It’s Monday…again. For anyone who’s NOT working, its just another day off. For us, it means another day of recapping our videos that you’ve missed from last week. Lately we’ve been working on improving the quality of our Nerdz of the Decade and D&A Studios Extras videos, by adding in more B-Roll and text. For our 31st podcast episode and beyond; we plan on going all-out with more B-Roll and text to really give our fans the excitement and entertainment from our content. Down below is what you’ve missed if you wanna check it out. That’s all for this recap, so until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
Kazuki Takahasi, Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dead at Age 60
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 Iโd 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 canโt do much regarding the world around them, thatโs 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!
Itโs Time to Duel!
Debuting in Shonen Jump in 1996, Yu-Gi-Oh! was an example of โwriting 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 โShadow 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!โs popularity would explode. Within two years, Toei picked it up for its anime series
Yes, thereโs 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 Takahashiโs 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. Heโd been dead for several days.
At the time of this posting, there’s an ongoing investigation into Takahashiโs 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 Takahashiโs 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 Takahashiโs 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, Takahashiโs greatest is the trading card game his manga created. Played by millions worldwide and constantly added to, the gameโs 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.
D&A Anime Blog: So, You Wanna Blog For Us?
The last six years have been nothing short of awesome for our blog, but as we continue to expand our reach throughout the anime community and anime industry, many goals that we’re longing to accomplish acquire…a little bit more. We’re now in a unique position where our workload has expanded along with our brand and our reach. That’s why we’re opening up the door for volunteer contributors for our blog. We’ve been a two-man operation since 2016, but every captain needs a crew; ask Luffy!
For those that wanna contribute to our blog, there’s a few ground rules that we have before we publish your article; make sure your grammar game is on point (no misspelled words), your article has to be between 500-1000 words (we average around 650), your article has to be relevant to the content that we have on the blog (although we’re anime and manga-centric, we also talk about video games, conventions, Japanese food and music, and other nerd stuff), and lastly, make sure you do all research needed to elaborate any key points you want the readers to get out of reading your article.
We’re right in the middle when it comes to facts and opinions, so if you are going to cover topics that might just be a little controversial, make sure you have key points to help elaborate your claim. The biggest ones we’ve covered so far were “Sub v. Dub” (which is still an on-going debate to this day), and fanservice. I don’t know what the future may hold for D&A going forward, but somewhere down the line we’d like to hold some kind of 10th anniversary event powered by a kickstarter campaign. (Maybe something with a con-like atmosphere.)
Well, that’s all we’ve got for now, so if you’re interested in being a contributor to our blog, hit us up on our Contact Us page. Until next post, stay nerdy my friends! ๐ย ย
D&A Studios Recap plus Panty & Stocking Are BACK!
Although we didn’t go to Anime Expo this year, we got something even better! After 12 years since their debut in 2010, the Anarchy Sisters are making a comeback thanks to Studio Trigger. The animation studio is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate then to announce that a cult classic is FINALLY getting a second season! Right now we don’t know when the next season is dropping, but rest assured, we’ll be doing a podcast episode on this bombshell news real soon. In the meantime check out last week’s episode along with our sneak peek of our new Nerdz intro. Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
One-2-One & Knuckles with D.J. Lewis!
Since 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of the most popular iconic franchises alongside a certain red capped plumber from the 80’s. From video games to live-action movies the blue blur has become unstoppable, and while that hasn’t always been the case (due to the franchise taking somewhat of a “Dark Ages” turn), it seems like the World’s Fastest Hedgehog is getting his mojo back! Like Sonic there have been other fan-favorite characters who also got their shine through the 31-year run of this franchise; one character in particular just happens to be Sonic’s first ever rival. He hails from Angel Island and is the guardian of the Master Emerald; and packs one helluva punch. He doesn’t chuckle…cuz’ he’s Knuckles.
Since the dawn of animation, main supporting characters (or reoccurring side characters) have always held the same amount of spotlight and screen time as the main MC. With Sonic however, there are some characters who have become just as much as a fan favorite as the blue hedgehog himself. Knuckles is no exception; when he made his debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in 1994, it was going to be the birth of a mainstay that given rise to the many memes that follow suit. He’s different in terms of how he carries himself compared to Sonic; from his responsibilities, to how he sees the world, to how he treats his friends and foes. If he’s been rolling with the punches since 1994, how did red get so rad?
Part 1: Who is Knuckles?
Throughout the years Knuckles has gone through a variety of changes to his character, so for this one, we’re gonna focus mainly on his gaming character; as this is the most authentic version of Knuckles there is. Like the lyrics from “Unknown From M.E.”, Knuckles was born on Angel Island and the blood of his clan flows inside him; the Knuckles Clan. Being the clan’s last living descendant he was placed in charge of protecting the Master Emerald; the ‘father’ of the chaos emeralds that contains the power to neutralize their energies if needed. Because of his secluded upbringing Knuckles is a loner by nature and isn’t dependent on anyone, and is devoted to keeping the Master Emerald safe at all costs. However when times are at their worst Knuckles will leave his post to help Sonic and friends out when confronting powerful foes. Also, he’s quite fond of grapes. ๐
Part 2: Personality, Skills, & Knuckles!
Right off the bat; Knuckles is a hot-blooded and wild echidna who’s independence grew from his secluded upbringing. He’s not like Sonic at all and does have a personality like the wind, rather Knuckles is more like a mountain; stern, unmoveable, and anchored to his duties. He doesn’t read into other people’s opinions and is rather antisocial and reclusive; which in turn makes him blunt, straight-forward, and seemingly a jerk (as seen one of the episodes in Sonic X). Due to his independent nature, Knuckles likes to do things his way and can be quite stubborn and inflexible, but he’s also goal-oriented and determined which helps to balance out his stubbornness and inflexibility most of the time. Also because of his paranoia of someone trying to steal the Master Emerald from him, Knuckles is prone to acting recklessly without regard to strategy or logic (as seen during traveling to the Space Colony ARK).
On the other hand, Knuckles has also become quite the devoted hero; putting his life on the line to save others just like Sonic. He’s not as quick to forgive the most evil of enemies, but he has been known to give others a second chance if they’re serious about it. When it comes to women, he’s a shy guy, and when it comes to industrialized places and crowded areas, he’s a recluse. When it comes to fighting however, Knuckles is a master at martial arts and if Sonic’s power lies in his speed, then Knuckles’ power lies in his strength. His punches are powerful enough to go through boulders, bend steel, cause small explosions (as seen in Sonic Battle), and can run at breakneck speeds in order to create afterimages of himself (as seen in Sonic X). He can glide through the air thanks to his flowing dreadlock-like quills and can climb walls thanks to the spikes on his fists. Knuckles is also able to sense energy from the Master Emerald, chaos emeralds, and any other aura-giving treasures that happen to be anywhere in his vicinity.
Also much like Sonic, Knuckles can use the Spin-Dash and Spin Jump, and can tap into the power of the chaos emeralds and Master Emerald to transform into Super Knuckles. (Also Hyper Knuckles if he has all seven super emeralds.) Though not the smartest echidna in the world, Knuckles is well-versed in ancient cultures, languages, and ruins (as seen in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity). He can also drive a car, pilot a spaceship, lead a resistance, and compete in the Olympics.
Part 3: The Legacy & Knuckles
Knuckles has become a fan favorite over the years, and has changed a lot since his 1994 debut. His rough and tough attitude and independent nature made him different from Sonic’s free-spirited outlook, and though their ideals have caused them to clash every now and then, Knuckles sees Sonic as a trusted friend and ally. As the years passed Knuckles’ character has gone through various changes; one of which depicts him as a brainless jock who eats napkins and one-ups Amy about feminism (as seen in Sonic Boom). Sure, meme culture may have diluted his character in both hilarious and sad ways, but when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (the 2022 movie) came out, Knuckles returned to his former character’s glory. He was once again the badass warrior we remember him to be, and even introduced a new element to his origin story.
To put it simply; Knuckles the Echidna is the guardian of the Master Emerald who will do whatever it takes to protect it, and while he may not share the same care-free nature that Sonic has, he has become a reliable friend and an heroic figure. He’s powerful enough to take on the toughest of foes without rest, and can use the power of the chaos emeralds and Master Emerald to power himself up. He’s not very confident around women and hates it when Rouge messes with him, and is capable of many other things besides fighting. There are many people that have seen a little of themselves inside of Knuckles and understand that in the prime of his time, this is who he was. Who knows what the future will hold for this echidna, but one thing’s for sure, he’s Knuckles…and he doesn’t chuckle!
That will do it for this One-2-One & Knuckles, so until next post, stay nerdy my friends! ๐
D&A’s Checkpoint Check-In! (June 2022)
Wow, we’re down to the last day of June 2022; which means that the first six months of the year have come and gone. A lot has happened within these last six months; some of it was great, while the minority of it is something we wish we could forget. Things in the atmosphere have been a little tense lately, as it’ll take more than a basket of puppies and kittens or however many cat videos you can post to get us through it all. If it’s any consolation, we at D&A Anime Blog / D&A Studios Entertainment feel the same way about the world’s problems as you do, and we’ve got hugs if you need em’! ๐
So while we’re here, we’ve got a couple announcements to share for Act 2 of 2022:
New Format for Nerdz of the Decade Podcast
So if you haven’t seen the most recent podcast episode, we’re experimenting with a new format which includes text and visual aids (like pictures and MAYBE video clips). We thought it would be a good idea to step our quality game up just a little bit while still giving you the ‘Nerdz’ touch. The new format’s time frame is five minutes shorter at 25-30 minutes than our original time frame of 30-35 minutes. The reason for the change is the fact that we wanna boost audience retention; thus cutting out or limiting a lot of filler material in order to bring forward the actual material of the topic that we’re talking about. (We’re also hoping that text and visual aids will help us with that as well.) After our 30th podcast episode we’ll be using this format accordingly.
Anime Convention Appearances Are On an “As Booked” Basis
We know you’ve been asking if D&A will return to conventions, and the answer is yes. However, things have changed since we first launched in 2016, and those things come in the form of operational business expenses. Just like our favorite voice actors, we can’t show up at a convention without an invite or a booking. (We’re also looking into getting us a booking agent.) This puts us in a ‘selective’ situation in terms of what conventions we want to make appearances at, but it also limits the amount of conventions we go to in the process. We want to see you as bad as you wanna see us, and we’re gonna do everything we can to make that happen!
D&A Merch…?
Okay, so this one is gonna depend on how much money we can raise through donations, affiliates, and sponsors, so we can give back to our fans what they’ve given to us. Its a long shot but if we can raise $2000 (or even $3000), it will put us in a better position where we can set up a D&A Merch Store with everything from T-Shirts to backpacks. (Maybe even iPhone covers.) We hope to one day do this, but only time (and money) will tell.
One more thing. Make sure to give someone a hug or contact your friends and family and tell them you love them. Its a mad MAD world out there, and sometimes all it takes is a kind gesture to keep them going. That’s all for this “Checkpoint Check-In”, and until the next one (on December 31st), stay nerdy! ๐
D&A Studios Entertainment Recap (6.27.22)
It’s the Monday before the 4th of July, which means another recap of all of the content we shot and uploaded onto our youtube channel; D&A Studios Entertainment! Our 30th Nerdz of the Decade episode is currently in production; as we’re trying out a brand new format for our podcast (which also includes a new intro), so in the meantime we’ve got our 29th episode and an after video from our 23rd episode. That’s all we’ve got for now, so until next post, stay nerdy! ๐
One-2-One with D.J. Lewis: Dandy (Space Dandy)
Being a 90’s kid comes with a lot of things; childhood nostalgia, exposure to the online world, graduating high school and going to college only to find yourself back at your parents place a year later because rent is too freakin’ high! (Like $1600 a month, bro! For what?! Extra roaches with a side of mice?! Nope!) Despite the many headaches that come with ‘adulting’ as a Millennial, being a 90’s kid did have some perks – one of which being Toonami. The GREATEST ACTION CARTOON BLOCK EVER CREATED; has brought me through some tough times growing up, and out of all of the shows that made their debut, there was something special (and weird) about this one in particular. Space Dandy made its way into the block around 2014, and when it comes to a show like this, just be prepared for some “what the hell just happened?!” moments in the series. Now it’s time for our One-2-One with the booty-lover himself, Dandy! ๐
If you told me that this series takes place in the same universe as Cowboy Bebop, I probably would’ve asked you what kinda drug trip are you on? But its true; Space Dandy does take place in the same universe, but at a much later time. So what is this show about? Well, its about Dandy being a dandy guy in space who happens to be an alien bounty hunter with his crew; consisting of an anthropomorphic cat, and a robot with T-Pain’s autotune. His mission is to visit all of the intergalactic locations, indulge in his fetish for booty (like most men), and chill at his favorite ‘breastaurant’ “BooBies” (or Space Hooters). Every episode is an adventure, and because I’m not one to spoil, you’ll have to watch the series yourself to see just how crazy and zany it is.
Part 1 – So What About Me, Baby? (Origin Story, I Guess?)
Honestly, there’s not much to his background other than the fact that he’s an alien bounty hunter who’s about 27-ish but could be older. As far as origin stories go; this is one of those “he’s just here now” situations, so there’s not much else to him. Sure, he’s got a hairstyle like Fonzie from Happy Days and talks like one of those disco dudes from the 1970’s, but despite his boorish attitude and lax disposition, Dandy can be…well, a dandy guy.
Part 2 – I’m Bad, And It Feels Good Baby! (Personality & Skillset)
Get this; Dandy is actually…an anti-hero protagonist. If you’re not surprised by that, don’t worry, we figured that out upon first glance. Dandy’s kinda lazy when it comes to menial tasks and usually dumps the workload on QT, and also complains about Meow (yes the anthropomorphic cat is actually named after the sound a cat makes) being useless. Dandy can be a jerk sometimes and contradicts himself, but he’s never above helping the opposite sex; and occasionally men if it helps with his interests. When it comes to combat, well…Dandy’s good at improvising. Dandy is capable of taking out large aliens that are bigger than his mecha pod; Little Aloha, and is also a professional surfer. (Didn’t know that was on his resume.)
Somehow Dandy knows the secret to warping, and due to his genetic makeup; may be the only person that has the power and capability to travel between universes while maintaining his form – human or otherwise. He also is aware of the many different ‘versions’ of himself across multiple universes. Yes, Space Dandy has a multiverse; Marvel, I don’t wanna hear it!
Despite his poor hand-to-hand combat skills, Dandy makes up for it everywhere else (including being a straight shooter during long-range combat) due to his godlike biology, and the ability to travel to different universes other than his own. Again, I’m not one to spoil, so if you want to know what happens with Dandy’s godlike ability, you’ll have to watch the show. (All two seasons of it.)
Part 3 – What’s The Verdict, Baby?
I think anti-hero anime protagonists are probably some of the most interesting characters in any anime genre. They don’t follow the same heroic protocol that your usual main MC would, and while their actions (some of the time) may be deemed ‘antagonistic’, they also aren’t fond of villains either. Anime anti-heroes have a specific goal (or goals) that they’re trying to achieve, and if any hero or villain gets in the way of that goal, they are dealt with in the most ‘loose cannon’ way possible. In Dandy’s case, he just wants to indulge in his booty fetish while hanging out at “BooBies”. His mission to visit other locations around the galaxy was just molded around that.
Dandy is just one of those guys where at first; he’s a dim-witted moron who’s lazy, serviceable at best when it comes to his alien hunting job, and only cares about booty, but can be a hero when he wants to be. He’s not a deep thinker, but he’s self-aware of his ability to travel through different universes, and when he sets his mind on a specific goal, there’s nothing that’s gonna stop him from achieving it. I guess when you look at it we’ve all got a little Dandy inside of us; there are moments where we may be lazy, lax, and boorish, but there are moments where we spring into action to help out our fellow man (or woman). Dandy’s just a dandy guy in space just trying to live life to the fullest; whatever that ‘fullest’ may be, but at the end of the day, he’s Dandy. Whether he’s fighting aliens and saving maidens from certain doom, or complaining about Meow’s freeloading behavior, Dandy’s just being…well, dandy.
That’s it. There’s not much else I can add. That’ll d it for this One-2-One on Dandy, so until next post, stay nerdy my friends! ๐
Nerdz of the Decade Recap (6.20.22)
Hey gang! So although we don’t have an official recap of what we’ve uploaded to our youtube channel last week, we can give you a recap of the last two Nerdz of the Decade podcast episodes that are uploaded! We’ve just shot our 29th episode this past weekend, and it’ll be up on our channel this Wednesday at 5pm. That’s all for now, but stay tuned; cuz we’ve got another One-2-One coming tomorrow! ๐
One-2-One with D.J. Lewis: Stella Vermillion
Listen. For every anime title deemed “overrated” by a fraction of the fandom, there’s at least 10 titles that a majority of the fandom deems “underrated”. Such as the case for these unsung heroes of anime; as they’ve been “Luigi’d” (overshadowed) into the background to make room for the ‘A-listers’ (or “Mario” titles of the world). Even when some of the story arcs from the popular titles are low-balling it, they’re still shared among the fandom; and still praising the overall experience of the product and its franchise.
While many don’t see that as a bad thing, you kinda miss out on potential diamonds hidden in the rough. That’s why for this One-2-One character analysis, I’ll be looking into a series that is REALLY underrated. Kirito and Asuna aren’t the only sword-welding couple in anime; because there’s another! Get ready for the scorching-hot crimson-haired beauty with a fiery tongue to match known as Stella Vermillion from Chivalry of a Failed Knight!
Honestly this series doesn’t get talked about enough. When it comes to sword-welding anime maidens, many of them have a personality as sharp as their blade. (Other times they’re either Tsunderes or Yanderes with weapons. I’m lookin’ at chu’ Future Diary!) Stella may seem like the ‘high-and mighty’ type upon first glance, but in reality she’s actually quite the skilled swordswoman.
So Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a 12-episode series about the main male MC known as Ikki Kurogane, as he attends a school for students with extraordinary skills known as Blazers. Basically he and the other students are either modern-day knights, samurai, archers, or spellcasters; and participate in a tournament to select the top-tier fighters to be in the Seven Star Sword Art Festival. On paper it seems like just another generic anime school-life action/fantasy drama, but the reason this title hits different…is because of the character development of the two main characters; Ikki and Stella. There’s SO much more to Ikki, but we’ll cover him in a later post.
Part 1 – The Origin Story: Why Should You Care About Stella?
So what about Stella? If she’s an A-rank Blazer and the second imperial princess to the Vermillion Family, how did she get this strong and this skilled? Well that answer to that is…she was born with it. I’m not kidding you, Stella was literally born as a prodigy; having 30 times the base level of magic most Blazers have, which means that during her childhood she had to work extra hard to even master any type of control over her abilities. Being the second princess of the Vermillion Kingdom, and the daughter of Sirius and Astrea Vermillion, Stella is pretty much living the dream. However, after mastering her abilities she left her country and made her way to Japan because she didn’t want to be labeled as a ‘genius’ by the people around her. Sure, Stella may have been born as a prodigy and given the life of luxury, but its quite humbling to know that she’ll never really flaunt it nor boast about it because she genuinely doesn’t want to be labeled. And many of us know what that feels like…
Part 2 – Skills and Personality
Stella has a feisty and hot-blooded personality, as is the case with many red-haired anime girls. In this case however, its because of her sheltered upbringing. This is seen in the first episode of the series when Ikki walks in on her changing; not even realizing that he was her roommate. Though her temper was hot in the beginning, Stella later admits her mistakes and even starts becoming much friendlier around others and wants to be the one to make Ikki happy. She loathes being called a prodigy; stating that everything was given to her and never had to work hard for anything, and wants to prove that there’s more to her than meets the eye – and sword.
Also because of her sheltered life, she never got to experience what a man’s body looks like. Which explains that she has a bit of a perverted side when it comes to Ikki. (Not that I’m judging or anything.) Her relationship with Ikki was a bit platonic at best in the beginning, but eventually they became girlfriend and boyfriend. I’m not gonna spoil too much because there’s more going on in their relationship than what I’ve told you so far, so let’s get into Stella’s moveset!
Stella is a freakin’ powerhouse when it comes to her moves; as she has an immense amount of durability and strength due to her magical powers being 30 times that of a normal Blazer. Her base level of magic is on the same caliber as Kaio-ken x30 Son Goku. She is a Master Swordsman and has the Imperial Sword Style as her main method of offense and defense. Her device (or sword) is called Laevateinn and is used as her main weapon in battle. She has a noble art known as Dragon Breath, as it covers her in a flame barrier to protect her from projectiles and incoming attacks (as seen in the third episode of the series). Her other technique; Dragon Fang, allows her to strike her opponents from long-range with a flame-like serpent. Many of her attacks are flame-based and resemble the flames of a dragon, so its no surprise that she has a fiery personality to match her fiery skills! (If you read the manga, Stella actually has a LOT more moves.)
Part 3 – Overall Analysis
Stella is an individual who despite coming from a noble family, doesn’t believe anyone should get treated differently or ostracized because they don’t have family wealth. She herself doesn’t like the idea of being called a ‘prodigy’ or a ‘genius’ because she was naturally strong, instead she saw who Ikki was during his battles. She knows what it like to strive for a goal and to work hard at something, which is why she hates that people treat Ikki like he’s worthless; like he’s nothing compared to her. There’s more to Stella than just her beauty and looks, as she’s one of the most humbling main heroine characters in anime.
Although she wasn’t too fond of Ikki when she first met him, she saw a little bit of herself inside of him. While he didn’t have the same level of magical prowess that she did, she saw the driving spirit deep within him. To her; Ikki was more than just her boyfriend (and eventually fiancee), he was a man who wasn’t gifted at all, and was cast aside by his own family accept for his sister Shizuku, who sees him as more than a failure. Stella would be the kind of person to stand up for the weak and fragile, and has a hatred for cowardly acts of violence. (As shown in the third/fourth episode of the series.)
Ikki and Stella’s dynamic is something rarely seen in anime, and represents two sides of the same coin; what it means to be gifted and deemed by others as a ‘prodigy’ in a particular field, while the other was shunned for not having any sort of talent or gift at all. Some parents even raise their children the same way; with one of them being the successful one while the other is the ‘black sheep’, or even suffer the ‘middle child curse’ if there’s three or five children. Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a love story centered around Ikki and Stella’s challenges, relationship, and what they strive to accomplish together. Stella never saw Ikki as less than, instead she saw him as a part of herself that wants to prove that she’s more than what others saw about her. When its all said and done, Stella and Ikki are one in the same.
That will do it for this One-2-One, until next post stay nerdy! ๐
D&A Anime Blog 