Episode 10: They Both Molt

Episode 10: They Both Molt

Author: Stephen Bradford March 16, 2026 Duration: 54:53
The boys’ adventure through Shonen Jump’s offerings continue. We manage to drum up quite a bit of excitement for the ending of The Emperor and I, and Sakamoto Days continues to delight and baffle. In between all the non-sequitors, there’s some good discussion to be had here.

There's a particular kind of magic in watching someone discover something you love for the very first time. That's the genuine, often hilarious, energy at the heart of Make Mine Manga!. Host Stephen Bradford, along with Aldo, has finally convinced their friend John to step out of his lifelong superhero-comic comfort zone and into the vast, sometimes bewildering, universe of manga. Each conversation in this podcast feels like pulling up a chair at a lively bookstore cafe. You'll hear John's initial skepticism and growing curiosity as he grapples with reading right-to-left, encounters unfamiliar cultural nuances, and stumbles upon genres he never knew existed. Stephen and Aldo act as enthusiastic guides, offering context and personal favorites, but the real joy comes from the unscripted reactions and the shared journey of exploration. It’s less a formal review show and more a chronicle of a friendship built around storytelling, where the panels of a graphic novel become a springboard for humor, debate, and genuine discovery. Whether you're a seasoned manga veteran who enjoys seeing the medium through fresh eyes, or someone who, like John, is curious but doesn't know where to start, this series offers a uniquely personal and engaging point of entry. The discussions are deep enough for fans but remain entirely accessible, capturing the simple pleasure of passing a great book to a friend and waiting for their verdict.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Make Mine Manga!
Podcast Episodes
Episode 19: Shut Up, Dave-kun! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:56
This week continues our trend of willingness to discuss anything OTHER than Blade of the Moon Princess. It’s not that we hate it, but we ARE still quite enjoying Bakuman, and Tim Curry just died, and… One Piece? What are…
Episode 18: Talk no Jutsu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:32
After what feels like a lengthy hiatus, we’re back to continue our journey through Bakuman and Blade of the Moon Princess. Both stories reveal big plot swerves, but which of those twists lands with a bang and which with…
Fill-in Issue: The Great Heist Draft [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:48
It’s moving day for Aldo, so John and Stephen fill in the schedule with a fun little game: robbery! We draft expert criminals, petty crooks, and the most obnoxious characters from movies, TV, and comics to see who can ro…
Episode 17: Cup of the Tainted World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:51
The Blade of the Moon Princess develops its world. The stakes rise, the cast expands, and the boys of the Make Mine Manga podcast find themselves questioning: do we even LIKE these people? Meanwhile, Bakuman continues to…
Episode 16: Trying to Be the Big Spoon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:33
It’s a tale of two Kaguyas on the latest installment of Make Mine Manga! The Legend of the Bamboo Cutter gets a sci-fi glow-up in The Blade of the Moon Princess, and a more earthly Kaguya tries hard not to fall in love i…
Episode 15: Egregitity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:46
This week, we say goodbye to Sakamoto Days after Stephen reads a chapter that actually moves his little heart. We also continue to flex our creative muscles by reading a book about creativity, which is almost the same as…
Episode 14: Write an Essay, Get a Tweet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:43
Neither technical difficulties nor the sniffoos will stop the men of Make Mine Manga from delivering a discussion on Bakuman and Sakamoto Days! The stakes are getting higher in both stories , the worlds are getting more…
Episode 13: Baku Meet Cute [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:17
A day late, but we still have a quality podcast for you! After a successful audition, the boys of Bakuman have a new audience to impress: the fellows of the “Make Mine Manga!” podcast. How does Bakuman stack up against t…
Yu-Gi-Oh Nooooooo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:43
In another round of auditions, the boys accidentally read the entirety of Tite Kubo’s Burn the Witch! That narrows the competition for the next round of reading quite a bit. Will the boys stick with Yu-Gi-Oh or Bakuman?
Episode 11: Why the Penguin Has Depression [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:35
Between heartfelt conversations about parenting (or the aversion thereto) and which real life celebrities had cartoons about them, the boys manage to finish reading The Emperor and I and tackle the next leg of Sakamoto D…