Manga Tak

Manga Tak
  • 3.0 (2)
  • ANIMATION & MANGA
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Weekly Manga Podcast where we discuss the finest 1st volumes of manga to help you chose your next favourite title and build your collection!

  1. 4D AGO

    Episode 85 - Suzuki-Kun's Mindful Life by Yuhki Fujimoto

    Looks can be deceiving. Kaoru Suzuki is a towering boy who strikes fear into the hearts of his classmates with his intimidating looks... If they just got to know him, they're realise he's a kind, gentle boy but unfortunately nobody takes the time!  That is until one day on the train to his new high school, he’s saved by a delicate but tough boy called Arata Haruna. The two boys hit it off immediately and slowly Suzuki begins to come out his shell to his new classmates, by revealing his unexpected passions for baking and gardening! This week, I'm joined by once again by Marg (aka MargReadsManga) to discuss Suzuki-Kun's Mindfull Life by Yuhki Fujimoto. Can this Shojo slice of life win us over? What does this book about challenging gender rolls have to say? And more importantly, how do we feel about the prospect of an age gap romance... --- Show Notes --- Manga --- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity by Saka Mikami Wash It All Away by Mitsuru Hattori After The Rain by Jun Mayuzuki Bunny Drop by Yum Unita My Love Story!! by Kazune Kawahara & Aruko Honey So Sweet by Amu Meguro --- TV Shows (and Podcasts) --- Pluribus (and the podcast!) --- Yuhki Fujimoto Interview (Japanese) Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    52 min

  2. JAN 5

    Episode 84 - Duranki by Kentaro Miura and Studio Gaga

    Duranki is book with two tales to tell... On one hand, it's the story of an androgynous child named Usumgal, born of the gods, but who is neither god nor human, neither male nor female. On the other, it's an experiment by Kentaro Miura to see if his manga studio, Studio Gaga, would be able to produce a work that could reach the high bar set by his masterpiece, Berserk.  Unfortunately, with Miura's untimely passing in  2021, neither of these stories will see an ending. Like the ancient myths on which Duranki is based, we're only left with a fragment of those stories...And just like scholars do with those tales of old, Mat and Tom will speculate widely on what IS there! Join us as we dig into Duranki: exploring the stories' 6 chapters, contrast it development concept also included in the volume on which it was based, before finally asking the question: should a creator's work continue after they're gone? And perhaps more fitting for a podcast that mainly recommends manga, is Duranki a good starting point for the Berserk-curious reader? --- Show Notes --- Berserk by Kentaro Miura Giganto Maxia by Kentaro Mirua Dragon Ball Super by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou --- Production Interview on Duranki with Mirua (in Japanese) --- Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    56 min

  3. 12/29/2025

    Episode 83 - Short Game by Mitsuru Adachi

    If you've spent years thinking that the work of Mitsuru Adachi isn't for you because you have no interest in baseball, pull up a chair!  This week on Manga Tak, I talk to designer and illustrator Bastian Najdek, to discuss Short Game! A collection of 5 short stories from one of Japan's masters of romance, that proves that while the book is about baseball, it also REALLY isn't! Join us as we take the field to discuss Adachi's beautiful compositions and writing, spend a little time in the outfield discussing badly dubbed Polish anime, before swinging for the fences and picking our favourite stories in the collection! --- Show Notes --- Mangaka Akira Toriyama Rumiko Takahashi --- Manga Touch by Mitsuru Adachi H2 by Mitsuru Adachi Cross Game by Mitsuru Adachi Short Program by Mitsuru Adachi Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ What's Michael? by Makoto Kobayashi Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    1h 2m

  4. 12/22/2025

    Episode 82 - Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura

    Vikings have seen a resurgence recently thanks to shows like (ahem) Vikings, and games like Assassins Creed Valhalla and Valheim, but what if I told you the best piece of Viking fiction of the past 20 years was actually a manga? And more importantly, that it's story is based on real vikings! This week, Mat's not only joined by another passionate lover of comics, but a descendant of Thorfinn Karlsefni himself: author and translator, Árni Beck Gunnarsson!  Join us as we really dive into Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura! We not only explore the book's story and themes, but actually talk at the length about viking history and the Icelandic sagas! It's an episode not to missed!  --- Show Notes: ---- Podcasts: The excellent Mangasplaining episode on Vinland Saga Árni's podcast, Tegneseriesnak  --- Manga: Planetes by Makoto Yukimura Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi Farewell My Odin by Chihiro Yoshioka --- Danish Viking Comics: Valhalla  Tall Tales of Midgard by Bjørk Matias Friis --- TV Shows / Movies Vikings Norsemen Akira Kurosawa --- Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    1h 10m

  5. 12/15/2025

    Episode 81 - Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno

    Takumi Fujiwara is a kid who doesn't really care about cars... Every morning he has to get up at the crack of dawn to make deliveries for his father's tofu shop. To him it's a hassle because of the strict requirements his father places on him... but those same requirements have also moulded him into the fastest racer on the Akina slope! This week, Mat is joined once again by Georgie (aka Mainly.Manga) to discuss Shuichi Shigeno's 1995 racing manga Initial D! With the volume being rolled out once more in sleek new omnibus editions (on which Mat and Georgie have wildly different opinions), is it time to take this classic out for a spin? Join as as we talk in length not only about it's presentation, including what's changed from the original English translations put out by Tokyo Pop, but it's contents! From art to story, we get behind the wheel and discuss what makes our motor's hum, as well as the potential potholes you might might experience in reading the book for the first time! Listeners, start your engines!  Show Notes - --- Interview with Shuichi Shigeno --- Manga Mentioned MF Ghost MARS Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    1h 2m

  6. 12/08/2025

    Episode 80 - RuriDragon by Masaoki Shindo

    After starting High School, Ruri Aoki thought that she was ready to deal with changes in her life... That was until she woke one day with a pair of horns growing out of her head, and her Mum told her it's because her Dad's actually a dragon! But this isn't a fantasy shonen title! In fact, it's actually a slice of life! Rather than battling mythical creatures with her newfound powers, Ruri is just trying to navigate the usual challenges of high school like meeting new people and fitting it... which isn't the easiest thing when your dragon powers decide to manifest in the middle of class! This week, I'm joined by SonMangaKing to discuss RuriDragon by Masaoki Shindo, a shonen title with a history of hiatuses and a ton of heart. We get into the book's interesting journey from One Shot, to Shonen Jump, to Jump Plus, how the fantasy elements mesh with the otherwise grounded tone of the book, and more importantly: is there enough good stuff here to make us keep reading? --- Show Notes --- Manga Kingdom by Yasuhisa Hara MAD by Yusuke Otori CITY by Keiichi Arawi RuriDragon Vol 2. Cover --- Movies Weapons Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    57 min

  7. 12/01/2025

    Episode 79 - Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzō

    Hiroto Ikuta is a carefree, and optimistic guy who's totally fine taking each day as it comes. While those around him worry he's approaching 30 with no real ambitions or love life, he's not worried at all! However, after the older woman he befriended passes away and he inherits her house in Tokyo, his life begins to change in unexpected ways!  The most notable of which is his cousin, Natsumi, moving in! She's struggling to figure out who she wants to be and trying to adapt to her newfound independence, but won't open up about it to Hiro! Can these two once close cousins reconnect now they share a roof? Will Hiro go back to acting? And just who is the mysterious girl he met at work? This week on Manga Tak, I sit down with Nick Westwood of RetroBreak to discuss Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzō! We talk about it's unique approach to slice of life storytelling, gush a little about the book's art and scratch a little deeper into how the book generates stakes and drama with a content MC! --- Show Notes Mangaka: Taiyō Matsumoto Naoki Urasawa Iou Karuda Inio Asano Tatsuki Fujimoto --- Manga Go Go Monster by Taiyō Matsumoto Tokyo Alien Bros. by Keigo Shinzō Holiday Junction by Keigo Shinzō Solanin by Inio Asano Sketchy by Makihirochi --- Interviews  Matsumoto x Asano x Keigō --- Other Illustrators SanLemo Lucie Byron Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    1h 5m

  8. 11/24/2025

    Episode 78 - City Hunter by Tsukasa Hojo

    All you need to do to hire the service of the City Hunter is to write XYZ on the bulletin board of Shinjuku station and they’ll do the rest.... These Sweepers are guns for hire, with no case to big or small: anything goes... This week I'm joined once again by Tom to discuss the '80s cult classic City Hunter by Tsukasa Hojo! While the series debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1985, it's living proof that manga and the magazine have changed a lot in that time, and this one's definitely more of a seinen title! After really rolling up our sleeves and getting into the aspects that really haven't aged well with the book (see Ryo's pervy side), we get into discussing the nostalgic action movie feel the book offers and gush about how incredible Hojo's art is. --- Show Notes: Other Manga: Akira (and the podcast episode) Trigun Maximum (and the podcast episode) Fist of the North Star (and the podcast epiosde) Gun Smith Cats Cat's Eye Movies / TV: City Hunter 1993 (with Jackie Chan) City Hunter 2024 (modern Nexflix Reboot) Lethal Weapon Dirty Harry Miami Vice Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music! Find us on: X: Manga Tak Pod Bluesky: Manga Tak Pod Instagram: Manga Tak Pod

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A Weekly Manga Podcast where we discuss the finest 1st volumes of manga to help you chose your next favourite title and build your collection!

Information

  • Creator
    Manga Tak
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Manga Tak
  • Show Website
    Manga Tak

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