Like My Anime

Tom Scullin
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  • Visual Arts

A podcast dedicated to helping you find more of the anime, manga, and other Japanese media you’ll love

  1. 1d ago

    It's Getting Harder to Live in Japan

    Send us Fan Mail Life in Japan feels like it’s tightening from every direction, from a weak yen and rising prices to a government that seems eager to blame foreigners for problems it won’t solve. We trace how COVID-era border choices, Bank of Japan constraints, and today’s immigration rule changes collide with the daily reality of low wages and growing anxiety for foreign residents.  • why moving to Japan now can feel riskier than the internet admits  • how COVID border controls reshaped trust and attitudes toward outsiders  • why tourism keeps rising even as infrastructure and local budgets strain  • what a weak yen means for residents versus tourists paid in USD or EUR  • the Bank of Japan, interest rates, and the yen carry trade in plain terms  • new visa fee increases and why they hit harder on Japanese-level salaries  • tougher permanent residency rules around household income thresholds  • pension payment requirements and the uncertainty baked into the process  • how xenophobia and party politics shape immigration messaging  I'd check out this other episode where I talk about some real Japanese horror stories.   Summer is Scary in Japan  https://youtu.be/amFhVr-Njso https://www.buzzsprout.com/2439138/episodes/1964994 The YouTube channel Japanalysis has a great video series on far right YouTubers that you should definitely watch: Japan's Loudest Man Tries to Kick Out All Chinese Tourists https://youtu.be/uQ5u16NUKMU?si=StCc4wCj4S1Q_f5A "Japanese Trump" Fails Miserably and Goes to Prison https://youtu.be/j8pxuIQVH7o?si=OUao3G61dRlXPT2E Japan’s Right Wing Is Imploding Because of a Literal Clown https://youtu.be/WCk2hYLOdnI?si=Am64_BUIFwuBVvxn Resources: Will Japan bring down the world economy? | The Economist https://youtu.be/QBorPsQpEzU?si=_T600jxEfrhO4uZ- Nobody Wants to Admit Why America Just Bailed Out Japan (https://youtu.be/OC1yu0L7jT4?si=d02yZ51cUK6kEdem) Are more migrants in North East Asia inevitable? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service https://youtu.be/xiejP28Smug?si=A5N1dfbm8ZFE_cuh Crimes by loosely organized crime groups are on the rise across Japan https://youtu.be/KR8KmMUnm_0?si=01LAvzlMcl9MRZGt Japan's new criminal underworld https://youtu.be/xykfQawB6T8?si=WYNVQNSaDVaRrgkJ Additional Reading: Why did JICA withdraw from its Japan-Africa 'hometown' exchange initiative https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/4273/ What Drives Xenophobia? Political Discourse and Policies on Foreign Residents - Nippon.com https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d01220/?cx_recs_click=true False prisoner figure fuels anti-foreigner storm online - The Asahi Shimbun https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16818060 The impact of politicians’ behaviors on hate speech spread: hate speech adoption threshold on Twitter in Japan - Journal of Computational Social Science https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42001-024-00268-5 Reported crimes rise for third consecutive year, government data reveals - The Japan Times https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/19/japan/crime-legal/japan-crime-white-paper-2025/ Trends and Realities of Foreign Crime in Japan (2025): An Analysis Based on Official Statistics - EN-ICHI https://ippjapan.org/en_ichi/en/archives/1983 This last one is a little bit of a stretch but the great Dr. Wes Robertson and his channel Scripting Japan just posted this video (There's a bit about Sanseito half way through): https://youtu.be/j3Qk8S5_GSI?si=CcK-bUENo77FHWF- Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    It's Getting Harder to Live in Japan

  2. Aug 16

    Summer is Scary in Japan

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview We explore Japan's summer horror tradition — rooted in the Obon festival and kaidan ghost stories — through five recommendations spanning film, Netflix TV, legal drama, and anime. Key Discussion Points Obon and the belief that ancestral spirits return each summer, and how that gave rise to the kaidan storytelling traditionDollhouse (2025): a haunted-doll J-horror film from comedy director Shinobu Yaguchi, driven by parental grief rather than jump scaresHuman Vapor: a 2026 Netflix Japanese-Korean co-production rebooting a 1960s Toho tokusatsu film, blending body horror with an investigative crime dramaSins of Kujo: a non-supernatural legal drama about a lawyer defending morally repugnant clients, included as a different flavor of darknessMushishi: an anime following wandering healer Ginko and the Mushi, ancient beings treated as an ordinary part of the world rather than monstersYami Shibai: an anime that recreates kamishibai, a traditional street-performance storytelling format, through ultra-short horror episodesMain Takeaways Japanese horror media leans on grief, moral ambiguity, and atmosphere as much as jump scaresObon and kaidan give Japanese horror a distinct summer-season identity separate from Western Halloween horrorKamishibai is a direct cultural ancestor of the ghost-story format still used in anime todayWho This Episode Is For Anime and J-horror fans looking for a varied watchlistListeners interested in Japanese folklore, Obon, and the kaidan traditionFans of Japanese-language content who want cultural context alongside media recommendationsAnyone who wants horror recommendations outside the typical October seasonResources & Media Mentioned Dollhouse (2025), dir. Shinobu YaguchiHuman Vapor (2026, Netflix) — reboot of a 1960s Toho tokusatsu filmSins of Kujo (legal drama)Mushishi (anime)Yami Shibai / Theater of Darkness (anime)Podcast WebsiteYouTube ChannelCalls to Action Follow the podcastRate and review on your listening platform (it really helps!)Share with a friend who loves anime or horrorShare your own non-October horror picksThanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    Summer is Scary in Japan

  3. Jul 29

    A Manga That Finally Felt Like Me - Spacewalking With You

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview A personal, spoiler-light review of the manga Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda — a slice-of-life story about a "lazy" high schooler, Kobayashi, whose friendship with an unusual transfer student, Uno, slowly reveals just how much of his struggle was never really laziness at all. Key Discussion Points Overview of the manga's premise, setting, and central friendshipHow the story portrays neurodivergence without ever naming a diagnosisThe host's personal ADHD diagnosis and how it shaped their reaction to the storySpecific scenes discussed (spoiler-light): the notebook incident, the part-time job training manual, the glasses subplot, a sensory-overload moment between Uno and KobayashiWhat makes the manga's approach to representation feel different from typical media portrayalsA brief, honest critique (some side characters are hard to distinguish)Publication details: English release status and Japanese reading difficultyMajor Takeaways Representation doesn't require clinical labels to feel authentic — sometimes showing the experience is more powerful than naming the conditionCuriosity and empathy, rather than assumptions, are the engine of the story's emotional arcStruggles that look like "laziness" or "weirdness" often have deeper, unspoken explanationsSmall, unglamorous acts of kindness carry as much narrative weight as any dramatic plot turnWho This Episode Is For Manga readers looking for a thoughtful, low-stakes slice-of-life recommendationNeurodivergent listeners (diagnosed or self-identifying) interested in representation done with careParents and teachers who want media that might help them understand a child or studentJapanese-language learners looking for an intermediate (N3-level) manga to read in the originalNotable Resources, Books, People, or Media Mentioned Spacewalking with You — manga by Inuhiko Doronoda (English release: 3 volumes as of July; 6 volumes currently out in Japan)Author Inuhiko Doronoda's stated intent behind the story's mid-2000s settingCalls to Action Share what manga has made you feel personally understoodFollow the podcast for future manga/media recommendationsRate and review the showShare this episode with someone who might connect with the storyThanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    A Manga That Finally Felt Like Me - Spacewalking With You

  4. May 27

    Starting a Japanese Literature Channel: BookTube Newbie Tag

    Send us Fan Mail This month's episode is a sort of announcement, I'm gonna be taking a break from the podcast for a bit to focus on YouTube. If all the same content as video essays and booktube videos sounds interesting to you then I'd love for you to subscribe to the Like My Anime YouTube channel Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    Starting a Japanese Literature Channel: BookTube Newbie Tag

  5. Apr 21

    The Solitary Gourmet: A Hit Japanese Drama No One Talks About (in English)

    Send us Fan Mail We try to explain why The Solitary Gourmet, a plotless Japanese food drama about a man eating alone, became a massive hit across East Asia. We also dig into why it’s one of the best resources for real Japanese listening practice and what “healing” media reveals about modern comfort viewing.  • the show’s simple formula and why “nothing happens” works  • how real restaurants turn episodes into a food culture guide  • why the inner monologue is gold for Japanese language learning  • three reasons the drama clicks, from Matsushige’s performance to solo dining  • iyashi-kei and the demand for comfort media after stress  • our small gripes, from dreamlike pacing to non-bingeability  Check out The Solitary Gourmet on YouTube a few more food-focused dramas to watch next: Midnight Diner Then You Try Making It! What Did You Eat Yesterday? And if you enjoyed this episode then check out another episode where I talk about the anime My Dress-Up Darling: Apple Podcasts  Spotify YouTube  Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    The Solitary Gourmet: A Hit Japanese Drama No One Talks About (in English)

  6. Mar 23

    The Most Wholesome 'Fan Service' Anime: My Dress-Up Darling

    Send us Fan Mail We dig into why My Dress-Up Darling is more than a spicy high school rom-com and why dropping it after the first three episodes misses the real point. We talk craft, cosplay culture, gender expression, and why the series works surprisingly well for Japanese language learners.  • why the show gets mislabeled early and what changes after episode four  • Wakana Gojo’s Hina doll craftsmanship, childhood trauma, and loneliness  • Marin Kitagawa as the driver of the story and the cosplay partnership that builds real trust  • how the romance develops mostly through Marin’s point of view  • gender role reversals, gender-swapped cosplay, and naming and speech choices  • what “fan service” means, where the series justifies it, and where it feels exploitative  • how cosplay is viewed in Japan versus the US and why “time and place” matters  • CloverWorks’ animation choices and why the show feels so cozy  • manga and adaptation notes, including the final volumes and season three uncertainty  • Japanese learning value: everyday language, plus a heavy dose of modern slang  • extra recommendations: The Full-Time Wife Escapist, K-On, Who Does Housework Anymore  Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    The Most Wholesome 'Fan Service' Anime: My Dress-Up Darling

  7. Season 1 Trailer

    Podcast Trailer

    Send us Fan Mail Explore Japanese media, language, and culture every month on the Like My Anime podcast! Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

  8. Feb 24

    Why Adults Learn Languages Faster Than Kids

    Send us Fan Mail We unpack why L1 and L2 learning differ, where adult learners can excel, and how to use child‑like methods without buying the myth of effortlessness. Along the way we revisit the critical period, language intuition, and practical tools like nursery rhymes for better input. • L1 dominance, age of acquisition, and processing speed • Near‑native performance vs intuition in lab tests • Why the critical period applies to L1, not adult L2 • Transfer from L1 shaping L2 learning paths • Kids’ advantages: fearlessness, repetition, support • Adult strengths: strategy, focus, deliberate practice • Using nursery rhymes and skits for prosody and chunks • Cultural cues missing from beginner textbooks • Building your own support system and routines The best way to support the show is to recommend it to friends, rate us on whatever podcast listening app you are using, subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our Patreon for more. References Abrahamsson, Niclas & Hyltenstam, Kenneth. (2008). The robustness of aptitude effects in near-native second language acquisition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 30. 481 - 509. 10.1017/S027226310808073X.  Recommendations From a future episode on the effectiveness of nursery rhymes on L2 acquisition Dokodemo Jamboree Colormixing Synapusyu Okaasan to IsshoBonus: This was uploaded after I recorded this months episode but please also enjoy Jackie Chan’s City Pop Album  Jackie Chan – 無問題 (No Problem) Vinyl Rip  Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast! Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel Music: SUMMER TRIANGLE by Sharou

    Why Adults Learn Languages Faster Than Kids
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About

A podcast dedicated to helping you find more of the anime, manga, and other Japanese media you’ll love

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Scullin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Like My Anime
  • Show Website
    Like My Anime

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