Introduction – Just Saiyan Hello!

Hello dear readers! My name is Yaseen Hijazi and I’m a freelance writer who happens to have a great passion for anime! I love watching anime and collecting merchandise of my favourite shows, but most importantly, I love discussing and reviewing my favourite shows with friends and family, or even with an online audience.

That being said, it’s no surprise I was ecstatic to be offered a spot on RandomC’s writing team! Writing about the things I love is a dream come true and I intend to do my best for my nakamas here at RandomC and for all you awesome readers and lovers of anime!

So, a bit about myself and my anime first love series, it was definitely Dragon Ball Z that hooked me into this beautiful world. My clearest memory as a 5-year-old was seeing the Cell Games Saga airing on Cartoon Network in the early hours of the morning as I headed out to kindergarten. Seeing the awe-inspiring action and sheer talent in the animating of this series was out of this world for my baby eyes to comprehend. Growing up with two older brothers, DBZ played a huge part in getting us into play fights at home, karate classes and even shaping some of our ‘heroic’ morals and sense of justice.

It was during high school life where I finally expanded my love of anime beyond just DBZ, as I was introduced to the legendary One Piece. This was the first time I experienced reading subtitles while watching in Japanese audio. This may have marked the beginning of my love for Japan, as I really liked the way certain phrases sounded in Japanese, and even picked up some words along the way! (You know, the usual suspects like nani, sugoi and baka!).

Since then, my ‘anime career’ really kicked off. I made myself a MAL account to keep track of everything I was watching as I ventured into new genres outside of pure action, with series such as Death Note, Stein’s Gate and Code Geass making the cut. I began to realise just how vast the world of anime really is, and before I knew it, I got into sports and romance anime as well! Many of these series would also contribute to my love for Japanese culture, for example, one of my all-time favourites Rurouni Kenshin, which sparked a love for ancient Japan and traditional Japanese culture.

Since falling in love with anime and Japanese culture, I have visited Japan twice and really started to enjoy the beauty of the country beyond just anime. From the food, the people and even the natural scenery, I knew Japan would be the holiday destination I’ll keep coming back to. Of course, visiting the anime hub of the world in Akihabara was reason enough for me to keep coming back. Never have I felt the passion of otaku culture so strong and openly celebrated, and in many ways, it was a life-changing experience for me to see this entertainment medium getting the recognition it deserved.

Outside of anime, one of my biggest hobbies is tennis. I’ve been involved in tennis competitions since the age of 12 and have been a competitive player for quite some time. Needless to say, I’ve become a fan of Prince of Tennis as I love to imagine what tennis would look like through fictional animation and borderline superpowers. The show definitely inspired me to continue playing tennis and even helped me to enjoy the sport even more, as I would imagine my groundstrokes travelling at lightning speed as it does in the anime. Without a doubt, anime has had a huge role in shaping my passions in life, and ultimately is what drives me to chase my dreams. As someone who had abandoned a stable 9 to 5 job to pursue my dream in the uncertain path of freelance writing, I can say this straight from the kokoro.

Looking forward to entertaining you guys!

よろしくおねがいします！