Most people will tell that I do my best on keeping my promises.  This is one of those stories.

Ten Years Later – By DJ Ranma S

Let’s take a trip back in time to 1994. I used to frequent a comic book shop called Comic Book Alley (now called Comic Book Heaven). The owner of the place was Morris, one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet. One day I walked in and he showed me this comic book, “Oh My Goddess!”. He told me that this was a very good read and if I didn’t like it, I would get my money back on it. I read the first issue and l enjoyed every single piece of it. I would go back monthly to pick up copies of this manga. Skip ahead four years, I would head to North Carolina for my first anime convention, Animazement. There, I watched all five parts of the OVA series. What a wonderful anime.

But this is not a review of the series. This is a brief story of me fulfilling a ten year old promise for a friend.

In 1999, I found out that my friend Morris had brain cancer. His wife Irene took over and continued to run the store full time. I walked in one day and noticed that there was a section of the store dedicated to Morris. Well wishes of him getting better. Animazement was right around the corner, so I decided to get something to show my appreciation for the man. But I didn’t know what to get. Eventually I’d come up with something right?

So I go to the con and I end up at the voice actor panel where the entire dub cast of Oh My Goddess is there. I get on line to get my program book autographed. Then it came to me, an autographed poster! I ran to the Dealer’s Room and bought a poster of Belldandy with the entire cast on it. I go back and explain to the voice actors and actress (Juliet Cesario, Scott Simpson, Dave Underwood, and Pamela Weidner) about my friend Morris. They gladly signed the posted, for that I’m truly appreciative of. That Monday I returned, with the signed poster in tow. Irene thought that was a wonderful thing I did. She said thank you, also wanting me to tell the voice actors/actresses thank you well, and the poster went to be put on the shrine wall.

But unfortunately, Morris succumbed to brain cancer sometime later. Also, as I continued to hit up more cons, I never did see anyone from the dub cast. This was due to me not being able to the get to any panels or autograph sessions that any of them were having… Until now.

As I double-checked the guest list for Katsucon, two names pop out at me, Juliet Cesario (Belldandy) and Scott Simpson (Keiichi). I knew then that I had to pass Irene’s message to them. So Saturday night after dinner, I went to their autograph session and began my story. I was shocked, yet happy that Scott remembered the poster. Juliet looked like she was going to cry. She said that giving them the message of thank you was quite a wonderful thing. It was. I felt like that I was going to tear up, but I didn’t. I took a picture of the two of them, got their autographs and left.

I walked out on a very good note, a natural high if you say. I always do my best to keep my promises and do well on them. This one took ten years to fulfill. And I know right now Morris is looking down, and all I have to say is “It was my pleasure friend.”

Below are the autographs I received from Juliet and Scott.  Once Under The Pale gets me the picture of the signed posted, it will be uploaded here ASAP.

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DJ Ranma S is a long time cosplayer on the East Coast. He also spends his time working diligently on Anime Jam Session. When he’s not podcasting or cosplaying, you can find him hanging out, plotting world domination. His personal blog is here – www.djranmas.net