What? It’s already the end of June?! It’s true; there are only six months left in 2018, and as much as some of you guys n’ gals hate it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be coming around the corner as well. Although you’ve heard it from us many times over the last 2.5 years, we appreciate all of the love and support that you’ve given us and the blog. We have over 13,000 views in our view count and have over 120 followers on our blog page, so to celebrate that accomplishment we’re announcing that we’ll be having our own Reddit page coming this Fall! It will have some links to our best filler posts from the blog, as well as a new topics that will contain a series of posts, that will be exclusive to our Reddit page. It will also be the new home for the “A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis” filler post series.
Also on our update announcement list; we’ve decided to discontinue our fanfiction Sonic Beatdown: Danganronpa Silver, to make room for our new three-installment fanfiction crossover series known as the Sonic Beatdown Crossover Series! It will be a new two-year project that we’ll be working on between now, and Summer 2020. The titles of these installments goes as follows; Sonic Beatdown: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Sonic Beatdown: Danganronpa Forces, and Sonic Beatdown: Daten City.EXE. We’ll also be doing some live streaming segments in the near future, so we’ll keep you guys up to date on when and what time they’ll take place.
That’s all we’ve got for updates and announcements for now. We’ll see you guys next week with more awesome filler posts and cool new things to share with you!
Until then! 😉
Month: June 2018
Filler Post: D&A’s Top 5 Japanese Music Artists!
If you’re an anime fan, then you’ve probably seen a lot of anime openings and know almost half of the words to the song – in Japanese. If you haven’t noticed by now, there’s a lot of fans (and we do mean a LOT) who love K-pop and J-pop. From virtual pop star Hatsune Miku to the all-too-familiar TM Revolution, fans can’t get enough of these awesome musical artists who hail from the land of the rising sun. Tonight we’re going to bring you our Top 5 Japanese Music Artists; who are bands, singers, groups, or DJs!
Number 5: TeddyLoid (Japanese DJ/Producer)
If you’ve ever heard of a little gem called Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, then you might’ve heard the transformation sequence song that’s tied to the show. TeddyLoid along with Taku Takahashi (who is a part of the Hip-Hop group “M-Flo”), produced the PSG Original Soundtrack as well as PSG: The Worst Album. He’s also done “Me!Me!Me!” along with several other albums and EPs. If you ever get the chance to go to one of his shows (either here in the U.S. or in Japan), you’ll be in for one epic time!
Number 4: The Pillows (Japanese Rock Band)
These guys are kind of a big deal now; especially with the one and only FLCL anime coming back with a second and third season (which you can see on Toonami). If you’ve familiar with this band, then you’ve probably heard the ending track of FLCL called “Shooting Star”. The Pillows have more tracks for the second and third seasons of the anime, plus other songs and albums as well.
Number 3: LiSA (Japanese Singer-songwriter)
You might have heard her voice in a few songs from a few titles like Angel Beats! and Sword Art Online. Risa Oribe better known as ‘LiSA’ is a singer-songwriter from Seki, Gifu who is signed to Aniplex under Sony Music Artists. One of her hit songs “Crossing Field” can be heard on the well-known anime title Sword Art Online (SAO) as it’s opening. There are some anime conventions (like Anime Expo) where fans can see her perform live, so if you’ve never gotten the chance to do so, make it happen! 😉
Number 2: Puffy AmiYumi (Band)
You’d have to go back to the early/mid 2000’s era of Cartoon Network if you’ve never heard of these girls before. Last we checked this band had it’s own cartoon show known as the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Show, and later on Teen Titans performing it’s main theme song. Although that era is long gone, these girls can still rock out loud on stage!
Number 1: T.M. Revolution (Music Artist)
Anyone who knows Soul Eater has heard and sung the lyrics to the opening theme at least a thousand times or more. He’s been to and performed at numerous events and cons; especially at Baltimore/Washington’s Otakon. His full name is Takanori Nishikawa, but many of us know him of course as T.M. Revolution. To really get a sense of the type of energy he brings to a crowd, you would have to go to one of his live shows at an anime convention, or even a huge concert.
And there you have it guys n’ gals! That will do it for our Top 5 segment on our favorite Japanese music artists. We’re not through yet however, as we’ve got more exciting filler posts coming up later this week!
Stay gold, my friends! 🙂
Filler Post: D&A’s Top 5 Anime Voice Actors: Male Edition!
When you’ve watched a good amount of anime as much as we have, you begin to get just a little bit curious of who might be the person or individual portraying the voice of one of your favorite characters. Now that we’re a little more seasoned as anime fans, we now have gained a newfound respect for the people (artists) that are behind the very characters we love so dearly. Although this filler post is dedicated to all of the great male anime voice actors out there, there are five in particular that we just simply had to highlight. Here is our Top 5 Male Anime Voice Actors!
Number 5: Chuck Huber
Whenever you hear his name, the first thought that should come to mind is Emperor Pilaf from Dragon Ball. He was also the Game Master in Sekirei as well as a bunch of other characters you may (or may not) be familiar with. We’ve had the opportunity to meet him personally at one of our cons last year, and let us just say; we ‘fan-girled’ hard! He’s a really cool guy when you meet him for the first time, so when you do, try not to pass out if you can help it.
Number 4: Vic Mignogna
We cannot even begin to imagine how many fangirls this VA has! Many of us know him as Broly from the DBZ movie; Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, or even Edward Elric from FMA. As with Chuck we’ve gotten the chance to meet him twice, so we’re hoping that three times the charm!
Number 3: J. Michael Tatum
Anybody that’s a fan of Black Butler knows who this guy is. You’ve heard him on Steins;Gate as well as many other shows, plus you’ve also seen him on CONfessionals with a lot of his other voice acting friends. He’s a pretty cool guy when you meet him for the first time, as long as you don’t call him ‘J. Michael Tater Tots’ that is. XP
Number 2: Kyle Herbert
“Who the hell do you think I am?!” is a quote that all of us are familiar with whenever this man’s name gets mentioned. You know him as Adult Gohan in DBZ as well as its narrator, plus you might have also seen him on the YouTube video known as Kyle Herbert is an A-Hole. (Don’t worry, it’s a lot funner than it sounds.)
Number 1: Steve Blum
This guy is a voice acting legend! From the 90’s all the way to now we’ve grown up hearing Steve’s voice from the Green Goblin on Spider Man, to Orochimaru from Naruto. (And T.O.M. from Toonami.) As one of the best in his field he continues to wow us at conventions as well as keep us entertained for years to come! (Seriously, he doesn’t look a day over 40 even though he’s in his 60’s.)
So there you have it for our Top 5 Anime Voice Actors! We’ve only met about four of the five (Kyle Herbert being the one we’ve never met) voice actors on this list, but we’re hoping that we get the chance to see these guys again at a con in the near future. Coming up we’ve got our Top 5 Female Anime Voice Actors on a filler post later this week, so don’t miss it! 😉
D&A’s Crunchyroll Spotlight: Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls!
So here we are on the last week of June, and once again we’ve got another title from our good friends at Crunchyroll for you to check out! If you’re the kind of fan that likes samurai/ninja anime titles (and we’re sure most of you do), then you might like the one we have for you tonight. If you’ve seen the first Basilisk anime, then this is the follow-up to that known as Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls.
So here’s the overview; in the Keicho era, the battle for succession manifested into a gruesome battle of ninja arts between the Koga and Iga clans. In a rain of flower pedals a man and woman who decided to live for love were separated once again, but not before Hattori Hanzo’s adopted son, Kyouhachirou, gave them live again before leaving two mementos behind. Koga Hachirou and Iga Hibiki are children born with a destiny of their own; with the former having his father’s eyes, while the latter having her own mother’s. Now that it’s the Kan’ei Era and the land is at peace, ninjas are disappearing into the shadows due to the reason that they are deemed ‘unnecessary’. Both the Koga and Iga clans ask a favor of Hachirou and Hibiki, in hopes of reinforcing their foundations.
You can catch this little number on Crunchyroll or FunimationNow! That’s all for now but there’s more filler posts coming up! 😉
Filler Post: D&A’s Top 5 Anime Beach Episodes!
When it comes to the Summer, there’s everything from outdoor concerts and festivals, to anime and comic book conventions for us geeks and nerds. One thing that will always remain true when it comes to the world of anime, is the legendary “Beach Episode” found in every rom-com, slice-of-life, and harem title that’s ever been created! From swimsuit tops ‘accidentally’ falling off to battling ghastly creatures while trying to have fun in the sun, these five hand-picked episodes from us will get you ready for an epic Summer!
Number 5: Shuffle – Season 1 Episode 9: Survival Swimming at the Beach
If there anyone that knows how to kick off the first weekend of Summer, it has to be the cast of Shuffle! Rin and the girls head to the beach for some fun, but after some silly antics (thanks to Asa) Rin and Sia end up stranded offshore. What happens next you ask? you’ll have to watch the episode to find out!
Number 4: Bleach – Episode 228: Summer! Sea! Swimsuit Festival!!
Even though this is a lengthy series, Bleach does take a break from fighting Hallows and other nasties to have some fun in the sun – well sort of. Despite all of the fun they’re having, Ichigo and Co. discover that there’s a Hallow that’s been haunting the beach. Get ready for swimsuits, Soul Reapers, and Ichigo’s rant about how much he hates the heat.
Number 3: School of Rumble – Episode 12: Save Me at the Beach! Save Me, I’m Naked! Just Save Me For Real!
This beach episode has everything you’d expect; swimsuits, perverted spies, and one character practicing katas while in the buff. If this episode doesn’t get you hyped up for the Summer, nothing will!
Number 2: TTGL – Episode 12: Yoko, will you do me a Favor?
Stuck at the beach until your boat, ship, or yacht is finished fueling up? That was the case with Team Dai-Gurren; as they had to wait until modifications were done on the Dai-Gurren before completing their mission. While this happened they enjoyed a little fun in the sun – at Yoko’s expense of getting showed up in every competition by Nia.
Number 1: PASWG: Season 1 Episode 9A: If The Angels Wore Swimsuits
If there’s anyone who knows how to turn up for the Summer, it would be the fallen angels of Daten City! This giant ball of raunchiness and adult humor that is Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, has volleyball grudge matches, ghost fights, A South Park art shift, and twerking (yes, twerking). If you plan on watching a lot of anime this Summer, be sure to add this episode to your list!
That will do it for our Top 5 Anime Beach Episodes on this post! We’ll be back next week with some more awesome posts as well as other updates from our upcoming projects.
Until then, stay gold! 😉
Filler Post: D&A’s Top 10 Hotel-Based Anime Conventions!
It’s the First Day of Summer, so that means every elementary, middle, and high school kid is now out and about! (And hopefully staying out of trouble.) This also means that the Summer anime convention season kicks off this Friday, so what con will you be heading to? If you’ve gotten the chance to check out our Cons Near U page, you’ll notice that there are a lot of cons out there.
Some of them are small and local while others are bigger and widely known, but out of the many ones that we’ve gone to (and have yet to go to), there are ten in particular that are hosted in a hotel; that we’re hoping you guys get the chance to go to and check out! Here are our Top 10 Hotel-Based Anime Conventions!
Number 10: Animore – Hyatt Regency Hotel (Baltimore, MD)
The official Home Base convention of D&A Anime Blog! Here you can find panels, voice actors, vendors, cosplay, video games, and us! If you’ve never been to this convention before, it’s ran by a great group of people that we’ve had the pleasure of being a part of; Black Materia Inc.
The con is host to the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, MD.
Number 9: Katsucon – Gaylord Hotel/Convention Center (National Harbor, MD)
Only A. Goldman has hand the chance to attend this awesome convention five years ago, but we’re hoping to one day go together. This anime convention is both a hotel, and a convention center fused into one. Voice actors like Monica Rial, J. Micheal Tatum, and a few others have been guests here, plus you may even find DJ Greg Ayres behind the decks at their late night raves – if you’re lucky! 😉
Number 8: Zenkaikon – Lancaster Marriott/Convention Center (Lancaster, PA)
We didn’t make it in 2018, but in 2017 we made our presence known! Zenkaikon is a great place to meet friends, fans, cosplayers, and voice actors. We’re hopeful to return for Zenkaikon 2019, until then we’re just gonna have to wait and see what happens.
Number 7: Anime USA – Washington Marriott Wardman Park (Washington D.C.)
We’ve heard some awesome things about this convention, which is why we’ll be making our first ever appearance here as D&A! A con like this is going to have everything; like Q&A panels, anime, cosplay, dancing, and more! Can’t wait to see you guys there this year! 🙂
Number 6: Shuto Con – Lansing Center/Radisson Hotel (Lansing, MI)
We’ve never been to Missouri yet, but we’re hoping to get the chance to go some time soon. This convention (as it’s noted) is an anime, cosplay, and gaming convention; that means those three things are what you’re going to find at a con like this.
Number 5: Anime Festival Orlando – Wyndham Orlando Resort (Orlando, FL)
This is another convention that we’ll be making our first ever appearance to! If you’re looking for a vacation away from your busy lifestyle, then three days at the Wyndham during AFO (if you’re an anime fan) just might be what you’re looking for.
Number 4: Liberty City Anime Con – New York Marriott Marquis (New York, NY)
There’s a lot going on in New York when it comes to conventions, and this one is one you should check out when you get the chance! Make sure you’ve got a lot of money saved up however, cuz’ anything in The Big Apple is not cheap!
Number 3: Anime Midwest – Hyatt Regancy O’Hare (Rosemont, IL)
This one you’ll find on our Cons Near U page, so if you’ve never gotten the chance to go, then do these three things; save up some money, book a room, and grab your friends!
Number 2: Castle Point Anime Con – Holiday Inn Meadowlands (Secaucus, NJ)
Another anime convention that you can find on our Cons Near U page! If things go well on our end, we just might be able to make an appearance at this convention. (Fingers crossed of course.)
Number 1: AWA – Renaissance Atlanta Hotel/Convention Center (Atlanta, GA)
In a filler post we did awhile back, we talked about our Top 10 geekiest cities in North America. Of course at the end of that post we found out that the city of Atlanta in Georgia, is the geekiest city in the U.S. (Why? We don’t know!) With that being said Anime Weekend Atlanta is one of the most popular hotel-based anime conventions in the ATL. Never gone? Be sure to check it out should the opportunity come about.
Hah! So there you have it! Our Top 10 Hotel-Based Anime Conventions from the good guys at D&A Anime Blog. We’ve got more great filler posts coming up later this week right here on the blog! Stay tuned my friends! 🙂
Hard Times: The Ice Cap Zone Story (The Brief Version)!
If you’re a 90’s kid, then somewhere along the line you were introduced to a little device called Sega Genesis. If that’s the case, then we’re pretty sure you were also introduced to the World’s Fastest Hedgehog. The 90’s icon and Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s mustachioed ‘franchise player’ has been keeping himself busy for almost 30 years, and we say thirty because in 2021, it will be Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th Anniversary! We’re not kidding!
Before we get all excited and tweet SEGA like crazy to give us another hit from the franchise speedster, let’s talk about a story that some of you might know, and some of you might not. For many hardcore Sonic fans (including us), Sonic 3 was one of the best titles out there for the Sega Genesis. Even though there were only six zones (compared to its predecessor) the game was a great addition to the Sonic series. That brings us to one of the most well-known zones in the game, that is tied to one of the most well-known controversies between SEGA, and some ‘people you might know’.
As we said before; some of you might know this story, and some of you may not. For those of you who are not aware of it yet; the background music for the Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3, has been one of the most debated topics in the music and gaming industry. It is one of the most remixed songs within the history of the franchise, and is based off of a rare track from the 80’s band The Jetzons called “Hard Times”.
One of the members of the band is Brad Buxer, who is one of the composers of the Sonic 3 OST. He is also an associate of the late King of Pop himself, Micheal Jackson. Now you’re probably wondering, ‘What does this have to do with the actual track itself?’ we think it’s safe to say that the track speaks for itself…
Back in 1994 right around the time Sonic 3 was released, there was a big controversy surrounding the game’s Ice Cap Zone, as well as Micheal Jackson’s uncredited music contribution to the project. SEGA and Micheal denied his involvement with the game, and still does even to this very day. The same could also be said for the ending credits theme as well; as the song sounds a lot like Micheal Jackson’s Stranger in Moscow.
More and more evidence of Jackson’s involvement with the game is starting to come to the forefront. However we wanna hear from you; what do you guys think about this development that’s been going on for quite awhile now? Let us know in the comment section if you’d like! 🙂
D&A Anime Blog: Quick Fanfiction Updates!
Hey guys n’ gals! The Summer heat is already upon us over on our neck of the woods, but we’re doing our best to stay cool in this situation. Before we kick off our ‘First Day of Summer’ week, we’ve got some updates regarding our fan fiction titles.
First Update: We’ll be revamping our current fan fiction title known as Sonic Beatdown: Danganronpa Silver, to its new name Sonic Beatdown: Danganronpa Forces! The plot for the new story will be revealed in a later post either this week or the next. Also, we’ll be taking it slow during the creative process, as we’ll only focus on this new and revamped title. Our other title Panty & Stocking with Sonic & Knuckles will be pushed back to mid-December, as we prepare ourselves for our upcoming con outings.
That’s all we’ve got for updates for now. There’s more posts coming soon! 🙂
D&A Anime Blog: June Anime Conventions (Part 2 of 2)!
Wow, what a week! Sorry to keep this post a little short, but we’ve got some more anime conventions to wrap up the month of June. The locations of these conventions are pretty much in the Southwest, Northwest, and Westbound regions of North America. If you ever get the chance to go, you should check these cons out! That will do it for this week in posts, but we’ve got a whole new set coming next week so stay tuned! 😉
D&A’s Crunchyroll Spotlight: Persona 5: The Animation!
The Last Day of School for many of us under 19 years of age is upon us, and with that comes the fun and excitement of Summertime anime conventions, and beige watching everything on Crunchyroll during those cool-yet-mild nights. Tonight is no different for us on the D&A front, as we’ve got another anime title we’re spotlighting for one of our favorite segments. For those of you who are fans of the Persona series (both the game and the anime adaption), tonight’s title is Persona 5: The Animation!
To ensure we don’t give too much away for those who’ve never had the chance to experience the Persona franchise, we’re only doing P5’s overview…
Ren Amamiya is a student who is about to enter into his second year after transferring to Shujin Academy located in Tokyo. His Persona awakens following a particular incident, and soon he and his friends form a group calling themselves the “Phantom Thieves of Hearts”. Their mission is to reform hearts of corrupt adults by taking away the source of their evil desires. during this time many other bizarre crimes have been popping up all over the place, one after another. By day, Ren and his friends are just ordinary students. By night, they’re the Phantom Thieves keeping the streets of Tokyo safe!
So far the series is only subbed, and they’re only eight or nine episodes available. If you’re a hardcore Persona fan, then you should definitely be checking this series out on Crunchyroll!
That’s all we’ve got for this post, but there’s more on the way! As always we’ll keep you guys n’ gals up-to-date on the latest developments we’ve got going on for the Summer, and what new surprises we’ve got in store for the Fall.
Until then anime fans and bloggers! Stay gold! 🙂
D&A Anime Blog 