Scrap Bag: Little Women in Anime with Lio Min

Hey, hey, let's go, Wakakusa monogatari! In this episode, we explore the ways Little Women and Louisa May Alcott have been represented in anime, from the long-running children's TV serials of the 80s and 90s to Louisa May Alcott's more recent turn as an anime heroine.

Our guest and guide for this episode is Lio Min, author of the novel Beating Heart Baby. It was named one of the best books of 2022 by BuzzFeed, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, and the Chicago Public Library. Lio's writing has appeared in Nylon, Fader, Catapult, and many more. They’ve interviewed all of your faves: Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Rina Sawayama, Caroline Polachek, and Soccer Mommy, to name just a few.

Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan’s book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.