Hey guys! Sorry you haven’t heard from us in awhile. Its been kind of a struggle on our end to keep a consistent pace in posting content, but rest assured we’ll be getting back to our regularly scheduled program soon enough. For this week we’ll be working hard on getting some awesome content up on the main site, as our posting schedule will be changing based on traffic on our site. Right now it appears we get the most traffic on Tuesday between 12-2pm, so expect some awesome posts coming from us on that day.
For the rest of the month starting next week our posting schedule will be Tuesday-Thursday, with Friday July 19th being the debut of a new Trading Card Game segment called Supercard Fridaysย starting with Dragon Ball Super Card Game! (If that segment goes well, we’ll add other TCG’s like Vanguard, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokemon!)
We’re hoping that this little lineup will put a little spice on what we can do, and we hope you’ll like it too! Until next post guys n’ gals, stay nerdy! ๐
Author: D&A Anime Blog
Blog Burnout: Not Letting What You Love Turn into Something You Hate!
As a blogger, you find yourself faced with the many trials and struggles that come along with blogging; setting deadlines, consistency, figuring out what content to write about, or even the fact if its relevant or not. Blogging is a 24-hour job. Even when we’re sleeping the internet is always running – ALWAYS! Whatever topic you find yourself writing about you always have to make sure that you stay up to date with whatever the topic is. For us and maybe a few of you out there, it’s anime. With the level of popularity that anime is at now than it was 20 years ago, there is always something to write about. Despite this being the case on our end, we’ve found ourselves suffering from one of the negative aspects of blogging. We have given it the term ‘Blog Burnout’!
Blog Burnout is one of those moments where you find yourself scrambling for content to write about and post; so much so that mental stress kicks in, and you decide to procrastinate more often than you should. Add in the factor that life happens at the drop of a dime and before you know it, it’s been a week since your last post (then small doses of depression kick in). Blog burnout is at its worst when combined with writer’s block, because now your mind is stuck at a dead end and you feel like there’s no way out.
That’s what happened to us in the month of May.
When you find something that you’re passionate about, you do it because it’s something that you love to do. Even if you don’t make a dime off of it you do it because it makes you happy, and quiet as it’s kept it’ll even make some of the people you’re sharing it with happy. That’s one of the reasons why we love blogging about anime; because we find so many cool people who love the same things as we do, and they’re as passionate about what they do and like as we are. So what if people make fun of you for it, its the things you love that makes you, you! As for how to curb blog burnout, here’s some tips:
1. Plan out your posts in advance!
Making a rough draft of what you’re going to write about will save you some time in the long run. Make a spreadsheet on what type of content and topics you’re going to write about, and mark down the days that the posts are going to go out. You can even schedule when the posts are going to hit and even set a time, that way you can take care of whatever ‘adult’ responsibilities you have, and still run your blog.
2. Get plenty of sleep!
This one may be a challenge for many bloggers, as we may find ourselves up past midnight blogging about our topic(s) of choice because that’s the only time where all is quiet with no responsibilities in sight. If you’re a millennial (and most of us who blog are) then you’re probably in your 30’s or probably close to them. You haven’t hit your MLC (Mid-Life Crisis) yet but at the same time you don’t have the same sleep pattern as you did in your teens and 20’s. To make sure you’re at 100% when blogging, it’s a good idea to get plenty of sleep.
3. Collab with somebody on a few posts!
Sometimes its a good idea to find ways to expand your topic of interest to write about, and even though we can do it on our own most of the time, collaborating on a post with a fellow blogger may open up the door to bigger projects and ideas down the road.
Hopefully this post will help any of you who have come up against this at some point and time in your lives. Until our next one, keep your passion alive, and stay nerdy! ๐
Anime Cons: June/July 2019 Edition!
Summer is officially here! This is a season filled with cookouts, beaches, parties, the 4th of July, and of course anime conventions. For this segment we’ve decided to do something a little bit different, and make it easy to find cons that we bring to you. For this post we’ll be giving you the links to the cons themselves, so that you and hopefully your friends will get the chance to check out everything that these awesome cons have to offer. As always until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
- Ashville Anime Regional Convention 2019
- Cosplay America 2019
- Banzaicon 2019
- AkaiCon 2019
- Lock City Anime & Comic Con 2019
D&A Friday’s A.O.T.W. Title: The Rising of the Shield Hero!
Welcome to the first day of Summer! Spring is gone, school is out, and anime convention season will be at an all-time high. With all that in mind we’ve decided to resurrect an old favorite segment of ours from way back; D&A Friday’s Anime of the Week! To celebrate the return of this awesome segment as well as kick off the first day of Summer, we’ve got a new and recent anime title for you guys n’ gals to check out, and it’s known as The Rising of the Shield Hero!
Here’s the overview:
Naofumi Iwatani is an easy-going Japanese youth who happens to find himself summoned to a parallel world along with three others from parallel universes. They soon become heroes and each of them are given legendary equipment when summoned. While the three men got weapons (such as spears and swords) Naofumi got a legendary shield used as a defensive weapon – of course. Due to the betrayal of his only friend who happened to be Princess Myne, Naofumi had no choice but to become a hero on his own, but not without the help of a tanuki demi-human girl named Raphtalia as well as an egg that hatches into a bird creature girl named “Filo”. Together they work to restore the trust between the people and him, as Naofumi and his new companions become heroes of this new world, while uncovering its deepest and darkest secrets.
You can find this anime series on Crunchyroll or FunimationNow!
Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
Throwback Thursday Anime: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
It’s been awhile since we’ve done one of these, but after combing the web and doing some research we’ve found an old school anime title for you to check out (if you haven’t already)! For our Throwback Thursday segment we’ll be traveling back to the 80’s to a time during the final months of WWII with a title called Grave of the Fireflies! This title is not actually an anime series, but an anime war movie produced by the legendary studio known as Studio Ghibli. (And it’s also based on a book of the same name.)
For those who haven’t seen this anime movie classic just yet, here’s the overview of the story! On September 21, 1945 not long after the Second World War, a teenage boy named Seita dies from starvation in a train station in Kobe, Japan. Upon finding a candy tin while going through the boy’s possessions, a janitor throws the tin into a field, where the spirit of Seita’s sister Setsuko springs from the tin and joins Seita’s spirit before boarding the train. Months later their house is destroyed by a firebombing that takes out most of Kobe, leaving the two to move in with a distant aunt after their mother dies of severe burns after the bombing. Not long after the aunt starts resenting the children saying that they do nothing to bring in food as the number of refugees in the house begins to grow.
Seita and his sister eventually move to an abandoned bomb shelter where they have to live on their own and gather food for their survival. During air raids the elder sibling loots from the local farmers and brings it back to the bomb shelter, and is beaten because of it. When Seita’s sister falls ill, he takes her to the doctor to see what could be wrong with her. Upon hearing the doctor’s answer, Seita prepared for the worse…
With this title being a war story, you might want to have a box of tissues nearby. Its a heart-tugging tale of family, war, famine, and love, and if you’re looking for something of this caliber, then we insist that you check out this title!
Until next post, stay nerdy friends! ๐
Quick Updates: Music & (Possible) Podcast News!
A while back we were beating around the idea of putting together a podcast, and so far that idea is still on the table. As for our music segment, we’re implementing that feature on our sidebar in order to give our blog/website a more integrated feel. While we don’t have any main content to talk about on our (future) podcast just yet, we can say it will contain a few elements from some of the reviews that we’ve done on our Instagram page. Also with our music segment we hope to add some DJ mixes that fans can listen to along with some original works in the near future. That’s all we’ve got for updates, but there’s more posts and more excitement on the way! ๐
![DJ Spindraulx [WhiteLogo]](https://daanimeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/dj-spindraulx-whitelogo.png?w=700)
The Newbie’s Guide To Anime Cons!
Hey guys! This is our first post in almost a month, as our internet reliability has not been on our side. However we’re working hard to make sure we get some content up for you guys to enjoy on our social media pages. With Spring coming to an end and Summer right around the corner, convention season will be at an all-time high! That’s why the good duo from D&A Anime Blog is here to help!
For many of us who are just stepping into the anime world for the first time, there will come a point in your life as a fan that you’ll find yourself wanting to go to your first anime convention. Anime meetups are awesome, but an anime convention is like a family reunion for all types of anime fans from all walks of life. It’s almost like going to summer camp, but instead you’ll be paling around with other otaku just like you! As a newbie to the convention scene you have no idea what to expect upon your first visit, so that’s why we’re breakdown everything for you in this little post we’d like to call; The Newbie’s Guide To Anime Cons by us! D&A! ๐
The best place to look for a con, is right in your state!
With anime being a mainstream medium (now) there are tons of conventions happening every weekend all over North America as well as in third world countries. Some of them are big and may contain a six-figure attendance level, while others are a bit low key and less crowded. To figure out what type of convention suits you, do some research and look online for the type of anime convention you (and your friends, if they’re into anime) would like to go to. You’d be surprised at what kind of cons you can find in your own backyard, especially if you happen to live in Texas – the central hub of FUNimation. Once you found a con you want to go to, the next thing you’ll need is money. Why?
Because unless you own a bike, you’re gonna need two pairs of wheels!
Anime cons are awesome, but 99.9% of the time they’re not around the corner from your house. This means you’re gonna need a car, or call an uber or lyft if you plan on getting to your con. You’re also going to need money for your badge as well. Depending on the con itself, badges can range between $10-100 per person, and that money helps to pay for the AV equipment as well as the voice actors that you’re trying to see.
There are some conventions that are hotel-based; meaning that the con is inside of the hotel that the organization has paid for and booked. With that being the case you also need to make sure you have some money saved and stored away to take care of your hotel room (if you plan to stay the night). This is where having a couple of friends come in handy, because you’ll be able to split the cost of the room depending on how many people you bring with you to the con.
At an anime convention the biggest thing you’ll see, is cosplay! Cosplay is the holy grail of all things anime when it comes to anime conventions. Cosplay is for everybody; and no matter your size, ethnicity, or race, you can be any of the characters that you admire or even love. As a con newbie there will be so much for you to do and see while you’re there, which might be the reason why most cons are three days long. Also as a con newbie, convention safety is the con’s #1 priority. The biggest rule that you’ll most likely see is “Cosplay is NOT Consent!” which means that sexual harassment of a cosplayer is not allowed under any circumstances. If you see something or if it has happened to you, report it to the con staff as soon as possible.
The last thing you’ll probably experience as a con newbie would be what con veterans would call the “Post-con Blues”. It’s that sudden rush of depression right after a convention, where you’ve had so much fun and met so many awesome people, that once the convention is over, you’ll probably never see those people again until next year. That will bring any fan down, but the best way to combat against that would be to look for more conventions in your area, or if you’re looking to travel out of state, save your money and look for cons out of town.
Cons are awesome, and each one has a different experience for any and every fan of anime and manga, so you’ll probably have to go to as many of them as you can each year, to get a feel of the various experiences you’ll receive at any of the cons you go to. That will do it for this post as well as our newbie guide to anime cons. If you have any more questions or want more advice, you can hit us up on our Contact Us page or even check out our Anime Conventions & Cosplay Tips button on our main page.
Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
Long Time No See…
Hey, guys. It’s been two weeks since our last post but we’re so grateful that while we’ve been ‘away’, you still sent us your love and support for the blog, and we can’t thank you (the fans) enough for that. Since switching our main site to ‘Premium’ we’ve decided to do things a little bit different with our posting schedule. We’re going back to using our “Auto Post” system in order to maintain consistency with our content. In order for it to work effectively, we’ve decided to work on and create our posts this month and have them scheduled to hit next month, so that means there won’t be any new current posts this month. Also, we’ll be doing a lot of awesome things over the summer, so we’ll keep you up to date on what new things are coming to the blog as well as new features for the fans to enjoy. Until next month you can check out our past posts and videos, as well as keep up with developments on our social media pages. We thank you guys from the bottom of our hearts and until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
Sonic The Hedgehog: #GottaFixFast!
Hey guys n’ girls, sorry we’ve been away for so long. A lot has been happening life-wise while we’ve been away, but we’re super happy and grateful that you guys have stuck around and supported us through everything. With all of that being said, we’re pretty sure that half of you have seen the new trailer for the Sonic The Hedgehog movie. Before you read this post we want you to do us a BIG favor and bear with us on how we feel about it (the trailer), as the World’s Fastest Hedgehog has meant so much to our lives as well as yours – if you’re a diehard fan.
As of right now, the best way to describe the trailer that we’ve seen would be an old saying that you might have heard of; “if it ain’t broke, DON’T FIX IT!” If Sonic Boom has taught us anything in terms of character design, stick with what works! It’s not all bad however, as a Hollywood national treasure is playing one of our favorite villains of the franchise; Jim Carrey. You remember him from Dumb & Dumber, the live-action Grinch, and of course Bruce Almighty. If Hollywood wants to work in the anime and gaming world, they need to learn their history and do their homework. Besides, we all know what happened when DB Evolution out; you know you screwed up when the entire fanbase wants to grill your a** down to the white meat!
In the mist of all of this Nintendo is somewhere taking notes on what NOT to do, when they get ready to release the trailer for the new Super Mario movie. (Which from what we heard is being produced by Illumination, the same guys behind Despicable Me.) Anyway, all I can say about the Sonic trailer is this; return Sonic back to his Sonic Forces design (but you can make his fur live-action), have Roger Craig Smith be the voice instead of whoever is doing it now, put Jim Carrey in a fat suit, make him put on a bald-cap piece, digitally make his nose and mustache longer and bigger, give him those coke-bottle shades and BAM! In fact, check this picture out to get the idea.
As we’ve said before, we’re doing everything we can to not turn this into a rant, but when it comes to anime and video games you can’t give it the MARVEL treatment! The live-action Ghost in the Shell did it right (despite a few critics), as they got the Japanese director involved in the creative process. Alright, that’s my two cents on the issue as well as this post. In the meantime what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below. Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
Over 9000: The Ten Levels Of Super Saiyan!
If you’re an anime fan who has just turned 30 or is about to turn 30 this year, then you might be surprised to discover that the grand staple of anime titles; Dragon Ball Z, has been around for as long as you’ve been alive! It’s hard to believe that one of the gateway titles that every 90’s kid has watched is now turning 30. We’ve watched the Earthbound saiyan we know as Son Goku (aka Kakarot) grow up right before our eyes; from the time he fought the Red Ribbon Army, to his battle with Jiren in the Tournament Of Power.
We all remember the time Goku went Super Saiyan on Planet Namek against his battle with Frieza, and just when we thought that the Super Saiyan transformation was going to be the climax of the series, Toriyama had a few more tricks up his sleeve. For this post we’re going to be shining the spotlight on ten different levels of the Super Saiyan transformation that fans have seen in the last 30 years. Prepare yourself, cuz’ we plan on going over 9000 baby!!
10. False Super Saiyan
The first hint of the Super Saiyan transformation was first seen in the DBZ movie entitled Lord Slug. In this form Goku’s hair does stand up as he gains a golden aura surrounding his body, however his hair does not turn gold, but does gain a reddish tint. His irises are gone, and his base power seems to have multiplied (somewhat akin to the Kaioken, which multiplies the user’s base power several times over).
9. Super Saiyan
We’re all familiar with this one. Legend has it that once every 1,000 years a Super Saiyan is born, and it looks like Goku got to do it before Vegeta did – yeah, I said it! In this form a saiyan’s power level is multiplied 50 times from its base, as the muscles bulge slightly with a golden aura surrounding the body, and the hair stands up and becomes gold. We see Goku fight Frieza in this form, as well as Future Trunks when he kills Frieza, and Vegeta when he blasts Android 19.
8. Super Saiyan Grades 2 & 3
This level of Super Saiyan is ranked somewhere between the traditional level, and Super Saiyan 2. The only drawback of this form is the fact that while your power and mass is increased dynamically, your speed is significantly slower. Future Trunks had to learn the hard way when he fought Perfect Cell…
7. Super Saiyan 2
The first time we saw this form was when Gohan took on Super Perfect Cell (or just Perfect Cell) during the Cell games – and won! This form takes the power of a Super Saiyan and doubles it, plus the saiyan that achieves it gains a slightly more edgier personality (perhaps a little cockier). We also see Goku using this form against Majin Vegeta, who also achieved this form thanks to Babidi.
6. Super Saiyan 3
This is the strongest Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Z, or…it was. There are only two people who can take the legendary transformation to its absolute limit, and that is Goku and Gotenks. This form pushes the hidden power of a saiyan warrior to the brink of its limits – and shatters it! This form is also the most draining in the Z series, so you won’t be able to maintain it for long.
5. Super Saiyan 4
We know Dragon Ball Super put this debate to bed, but nevertheless GT is a part of the franchise’s history – canon, or not! It was only after Goku (who was transformed back into a kid in this series thanks to Pilaf) became a Golden Great Ape, did he realize this new Super Saiyan transformation. In this form his hair (and height) return to normal, but his body is covered in a dark pink fur, except for his chest, and his eyes are now yellow with red outlines on the outside.
4. Legendary Super Saiyan
Unlike the traditional Super Saiyan transformation, the power of a Legendary Super Saiyan is more like a ‘power source’ than a battery. Any saiyan that achieves this form is able to expel tremendous amounts of power – sometimes uncontrollably. So far Broly and Kale are the only two saiyans who have achieved this form.
3. Super Saiyan God
We all saw this form back during the Battle of Gods movie as well as Dragon Ball Super when it first came out. Goku was the first to go into this transformation during his battle with Beerus, and eventually he and Vegeta learned to master this form through some god ki training with Whis. In this form the saiyan’s hair turns crimson red as well as his eyes, and gains a fiery red aura. Although the color red symbolizes rage, the next form calms it while elevating the power level of its transformation to godly heights.
2. Super Saiyan Blue
Upon mastering the use of god ki, Goku is able to take that rage-like aura, and calm it down via a blue aura. His hair returns to its original Super Saiyan style, only with a blue color and a heightened level of power thanks to his god ki training. Combine this with the Kaioken and you’ve got an unstoppable badass transformation that will make any enemy tremble! (Spoiler: Goku’s the only one who’s done it!)
2 1/2. Super Saiyan Rose’
During the Goku Black saga, Zamasu stole Goku’s body in another timeline and went on the hunt for Future Trunks. Now as a saiyan god he’s mastered Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation and has become Super Saiyan Rose’. In this form Goku Black’s hair stands up and becomes a bright hot pink color with his eyes turning somewhat of a grey color. He has mastered the godly ki and perfected it into something elegant, as well as super deadly.
1. Ultra Instinct
This form is a ‘last resort’ transformation that is exceptionally hard to achieve, and master. Even the gods like Beerus find this form hard to grasp, but in Goku’s case, he has to empty his mind of thoughts that would cause him any distraction of any kind. Having complete zen while in this form can only be done if Goku is in an absolute dire situation; such as him fighting against Jiren, who is incredibly strong. In this form Goku’s speed is so quick that he can predict what hos opponent’s next move will be. Ultra Instinct puts the user’s mental state at such a high level, that they will always be ten steps ahead of whatever plan or moves their opponents can come up with.
Whew, this post was a mouthful, but there you have it! These are the Super Saiyan forms we currently all know from Dragon Ball Z to Super. Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
D&A Anime Blog 