There’s so much manga out there, and it feels overwhelming to decide which titles to invest my time and money on. This podcast helped me stay in-the-know with popular releases, while also peering under the surface, and discovering highbrow ignored gems. Overall, it’s a great mix. But most importantly, the episodes feel fun! The crew have great chemistry and it shows and carries through. It all feels approachable, (and at the risk of sounding corny) like casually hanging with buddies while learning about manga. None of my real life friends are manga nerds, so I very much feel scene and heard with MangaMac. Also, while the podcast feels like it’s for everyone and doesn’t focus on one group, as a queer listener, I really appreciate how the crew here handle and cover LGBT manga too, like the “Until I Love Myself” episode. Love this podcast, but also RIP to my wallet as they further enable my manga habit.

Hey there! Let me tell you about my absolute favorite podcast: Manga Machinations. It's like stepping into a cozy cafe filled with friends who share my passion for manga. dakazu, Darfox8, Morgana Santilli, and seamus2389 feel like old pals, chatting about everything from hidden gems to beloved classics. Their discussions are engaging, their recommendations spot-on, and their camaraderie infectious. Whether I'm a seasoned manga veteran or just starting out, there's always something new to discover and love. Manga Machinations isn't just a podcast—it's a welcoming community where my love for manga feels right at home.

More likely than you might think!

I first found out about this podcast through the Parasyte retrospective. Parasyte was the first manga I ever read and I had watched few anime up until that point, so I knew little about manga. I liked the Parasyte retrospective, so I kept reading the manga that already retrospectives. I'm glad I did, because this podcast has introduced me to manga that I would have never known about and found to love. I love the entire crew and their personalities. Everybody has their own different interests in the manga they like, which diversifies the podcast. Also this podcast is very unique in that Dakazu, the host, reads Japanese which can sometimes inform you of manga that may not have translations. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to get introduced to great manga.

I encountered a manga a few years ago and I for the life of me can’t remember what it was called. All I remember is that it’s not a new one but it was about these ninken clans that fought each other (?). I know that the main dog was taking his fathers place and he was in command of groups of dogs. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Best show I found this year, hands down. If you speak English and love manga this is the pod for you. Awesome compliment of hosts. Good production value. Thank you all for the knowledge!

Honestly surprised I just found this podcast now- feels like listening in with friends. Everyone seems well informed of the series discussed (both popular and lesser known titles are talked about) and the guests that appear are perfect for the topics mentioned. My only critique could be that it seems majority of the series discussed are shonen rather than shojo/josei or seinen. Though there are some sprinkled in here or there. Overall is solid all around and will definitely have to listen to more of their backlog in the future. Everyone should give the podcast a try!

The Manga Mac crew have a great format with thoughtful hosts who all have different specialties and backgrounds. Darfox8 knows his shonen, Morgana’s got josei and horror down pat, Seamus focuses on mature, obscure, and indie stuff, and Dakazu is an all-rounder. Because Dakazu is able to read Japanese, he’s able to talk about manga that aren’t currently licensed and offer a unique perspective on how English translations differ, which was particularly informative recently in their discussions of the BEASTARS anime and Yu Yu Hakusho. The Manga Mac crew’s diverse interests allow them to cover a broad variety of series from all sorts in genres, offering easily the most diverse discussions of any Manga pod in the game. They do multi-part retrospectives to deep dive into interesting series they love, study the different works of a single artist in their Creator Cross sections, Triple Dip their toes into the first volumes of 3 different titles at a time, check in on the latest Shonen Jump Manga, catch up on long running Shōnen in Saikyo Selections, review seasonal anime in Anime Interludes, cover anime films and series retrospectives in Manga in Motion, review single volume manga in one shot pods, and interview great people in the community and industry in their Guest Gaidens. On top of all that, they discuss what they’ve been reading lately and comment on important manga news stories! They’ve gotten some great guests on the show, translator Jocelyne Allen being a particular highlight, offering great insight into the world of translation, interpreting, and queer manga in their reviews of Nagata Kabi’s works. Other great guests of their include Dawn from the Anime Nostalgia Podcast, Anne From Shojo Power, and most recently letterer Sara Linsley! There’s really no other manga pod exploring the world of manga as broadly and with as much variety as Manga Machinations. No matter what your niche of choice is, chances are the Manga Mac crew will cover something that interests you and offer a heck of a good discussion on it. If you’re a manga fan with diverse tastes and an eagerness to learn more about what’s out there in the world of manga, Manga Machinations is the pod for you!

I’ve only been listening to Manga Machinations for a few months, but I’ve really enjoyed what I listen to! Every one of the hosts bring a range of interests in terms of what kind of manga they read, especially dakazu who has the advantage of reading manga in Japanese and therefore titles that may or may not ever be licensed in North America, so its always interesting to hear what he’s reading in particular. If you love Yu Yu Hakusho, you should definitely listen to their recent retrospective episodes on the manga! It was interesting to learn just how sloppy the old Viz release actually turned out to be in terms of its translation of which I was not aware of before, but in general, if you want a manga podcast that covers a variety of topics and series, this is the one for you!

A great podcast covering a variety of topics not just manga, but also some anime and even live action adaptations. The hosts are interesting and each one has things he likes the most but can appreciate genres that aren’t to his taste and give pretty objective comments not just dissmis them because it is not their style. Very enjoyable keep it up.

Found this podcast through their retrspective on goodnight punpun. Really like hearing them discuss the manga and its nice seeing them give love to manga that may be less known among fans of one piece or naruto.

This is one of the best podcasts I have listened to in years. I very much enjoy hearing what manga the hosts are reading each week, and the diversity in genres and subject matter always keeps me interested. Most of the series covered aren't mainstream, but that's what I love about this podcast. The insights of dakazu, darfox, and seamus leave me impatiently waiting for the new episode each week. Everyone should definitely listen to this podcast!