Author Archives: Leia

General Dos and Don’ts for Conventions

Conventions are thrilling to attend, but sometimes knowing what to do and not are just as important. Today, I am discussing the dos and don’ts while at a convention. The list consists of my experience and common sense. Within these places, people look to information concerning guidance in a program, questions to staff, accessible communication on the web, and other sources for them to know more than before. People should know things and as such here is my list. It includes refreshments, planning, treating people with consideration, and being wary of pictures. 

Do Hydrate and Eat!    

Refreshments in this environment are vital for eating equals energy, and hydrating equals a properly functioning body. The question is where to get food and drinks, and one place not to get these items are restaurants and concessions at the events. Pricing matters for any business, and their goal is a profit even it means marking up the cost. The reason for this is the same concept at a sports game where prices are high and the demand for convenient food skyrockets. If you pack snacks ahead or purchasing frugally at a supermarket, then saving money is achieved. Remember, a person should eat plus drink fluids if they do not want their day cut short. Hunger and thirst present an uncomfortable feeling, so keep in mind to fulfill those needs at any event.    

Do Not Forget the Planning Process.

Planning could mean success or failure for your trip. When you think about the future, you could solve a problem or sometimes earlier is better. Have you ever waited until the last minute to make a reservation or buy a ticket? Those instances are frustrating and making matters worse; you find that a particular price for something was more after the early deadline. Before traveling for any convention far away, consider a checklist for packing and track which items are needed. I always forget a camera for my convention trips, and as a result, my memories of it come in writing. Bring that camera or anything else because nothing is more annoying than forgetting that unique prop or required ticket. Remember, you need money for hotel or BNB, transportation of any kind, convention expenses and other expenditures associated with your stay. Think of a budget and stick to it and implement saving goals adequately for the trip.

Do Treat People with Consideration 

Considering the people around you means you are aware of them and your actions. If the venue is overcrowded, then bumping into other guests and blocking the walkway is a no go. Attendees are ones to judge others based on negative impressions like you being rude in the crowds. For example, let’s just say the person you ran into was your favorite voice actor, and they might not treat you very kindly. This goes the same way for voice actors or other well-known figures because it only takes one time, and potential fans could participate in cancel culture concerning the person’s actions. An infamous case of a voice actor going rude is Vic Mignogna, who is responding very negatively to old fans and still ticking. It goes to show you that anyone can fall guilty to bitterness and crude actions. The most important people to consider are the convention staff and venue workers. This staff personnel is the ones either volunteering or paid by the venue to ensure a convention’s success. They are vital, and without them, the primary functions are non-existing; therefore, the event falls apart. Always think of the golden rule of “treat others how you want to have treatment,” for it can potentially reap the rewards for you. 

Do Not Think that Cosplay Means Consent!

Pictures are a touchy subject at conventions for reasons dealing with privacy and the photographer’s intentions for the photos. Privacy in a public setting sounds complicated at first, but just because a person in costume does not constitute consent. Consent is the permission from someone else for a specific action like photos. Sometimes, cosplayers have to deal with creeps concerning harassment and weird obsessions. Photography might be forbidden from celebrities to private events depending on convention policies. Celebrities sell their autographs and photos at conventions to earn money. They reserve the right to exclude anyone who can not pay for pictures and to be rivalrous when it comes to how many photos are sold. Everyone is not photo-genetic, as you might think they are in costumes or public appearances. Also, when in doubt, always ask no matter what. Pictures are exciting, but be careful what times are good and evil. 

Conventions are subjected to many types and composed of lots of activities. These pop-culture pastimes are heavily involved in the American lifestyle and other international events. People come out for they expect something in the programming or go with friends for enjoyment overall. Whatever the reason, just know that conventions are going to be around and then reflect the times for entertainment. Keep in mind the suggestions like refreshments, photos, convention courtesy, and, most importantly, prepare for the unexpected. 

Grave of the Fireflies: Anime Analysis Important Notice: Spoilers Ahead

Grave of the Fireflies is an anime movie of great portions of how war is difficult to handle and deal with. The movie is an emotional roller-coaster that is proudly brought to you by Studio Ghibli. It served as Studio Ghibli’s promotion for after 30 years and as a result, carefully told the story of Seita and Setsuko. Seita and Setsuko are caught in tough times when everything suddenly changes for the worse. The Second Great War is on the verge to end but for Seita it feels like years than months in the film. There are three key areas that drive the film’s success includes Japan’s uncanny support for the war, the significance of fireflies, and its overall main message.

The Japanese citizens are seen in various ways to support the war. When the burning of the town occurs, there is a man on a beach and shouts “Long live the Emperor!” This suggests the man’s enthusiasm for Japan’s leader and still having hope even in a desperate situation. After the initial bombing, Seita and his sister would eventually go to their Aunt’s house to live with her family. They have to support the war with managing rations and contribute to the household. Japanese public support is high because the Emperor is the symbol of the state and Japanese citizens hold him in such regard. If everyone did their part even small then the war effort could yield success with the collective of the country. When resources are rationed, the war effort is heavily influenced by soldiers are able to fight with supplies and continue the battle. Essentially, any citizen willing to sacrifice even shorter supply of food is a hero to all.

The fireflies in the movie are symbolic and each one has significance. Firstly, the fireflies at the pond where Setuko had a drop or candy as a treat. This represents a scene of happiness for her and a trip down memory lane. She rejoices in not having drops in a long time and later they can of drops would be “drop water.” Secondly, the next important firefly scene is after Setuko crying and leaving the aunt’s house. The transition is key for they are independent and are not bothering the aunt anymore with their in quote ‘selfish behavior.’ They do the transition soon after a bombing raid is occurring and make their new home bomb shelter. Finally, fireflies when Seita is pillaging for food and supplies in the distraction. The scene involves Seita stealing lots of resources while Setsuko is alone at their home base. Setsuko would fall unconscious and Seita was not there for her which foreshadows for the worse to come, death.

The overall message of the film is that war is harsh and merciless. It gives an anti-war message and suggests the impacts of the society and individuals that reside in the aftermath. In the film, we observe Setsuko growing without her mom and Seita taking the role of a parent. The parent role suits Seita at first but Setsuko would be a victim of diarrhea then the extreme onset of malnutrition. Life after the war is difficult for many reasons low amounts of food, destroyed infrastructure, and others. It is this attempt of survival for the siblings that captures this more intensely in how life can drastically change. Once the bombs landed, people’s lives were greatly changed and as a result, they had to adapt and hope for the best. The film portrays this in people’s actions to support the war effort and their conditions for living. People are under martial-law like setting where air raids are ever-present and taking cover means survival. Furthermore, Setsuko’s death sets the tone for war and how relentless it can be for either side.

Henceforth, Grave of the Fireflies is a movie where viewer discretion is strongly advised. It might seem innocent but the TV 14 rating is definitely there and needs careful consideration. A young child would misunderstand the concept of war, be left slightly traumatized, or other unknown effects. Despite the possible rating, Grave of the Fireflies would be a movie about how war is a detergent for conflict and the aftermath of the battle. It serves as a testament to such a grave issue in history and WWII in general. So, if you do not mind a tearjerker and depictions of battle then Grave of the Fireflies is for you.

Super-Leaping in Anime
Author: Zorez Shahzad

Super leap is the ability to jump very high into the sky. This ability is a common trope for anime characters who have super inhuman strength. These characters lack the ability to fly, so in order to make up for it, they retort to brute strength. In a fight, in emergencies or just to travel, they propel themselves to great distances with the help of their brute strength alone and use their momentum to their advantage. These characters make walking or running a sport for plebs. Some western examples for this ability would be Superboy from Young justice and Hulk from Marvel. Both have immense strength, but they can’t fly. Today, where going to be focusing not on the western characters, but the anime characters. So, let’s see which anime characters use this ability to their advantage.

Saitama:

Saitama is the ultimate protagonist in One Punch Man. He is the most powerful character in the series, possessing limitless strength. He, staying true to the name of his series, is able to defeat all of his foes with one punch, that is if he does not restrain himself. Saitama has immense control over his strength. He shows this control by not killing humans when they challenge him. Saitama is an impressive hero but unlike a certain red caped alien, Saitama does not possess the ability to fly. He compensates for this inability through his impressive leg strength. His enhanced leap allows him to hop several hundreds and thousands of kilometers in a matter of seconds.

This ability is ideally portrayed in one of his most iconic scenes, Saitama’s Moon jump. He was able to cover 380,000 km in a matter of mere seconds. This leap left a crater on the moon and most of us fans baffled. The fans are always in awe of this Bald Hero’s invincibility. Saitama is an ideal hero. He is indifferent to the opinion of others. He became a hero for himself. He has the most powerful Super leap in the anime. I guess those 100 squats, 10 pushups, and a 10 km run every day really give you superhuman strength.

Licht Bach:

Lich Bach is the main character of Plunderer. Yes, that is a German name for a Japanese character. His real name is Sakai Rihito. He is one of the 7 legendary Red Barons in this series and is the most powerful Baron as he is the leader of all the other Barons. Licht Bach’s special ability as a Baron is the speed of flash that lets him become faster than the speed of sound. Which makes his movement very difficult to follow. He can also jump very high and cover several kilometers with one hop. This ability often confuses people into thinking that he is flying. However, Licht does not have the ability to fly.

He is a very likable character and is a pervert. He is a true man of culture who is used to girls hating him and rejecting him. He can face their rejections with a stone face. His enigmatic personality makes him a personal favorite of mine and reminds me of Sakurai Tomoki from Sora no Otoshimono. Both shows are the brainchild of the same author Suu Minazuk so it’s no wonder that they have similar main-characters. The Legendary Hero Plunderer and the Great Pervert would get along really well. Overall, the legendary Baron has an amazing character design and a very well tied backstory. He is an amazing character that needs more recognition.

Midoriya Izuku:

Midoriya Izuku the protagonist of everyone’s favorite My Hero Academia. Unlike Saitama, Midoriya is obsessed with the concept of being a hero. A great testament to that is his vast knowledge of fundamental hero skills and tactics which he accumulated after years of observations. Born quirkless, he used this knowledge to turn One For All a gift from All Might into one of his greatest assets. Even All Might was surprised at his successors’ expert use of his fading quirk. Deku’s Full Cowl allows him to achieve superhuman maneuverability with immense destructive power. This mode gives him a tactical advantage to hop around and become something akin to lightning.

These hops cover an immense area and allow Deku to become somewhat invisible to the untrained eye. This abilities toll on Midoriya’s body is not that great and it seems that Midoriya can control his quirk better in this manner. Midoriya becomes a small lightning tank when he uses this ability. He has certainly surpassed All Might in his use of One For All. He continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Soon, Midoriya will surpass even destructive power of All Might, the destructive power the Greater Hero possessed in his prime and I can’t wait for that to happen.

Bellamy the Hyena:

Bellamy is a minor antagonist turned ally from the One Piece series. He is the former captain of the Bellamy Pirates and a former member of the Donquixote Family. After being defeated by Luffy, twice, he became a part of the Dyer; a self-proclaimed Grand Fleet of the Straw-hat Pirates. Bellamy is physically very strong, being able to bend iron bars and throw a grown man out the window, but his strength does not even come close to the other characters on this list.

Despite losing in the strength department, Bellamy has the power of Bane Bane no Mi fruit; where Bane literally translates to spring, hence the spring-spring fruit. Being a spring man lets him transform his limbs into springs, compression springs to be precise. These springs when wounded, allow him to jump long distances and maintain immense momentum. Although he cannot control himself in air, Bellamy uses his ability to dodge and get close to his enemies and strike. Which makes Bellamy’s ability quite useful against ranged combatants. Bellamy is a prime example of an enemy turned ally due to the main character’s compassion. This makes Bellamy a very likable and well-crafted character. Which is an important asset to any good story.

Galaxy Con 2020 Convention Review 

Galaxy Con 2020 was a smashing hit from last year, 2019. Richmond, VA was the first Galaxy Con of the year and as such will carry lots of for the rest of Galaxy Cons. Galaxy Con’s trademark came from SuperCon before their events were sold to  ReedPOP and GalaxyCon was born. It is just a change in ownership and the only SuperCon left is the original in Florida. I came to the friends the Reynolds Anime Club and treated volunteering as the community service project for the club. I would have come even without the community service aspect. I was assigned to the Audio and Visual department for Galaxy Con. I went on Saturday, February 209th, 2020 and had two shifts of ten hours with a break in between. 

I arrived at the event around 8:45 A.M. and was waiting to enter with staff personnel for my shift. Apparently, the Greater Richmond Convention Center Security was very picky who came on the restricted areas before 10 A.M. I had to go with a staff member even though I had the volunteer shirt for my shift from 9 am to 2 pm. This reassured that the event would be safe and there would be no external threats for the remainder of my time there. I went to the second floor and it felt deserted with all the guests downstairs. Luckily, the volunteer coordinator put a list of numbers for the supervisors of each department and I called mine. The only sense of direction for finding everyone was what I thought was the Viewing rooms. However, AV’s home base was on the other side of the building which was interesting for walking back and forth from. I met Anthony and he directed to headquarters (HQ) and that is where I began my wait for something to do. 

 It took about 10:30 where the waiting around was followed by briefly moving the equipment around and such. Though during this time, it was quiet because most of the preparations were done beforehand. Basically, it was fine-tuning and watching AV staff getting the transcribing software eady on TVs and connected to tablets. The transcribing software was to help those with hearing impairments a chance to understand what was said in the Main, Super, and Hero Stages. After some time, I had a chance to do the main activities for AV which was checking on panelists and seeing their requirements for the panels. 

Since I was new to AV, I had someone named Tim, who every chance he got to help AV at Galaxy Con. He showed them things to ask and look out for like projectors, microphones, audio from an external device to speaker, and other important factors for the panel sections. My favorite part was meeting the panelists and asking the same questions to make it easier for them. A majority of the time, the panels did not need the project much and mainly used the microphones in the rooms. While I was making my strolls to the panels, I ran into a panelist that I met last year who hosted Who wants to be a Nerd? (geek trivia) and Conversation Menu (a list of ice breakers for talking). 

Though my first shift was busy, I still managed to enjoy the AV segment so far and it provided a groundwork for other conventions to come. The last activity that I was assigned was to help a special guest who had a signing and Q&A activity which had a lot of preparation for it. We had to organize the room where people would line up in the hallway and slowly present their ticket for the autographs. There were two tables lined up on the autographs and the Galaxy Con banner had to be moved in front of the platforms so no one would step on those platforms. The people attending the panel were ecstatic at them getting a small picture and a large poster as a gift. This was the last task I did before going on my hour hiatus and then have to go back. 

During the two hour break, I met up with a member of the club whose shift ended on the same shift. Actually, I ended up a couple of minutes early and decided to go to the Anime Viewing Room to wait on Reggie. He could not leave the pile of DVDs, so I waited with him for confirmation when Anthony would be able to open the storage room. We went to AV HQ and sat in the room for about 20 minutes. Reggie did not eat for a while so pizza was his option in the office and waiting around was pretty relaxing. The shift prior to this was taxing and my feet were aching for walking the 3 blocks of a convention center. Reggie and I went downstairs to meet up with the former club president and his brother. Apparently, there was confusion about which cafe he was and it ended up being Concessions B in Exhibit Hall B. I thought the Food Court and Cyber Cafe were the only places but I was severely wrong when I found out about the concessions in the vendor’s area. 

When I met Irvin, the plans that I discussed with Reggie were changed. Originally, Irvin decided to go to the Video Games room for the Dragon Ball Z Fighters Tournament but soon joined me in watching the Super Smash Bros. Tournament. I liked the Smash Bros. and my favorite was discussing with guests about Melee versus Ultimate. Melee is the second generation of Smash Bros. on the GameCube while Super Smash Ultimate is the new version on the Nintendo Switch. I was trying to see people’s opinions on HungryBox (who is the top champion in Melee) and if Ultimate was better than Melee. However, my two hours of rest would have come to an end and so my second shift began 4 to 9.

My second shift was literally doing Reggie’s shift which was the Anime Viewing Room and later the Nostalgia Viewing Room. I checked with Brian after the break and found there was not much to do at the moment. I proposed to assist in the viewing room and Brian suggested to go check. I arrived at the viewing room and found out that people were anxious for My Hero Academia that should have started at 4 pm. I went back for a second time to retrieve the DVDs that were scheduled and put on MHA: Tale of Two Heroes. I am telling you MHA was too crazy for their respective panels and their photoshoot. I was really excited after I put Sailor Moon Crystal at 6 pm since it was my first time watching any Sailor Moon. 

I met really cool fans of the anime and had many conversations with them. The one conservation that stood apart was a Queen Ramonda cosplayer from Black Panther and how she made the costume. The Nostalgia room started at 7 pm with Batman: The Animated Series and at first had a small screen since the cord was really short on the projector. I played Space Dandy at 8 pm and the first episode that was on was “I Can’t Be the Only One, Baby” which introduced the multiverse concept in the episode. The most exciting thing I watched was The Transformers: The Movie which started at 8:30. This movie is an American icon and should be watched at all costs!

In conclusion, I learned a lot in AV operations, the importance of permission to screen media in public, and how to go through crowds effectively. The AV was like a second choice for me since Video Production was not available for volunteers. I understand the process of sound and technology crew at an event more clearly now. I also stumbled across why you need to ask permission from licensing companies for public screening. The viewing rooms were screening events in public and you need to get permission and possibly pay the creators prior to showing the DVDs for the particular copyrighted franchise. Finally, I learned how to not be people’s ways while waiting in between panels. Going to crowds is essential as well for you are considerate for the guests walking by you just like not being in the middle of the path for walking. I hope to volunteer again for AV in the near future and possibly be better at it. According to their description, “GalaxyCon Richmond is More Than a Comic-Con! It’s a 3-Day FESTIVAL OF FANDOM…” and as a result, I hope to see you there. 

Honoring Pokemon Day 

Today, the official day for Pokemon is happening on February 27th, 2020. Pokemon Day celebrates the whole Pokemon Franchise dating back to games to start it off. Officially, Japan had the first games of Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, and with the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue as well in 1996. Pokemon would continue to shape society with many highlights over the years like a Super Bowl commercial or even Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. In honor of this day, I am discussing a special throwback game close to my heart, which is Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition.

I happen to have a book for the original walkthrough for Pokemon Yellow with the Dos and Don’ts suggestions for the game. 

“Do play this game with a friend — or, better, two!”

 “Trading is integral to Pokemon. The sooner you get used to it, the better off you’ll be.” The game has many trading options both in-game and out-of-game trading. The out-of-game trading is exclusively link cables with other Game Boys either a friend or by yourself. You can not catch all pokemon unless you trade like fighting Pokemon at “Splinter Gym in Saffron City” or even the starter Pokemon in Red/Blue (RB). Along as you have a Game Boy and a link cable, you can trade the original Pokemon Yellow. Also, follow the rule playing wit a friend or friends to make it more interesting. In-game trading occurs when you trade a Pokemon with an NPC in the game. Personally, my favorite in-game trade is Dugtrio for Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime has a really good attack boost with moves like Psychic and Magical Leaf and even better earns 1.5 EX points in battle. In-game trades are a double-edged sword for they level up quickly and you risk them not obeying you without the proper badge.

“Don’t Concentrate on raising one character over the others!”

“It’s a familiar scenario: you get a Pokemon you really like and you use it more often than any of the others. However, it’s better to share the wealth—and experience points—for several reasons.” I am a person who is known for this at times and often have to train other Pokemon match levels. As the book says, ‘a balanced team’ is key to defeat the Elite Four. This means your team should have a max of six and represents different types with a variety of moves. Actually, building a team is personal and as such you need to give them special attention to win against the Elite Four. There are many times where I retrained a new team to defeat the same group over again to prove that I can defeat them consecutively. Pikachu is at a severe disadvantage when trying to defeat Brock’s Gym because the ground type is immune to electric type move. It is crucial to raise Pikachu’s level to learn Quick Attack to spam it on rock types or catch Mankey that knows low kick. Finally, rock and ground types are really heavily focused later in the game so prepare for them and except high experience points. 

“Do remember to buy antidotes and other curative’s before entering dungeons.” and 

“Don’t forget, Pokemon can suffer only one negative status at a time.” 

Antidotes are lifesavers for statuses because they give you an edge poison or paralysis. Poison eats away at your Pokemon’s health outside of battle and no poison heal could your downfall for that Pokemon fainting. I do not know how many times that I was urgently trying to get a Pokemon center in the hope to heal my team for free. Also, being paralyzed is bad and it sucks 75 percent of the time not being able to move. Both of these conditions, have disadvantages but paralyzed you at least have a chance to keep your health despite the decreased speed. Sleep is the third most common and prevents you from attacking until you wake up. Full heal wipe out all statuses and can save a trip to the center or even worse the Elite Four. If you have a status, then a lesser of all evils is paralyzed and prevents you from other statuses implicated on you. 

“Do try to match Pokemon in the battle to maximize their effectiveness.” And 

“Don’t hesitate to change Pokemon during a battle”. 

Pokemon is a constant game of cat and mouse if you so desire for it to happen. However, there are many strategies for playing like bait and switch, contests, and other features.  When you are in a battle, you want to make of it and think about your opponent with their Pokemon. For example, does the opposing trainer keeps doing the same combos or do they change? I want the advantage then you need to consider the Pokemon you are facing and see if the odds are in your favor. Basically, the trainer had a. Vulpix and you had Bulbasaur chances are you might lose to type advantage with fire against the grass. Keep in mind, type advantage on a Pokemon is key because a move that is super effective would do more damage than ineffective or effective moves. Bait and switch are so useful for it can avoid type or move advantages in battle and you win if you have at least one Pokemon standing. A battle had negative consequences if you lose it called whiting out and you pay money to do for losing. Money is scarce and whiting out is one way to lose lots of it at once. Do your best in battle and beware of what Pokemon you are facing and their moves.

“Finally, do an experiment!

You can’t what’s possible until you try it. Don’t be afraid to mix and match TMs, or to raise what you think will become interesting characters. There’s no right or wrong way to become a Master Pokemon Trainer. Enjoy the game!” I challenge those to be the master of their game and be the ones to decide what to do. Pokemon you have the freedom to play and as such any way can be your playing style. I hope you guys an exciting Pokemon Day and Catch Them All! 

DEATH NOTE: SPECIAL ONE-SHOT

By:rjboulton27

The one-shot spin-off of Death Note was published recently. I’m not sure if it was needed but we’ve got it here. It was surprisingly good and reminds us of how much we have missed the world of Death Note. 

The modern-day spin-off one shot of Death Note is a fantastic idea on paper but I do wish they did it slightly better. I’m thinking that be Kira should’ve had (spoiler for original anime/manga) a better death and this one-off manga does kind of make that worse by foreshadowing into what has happened after Kira’s death. Yeah, the legacy of Kira is at question here. 

The reference to the previous story did make it a pretty good read. If you haven’t read or watched the series before this spin-off, I would suggest you start the series. Even though it won’t ruin the first part, it was fine that there was a time jump of two years and the idea behind it was good. Although it didn’t amount as much as I thought it would, it was still an excellent idea. The story does seem to show that more stories can be told through the world of Death Note. This proves that having the squad that took down the original Kira and also other spin-off stories like the Death Gods who don’t like Ryuk could exist in future Death Note chapters.

Also, the smart character which I’m not going to name, fans of the series might have already guessed of who I am referring to or not. It is a great nostalgic feeling reading through the ramblings of the strategist although not the original person, who is one of the best characters in the series apart from Ryuk. The referencing through this one-shot is great and one of the best parts of the Manga. Also, the one-shot makes it feel like part of the Death Note universe and series. 

I liked the time jump until it went into how the original couldn’t have happened due to cameras and the widespread internet. It feels like it really hurts the original manga even though it does say that Kira could have thought of a way around it. The chapter felt like an easy way to get out of a plot hole. This is a world where Shinigami are real and cross the plane to reach humans and give them possible Death Notes. They are either bored or in Ryuk’s case want apples to eat. The one-shot takes this and throws it way too much into reality making it even political. If this was the case with the original, I don’t think I would have carried on with it; you’ll understand what I mean near the end of the book. 

The introduction of the American character was bad, and I liked the added rule. I didn’t like where the book went; it didn’t make sense to me. When different countries were mentioned in the story, it wasn’t a good idea and took a lot of enjoyment out of the story. It was already satisfying reading about an old character from the original series, but the introduction of places like America and China didn’t add anything good to the story. 

The ending (to me) was very easy after such a complex story with the one-shot of Death Note. The end was awkward in the last few pages and was too easy of an ending and slightly took away the potential of a good manga. If it had a different tone, then the chapter would have taken a slightly different direction.

The logic of Ryuk is really funny and works to his advantage which is far more than apples. Who wouldn’t do something they found interesting for the food they really like. The quirks behind the series are still there and are still part of what makes the series so good and exciting to read.  

The story of how the Death Note is actually used is well executed but its vision on the use was unheard of before. A great plot for the series to evolve although there could be so many ways the story could have evolved, this is only a one-shot so maybe one day in the future… It does show that the book can be used in many ways and fans of the show might think that Ryuk could come back to the human world again for more apples to see if humans will use the book differently again, let’s hope that’s right! Seeing Ryuk again in different circumstances would be great and this story shows that Light Yagami’s story could be one of many and this one-off could be part of something bigger in the future. Who doesn’t like seeing their favorite characters pop up in a reference or even return for another series?

 It was a great read with all the references to all the previous characters through the manga. If you are a fan of the series or seeing Ryuk in a new manga it is worth picking up this book. Altogether, If you’re not a fan of the series, this won’t change your mind. However, if you haven’t watched or read anything Death Note then reading this one-shot is not a good beginning for the series to read. This is a great read and if you’re a fan of the series you should definitely give this a chance not just to see Ryuk again but other characters as well.

A Day Full of Fandoms 

This past Sunday, February 9th, 2020 was a day to remember for various reasons. It was all brought on with the idea of the RVA Environmental Film Fest. This festival is an event where many non-profit organizations and businesses come together for the awareness of the environment. The film fest had a strong message for their support for Mother Earth especially in the films specifically showcased at the event. The message was apparent but the strongest ideology came from sightseeing on W Cary Street and being exposed to many fandoms along the way. 

The day began at the Byrd Theater where the RVA Film Fest kicked off and lots of people joined in. The Byrd is an iconic theater in Richmond and is a historical landmark. I went to the theater for the second movie of the day, Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf, with my friend Kaitlin. The Five Seasons was about Piet Oudolf whose aspirations for gardens and art go hand-to-hand with one another. He expresses this in his film where he practices art through gardening. He takes into account the beauty of plants and how they change in the seasons. I loved the strong visuals of nature and the vibrant narrative of his passion. The documentary style of the Five Seasons captures the true essence of Piet Oudolf so much that it is like an autobiography of sorts. Piet Oudolf is an artist in his own right and deserves the recognition in a medium where it makes people grow closer to nature and act in awe. 

After the Five Seasons, I was able to experience the Chop Suey Books store on W. Cary Street. Chop Suey Books is a shop where books are ever-present and pop out at you literally at times. I went with the intention to look around and somehow looking around more made me reconsider. The first book to catch my interest was Japanese decor and the interior spaces of the houses. It looked interesting for Japan stuck out and most of their culture is heavily in their homes. There was also the Golden Age of DC Comics which had a gold-like appearance on the cover. It had images of various DC Comics like for example the infamous Action Comics about Superman and among others. Though the covers were striking down memory lane, I did not buy it because the book was mostly comics and it gave the feeling of a yearbook. 

I bought a book while I was there but had to go up a floor for a specific cause of why. I went to the second floor in search of reference material for a particular essay about The End of the Samurai with traditional values clashing with the counterculture of modernization in Japan. It got me intrigued; however, the book I bought was Japanese Aesthetics and Culture A Reader. Nancy G. Hume is the editor and works as an Associate Professor in Baltimore, Maryland. She does a good job of explaining the book in a scholarly fashion and understanding of Japan as a whole. There was only one book that had a similar effect on me like the Japanese A reader which was Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. This book is about Chef Anthony Bourdain who wrote a memoir of his experience in his cooking career. According to Chef Anthony, the book describes “twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior, and haute cuisine.” It was never published due to his passing before the book went on the market. The book tells a story and holds the power to appeal to someone’s human side.

Chop Suey Books was a place to remember while Tokyo Market was kind of planned. Tokyo Market is a Japanese Grocery Store and has various aspects of Japan in the place. The place had things from Japanese merchandise (Pokemon Gum and the Lucky Cat collectibles) to Japanese exotic drinks and other foods. I really liked seeing mochi (ice cream equivalent in the United States), seaweed, and drinks from that culture. The funny thing about this store I was trying to find it earlier when I thought it was the Sushi Market for some reason. I struggled to find a product that I would satifised with until I stumbled across Banana Milk from Taiwan. Though, the only problem was the can did not meet the minimum price for debt so I was yet again looking for more items to buy. I frantically searched and remembered the crackers. Somehow, I bought two packages with twenty-one rice crackers and I am now planning to share them with Reynolds Anime Club. The best part was buying Banana Milk and when I drank it at lunch.

The Tokyo Market might have been short-lived but Bits and Pixels sure fixed that issue. Bits and Pixels is a Used and Metro Gaming Store. We start looking around and see many items like holographic posters with the original Kanto starter Pokemon and Fairy Tail characters (Erza, Natsu, and Gray). At different angles, you could see the Kanto starters combined between an angle of Bulbasaur and Squirtle in mid-transition of angles. I asked the clerk if they had a Pac-Man Party Wii game and the woman said she remembered it recently. I was so happy when I received Pac-Man Party, for it was one of the few games that I repeatedly played on the Wii. We headed out and reached the Byrd Theater when Kaitlin suggested them to be a possible vendor. I went back, and they are thrilled to be a vendor for ReynoCon 2020 hosted by Reynolds Anime Club. I explained the details to them to be a vendor and scored their business card to contact them. 

My day was one of those days that a lot happened in a short period of time. I went to these places in 4.5 hours which included 3 stores, one restaurant, and a historic landmark. I can say that W. Cary Street has various fandom related businesses and other entertainment options. One last note, I ended the day by watching The Farmer’s Footprint at the Byrd Theater. The Farmer’s Footprint is a 20-minute short film but discusses crop yielding. Basically, it goes against the chemical treatment of their corn crop and keeping the family up and running for a fifth generation. Just as they are taking control of their farm, I am taking control of my blog and hope for the best. 

Sound is said to be vibrations where waves travel through matter or other mediums to a receiver of sorts. People perceive sound to be noise in some areas but most of the time it is natural or daily life. It is constantly ever present in life to the point it is second nature and can be taken for granted. When it comes to sound in anime, I refer to the Soul Eater quote, “A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body” This quote might not be directly related to noise itself but it provides an interesting balance the of the ‘soul’ and how it can be smoothed and perfect unionity. These wavelengths measure up to various levels just like anime characters using sound in many ways. 

Miku Lzayoi (Date A Live) is the sixth Spirit to make an appearance in the show Spirits  “they trigger Spacequake” when they enter from another dimension after crossing over. These beings are mysterious but things that are confirmed in every one of them cause great damage when they arrive and their unique qualities (personality, power and info about the world). Miku is a human who later became a Spirit who hates men. She hates men so much that Shido, the main character, has to cross dress as a girl and when he is found out the entire city is after him. Basically, Miku has lots of anger to where she releases the full city at large through hypnosis powers of sound against Shido. She uses long-range sound attacks like March (strength enhancement to listeners), Rondo (restrains movement), Solo (brainwashing people as minions), Requiem (a relaxing effect like painkillers), and Symphony (vibrations in a sword technique).     

“Cobra” Erik (Fairy Tail) is a dark mage and is a former member of the Dark Guild known as Oración Seis. Oración Seis is made of six individuals including Cobra and is after the Nirvana, a powerful magic item which is long sealed away. As Erik’s codename, Cobra, suggests he uses Poison Slayer Dragon magic but his secondary magic is at question today. He uses sound magic and is said to read someone’s soul. Apparently, he hears your inner voice and determines what you are about to do something almost could be mind reading. This uncanny ability works best when the person’s “voice” has thoughts or processing memories. He can change the surrounding pressure around his body as a sound barrier or explosive power in the hands to send foes flying. The most useful ability is his advanced hearing and how his sensitive ears gives him more insight into the opponent’s actions and conservations far away.

Lynn Minmei (Robotech) is a singer who was really known especially for her efforts in the First Robotech War. She won the Miss Macross Beauty Contest and this led to her pop idol status on stage. She was so much of an icon that she became a symbol of the struggle of the Zentraedi. Zentradi are artificially created in nature and are a warrior class of aliens who start to wage war who are clones of the Robotech Masters. She would take the Robotech Saga universe by storm in her part with Dalza and the 4.8 million armada of ships when she sang “We Will WIn.” Dalza does not understand the concept of music and as a result is a little bewildered and loses his edge in battle. Later, she proves that singing has the power to convince other aliens to join S-1 in battle against the Zentraedi. She is the perfect example of a character with many talents like singing by day and fighting aliens by night, 

 Zebra (Toriko) is one of Four Heavenly Kings in the Age of Gourmet. Toriko is a world of great food and as a result of this Gourmet Hunters like Zebra try these amazing ingredients and culinary miracles in the Age of Gourmet. Of the Four Heavenly Kings, Zebra is the troublemaker of the group and as such is incarnated for supposed actions. It is rumored that he devastated the Gourmet market with his gluttonous appetite and the Anti-Zebra defense movement is really big. Anyway, he has great capabilities for his voice is superhuman and has many attacks and benefits in life with a single voice. He is able to use moves like Noise Lightning, Echo Map and Voice Sonar. However, if he loses his voice by staining it or losing too many calories in attacks then it takes a long time to recover calories agian and get his voice back. According to Zebra, “I’m the rules!” You guys’ve gotta adapt to me!” As a result, he is treated as a creature at times than a human.

Sound is what comes in present life all the time in many ways. Sound can range from white noise to buffer other sounds to supersonic jets in the skies. Whether it is quiet or really loud, sound can vary in either capacity and be always occurring for vibrations are the main causes for it. On one final note, there is Exploud who is the Loud Noise Pokemon. It is said that it causes sound quakes with it loud vibrations from the body that can be heard from miles away. As a result, sound would continue to prevail in it’s implantations in physics and science.

Author: Zorez Shahzad
Possible SPOILERS Ahead

The Japanese word “Hikari” translates to light. Where darkness is seen as a symbol of death
and destruction, light is seen as a symbol of joy and hope.

Of course, light is symbolized using hope as even in real life, without light we’d all just go blind. This symbolism also gets implemented into the world of anime. In many anime out there, light is seen as the mark of a hero whilst darkness is seen as the mark of a villain. I totally disagree with this analogy! Light is not necessarily good, and darkness is not necessarily bad.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at some light users in anime who are good examples of
how light-energy should be implemented into the world of anime.

J. Geil:

Just like every other character in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, J. Geil is quite Bizarre! J. Geil is a very powerful villain who happens to command the power of light. His stand’s name is Hanged Man, and the true nature of this stand is light-based as it is only able to exist in reflective surfaces. Hanged Man has the power to move from one reflective surface to the next making it seem like he exists only in the world of reflections. Hanged Man is J. Geil’s stand and hence, very loyal to him. In this anime, light energy is being wielded by an evil man.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a very good anime because it strays away from the usual anime tropes and always gives us something new and amazing. J. Geil was a very sick man and only used his light-based powers to commit the vilest of acts. He also happens to be the evil villain who killed Polnareff’s little sister. This man got what he deserved when he died in the most pitiful way possible. Polnareff himself killed this man and avenged the murder of his sister. If we take a closer look, we’ll find out that light-energy is actually not being represented as good or evil in this anime. It is actually the user himself who uses this power to commit the most heinous acts.

Maki Ichinose:

Maki Ichinose is a brilliant swordsman from the anime Bleach. This character is not actually a human; he is a Shinigami. He uses his spiritual energy in the form of light to defeat all his enemies. Maki can use his light powers to attack his enemies, defend himself, or even make himself invisible! Maki is filled with a strong sense of justice and duty. He wants the world to be a just place free from all wrongdoings.

At first glance, this swordsman of justice looks like just another typical and boring light user, but in reality, Maki’s character is quite diverse. Maki starts to hate Kenpachi Zaraki after he kills his captain and takes his place. This hate makes Maki forget all about his sense of justice, and he spends all his life just hating this one man. Maki, thinking that he is on the right track, ends up becoming a servant of Jin Kariya, a quite evil man. Maki believes that Jin can change the soul society and make it a better place, whilst Jin only wants to destroy it. His thirst for revenge really messes up his idea of justice, and he ends up forgetting about who he really is. Maki dies at the hands of his own leader, Jin. Bleach gives us a light user who at heart, is a quite humble man, but ends up slowly forgetting about who he really is.

Pegasus Koga:

Pegasus Koga is the main protagonist in the anime, Saint Seiya Omega. Koga is a very good person who always looks out for his friends. He can make quick decisions and assess any situation quite easily in which makes him a great leader. Koga is a bronze saint who uses the power of light. Initially, Koga had the power of darkness, but later on in the show, he ends up losing his darkness power and light becomes his new cosmo element. Whilst Saint Seiya Omega is relatively not that old, the Saint Seiya series as a whole is quite old and hence, stays true to the symbolism. In Saint Seiya, Light-energy is seen as the sign of good, whilst darkness is seen as the sign of evil. It was believed that Koga’s destiny is filled with misfortune just because he was born with a dark cosmo element.

Maya Yotsuba:

Maya Yotsuba is a character from the series, Irregular at Magic High School. In a world
governed by magic, she reigns at the top with her extremely powerful abilities. Maya, with her light-based magic, is also the head of the Yotsuba family. Her abilities have also awarded her with the name “Queen of Night”. She is both beautiful and strong! She appears to be a bad person at first glance but actually is very good at heart. Maya thinks of Tatsuya (the protagonist) as her own child and really wants the best for him.

Maya’s magic lets her control the distribution of light in an area. The power of this magic is especially amplified in closed/small places. The attack appears as a shower of lasers and can pierce through almost anyone! So far, Maya has only used this extremely powerful ability twice in the show. Just these two demonstrations have proved to us that she is a force to be reckoned with. Maya can seem like an evil person because of how messed up her whole life has been, but she is actually a very good person at heart. Irregular at Magic High School gives us a very rare type of light user who can be a good and bad person at the same time.

Dengu Dinga:

Dengu Dinga is an extremely powerful soul weapon from the Soul Eater series. He is an honorable mention in this list because sadly, this amazing character never made it to the anime! He is only present in the Soul Eater
manga and even in the manga, he only made a brief appearance. Dengu is a relatively tall guy with a lean and muscular body. He cares for his comrades and ready to put himself in harm’s way to save them. His most powerful ability is Rainbow Axe. He turns into a small and powerful axe. This rainbow-based axe makes Dengu quite a formidable force.

Author: Zorez Shahzad
Possible SPOILERS Ahead

The Japanese word “Yami” translates to darkness. Darkness is usually seen as a symbol of terror and mystery. This symbolism often gets implemented into the world of anime as well. The trope of associating the villain with darkness has kind of become a cliché in anime. However, in my personal opinion, associating darkness users with being bad people all the time is kind of excessive.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at some characters from anime who show us different ways in which darkness can be implemented into a show.

Marshall D. Teach or Blackbeard is a major antagonist in the One Piece series. He is extremely powerful and is known as the only man in history who wields the power of two devil fruits at the same time. Blackbeard is an evil character who also happens to wield the power of darkness. But at the same time, in a quite unique way, he proves to us that darkness is not necessarily the root of all evil. Blackbeard was evil from the start, before he even attained the power of darkness. This proves to us that it wasn’t the darkness that was bad, but actually the character himself. Blackbeard actually got the power of darkness by killing and stealing the devil fruit from Thatch. Blackbeard puts his dark energy to some good, or should I say bad, use, and always poses a great threat for our heroes. The power of his second devil fruit actually
comes from the almighty Whitebeard.

After Whitebeard’s death, Blackbeard somehow stole the power of his devil fruit from his corpse. The power of Blackbeard’s second devil fruit is also proof that darkness is not necessarily evil as we see him use such a majestic power in his evil schemes as well just like he used the darkness. Blackbeard is a truly evil and cunning man, who would do almost anything to get what he wants. Whilst being a very evil character, Blackbeard proves to us that darkness is not necessarily evil; it is actually the user himself that is evil.

Fumikage Tokoyami is a character from the My Hero Academia series, and he is the complete opposite of the previous entry on this list. Tokoyami’s name literally translates to, “Eternal Darkness”. But in reality, Tokoyami is a very nice person who wants to protect the innocent people from the villains. Tokoyami’s darkness powers actually come in the form of his quirk, called dark shadow. Dark shadow is a very ominous quirk which can easily go out of control and cause a lot of problems. In My Hero Academia, darkness is associated with evil, which is the complete opposite of One Piece.

In One Piece, darkness isn’t necessarily the root of all evil, but it is actually the user of this darkness. On the other hand, in My Hero Academia, darkness is shown as being the root of all evil, whilst the user of darkness is shown as a good person. Dark shadow is especially quite powerful and uncontrollable in the dark. Whilst using his quirk (especially in the dark), Tokoyami is in a constant struggle. He must fight the darkness inside of him, or his quirk could get too powerful and make him go berserk. Eventually, Tokoyami gets better at controlling his quirk, making him one of the strongest heroes in the series.

Even though My Hero Academia went with the generic path and portrayed darkness as evil, it did so in quite a unique way.
“Yami”, yup, a lot of darkness wielders in anime are named after darkness itself. Yami Sukehiro is an extremely popular character from the Black Clover series. Despite his grumpy and strict personality, Yami is quite likable. Yami proves to us that the terms “darkness” and “evil” are very far from each other! Whilst he can be a little scary from the outside, Yami actually has a very heartwarming personality. He truly cares about his friends and is always ready to sacrifice even his own life for them. Yami is a very strong character!

What makes him really cool is the fact that he is one of the few muscular characters in the Black Clover universe. In a world filled with magic, Yami relies more on brute strength than his magic. That said, his darkness magic isn’t anything short of amazing as well. Yami has an amazing amount of magic power and brute strength which make him one of the strongest characters in the series. Another thing I absolutely love about Yami is that, despite acting dumb, he is actually extremely clever. He has the mindset of a true warrior and manages to come out on top in almost every fight. Yami proves to us that darkness being associated with being evil is all just a big hoax.

Last on this list is Celty Sturluson, a very unique character from the series Durarara. Celty is actually not even a human! She is actually a mythical creature known as the Dullahan. The Dullahan is a headless creature, who carries his head in his own hands and rides his horse. In this anime, Celty the Dullahan has actually lost her head, and has come to Japan in search of her lost head. Dullahans are actually supposed to be very evil creatures, who bring death to people and lore them to the after-life. Whilst Celty used to be like that back in Ireland; she is no longer anything like that.

Celty is a very nice person and, living in Japan, she slowly starts to get closer to some unique individuals. Celty is a very optimistic person and despite being a Dullahan, tries to save as many lives as possible. Celty is actually a character which is associated with darkness, but as you have just read, she is not evil at all. She rides a dark bike, wears dark clothes, has a dark scythe, literally everything about her is ominous, yet she has such a bright personality on the inside. The way this anime takes such an evil creature and presents it with such a virtuous personality is absolutely amazing!