Ah, Tropes and Cliche’s. If you’re a fan of anime, manga, comic books, fantasy, movies, sci-fi, or anything that takes you away from reality, then 9 times outta 10 you’ve probably seen these two things – a LOT. (Especially if you’re an anime fan.) Now hear us out when we say this; tropes are good. Tropes. Are. Good.

Why do we say this? You’d have to look at the definition of what a Trope is and how it differs from a Cliche’. Instead of trying to Google it we’re gonna break it down through the eyes of an anime fan – by that, we mean us. A Trope is basically a plot, a main character, a setting, or even a pattern/sequence that each and everyone recognizes and knows as such. Certain titles and stories aren’t good or bad based on if they have any tropes or not, but in reality it’s really based on how they’re used. (Remember the filler post on the four things that can make-or-break an anime title? Tropes play a part in that.)

Depending on the genre of anime you find yourself watching on FunimationNow, or even Crunchyroll, tropes can be your best friend…or worst enemy. Here’s the three things that’s cool about them; we’re familiar with them, we’re excited when the plot “gets good”, and when our favorite trope(s) make a sudden detour that we weren’t prepared for. (That’s what we meant by when the plot gets good!) However, there’s a dark side to tropes, and that dark side comes in the form of a (you guessed it) Cliche’.

Think of a cliche’ as someone telling you that you’re getting a surprise party; if that person told you you were getting one, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Cliche’s are former tropes that are 100% predictable (story, characters, etc.) and have been done for the umteenth time. Check this out; tropes aren’t what makes certain members of the anime community a little bent-outta-shape, it when those same tropes turn into cliche’s overtime. There are hundreds of titles out there that have fallen into this trap, and we’re pretty sure you guys know which ones they are.

Here’s where things get tricky when it comes to dealing with cliche’s; they’re subjective. We’re pretty sure you guys knew that but for those who are just reading this post for the first time, let us say that cliche’s are subjective! No matter how big of an anime fan you are, there’s always a percentage of the fandom (or fanbase) that gets SICK and TIRED of the same song-and-dance that you love so much, and vice-versa.

If you’re a fan fiction writer or manga artist, then this post as well as the previous one we mentioned above can be your creative guideline. The best way to make sure your story doesn’t find itself in the cliche’ graveyard, is to become a trope-savvy expert. Study and learn how your favorite anime creators use them in their series’. Don’t focus yourself on the subjectiveness of cliche’s – in fact, don’t even worry about them. Tropes will never disappear, we just need to find new ways to use them without ‘repeating’ ourselves.

Hopefully this post helped you understand the difference between a trope and a cliche’. You can please some people but you can’t please everybody, so if you ever find yourself on the receiving end of defending your favorite trope (even though someone else thinks it’s a cliche’), find another group of people in your title’s fandom that agree with you. If you love it, do you. Do it! Just do it!

One of the biggest questions that I’m always asked is, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” To be honest in the last ten years I’ve been asking myself this very same question. After turning 28 just a month ago, I’m now starting to realize that I’m getting older – although that shouldn’t be much of a shock because we’re ALL getting older. In Fall 2010 I got an AA degree in IT/Multimedia, also known as Information Technology and Video/Graphic Design. It was then that I wanted to work in Post-Production and Broadcast Graphics, however after bouncing from temp job to temp job for 2-3 years the idea of being a Multimedia Specialist seemed pretty dim.

Instead I found myself taking everything I learned at ITT-Tech (which no longer exist) and applying it to my one-man business of creating videos of parties, conventions, weddings, and more. The name of that business was D.J.L’s Media Services, with me as it’s founder and creator. I would shoot, cut, and edit various clips together to tell a story of whatever I was filming at the time.

As I got better I started getting paid to do it, and believe me had I not done so, I wouldn’t have had the money to go to Otakon as much as I did from 2008-2016. Although I was proud that I had a business to call my own, it wasn’t financially consistent – meaning I only got a couple of gigs every 2-3 months. Despite this those gigs as well as the temp jobs kept my anime convention trips going – even more so now that I’ve got a part-time job.

It’s funny that during our elementary school years we as children knew what we wanted to be when we grow up, and about a fair percentage of us manage to make that dream a reality. As we grow older some of the dreams and aspirations we had back in our youth seem to get placed on the sidelines as responsibilities get bigger, and heavier.

We were all asked the dreaded ‘Five Year’ question sometime in our lives, and for most of us we had an answer. My best friend of 13 years and I started this awesome anime blog in the beginning of 2016, and next month will be our two-year anniversary.

Do I still want to have my very own anime convention with A. Goldman and I as it’s founders and creators in the next ten years? Yes! Do I see myself going for more than just a certification in Audio Engineering? Yes. Do I see myself moving out, driving a car, getting a place of my own? Yes! Where do I see myself in five years? Doing all of the above and more, that’s what!

No matter what I do or where I find myself in the next five years; I will always love anime and manga, I will continue to be one of the founders of D&A, I will continue to work on my dream of becoming a DJ/Producer, and most of all, I will strive to be the best ‘Me’ that I can be!