This is it! We’ve finally made it to the Home Stretch of 2018! Honestly this year has been one heck of a roller coaster ride of highs, lows, and moments that will make us better people in the future. A hole lot has happened in the 364 days that have come and gone, and as much as we want to try and recap any and every moment that has happened up to this point, we can only pick out the best moments that have impacted us the most.

Some of them have been good, some of them aren’t so good, and some we wish we could forget. Nevertheless 2018 has been a pretty ‘interesting’ year, as far as what we mean by that, we’ll let you decide how this year has been for you.

What Have We Learned?

That this year has been an incredible year for diversity in the Hollywood movie business. We were treated to Box Office smash hits like Marvel’s Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians, and lets not forget the newest Spider-Man title Into The Spider-Verse. With titles like these killing it at the Box Office this year, there’s no doubt that there will be more diverse films like these in the works for 2019!

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 has been a year where we’ve lost some people who have made our childhood awesome. For the Marvel Universe it was Stan Lee, and for all of the old school and new school Spongebob fans, it was its beloved creator Stephen Hillenburg. These two individuals have been a part of most of our lives for decades (with the exception of Spongebob being a 90’s classic), and will be truly missed but always remembered.

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 is the year were history has been made! This past Thanksgiving during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, New York City along with the rest of the U.S. were treated to the sight of seeing the one and only Son Goku (of the Dragon Ball franchise), flying high above the buildings of NYC. This is the first time in U.S. history that a character from anime/manga has made a mainstream appearance at this annual event, besides Pikachu. With the new Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie coming out on the East Coast next week, this moment might open the door to more anime/manga characters making their way into the parade for years to come!

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 has been a year of reflection, a year where history was made, a year where we’ve lost great legends that have made an impact on our lives, and a year where we’re moments have been made to fight against racism, sexism, bigotry, and just plain ugliness from various other hate groups. As we close the book on this year and look towards the great things that are sure to take place in 2019, we at D&A just want to say thank you for all of the love and support that you’ve given us for the blog, as well as seeing us at some of the anime conventions that we’ve had the chance to go to.

So from us to you, we wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year!! 🙂