It’s Wednesday, we’re halfway through the week, and I want to take a moment to tell you about @tomochocopod, a podcast by queer people for queer people, and for everyone who’s into Yuri, and why you should consider supporting these lovely, queer creators.

TomoChoco launched in December 2017 by co-hosts Kit ( @pinkroomba) & Sarah ( @chestofstars) with the goal of creating a space to discuss Yuri anime and manga. They also wanted to create a place for queer individuals to feel welcomed and have a voice.

Each episode covers different pieces of Yuri media, though the podcast has also covered LGBTQAI+ media, like @gomanga’s Our Dreams at Dusk. They've also done interviews with other queer creators and recently, reviews of @PressMacaron's doujinshi.

By and large, the podcast spins anime, manga, sexuality, feminism, and queer identity together into an incredibly accessible, engaging episodes that dive deep into manga and anime and explore modern Yuri series from start to finish.

There’s always something to learn about the media they talk about, whether it’s an older manga, a newly localized series, or an anime that slipped past your radar.

(Plus: there’s always lots and lots of refreshing, queer laughter!)

Whether they’re tackling older series or working their way through March Manga Madness, the women of @tomochocopod offer keen insight in a way that welcomes the listener into the wide, wide world of Yuri media.

Better: they handle everything with care, whether or not they like the series. And they do cover series that one -or sometimes both- of the hosts might ultimately dislike. They don't shy away from things just because they don't like them. They keep it earnest and still engage.

They call out series too, but it’s never to be mean or just trash things: if anything, Kit and Sarah work hard to find the good in the bad, and vice versa.

There’s honest, and open, criticism, yes, but there’s always, always care with the work they do.

They also offer triggers for all episodes, and aren’t afraid to apologize or clarify things they say. Over the past two years, Kit and Sarah have only further committed to doing this: I genuinely feel safe going into every episode.

Personally, I really admire Kit and Sarah.

They advocate from the bottom of their heart, and have created one of the most inclusive spaces I’ve ever been a part of. My life is better because of them and the podcast.

That’s why it’s easy to ask you to give them a listen.

Maybe you’ve already listened to an episode: maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t, I’d like to offer a selection of some of my personal favorites. It was hard for me to choose because honestly, every episode is genuinely enjoyable, but after much deliberation… here are my choices:

As a fan of monster girls, I couldn’t /not/ mention @tomochocopod’s coverage of Beauty and the Beast Girl by Neji.

Episode 31: Monster Girls Forever https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/11200745

Their coverage of Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani is really well-done and quite nuanced and heartfelt at many, many times.

Here’s Volumes 1 & 2:

Episode 37: Tell Me Anything (Vol. 1) https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/11200727

Episode 41: Gender is Fluid (Vol. 2) https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/11200712

Finish off with Volumes 3 & 4, which continue the nuanced discussions and also contain many, many feels.

Episode 45: My Shimanami (Vol. 3)
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/12327542

Episode 46: The Future’s Transparent (Vol. 4) https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/12665066

Last year, Kit and Sarah sat down with @okazuyuri’s Erica Friedman (who is /also/ someone I deeply admire and think you should also support!) to talk about Yuri’s storied history across the past century.

Episode 35: 100 Years of Yuri https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/11200733

Finally, I had the honor of sitting down with Kit and Sarah to discuss @gomanga’s Kashimashi, which was a hoot and a half!

Episode 53: It’s Kashimashi https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/tomochoco5287491142565609/id/13861769

Give one or all a listen, and do consider leaving a review once you’re done. Reviews help creators a lot!

And if you did enjoy what you heard, or just want to support the podcast and see it grow, I’d like for you to ultimately consider this: supporting the TomoChoco Patreon.

The TomoChoco Patreon launches on March 13, and honestly, if you’ve been looking to support queer creators during these hard times, this is a place to do just that.

They’ve got some incredibly accessible and worthwhile tiers, starting from the $5 “Friend Chocolate” tier.

Ahead of the launch, I want to publicly commit to supporting them. In fact, I plan on joining @tomochocopod’s Patreon at the $25 “Cosmic Chocolate” Tier.

I'm thankfully in a place where I can do that: plus, it feels good to help two of my friends do good work.

I know that we’re globally in a very difficult time, and I know that funds might be limited.

So, if you can’t afford to support @tomochocopod right now, then I would like to ask that you at least RT this thread to help out @tomochocopod.

Additionally, TomoChoco Podcast has a rolling wishlist, filled with lots of series that are /perfect/ for future content.

http://bit.ly/yuridreams 

Bonus: any books you buy for them will be moved up in priority, so you’ll hear their genuine, witty insight sooner than later!

I’d like to thank you for reading this thread, and I’d like to thank you in advance for supporting @tomochocopod in whatever way you can.

Like I said, please RT this thread: RTs are just as valuable as monetary support. Every bit of help counts.

I’d also like to thank @HoMArtworks, who provides really charming artwork for the podcast. They’re a great creator, and have also brought so much joy to the podcast.

Best wishes to @tomochocopod on their new Patreon: I can’t wait to see how much y’all continue to grow!