It Is On This Day…that Samurai Rule your Weekend!

And rule they shall! Here we are at yet another warm Saturday night! While many of the “normies” are out partying, you decided to stay indoors, fire up your desktop or laptop, and check out what we’ve got goin’ on for Slash Saturday! (You must really like us! *sniffle*) Well we’re not ones to disappoint, so prepare to have your Saturday night slashed, rocked, and rolled! We’ve got in our arsenal some samurai anime titles alongside our male and female Hall of Fame inductees for you guys to enjoy. So instead of keeping you waiting, let’s get started! ๐Ÿ˜‰

If you’re looking for your usual Saturday night samurai fix, then might we suggest a little title known as Sanada Juu Yuushi, or Sanada Ten Braves. The Tokugawa clan wants to solidify their control over Feudal Japan, but the Sanada clan has other plans. Join them in their battle to relinquish the Tokugawa’s control in this awesome samurai title!

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Sanada Ten Braves

Also, be sure to check us out for the grand unveiling of our newest drop down menu known as Anime Sunday, aka Ani-Sunday! It will have two new pages; Anime Couple of the Week, and Anime Episode of the Week. We’re so excited to debut our newest feature to the blog, and we hope you’re excited about it too! See you guys at the grand opening! ๐Ÿ™‚

D&A: The Countdown to Ani-Sunday…

With the last day of school just several days away, many of us have already booked our hotel rooms and various other types of vacation spots for the Summer. As for good ol’ D&A, we’ll be back on tour in the next couple of months as we make our way to Allentown, PA for our fourth stop on our anime convention tour! In just three days it’ll be our eighteen month anniversary, so to celebrate this awesome occasion (that really couldn’t have happened without you, the fans) we’ll be introducing a brand new drop down menu known as Ani-Sunday!

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Tokimeki Tonight

Aside from that we’ve got some 80’s anime titles for you to check out on our Throwback Thursday segment! If you’re looking for a romance comedy about a vampire-werewolf family whose daughter wants to try and live a normal life, then you’re gonna wanna check out this series known as Tokimeki Tonight. As the daughter of a vampire father and a werewolf mother, Ranze Eto is a hybrid who is able to transform into any object that she bites; be it a human or an object like a piece of bread. Upon going to junior high school she meets an athlete named Shun Makabe, but her parents don’t want her dating a human boy. Now she struggles with that logic as well as a feisty in-school rival named Yoko Kamiya, who also has the hots for Shun, as Ranze does her best to live the life of a normal teen girl.

Tomorrow and Saturday is gonna bring in the good ol’ usual stuff from Yours Truly and A. Goldman, so be sure to check back in with the blog to stay abreast with all the latest updates that we have to offer! Until then, stay gold my friends! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Filler Post: Paper Mario: The Pit of 100 Trials, and How to survive It!

Normally we don’t do any kind of video game walkthroughs due to the fact that we’re an anime and manga-based blog, but since this is a filler post we’ve got a little bit of leeway action here. From the standpoint of Yours Truly (D.J. Lewis), Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door will without a doubt be known as one of the best installments of the whole franchise. It took everything that was great about the first one and jacked up its cool factor by 11! (Once again, this is only in my case so results may vary.)

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I wanna talk about a certain dungeon that only a few hundred have conquered, but many a thousand have failed (somewhat). Yes you guys, I’m talking about the Pit of 100 Trials. 12 years ago on this day, Yours Truly faced this dangerous pit with many helpful items and power-brewing badges at my disposal. One thing you should know about the pit is that it’s completely optional, although going through it might net you some awesome badges along the way. (Again, this is completely up to you.)

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Before making the decision to head down to “The Pit” there are a few things that you must know. There are no save blocks, no recovery blocks, and not even a comfy bed to sleep in to fully replenish your energy. (Damn, talk about hardcore. >.<)

There are also some crucial things that you must do before entering “The Pit”. So to help you out a little bit I’ve listed the points down below…

  • You’re at Level 30 or higher
  • You have at least 90 HP and 40 FP (though higher is better, but this is the minimum)
  • You’ve got some power badges equipped (All-or-Nothing, P-Up D-Down, etc.)
  • You’ve got some good items in your arsenal (Ultra Shroom, Jammin’ Jelly, etc.)

First Attack and Bump Attack badges won’t save you from the evils that lurk down below, so make sure to take them off before making this perilous journey. I’m not gonna go into heavy detail about each level of “The Pit” specifically, but I’ll tell you what you’ll be in for every ten levels. One good thing about the trials is that the tenth level of every ten-level set is a “safe zone”, meaning no monsters to fight against. You can even skip a few levels thanks to some “movers” that are located on certain levels, but make sure you’ve got enough coins to cover the move, and don’t even dare buy items from any of the merchants down there, their prices are high as hell!

Here’s what waits for you on Levels 1-9…

  • Gloomba (7 HP, 3 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Spania (3 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Spinia (3 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Fuzzy (3 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Dull Bones (1 HP, 2 ATK, 1 DEF)

The first set of ten levels is probably going to be the easiest, so just use some Jump or Hammer attacks and that’ll get the job done. You shouldn’t take too much damage from these guys if you know how to Guard and Superguard, of course that only works if the enemy is attacking you directly.

Score of Difficulty: 1.8 / 10 Stars

Here’s what you’ll be in for on the second set of ten, that being levels 11-19…

  • Paragloomba (7 HP, 3 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Pokey (4 HP, 3 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Pider (5 HP, 2 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Cleft (2 HP, 2 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Dark Puff (3 HP, 2 ATK, 0 DEF)

The second set is still kind of easy, so like the first just make sure you use your Jump and Hammer skills. (Only this time put a little more power into them.) Again the damage factor is still pretty low, so continue to use Guard and Superguard.

Score of Difficulty: 2.5 / 10 Stars

Levels 21-29…

  • Spiky Gloomba (7 HP, 4 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Bandit (5 HP, 2 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Bob-omb (4 HP, 2 ATK, 1 DEF)
  • Boo (7 HP, 3 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Lakitu (5 HP, 2 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Spiny (3 HP, 3 ATK, 3 DEF)

Only a small fraction of difficulty has been added to this set of ten, but it should still be fairly easy to get through these levels. Jump and Hammer you way through, but throw in a few tricks for good measure. As always, Guard and Superguard if you can.

Score of Difficulty: 3.1 / 10 Stars

So what’s on levels 31-39…

  • Shady Koopa (8 HP, 3 ATK, 1 DEF)
  • Hyper Cleft (4 HP, 3 ATK, 3 DEF)
  • Buzzy Beetle (5 HP, 3 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Flower Fuzzy (5 HP, 3 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Parabuzzy (5 HP, 3 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Dark Koopa (8 HP, 4 ATK, 2 DEF)

You might need to step it up in the power department if you plan on getting through this set of ten. Jump, Guard, Hammer, Superguard. Add some power and that’s it!

Score of Difficulty: 4.2 / 10 Stars

Okay, levels 41-49…

  • Spike Top (5 HP, 3 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Spiky Parabuzzy (5 HP, 3 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Lava Bubble (6 HP, 4 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Bulky Bob-omb (6 HP, 2 ATK, 1 DEF)
  • Shady Paratroopa (8 HP, 3 ATK, 1 DEF)
  • Dark Paratroopa (8 HP, 4 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Poison Pokey (8 HP, 4 ATK, 0 DEF)

Once again, step it up in the power department. Jump, Guard, Hammer, and Superguard.

Score of Difficulty: 4.8 / 10 Stars

Levels 51-59…you tired yet?

  • Red Chomp (6 HP, 5 ATK, 3 DEF)
  • Ice Puff (9 HP, 4 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Badge Bandit (12 HP, 5 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Moon Cleft (6 HP, 5 ATK, 5 DEF)
  • Dark Boo (8 HP, 5 ATK, 0 DEF)

Now is not the time to punk out! If you didn’t escape at level 50 when you had the chance, then tough tennis balls, maggot! Jump, Hammer, Guard, and Superguard your way to victory! your drill Sargent will thank you.

Score of Difficulty: 6.4 / 10 Stars

Levels 61-69…are we there yet?

  • Dark Wizzerd (10 HP, 5 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Dry Bones (8 HP, 5 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Dark Lakitu (13 HP, 5 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Dark Craw (20 HP, 6 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Sky-blue Spiny (6 HP, 6 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Frost Piranha (10 HP, 5 ATK, 0 DEF)

If you’re unlucky enough to have four Dark Craws to fight against, then God bless your soul you brave fool! Power yourself up Jump and Hammer-wise and for the love of God, keep the damage factor to a minimum!

Score of Difficulty: 7.3 / 10 Stars

So, levels 71-79…you still alive?

  • Wizzerd (10 HP, 6 ATK, 3 DEF)
  • Swoopula (9 HP, 4 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Phantom Ember (10 HP, 5 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Dark Koopatrol (25 HP, 5 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Chain Chomp (7 HP, 6 ATK, 5 DEF)

Two words: POWER UP! Keep the damage factor to a minimum and don’t DIE!

Score of Difficulty: 8.2 / 10 Stars

Levels 81-89…one more set to go!

  • Arantula (16 HP, 7 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Dark Bristle (8 HP, 8 ATK, 4 DEF)
  • Piranha Plant (15 HP, 9 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Spunia (12 HP, 7 ATK, 2 DEF)

Power up! Keep the damage factor down! Don’t die!

Score of Difficulty: 8.9 / 10 Stars

Levels 91-99…the final set!

  • Amazy Dayzee (20 HP, 20 ATK, 1 DEF)
  • Bob-ulk (10 HP, 4 ATK, 2 DEF)
  • Elite Wizzerd (12 HP, 8 ATK, 5 DEF)
  • Poison Puff (15 HP, 8 ATK, 0 DEF)
  • Swampire (20 HP, 6 ATK, 0 DEF)

Every single enemy now has a double digit HP, so power to the max and beat them down!

Score of Difficulty: 9.4 / 10 Stars

If you managed to make it through the previous 99 floors of “The Pit”, then kudos! Don’t celebrate just yet because now you’re on the 100th floor, and now you face the sibling of both Hooktail and Gloomtail. Power up to the max and keep the damage low! After you beat him, take your new badge home and get the hell outta there!

Yep, that’s pretty much how to get through the Pit of 100 Trials. Stay tuned for my next anime-related filler post my awesome fans! ๐Ÿ™‚

Anime Cons for June! (Part 2 of 2)

Here’s part two of our two-part anime convention post. This time around we’ve got new anime conventions for you to check out in the Southwest, Northwest, and Westbound regions of North America. Don’t forget to like us and follow us on all of our social media pages and remember, make D&A a part of you, and we’ll make you a part of us! ๐Ÿ™‚

Anime Cons for June! (Part 1 of 2)

Well guys, in case you aren’t aware of it by now, there are only six months left in the 2017 year! Time sure flies when you’re having fun touring out to different anime conventions, and speaking of which we’ve got some new ones for you all to check out! In this two-part anime convention location update; we’ve got three cons for the Westbound region of North America, and only one for the Northwest Bound region. When you get the chance be sure to click on the links provided and see what kind of otaku excitement each con has to offer!

We apologize for not being able to deliver our Miscellany Monday segment, so we owe you guys a brand new one next week! By the way, if we manage to hit 10K views before the month of our next anime convention, then we will post a special D&A 10K view video on our Youtube channel for you guys (the fans) to enjoy! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the love and support that you’ve shown us, and continue to make D&A a part of you. (And we’ll make you a part of us!)

Filler Post: D&A’s 5 Tips on How to market yourself as a Cosplayer!

If your a frequent flyer in the anime convention market (in other words, a fan who likes going to cons), then you might have noticed that after you’ve taken a cosplayer’s picture, they have handed you their business card. What they are doing is marketing themselves as cosplayers. There are thousands of anime fans out there who have formed various cosplay groups (such as Potter Ninja Pro and various others), and have marketed themselves through social media, as well as in person through anime conventions. Cosplayers are the kind of people that take their passion seriously while having fun doing it, and if that’s something that you enjoy doing, then here’s some tips on how to market yourself in the anime convention circuit…

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Tip #1: Dress the Part

Now, we’re not saying that you can’t express your creativity through your cosplay, but from a business perspective it’s probably a good idea to dress the part (as accurately as you can within your means). Presentation is one of the most crucial elements of Marketing and Advertising, and it tells the others that not only do you take your passion for cosplay seriously, but you also like to have fun doing it! (Also, enter into some cosplay contests if you wanna show off your creative skills!)

Tip #2: Create a Cosplay Brand Name

Here’s one of the fun parts about cosplaying; you get to create your own brand name that you get to market out there in the cosplay world of anime cons! You don’t have to think too hard about a brand name for your cosplay, because most cosplay groups or solo artists have silly ones; like Strawberry Milk Cosplay, or Kawaii Bird Cosplay. (If any of you has those names as actually cosplay brand names, then kudos and consider this a shout-out! ^.^) Having a brand name separates you from the rest of the pack so let those creative juices flow, and go for it! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Tip #3: Establish a Digital Footprint

Now that you’ve dressed the part and come up with your cosplay brand name, it’s time for the bread n’ butter of Marketing and Advertising! Having social media pages for your brand can really benefit you on a business end of M&A, and as a cosplayer. (Heck, that’s why we’re where we are today as D&A! ^.^) Jump on social media tools like Facebook and Twitter and create an account for your cosplay brand, then find someone who’s great at designing business cards and send the draft to Vista Print! (Shout-outs! ^.^) After that create yourself a Youtube channel and you’ll be all set on the digital front! ๐Ÿ™‚

D&amp;A Anime Blog (Business Card)

Tip #4: Go to Anime Conventions

Even though you have a digital footprint, a cosplay name, and you’ve already dressed the part, no one is gonna know who you are unless you go to the cosplay world known as an anime convention! Cons are a HUGE hot spot for marketing and advertising your cosplay brand, so once you get your hands on some business cards, take em’ with you to the next con that’s happening in your area (or state). Advertising locally is great but don’t limit yourself to just one con a year, go to multiple ones so that you’ll get multiple chances to not only advertise yourself as a cosplayer, but have fun with other cosplayers in the process!

Tip #5: Ask for other Cosplayer’s Business Cards

Asking for another cosplayer’s business card is a surefire way to get you noticed by senpai even more! (Without having to do anything lewd or irrational.) Your name may even get recognized on another blogger’s page or an anime convention’s website. If that’s the case then you’ve now leveled up to Anime Convention Panelist, so bask in your hard earned glory you lovable otaku! ๐Ÿ˜‰

That’s it from us and our cosplay marketing tips! If you have any questions then shoot us a comment on our Contact Us page.

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We’re cutting through your day with D&A’s Slash Saturday!!

So we’ve finally arrived at yet another awesome Saturday night; filled with Toonami, anime, manga, and anime conventions! (Speaking of which we’ll have some new ones for the month of June coming in a few days!) As always with our Slash Saturday segment, we’ve got some killer action samurai anime titles for you to check out, as well as our inductees for both our male and female division of our Samurai Hall of Fame.

For our Samurai Anime of the Week we have a title called The Hakkenden. The story deals with the Sengoku Jidai (or period drama which the word “Jidaigeki” means in Japanese) in Awa, where the princess of the Satomi clan spiritually gave birth to eight warriors who are known as Hakkenshi, or dog warriors. These warriors are then spread out to different regions of Awa just after the princesses’ birth. The story is divided into three parts; which deals with the dog warriors facing a threat that could potentially wipe out the tiny providence of Awa and its people.ย  If you’re looking for a supernatural jidaigeki anime title, then be sure to check out (and stream) The Hakkenden! ๐Ÿ™‚

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The Hakkenden

Don’t forget, next Sunday we’re kicking off our brand new drop down menu Anime Sunday (aka Ani-Sunday)! It will contain two sub-pages known as Anime Couple of the Week, and Anime Episode of the Week. Next Sunday between 7pm-11pm, get ready to have a fun day of anime, on your Sunday! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Stay positive, and stay gold! ๐Ÿ˜‰

D&A Friday’s: Where Anime is a part of You!

Wow, is it Friday already?! It feels just like yesterday that we made some filler posts about rave parties at cons, and how to deal with con heartbreak, but now we once again arrive at the fifth day of the week (as always). Like we do every Friday night, we bring you some awesome anime titles that we know you’re gonna love, as well as some cool OVAs to add to the excitement! We didn’t get the chance to do our Manga of the Week sub-page segment this time, however we’ve got some upcoming titles that we plan on highlighting next week!

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Accel World

If you’re a fan of SAO and Log Horizon, then Accel World is gonna be the anime title for you! Being a fluffy kid in middle school can really be a pain, especially when you have to put up with others making fun of you and bullying you all the time. (We’ve been there so we know what it’s like.) Haru always finds himself on the receiving end of getting bullied, so to tear himself away from reality, he logs into his school’s network through his Neuro Linker in order to blow off steam through an online game called Virtual Squash.

Eventually his skills catch the attention of the most intelligent girl in Umesato Jr. High, who goes by the name of the Black Snow Princess (or Kuroyukihime). She not only assists him in helping to face his bullies, but introduces him to an Augmented Reality Massive Multiplayer Online (ARMMO) game called Brain Burst; which players fight against one another in battles to earn Burst Points. There’s more to this story so be sure to stream it on Youtube, FUNimation, or Crunchyroll if you wanna check it out!

And don’t forget to check out Hunter x Hunter and its OVAs too, if you’ve never, EVER seen the series before (in life)!

Next Sunday is going to be quite exciting for us, because we’re introducing a brand new drop down menu called Anime Sunday’s! In it will contain two sub-pages; Anime Couple of the Week, and Anime Episode of the Week! We’re so proud to be sharing this awesome feature with you guys, so your feedback and comments about it will be greatly appreciated! We wanna thank our fans and social media followers for all of the support that we’ve been getting for you, and continue to make D&A a part of you, and as always we will make you a part of us! ๐Ÿ™‚

70’s Mecha & New Page Updates!!

Here we are again on this lovely warm Thursday night. School’s almost out, Summer’s a few weeks away, and anime convention season is about to kick into high gear. That’s right fans of ours June is finally here, and we’ve got some exciting news to share with you! But first, it’s time for us to take that Thursday night trip down memory lane on tonight’s Throwback Thursday…

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Grendizer (1975)

If you’re a fan of 1970’s mecha anime, then you’re gonna wanna check this series out! This title is known as Grendizer, and it tells the story of a humanoid named Duke Fleed, whose planet was attacked by King Vega and the Vegan Empire. Duke takes the robot known as the Grendizer, and uses it to escape the attack of the Vegans before finding himself in our solar system, and decides to land on earth. (Well, Japan actually.)

Once there he befriends Doctor Umon and decides to take the name Daisuke Umon, in order to keep a low profile and protect his true nature and identity. Eventually the Vegan Empire discovers his whereabouts after escaping their attack, and have now set their sights on earth. With Fleed having nowhere to flee (we know, that joke was a tad corny) he now faces the king with the Grendizer, and quite possibly a few allies he met while on earth. If you wanna know more about what happens in this series, you can stream it on Youtube or Crunchyroll if they happen to have it.

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Ruruka and Izayoi from Danganronpa 3 (Anime)

Now it’s time for some hot news about our two new page installments! Both of these pages are going to be a part of a new drop down menu that will launch next Sunday called, Anime Sunday’s. The first new page under this new drop down menu will be called Anime Couple of the Week, where we highlight a different couple from one of your favorite anime titles each week. The second page will be called Anime Episode of the Week, where we do a full review on a random episode, from a random anime title of our choice.

Also, we’ll be posting all of the upcoming anime conventions to check out on our Cons Near U page, so be sure to check in on what cons are in your area as often as you can! And on that note, we again thank all of you guys for your continuous support with our anime blog! As long as you remember to keep D&A a part of you, we will always keep you a part of us! ๐Ÿ™‚

Filler Post: D&A’s 5 Ways on how to handle heartbreak at a Con!

So it’s over…the otaku that you once loved has decided that it would be best if you both saw other people. Perhaps the two of you may have gotten into a big argument over how the second Evangelion movie ended, or maybe something different. Let’s be honest; breakups suck, and many of us handle the aftermath of a bad relationship in different ways. Instead of drowning yourself in shot after shot of tequila (or any alcohol of your choice), we’re gonna give you the five best ways to handle heartbreak at a con.

This filler post is for both the girls and the guys who have had bad breakups at cons in the past and present, and we hope that you find your real love in the future! ๐Ÿ™‚

1. Take some time to yourself.

Heartbreak is more stressful for the one on the receiving end of it, then the one who initiated it. Men go through the breakup process much differently than women; in a man’s case after suffering heartbreak it only takes two weeks and trip to the strip club with his friends to forget about the woman who dumped him, of course in an anime fan’s case it’s a different story.

If you ever find yourself on the receiving end of a breakup, either through your lover breaking up with you or cheated on you with another cosplayer (though we’ve never seen that happen and cannot prove that those kinds of things don’t actually happen), find the nearest corner inside the con and take some time off to get yourself together. It’s okay to let yourself cry a little after the fact that the anime fan that you love no longer wants to be with you. Friendship is really important in times like this so if one of your friends (or you) is going through the heartbreak process, sit down with them (or have them sit with you) and confide in them (or vice-versa).

2. Find a funny anime title to watch (or panel to go to).

Distraction can be your best friend in a case like this. The last thing you wanna do is think about the breakup during the whole weekend of the con. When we say take some time to yourself, we meant take some time to ENJOY yourself. Anime is one of the best distractions that you can have as a fan, and is a ‘go-to’ stress reliever when you’re having a bad day in the real world. Doing this will take your mind off the one who broke up with you, and don’t forget that you have friends that are there to support you. If you don’t, then we’ll support you!! ๐Ÿ˜‰

3. If you can, avoid the one who broke up with you.

Sometimes the best way to deal with after-breakup tension, is to not get in it at all. Even though it’s not going to be easy to steer clear of the anime fan or cosplayer that broke up with you for the rest of the con, try your best to keep as much distance between you and them as you can. We don’t wanna see any of our fans kicked out of a con or taken to jail because of assault (due to the fact that they were on the receiving end of the breakup).

4. Forgive the one who broke up with you.

You know the old saying about never going to bed angry? Well the same can be said when it comes to dealing with con heartbreak. Don’t spend the whole weekend burning mad about the person that broke up with you. If you followed tips 1 through 3, then number 4 is going to be the one that brings you closure. Before you can forgive someone, you must first ask yourself for forgiveness of how you reacted negatively to the situation, even though you didn’t do anything wrong. This will allow you to have the compassion and heart to forgive the other person that broke up with you, and this will bring you to number five…

5. Move on!

There are thousands of fish in the sea! You don’t have to spend your whole weekend thinking about someone that you love, but doesn’t return those feelings back to you. You now have a chance to start anew, so head back out to your favorite anime convention and have fun with your friends for awhile. Remember, there’s a Hinata for every Naruto, so there’s always a chance that you’ll find your true love. Never give up on it! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Naruto found the love of his life, so you can to! Believe it!! ๐Ÿ˜‰