Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast

Brendan White

🌸 Welcome to Sakura Society — a brand built by anime and otaku fans, for anime and otaku fans. Each week we serve up hot, fresh content across audio and video — including Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast, one of Australia’s largest independent animanga shows. Plus, you’ll get rapid-fire anime news and reviews in 60 seconds with our In Bloom series. Whether you’re a seasoned otaku or just hitting play on your very first binge, Sakura Society is your new home for all things anime & otaku culture — reviews, news, chaos, and community. Come for the anime. Stay for the good times. ✨

  1. Shinobi Undercover | Manga Monday

    6D AGO · BONUS

    Shinobi Undercover | Manga Monday

    Welcome to Manga Monday! This week we're diving into Shinobi Undercover, written by Ippon Takegushi and illustrated by Santa Mitarashi, a modern ninja action comedy running in Weekly Shonen Jump that asks one beautiful question: what happens when the most lethal shinobi of his generation has crippling social anxiety? In this world, ninja still operate in the shadows of modern Japan, trained and deployed by the Ninja Public Safety Force as spies, bodyguards, and counterterrorists. Yodaka, is their strongest asset, an unstoppable force who can infiltrate anything, take down entire crowds of hitmen, and vanish without a trace. His new mission? Protect Aoi Mukai, a clumsy high school heiress being targeted by fugitive ninja, while blending in as a normal student. The problem? This guy can barely talk to people his own age without spiraling. But here's what makes it special: Yodaka doesn't win Aoi over with cool guy confidence or some rehearsed act. He wins her over by just being himself, awkward, earnest, and genuinely wanting to be her friend, something she's never actually had despite years of people being assigned to get close to her. It's got incredible action, genuine heart, and a comedic dynamic that just works. This one's a blast. If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.) Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlist Our amazing sponsors: Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

    1 min
  2. Witchriv | Manga Monday

    FEB 23 · BONUS

    Witchriv | Manga Monday

    Welcome to Manga Monday! This week we're diving into WITCHRIV, Hakuri's devastating new fantasy series running on Shonen Jump+ about a world where being born a mage is a crime punishable by death. Nona Ewin lives a quiet life hiding in plain sight with her mother, keeping their secret locked tight. She's got one real friend, Lovi, and when Nona uses magic to fix her broken glasses, that one small act of kindness brings the Bureau of Magic Surveillance crashing down on everyone she loves. The Bureau doesn't just arrest people, they execute children, they kill entire families for the crime of knowing a mage, and they do it without blinking. Now Nona's separated from her mother, alone in a world that wants her dead, armed with nothing but sewing magic and the kind of resilience that refuses to break. She's not out for revenge, she just wants to find her mom and live in peace, and somehow that makes her even more compelling. This one grabs you by the throat in chapter one and doesn't let go. If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.) Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlist Our amazing sponsors: Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

    1 min
  3. The Hennies | The People's 2025 Anime Awards

    FEB 19 · BONUS

    The Hennies | The People's 2025 Anime Awards

    The votes are in, the results are locked, and it's time to crown the best of the best in anime, as chosen entirely by YOU. That's right, The Hennies are BACK, and this year did NOT disappoint. From the studios that went absolutely crazy with their output to the openings we refused to skip, the villains we love to hate, and the romances that had us clutching our chests, 2025 was a year for the books. We're talking about shows like Gachiakuta, The Apothecary Diaries, My Hero Academia, and To Be Hero X. Characters like Maomao, Rudo, and All For One. Couples that made us believe in love again. Moments that had us losing our minds in real time. And of course — which anime did the community crown as the Anime of the Year? No critics. No committees. Just pure, unfiltered community love for the shows and characters that defined our year. Drop your predictions before you hit play, then let me know how you did. Were your favorites recognized? Any snubs that have you heated? I want to hear it ALL. This one's for you. If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.) Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlist Our amazing sponsors: Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

    9 min
  4. After God | Manga Monday

    FEB 16 · BONUS

    After God | Manga Monday

    Welcome to Manga Monday! This week we're diving into After God, Sumi Eno's wild horror-comedy masterpiece about a Japan that's been invaded by gods, and not the kind, merciful type. These are massive, incomprehensible beings called Idolatry Prohibited Organisms that turned entire cities into uninhabitable Danger Zones. Lock eyes with one? You turn to stone. They breathe on you? Your body dissolves into water. For thirty years, humanity has had one question: how do you kill a god? At the center is Kamikura Waka, a fierce high school girl who watched her best friend Shion die at the hands of a god, livestreamed for the world to see, and traveled to Tokyo not for answers, but for revenge. The twist? There's a god living inside her too. Then there's Tokinaga, the Anti-God researcher who found her, a gentle, self-sacrificing man hiding darkness of his own. Together they're humanity's best shot at fighting back. It's got body horror, black comedy, gods with absolutely unhinged blue-and-orange morality who don't even understand what death is, and a female lead in a shōnen who is genuinely allowed to be terrifying, vulnerable, and complex all at once. This one doesn't just break the mold, it asks why the mold was ever there in the first place. If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.) Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlist Our amazing sponsors: Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

    1 min
  5. 86 | Manga Monday

    FEB 9 · BONUS

    86 | Manga Monday

    Welcome to Manga Monday! This week we're diving into 86, Asato Asato and Shirabi's devastating military sci-fi masterpiece about the Republic of San Magnolia, a nation that claims it fights its war with "zero casualties" using unmanned mechs. The lie? Those mechs are piloted by the 86, people stripped of their humanity and sent to die in machines while the privileged sit safe behind walls. At the center is Shinei Nouzen, the "Undertaker" squadron leader who's seen too many comrades fall, and Vladilena Milizé, the Handler who refuses to see the 86 as disposable. It's about the cost of war, the weight of survival, and what it means to truly see someone as human. This one doesn't just hit, it devastates. If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.) Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlist Our amazing sponsors: Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

    1 min
4.6
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

🌸 Welcome to Sakura Society — a brand built by anime and otaku fans, for anime and otaku fans. Each week we serve up hot, fresh content across audio and video — including Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast, one of Australia’s largest independent animanga shows. Plus, you’ll get rapid-fire anime news and reviews in 60 seconds with our In Bloom series. Whether you’re a seasoned otaku or just hitting play on your very first binge, Sakura Society is your new home for all things anime & otaku culture — reviews, news, chaos, and community. Come for the anime. Stay for the good times. ✨

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