Topics for this episode: Look forward to Teacher Sha's Room tour Uncle Fan's Spring Festival trip to the Seto Inland Sea Complex feelings of Chinese tourists at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Why Masaharu Fukuyama cosplayed as a Qing Dynasty emperor in Nagasaki How did Naoshima transform from a super-aged, deserted island into a global pilgrimage site for art?
The male protagonist Ah Bao in the hit TV series 'Blossoms Shanghai' has a father in the original novel who worked as an intelligence officer for the CPC underground. Although the novel does not devote much ink to Ah Bao's father, it provokes endless speculation: he was an idealist from a bourgeois family who betrayed his class and devoted himself to the revolutionary cause; after 1949, Ah Bao's father was trapped by his 'historical issues,' repeatedly writing appeals with little effect, and his situation only improved with the arrival of the 'New Era.' The novel's author, Jin Yucheng, acknowledged in his non-fiction work 'Looking Back' and media interviews that the prototype for Ah Bao's father was his own father, Jin Ruowang. Unexpectedly, Jin Ruowang's intelligence career was linked to the legendary WWII spy Richard Sorge, and the fate of him and many of his comrades changed due to the chain reaction triggered by Sorge's arrest in Tokyo in 1942. What exactly happened? Please listen to this episode for the breakdown.
Topics for this episode: The present tense and past tense of Shinjuku East Asian culture in Miyazaki Hayao's new film Apart from taxis, prices in Tokyo are really cheap now Audience sharing: First time in Tokyo, so Japanese people actually have holidays? Audience sharing: I grinded for five years in Japan and lay flat for five years
Topics in this episode: US media this year: Diarrhea-style layoffs! The "Barbenheimer" phenomenon: Conservatism killed Disney Streaming promotion models strangling the traditional blockbuster workflow Disney veteran Iger stumbles, intensifying labor-management conflicts A close look at Netflix's new policies: The carrot of advertising and the stick of IP
The top three highly-rated comments in the comment section of this episode will receive access codes for the paid album Biographies of Japanese Prime Ministers (Hosts: Fan Yiru, Sha Qingqing). Active participation in comments and interaction is welcome.
The theory of pseudo-Greek history has gained increasingly widespread dissemination on social media platforms over the past two years. In this episode, we will discuss what this seemingly absurd theory claims, why it has repeatedly appeared in the histories of various countries, and what concerns it raises. As history enthusiasts, how can we "turn a funeral into a celebration" amidst this wave, and enhance our understanding of history?
In this episode, we invited David Weng, host of "Dog Life" and "Feasting in the Rising Tower," to talk about his "unknown" otaku hobbies outside the financial sector. Text-based AVGs, or text adventure games, are a genre of game that is not often mentioned, yet they are a favorite of many. In this episode, the host and guest will share how they got into the hobby and their favorite games, taking us into this world that only otaku know.
Topics for this episode: Shanghai Bookstore returns after a two-year absence How physical bookstores are updating and transforming, struggling to sustain themselves with cultural creative products and coffee corners Aranya's new model: cultural content operations driving commercial real estate Urban renewal projects with 'original demolition and original return'; small-scale renovation and refurbishment of Japanese neighborhoods The consumer label of Shimokitazawa; niche subcultures derived from various art forms
This episode originated from host Lambda's hope that Teacher Sha would share his insights on men's fashion. However, daily dressing is less about 'fashion' and more about cultivating a lifestyle habit. Finding a dressing style that suits oneself is, in itself, an interesting process of exploration. Starting from their respective observations and combining them with their own dressing habits, the two male hosts will share some 'purely personal' opinions on men's fashion, intended only to 'broaden one's horizons'. Additionally, Teacher Liu Daku has been specially invited to offer various sharp critiques from a female perspective. Stay tuned~
This episode is the "Special Episode" of the "Year-End Summary." Since teachers Xiao Wenjie and Manong could not be present in person, they recorded their own recommendations and complaints. Through this "Special Episode," we allow these two otaku to join us in staying home! Additionally, the hosts chatted a bit about miscellaneous topics, hoping to whet your appetite before the official next episode goes live. A formal farewell to 2023! Also, there is an easter egg at the beginning of this episode. We sincerely invited teacher Liu Sancai to create a "2D-exclusive OP" as a limited bonus for the special episode. We hope you like it! (You are also welcome to guess the source materials of the exclusive OP in the comments section! [No-prize guessing contest; the enthusiasm of fat otaku is that easy to fool!])
Following the hosts’ round of recommendations in the previous episode, this week’s topic moves to the anticipated “roast” segment: What disastrous movies and series did you actually experience in 2023? Is it Napoleon, which is an adaptation and not a fabrication, and a dramatization and not a rambling tale? Or is it Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine, where you and I kiss goodbye in a desolate liquid? Is it the Marvel movies you are sick of watching, or the new Disney films whose names you can’t even remember? Why did the hosts, a group of chatterboxes, fall into collective silence for the first time? What guiding significance does The Founding of an Army have for filming historical subjects?
2023 is almost over, and we (don’t) miss it...... Another year of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. As a staple of this podcast, we have recorded a new episode of our 2023 anime and film review and summary. From the staple shows of otaku culture, to the bleak British and American dramas, to the giant scholar “Zheng Nengliang” (you’ll know why he’s called that once you listen to the episode), who keeps binge-watching series even while bedridden, and to the science history fan who has a love-hate relationship with “Zheng Nengliang”...... Yes, facing this year’s good and bad films, good and bad dramas, and good and bad anime, the hosts of Leftover Talk have gathered (or contributed their voices if they couldn’t attend) to avoid the fluff of “you’re good, I’m good, we’re all good”! Let’s get hyped for the final episode of 2023!
Topics for this episode: The 2025 Osaka Expo in Japan suffers from low popularity; Busan, South Korea, actively bids but suffers a crushing defeat to Saudi Arabia. In the internet era, the visualization of technology is low, and exhibitions and international travel are becoming increasingly common. Inflation and the depreciation of the yen lead to continuous increases in the Expo budget, with construction funds doubling. "Traditional practices" provoke strong public skepticism, wasting the hard-earned taxes of the citizens. The Osaka Restoration Association actively supports hosting the Expo, stirring up public emotions.
Topics in this episode: The largest faction of the LDP, the Abe Faction, is in big trouble. The Japanese Communist Party’s Akahata broke the story first, followed by experts filing reports under their real names. Japanese netizens cheer on the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department. Can the “purge of the Abe Faction” halt the declining momentum of the Kishida cabinet? The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department faces both pressure and motivation.
Newton was not only a great physicist but also held two interesting roles: Master of the Royal Mint in Britain and the most famous victim of the South Sea Bubble. Behind these roles lies the gradual rise of the financial industry in 18th-century Britain. In this episode, we will use the experiences of Newton's later life to discuss topics such as foreign exchange management, monetary policy, stocks, public debt, and financial regulation in the early modern period. Newton's legacy to posterity is not only his great discoveries in physics but also the confidence he instilled in everyone to use science and reason to address and handle all aspects of our lives.
The theory of gravity is the most representative knowledge point in our middle school physics studies, and Newton is the most familiar great scientist to us. But few people know that Newton repeatedly emphasized in his works that he did not propose "gravity" in the physical sense. On the contrary, Newton stated that he "indiscriminately and interchangeably used terms such as 'attraction,' 'repulsion,' or any kind of 'tendency' toward the center." How should this be understood? To commemorate the 380th anniversary of Newton's birth, Leftover Talk will release two episodes. In the first episode, using the theory of gravity as an example, we will introduce the physics research environment in which Newton lived, Newton's own methods of physics research, and how Newton's theories spread beyond Britain.
On November 29, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger passed away at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. Kissinger was the architect of the thaw in US-China relations and the negotiator for the US withdrawal from Vietnam. At the height of the Cold War, he spearheaded the “détente” policy with the Soviet Union, helping to melt the ice of the Cold War. But at the same time, he was a cold-blooded realist who was willing to sacrifice other interests, and even principles, for the sake of the bigger picture. How should we rationally evaluate his political methods and political legacy? Welcome to listen to the insightful sharing by Liu Yi and Sha Qingqing.
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Japanese historical novelist Sōma Ryōtarō (born Fukuda Teiichi). Adopting the pen name Sōma Ryōtarō as a tribute to the historian Sima Qian, he profoundly influenced postwar generations of Japanese people through his works. From militarist Japan during the Shōwa era to the postwar economic miracle, Sōma's life spanned Japan's rises and falls. How to confront the darkness of the Shōwa era? How to construct a new national myth after the war? Using the past to satirize the present, he celebrated the light of the Meiji era and condemned the darkness of the Shōwa era. How do historical researchers view the Sōma view of history? What impact has this view had on literary and artistic works? Please listen to this episode's guests, Sha Qingqing and Xiao Xi Zhi Shui, for their insightful sharing.
Topics of this episode: The mysterious and strict "cultural climate" of the century-old Takarazuka Wives of the opera world—becoming a wife in Japan's prevailing environment means losing oneself The transition from traditional to modern society in Japan has also left behind many odd phenomena Yoshimoto Kogyo's new attempts in the Chinese market The clash of niche subcultures in Japanese comedy
After working in Southeast Asia and searching for housing in Tokyo, the 'code monkey' (programmer) has finally embraced a life of lying flat in Tokyo. (Code monkey: Life lying flat is so happy; I hope everyone can lie flat soon too!) In this episode, Teacher Sha will chat with the code monkey about his life upon arriving in Tokyo. Let us follow the code monkey to view the crater from the summit of Mount Fuji, eat peaches at a farmhouse in Yamanashi Prefecture, pay homage to Edward Yang at the cinema, cheer for small idols in the park, and search for the livehouse where Bocchi-chan fought in Shimokitazawa.
On April 9, 2021, the "Attack on Titan" manga concluded with Chapter 139. Immediately, a tidal wave of criticism surged across the Chinese internet. This globally popular phenomenon-level work was labeled with tags such as "bad ending" and "shitty work," creating a cruel contrast with the enthusiastic praise previously offered by fans. The author, Hajime Isayama, was subjected to a torrent of insults, overnight transforming from "Brother Chuang" to "Isayama the Man." Regarding Chapter 139 of the Titan manga, the two hosts of "Leftover Talk" held diametrically opposed attitudes (of course, they are often like this regarding many choices related to anime and manga). Zheng Shiliang, a loyal fan for many years, simply could not accept it and fell into immense depression. Even last year, when discussing Titans on the sister podcast "Jingduan Meeting," he couldn't help but express his disappointment ("Please don't do that 'Titanology Master' thing!"). Jiang Yuan, however, stated that during the middle period when the manga was still hailed as a "masterpiece," he already felt something was off and had a premonition that the work would eventually crash and burn. The reversal in reputation at Chapter 139 precisely confirmed his judgment.
Harvard University Professor Serhii Plokhy has long been dedicated to the study of Ukrainian history, Soviet history, and nuclear accidents. In his award-winning book Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy, he detailed the origins and massive impact of this unprecedented disaster through a large amount of primary source material, including recently declassified archives and personal recollections of those involved. In his book Atomic and Ashes: A History of Nuclear Disasters, Professor Plokhy broadens his perspective to the causes of nuclear accidents more generally. This episode will reflect on major nuclear accidents in history through a discussion of Professor Plokhy’s works—what can we gain when we revisit these tragedies?
Emon, Uemon, Tokubei, Sasuke, Kojiro... These Japanese "names" are not uncommon in various literary and artistic works. They occasionally appear in novels, TV dramas, or anime. Although all are written in Chinese characters, a single glance reveals them to be "foreign surnames, other people's given names," which differ greatly from Chinese conventions. So-called "conventions" mean that while personal names seem "used daily without conscious awareness," they often conceal the history, culture, and memory of a specific region or group behind their symbols. If examined closely, there is always a surprising side. For instance, when Japanese names like "Inukai," "Abiko," or "Inokuchi" are mentioned, we often smile wryly, looking utterly bewildered. Clearly, for us Chinese, Japanese "names" are both familiar and unfamiliar.
Topics for this episode: Shintaro Kishima, a contributor to cultural exchange between China and Japan The post-war baby boom generation, the backbone of the Japanese economy The connection between rock music entering the Chinese public and "Comrade Xiaoping" Parents' memories: Shintaro Kishima, Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomokazu Miura, Ken Takakura The influence of 1980s and 1990s Japan on the Hong Kong pop music scene