Food. It’s the one thing we as humanity cannot live without. If there’s one thing fans love almost as much as anime, it’s the food that is featured on their favorite titles. Since were on the subject, let’s talk about this hilarious comedy that takes culinary art to a whole new level; Food Wars! Many of us have already seen the first and second seasons, but for those who haven’t, you can check it out on Crunchyroll.

If you have seen both seasons, then you may (or may not) be aware of the fact that you can actually make some of the dishes you’ve seen on the show, at home. If there’s a particular dish that you like from one of your favorite episodes, then there’s a high probability that you’ll find all the ingredients that you’ll need to make it – online. There are many dishes that have been created on that show, but here are five recipes from the series that you can make at home for you, or for your friends and family. Come n’ get it! XP

Recipe #5: Gotcha Pork (aka The Fake Pork Roast)

If you’ve seen the first episode of the series, then you might have seen this dish as one of the main ones in that episode. The dish itself is meant to mimic the idea of you eating a pork roast, when in actuality you’re eating bacon-wrapped mashed potatoes. Wanna enjoy this dish at home? Head to this link: Food Wars (Gotcha Pork Recipe)

Recipe #4: Transforming Rice

From this angle you’d might say that this looks like a Japanese breakfast bowl, but you’re only partially right due to the fact that this dish contains scrambled eggs. This my friends is what’s known as the Transforming Rice. This dish made its debut during the examination episode (the second episode of season one), so if you wanna know how good it tastes, then everything you’ll need is on this link: Food Wars (Transformation Rice)

Recipe #3: Apple Risotto

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it the “Food Wars” way? The dish you see before you is none other than Apple Risotto, the breakfast dish prepared by Soma while battling against his father. This dish is said to rejuvenate the one eating the dish, so if you want to feel rejuvenated, then by all means head to this link in order to make this magnificent dish: Food Wars (Apple Risotto)

Recipe #2: Chaliapin Steak

Another dish created by the hands of Soma during the seventh episode of Food Wars. The ingredients for this recipe can be found an any of your favorite supermarkets (even the ones that sell exclusive/seasonal items), so if you want to enjoy this little number for yourselves, then the link you seek is right here: Food Wars (Chaliapin Steak)

Recipe #1: The Mini Souffle’ Omelette

Another breakfast dish created by Soma, so if you wanna know how to make it, then check out the youtube link that’s right above.

Are you hungry yet? We’re pretty sure that after seeing all of these recipes from this series, that you’re gonna wanna recreate that same magic seen from this title. Don’t fill up too much cuz’ we’ve got more fun and more posts comin’ your way for 2018, next time on D&A Anime Blog! It’s a part of you! 🙂

It’s finally 2018, and we’re back on track baby! I hope you guys n’ gals had an awesome New Year’s Eve last night while planning what your New Year’s Resolutions will be this year. With us on the D&A front we’ll continue doing what we’ve been doing since January 2016; to be the best two-man operated anime blog in existence. Now that we’ve gotten all of the introductions out of the way, it’s time for another D&A Breakdown filler post on the topic; Otaku vs. Weeaboo.

If you’re an anime fan, then you’ve probably heard these two terms before. In one of our latest filler posts of 2017, we covered the difference between a Geek and a Nerd (hybrids are an exception). Nowadays we hear the word Weeaboo getting thrown around, and while most of the anime community both know and despise that term, there are some who have no idea what it means. So to those who wanna know the difference between an Otaku and a Weeaboo, allow us to tell you.

An Otaku is an individual who has a genuine love, respect, and passion for anime as a whole. In Japan this term was deemed derogatory as an individual who was overly obsessed with the medium, but in North America this term has become the forefront of the anime community and is celebrated. The word “Otaku” is another name for “Geek” in Japan, as the definition between the two words are rather similar.

A Weeaboo is a slang (or “street”) term used to describe an individual of non-Japanese decent, who places everything about anime and manga so high on a pedestal, that it overrides any and everything else in life (including their racial heritage and Western Animation). Many people who aren’t aware of the difference between an Otaku and a Weeaboo (or Weeboo) tend to get the two terms mixed up, and believe that they’re the same thing. The origins of the word spawned from the word Wapanese, or someone who is Caucasian that wants to be Japanese, which came about in the early 2000’s on 4chan’s website.

Here’s the funny thing about these two terms; both are regarded as insults to opposite sides of the world, with ‘otaku’ being labeled as an insult in Japan, and ‘weeaboo’ labeled as an insult to Western anime fans – in some cases. Although both terms have similar meaning to one another, they are by far completely different from each other. Some would even say that word “weeaboo” is nothing more than the annoying kid brother (or sister) of the word “otaku”. In days of old both terms had their moments of hatred and backlash, but now they’re both showing fan appreciation to the Japanese culture in their own way – at least we hope they are.

We don’t know what the future holds for the meaning of these two terms, but one thing’s for sure; knowledge is power! If you’re an otaku, don’t be afraid to educate the weeaboo grasshopper in what it means to be a fan of anime and Japanese culture. By this we mean don’t disrespect, slander, or hurt them in any way, instead teach your ‘little brother’, so that one day both Otaku and Weeaboo alike can one day walk to the same convention together.

Ah, Tropes and Cliche’s. If you’re a fan of anime, manga, comic books, fantasy, movies, sci-fi, or anything that takes you away from reality, then 9 times outta 10 you’ve probably seen these two things – a LOT. (Especially if you’re an anime fan.) Now hear us out when we say this; tropes are good. Tropes. Are. Good.

Why do we say this? You’d have to look at the definition of what a Trope is and how it differs from a Cliche’. Instead of trying to Google it we’re gonna break it down through the eyes of an anime fan – by that, we mean us. A Trope is basically a plot, a main character, a setting, or even a pattern/sequence that each and everyone recognizes and knows as such. Certain titles and stories aren’t good or bad based on if they have any tropes or not, but in reality it’s really based on how they’re used. (Remember the filler post on the four things that can make-or-break an anime title? Tropes play a part in that.)

Depending on the genre of anime you find yourself watching on FunimationNow, or even Crunchyroll, tropes can be your best friend…or worst enemy. Here’s the three things that’s cool about them; we’re familiar with them, we’re excited when the plot “gets good”, and when our favorite trope(s) make a sudden detour that we weren’t prepared for. (That’s what we meant by when the plot gets good!) However, there’s a dark side to tropes, and that dark side comes in the form of a (you guessed it) Cliche’.

Think of a cliche’ as someone telling you that you’re getting a surprise party; if that person told you you were getting one, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Cliche’s are former tropes that are 100% predictable (story, characters, etc.) and have been done for the umteenth time. Check this out; tropes aren’t what makes certain members of the anime community a little bent-outta-shape, it when those same tropes turn into cliche’s overtime. There are hundreds of titles out there that have fallen into this trap, and we’re pretty sure you guys know which ones they are.

Here’s where things get tricky when it comes to dealing with cliche’s; they’re subjective. We’re pretty sure you guys knew that but for those who are just reading this post for the first time, let us say that cliche’s are subjective! No matter how big of an anime fan you are, there’s always a percentage of the fandom (or fanbase) that gets SICK and TIRED of the same song-and-dance that you love so much, and vice-versa.

If you’re a fan fiction writer or manga artist, then this post as well as the previous one we mentioned above can be your creative guideline. The best way to make sure your story doesn’t find itself in the cliche’ graveyard, is to become a trope-savvy expert. Study and learn how your favorite anime creators use them in their series’. Don’t focus yourself on the subjectiveness of cliche’s – in fact, don’t even worry about them. Tropes will never disappear, we just need to find new ways to use them without ‘repeating’ ourselves.

Hopefully this post helped you understand the difference between a trope and a cliche’. You can please some people but you can’t please everybody, so if you ever find yourself on the receiving end of defending your favorite trope (even though someone else thinks it’s a cliche’), find another group of people in your title’s fandom that agree with you. If you love it, do you. Do it! Just do it!

One of the biggest questions that I’m always asked is, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” To be honest in the last ten years I’ve been asking myself this very same question. After turning 28 just a month ago, I’m now starting to realize that I’m getting older – although that shouldn’t be much of a shock because we’re ALL getting older. In Fall 2010 I got an AA degree in IT/Multimedia, also known as Information Technology and Video/Graphic Design. It was then that I wanted to work in Post-Production and Broadcast Graphics, however after bouncing from temp job to temp job for 2-3 years the idea of being a Multimedia Specialist seemed pretty dim.

Instead I found myself taking everything I learned at ITT-Tech (which no longer exist) and applying it to my one-man business of creating videos of parties, conventions, weddings, and more. The name of that business was D.J.L’s Media Services, with me as it’s founder and creator. I would shoot, cut, and edit various clips together to tell a story of whatever I was filming at the time.

As I got better I started getting paid to do it, and believe me had I not done so, I wouldn’t have had the money to go to Otakon as much as I did from 2008-2016. Although I was proud that I had a business to call my own, it wasn’t financially consistent – meaning I only got a couple of gigs every 2-3 months. Despite this those gigs as well as the temp jobs kept my anime convention trips going – even more so now that I’ve got a part-time job.

It’s funny that during our elementary school years we as children knew what we wanted to be when we grow up, and about a fair percentage of us manage to make that dream a reality. As we grow older some of the dreams and aspirations we had back in our youth seem to get placed on the sidelines as responsibilities get bigger, and heavier.

We were all asked the dreaded ‘Five Year’ question sometime in our lives, and for most of us we had an answer. My best friend of 13 years and I started this awesome anime blog in the beginning of 2016, and next month will be our two-year anniversary.

Do I still want to have my very own anime convention with A. Goldman and I as it’s founders and creators in the next ten years? Yes! Do I see myself going for more than just a certification in Audio Engineering? Yes. Do I see myself moving out, driving a car, getting a place of my own? Yes! Where do I see myself in five years? Doing all of the above and more, that’s what!

No matter what I do or where I find myself in the next five years; I will always love anime and manga, I will continue to be one of the founders of D&A, I will continue to work on my dream of becoming a DJ/Producer, and most of all, I will strive to be the best ‘Me’ that I can be!