Sunshine Blogger Award!

My Sunshine Blogger Award Post

Hey there, everyone! Roderick J Fritz here, but you can call me Jay! Like I mentioned a few days ago, I got nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by my pals at D&A Anime. Thanks, guys. I know I’m still new to the blogging scene, but I’ve been having a blast. It’s an honor to be nominated for this award. The Sunshine Blogger Award is this chain award that bloggers nominate each other for. There are some ground rules that all nominees need to follow, though:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in your post and link it back to them.

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.

3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write 11 new questions for them.

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post of blog.

So, thanks again, D&A Anime. Let’s get this show on the road!

1. What was your very first anime?

Officially, my first anime was the original Pokemon series. In hindsight, it was the only good thing that ever came out of 4Kids. I would rent every VHS cassette of it from my local library, and record the rest on VHS. It made me a lifelong fan of anime and Pokemon.

In addition, the first anime that wasn’t based on a video game was one that inspired a children’s card game. The original Yu-Gi-Oh!, also dubbed by 4Kids. The censorship was annoying at times, even if I was too young to notice.

2. When was the first time you’ve gone to an anime convention? What year?

My first anime convention was the 20th anniversary of Otakon back in 2014. I had a blast there, taking photos of cosplayers and getting plenty of souvenirs! In addition, its where I developed most of my rules for attending conventions.

3. Do you have an anime crush? (Waifu or Husbando)

My current one is Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail. She’s got really nice hair and looks super cute when she smiles. Plus, I just love hearing the voice of her dub actor, Cherami Leigh. Beyond that, though, she’s incredibly kind to those she calls her friends and will fight tooth and nail for them.

It’s still either that, or Raphtalia, but I don’t crush on anime girls when they have crushes on other guys. Raphtalia only has eyes for Naofumi.

4. What anime series do you wish got a second season?

Of all the anime I’ve watched in the last few years, there are few I’ve wanted a second season more than Rising of the Shield Hero. In an era proliferated by Isekai’s (even in Western Cartoons), Shield Hero stands out for several reasons.

Firstly, it subverts the standard Isekai by having the hero be the weakest of the bunch, and get treated by dirt by everyone. However, its more because of false accusations towards him.

Second, watching him struggle and overcome this persecution to become the strongest hero is inspiring. I love an underdog, and Naofumi is one of the biggest underdogs in anime.

Third, it gave us the anime waifu of the season the year, Raphtalia.

Fourth, it gave us one of the most vile women I’ve ever seen in fiction, Malty. In other words, I call her the anime Cersei Lannister. If you read my review of the episode, then you know I consider her punishment one of the most cathartic scenes in recent anime.

5. What got you into blogging?

I spent years developing my writing skills in school, going from complete trash to great. By the time I graduated from college, everyone I knew had been telling me I was a great writer. So I decided that I should use my talent for something fun. So I started blogging about the things I love, mostly pop culture and entertainment.

I hope that one day, I can take my writing and turn it into a full time career. That way, I can spend my life doing what I love as a living.

6. Do you have a favorite anime creator or director that you admire?

If there’s one anime creator I hold in high regard, then I’d say it’s the Walt Disney of Japan, Hayao Miyazaki. He’s created some of the most iconic and breathtaking films to come out of Japan. I’m a big fan of his films, from Spirited Away to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. As a bonus, his films were a big inspiration for my favorite cartoon of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In terms of more recent anime directors, I’m a fan of Makoto Shinkai. He created the hit Your Name, one of the best anime films I’ve ever seen. Therefore, if you haven’t seen it yet, then I recommend you do so!

7. What was the first anime you dropped, and why?

I’ve dropped plenty of anime halfway through their runs, but I’ve also come back to many of them. The first one I actually dropped was also, ironically, my first anime, Pokemon. I realized through the Johto era that the show was never going to end, and I got bored with it. Therefore, I stopped watching it after Johto, and I’ve only watched it intermittently since then.

8. Have you ever cosplayed at a convention before?

Yes I have. I went cosplaying as Rorty at a convention. Rorty is my original character for Rick and Morty, the only Rick that looks like a Morty. It went over really well with celebrities that I got autographs from.

9. What’s your favorite anime opening and ending?

My favorite anime opening has to be Snow Fairy from Fairy Tail, by FUNKIST. A good opening and ending to an anime can elicit all kinds of emotions from people, and Snow Fairy does so for me. Whenever I see or hear it, I feel energetic and ready for adventure and fun.

My favorite ending has to For You from Naruto Shippuden. When I see it, it makes me feel like I’m resting in a field on a warm spring day, content with my life. Azu’s lyrics are playing over moments in the lives of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sasuke, and the lives of their mentors. It symbolizes how much the three young ninja mirror their mentors, and shows how far they’ve come into their own. Or in Sasuke’s case, how far he’s fallen.

10. What anime titles are you looking forward to next year?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the final season of Attack on Titan. After the bombshell revelation that came at the end of last season, I think this will be something to watch out for.

Other than that, I have no clue.

11. Why do you love anime

To say why I love anime would require an essay that would take far longer than this post needs. So I’ll try and break everything down into at least four points.

First, I got into anime as a kid because it looked and acted differently from other cartoons. The characters could go from being normal looking one second, then have crazy facial expressions the next. They could convey so much emotion, and I loved it.

Second, it’s an all-encompassing term. Anime in terms of Japanese cartoons can be about anything from pirates to slice of life, to even adult stuff. It’s a big deal, and in Japan, voice actors, or seiyuu, are as big as actors.

Third, like any truly good story, anime can impart important life lessons. Things we need to remember to be better people and make the world a better place. Like, never giving up no matter the odds, or you don’t need blood ties to be family. It’s inspiring.

Fourth, and I need your attention on this one, anime is close to ruling the world. Thanks to a generation growing up on it, anime-esque shows have now seeped into global culture. Shows have made references to it, or are outright inspired by anime. I have a list of western shows that take direct inspiration from anime! I’m not alone!

Your Turn

Now it’s your turn people! Time to answer my questions for the Sunshine Blogger Award.

1. What got you into blogging?
2. What’s been your favorite thing to blog about?
3. If you could date one fictional character, who’d it be?
4. What’s your all time favorite show? Or video game?
5. What’s your favorite show from the 2010s?
6. What are you looking forward to the most in 2020?
7. If you could any fictional power, what would you want?
8. What’s been your favorite anime recently? For non-anime fans, you can say cartoon
9. If you could travel to a fictional universe, which one would you want to go to?
10. What was your favorite cartoon/anime growing up?
11. Beef or chicken?

And now for the nominees for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Since I don’t know as many anime bloggers as I’d like, it including all the bloggers I know. They’re all good writers, though.

• Jiraiyan from Otaku Orbit
• The Game of Nerds
• MasakoX (yes, he has a blog!)
• Pop Culture Uncovered
• The Nostalgia Spot
• Anime Rants
• Silver Soul Gaming
• Redgeek
• Moe Gamer
• The Nerdd
• Zodiac Room
• Lesley Aeschliman (hope I spelled that right)

Good luck everyone. I know it’s twelve, but that’s in case MasakoX doesn’t do it. He has his YouTube channel to do!

Click here to see all of my awesome stuff, people!