger in the streets, but when they finally start working together, he's not exactly the kindly doctor she imagined him to be. Shojo & Tell host Ashley is joined by Alex Yates of The Yona Podcast to talk about this blossoming workplace romance, boundary setting in relationships, and more. How 'bout that turn with Nice Guy Nishi?? REFERENCES An Incurable Case of Love is available from Viz Media Alex hosts The Yona Podcast, a Yona of the Dawn podcast Yona of the Dawn is available from Viz Media Other works from Maki Enjoji: Happy Marriage?! SP Baby Other series mentioned: Maid-Sama! Nana Misc. things Grey's Anatomy Ellen  Pompeo Anime News Network: Do We Still Need Shonen/Shojo Labels? Women-only passenger cars in Japan Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You? [Buzzfeed Quiz] Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US The Yona Podcast on Twitter: @theyonapod The Yona Podcast on Tumblr: theyonapodcast Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Host Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 16–23 of Hana-Kimi by Hisaya Nakajo. Welcome back for the final Hana-Kimi episode! The Ashleys are back to discuss how wild this ride has been: The strange results of the final character poll, what the series says about gender, how it compares to other gender-bending series, and of course, finally, the ships. Also: Can you believe this manga kept up the premise of Mizuki's gender being a secret the ENTIRE TIME? We just don't get manga like this anymore!  REFERENCES Hana-Kimi is available from Viz Media This series is the precursor to Ouran Other manga mentioned: Tokyo Babylon Girl Got Game Basara Not Your Idol Princess Jellyfish Fruits Basket Kimi ni Todoke Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Ashley Hawkins' website: Manga Librarian Ashley Hawkins' Twitter:  @manga_librarian Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Host Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Welcome back to Osaka High and the middle third of Hana-Kimi. Shojo and Tell host Ashley is joined by Manga Librarian Ashley to talk about all the hijinks that ensued here. What’s the tone? Gil’s still here?! How can Mizuki assume Sano doesn’t know she’s a girl when she sleeps with him in the same bed half the nights and she’s got her boobs pressed up against him? Mizuki grew up in Berkeley, California? You know what, that makes a lot of sense, actually... REFERENCES Hana-Kimi is available from Viz Media This series is the precursor to Ouran Everyone should watch The Vision of Escaflowne Tatsuki from Fushigi Yugi is like Nakatsu Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Ashley Hawkins' website: Manga Librarian Ashley Hawkins' Twitter:  @manga_librarian Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Host Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 1–8 of Hana-Kimi by Hisaya Nakajo. We're throwing back and throwing down with a big-time, gender-bending shojo classic: Hana-Kimi, aka, the precursor to Ouran High School Host Club. Mizuki Ashiya moves all the way from America to Japan, in high school, without express permission from her parents, just to be with her favorite high-jumper, Izumi Sano, a boy she's never met. Even better: She has to disguise that she's a girl so she can attend Sano's all-boys school. Who approved this premise? We don't know, but we do know it is full of good boys. Come listen if you love hijinks and dogs and stereotypes about gender (and America, too). REFERENCES Hana-Kimi is available from Viz Media This series is the precursor to Ouran Other series referenced: Naruto My Hero Academia Fruits Basket Boys Run the Riot It would be nice if Hana-Kimi was retranslated by transgender translators like Rachel Thorn “Queering” Heteronormativity: Biological essentialism in genderbending manga discusses Hana-Kimi a lot [Anime Feminist article] Back when Titanic premiered, people in Tokyo were meh about it Free Online Gender Quiz Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Ashley Hawkins' website: Manga Librarian Ashley Hawkins' Twitter:  @manga_librarian Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Host Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of RG Veda by CLAMP. This hyper-violent fantasy series was CLAMP's first traditionally published work — and it shows. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher talk about the highs and lows of this high-concept series about destiny and the power of love (what else is new?). All good boys are praised, and Yasha is not on the list. REFERENCES RG Veda is available from Dark Horse Listen to Clampcast's more in-depth RG Veda episodes! Religious texts mentioned: Rig Veda Mahabharata Ramayana Other CLAMP series mentioned: Magic Knight Rayearth Cardcaptor Sakura X Tokyo Babylon Tsubasa xxxHolic Other media mentioned: Digimon Noragami Air Gear Ranma 1/2 The Vision of Escaflowne Hana-Kimi Octopath Traveler Final Fantasy XV Haven Homestuck Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Asher on Archive of Our Own: @dashery Asher on Twitter:  @asherdashery Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of Earthian by Yun Kouga. Anime Feminist writer Vrai Kaiser joins Shojo & Tell host Ashley to discuss this late 1980s boys' love hot mess of a manga. Earthian starts off as a sort of mashup between Pet Shop of Horrors and The Good Place and ends somewhere way, way off from that. Vrai and Ashley discuss all the religion that is (and isn't) happening with the Catholicsploitation, how sweet Chihaya and Kagetsuya's relationship actually is, how many of the ideas the series presents (but doesn't follow through with) are actually still startlingly relevant, and tons more (probably problematic) topics. The journey is surprising and delightful and horrifying all at the same time. REFERENCES You can buy Earthian digitally from DMP (Yeah..... Yeah) Other Yun Kouga series mentioned: Loveless Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle) Other manga series / creators mentioned: Pet Shop of Horrors Tokyo Babylon Fake Banana Fish Angel Sanctuary // Kaori Yuki Neon Genesis Evangelion Mars Tramps Like Us Vatican Miracle Examiner Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Fushigi Yugi // Yuu Watase Heart of Thomas // Moto Hagio Kaze to Ki no Uta Gravitation The Tyrant Falls in Love Devilman Wish JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Land of the Lustrous Mari Okada Kentaro Miura Jun Mochizuki Misc.  references: The Good Place Bechdel Test Metatron Seifuku Shinzo Abe Beard (slang) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tower of Babel The Three Laws of Robotics Smallville Caitlin, Mercedez, and Vrai are all writers at Anime Feminist Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Vrai on Twitter: @WriterVrai Vrai on Anime Feminist Vrai's podcast,  Trash and Treasures Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 8–14 of Waiting for Spring by Anashin. We’re back to talk about the second half of Waiting for Spring, aka, Girly Kuroko's Basketball. Kelly and Ashley discuss how Towa and Aya are in a philosophical fight over what strength is, how well-handled Ryuji and Nana's relationship is, and just what about Waiting for Spring makes it so special. Also a lot of complaining about Aya. He's 17. He doesn't know anything! Waiting for Spring is available from Kodansha. Kelly used to have a podcast called One Panel Later and was on for the House of the Sun episodes Other series mentioned: Naruto One Piece Blue Period Kuroko's Basketball Ouran High School Host Club Skip Beat Daytime Shooting Star Ao Haru Ride Kimi ni Todoke Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute Kelly’s work on the defunct Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 1–7 of Waiting for Spring by Anashin. The wait is finally over! We're FINALLY talking about the basketball boys! Waiting for Spring is one of the most wholesome shojo series around and will have you smiling like a fool. Librarian Kelly and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss why Towa is the best, why Aya does not deserve to be in second place in the character poll (rude to Mitsuki and Ryuji), how you shouldn't write real-people fanfiction, and much more. It's basically Kuroko's Basketball, but shojo. What more could you want? Seiryo, fight! REFERENCES Waiting for Spring is available from Kodansha. Sara Linsley is the letterer of the series and a previous podcast guest! Kelly used to have a podcast called One Panel Later and was on for the House of the Sun episodes Other series mentioned: Kimi ni Todoke My Hero Academia Demon Slayer Natsume's Book of Friends Haikyu!! Princess Jellyfish A Silent Voice Japanese terms mentioned: Fujoshi Megane After by  Anna Todd  is Harry Styles real-people fanfic that was turned into a movie. We say HELL NO to this. Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Kelly on Twitter: @kellyqute Kelly’s work on the defunct Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers volumes 8–13 of Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka. One year after recording about the first half of Ao Haru Ride, we’re back on the bandwagon to talk about the ending. Shojo Beat Senior Editor Nancy and Shojo & Tell host Ashley talk about every single confession and rejection scene, consistently compare the series to WE WERE THERE, bring up one too many times that [SPOILERS] it’s annoying that Kou was hit by a car, and so much more. Like, get out of here, Kikuchi. Kou and Futaba forever. REFERENCES You can find our first Ao Haru Ride episode here Ao Haru Ride is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat line Other works Nancy has edited: Vampire Knight Idol Dreams Maison Ikkoku Collector's Edition My Love Mix-Up! Other Io Sakisaka works: Strobe Edge, Love Me, Love Me Not Ao Haru Ride pays homage to We Were There Other manga mentioned: Horimiya CLAMP My Love Story!! Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Nancy runs the Shojo Beat Twitter: @shojobeat You can ask questions and make licensing requests on Shojo Beat's Tumblr: officialshojobeat Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00 The next episode will be about volumes 1 –7 of Waiting for Spring by Anashin.

Covers all the short stories in Revolutionary Girl Utena: After the Revolution by Chiho Saito For the 20th anniversary of Revolutionary Girl Utena, we were gifted this volume of short stories (one for Touga and Saionji, another for Juri and Shiori, the final for Miki and Kozue) that function as a "sequel" of sorts to the Utena anime (not the manga). Anime scholar Rose Bridges comes back on the Shojo & Tell to talk about Utena without Utena (sort of?). Rose and Ashley debate which story of the three is the strongest, what it means for there to have been a revolution if the characters haven't really changed, and why the heck Nanami keeps getting so slighted. REFERENCES Utena: After the Revolution is available from Viz Media You can read Rose's review of the manga on Anime News Network here Pick up a copy of Rose's book about the music of Cowboy Bebop Rose has an article coming out in Mechademia Ohtori.nu is a great Utena resource References: Legend of Galactic Heroes Sarazanmai Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Follow Rose on Twitter @composerose Follow the podcast on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr Follow Ashley on Twitter @AshMcD00 If you have any comments or questions, you can email shojoandtell@gmail.com

Covers all 10 volumes of the original Pet Shop of Horrors series by Matsuri Akino. Welcome to Count D's pet shop, where you can find the rarest pets that will make your dreams come true — and might just murder you, too. Horror fan, Yen Press employee, and Manga Machination's co-host Morgana Santilli explains why this wish shop fantasyland appealed to her so much growing up, and what makes Akino's work so special. Morgana and Shojo & Tell host Ashley also discuss: What is Count D? Is he good, is he bad, is he amoral? What exactly is going down with him and Leon, anyway? There's a lot to unpack here, but the answer to all questions about favorites (characters, stories, pets) is Leon's brother, Chris. He's such a good boy! REFERENCES Unfortunately, Pet Shop of Horrors is out of print. You can find used copies on Thriftbooks and eBay (though they can be pricey). Series similar to Pet Shop of Horrors: Nightmare Inspector Yokai Rental Shop Phantom Tales of Night xxxHolic Other media mentioned: Tomie by Junji Ito Fruits Basket Bleach Sailor Moon After School Nightmare Yu Yu Hakusho Claudine Rose of Versailles Banana Fish Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time Legal Drug Gravitation Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden Devilman Crybaby Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Morgana on Twitter: @MorganaRhalina Morgana's website: Manga Maven Morgana's manga podcast: Manga Machinations Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

Covers all of Tokyo Mew Mew and Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode Reiko Yoshida and Mia Ikumi. In the early 2000s, this series about a team of five young girls infused with the DNA of rare animals fighting aliens bent on reclaiming the Earth became a phenomenon. Tokyo Mew Mew is supposed to get a new anime adaptation in the year 2021, so we decided to read the original magical girl series and its sequel.  Mew Mew superfan Mercedez Clewis expounds on why the series left such a lasting impact on her and the magical girl genre in general. Mercedez and Shojo & Tell host Ashley also discuss their favorite Mews, what is and isn't a magical girl series, how the aliens were kinda right though, how they prefer to eat strawberries, and so much more in this jam-packed episode. REFERENCES Tokyo Mew Mew and Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode  are available from Kodansha Comics. There are two new sequel series to Tokyo Mew Mew: 2020 Re-Turn and Tokyo Mew Mew Au Lait (not Óle!!!) Other series/creators/characters mentioned: The Vision of Escaflowne Cardcaptor Sakura Sailor Moon Madoka Magica Phantom Thief Jeanne Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden Revolutionary Girl Utena Kill la Kill Air Gear Yuu Watase Gen Urobuchi Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach) Indigenous peoples of Japan: Ainu Okinawan Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs CONTACT US Mercedez on Twitter: @pixelatedlenses Mercedez's work on: Anime Feminist, But Why Tho? Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00

A discussion about the manga adaptation of Socrates in Love by Kyoichi Katayama and Kazumi Kazui Get ready to cry at this one-volume melodrama about a teenage couple torn apart by a tragedy. Socrates in Love follows Sakutaro and Aki as they go from being friends to lovers, but have their happiness cut short through illness. Chaplain-in-training Asher Sofman and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss how love and death are intertwined, how people grapple with suffering and illness, and other such fun, cheery topics. Ashley makes extensive comparisons between Socrates in Love and Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember, since they have similar plots and Sparks' novel is traditionally one of Ashley's favorite books. (Yes yes, we know.) REFERENCES Socrates in Love is currently out of print in English, but used copies can be easily found online. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks contains many of the same plot elements as Socrates in Love. That time Nicholas Sparks compared himself to Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms and The Hunger Games round out Ashley's traditional list of top three books. Manga mentioned: All My Darling Daughters Waiting for Spring Ao Haru Ride Tokyo Mew Mew Pet Shop of Horrors Outro song: "The Streatham Hill Gods" by Danosongs "Never stop digivolving" is the tagline of Podigious! A Digimon Podcast, which Asher and Ashley used to cohost CONTACT US Asher on Twitter: @asherdashery Shojo & Tell on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram Ashley on Twitter: @AshMcD00 Next episode will be about Tokyo Mew Mew by Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida