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OG Founder: Why I Like DJing & Producing, More Than Watching Anime in 2026!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,

Hey…so in the words of Cody Rhodes…

I know it’s WAY to late to say “Happy New Year”, as this is an OG Founder post the night before Valentine’s Day. By the way, for those who celebrate it and have someone special, be sure you love them and take care of them. If you’re single, eh, watch some High School DxD with a bottle of lotion and Kleenex and call it a night. (Most of ya’ll know where I’m comin’ from with that one.)

Now with the dry jokes out of the way, I feel the need to bring this lil’ thing to your attention. It’s 2026, and next month will mark 29 years of me being an anime fan. Yes, I’m ‘Unc’ and old as hell, but in the almost three decades of being a fan, I’ve seen the anime community grow and become what it is today. Now, you’d think that the show that got me into anime would be the usual suspects; Pokemon, DBZ, Digimon, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Of course you’d be right, but those are ‘childhood anime’. The show that really got me into anime, was Tenchi Universe.

This of course came up as part of the Toonami lineup, preferably the ‘Moltar Era’. Its been awhile since I’ve watched it so I might do a “One-2-One” character analysis on one, or more of the characters in a later post. Now back to the real reason behind this post; in the upcoming 29 years that I’ve been an anime fan, I’ve gone through many changes in terms of my opinions and perspectives, of where I stand in my relationship with anime in the modern era. Do I have biases towards certain shows? Yes, especially if they’re guilty pleasures. However with seasonal anime, I find myself experiencing a ‘Love-Hate’ relationship with the hype behind the quality of the shows, that have come out.

With every season; there are some outliers that deserve more attention than it receives, but with every outlier, there’s at least ten duds that are straight BOOTY! That’s another topic for another post. So, DJing and producing music…why do I like doing that, more than watching anime…?

It’s funny that I find myself saying that, because anime is the reason why I started producing music and being a DJ. Back in 2008 when Otakon was still in Baltimore, I went to the raves and stood where the DJ was. After hearing a techno remix of Daft Punk’s “Faster, Stronger!” (ya’ll know the words better than I do), I knew I wanted to be a DJ. At the time I had a passion for creating things, and that passion has led me to create D&A Anime Blog; as you guys see it today. It also led me to create my own DJ & Cosplay Party Promotion known as Club BASSMODE. You’ll hear the REAL reason why it was shut down in a future OG Founder post, and how I bounced back with NEW Thursday and Saturday Nite Events.ย 

I believe it stems from creative freedom and artistic integrity; where the music that I produce is only as good as I want it to be, and what I’m feeling at the time. Not having or being on a deadline or an anime simuldub schedule, allows my imagination and creativity to breathe, and not feel rushed. If you haven’t noticed by now from the words of this post, I’m a BIG advocate for creative freedom, and creative control. The creators of your favorite anime have the same passion about the characters and the worlds that they’ve built; from the stories they tell, to the character dynamics that we see.

In my 29 years of being an anime fan, I never thought I’d see Vegeta become who he is today, and Toriyama (rest his soul) wanted to ‘kill’ him off in the first arc. That took time to create, and the payoff was the development of a well-written character going through his redemption arc.

I don’t know, guys. I guess maybe the novelty may be wearing off (probably because I’m still icky about the recast and script for New Panty & Stocking), or maybe I’m nostalgic for titles and shows that take me back to a time when the world wasn’t so damn crazy! So to cope, I channel what I’m feeling through DJing and producing electronic music, and that’s the one thing I can control. Anime will always have a special place in my heart, so I don’t really see myself leaving it any time soon, but DJing and producing music does allow me to take a break; and be creative elsewhere.

So, what cha’ll got? Let me know what ya’ll like to do when you need a break from anime. Type in the comments down below.

OG Founder.

Out.

So this is Suicide Squad, But Cooler? I Like it!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , ,

Sentenced to be a Hero Ep 2 Review

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a group of convicts be used as cannon fodder by uncaring superiors, I’d have a few extra dollars. Which isn’t much, but it’s weird how I’ve seen it happen multiple times in fiction. That being said, Sentenced to be a Hero is looking to be one of the biggest anime of the season. People are praising it for the story, the animation, and the characters, and it’s not hard to see why. Motherโ€™s Basement included it in his list of heavy hitters for the winter 2026 season; he nicknames it โ€œGantz of Thrones.โ€ That’s incredibly accurate, in my opinion! The Heroes are people being used as fodder in a war they’re expected to die in, but can be brought back for more, and not all of them are mentally put together. But that won’t stop them from doing their job.

So, despite the premiere ending with Xylo getting arrested and accused of stealing Teoritta, he wakes up in a tent with nothing having happened to him. Which makes sense, considering how he’s already been sentenced to the worst possible punishment as eternal fodder in a war. Credit where it’s due, though: that knight Kivia does apologize for the accusation when they meet up later in the episode. But Xylo couldn’t care less, as he tells her point-blank that she wouldn’t have believed him anyway. He’s right; no one would believe him, so why bother?

What does surprise him, though, is the fact that Teoritta refuses to end their contract, despite knowing what he didโ€ฆor was forced to do by his circumstances. Some would call her naive, but I see it as her being a good judge of character. Xylo may hide it underneath his bitterness, but he’s a good and decent person. If he wasn’t, then why would he make it his mission in life to find the people responsible for Senervaโ€™s death? He’s such a good person that he’s ready to burn everything to avenge her.

Another Suicide Mission

Speaking of mission, the heroes get their next one: defeating some demons called faeries infesting the mines at a town called Zewan Gan. This is when we are introduced to two more heroes, and, in keeping with what seems to be the theme for them, they’re quite eccentric. There’s his majesty, Norgalle Senridge. He’s an expert in sacred seals and magic, but he’s convinced that he’s the rightful king of their nation and everyone are his subjects. Iโ€™d say he’s delusional, but Iโ€™ve seen crazier things be true, and he does look out for the others. There’s also his servant, Tatsuya. He’s been a hero for so long, he’s practically feral. It’s tragic for him, but it makes him super vicious in battle.

So, we’ve got a fallen holy knight, a thief, a coward, a delusional magic expert, and someone as feral as Ezekiel from Total Drama. This whole thing is reminding me more and more of Game of Thrones meets that Suicide Squad isekai from a few years ago, but better. Consider me invested in it.

At any rate, their mission is to seal up the mines and make sure the demons donโ€™t get out. That is already a hard job. But to add an extra layer of tragedy, its revealed that the faeries they’re fighting were humans transformed into monsters. The heroes and holy knights are basically having to perform mercy kills. The mission gets complicated, though, when they find a survivor who says there are more deeper in the mines. Kivia has orders to collapse the mines, but Norgalle insists they save โ€˜his people.โ€™ So what can they do?

You Can’t Ignore Being a Good Person

Xylo shows why he’s a good person once again when he tells Kivia โ€œScrew it. I’ll go save them. If I’m not back in time, feel free to blow the place. Not like you’re going to lose anything valuable.โ€ But as a precaution, he refuses to allow Teoritta to accompany him. Which means if they run into trouble, they’ll be at a disadvantage.

If the extra-long premiere was meant to serve as a first look at this world, then this second episode helps to flesh out the world. And once again, the animation is still gorgeous and I love it. I’m now fully invested into this series and I’m looking forward to watching it over the rest of the season. Next week, weโ€™re likely going to see the heroes race against the clock as we see them try to live up to actual heroes. Bring it on.

I Give “Sentence: Clear the Zewan Gan Tunnels Part 1” a 4/5