DigiCon: The Rise of Virtual Conventions

It has been two whole months since our state (Maryland) was issued a ‘Shelter-in-Place’ order due to COVID-19. With large gatherings like festivals, sporting events, and yes…even anime and gaming conventions cancelled all around the U.S. and the world, nerds (and otaku) like ourselves have been wondering what the future of our three-day sanctuaries would look like in a post COVID world. It bummed us out after receiving word that our next convention, Zenkaikon, was cancelled after the state of PA issued its state of emergency. However, it was also nice to see that they take the safety of their con goers, staff, and potential guests seriously. With Summer knocking on the door, it’s already set in stone that con season is pretty much dead, and I can only imagine how bad the organizers and staff are feeling; having to scrap everything because you don’t want to take the chance of infecting more people, because at this rate, it seems like con season won’t have the same effect that it once did even after this year is over.

We’re not saying that you won’t have the same experiences you did back in year’s past, it just that with the mega conventions like Anime Expo, SDCC, SXSW, and E3, they probably won’t be returning next year either – at least not at the capacity they once had. There’s at least 6-8 months worth of planning that has to go into making cons that size what they are, and with COVID hanging around until Fall/Winter, that doesn’t give the organizers a lot of turn-around time to work with…which sucks! So yeah, we feel your pain, and though we can’t go to any of our favorite conventions to see you guys, many organizers have created digital alternatives to many of your favorite cons. Heck, even FUNimation has their own con!

With many of us who are FOLLOWING THE RULES AND STAYING HOME UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE WE WON’T NAME, digital conventions are the new norm – at least for now anyway. I’d say between 2021 and 2022, we’ll find ourselves back to doing what we do best; going to cons and meeting our cool friends and fans! (We’ll be hugging our super fans, and pounding fists with everyone else.) Hopefully you guys stay safe during this time, and remember, we’ve got discord and all of our other social media, so you can chat with us anytime! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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We shall return! Believe it!

A Founder’s Thought’s With D.J. Lewis! (05/04/20)

Hey guys n’ gals, may the fourth be with you! Everyday that I find myself constantly distracting myself with ‘internet-tainment’ to keep me sane, is another small victory in my book. For may of us it feels like our quality of life is a bit…well, if there was a word for it, I’d say it in this post. With more cases of COVID coming in day-by-day; as well as the threat of a new and dangerous member of the wasp family, the Murder Hornet, making its U.S. appearance at the worst possible time, it feels like 2020 just told us to go @#$% ourselves. With Summer knocking on the door, the need to be outside without a mask is going to be higher than ever. Doctors and nurses all around the U.S. and the world save a lot of lives and been through pandemics in years past, but I bet they never had to deal with anything of this magnitude before.

All my life I’ve never heard of a virus shutting down the entire world before – let alone an entire country. Some say this was our divine punishment for all of the times we’ve taken mother Earth for granted, and other’s just want to point the finger. Yeah, having 80% of your social life stripped from you sucks indeed, but in the midst of it all, this situation gave me the chance to take a look at some aspects of my life. I guess you can say the coronavirus put the world on hiatus because we all need to reevaluate our priorities. I can’t speak for everyone, but instead of whining and complaining like some states I know (Florida, Atlanta, Huntington Beach), try making someone else’s life in quarantine a little better. Our world is being tested, but if I know my anime fans, my introverts, and my home-dwellers, we know how to make the best out of the worst situation!

Yeah, most of the idiots outside without masks are going to revolt and do what they want; which is terrible. (Sorry, but you can’t fix stupid, ask the president.) Just know that just because you wear your mask and follow social distancing rules, doesn’t make you weak or even feel like your rights are violated. It means that you’re a considerate person who cares more about the lives of others, their grandparents, and members of their family with health challenges instead of trying to figure out where the next party is, or even if you can get your nails done. Seriously, don’t even talk to me or spit in my direction if you care more about yourself than somebody else during this time!

Okay, I feel a little better. Just had to vent a little bit because of all the ‘dumb-assery’ I’ve been seeing all over social media and the news. Hopefully you guys are staying safe, and staying health. Until next post! ๐Ÿ™‚

D&A Anime Blog: Welcome To The Lounge!

In the past couple days an old thought seemingly found its way back into our heads; what about creating a page where our fans can listen to some of their favorite tunes while surfing through blog? Then it hit us! Since we have some music already on Spotify, why not link it up with the blog? Thus, our newest music page The Lounge was born! So if you’re a fan of music and have any particular genres you’d like for us to add to our new page, be sure to let us know in the comments below, or even on our Contact Us page. As always, stay nerdy, and stay healthy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Our newest music section! ๐Ÿ™‚

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode Eleven Review!

Alright! Weโ€™ve returned once again with another episode post from our Anime REvisited pick for the month; Dagashi Kashi! Overall, this series is interesting to say the least; as it has its moments of ups and downs in terms of comedy, romance, and slice-of-life. So without further ado, letโ€™s kick off the eleventh episode review.

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What will happen in the end?

Not much really happens in this episode except Hotaru trying to show Coconuts that his father is actually a pretty genuine guy. Sure, he doesnโ€™t see him as the type of person to take seriously at times, but deep down Coconuts thinks that Yo is pretty swell when it comes to customer service. During this time while watching his father in action alongside Saya and Hotaru, Kokonotsu is wondering if he should run his fatherโ€™s shop, so that Yo will get the chance to work with Hotaru and her family. Though heโ€™s still passionate about creating his manga, throughout the episodes leading up to this point Kokonotsu wonders if he should continue his fatherโ€™s legacy, or walk his own path.

While waiting for the train at the station Hotaru and Coco have their moment to talk, and in spite of the obvious trolling innuendos from Hotaru (which were a little bit hilarious), she understood that Coconuts may not exactly share the same vision that she has form him โ€“ that his dad sees for his future. I guess you could say that no matter what path Coconuts chooses, heโ€™ll always have a genuine love for dagashi. Iโ€™m guessing in the next and final episode of this first season, weโ€™ll see what Cocoโ€™s next move will beโ€ฆ

Sorry this one came off short, but before we sign off on this post, we just want to take a second to thank the doctors, nurses, and other personnel out there fighting against the demon that is COVID-19. I know it feels like a war you’d never expected to happen or thought you’d signed up for, but we want you to know we appreciate every little bit you do. And if youโ€™re an anime fan whoโ€™s among said doctors and nurses or you have family thatโ€™s among these brave heroes, we want to say thank you! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

Until next post, stay safe! ๐Ÿ™‚

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode 9 & 10 Review!

Hey! Weโ€™re back with another dual episode review from our Anime REvisited pick; Dagashi Kashi! I gotta say; this anime title has had some funny, weird, and okay moments between the members of the cast, and from what I saw in the ninth episode, itโ€™s about to get weirder than usual (thanks to Hotaru)!

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Will Hotaru convince Coconuts to run his father’s shop?

The ninth episode kicks off with Saya inside the candy store waiting for Coconuts to show up. The sound of the door was heard as she jumped up to greet him, but instead it was Hotaru (go figure) with a sore on the left side of her face. Saya tells her that what she has is a mouth ulcer โ€“ probably from all of the dagashi sheโ€™s been eating. This leads to yet another spell about the dagashi known as wata-pachi; a type of sweet candy with sour candy chips on the inside similar to pop-rocks. Yeah, things did get weird, but it only got worse (at least in Sayaโ€™s case). Hotaru then talks about a dagashi called Choco-droppings, where the design was of an animal with different kinds of choco-flavored candy inside. Guess where the candy comes out fromโ€ฆweโ€™ll waitโ€ฆ

(Told ya this was gonna get weird! XP)

Iโ€™m not gonna go too much into detail of what happens afterwards because itโ€™s better if you watch it than having me tell you, but later on Coconuts does come back and finds Hotaru with a bowl of rice. She then states that sheโ€™s from Osaka, Japan and that sheโ€™s speaks with a Kansai accent (which is later discovered that she doesnโ€™t). Then she out of nowhere asks Coconuts how he feels about boobs.

Now to any fanboys out there, this is the moment weโ€™ve ALL been waiting for! With Coconuts his answer could either make or break his sort-of-kind-of friendship with Hotaru, so he plays it cool, and says that boys who talk about them are pervs. This causes Hotaru to walk out in disgust, but itโ€™s then proven to be a ploy to get Coconuts to try boob ice cream. No, Iโ€™m not making this up, itโ€™s actually ice cream inside a rubbery edible thing in the shape of a boob โ€“ and you suck it to get the ice cream out. Okโ€ฆIโ€™m done, so letโ€™s move on to episode 10.

Remember that ulcer Hotaru had? Well in the very next episode it grew to the size of a baseball. Earlier she was running through the night until she met To, who was out getting a late-night snack. He asked why she was out late after greeting her, but her reply was that she was brought to him by some unknown reason; which in turn had to do with her ulcer, and her wanting to try a new flavor of baby-star ramen that was coming out.

Saya and Coconuts eventually head to Hotaruโ€™s house; which looked like a mansion compared to the shop, as the two entered inside to see what was wrong with Hotaru. (Although they discovered it had to do with her baseball-sized ulcer, and the fact that To told her to lay off dagashi for a bit until it heals โ€“ which is like telling a hardcore otaku not to watch anime!)

Overall both episodes do indeed turn up the weird factor (all thanks to Hotaru), while at the same time giving us brief moments of comedy. With this review being a dual episode post, there are only two more remaining until my final verdict on this show is made. That will do it for now, so until our next post, continue to stay safe and do not go outside unless you have to โ€“ essentially! ๐Ÿ™‚

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode 7 & 8 Review!

Welcome back! So here we go again with another anime review post from our month-long segment, Anime REvisited, with our pick Dagashi Kashi. This time weโ€™re doing a double-header with episodes 7 and 8, so letโ€™s get right into it!

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Everybody’s here! What are they up to?

Usually when it comes to slice-of-life romantic comedy anime, thereโ€™s always a beach episode or a festival episode. Since weโ€™ve already been there and done that with the beach, letโ€™s jump into the festival episode. Coconuts and the rest of the gang are at the Summer Festival looking around at the various vendors and main attractions. (Of course since Yo and Coco work at the candy shop theyโ€™re vendors as well, so they have their own booth.) This episode does tap into yet another moment in Kokonotsuโ€™s and Sayaโ€™s childhood; as Coconuts tries to win a goldfish for Saya โ€“ like heโ€™s done so in the past. Sadly out of pity, the goldfish game owner ends up giving Coconuts a goldfish for trying so hard to win the game, which he then gives to Saya as a gift.

With this being a festival episode, there wasnโ€™t a whole lot going on that I can talk about. Hotaru wasnโ€™t much of a factor in this episode, as this was about another memory in Kokonotsu and Sayaโ€™s relationship. At least this episode did explain how she got the goldfish from the very first episode of the series, so now I know. Finally, To learned how to make Mojayaki for the first time, and was making it like a pro!

Thatโ€™s it for episode sevenโ€™s review, now onto number eight!

So the eighth one brings Coconuts and the gang (except Yo, because he comes in later but only for a minute) together at the shop during a typhoon, and To is telling the others some scary stories from the Scary Story Gum that Coconuts and Yo sell in the shop. Anime girls ( or guys) freaking out about ghosts is one of the funniest things Iโ€™ve ever had the pleasure of seeing; so at Sayaโ€™s expense, we get to see her freaking out about the various scary stories ever told through the packaging of the gum.

Scary stories aside things go pretty much back to normal as To tells Coconuts that Kendoyama is a popular toy thatโ€™s coming back in Japan, of course Coco also tells him that they havenโ€™t been able to sell any of the ones they currently have. So what does To do? He spends his cash and buys them to prove a point; of course that point ends up with his sister killing it at the sport, and him with a broken thumb. By the end of the episode Coco and To talk about getting popular with the ladies through the use of fortune-telling chocolate, and the fact that they want to see panties before the episode ends.

In comes Hotaru as she was looking for Coconuts and finds him with To by the beach. After telling her that heโ€™ll be back, she tells him that sheโ€™ll be waiting by the shop as usual; leaving a chance for Coconuts and To, to get a snapshot of Hotaruโ€™s panties. It wasnโ€™t much but mission accomplished โ€“ in their minds at least.

That will do it for this reviewโ€™s double-header post. Four more to go until we see what Coconuts will do! Stay safe guys!

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode Six Review!

Alright! Weโ€™re back with another anime review post from our Anime REvisited pick; Dagashi Kashi, and now weโ€™re only halfway through the first season at episode six! With the other five episodes behind us; we can only assume itโ€™ll only be a matter of time before we see the final outcome, of what Kokonotsuโ€™s decision regarding running his fatherโ€™s candy shop will be. So, letโ€™s get to it!

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The gang’s all here!

Going into this episode we see Hotaru going on about another one of her favorite dagashi, in fact thereโ€™s about a few of them that she gets into. The first one has to do with something called Super Himo Q (at least thatโ€™s what I believe itโ€™s called, if Iโ€™m wrong let me know in the comment section); a long string of gummy candy that you can not only play with, but can eat as well. Aside from a moment of comic relief at Toโ€™s expense (with Saya knocking the living daylights out of him for lifting up her skirt so Coconuts could see her panties), this episode gives us a brief backstory between Coconuts and Sayaโ€™s childhood. From the looks of it itโ€™s clear the girl likes Coconuts but hasnโ€™t come out to him about her feelings towards him. Watching the banter between them growing up, Coconuts was really into dagashi at a young age. (Which is kinda ironic because heโ€™s so knowledgeable about dagashi โ€“ yet loves drawing manga and doesnโ€™t want to be a candy shop owner.)

Turns out the candy that both Saya and Coconuts blush over is Yoguret; a box of six pieces of yogurt-flavored candy thatโ€™s both nutritious and delicious. Basically, this was a flashback episode as to why Saya reacted the way the she did, when Hotaru thought that it would be a cool idea for her to join up with Coconuts and work alongside him at the candy shop. At least this episode gave us a little info behind their relationship, but seeing as though weโ€™re only six episodes in, thereโ€™s probably going to be a little bit more info about Saya and Coco.

Well, thatโ€™s it for this review! I know this oneโ€™s a tad shorter than the others Iโ€™ve done, but other than the brief backstory on Coco and Sayaโ€™s childhood relationship, thereโ€™s not much happening in this episode โ€“ aside from Hotaru being Hotaru. Only six more episodes remain until my final verdict on this anime series as a whole, until next post, remember to stay safe and stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode Five Review!

Hey guys! Weโ€™re back with another fun-filled review of Dagashi-Kashi from our Anime REvisited segment and pick of the month. This time weโ€™re reviewing the fifth episode of the first season, as we close in on the half-way point of the first installment of the series. So what are Coconuts and the gang up to now? Weโ€™ll tell you in this review!

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Hotaru in all of her candy-lovin’ glory!

So for all of you guys who love vlogging, you might get a kick out of this episode. So in the first 45 second of the episode Yo and Hotaru make it look like thereโ€™s a drug deal going on between them, when we all know that itโ€™s about another dagashi of the day. Thanks to Coconuts, that dagashi is none other than bottle ramen; a crispy wafer snack where the inside is filled with yummy powder โ€“ not the other kind youโ€™re thinking of. Later on that same evening Yo is in his room making overnight snack videos on his blog, but his vlogging skills could use some serious work. The topic was about baby star ramen; as the crispy edges of ramen were packaged and given out to the employers during their shift, while the rest ended up being top ramen โ€“ kinda like the stuff we enjoy today.

Skipping ahead Hotaru finds herself back at the shop with Coconuts and To, as the three of them end up in another one of Hotaruโ€™s crazy challenges. They proceed to do the yatta-men challenge where if youโ€™re lucky, youโ€™ll win a cash voucher that you get to cash in for more dagashi (and not moneyโ€ฆunfortunately). Coco and To win at the challenge, but Hotaru ends up going through numerous packs of yatta-men and wins nothing; as she goes through a sad spell of not winning anything in life from any competition. Talk about being down in the dumpsโ€ฆ

Lastly they have a final challenge where all three of them eat a piece of grape dagashi candy, but one of them is the really sour one. You can probably already guess who got the sour piece based on who issued the challenge. Hotaru said that if she lost, she would do anything the winner desires โ€“ anything! If anime has taught me anything, these high-stakes bets never, ever, EVER work in the favor of the challenger; especially if youโ€™re the main character! Needless to say, Hotaru lost again, and left the shop without a trace; not even acknowledging the fact that she didnโ€™t hold up her end of the deal with Coconuts and To. Sooo, thatโ€™s pretty much the episode in a nutshell.

For this episode and like the last few episodes, we learn tidbits about various dagashi and their origin story in Japan. Of course just like the last few episodes (other than the small moments of comic-relief), I didnโ€™t expect too much coming out from them. Our next review will be on the sixth episode of the series, as we near the half-way mark of season one. Until next post guys nโ€™ gals, stay safe during this pandemic, and stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode Four Review!

Here we are again! Hopefully you guys are doing okay in the midst of everything thatโ€™s going on, as we do our best to try and make you a little less stir crazy, with another Dagashi Kashi episode review via Anime REvisited. This time around weโ€™re on episode four; as we continue to follow Coconuts and the rest of the gang in their affairs of Hotaru getting the former to take over Yoโ€™s candy shop.

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What are they up to this time…?

In the past three episodes weโ€™ve seen Hotaru going on a quest to get Coconuts to be the nest in line to run his fatherโ€™s shop. In both episodes 1 and 2 he wanted to do everything in his power NOT to be the next in line to inherit his fatherโ€™s legacy, but in the fourth episode we see Coconuts and Hotaru in yet another battle via dasashi, as she continues her onslaught in getting Coco to take on the family business. With Yo out doing who-knows-what Kokonotsu finds himself back at the shop and runs into (you guessed it) Hotaru โ€“ who happens to be blindfolded for some reason. She eventually goes on about a dagashi known as Fugashi; a special baked rice snack dipped in brown sugar with many different flavors, as Hotaru challenges Coconuts to a battle to see who can guess the most flavors of Fugashi.

After the battle ended in what I can assume is a draw (at least in my view), Hotaru and Coconuts are now outside the shop as the candy otaku pulls out two packs of caramel heart-shaped candy, with four pieces inside. Hotaru explains that each piece would allow you to run about 300 meters, and with Cafรฉ Endo 1500 meters away (as well as the place where Coconuts left his manga sketch book) Hotaru and Coco dash off to the cafรฉ. What started off as a competition turned into a footrace to retrieve Cocoโ€™s sketch book โ€“ praying that Saya doesnโ€™t see it before he can retrieve it. By the time the two make it to where only 500 meters stands between them and that book, Kokonotsu realizes that there were only four pieces of candy โ€“ not five. Really, genius? Now ya tell me!

Luckily Hotaru was a little smarter than that as she tossed the last piece of candy to Coconuts so itโ€™ll give him the energy he needed to make it to the cafรฉ. He did make it to the cafรฉโ€ฆabout five seconds too late. As the sound of a screaming Coconuts was heard, Hotaru was happy that she got a toy watch that was at the bottom of the pack of candy. Yep, this was pretty much the whole episode in a nutshell. Usually when you see a pretty girl tied up and blindfolded one of two thoughts will pop up in your head; sheโ€™s either kidnapped and needs to be rescued, or sheโ€™s kinda kinky and likes S&M. Other than that thereโ€™s not much going on with this episode, but I plan on staying committed until I see the outcome of what Coconutsโ€™ final decision will be. Will Hotaruโ€™s influence convince him that running his dadโ€™s shop is what he was born to do? Or will he stay true to the otaku in him and become a manga writer? I guess Iโ€™ll find out on our next review post.

Until next time guys, stay home, and stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Anime REvisited: Dagashi Kashi Season One Episode Three Review!

Welcome back to another installment of our super special anime review segment, Anime Revisited, as we review our pick; Dagashi Kashi! As we mentioned last week weโ€™ll be reviewing the entire first season of the show episode by episode, and today weโ€™re reviewing episode three. If youโ€™re a big fan of ramen noodles then you just might like this episode!

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Time to hit the beach (sort of) – Dagashi style!

Usually with romantic-comedy anime thereโ€™s ALWAYS a beach episode, so going into episode three I didnโ€™t think they were gonna pull it out so soon โ€“ but they did. However it wasnโ€™t the beach episode that most anime fanboys would expect, instead I watched and found Coconuts, Saya, To, Yo, and Hotaru by the swimming pool in their shorts and one-piece swimsuits. Yo and Hotaru were planning something big, in hopes of getting Coconuts to take over the family shop. To do this they put dagashi candy at the bottom of the pool and made a game out of it, as Saya, To, and Coconuts had a little fun on a little scavenger hunt. Their plan almost worked except for one vital detail; no eating or drinking allowed in the pool, because itโ€™s the law! Them just now realizing this made me smirk at their moment of non-common sense, because well, if you drop a KitKat or a Snickers bar in a poolโ€ฆ

You can make your own joke there.

As for the ramen noodles, the first 5-7 minutes of the episode was about a brief moment of history about Bate-mon (Pork bone noodles), and the many different flavors that it has. It did get a little steamy after Hotaru had her first bowl โ€“ manly because the AC in the shop was busted, which lead to mild fanservice in Hotaruโ€™s case. Near the end of the episode Hotaru shows up in Sayaโ€™s cafรฉ shop as the two have a little girl chat time, as she continues to call her โ€˜masterโ€™ due in part to how much she admires her thanks to her skills back in the second episode. So yeah, donโ€™t get your hopes up if youโ€™re expecting the beach episode to be a โ€˜beach episodeโ€™, cuzโ€™ youโ€™ll be in for disappointment. However if itโ€™s any consolation, we do get a quick flashback snapshot of our candy-lovinโ€™ girl in the buff as To walks in on her. (That fanservice is as good as itโ€™s gonna get, so youโ€™d better enjoy it.)

With only nine more episodes to review, weโ€™re starting to see a little something more than just a childhood friendship between Coconuts and Saya. Iโ€™m guess as we get down the line a little more the actions or reactions between them will be justified. As for Hotaru, I can only assume that she and Yo will continue to try and get Coconuts to take over the shop. As for what Toโ€™s role is in all of this, heโ€™ll just be the buddy-buddy comic relief guy who hangs out with Coconuts โ€“ cuzโ€™ every rom-com anime protagonist has that โ€˜oneโ€™ friend. Well, that will do it with our third episode review of Dagashi Kashi, until next post, stay home and stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰