Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast

The anime and manhwa worlds were not playing this week! Here’s what you need to know…
Massive news on
Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Gachiakuta
Goodbye, Lara
The World Webtoon Awards
Higurashi: When They Cry
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)
Stay up to date with me on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter
Join our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like you
Follow my anime Spotify playlist

My amazing sponsors:
Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipment
Iced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)
Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

Affiliate links:
Captivate.fm - the best podcast hosting platform
Komi.io - the best linkinbio website
Riverside.fm - the best remote video/podcast recording platform

You Don't Know Me Anymore
What happens when a pop idol walks away from the stage to chase her dream of becoming a serious actress, only to find that the person she used to be refuses to let her go? Perfect Blue descends into a suffocating psychological nightmare where the line between performance and reality dissolves completely, and a stalker's obsession becomes the least terrifying thing lurking in the dark. Join us as we unpack Satoshi Kon's landmark debut, the crushing weight of public identity, and the question that follows Mima through every shattered mirror and blood-soaked hallway -- who are you when everyone else has already decided?
Joining Brendan in the studio for this episode is returning friend of the show and stand up superstar, Sam Bellwood!
In this episode (FULL SPOILERS): Going In Blind | Story & World-Building | Characters & Chemistry | Standout Moments | Animation, Sound & Style | The Verdict
From first impressions to final verdict, at Sakura Society, we cut through the hype to help you decide what's actually worth your time.
If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)
Stay up to date with me on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter
Join our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like you
Follow my anime Spotify playlist

My amazing sponsors:
Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipment
Iced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)
Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

Affiliate links:
Captivate.fm - the best podcast hosting platform
Komi.io - the best linkinbio website
Riverside.fm - the best remote video/podcast recording platform

The Anime & manga worlds did WHAT this week?! Massive news from some of the industries biggest titles, including:
One Piece
Jujutsu Kaisen
Overgeared
Fall in Love You False Angels
Vampire Hunter D
Bluebox

If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)
Stay up to date with me on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter
Join our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like you
Follow my anime Spotify playlist

My amazing sponsors:
Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipment
Iced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)
Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

Affiliate links:
Captivate.fm - the best podcast hosting platform
Komi.io - the best linkinbio website
Riverside.fm - the best remote video/podcast recording platform

Welcome to Manga Monday!
This week we're diving into Ichi the Witch, written by Osamu Nishi, the creator of Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki of Act-Age fame.
In this world, living creatures called Majiks are the source of all magic, and only women can become Witches by completing a Majik's trial. Then Ichi shows up. He's a feral hunter raised alone on a mountain who stumbles into a battle between the strongest Witch alive, Desscaras, and the terrifying King Majik Uroro, kills it, absorbs its power, and accidentally becomes the first male Witch in history. Now he's dragged out of his mountain life and into the Witches Association, paired with Desscaras in a blood oath that ties their fates together, and prophecy says he's the messiah destined to stop a world ending threat at the cost of his own life.
Winner of the Next Manga Award 2025. This one's building into something special.
If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)
Stay up to date with me on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter
Join our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like you
Follow my anime Spotify playlist

My amazing sponsors:
Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipment
Iced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)
Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

Affiliate links:
Captivate.fm - the best podcast hosting platform
Komi.io - the best linkinbio website
Riverside.fm - the best remote video/podcast recording platform

Welcome to Manga Monday!
This week we're diving into The Climber, also known as Kokou no Hito, illustrated by Shinichi Sakamoto and based on a novel by Jiro Nitta inspired by the life of real solo climber Buntaro Kato.
Mori Buntaro is a deeply introverted kid who transfers to a new high school, gets dared into climbing the school building, and in that moment discovers the only thing that's ever made him feel alive. What follows is a lifetime of chasing higher and harder peaks, from high school climbing clubs all the way to K2. But this isn't really a sports manga. It's a character study about isolation, depression, obsession, and what happens when the only place you feel at peace is somewhere that can kill you.
Winner of the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival, ranked in the top 100 on MyAnimeList, and now being published in English by VIZ.
If you want a manga that makes you feel the cold, the height, and the loneliness all at once, this is the one for you.
If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)
Stay up to date with me on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter
Join our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like you
Follow my anime Spotify playlist

My amazing sponsors:
Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipment
Iced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)
Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

Affiliate links:
Captivate.fm - the best podcast hosting platform
Komi.io - the best linkinbio website
Riverside.fm - the best remote video/podcast recording platform