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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