This time it’s Enzo’s recommending a series for Samu - and it’s another seinen manga! Habits seem to be forming. A Distant Neighborhood by the iconic Jiro Taniguchi is a 2-volume series about a father in his forties who is transported back to his teenage years leading up to the event that still lingers within him: the night his father disappeared and left his family behind. Could this be his chance to uncover the truth of the incident or perhaps even change the future by preventing it?

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - continuing our conversation on trends in our differing tastes

5:43 Establishing ‘A Distant Neighborhood’ and our initial impressions

10:14 The premise: time travel, the human condition, a reflection of youth

12:36 Exploring the concept of reliving our teenage lives if put into this situation

17:01 The internal age-gap romance with Tomoko - is it icky or successfully explored?

21:06 Jiro Taniguchi is one of the most influential manga of all time, his realism

23:23 Why is he particularly popular in Europe?

27:07 Spoiler discussion begins

27:39 The countdown to understanding his father’s actions and their relationship

30:26 “No one ever truly becomes an adult” and “What is happiness?”

32:26 What would we do if we were in Hiroshi’s situation??

34:07 Understanding his father and what lead to his decision and the morality behind it

43:48 Predicting our envision endings as reader to compare with the author’s vision

47:35 The ending - Samu’s theory on how he thought it was conclude

49:50 Enzo’s preference for stripped back stories, comparisons to Spirit Circle

51:25 Was it a happy ending? Stories that appeal to the head or the heart

52:41 Enzo’s Recommendation: ERASED by Kei Sanbe

56:18 Samu’s Film Recommendation: Only Yesterday (film by Isao Takahata)

57:38 Samu’s Recommendation: Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa

1:00:46 Overview and final scores

This time it’s Samu’s recommendation for Enzo - and it’s another josei manga! Double by Ayako Noda is a psychologically twisted acting series about the complicated relationship of two men in the industry, one a natural talent and the other a hard worker, with differing levels of success and the drama that unfolds from the power each has over the other.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - a josei acting manga with a complicated relationship at the core

3:52 Is Takara and Yuujin’s relationship toxic?

5:00 Another Big Bang Theory comparison

6:47 The talented natural vs the hardworking grinder

7:41 The evidence/implications of Takara potentially being autistic

12:40 Comparisons to Spacewalking With You - the 2024 Manga Taisho winner

13:58 Examining the ‘toxic’ elements of their relationship, how professionals in the industry view it

20:57 Highlighting the other side characters in the series

21:53 Touching on Enzo’s acting experience - how authentically is it depicted in Double?

26:27 Comparing the intents of Double vs Oshi no Ko

28:42 The unlikely chance of an anime adaptation

29:48 Spoiler discussion begins

30:15 The big revelation in Takara and Yuujin’s relationship - did we think it would become a plot point?

35:31 Can their relationship work going forward for them?

37:26 Hiryuuden play - behind the scenes drama of the double play

41:53 Ayako Noda’s other works under her Arai Niboshiko penname

42:47 Samu’s Recommendation: Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii by Asuka Konichi

45:14 Enzo’s Recommendation: Sakamichi no Apollon by Yuki Kodamai

48:40 Overview and final scores

51:30 Finding patterns in our taste 19 episodes in… discussion to be continued

We’re discussing a series we both read over a decade ago and have revisited for this discussion: Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano - a manga we both love, but have our feelings on this ultra-depressing tale changed or waned years later? Listen to find out.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction - getting ready for depression

3:59 Our general feelings about Goodnight Punpun, apprehensive to re-experiencing the series

10:09 Does Punpun’s story resonate with men in particular?

14:05 Does it ever it ever go into torture porn territory?

17:08 Some of our other favourite characters: Shimizu, Seki, Sachi, Harumi

21:42 Why did Asano depict Punpun as a non-human and does it work?

24:19 The complications with a possible anime adaptation

27:32 Inio Asano’s shift in tone and content in his recent series since Goodnight Punpun

30:26 Spoiler discussion begins

30:38 Yuuichi’s storyline - mirroring Punpun’s journey, continuing their tragic cycle

33:49 Sachi and Aiko - did either/both of them Punpun and did he love either of them?

37:43 “Love itself is unhealthy” as the series message?

39:41 The dramatic third act and final message - was it good or bad for Punpun’s character?

46:16 Did we want to see Punpun’s face in the end?

47:52 Was “Goodnight Punpun” Sachi’s manga - was she exploiting him?

49:34 The ending mirroring the beginning - the cycle of life goes on

50:19 Samu’s Recommendation: The Flowers of Evil by Shuuzou Oshimi

54:27 Enzo’s Recommendation: The Climber by Shin-ichi Sakamoto and Yoshiro Nabeda

56:22 Overview and final scores