My Taste is Better Than Yours

The latest episode focuses on the winners of the Next Manga Award for 2026: Someone Hertz by Ei Yamano and Home at the Horizon by Taiyou Watabe, along with our additional recommendations in the print and digital categories. We go over the history of the award, the trend towards Jump titles in the past few years, and go into whether we think the two winners are deserving and worth checking out,

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - another award-centric episode

2:01 Historical winners in print category

5:36 Historical winners in the web category

6:42 Is ‘Next Manga Awards’ launching successes or were they already hits?

7:54 Is it predictable that winners come from Weekly Shonen Jump and Jump+?

15:36 Someone Hertz by Ei Yamano

32:29 Print shoutouts: Bus for Two, Silver Mountain, Register, Dig It!, Roku’s House of Oddities

37:26 Samu’s Recommendation: Show-ha Shoten! by Akinari Asakura, Obata Takeshi

39:36 Enzo’s Recommendation: Futari Bus by Sakane Toyobayashi

41:06 Home at the Horizon by Taiyou Watabe

1:03:22 Digital shouts: Hitoner, WITCHRIV

1:04:45 Enzo’s Recommendation: Hirayasumi by Keigo Shinzou

1:06:35 Samu’s Recommendation: Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu

1:08:42 Final overview + ratings

In a similar fashion to our episode on Manga with Failed Anime Adaptations, we’re flipping it to the positive: those adaptations that we hail, and believe surpass the source material. Expect plenty of disagreements as we list of some potentially hot takes as well as a few we could both agree on!

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - why do some adaptation exceed their source material?

4:44 The Elusive Samurai by Yusei Matsui

8:42 Witch Watch by Kenta Shinnohara

15:31 A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Ooima

22:10 Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

26:08 Go For It, Nakamura! by Shundei

34:58 Heavenly Delusion by Masakazu Ishiguro

38:15 Nichijou - My Ordinary Life by Keiichi Arawi

43:02 Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate

50:22 Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi

55:26 Teasing Master Takagi-san by Souichirou Yamamoto

1:01:50 Honourable mentions

1:08:25 Hailed anime adaptations of non-manga

We switch to an Enzo recommendation this time, and it’s another all-timer for him: A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori: a historical drama set in Central Asia in the nineteenth century - the winner of a Manga Taisho award and many other acclaims throughout its run and thus it’s another test to see where an Enzo classic shapes up in Samu’s estimations.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - another one of Enzo’s ongoing favourite manga

2:50 Comparing the artwork of A Bride’s Story to Bleach

5:14 It’s like going into an art gallery - for better or worse

9:49 The story of multiple brides, not of a singular bride

11:23 Karluk and Amir - their dynamic, their age gap, their romance

19:52 Spoiler discussion begins

19:54 Henry Smith - is he the main character of the series?

25:13 Amir - is she a Mary Sue or not and the resolution point of a first cour

33:47 Standouts from the other brides in the series

44:06 No anime or live-action adaptation - why?

51:40 Enzo’s Recommendation: Go With the Clouds, North by Northwest by Aki Irie

53:46 Samu’s Recommendation: Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia (A Witch's Life in Mongol) by Tomato Soup

57:25 Final overview + ratings

Enzo’s 74-volume journey to finish Tite Kubo’s Bleach has finally come to an end… or has it? With the possibility of a sequel on the horizon and the final cour of the anime currently airing, what better time than to wrap up our thoughts on the controversial ending of the Thousand Year Blood War as well as of the series as a whole, including favourite arcs and characters.

Timecodes:

0:00 Continuing the Thousand Blood War discussion

1:24 General lack of surprises in Bleach - is it the platonic Battle Shonen manga?

12:28 Standouts from the Wahrwelt fights

22:08 The culmination of Mayuri’s character

25:55 The final stretch and the fan’s consensus on how it all plays out

30:13 Yhwach being too powerful as a final villain - anticlimax on the final fight and the wrap-up

40:46 The epilogue chapters and the final pairings

45:07 Enzo’s Recommendation: Gachiakuta by Kei Urana

47:30 Samu’s Recommendation: Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono

49:43 Thousand Year Blood War ratings and review

53:46 The Hell one-shot chapter - the return of Bleach is coming?

1:03:10 Bleach feels more “modern” than many shonen contemporaries

1:05:08 What modern series we consider the most directly influenced by Bleach?

1:07:57 Our rankings of the Bleach story arcs

1:10:37 Our Top 5 characters of Bleach

1:14:57 Full series final ratings and review

The final cour of Bleach’s Thousand Year Blood War is currently airing, so what better time than for Enzo to catch up and give his thoughts on the series than right now? In this first of two episodes we cover the majority of the quincy war and discuss the manga vs anime comparisons. Tune in for the second part next episode!

Timecodes:

0:00 The first of two episodes covering the ‘end’ of Bleach

4:02 Bleach at its biggest, most ambitious, and messiest?

7:22 Thousand Year Blood War manga vs the anime

13:36 The Sternritter - how do they compare with the other villains in the series?

20:50 Highlights from the impactful first invasion

32:20 Status quo vs change as a recurring theme + the Soul King’s existence

37:52 More highlights: Unohana vs Zaraki + Everything But The Rain flashback

45:51 Highlights from the second invasion

56:00 Squad Zero and Ichibe Hyosube’s characterisation

1:03:08 Yhwach absorbing the Soul King, comparing him to the previous villains

There have been a lot of anime adaptations of good manga. And a lot of them have not been good. We came up with our top 5 (or bottom 5?) list of failed anime adaptations - whether they failed to live up to our expectations or didn’t capture the essence of the source materials - with some familiar choices and more niche ones where our tastes differ from the general consensus.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - Our own rules and method for our choices

2:27 Popular choices we won’t pick: Tokyo Ghoul and The Flowers of Evil

4:28 Non-manga with a failed anime adaptation

14:30 What makes a good/bad adaptation?

16:35 The Promised Neverland

20:18 Ooku: The Inner Chambers

24:03 March Comes in Like a Lion

27:52 World Trigger

32:24 Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

36:20 Karneval

38:56 Horimiya

45:22 Berserk

48:49 Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer

54:26 Sakamoto Days

58:53 Return of the Kaijuu Wall

Hunter x Hunter is back! To celebrate, we're talking about highlights of the series, ranking our favourites characters ad arcs, re-iterating why I love the series as much as we do, and guessing how long we think it has left - and more.

Timecodes:

0:00 An overview episode on Hunter x Hunter

2:54 Is Togashi a gardener or an architect?

5:31 What is the one reason we love Hunter x Hunter?

8:39 If you were going to recommend this series, what would you say?

10:46 Best characters in Hunter x Hunter

14:40 Ranking the arcs

20:19 Why are fans of the 1999 anime hostile towards the 2011 anime?

25:43 Comparisons in fetish-y elements between Made in Abyss and Hunter x Hunter

31:44 Who is going to win the Succession Contest?

37:53 Favourite chapters of the series?

44:03 Which mangaka is most influenced by Hunter x Hunter?

45:47 Would we want someone to conclude the series without Togashi?

47:06 Guessing the final chapter of Hunter x Hunter?

We’re midway through 2026, what better time to do a retrospective so far on Weekly Shonen Jump? Is Weekly Shonen Jump dead? Why is it struggling to find hits? What series deserved to live that got cut? Are female characters treated better now than they used to be? All our takes on these, and more!

Timecodes:

0:00 Mid-year retrospective instead of our Jumping to Conclusions for 2026

1:34 “Weekly Shonen Jump is dead” - why is it struggling to find hits?

11:40 What cancelled series would we have kept around?

26:19 New and ongoing titles in first half of the year

41:24 Finished/cancelled titles in first half of the year

51:16 The series that might end soon

57:43 Our favourites from the rest of the magazine

1:09:16 Ken Ogino’s recent comment about female leads being sexualised in Jump

We’re discussing one of Enzo’s favourite manga this episode (Magus of the Library by by Mitsu Izumi) one that he’s shouted out multiple times in the past, and now we get to delve into this dense series and all it has to discuss: racism, sexism, environmentalism, and plenty more topics in a high fantasy setting, about an optimistic young boy who loves the power of stories and sets out on the journey to become a librarian, with all the trials that come with it.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - Enzo’s latest recommendation for Samu to read

4:54 An incredibly dense, dialogue- and idea-heavy fantasy series

6:19 “Too woke” critique - a series heavy on commentary on history and present day

11:16 Theo Fumis - the adorable young book-loving boy who wishes to be a Kafna

15:28 The all-knowing narrator, a story-within-a-story, and the love of storytelling

18:42 The worldbuilding and language influences

23:12 The recurring Fumis surname?

24:36 Spoiler discussion begins

24:43 The role racism plays in Magus of the Library

33:02 Knowledge is power, censorship, and misinformation - does it ever feel too modern?

39:05 Our highlights of the Kafna exam and life as as apprentices

51:27 Sophie Schwimm as a device and a character

55:54 Sedona and the book with no name - is she a mentor? Rival? Villain?

1:01:43 The Third Act (The Liaisons Office) section of the story now

1:07:42 Why hasn’t it gotten an anime yet?

1:10:07 Tei’s character and her importance within the narrative + Aya shoutout

1:12:40 Enzo’s Recommendation: A Bride Story (Otoyomegatari) by Mori Kaoru

1:15:21 Samu’s Recommendation: Yu Yu Hakusho (Chapter Black) by Yoshihiro Togashi

1:16:23 Comparisons to Witch Hat Atelier

1:19:02 Final overview + ratings

We’re onto the Lost Agent (aka Fullbring) arc of Bleach now; one with a sour reputation in the eyes of plenty of fans of the series, but this concise and more focused arc has a lot to delve into with regards to Ichigo’s character, some impactful twists, and how it shakes up the status quo of the manga until now. Listen to find out where this ranks for us amongst the bigger, flashier arcs that came before it.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - the arc for Ichigo to get his powers back

2:27 The (negative) impact of this arc and its reputation with fans

6:18 Was Kubo himself fatigued with the Arrancar arc?

10:48 Is this a mirroring of the first arc of the series or something completely different?

13:06 The most Ichigo-centric arc so far where he’s at his lowest in every sense

19:58 Fullbring and Fullbringers - our thoughts and standouts

24:47 This being “Chad’s arc” - did it live up to that?

28:25 Full psychological thriller once Tsukishima enters the scene

34:47 Orihime’s prominence in this arc - highlighting some standout moments

36:45 The big reveal: Ginjo’s betrayal and his reasonable position against Soul Society

47:46 Rukia’s return! Ichigo gets his powers back! The shinigami are here! Ginjo’s tragic end!

57:31 Samu’s Recommendation: Yu Yu Hakusho (Chapter Black) by Yoshihiro Togashi

59:10 Enzo’s Recommendation: Soul Eater by Atsushi Ohkubo

1:02:05 Final overview + ratings

Just like last time, we’re recommending each other our highest regarded ongoing series we think need more appreciated. This time Samu’s pick for Enzo is Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda - a dystopian sci-fi story where clouds have prevented the sun from shining through and humans have adapted in horrifying ways to sustain life. Plenty of bleak, heavy themes ensue and we both get into what’s trying to be said in with this visually striking series is exploring.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - Samu’s most underappreciated ongoing manga pick

7:38 A mixture of multiple genres: dystopian, political drama, thriller, body horror, black comedy

10:40 It presents truths of what’s happening and doesn’t push an agenda/message

12:10 Early volumes focusing on more self-contained stories to establish this world

14:58 Our differing journeys with the artwork and its presentation

20:44 The upcoming anime and our hopes/expectations

22:23 Spoiler discussion begins

22:28 Akira’s gender revelation - becoming one of Enzo’s favourite characters

26:45 Standouts to the various bleak and dark storylines throughout the series without easy answers

35:20 Pro- and Anti-Transfloration argument and the politics around it

40:54 Dr. Kudai, Antartica, Central - the scale of the story expanding

44:54 Our disconnect with the latest long-running story arc in the second half of the series

49:52 The series could have been a short think piece but is becoming something larger

52:32 Samu’s Recommendation: Heavenly Delusion by Masakazu Ishiguro

56:22 Enzo’s Recommendation: Chainsaw Man Tatsuki Fujimoto

58:45 Final overview + ratings

It’s Enzo’s time to recommend a series, and it was his pick for the most underappreciated ongoing manga from earlier this year: Touge Oni - a historical fantasy series with big ideas, a strong trio at its core, and strong Mizukami comparisons. Will Samu love it near as much as Enzo does?

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - one of Enzo’s favourite ongoing titles

1:35 Harta magazine: a wonderful source for great seinen manga

3:17 How the sausage is made (behind the scenes snippet)

4:57 Overview and first impressions of Touge Oni and its relationship with time

15:05 Miyo and Zenki’s relationship and their mirroring journeys of their goals

18:50 The challenge of following a slow-releasing series

23:17 Mizukami’s recommendation - classic fantasy all-rounder

24:49 Spoiler discussion begins

24:55 Our feelings on Zenki - an Oni on the quest to get rid of his horns +

29:36 Miyo’s goal of finding the truth of the world

34:57 Ozono’s goal and Miyo’s theory about his identity

41:35 Early standouts moments of Miyo and Zenki’s relationship

43:24 Our highlights from Trio being separated and predictions

52:12 When the focus shifts to the gods and Izumo

54:36 Susanoo no Mikoto - him joining the group, his video game duel

59:17 The belief in the goodness and decency of human beings

1:00:52 Azuma no Miya and the power of misinformation in politics

1:02:50 Samu’s recommendation: The Elusive Samurai by Yusei Matsui

1:04:39 Enzo’s recommendation: Sengoku Youko by Mizukami Satoshi

1:06:15 Final overview + ratings

Other links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45e4SKPssSbuRNZ8lVMACN

Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-taste-is-better-than-yours/id1746194902

Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/a9ed3ea9-1728-40e3-949f-4cddfb13dde1/my-taste-is-better-than-yours

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1746194902

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/z70w36ls

We’ve talked about plenty of shonen manga throughout our episodes, so we felt it made sense to finally breakdown the many magazines in which they come from: their histories, identities, and our favourites from each publication.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - understanding the full picture of shonen manga

1:59 Breaking down the magazine publication system

6:26 Weekly Shonen Jump - the biggest name in the manga industry

19:01 Weekly Shonen Magazine - the alpha male that used to be the top dog

27:06 Weekly Shonen Sunday - veterans, baseball, and fantasies

39:06 Weekly Shonen Champion - the rising star/dark horse that doesn’t conform

46:15 Jump SQ. and Saikyo Jump

48:57 Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, Monthly Shonen Magazine, Monthly Shonen Sirius

52:15 Gessan, Shonen Sunday S

54:25 Square Enix: Monthly Shonen Gangan, GFantasy, Gangan Joker

1:00:25 Web publication - print vs digital transparency

In this second part of the Arrancar arc discussion we get into the Turn Back the Pendulum and Fake Karakura Town sections of the story, filled with: more backstory and more fights than ever before. Find out where this stacks up compared to Soul Society in our estimations.

Timecodes:

0:00 Re-introduction - second half of the Arrancar arc

0:32 Turn Back the Pendulum sub-arc - a flashback to break up the action

5:05 Aizen vs Urahara as the central conflict of the Arrancar arc (and the series)

8:02 The morality of Soul Society, The Maggot’s Nest, and Mayuri’s ‘crimes’

11:83 Death as a core theme of the series and an unforgiving afterlife

13:21 Kubo at his most details with backstories and character connections

16:00 Turn Back the Pendulum ratings

17:24 Fake Karakura Town arc - a Bleach fan’s dream, a Bleach hater’s nightmare

23:03 The fights are conversations

28:40 Standout fights worth shouting out

39:00 Ichigo vs Ulquiorra - comparing Ichigo to Kenshin

42:13 Gin and Rangiku’s history and Gin’s betrayal of Aizen

46:35 Kubo doesn’t seem like a writer who regrets his choices

48:58 Ichigo vs Aizen final fight, Urahara’s involvement, hint of the Soul King

57:31 The resolution of Ichigo losing his powers - could the series have ended here?

1:00:15 Explaining Toshiro Hitsugaya’s massive popularity

1:03:56 Fake Karakura Town ratings

1:05:18 Samu’s recommendation: Rurouni Kenshin (Kyoto arc) byNobuhiro Watsuki

1:06:22 Enzo’s recommendation: Yu Yu Hakusho by Togashi Yoshihiro

1:10:21 Final overview + rating

Enzo’s journey with Bleach continues, this time finally stepping into possibly the longest arc in shonen manga (or manga in general?). We’ve split this giant arc into two episodes, this first one covering everything including the Arrancar Invasion up to the end of Hueco Mundo.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - first of two episodes on the massive Arrancar arc

1:25 Is this the longest arc in all of manga?

2:57 Arrancar Invasion sub-arc - introducing the Arrancars and the Vizards

6:44 An even-paced arc with intention - is Kubo still an architect?

10:17 Early hints: Shinji in chapter 1, arrancars in the first arc

11:23 Kubos’ use of other languages, other cultures, and stylistic aesthetic

13:50 Grand Fisher and the reveal with Isshin Kurosaki

16:48 The Vizards - an eclectic group, our favourites?

23:03 Ichigo’s training, his hollow identity (White) - self-acceptance as a key theme in Bleach

29:19 Orihime’s importance in this arc, another damsel in distress, her relationship and powers

39:50 Arrancar Invasion ratings

41:53 Hueco Mundo sub-arc begins - a featureless white desert!

43:42 Bleach and Kubo’s minimalism, a series with no “fluff”

49:43 Bleach’s lack of an omniscient narrator

50:53 What popular kaijuu series is the most opposite of Bleach in style?

52:48 Is Hueco Mundo a lazy copy of Soul Society or an intentional reimagining?

56:15 The Espada - standout characters, the aspects of death

1:05:05 Rukia vs Aaroniero as a standout fight in Hueco Mundo

1:06:26 Mayuri vs Szayel - his speech on perfection, Kubo’s freedom with him

1:10:30 Enzo’s highlights: Nel’s reveal, Cirucci’s poem

1:13:10 Hueco Mundo ratings - end of Part 1 of this discussion

We come to the end of the main Rurouni Kenshin series, the yet-to-be-properly-animated: Jinchu. Is this a case of the best arc saved for last? Does it serve as a fitting conclusion for the series? Will Enzo throw in another Kaijuu wall? Stay tuned to find out.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - the final arc of the main series that never got its anime adaptation

3:05 Jinchu being an opposite arc to Kyoto by comparison

8:03 Watsuki’s self-depricating author comments

11:49 Rurouni Kenshin as a archetypical battle shonen and the WSJ family tree

22:02 The series feeling off the time it’s set

25:29 Enishi as a villain and the remembrances flashback

31:31 Historical context for the era of the end of the swordsman + Yahiko’s arc

39:18 Characters returning and side stories - disappointment in Sannosuke’s

42:47 Enishi as a villain and the reflection on Watsuki

51:21 Kaoru’s “death” - does the fakeout ruin this emotional moment?

57:30 Final battle with Kenshin vs Enishi - does this live up to the fight with Shishio?

1:04:47 The epilogue - the true ending, is it satisfying?

1:07:32 Enzo’s Recommendation: Peace Maker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono

1:10:03 Samu’s Recommendation: Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana

1:11:29 Overview and final scores

1:15:12 Bonus: The Kaijuu Wall

It’s the first series review of 2026 and it’s one Samu and Enzo had a similar introduction to with an excellent anime adaptation and decided to venture into the manga post-anime. A shoujo romance fantasy that takes unexpected turns the longer it goes on, but how much of it do we agree on?

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - our first experiences with Snow White with the Red Hair

9:44 Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship

13:31 Other significant side characters in the series: Obi, Ryu, Izana, Mitsuhide, Raji, Hisame, Garack

22:32 Spoiler discussion begins

22:38 Too many characters and too many side quests where the main cast is split up

25:37 Did Akizuki Sorata learn to like Shirayuki/Obi more than Shirayuki/Zen?

28:08 Is the anime the definitive version of the series?

29:23 Comparison to Hunter x Hunter with splitting up the cast and pairing them up

31:16 It’s actually a slice of life series

33:58 Later side-quest arcs: Lilias arc, Bergatt arc, Shinsu arc

37:45 Zen needing a narrative shift to allowed to be more proactive

39:49 Kiki and Hisame

43:43 Samu’s Recommendation: The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga (manga by Erika Ikeda)

47:11 Enzo’s Recommendation: The World is Still Beautiful by Dai Shina

52:33 Overview and final scores

With the start of a new year we thought it best to highlight some of our favourite ongoing manga that deserve more love. We’ve put together a list of ten series we think are worth checking out in hopes that they can blow up, which perfectly summarise our tastes.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction - shouting out manga we love that deserve more love

2:04 Kemutai Hanashi by Fumiya Hanashi

5:47 Starting Today We Are Childhood Friends by Midori Obiya

10:19 My Oh My, Atami-kun by Asa Tanuma

17:32 They Are Still Being Shaken This Morning by Eiji Masuda

24:42 Here And There And Us (And Then And After) by Thanat

29:32 Go With the Clouds North by Northwest by Aki Irie

37:44 Dig It by Yoshidamaru

44:01 The Great Villain Boy by Koume Fujichika

52:36 Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda

1:01:05 Touge Oni: Primal Gods in Ancient Times by Kenji Tsurubuchi

1:10:37 Extra mention: Double by Ayako Noda

1:11:09 Overview of our picks

What better way to kick off the year than by revisiting our favourite topic: What’s the next big thing in anime/manga? In this episode we revisit our picks from 2024 and go through our new ones for 2026.

Timecodes:

0:00 Revisiting the topic: The Next Big Thing

3:25 Enzo’s #2 pick: Phantom Busters by Neoshoco

11:01 Samu’s #2 pick: Gokurakugai by Uto Sano

19:07 Checking in our preview picks for The Next Big Thing

19:21 Sakamoto Days and Gachiakuta - both had anime, neither became mega hits

24:45 Tokyo Aliens and Kindergarten Wars - neither have had anime yet

29:16 Spy X Family vs Chainsaw Man - which won in the long run and which do we prefer?

36:33 Apothecary Diaries vs Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End tight race as the current top hits

38:46 Refresher on the Enzo’s “Kaijuu” term

39:59 The Kaijuu Wall

55:04 Samu’s #1 pick: Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono

59:18 Enzo’s #1 pick: Ichi the Witch by Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki

1:09:20 The Next (Next) Big Thing predictions for further in the future

Just like last year, we’re ending 2025 with a ‘best of’ episode, going through various categories to shout-out as many titles that we think deserve recognition and added to your recommendations if you aren’t already familiar. Happy new year!

Timecodes:

0:00 - Introduction to rules, carrying on from last year

1:14 Best new manga published in 2025

5:13 Best manga that finished in 2025

10:19 Best ongoing manga of 2025

13:53 Best manga we discovered in 2025

18:08 Best one-shots of the year

20:04 Up-and-comer manga to keep and eye on

23:10 Underappreciated gem of 2025

27:30 A newcomer mangaka to look out for

30:42 Best character of 2025

37:27 Best artwork of 2025

42:07 Biggest trend for manga in 2025

47:53 Which manga got the best adaptation in 2025

50:15 Our most anticipated manga to anime adaptation for 2026

53:58 Predictions for likely anime adaptations announced in 2026

57:10 The manga we think our counterpart should read

1:16:19 Wrap-up and reflecting on starting the podcast this year