Anime

Why You Need to Read Diligence of the Shield Hero!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Fanfiction, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink Interviews Allen Blaster, author of the Shield Hero fanfic, Diligence of the Shield Hero.

In 2019, The Rising of the Shield Hero made waves in the anime community. It was a different kind of Isekai, one where the hero wasn’t an ace that succeeded at everything but one that struggled in a world out to get him. It proved very popular. Then we got the second season earlier this year, and it felt like all that potential went down the drain. 

I would’ve been very disappointed in how the second season turned out…if I had watched it more. However, I have already found something else to love. A fanfiction for Shield Hero that’s so good that it surpasses the official series: The Diligence of the Shield Hero. For the last year, I’ve known the fanfic’s author, Allen Blaster, fairly well on Discord. Thus, when I wanted to interview him for D&A Anime, I was delighted to hear him say yes. I hope you enjoy this interview about one of the best fanfic one could expect to find and the one behind it. 

Interview

RJ: Thank you again for doing this interview, Allen.

Allen: Alright.

RJ: First thing’s first, though: what made you want to get into writing fanfiction in the first place?

Allen:

This pretty much sums up why I got into fanfiction in the first place. I am a sucker for teenage romance. And after reading a lot of it, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at writing my own.

RJ: You really are a fan of Ren and Wyndia, huh?

Allen:

RJ: So, Allen, when did you discover The Rising of the Shield Hero? Were you a fan of it before the anime came out or did that lead you to become a fan?

Allen: I discovered it in June of 2019 thanks to the recommendation of a good friend. I only recently watched anime with some roommates like Code Geass and Attack on Titan, and decided to give it a shot. I binged the entire first season throughout one night, and the rest was history.

RJ: Nice. So, why don’t you tell us a little about your series, Diligence of the Shield Hero? For the readers that haven’t read it yet. Like, what’s it about and what sets it apart from the official series.

Allen: It starts with Naofumi learning of the rape accusation before he was accused and what happens to him after that because he ran away. Then it evolves by kickstarting character growth for the other Heroes earlier on due to how events go down well, focusing not only on Naofumi but on the other Heroes and their parties too.

RJ: And it’s all the better for it. Now the series has an ensemble cast that can carry their own weight.

Allen: I feel that is one issue the anime had regarding its second season. Ironically enough, I’m staying more true to the characters and events from the light novels than they were. There was so much content they cut from the Spirit Tortoise Arc that further established Eclair, Granny, and even the other Heroes like Ren.

RJ: What was your inspiration for writing this fanfic?

Allen: Obviously not the entire thing. It started out with me just wanting to write a start that’d allow for Raphumi to develop because I loved them so much in the anime. I ended up loving them even more after reading the LN’s and seeing how much Raphtalia meant to Naofumi there. Then, after the first arc, I ended up writing more and more, continuing down the rabbit hole to see where the path would go

RJ: Plenty of people would think shipping Naofumi with Raphtalia Is weird due to her technically being ten. Do you think it is?

Allen: I have a whole freaking thing on my fanfiction profile explaining why this is stupid. I sum it up as “if you want to argue another race’s age instead of how quickly or slowly they mature being the primary thing that makes them legal, you are advocating for Baby Yoda to be made legal.” In short, I don’t find it weird at all, and what I find weird is people trying to inflict human standards on a race that isn’t human, to begin with.

RJ: Fair enough. Btw, did you know that your fic’s tv tropes page says it’s better than canon?

Allen: Yes, I do know that. And it is fine for people to have their opinions. But I don’t prefer people using that message to spread word of my fic around. Despite its shortcomings, I love the anime, and I love the light novels it’s based off of even more. I cannot put into words how much the original story means to me.

RJ: How were you able to make Bitch even worse than she was in canon?

Allen: I didn’t. I simply allowed her more opportunities to be herself. 

RJ: With more screentime?

Allen: And the version of events that played out. The first real big change up was nothing stopping Motoyasu from being made the Lord of Lute (Riyute) Village. So there was nothing to stop Malty from doing what she was going to do there.

RJ: Where do you get inspiration for all your original characters? Because there are quite a number of them.

Allen: The inspiration sometimes comes from them getting introduced into the story for an event and me thinking about them in general. That was how my Hakuko OC Dou-Lon ended up getting added to it. Other times, I start with a concept for a character like Altara, and then, later on, I had thoughts that led to a parallel with Darth Vader’s transformation. And I look at what I wrote and realize I can fit it in easily.

RJ: Alright, last question: Who’s cuter, Raphtalia, Filo, or Raph-Chan?

Allen: Wyndia, Lol.

He really likes Wyndia, a dog demihuman that the anime has yet to introduce. 

Click here to read the fanfic for yourself. Updates Every Monday

Kazuki Takahasi, Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dead at Age 60

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Filler Posts, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

A Fan Remembering the Man Behind Yu-Gi-Oh!

Officially, my first anime was the original Pokรฉmon. That introduced me to the franchise and the idea of anime. However, it would be another anime that affirmed my lifelong passion for the medium. That anime was Yu-Gi-Oh!

I was obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid. I dressed up like Yami Yugi for Halloween. I watched almost every episode, played the games, and spent my allowance money on card packs. It felt like the coolest thing Iโ€™d ever seen up to that point in my life. And while I would move on to other works, Yu-Gi-Oh! has always held a special place in my heart.

Which only made it harder when I woke up on a Thursday morning and learned that Kazuki Takahashi, the mangaka who created Yu-Gi-Oh!, had passed away. He was 60 years old.

Like many fans, I mourned his passing. This man gave me a big part of my childhood and created one of the most popular franchises in the world. More than that, though, he was a man who loved games and how they brought people together.

Beginnings

Born on October 4th, 1961, in Tokyo, Japan as Kazuo, Takahashi had two great interests growing up: manga and games. Takahashi loved games because he considered them a chance for the players to become the hero. For a little kid who canโ€™t do much regarding the world around them, thatโ€™s extremely appealing.

When Kazuki left high school, he knew he wanted to become a mangaka. However, there was a problem with that in the 1980s. The Shonen demographic was bursting with fighting manga, leaving little to help him stand out. As a result, success eluded him for over a decade until he got his big break with Yu-Gi-Oh!

Itโ€™s Time to Duel!

Debuting in Shonen Jump in 1996, Yu-Gi-Oh! was an example of โ€œwriting what you knowโ€ done right. Working on his love of games, Kazuki gave us Yugi, a weak and friendly boy who gained the ability to create โ€œShadow Gamesโ€ where the winner could punish the loser. Initially, the manga would feature different games with each new arc. All of that would change, though, when Kazuki introduced a card game called Magic and Wizards. Western audiences would know it as Duel Monsters.

Takahashi meant for the card game to appear in only two chapters. However, Shueisha got so many fan letters about it that Takahashi chose to make it the main focus of the series. From that moment on, Yu-Gi-Oh!โ€™s popularity would explode. Within two years, Toei picked it up for its anime series

Yes, thereโ€™s a Yu-Gi-Oh! made by Toei in the 90s. Unlike its successor, though, this focused on the pre-Duel Monster days and never got exported out of Japan. However, the following year, Konami agreed to make Duel Monsters into an actual card game. Thus, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game was born.

International Phenomenon

The following year, the second anime adaptation came out. This time, it exclusively focused on Duel Monsters. Once it became licensed overseas, nothing would stop Takahashiโ€™s creation. It became an international phenomenon on par with that of Pokemon.

By the time the manga ended in 2004, Takahashi had gone from a struggling mangaka to the creator of a franchise beloved the world over. Movies, video games, and a successful card game he helped to create. Whether fans knew his name or not, many knew the name of Yu-Gi-Oh!

After Yu-Gi-Oh! came to an end, Takahashi continued to help oversee his creation as the anime and manga continued with the ongoing sequel series. In between then, Takahashi worked on a few one-shot and limited series manga. One included a two-chapter manga written as part of this collaboration between Shonen Jump and Marvel in 2019. All of that came to an end, though, with Takahashi’s passing.

Takahashi Found Dead

On July 6th, Kazuki Takahashi was reported by a passing boat to be floating a thousand feet off the coast of Okinawa. The Japanese Coast Guard found him not long afterward. Heโ€™d been dead for several days.

At the time of this posting, there’s an ongoing investigation into Takahashiโ€™s death. He was found wearing snorkeling gear, and it was confirmed he arrived several days earlier on his own. As the authorities continue investigating, though, the world mourns Takahashiโ€™s passing. Fans young and old, and those who worked on Yu-Gi-Oh!, have taken to social media to mourn his passing, myself included.

Thank You, King of Games

While Takahashiโ€™s passing deeply saddens me, his legacy will last for decades. Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most successful franchises and will likely continue for many more years. Of all his contributions to the world, though, Takahashiโ€™s greatest is the trading card game his manga created. Played by millions worldwide and constantly added to, the gameโ€™s become a staple of pop culture. In 2009, Guinness named it the top-selling card game in the world, and Konami shows no signs of stopping it.

I never could get rid of my old Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, even though I’ve long since moved on from the franchise. I’m glad I didn’t. Yu-Gi-Oh! was my childhood. Takahashi created Yugi, and his alter ego because he wanted them to embody the idea that when you play a game, you can be the hero you aren’t in real life. That’s a powerful concept, and it’s made the world a much better place for it. Takahashi may be gone, but fans will forever remember him as the King of Games.

Shout-outs to Roderick J “Jay” Friz for this awesome article about Kazuki Takahashi. His work has touched the lives of millions of childhoods all over (including ours). May he Rest In Peace.

The Top Ten Things We Miss About Cons!

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

Let’s be honest; 2020 has been the most stressful and exhausting year that we as humanity has ever endured! From COVID-19 to racial injustice we’ve been hit with gut punch after gut punch and have been asking ourselves the question; ‘when will it end?!’ With mass gatherings being a super spreader for the virus, we’ve had no choice but to shut em’ down all together – except for the percentage of the U.S. population that’s hasn’t gotten the memo yet! (Don’t even get me started!)

One of the greatest mass gatherings that we’ve ever been a part of, are anime conventions. Many of us remember the last con we’ve been to before COVID hit, and now about roughly 80% of the anime community is going through con withdraw; including us! With con season as dead as dust all we can do is put our hopes and dreams into next year when we get the vaccine. We’ve been going to cons for over ten years, and there are ten things about them that we miss and wish to see again next year and beyond. So from us to you, here are our Top Ten things we miss about cons!

10. The Deadpool Invasion

Since 2010 we’ve been going to our former home convention known as Otakon, and every year we would see an army of at least 20 Deadpool cosplayers in various outfits; such as Luffy from One Piece, one in a business suit, and one that was president. Every year they’d do wacky stuff and if you’re lucky, you might have been able to spot a Deadpool conga line. What we wouldn’t give to see the merc with a mouth again…

We miss you buddy! T.T

9. Hallway Line Dancing

Anime conventions are like a three-day party, and when there’s a party, there’s music! If you’re convention vets like us then we’re pretty sure you’ve seen them; about 50-to-100 cosplayers doing the “Cupid Shuffle” or “Wobble”. We’ve even joined in on the fun as well, so if you ever go to a con and see line dancing in the hallway, jump in!

8. The DBZ Abridged Ghost Nappa / Vegeta Guy

There’s always one guy at a convention who does this, and it’s freakin’ hilarious when he does it! He’s been going to our con for over five years, but I’m pretty sure you guys might have your own version of this guy. Though we don’t know his full name, we’ve just dubbed him the ‘DBZA Ghost Nappa / Vegeta Guy’.

7. The Lines before going into Panels

When it comes to panels at anime conventions you always wanna plan ahead! That means leaving one panel 45 minutes early to be the first one in line for the next one. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve gotten lucky enough to get to many of the panels that we wanted to see by doing this, so once cons are back up and running again, this will feel like nostalgia!

6. The Dealer’s Room

This is where it all goes down; the merch, the posters, the OST’s! It’s all right here! We’re crying just thinking about it! (*sniffle*) I’m 100% sure when cons come back, none of us are going to take this room for granted! EVER!

5. The Raves

Back in 2008 we went to our first one during Otakon, and it was LIT! Some of us miss these and some of us won’t, but once cons come back you’d better bet your sweet waifu that there will be a party!

We’re gonna party hard after this is over! Believe it!!

4. The Pokemon Nerd March Down The Hallway

On the last day of the con, you’ll see about 200-300 Pokemon fans march down the hallway chanting the opening theme to the very first season! We all know it. We all have heard it. We just miss seeing it! T.T

3. The Autograph Line

Next to the Dealer’s Room, the autograph line is where you go after you get your merch! We’ve been fortunate enough to get all of the things we wanted signed by the people that we admire the most; the VA’s! Which brings us to Number 2…

2. The VA’s

These men and women with extraordinary voices are one of the major reasons why we love going to conventions! They’ve been a part of your childhood/adult life for a long time, and plus many of them are down-to-earth just like you and me. Once cons come back we can’t wait to meet these awesome people again!

Can’t wait to see you when this is all over!

1. The COSPLAYERS!!

They’re the BIGGEST reason why we go to cons, and their what we miss the most about cons! Seeing all of the awesome cosplayers is the bread and butter of our existence as an anime blog (plus the VA’s too). We miss these awesome people most of all, because you guys helped us to make the blog what it is today. We’d be nothing without each and every one of you, so to that we say Thank You!!

You guys have made the blog awesome!!

We’re all waiting for the day where we can step into hotel or convention lobbies and experience these things again, and rest assured once we get the vaccine, we will return to the fun times that we’ve had! If there are some things that you miss about cons, let us know in the comments section. Until next post, stay safe and stay united! ๐Ÿ˜‰