5 Anime Moments That’ll Make You Reach For The ‘Kleenex’ Box…

Sometimes in our lives we find ourselves crying on the side due to a situation that has gone beyond our control, or we find ourselves depressed or flustered as to what our next goal is. Perhaps there was a dream we had back when were were in our youth, but now that we’re older reality has started to kick in, and responsibilities have tripled in certain parts of our lives. Sadness is an emotion when all of the feelings inside of ourselves can no longer be contained, and sometimes…its good to let it out. It’s not just us that experience moments of sadness in our lives, anime has had its fair share of ‘Kleenex Moments’ too! Here are five anime moments that will make you reach for your Kleenex box…

5. Koro Sensei’s Death – Assassination Classroom

We knew it was going to happen eventually, but when it did most of us had that box of Kleenex in our hands. Koro Sensei was the best teacher those student junior assassins could ever have; even if his plan was to destroy the world should they fail to kill him.

4. Chiaki’s Execution – Danganronpa 3: Despair Arc

This moment is far more brutal in the anime than the actual game itself, and boy did it hit fans hard when they had to watch it. Chiaki was a fan favorite of the 77th class of Hope’ Peak Academy, but when Junko came to town she became the final piece of her plan to bring despair upon the world. Dropping her into an underground labyrinth full of traps and laughing at her expense, the strawberry-haired witch succeeded in killing the last bit of hope the 77th class had left – their beloved gamer girl.

3. Ushio’s Death – Clannad After Story

When someone you love or that you’re very close to dies, it does things to you. When its hard to let go of someone you lost, it can cause that person to experience a deep and dark state of depression. In this case Tomoya suffers from said depression after the death of Nagisa upon giving birth to Ushio, and took up alcohol and cigarettes as a result. Five years later he and Ushio reunite again for a trip, but due to suffering from the same disease as her late mother, Ushio eventually falls unconscious and dies…

2. Alucard’s Past – Hellsing Ultimate (OVA)

Alucard is one of the baddest anime vampires ever, however it didn’t come without a tragic past that made fans feel for the OG vampire. During his youth before he became a monster, he got raped and was abandoned by his parents and was also left for dead. At that time he hated humanity and cursed God for what he had gone through, but not long after he was found by Integra’s father, he became assigned to be her bodyguard and kill any human who dare try to cause her any harm. As tragic as his past was, it was the reason why Alucard became what he was.

1. Nina Tucker’s Death – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

This one hit fans the hardest; as it is the most depressing, most disturbing, and saddest anime moment in anime history. Why Shou Tucker used his own daughter for one of his own experiments is beyond us, but we’re pretty sure whatever happens in this clip is what he deserved (based on the fans, and us). This one also shows just how selfish and cruel the world can be, and that everyone has something worth fighting for.

Ok, that’s enough Kleenex and sadness for one post. Time for something funny!

And on that note, that will do it for this filler post! Until next time guys n’ gals, peace out!

5 Female Anime Characters Who Are Lovable Airheads

Depending on the genre of anime you watch, there’s always that one male (or female) character who’s mannerisms and logical thinking make the rest of the cast look smarter than they actually are. Whenever the plot gets too serious or takes a dark turn for the worst in one episode, these characters show up in a future episode to put a smile back on our faces, and laughter in our hearts. At times they can be annoying, and sometimes their actions and critical thinking skills can cause more harm than good, but nevertheless they’re always there when you need them, and they never let that stop them from being themselves!

Here are five female anime characters who are lovable airheads.

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5. Mako Mankanshoku – Kill la Kill

Coming in at number 5 is the best friend of Ryuko Matoi. Mako is a teenage goofy-yet-energetic girl with a carefree personality, who happens to sleep a lot even before class begins (which does clash with her hyperactive nature). When it comes to making friends however Mako will cling onto anyone she grows attached to; especially Ryuko. Whenever she becomes motivated Mako will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, and despite being an airhead at times, she’s a good friend to have around.

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4. Mey-Rin – Black Butler

Everyone’s favorite maid from every anime fangirl’s (and guys) favorite series! As the maid of the Phantomhive Household, Mey-Rin is tasked of cleaning the house, doing the dishes, and other chores. Even though she’s enthusiastic about her job, its the one thing she’s terrible at. She’s a total klutz around the house and is at her worst when Sebastian is watching, but underneath that klutzy airheaded persona (as well as behind the glasses) lies a former trained assassin that would give any sniper a run for their money.

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3. Astraea – Heaven’s Lost Property

One of the ‘Delta’ Angeloids who possesses skill and power in close-combat battles, but suffers from long-range attacks as well as being an attractive…idiot. She doesn’t know how to hunt or obtain food and fails to answer simple questions during a quiz show, but after spending time with the main character, Tomoki, she develops feelings for him and breaks away from her Master’s orders to kill Nymph. Thanks to Tomoki’s words of encouragement, Astraea can decide if she is useless or not.

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2. Himeko Katagiri – Pani Poni Dash

As energetic as they come, Himeko is a total airhead who shouts out a nonsensical catchphrase known as ‘maho‘ (which references the word ‘aho‘ which means ‘idiot‘). Her antics and the inability to carry a straight train of thought has caused her classmates to be rather annoyed with her. The source of her energy comes from the small lock of hair on her head called an ‘ahoge‘, and should it ever be removed, she would lose her energy.

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1. Aqua – Konosuba

Yep, we had to save the best for last on this one. As of now Aqua is the Queen of Anime Airheads who many deem as a useless goddess (most of the time, but not always). Even though she does a lot of good deeds and is supernaturally beautiful, some of them can turn out to be disasters to the point where she can actually make a situation worse. Aqua can be a little pushy when it comes to praises/criticisms from others, and can be gullible when people try to lie to her about the smallest of things. She’s not totally airheaded and completely useless, as Aqua can be knowledgeable when she wants to be. Sure, she’s not the best goddess in the world (and sometimes forgets that she is a goddess at times), but she’s honest with who she is and what she’s capable of…hopefully.

And there you have it! These are our five female anime characters who are lovable airheads. They may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but when it matters most, these characters are always there for the main character (or cast) whenever they’re needed.

That’ll do if for this filler post, until next time! 🙂

Dragon Ball Super: Broly [D&A Review]

It took almost two weeks for us to find the time to go see this epic movie, and we FINALLY did! Right off the bat we will say this about Toriyama-san’s latest work; Money. Well. Spent! Before the big reveal about this movie fans didn’t know what to expect or even what direction Toriyama was going to take Goku and the gang in, and when we found out that the main baddie for the movie was none other than the ‘Legendary Super Saiyan’, we were a bit skeptical. Rest assured that the Broly we saw today, was NOT the one we have known from back in the day.

The plot of the story deals with the events that have happened 41 years ago, when King Cold turned over his forces to his son Frieza; thus calling it the Frieza Force. King Vegeta and the rest of the saiyan race served under the tyrant several years after Cold’s retirement, however everything wasn’t all sunshine and roses. King Vegeta then had his mind focused on his son (our Vegeta of course), who would soon become the new king of the saiyan race. However next to his pod was a saiyan by the name of Broly, who King Vegeta deemed to be a low-class warrior (but truth be told he was actually jealous because his power level was, well…over 9000 higher than Vegeta’s). So he had Broly sent to another planet leaving his father, Paragus, to chase after him. Of course, that was 41 years ago before the actual story…

Since the movie is still going to be in select theaters up until the end of the month, we’re going to keep the spoilers to a minimum. However if you haven’t seen the movie yet and want what you’re in for to remain a mystery, then you’d better stop reading this post now, or forever be SPOILED! (*laughing evilly*)

On that note, here are three things that jumped out at us after seeing the movie:

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Enter, 2019 Broly!!!

This Ain’t The Same Broly From 1993!

Even though this movie is an upgrade from the original, some fans still like the type of swagger that the OG Broly brought to the table. He was a bloodthirsty killer with no remorse and no control, and hated Goku (who will also answer as Kakarot) because of being stuck next to him when they were babies. This time around Broly was in his own chamber, however a small part of his original (quiet) demeanor remained; with the exception of a whole new look (even down to the skin tone).

Classic Broly was, as he quoted, ‘Not a monster, but a demon!’ as he laid waste to anything that was in his path to Kakarot. The Broly we saw in this movie (aka Modern Broly), has feelings and a backstory about how he made friends with a big green monster he called Ba, on a planet called Vampa. The green cloth around his waist is symbolic of his friendship with the beast, which is an upgrade from the red one most OG fans know him for. The Super version of the Legendary Super Saiyan comes across as aloof, yet powerful, and we doubt this will be the last time we see this new and improved Broly.

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It’s SSG Vegeta!!

Vegeta Reveals His Super Saiyan God Form!

Toriyama teased us about it but now it finally came to past! The Prince of all Saiyans unleashes his Super Saiyan God form (for the FIRST time ever!) for all of us to see in all of its blazing glory! We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when – until now!

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Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta

Gogeta Returns!

This was a big surprise for many of us who saw the trailers for the movie, however when the big reveal trailer for Gogeta came out, the hype was over 9000! This movie marks Gogeta’s second appearance in a Dragon Ball movie since Fusion Reborn, and his third overall appearance in the franchise if you count GT. Somewhere along the line Goku and Vegeta had to fuse in order to take Broly down, as for why they didn’t do it in the original 1993 movie, they didn’t know about it yet – until the Buu Saga.

There were various other things that we got to see in the movie; like Goku’s mother, Gine, who is the wife of Bardock. The animation quality was out of this world, and the battle scenes were done as only Toriyama could do them; freakin’ epic! We can see why so many people were soooo hyped about this movie, and after seeing the results from the box office, we gotta say that it was money well spent. Who knows what will happen from this point on after the movie is all said and done, will Broly’s role be upgraded during the Super series like his brand new look? What new saga will Toriyama work on after the Tournament of Power is over? Guess you’ll have to wait and find out!

Dragon Ball Super: Broly – 4.8 / 5 Stars

Until next post guys n’ gals, stay gold! 😉

5 Anime Titles To Watch When You’re Having A Bad Day

We all have them. Those days we wish we could’ve stayed home as opposed to going to work, and having to deal with a co-worker you wanna punch in the face. For anyone working a ‘typical’ 9-to-5 this is usually the story of your life, unless you’re working your dream dob and making a decent living. For many anime fans ‘adulting’ doesn’t come easy; between paying rent, bills, going to work, going to school, or taking care of a child, growing up while being an anime fan can be quite difficult and exhausting. It’s during these rough days that fans turn to their favor titles for comfort, and if you’re one of those fans who is having a bad day at work, here are five anime titles that will turn that frown upside down! 🙂

Recovery Of An MMO Junkie

Are you a fan of anime and online gaming and wish you could log more hours into your character, as opposed to working with that one guy/girl who is a little too nosy for his/her own good? Then check out this awesome title about unexpected love and online gaming known as Recovery of an MMO Junkie! It tells the story of a 30-year-old woman named Moriko, who works at a boring 9-to-5 job and wants to spend more time playing MMORPGs and being a NEET. She then creates a hot male avatar in one of the games that she’s playing, and soon crosses paths with a new female player. What happens next? You’ll have to watch it to find out!

Dagashi Kashi

No matter how bad your day is, there’s always someone out there who has it twice as worse than you do. Luckily for us we’ve got anime titles that’ll take our minds off the stress of life and work; this title being one of them. Ever wonder how stressful it can be when you have a passion to do something and travel a lot, but your parents want you to stay home and run the family business? Kokonatsu does, and you can follow him and his adventures with his dad, Hotaru, and the rest of the gang in Dagashi Kashi; a show that’s basically candy-coated comedy! (P.S. The thumbnail is not as ‘naughty’ as you’d think…or is it…?)

Pop Team Epic

Had a sucky day at the office or at any job that give you stress? Here’s a show that takes that stress and turns it into a smorgasbord of absurdity, and bizarre comedy. Pop Team Epic takes the elements of those dank memes you see all over the internet, and fuses it with a western-cartoony anime style that looks like it belongs on the midnight line up for Comedy Central (or one of those animated comedy sketches for MAD-TV back in the day). If you plan on watching this series, be prepared to check your sanity into rehab! XP

Ghost Stories

When someone tells you that the perfect anime dub doesn’t exist, then they haven’t heard the story of Ghost Stories. Long before DBZ Abridged and all the other abridged anime titles that have come after it, this title was professionally abridged by FUNimation. Badly suffering oversees, the original plot of Ghost Stories was supposed to be a mystery/horror series, but ended up becoming a dark-comedy with ‘Deadpool-level’ writing and jokes, that rips into everything – and everybody! If you wanna laugh your ass off after a bad day at work, then this is the title for you!

Various Funny Moments From Dragon Ball Super Featuring Vegeta

We all know that he’s the saiyan prince, but ever since Vegeta’s hooked up with Bulma (HIS Bulma) he’s made us cackle with laughter during various moments in Dragon Ball Super – even in the new Broly movie! As a father of two he discovers that being a parent as well as keeping up with his fellow saiyan rival, is not exactly a walk in the park. Nevertheless Vegeta has come a long way from his narcissistic ways (yet still retains his saiyan pride in his own right), and continues to grow on us and with us for years to come.

Bad days suck, but just know that you’ll have more good days that’ll override the bad ones. We all need some time away from the stress of life, and if you’re an anime fan then you already know what you need. (Cuz’ you’re probably already watching one of these titles or a different one right now.) Until next post guys and gals, keep calm and watch anime! 🙂

Sub vs. Dub: Yeah, That’s Still A Thing…

As an anime fan you’ll face many hurdles and adversities; such as waifu wars, ‘Best Girl’ competitions, and one of the oldest wars that dates back at least a good 20 years or so – Subbed versus Dubbed. To many of us we’re not surprised that this is still going on within certain corners of the anime community; even though we now have the luxury of being able to watch both simultaneously. The way we watch anime has changed over the years and has now spread out towards a wider (and somewhat younger) audience. Dubs and Subs of anime titles are now available on Crunchyroll and FunimationNow, but if that’s the case, then why is this debate still going on?

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We’ve all been in Jack’s shoes…

A wise individual once told me that in order to get to the root of a problem, you have to go to its source. And before we go any further with this post, we’re just comparing and contrasting the advantages of Dubs and Subs, and as always the final decision will be up to you – the viewer! Ready? Here we go!

One of the advantages of watching the subbed version of anime titles, is the fact that it allows for an accurate translation of what is taking place during scenes; such as quirks and other attributes that contribute to the overall plot. English subtitles are also good for fans who are deaf, which means they are able to understand what’s going on. For some anime fans, watching subs have helped them understand certain Japanese terms that aren’t exactly native to our tongue, and it can totally benefit those who are bilingual as well. On the other hand however, more and more titles are only being released in their subbed versions due to the on-going battle against piracy.

Dubs of course mean that you don’t have to bounce your eyeballs between reading the text, and watching the show. Depending on the title after an anime distribution company (like FUNimation) gains the rights to dub it, the ADR director meets with the Japanese owners of the original license, and they discuss how the anime title should be dubbed. A lot of times dubs alter the original text due to the request of the original creator, while at the same time trying to fit the lip flaps as well. Ask any anime voice actor at a con and they will tell you the same thing.

So where’s the breakdown? Well, for viewers who like to watch subbed anime, they like the authenticity of the media that they’re watching. It allows them to hear the original spoken language of the Japanese even though they’ve never been to Japan, or even understood a normal conversation. The mood between the subbed and dubbed versions of anime titles is different; for some titles the mood may be darker or there might be more profanity than in the dubbed version. (Of course that also depends on the genre.)

Even though dubs cost more to produce (we assume somewhere around the average student-loan amount), some of them can preserve the spirit of a joke even if the original line becomes altered. They do indeed explain small details that may have become ‘Lost in Translation’ in the original sub, and in some cases, dubs may even provide better actors, performances, and writing. (Two words: Ghost Stories!)

When it comes to subbed versus dubbed, it all comes down to the viewers preference. The only thing we have to remember as anime viewers, is that we have to respect each other. Just because you may not like a certain dubbed anime title, doesn’t mean you have to harass the cast/crew that dubbed it and tell them that it’s trash. (We’ve seen the tweets, and they are nasty -_-.) We used to have to choose between dubbed and subbed anime, but now the gods have blessed us with the ability to watch both!

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She gets it! 🙂

Animore 2019 Convention Review

Whew, what a fantastic weekend! Animore has returned to Baltimore, MD for its 4th consecutive year, and has brought the all-star cast of The Devil is a Part-Timer to this awesome hotel-based anime convention. We of course made our presence known for the three-day event, but this time as guests of the con itself. There is so many awesome things to be found at this convention, and it continues to grow each year. Since its inception back in 2016 Animore has become more than just another anime convention, it’s become family.

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My Hero Academia cosplayers at Animore 2019

When Otakon made its transition to Washington D.C. after its last summer run in 2016, the anime convention scene seemed like a distant memory, that is until Animore stepped in to fill the void that the largest convention on the East Coast left behind. The vibes that you’ll get from coming to this con are so amazing; from its hard-working staff to the vendors themselves there’s no doubt that you’ll have a blast! One of the things that makes this convention so great is the may ideas for various panels that come from the con-goers themselves; including us. Animore has that classic and chilled-back 90’s convention feel; where the voice actors themselves are roaming around the con (who you get to talk to), you don’t have to worry about crowded lines for autographs or even waiting in lines for panels like you would for larger conventions.

Although its a small con, Animore does indeed have a late-night ‘rave-like’ dance party on Friday and Saturday nights. Guys and gals 18 and older can get their dance on, as DJs spin the night away with some bass-thumping treble-smacking tracks that you’ll hear from the club, as well as EDM festivals. This convention is like a mini vacation for con-goers and voice actors, and although it may be work for the staff and some of the vendors, we appreciate everything they do to help make this con safe, fun, and open to all! From the founders of D&A Anime Blog, we thank you Animore! 🙂

SEE YOU IN 2020!!

[Animore Cosplay Mosaic Pics]

Special Announcement: D&A Are Going To Be Official Guests at Animore!!

Who would’ve thought working closely with an anime convention was finally going to payoff! After sharing our experiences with you guys for three years we are officially going to be guests at our ‘Home Base’ anime convention in Baltimore, MD known as Animore (located at the Hyatt Regency). For any My Hero Academia fans we’ve got voice actors Anthony Bowling and Josh Grelle, as well as Tia Ballard and Felecia Angelle. You might also know them from other titles like Danganronpa, The Devil is a Part-Timer, Cat Planet Cuties, Darling in the FRANXX, and more! This three-day convention starts this Friday and ends this Sunday.

As guests here are the two panels that we’ll be doing:

Toonami: The Legacy Panel

Saturday January 12, 2019 @ 11:00 am

This panel recaps the entire 20+ year history of the best animated-action block to ever hit the airwaves. Every 90’s that has experienced this programming block has had their lives changed in some sort of way, and has been there for us during our lowest of times. D&A takes you back in time as they recap and revisit the moments and highlights of any and everything Toonami, and what new shows we hope to see in its future programming schedule.

Anime Trivia Night: Who Am I?

Saturday January 12, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

This is an original panel that we’ve created just for fun. This game has three sets; the first is multiple choice with two clues given for each question, the second deals with guessing randomly selected anime openings within 10 seconds of being played, and the final set is similar to the first set – but with only two choices and one clue (plus points are multiplied in this set). There are seven questions with the first set, seven with the second, and only five with the third. The goal is to reach 10000 or more points and there are going to be three teams of two people each. We’ll do two games and the winning team from both games will go head-to-head in the fourth set called The Danganronpa Set; a lightning round set of five questions with two answers. The team who gets the most answers right gets their previous total from the game they won, doubled. The losing team gets their points executed. (Upupupupupu!)

That’s all we’ve got for announcements, so until next post, stay gold! 😉

January 2019 Anime Conventions!

Happy New Year guys n’ gals! With a new year comes the start of new conventions for both first-time goers, and veterans who’ve been going for years. We’re hoping that we can travel out to more cons for more exciting adventures for the new year, but right now, we’ve got some cons for you to check out if you live in the Southwest or Westbound regions of North America. Until next post, stay gold! 😉

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Happy New Year!!!

It’s officially 2019 guys n’ gals, and there are so many awesome things that we have planned for this new year! The last 365 days was not easy, as there have been moments where we’ve encountered ‘Writer’s Block’ and also had a lack of video content. However we’re now into a new day and a new year for anime and blogging, so our New Year’s Resolution to our fans is to be better this year than the last!

Now that January has arrived, a whole slew of anime conventions for the new year will be kicking off this weekend. As always we’ll be combing the web for some new cons for you to check out in order to get your nerdy fix on for 2019. Also in other news, the wait is almost over for the highly anticipated Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie, which will be hitting the East Coast January 16th! (We’ll also be doing a review on it after we see it.)

We also have some more great news to share with you; after a lengthy wait we’ve finally posted the first two chapters of our first crossover fanfic, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: Sonic Khaotica, on Fanfiction.net. There will be a new chapter posted every Tuesday for fans to check out, as the story will have a total of 28 chapters and one Omake that may (or may not) lead up to a sequel in the future. Again we wish everyone a Happy New Year and hopefully you’ve got some great things planned for your lives on this brand new start to a fresh new year.

Until next post, stay golden! 😉