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Episode 37: "Now Kiss!" - What We Love and Hate About Romances

Did You Have To?

Release Date: 05/30/2020

EPISODE 60: We're Back! show art EPISODE 60: We're Back!

Did You Have To?

This week: We're back!

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Episode 58: ‘RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness’ show art Episode 58: ‘RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness’

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On this new episode Kate and LaNeysha review Netflix’s CG anime series, RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness. The ladies have a lot of thoughts, questions, and notes on this CG limited anime series. They get into to it into it all from the zombie rats, thin ponytails, and various plot holes.   RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness is based on canonical elements from the games but also tells an all new original story. The limited 4-episode series is created by animated by Quebico, produced by TMS Entertainment, and is directed by Eiichiro Hasumi. The series also includes a story by Shogo...

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Episode 57: ‘Trese’ the Supernatural Anime We Needed show art Episode 57: ‘Trese’ the Supernatural Anime We Needed

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On episode 57 of Did You Have To? podcast the ladies review the supernatural anime Trese. Coming back from hiatus LaNeysha and Kate return to review and discuss their thoughts on the supernatural anime that combines a crime thriller with horror. Trese is a supernatural crime thriller based on the award-winning Filipino komik written by Budjette Tan and with art by KaJO Baldisimo. Filipino American Jay Oliva is the Executive Director and is written by Tanya Yuson, Zig Marasigan, Mihk Vergara. 

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Episode 56: Castlevania, Season 4 (2021) show art Episode 56: Castlevania, Season 4 (2021)

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This week, Kate and LaNeysha are back to review the final season of their favorite Western anime, Castlevania. The ladies are thrilled to review the Western anime produced by one of their favorite studios, . This episode full of tons of spoilers as the women of Did You Have To? discuss the plot of Castlevania's final season, the  , awesome callbacks from previous seasons, and ultimately how this series raises the bar for how to end a series. We are so excited to announce that But Why Tho? A Geek Community is now an official affiliate partner with Right Stuf...

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Episode 55: Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train show art Episode 55: Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train

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They’re back! After a life forced hiatus Neysha and Kate excited to be back talking all about  . Finally in the states, the film has smashed record s in Japan and the United States. While Neysha has been on the Demon Slayer Train for 2 years, Kate decided to hop on right before the film’s release and it now reading the manga. In this episode, the women discuss the Mugen Train, what they love about the series, and ultimately why the film hits hard.

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Episode 54: We Gotta Talk About Blue Flag show art Episode 54: We Gotta Talk About Blue Flag

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This week, we finally get to talk about our favorite shounen-ai: Blue Flag. In this episode we talk about the romance of the series, how it captures the authentic and messy relationships of high school life, and ultimately how shonen-ai series like Blue Flag can open the conversation for those learning their sexuality. While we've talked a lot about yaoi as a genre, the queer romances often highlighted in those manga are explicit in nature and tend to get shoved into the back of the manga section. But with shounen-ai being distributed through a major publisher like VIZ Media and...

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Episode 53: We Gotta Talk About Sexy Monsters show art Episode 53: We Gotta Talk About Sexy Monsters

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Everyone loves a good non-human crush. Maybe it's a demon, a kaiju, an archduke of Hell, you know, a monster. This week we dive into our favorite sexy monsters from anime and manga with the help of Aisha (MommaLuvsManga), content creator and all-around expert on thirsty manga, and Ty, self-proclaimed "monster fucker" and Founder/EIC of Uppercut. As you can guess from the name, this episode isn't to be listened to around the kiddos.

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Episode 52: Earwig and the Witch (2021) show art Episode 52: Earwig and the Witch (2021)

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This week we review Earwig and the Witch from Studio Ghibli. In the film, a headstrong orphan discovers a world of spells and potions while living with a selfish witch. Earwig and the Witch aims to continue Studio Ghibli's tradition of pushing the boundaries of animation and storytelling. While the gets close, it feels unfinished. Directed by , written by and , and produced by studio co-founder Toshio Suzuki, with planning from Hayao Miyazaki, the film is based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, the author behind the source material for Howl’s Moving...

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Episode 51: Cherry Magic! (2020) show art Episode 51: Cherry Magic! (2020)

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This week, we're back to live-action adaptations, and this time it's the wholesome BL drama Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! Now, at the time of recording, we hadn't watched all 12 episodes and obviously only have access to the English volumes of the manga. We talk about the importance of , how Cherry Magic! hit our hearts, and how it really showcased the depth of the BL genre. We talk about why we love the characters, consent, and more.

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Episode 50: 2020 in Anime show art Episode 50: 2020 in Anime

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We've gone around the sun another time and while 2020 was not a good year in the world, it was a great year for anime. To close out the year we have this bonus episode that dives into our favorite series, the series that got us through things, the best boy of the year, waifu of the year, best OT, and more. Beyond that, we talk about how anime helped us get through the year and our accomplishments this year. So let's jump into 2020 in anime. 

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More Episodes

This week, we're talking all about anime and manga romances - what we love and of course, what we hate. In this episode, we break down how romance in manga differs based on which demographic they're made for and in doing so cover our favorite romances from shojo, josei, and yes, even shonen. We also dive into the tropes that pop up in romances and explain which ones land - like workplace romances - and which ones leave us frustrated - looking at you kissing on the last page of the last chapter of a shojo series.  But through it all, we talk about a manga genre that offers up a variety of experiences for readers. Some of the ones we talk about: Toradora, The Artist and The Beast, InuYasha, Midnight Secretary, Blue Spring Ride, and a bunch more! 

Be warned though if you're listening with younger weebs in the car or at home - we also tackle the big wide world of josei smut and how it can offer up some of the most problematic and some of the best romances in anime and manga. Now, we don't jump into boys love (yaoi) or girls love (yuri) because we think each of those deserve their own episodes to discuss the dynamics of those romance manga stories.