Haruka Pt. 1 (with Asher Sofman)

Covers volumes 1–9 of HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME by Tohko Mizuno. HARUKA was one of the first-ever otome games, and it launched a franchise that spun off into manga and anime adaptations as well. Though the series didn’t gain popularity in the United States, we thought HARUKA was important to cover for its historical context. In this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher journey back to the Heian era with Akane (a normal high school girl who’s a priestess in this alternate timeline), Tenma, and Shimon (two of Akane’s classmates that end up being her guardians) to meet even more hot men vying for Akane’s heart. (And fighting a war against a clan of demons.) It’s basically a much worse FUSHIGI YUGI. But Yasuaki and Eisen make it all worth it. Well… almost.