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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

CLAMP’s long works are incredible and if CCS refined some things / didn’t have the weird wish fulfillment stuff it could’ve beaten RG VEDA to third easy but so it goes.

As for Clover it easily sneaks into second and if it had a little more substance over style, it would have been #1 with a bullet!

Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

So where do they fit in the ranking?

Long Works:
1. X
2. Tokyo Babylon
3. RG Veda
4. CCS

Short Works:
1. CSD Duklyon
2. Clover
3. Man of Many Faces
4. CLAMP SCHOOL DETECTIVES
5. Shirahime Syo
6. Legend of Chun Hyang
7. Derayd
8. Rex

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

While I don’t think the story puts it above some of their other shorter series (especially as it’s not got a ‘true’ ending), it looks incredible and a very unique book: not only for CLAMP, but Manga in general!

I wish they did more with this cyberpunk aesthetic, but we’ll see I guess!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

Clover though, that book is a viiiiibe! It’s clearly CLAMP on full on experimental mode: the result is dreamlike, bold, unconventional and maybe a little hard to read in places?

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

That said, things that happen to certain characters felt unnecessary and some stuff didn’t make sense towards the end there for me.

Also I haaaaate the Rita / Terada relationship. I assumed it was going to get dark but it doesn’t: it just gives me the ick / stops me recommending it to anyone…

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

So let me just start by saying I really, really like a lot of CCS. The art is wonderful, the concept of the Clow Cards is excellent and despite certain bits of it feeling like diminishing returns, I genuinely enjoyed the second half because of how dark it got!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

100% agree with that… I forgot until I was getting to the end that it didn’t have an end, and while I’m fine where it leaves off, it’s a little disappointing!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 12h

So I’m just realizing as I finish up Clover that I’ve not done a CLAMP update in forever! While it’s highly likely I’m not going to get to the end of their works by the end of the year, I just wanted to give high level thoughts on both so I can move onto Suki in peace!

Japanese cover of Card Captor Sakura by CLAMP

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 17h

You can buy it directly from @mangamavericks.bsky.social

OR

US - @merrymanga.bsky.social
EU - @sendaibooks.eu
CAN - @thebeguiling.bsky.social

No commissions / paid promo obviously: just want to see good books do well!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 17h

In short, go buy it! I can’t give any higher praise than the fact it finally convinced me read / listen to the classic story!

The priest reflects on his life choices with a stony gaze as demons dance around him

Screen grab of Storytellersophia’s podcast version of Journey To The West

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 17h

I was a little unsure if it would land for me without any real knowledge of the source material, but the book is solid and I really enjoyed my time with it!

I feel a little embarrassed to admit this in writing, but I've never actually read Journey to the West. I mean, I know the rough beats of the story through cultural osmosis, thanks in part to video games and Dragon Ball, but beyond Wukong and his various magical tools, I'm a little shaky on the specifics.
That's why I at first approached Bonds by Zenzo with a little hesitation. Sure, I'd heard the folks over at Manga Mavericks say it was excellent, and I was aware that it'd won some accolades, but surely that's because they knew the source material better than I do?

Well, I'm happy to say that by the time I'd hit the 7th page, all of this was forgotten and I found myself reading the book with bated breath. It sucked me in almost instantly and by the time I hit the end, I found myself doing the unexpected: searching to see if Zenzo had made more!
The story is fortunately easy to follow for a cultural plebeian like myself: while on their journey to India, the priest, Genjo Sanzo, and his monkey disciple, Son Goku, are traveling along a mountain pass. Despite Son Goku's warnings to not cross a barrier marked on the floor, the priest accepts a circular headband from a shady old man who appears out of the darkness. Naturally, he gives it to Goku who dons it: suppressing his powers and allowing the demons beyond the barrier to capture Genjo, with plans to eat the priest to achieve immortality for themselves!
From there, things kick into high gear and I can honestly say that it's perhaps one of the most compelling shorts I've read in a long time. I found myself in a bit of a catch-22 while reading as I wanted to linger on Zenzo's art, but at the same time, the pace and excitement

of the story compelled me to plow onwards. I genuinely screen-grabbed more than half the book as the art is just that damned good. The action, the panelling and character design are all on point and I just can't fathom how this is Zenzo's first work when it sets such a high bar.
The book's core theme of Son Goku wrestling with the selfishness of demons after being met with the selflessness of the humans he encounters offering aid to the traveling monks is pretty surface level, but it's told well enough that it serves as a great thematic anchor for the story and underpins Son Goku's actions.
Somehow, Zenzo has managed to achieve something that even Akira Toriyama couldn't manage: to get me interested in reading the source material. I can't help but wonder if I would be less dazzled with this work if I'd have

known the story already, but as I'm probably in the majority on this one, it makes me think this could also serve as the gateway to Wu Cheng'en's classic work for a lot of people in the same boat.
If you're looking for a tight story with incredible artwork, then you need look no further than Bonds. Having read my fair share of short stories in comic book formats, I promise you that what Zenzo manages to achieve in just 32 pages is a rarity. Sure, they have a great work of fiction to draw from as a starting point, but that only gets a creator so far: it's how they're able to tell it that's important, and Zenzo makes so many smart choices that while I can't tell you if it's an accurate retelling or not, what's important is that it's entertaining from start to finish. I'm expecting great things from their future, and I hope we get more of their work soon.
Now if you'll excuse me, l've got some reading to do... - Mat

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 17h

I finally got around to reading Bonds by Zenzo, published in English by our friends over at @mangamavericks.bsky.social ! I think it’s fair to say I didn’t just like it, but loooved it!

TITLE: BONDS
MANGAKA: ZENZO
RELEASE DATE: 15TH JULY 2025
PUBLISHER: MANGA MAVERICKS BOOKS
TRANSLATION: ROBERT HARKINS
LETTERING: VICTORIA ESNARD
EDITING: VICTORIA ESNARD
QA: SIDDHARTH GUPTA / COLTON SOLEM

Reviews title: ‘More Like A Journey to the BEST’

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 2d

This week on Manga Tak, I’m joined by Pippa and Georgie to chat the excellent They Were 11! by Moto Hagio (published by @denpabooks.bsky.social )

This groundbreaking sci-fi Shojo is one not to be missed! Get it here or wherever pods are cast! www.buzzsprout.com/2373443/epis...

Copy of They Were 11! Taken on a white, slightly spacey looking backdrop with black circles

The men arrive and discover they’ve gained an extra crew member!

Tada assumes Frol is a woman and they’re not please about it!

The crew discover they’ve left a safe orbit and they’re on a collision course with the planet Onyx!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 9d

It’s pretty damned good!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 10d

This week on Manga Tak, @toodlebug500.bsky.social and I have been reading the excellent Search and Destroy by Atsushi Kaneko! Published by @fantagraphics.bsky.social in collab with @mangasplaining.bsky.social

Listen here or wherever pods are cast! www.buzzsprout.com/2373443/epis...

Cover of Search and Destroy Vol. 1 by Atsushi Kaneko on ‘snow’ at the base of a statue with city lights in the background

The big question of the book: “why are you so angry?” - Hyaku stands, swords out, in front of a bunch of yakuza corpses

The nightclub bouncer explains ‘Hyoo’ Humans and “Kreach” Creatures, the world’s robot population

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 13d

No worries! Thanks for the hard work bringing this book into the world!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 13d

Check it out now wherever good books are sold!

Mum smashing down a door… or the panel of the post! You decide!

Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 13d

I bought this book purely based on the cover and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, so preorders are in for Vol. 1 of ‘Mechanical Buddy Universe 1.0’ already at the local comic shop!

I have a confession to make: I am very much the type to judge a book by its cover. Usually this leads me to quickly unhaul books because what I find inside doesn't line up with what I was expecting, but I still shop this way on occasion because there's nothing better than being surprised by a work you knew absolutely nothing about.
This was absolutely the case with Mechanical Buddy Universe by Takuji Kato. I saw a strong looking female android and what appeared to be a group of mercenaries on the cover, the type and overall design leaned sci-fi and so I say 'yes please' and I wasn't disappointed!

The book, which I quickly realised was originally a web comic, published by Kato on Twitter in between projects, is a collection of short stories that cover a lot of thematic ground. The book's core is about an android discovering a baby on a battlefield and deciding to raise it as their own. We follow their lives as the android tries to raise this newfound son as her own and is very much a fish out of water story as she tries to not only adapt to the idea of motherhood, but as she struggles to embrace the idea of being human.
These stories are tonally a little scattershot based on Kato's mood: some are funny, some are heartfelt while others are a little crude, but overall they build up a solid relationship between mother and son that quickly got me attached to the characters themselves.
From there, we're introduced to other characters in the world: the retired, mech-riding Banshee, an Al/human sniper duo called Hawkeye, as well as a human maid protecting her robot master. Each of these chapters of collected stories flesh out the world of MBU and really had me wishing that Kato would go deeper.

By the time I got to the book's last stories, featuring an android based on the urban legend of a 'slit-mouthed woman' I was hooked on the world but disappointed by the abrupt ending and lack of closure on certain ideas it introduced.
Fortunately I saw that due to the success of this book when it debuted in Japan, Kato began to work on a serialised version of the web comic that will be released in English early next year (and will likely net itself a podcast episode).
This meant I ended my read with the feeling this was a bit of a trailer for something to come, rather than being disappointed by its lack of concrete details or a satisfying conclusion.
Art-wise, the book makes a strong first impression with a 'chapter O' that features some great paneling and excellent line work,

but I have to admit the jump in quality meant I was a little jarred by the first web comic's sketchy digital look as a result. Once I'd made the adjustment, the writing and ideas were strong enough to get me through, but just know that your mileage will vary and you can expect dips in the art quality throughout the book on certain stories.
Overall this one-shot is a taster of a world packed full of ideas and really has me excited to read the serialised release next year. I have a lot of questions that I hope will get answered, and I'm praying the richness of the backstory established here leads to an exciting series to add to my pick-up rotation. If you'd rather wait for the 'real' manga next year I wouldn't blame you, but just know you're going to be depriving yourself of some excellent writing and a few good chuckles in doing so! - Mat

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 13d

Also as it’s been a busy week, here’s this week’s Manga Tak Plus on ‘Mechanical Buddy Universe’ by Takuji Kato, published by @square-enix-books.com!

Cover of Mechanical Buddy Universe by Takuji Kato

TITLE: MECHANICAL BUDDY UNIVERSE MANGAKA: TAKUJI KATO
RELEASE DATE: 23RD SEPTEMBER 2025
PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX

TRANSLATION: DAVID EVELYN
LETTERING: RICHARD TORREFRANCA
EDITING: EDWARD HONG
COVER DESIGN: BRENT LEVY / TI COLLIER

Title: Buddy Do I Got A Universe For You!

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 13d

This week on Manga Tak, @tsutsudae.bsky.social and I sit down to talk about Josei manga ‘You Can’t Live All on Your Own’ by Mizoko Tsuno published by @tokyopop.bsky.social!

Listen here and wherever pods are cast! www.buzzsprout.com/2373443/epis...

The cover of ‘You Can’t Live All On Your Own’ Vol. 1 by Mizoko Tsuno in a frame, surrounded by panels of the main characters on a flowery wallpaper

The opening panel that introduces Shuuko

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Reposted by Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast

Mangasplaining @mangasplaining.bsky.social · 20d

Today we'd like to share a cool website, Books from Taiwan. It's a government initiative designed to share compelling works in all formats in genres, but of course, we love the comics stuff the best. Primarily for publishers, but anyone can browse: booksfromtaiwan.moc.gov.tw/books.php?ca...

Books From Taiwan | Books

Books from Taiwan is an initiative funded by TAICCA (Taiwan Creative Content Agency) to introduce a select list of Taiwan publishing titles, ranging from fiction, non-fiction, children's books, and co...

booksfromtaiwan.moc.gov.tw

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 21d

Let me know if you’ve read or plan to read it, and if I really should move the original series up-to the top of the TBR!

Review copy provided by Titan Manga.

Text: The story revolves around the students of Graad International High School, an elite academy that has assembled the world’s most-talked teens as a way of saving the world from evil. However, during a tragic accident caused by a supernatural event, some of the students lose their lives, including Shoichiro who dies trying to save his crush, Yoruhime.

Fortunately, in this world, death is not the end: Shoichiro finds himself waking up a year later in Elysium with Yoruhime waiting at his bedside and the mark of a wyvern on his chest. He has been selected by Hades to become Judges of The Underworld and sent on a mission to kill the Goddess Athena for destroying the underworld.

Back in the world of the living, the students of Graad have become Athena’s Saints, including Shoichiro’s twin brother, Shojiro! How will the brothers cope when faced with the reality that they’re now on opposite sides in a war of Gods? Can brother fight brother? And is one side more just than the other?

Image: Hades declares Shouchiro “The celestial fierce star wyvern!”

Text: It’s a pretty interesting set up to a spin-off series like this and I found myself binging the book in one sitting. While I can’t shake the fact that I would have definitely gotten more out of the book by being more familiar with the original series, Dark Wing actually managed to keep me entertained throughout and did a good job of establishing the world without feeling overwhelming. There are a few things I feel Saito expects the audience to know, e.g. the types of Saints, but even without that knowledge I was able follow the story without any issues.

Art-wise, I like that Ueda has found a way to make Masami’s original designs work with modern character design. While I certainly miss the long, flowing ‘80s hair of the original, whenever characters done their respective armour you see the spirit of the original blazing through!

Image: Shoichiro admires the darkness saying “it’s like it blacks everything out.”

Text: Overall I was pleasantly surprised with Saint Seiya Dark Wing and think if you’ve ever been curious about the original this is an excellent place to start. For fans of the original, I can imagine the switch in perspective between Hades and Athena’s armies would be interesting, and there are enough nods to the original work that will make it even more enjoyable a read.

Here’s hoping we see the original work in print again soon, but until then I’m going to keep reading what appears to be the next best thing! - Mat

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 21d

Despite some reservations about not knowing the lore, I dived in and found myself surprised at how much I could enjoy the story without the 30+ of knowledge I thought I needed!

Panels from the manga showcasing the art and characters

Title: Saint Seiya Dark Wing
Created by: Kurumada Masami
Written by Kenji Saito
Illustrated: Shinshu Ueda
Published: Titan Manga

Translation: Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements.
Lettering: Youssef Mohamed
Editor: Louis Yamani
Design: David Colderly

Title: “Riding On The Wings of a Classic”
Text: There is one simple truth to manga collecting I’ve never been able to come to terms with: “you can’t read everything!” Despite trying my best efforts to try and at least read “the important stuff” even that’s proven a challenge thanks to certain things being out of print or, as is often the case, it’s just simply not available in English at all!

One glaring blindspot for me has always been Saint Seiya, especially after moving to Europe and finding out how to my friends, it was a childhood cornerstone in the same way things like Transformers were to me. But while it made me want to check it out, for some reason I never prioritised it.

Image: Yoruhime says “Huh? Oh my…”

Text: That’s why when “Saint Seiya Dark Wing” arrived, I was slightly intimidated to read it. I vowed to watch the original manga so I was steeped in lore and able to enjoy it to the fullest… Then reality struck and I realised there isn’t easy way to acquire the series’ 28 volumes, and so I resigned myself to the fact that I needed to go in blind.

But you know what? I found myself enjoying this volume despite knowing virtually nothing about the franchise because while writer Kenji Saito and artist Shinshu Ueda clearly love Kurumada Masami’s original series, this is a story that pays homage to the original rather than being beholden to it.

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Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast @mangatakpod.bsky.social · 21d

This week on Manga Tak Plus, I took a look at the first volume of Saint Seiya Dark Wing, it’s a spin off of the classic series by Kurumada Masami, written by Kenji Saito and illustrated by Shinshu Ueda!

It’s published by @titanmangahq.bsky.social and hit shelves yesterday!

Cover of Saint Seiya Dark Wing Volume 1.
Created by: Kurumada Masami
Written by Kenji Saito
Illustrated: Shinshu Ueda
Published: Titan Manga

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Reposted by Manga Tak | Weekly Podcast

David Ziggy Greene (Jam bookshop) @jambookshopuk.bsky.social · 23d

Read a manga that blew me away right after closing my bookshop, & became disillusioned with publishing & creating.

@mangatakpod.bsky.social & I explore how this book hits so hard.

Creatives who work or want to work in making books should listen.
mangatakpod.buzzsprout.com

#manga #comics #books

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