Shojo & Tell: A Manga Podcast

Caitlin and Ashley are back to discuss the second half of Horimiya, aka, all the bits that don't matter. Like, it's a miracle this episode is over an hour long, because the two spend most of the time talking about *checks notes*: Sawada, Iura, and Watabe. And they're definitely the most interesting characters in this whole series, right? Especially Iura.
Jokes aside, Caitlin and Ashley spend time going over the chapters they did like (and some they really didn't), plus there's a shipping corner with an 11th hour bombshell dropped. Just like the second season of the Horimiya anime, this episode isn't boring, but it might also not be necessary. Tune in to hear for yourself.
REFERENCES
Horimiya is published by Yen Press
Other manga/anime mentionedMaid-Sama!

Outro: "Tokimeki no Doukasen" (Fushigi Yuugi ending theme) + Fruits Basket (2019) episode 3 dialogue
CONTACT US
Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
Caitlin's writings at Anime Feminist and Anime News Network
Caitlin on Bluesky
Ashley on Bluesky

Finally, we're here to talk about the shonen elephant in the shojo room: Horimiya. Look at almost any list of "best shojo anime," and you're bound to see Horimiya near the top of it. But, just so we're all clear: Horimiya isn't a shojo series. It is, however, a very good shonen romance series.
Shojo & Tell host Ashley and Anime News Network and Anime Feminist writer Caitlin dig into why people often mistake Horimiya for a shojo series and how the series lovingly subverts a lot of stereotypical romance tropes through the main couple, Hori and Miyamura, and many of the B couples, especially Remi and Sengoku. There's a lot of gushing over how relatable Hori is (seriously, so relatable). But most importantly (regrettably?): Ashley and Caitlin delve into what makes the sex scene so touching and how nice it is to see an authentic teenage exploration of kink.
REFERENCES
Buy Horimiya from MangaMart, a family-run manga store offering some of the most competitive prices around (affiliate link)
Horimiya is published by Yen Press
Other manga/anime mentionedFushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden
Millennium Snow
Attack on Titan
Sword Art Online
Black Bird
Hot Gimmick
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
Fushigi Yuugi
Boys Over Flowers
Kodocha
Marmalade Boy
Full Moon

Outro: "Tokimeki no Doukasen" (Fushigi Yuugi ending theme) + Fruits Basket (2019) episode 3 dialogue
CONTACT US
Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
Caitlin's writings at Anime Feminist and Anime News Network
Caitlin on Bluesky
Ashley on Bluesky

Get ready to go to the beach in this emotionally affecting, short josei series. Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Yoko Komori follows Tokiko, a sixth grader whose parents are recently separated; as a result, she moves with her dad from Tokyo to the small beach town where her mother grew up where legends of merfolk are still honored. As she grapples with her new normal, Tokiko is also looking for a particular merman for saving her from drowning. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher dive deep into Tokiko's family dynamics, whether or not one citizen of the town is actually real, and the consequences of pathological lying. 
REFERENCES
Buy Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand from MangaMart, a family-run manga store offering some of the most competitive prices around (affiliate link)
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is published by Viz Media's Signature line
Other manga/anime mentionedHorimiya

Outro: "Tokimeki no Doukasen" (Fushigi Yuugi ending theme) + Fruits Basket (2019) episode 3 dialogue
CONTACT US
Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
Ashley on Bluesky

Ashley and Asher are back to discuss volumes 11 through 20 of Snow White with the Red Hair, and they have a lot more to say this time (most of it is still some variation of "they're so cute!"). The Ashes talk about new characters (Hisame, the Bergat brothers, Lilias folks), the overarching plots (Izana's coronation, Lilias part 2, Sereg assassination plots, Kiki's marriage machinations), the official character poll (lol Mitsuhide), and of course, all the ships (yes, Zen and Shirayuki are cute, but why not Kiki and Shirayuki?). Let the fangirling and fanboying commence.
REFERENCES
Buy Snow White with the Red Hair from MangaMart, a family-run manga store offering some of the most competitive prices around (affiliate link)
Snow White with the Red Hair is published by Viz Media's Shojo Beat line
Other manga/anime mentionedBleach
Fushigi Yugi
Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden
Jesse and James from Pokemon

WHYY: "How experiments with gila monster venom led to blockbuster weight loss drugs like Ozempic"
Outro: "Tokimeki no Doukasen" (Fushigi Yuugi ending theme) + Fruits Basket (2019) episode three dialogue
CONTACT US
Shojo & Tell on Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter
Ashley on Bluesky

Welcome to the special collaboration episode between Ashley of Shojo & Tell and Chika and Giana of Shoujo Sundae (hereby dubbed the "shojo trio"). In this episode, we talk everything Josee, the Tiger and the Fish: the animated movie version (amazing!), the manga (basically the same as the movie but taking things at your own pace can be helpful!), the live-action movie (oh no!), and the original short story (very Japanese!). Josee, the Tiger and the Fish follows Josee, a sheltered, curmudgeonly wheelchair user, and Tsuneo, a try-hard college boy who loves diving, as they both come out of their shells to meet each other and the sometimes scary, sometimes harsh, occasionally beautiful outside world. Let's dive!
REFERENCES
You can watch the animated movie on Crunchyroll
You can read the manga version, published by Yen Press
You can read the original short story, also published by Yen Press
You can watch the live-action version on RetroCrush
STAY IN TOUCH
Find Shoujo Sundae on: Bluesky, Instagram, X
Find Chika on: Bluesky, Instagram
Find Giana on: Bluesky, Instagram, Personal Website
Find Shojo & Tell on: Bluesky, Instagram, Tumblr
Find Ashley on: Bluesky