Month: November 2022

A Founder’s Review with D.J. Lewis: Stellar Con 2022

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Con Appearances, Con Locations, Filler Posts

Hey. So…where do I begin with this…? Its been a month since I’ve written any article or made any blog post; only because I was going through a combination of burnout, and grief. It wasn’t until 72 hours ago that I found out another actor from my childhood had passed roughly several days after one of my favorite actors had passed. Jason David Frank, although I never got the chance to meet him, he along with Kevin Conroy played a part of my childhood – along with a lot of other 90’s kids who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, and Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Both of them will be truly missed, but they will always be remembered.

So, how do I begin with this? A few weeks ago we were hoping to make our first convention appearance at an anime convention in New Jersey called DerpyCon, however that didn’t quite happen. With yet another convention cancellation my mind when back into con withdraw, and I was scrambling looking for a convention near Baltimore (where D&A is headquartered and also where I live) that I could go to. Surely enough there was a convention called Stellar Con that was located just on county away from Baltimore, in Harford County. I along with my family and a few of her clients went to this con to see what it was all about. Although it was a one-day convention, there were several voice actors, actors, and professional cosplayers there too.

My first con back in two-and-a-half years…

Right off the bat it was pretty much like Baltimore Comic-Con during its early years. There was representation from EVERY fandom; Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Anime, Video Games, Sci-Fi, Pop Culture, you name it! There were also superstar voice actors there as well; including the likes of Khary Payton and Dante Basco. I also met a few of our fans out there, and of course the vendors had some awesome stuff as well. Like every nerd convention; it had gaming tournaments, cosplay contests, autograph lines and panels. Stellar Con is hosted by Transcendent Events (who were also at Baltimore’s former anime convention, AniMore), and honestly…I actually had a fun time.

The only suggestion I would have for this convention would be to make it longer than one day, because there was a lot to do at this convention – yet not enough time to do it. I’d say make it a two-day convention and have it in a big hotel like the Marriott or the Holiday Inn & Suites. Sure the convention was held in a basketball arena next to a community college, but they give you a certain amount of time that you’re allowed to occupy that space; by 6pm you gotta go home! All in all, Stellar Con indeed lived up to its name as my first convention back since 2019, and I think it will have the potential to be even more stellar as a two-day convention; and possibly a three-day one if their budget allows. 

Here’s hoping D&A will be at the next one, until next post, stay nerdy!

Is Denji Very Lucky or Very Unlucky? I Can’t Tell

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Chainsaw Man Episode 7 Review

I’m not sure whether I should call Denji lucky or very unlucky. On the one hand, he’s got cool Devil powers that turn him into an engine of bloody chaos. On the other hand, he’s working a job where making it past five years seems non-existent. Yet ever since he started working as a Public Safety Devil Hunter, he’s getting more luck with women than most people do on dating apps. Given what most of those women are like, I wouldn’t call it that lucky.

At least it’s still great for the camera.

Denji ENDS the Eternity Devil

So, after spending the last episode getting psychologically tortured by the Eternity Devil, Denji decides that the simplest solution is the best one. So like a teenage version of Alucard from Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, he dives right into the fighting like a madman. And it works. He just drinks up that Devil blood while ripping the Eternity Devil apart until he finally wins.

Like I said, Denji’s crazy enough to be a Devil Hunter. Because as Himeno’s mentor once told her, the best Devil Hunters are the ones crazy enough not to fear this job. Thus, after three days of being trapped in a hotel, everyone makes it out alive! Yay!

Now, it’s time for everyone to celebrate a successful mission with the time-honored tradition of going out to a pub and drinking the night away.

Denji: Lucky With Women or Unlucky? I Can’t Decide

Remember how I questioned how lucky Denji is? While his line of work means he’ll likely die young, I was questioning his luck with women. He did manage to get Power to make good on her promise…only for her boobs to be fake. 

The real surprise, though, is that during the work party, Himeno makes good on a promise to Denji: that if they lived through this, she’d kiss him! It was a French kiss, too; But then she ended up puking in his mouth from all the beer she had.

That, and this happened in full view of Makima, AKA the girl that he holds a candle for above all else. It’s never a good idea for someone to get a kiss from another woman in full view of their crush, even if Makima doesn’t react to it. 

Maybe I’m just overthinking this sort of thing and letting my bias get in the way. No offense, but I wouldn’t call any of the women in Chainsaw Man so far as the kind you’d want to date. However, given the dangerous nature of the job, and how bad his life’s been, I don’t think Denji has the luxury of being picky. Maybe he is lucky, in his own, weird way. After all, he wakes up in Himeno’s place…and she offers to do…that with him.

I can’t believe the mangaka got away with this in a Shonen series. 

I Give “Taste of a Kiss” a 4/5

Denji is Crazy Enough to be a Devil Hunter

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Chainsaw Man Episode 6 Review

I’ve noticed a trend in the Shonen genre. Besides possessing crazy amounts of willpower, many Shonen protagonists are, to varying degrees, crazy. They either display behavior that makes most people think they’re nuts…or do things that no sane person would do. The irony’s that their crazy lets them pull off the impossible and survive things that would break others. Why am I bringing this up? Because the latest episode of Chainsaw Man confirms that Denji’s crazy. And that craziness helps him to survive a situation that the saner Devil Hunters break under.

Oh, and the same goes for Power.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure up in Here!

When we last left off, Denji and his group weren’t looking so hot. They went hunting down a Devil in a local hotel, but found themselves trapped on the 8th floor. And they can’t get out; it loops back around, like a sadistic Mobius strip. Even time’s stopped for them. In addition, they can’t call for help, so they’re trapped, unable to do anything about it.

This reminds me a lot of an enemy Stand in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. If you’ve read the manga or seen the anime, then you know some enemies can manipulate reality like this to break the heroes. It comes down to whether the protagonists can keep their heads straight and think of a way out. However, that’s hard to do when they’ve got a limited amount of food and water to ration. Once that runs out, then they either have to find a way out…or wait to die of starvation or dehydration. The latter is not a great way to die. 

Sanity Can Be a Weakness in This Line of Work

Last week, I said that two of the new Devil Hunters, Hirokazu and Kobeni, gave off “Red Shirt Energy.” They both seemed like they’d die pretty fast. While they do survive this episode, their behavior does nothing to change a simple fact: they’re not cut out to be Devil Hunters. They’re too sane to do so.

Sanity is, obviously, a good thing. It helps keep us alive and with a grasp on what’s going on around us. However, there are moments in fiction when being sane can be more of a hindrance than of help. Case in point, we have Kobeni, who’s an absolute coward. And unlike people like Usopp or Mr. Satan, it’s not played for laughs. It is genuinely sad to see her break down in their current situation and admit that she’s not cut out for this job. Her parents said it was either this, or become a sex worker to pay for her brother’s college fees! Is it really a surprise when their Devil enemy offers to let them go in exchange for killing Denji, she jumps at this chance. 

The Perks of Being Crazy, as Shown by Denji

Now compare Kobeni and Hirokazu’s behavior to that of Denji and Power. When faced with this impossible situation, what do they do? Power starts saying that when she gets out of this, she’ll win a Nobel Prize and become the Prime Minister. And Denji? He decides to sleep it off.

In other words, they’re both crazy. Aki and his partner, Himeno, don’t count in this instance, as they’ve probably dealt with crazy messes like this before. In addition, all four of these people understand that being a Devil Hunter’s the kind of job you shouldn’t take if you want to live to see old age. You either have to be very brave, very skilled, or very crazy to take it up. And Denji is crazy. We’ve already that before. So, what is their solution to dealing with this Devil?

Simple: they fight it.

This is a Shonen anime, after all—usually, the best solution in a Shonen series is to beat up the enemy even if that notion is crazy. Its this crazy willingness to do crazy things that makes Denji perfect to be a Devil Hunter. As for Kobeni and Hirokazu, they should quit this line of work while they can. Or, in Kobeni’s case, get an office job with the Devil Hunters. 

I Give “Kill Denji” a 3.5/5

Denji Finally Be Getting His Reward

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Well, Denji, you might be the second anime protagonist I’ve seen whose been motivated to win a fight…just so you can get some boobs. The first was Issei from High School DxD. If nothing else, it’s been an effective motivator for him, as he not only kills another Devil, but he’s starting to make a name for himself. As for Power, underneath her tough girl exterior lies someone with more depth than we thought. Or maybe not. It’s really hard to tell with Power right now. 

Should We Trust Power?

Power has proven herself to be a loose cannon who will do whatever she wants, regardless of the consequences. She lied to Denji to try to feed him to another Devil, an act that could get her killed by Makima’s superiors. However, she did it so she could save her pet cat, Meowy. She may have only kept it to eat it at first, but it’s clear that she cares about Meowy. Even a Devil can prove capable of feeling human emotion.

As for Denji…his quest for boobs allows him to unlock another essential trait found in most Shonen protagonists: a stupid level of resolve. Even after another Devil shows up to eat Power and Meowy, chops off his arm, and he loses a ton of blood, he refuses to admit defeat. Thanks to that, Hayakawa manages to show up in time to save both of them.

Then, despite having no obligation to do so, Denji covers for Power, saving her from termination. All so that he can get a shot at that normal life he always wanted; and to get boobs.

New Reveals and New Living Situation

An interesting reveal takes place during this episode, though: the fact that Hayakawa has his own contract with another Devil. In exchange for its power, Hayakawa must sacrifice pieces of his body. The fact that the Devil Hunters work with a Devil in the form of Power is enough proof, but this reveal confirms it: for all their talk to exterminating Devils, the Hunters have to rely on their power to do so. I’m sure the irony isn’t lost on anyone. Especially Aki, who now finds himself hosting Denji and Power in his home.

Yep, after convincing Makima to keep Denji and Power with the Public Safety Organization, Makima tells Hayakama that he has to let Power and Denji stay at his place. This is so that he can keep an eye on both of them in case they go rogue. Truthfully, though, Makima probably did it because she thinks that together, they’ll make an effective team. It’s like what happened with Team 7 in Naruto. They started out with poor teamwork, but by the end of the series, they worked well enough to save the world. Plus, I get a lot of Team 7 vibes from the trio. Denji’s the perverted goofball, Hayakama’s the serious one, and Power is the one that thinks highly of herself. Together, they might make a decent team…assuming they don’t kill each other first.

As for Denji, we don’t get to see it yet, but Power keeps her promise. Here’s hoping he likes it.

RIP, Kevin Conroy. You are The Batman

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Who’s the greatest person to ever play Batman? Anyone from the 1960s might say that it was the late Adam West, and some might argue that it was Michael Keaton or Christopher Nolan. But us Millenials know the truth. When it comes to Batman, the GOAT wasn’t even someone who played it live-action but left a massive impact. That person was Kevin Conroy, who, we recently learned, passed away after battling cancer. He was 66 years old.

When people thought about Batman for thirty years, his voice came to mind. Beginning in 1992, Kevin Conroy provided the voice of the Dark Knight in Batman: The Animated Series, a role that he would keep returning to for the rest of his life. The fans loved Kevin Conroy as Batman. Just something about his voice captured the essence of one of the greatest fiction heroes. It was just so dark and serious; we couldn’t get enough of it.

Kevin would continue to play Batman throughout the history of the DC Animated Universe. He was so prolific and popular that Batman made at least one appearance in every DCAU show. And when he did, people paid attention. From his days with Robin to the possible future of Batman Beyond, Kevin Conroy remained a constant for fans.

Eventually, though, the DCAU ended, but that wasn’t the end of Kevin’s tenure as the Caped Crusader. Far from it. He would reprise his role as the iconic Dark Knight in Rocksteady’s hit games, the Batman: Arkham series. His return as Batman, with Mark Hamill reprising his role as the Joker, was a big part of the game’s massive success. 

Following this, Kevin would reprise his role as Batman several times, much to the delight of his legion of fans. With his passing, fans of Batman are left absolutely devastated.

I was too young to watch Batman: The Animated Series in its heyday, and I only discovered it through either watching newer shows like Batman Beyond, Static Shock, and Justice League and later through streaming services. I became a fan of his by playing the Batman: Arkham games. I was lucky enough to meet him at NYCC several years back and get him to autograph my game copy.

And take a photo with me. 

Kevin Conroy was a great guy, and I don’t think anyone can ever hope to match him as the Dark Knight. But the fact that so many people are mourning his loss is a comforting feeling. When people think of Batman from now on, they’ll hopefully think of Kevin Conroy along with him. 

RIP, Kevin Conroy. You are Batman.

Rest In Power, Kevin Conroy (1955-2022)