My Taste is Better Than Yours

47 - The Dangers in My Heart by Norio Sakurai

We’re finally tackling a series close to Enzo’s own heart: The Dangers in My Heart by Norio Sakurai - a junior high rom-com and coming-of-age story of an introverted boy with sinister thoughts and the extraverted and most popular girl in the class; an unlikely but adorable pairing which has gotten even more popular thanks to well-received anime adaptation.. It’s finally time to get into it and see just how much we differ in our takes. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - finally covering one of Enzo’s favourite titles 7:40 An unvarnished depiction of puberty 10:00 Kyoutarou as a romcom protagonist: chuuni, twisted, introverted 16:32 Anna and her role in the story: seemingly ditzy girl who is in on the joke, depictions of her sexuality 21:20 Anime vs manga comparisons 23:15 Supporting cast shout-outs: Moeko, Kana, Adachi, Kenta, Honoka, Hanzawa, Yukina 30:00 Spoiler discussion begins 30:32 Pre-relationship and post-relationship - comparing our feelings on both  34:25 Kyoutarou’s strong relationships with other girls in the series 40:15 Moeko’s character, her relationship with Kyoutarou and getting her own boyfriend 47:52 Our favourite moments of the series so far 54:08 The absence of Kyoutarou’s parents in the narrative 55:44 The sexualisation of Anna throughout the series and depiction of their physical relationship 1:10:58 High school entrance exams - how long will the series last + the anime adaptation? 1:17:28 Enzo’s Recommendation: Mysterious Girlfriend X by Ueshiba Riichi 1:19:18 Samu’s Recommendation: My Perverted Youth by Hata Takashi 1:21:03 Overview and final scores

46 - JUMPing to Conclusions (Gonron Egg, The Mage Next Door, Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call it Quits)

It’s the final serialisation round of the year for Weekly Shonen Jump, with three new series joining the party - Gonron Egg, The Mage Next Door, and Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call it Quits. We think this batch has some potential for commercial success, and a couple of entries that seem to be trying to expand beyond the usual Jump formula. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - our special guest this episode: Princess Usagi 2:25 Check-in on the previous serialisation round: Jujujutsu Kaisen Modulo 11:31 Series that ended: Kaedegami, Ekiden Bros, Ping-Pong Peril 15:48 Gonron Egg by Shuuhei Tanizaki 26:44 The Mage Next Door by Hideyaki Nabe 40:50 Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call it Quits by Hatsubina Matsuri 49:04 Prediction future hits and what will leave the magazine next 50:51 Our top 5 currently running series in Weekly Shonen Jump this year

45 - Manga Taishō Winners of the Decade so Far

The Manga Taishō is one of the most prestigious awards a series can win, with plenty of future big-hitters gracing the shortlists every year. We decided to read all the winners of the decade so far (2020-2025) and give our takes on each and why we think they did win each year. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Discussion Manga Taishō in the context of other manga awards 2:10 Rules of the Manga Taishō Awards 5:00 Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi 13:50 Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe 21:39 The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa 30:38 Draw This, Then Die! (Kore Kaite Shine) by Minoru Toyoda 38:48 Spacewalking With You by Inuhiko Doronoda 47:47 Alice, All the Way to the Stars (Alice, Doko Made mo) by Kiko Urino 59:55 Who do we think should have won each year?

44 - Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You by Jinushi

It’s the second LostinAnime Patron-pick this time: Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You by Jinushi. With an anime upcoming and the buzz it’s had over the years, we’ve caught up and have plenty to talk about this little series of smoke breaks, misunderstandings, and slow-burn romance. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - the second patron-picked manga for the podcast 2:16 The subject of smoking and its depiction 6:47 The misunderstanding trope with Sasaki and Yamada/Tayama 10:41 It’s origin as a web manga, the switch in tone when it starting publishing 12:51 Supporting characters: Goto and Kami-san 16:40 Anime adaption incoming and our expectations 20:09 Spoiler discussion begins 20:15 Sasaki’s age, age-gap romance, the power dynamic, and Sasaki’s shift from Tayama to Yamada 30:20 The timing of the realisations that have and will still come 35:00 The other potential ships that could happen 38:49 Sasaki’s unhealthy relationship work and his boss 43:11 Samu’s Recommendation: Kowloon Generic Romance by Jun Mayuzuki + Cat’s Eye by Tsukasa Hojo 45:45 Enzo’s Recommendation: After the Rain by Jun Mayuzuki 48:52 Overview and final scores

43 - JUMPing to Conclusions - Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo + Someone Hertz

We have two new serialisations in Weekly Shonen Jump we’re discussing this week - a distant sequel to one of its most popular titles of the past decade, and a little romcom by a newcomer - we’re charmed by one and left indifferent by another. Tune in to find which one’s which. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - check-in on the previous serialisation round 6:13 Series that ended: Kill Blue and Nice Prison 9:48 Check-in with current WSJ titles: Otr of the Flame, Hima-Ten!, Ichi the Witch, Shinobi Undercover 19:50 Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo by Gege Akutami (Story), Yuji Iwasaki (Art) 29:03 Someone Hertz by Ei Yamano 38:55 First chapter ratings + predictions for its survivability 39:31 Looking ahead, predicting the next series to leave the magazine?