039 - DNA² ~ File 2

039 - DNA² ~ File 2

Author: We Appreciate Manga™ February 29, 2020 Duration: 1:00:53

Trigger warning: talk of physical/sexual abuse. We have a shape shifting villain! In a romance manga! Will and James talk about the horror of the villain, when "friends" cross the line and jealousy in relationships. Skip plot summary @ 14:08


There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a friend hands you a book they love, especially when that book is a manga. We Appreciate Manga captures that exact feeling, beginning each conversation with a personal recommendation before letting the discussion wander into deeper territory. Hosted by the team at We Appreciate Manga™, this series is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a thoughtful, sometimes rambling, chat between enthusiasts. You’ll hear them explore how specific stories resonate, why certain artistic choices matter, and the very real comfort these illustrated narratives can provide during difficult periods. It’s a celebration of the medium that goes beyond plot summaries to appreciate manga as a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling. Think of it as your audio companion to a vibrant, anime-adjacent book club where the panels come to life through conversation. New episodes of this podcast have been available since August 2022, offering a consistent space to connect with the art and heart of these stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 136

We Appreciate Manga
Podcast Episodes
076 - Ghost in the Shell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:17
Our cyborg season ends with possibly the most influential cyberpunk manga. One that would inspire the creators of the Matrix movies with its mix of action and Cartesian philosophy. Known by its native title, Koukaku Kido…
075 - Junji Ito's Tomie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:38
What type of podcasters would we be if we didn't cover horror manga before All Hallow's Morning? So, for this spooky time of Halloween, James and Will talk about the classic horror villain that is Tomie! Skip synopsis @…
074 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:29
James tells Steven about the two non-cannon endings of Battle Angel Alita, draws comparisons between the James Cameron / Robert Rodriguez movie adaptation and the anime, as well as bring up how much the mangaka suffered…
073 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:53
Only near the conclusion of the original manga run do Steven and James find out that they have been reading different translations. Which spurs talk about the differences between the two. Including the original video ani…
072 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
We talk about more characters and moments in the cyberpunk epic, Gunnm, including a very supernatural dude who uses psychometry. Plenty of coil guns and stone tape theory talk in this one. skip summary @5:00 and remember…
071 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:15
Volume 6 a.k.a. the TUNED arc follows Alita as she joins a ragtag group of mercenaries. And James and Steve can't help but compare it to films like Aliens, War movies and Westerns, not bad for a cyberpunk story, no? Skip…
070 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:53
James and Steve discuss which other actors would have played a good Desty Nova, story-wise Zapan returns to settle the score. So basically, we get Karma as a theme! Skip plot summary @5:51 Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.…
069 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:08
The conclusion to the Motorball arc where we see lots of CONTENT WARNING violence and the first example of gratuitous nudity in the cyberpunk manga; interestingly it's not from Alita! Skip synopsis @ 4:31 Email: WeApprec…
068 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:40
Alita demonstrates more of her badassity in the beginning of the 'Motorball' arc, which featured prominently in the James Cameron/Robert Rodriquez movie. Skip synopsis @ 4:04 Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com 068: Battl…
067 - Battle Angel Alita vol. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:04
A deep dive critique into the cyborg fantasy that is Battle Angel Alita a.k.a. Gunnm! Alita fights a werewolf that wears shades, as you do, but is her love strong enough to save Yugo? Sorry for the technical issues guys,…