Anime

Animore 2019 Convention Review

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Anime Conventions

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! ๐Ÿ™‚

SEE YOU IN 2020!!

[Animore Cosplay Mosaic Pics]

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

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Con Appearances

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! ๐Ÿ˜‰

January 2019 Anime Conventions!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Con Locations

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! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Happy New Year!!!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Blogging, 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! ๐Ÿ˜‰

2018: What Have We Learned?

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Filler Posts, New Year

This is it! We’ve finally made it to the Home Stretch of 2018! Honestly this year has been one heck of a roller coaster ride of highs, lows, and moments that will make us better people in the future. A hole lot has happened in the 364 days that have come and gone, and as much as we want to try and recap any and every moment that has happened up to this point, we can only pick out the best moments that have impacted us the most.

Some of them have been good, some of them aren’t so good, and some we wish we could forget. Nevertheless 2018 has been a pretty ‘interesting’ year, as far as what we mean by that, we’ll let you decide how this year has been for you.

What Have We Learned?

That this year has been an incredible year for diversity in the Hollywood movie business. We were treated to Box Office smash hits like Marvel’s Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians, and lets not forget the newest Spider-Man title Into The Spider-Verse. With titles like these killing it at the Box Office this year, there’s no doubt that there will be more diverse films like these in the works for 2019!

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Swing into the Spider-Verse

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 has been a year where we’ve lost some people who have made our childhood awesome. For the Marvel Universe it was Stan Lee, and for all of the old school and new school Spongebob fans, it was its beloved creator Stephen Hillenburg. These two individuals have been a part of most of our lives for decades (with the exception of Spongebob being a 90’s classic), and will be truly missed but always remembered.

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 is the year were history has been made! This past Thanksgiving during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, New York City along with the rest of the U.S. were treated to the sight of seeing the one and only Son Goku (of the Dragon Ball franchise), flying high above the buildings of NYC. This is the first time in U.S. history that a character from anime/manga has made a mainstream appearance at this annual event, besides Pikachu. With the new Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie coming out on the East Coast next week, this moment might open the door to more anime/manga characters making their way into the parade for years to come!

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Super Saiyan Blue Son Goku @ The Macy’s Parade

What Have We Learned?

That 2018 has been a year of reflection, a year where history was made, a year where we’ve lost great legends that have made an impact on our lives, and a year where we’re moments have been made to fight against racism, sexism, bigotry, and just plain ugliness from various other hate groups. As we close the book on this year and look towards the great things that are sure to take place in 2019, we at D&A just want to say thank you for all of the love and support that you’ve given us for the blog, as well as seeing us at some of the anime conventions that we’ve had the chance to go to.

So from us to you, we wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year!! ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

Merry Christmas From D&A!! (And DBZ!)

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Christmas, Filler Posts

Christmas is FINALLY here!! For many of us under the age of 13, this is the night that ol’ St. Nick makes his rounds. For many of us this is the season where its better to give than receive, and for those who are having it rough around this time of the year, the best gift you can give them, is love. We know this may sound cheesy, but in the current ‘state’ that we’re living in, we need all the love we can get! (Let that sink in for a bit…)

So from us to you, have a happy and safe Christmas! Spend some time with your loved ones, your family, and your friends. ๐Ÿ™‚

(P.S. You’ve probably seen this last year, but here’s a little gift from some people you might know.)

PASWG: Sonic Khaotica FINAL Sneak Peek!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Fanfiction, Filler Posts

Happy Holidays guys n’ gals! It is officially the First Day of Winter, and St. Nick makes his rounds next week. While everyone else has to wait for Christmas Day to unwrap their gifts, we’re about to give you one that you can open right away – in the form of a final sneak peek of our upcoming crossover fanfiction; Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: Sonic Khaotica! Coming January 2019!! (Warning: Mature Language Ahead)

The ghost ripped off his jacket to reveal that he had embedded speakers all over his arms and chest. As cool as that looked to the two individuals who were scared out of their minds, they knew that this could possibly be their last day on Earthโ€”or so they thought.

โ€œYo, speakerbox!โ€

The ghost turned around to see where the source of the taunt was coming from, as he spotted the Worldโ€™s Fastest Hedgehog with his arms folded while giving the ghost his trademark smirk. โ€œMy name is not Speakerboxโ€ฆitโ€™s BOOMER!!!โ€ yelled the ghost as he shot a powerful shockwave of sound from the speakers on his chest. Sonic used his Khaotica to split the shockwave in two as the sound dissipated after traveling 30 yards.

โ€œI know who you are,โ€ said the hedgehog, โ€œand thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m here to put you in your place, buddy! You may be the embodiment of sound, but Iโ€™m faster than sound itself!โ€

Boomer clinched his fists and gritted his teeth as he glared at the speedy blue hedgehog before him. Afterwards he let out a yell as his Khaotica surged to a beefy [30000%]. This didnโ€™t faze Sonic at all as he kept his Khaotica suppressed until the right time to draw it out at the right moment. โ€œSo this oneโ€™s gonna get loud, huh?โ€ shrugged Sonic as he saw a devious smirk appear on the face of Boomer as a solid indication.

With his question answered the blue hedgehog took on a battle stance as he waited for the ghost to make his moveโ€ฆ

[CUE DJ SNAKE & LILโ€™ JOHN โ€“ TURN DOWN FOR WHAT]

Boomer launched himself at Sonic as he found himself dodging and blocking a flurry of punches and kicks before using a sweeping kick to trip the hedgehog, and using his speakers to blast him several yards away. Sonic planted his feet on the side of one of the buildings of the alleyway, before using it as a springboard and launching himself at the ghost. Both were striking and blocking each other at such a rapid speed that the eyes of Smooth Ryan and the other dancer that was with him couldnโ€™t keep up.

โ€œDamn, I always knew he was fast, but I never thought he was this fastโ€ฆโ€ he thought.

โ€œYou fight well hedgehog, but itโ€™s gonna take more than that to stop the music!โ€ sneered the ghost as he powered up again. Sonic was prepared to mix it up once more with Boomer, but before neither of them could make a move, their surroundings was suddenly transformed into something of a techno nightclub. What soon followed could only be described as the best night of any single manโ€™s lifeโ€ฆ

[CUE TEDDYLOID โ€“ FLY AWAY]

The Anarchy sisters stood in their angelic outfits while standing next to a stripper pole. Panty did some rather sexy dance moves while doing a little grinding as part of the routine, while Stocking did the very same but with a little flash of elegance. Afterwards Panty began to slowly and sexually remove her panties while Stocking teasingly started to remove one of her stockings. All of this was done while inciting their chant.

O pitiful shadow lost in the darkness, O evil spirit born of those drifting from Heaven and Earth! May the thunderous power from the garments of these holy delicate maidens strike down upon you, with great vengeance and furious anger! Shattering your loathsome impurities and sending you back from once you came! REPENT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!

Boomer found himself being launched into the air by a double jump kick from the angels as Panty pointed her gun at the airborne ghost before pulling the trigger. She shot a powerful blast of energy that pierced through the ghost as Stocking followed up with a flurry of slashes from her katana. The damage dealt from their combined onslaught was enough to drop the ghostโ€™s HP to [0], as Boomer cursed the hedgehog and the angels from messing up his groove. He then exploded as the sound of the steeple bell from the church was heard from afar, as Panty grabbed the loot he left behind.

And with that, we wish a Merry Christmas to all of our fans, to all of the bloggers and anibloggers who’ve followed our site and liked our posts, and for all of the awesome people we’ve met on our anime convention ventures. Next year we plan on stepping it up with new things and new features, so from us to you, have a wonderful holiday!

Stay gold! ๐Ÿ˜‰

5 Things You May (Or May Not) Know About Mirajane

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Filler Posts

When it comes to the Fairy Tail anime, every fan that has seen the series has their favorite characters from the Fairy Tail guild. Ask any fan who their favorite character from the series is, 9 times out of 10 they’ll probably say Natsu, Lucy, Erza, or anyone else from the guild that’s caught their interest. One of the coolest characters of the Fairy Tail guild that acts as the ‘mom’ of the organization, as well as carries the attributes of a motivational speaker, is the one and only head waitress herself…Mirajane Strauss.

There’s a lot about her that Fairy Tail fans are already aware of, but for the newcomers that are just seeing the series for the very first time, there’s a few things about Mira that might surprise them – might! For that we’ve found five things/facts about the silver haired bar maiden that you may not have known about…until now.

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The one and only…Mirajane Strauss

5. She’s the only character from Fairy Tail who’s actually a Model!

In the series there’s a weekly magazine known as “Sorcerer Magazine”, and one of its most popular sections is the photo section that features its popular mages. Since Mira is the only mage to ever do a photoshoot with the magazine, its no surprise that’s she’s the featured model for it.

4. One of her dreams is to be a Singer!

In one of the story arcs of the main series, Mira does indeed sing – and she’s not half bad. She’s also skilled at playing the guitar, so perhaps if things go well, she’ll not only be the mage and a head waitress of the Fairy Tail guild, but she’ll be a singer/songwriter too!

3. Aside from being a model, Mira is also a good chef!

In a Fairy Tail Omake (and possibly in one of the Fairy Tail OVA’s) known as Natsu and the Dragon Egg, Mira’s sister Lisanna, states that she is a really great chef.

2. Her name comes from a parody off of a username from an online game!

For this you’ll have to read the second volume and flip to page 190.

1. She is the undisputed Queen of Transformation Magic!

Talk about being a ‘Master of Disguise’. Mirajane is by far the most skilled mage in transformation magic, and can transform into anything – ANYTHING! She proved this in one of the OVA’s where Natsu and Lucy went to train with her, and can turn into other humans, inanimate objects, and animals.

This is just a small handful of the things about the elder Strauss that many fans are already aware of, and now you are too! If you’re new to the anime community and you happen to be a fan of wizards, mages, and magic, then you definitely wanna check out Fairy Tail or any other titles that might be similar. That’s all we’ve got for this filler post, but as always there’s more to come! Stay cool, and stay gold! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Anime Blogging Reflections: 2018…

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Blogging, Filler Posts

It seems like just yesterday when the ball dropped signaling that 2017 had ended, and that 2018 has now begun. This year has brought out the best (and worst) in people, and while we’ve lost some great people along the way, this year has been kind of a pivotal point for us. There were times where we didn’t feel like we weren’t going anywhere with the blog, and other times where we were still trying to figure out what our next big move was. So far we’ve written a lot of posts about cosplay and anime convention tips, what to do when getting ready to start your own original story or animated project, and various other topics that fans wanted our opinion on. Getting through this year wasn’t an easy ride, but looking back it has helped us to move forward with what we want to do.

With this new revelation in mind, our focus is going to be on creating more original content for our fans. Although we’ve been doing our usual filler posts on various anime and anime-related content, we still felt that we were lacking in the creative department. The cause of that has been life, and when it gives you lemons, that’s usually when you start making lemonade. And our lemonade is coming in the form of new videos, site renovations, and other new projects. As always we thank all of our fans who have supported us throughout our inception, and for all of the new fans we’ve met while venturing out to various anime conventions. If there’s one thing we’ve learned while blogging, its that you have to be passionate about what you’re writing about.

For some people it could be sports, clothes, or food, but for us it just happens to be anime and the otaku culture. It’s so awesome that there are other bloggers out there that share the same passion and enthusiasm about it as we do. There are so many exciting things happening in 2019 for anime fans, and we plan on going into the new year with a new game plan on making D&A a part of you! ๐Ÿ™‚

The Top 5 Sports Anime!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Filler Posts, Top 5

Growing up, we find ourselves participating in every athletic event that our moms and dads put us in. Some of us grew up to become professional athletes in the sport of our choice, while the rest of us just became fans of said sport, and cheered on the ones who were on the front lines. Baseball is still one of the greatest pastimes of North America during the Spring and Summer, while basketball and football hold the Fall and Winter spots. Nevertheless we all have a favorite sport that we’ve played while growing up, however when it comes to competitive sports, anime holds the top spot.

Aside from the traditional sports that we all know and love, there are some that we can’t believe actually exist. No matter what sport you’re into, there’s an anime title for that! So without further delay, here’s our Top 5 Sports Anime…

5. FREE

Who doesn’t love a good sports anime title about swimming? FREE was one of the most popular titles of the summer back in 2017, as fans found themselves re-watching the series numerous times not just for the story, but for the OP’s as well. If you’re looking for a title that’ll give you movements of ‘feels’, then dive into this title!

4. Yuri!!! On ICE!!!

If you’ve seen the Winter Olympics then you’re fully aware that Figure Skating is one of its most primary events. One of the top tier anime titles centered around this sport has to be Yuri!!! On ICE!!! (a must-watch if you love anime and ice skating). A lot of the moves seen in the series are based on actual moves and techniques from real-life ice skaters, which makes the magic found in this series that much more appealing.

3. Keijo!!!!!!!!

If you didn’t think that fanservice could be found in sports anime, then you haven’t seen this title! Keijo!!!!!!!! is a series about an unusual sport where girls use their ‘T&A’ to try and knock each other off of a platform surrounded by water. Talk about weapons of ‘ass-destruction’! XP

2. Megalobox

Rocky, Foreman, Tyson, Creed, Ali, no matter how you slice it, every person in America is familiar with or knows the names of those great boxing legends. If you’re looking for a good boxing anime title, then you’ll wanna check out Toonami’s newest addition to its Saturday night lineup, Meglobox! It’ll give you that Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo feeling though its art and music, and as for its story? Well, you’ll just have to watch for yourself!

1. Prince of Tennis

A throwback title of the 2000’s that took the sports anime world by storm! There’s still a large number of us who remembers when the Prince Of Tennis was on the Toonami lineup back in the day, alongside Naruto, DBZ, One Piece, Zatch Bell (c’mon, who doesn’t remember Zatch Bell?!), Sailor Moon, and many other classics. You haven’t seen tennis matches this intense until you’ve seen them through this series. Feeling nostalgic? ๐Ÿ˜‰

There are so many sports anime titles out there for fans to check out, which means there’s a little something for everybody who’s a fan of their favorite sport. Competitions are great when they’re healthy, and allow the competitors to pull out all the stops to be the best at their sport. And on that note, that will do it for us and this Top 5 filler post! Until next time, stay warm and stay gold! ๐Ÿ˜‰