Kotaku: Haruhi Suzumiya

Final Fantasy Voice Actress Tormented With Dick Photos

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:20:00 EDT

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Famed (infamous?) Japanese voice actress Aya Hirano (Haruhi Suzumiya, Final Fantasy: Dissidia) took to Twitter to complain about something bothering her: A lewd photo. More »

When Kissing a Dude Is Bad

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:00:00 EDT

People have sex. It's a natural and normal part of being a human being. Famous folks have sex, too. (They also take craps and put on pants one leg at a time). In Japan, even pure idols snog and screw. Mind blowing, isn't it? More »

Online Death Threats Lead to Arrest

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:00:00 EDT

Aya Hirano rocketed to fame with roles in anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and video games like Eternal Sonata. But in summer 2010, Hirano decided to make the leap from voice actress to TV celebrity, pissing off her rabid fan base in the process. More »

Can You Handle All This Badass Plastic?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:00:00 EDT

Namco Bandai doesn't only make video games. It's Bandai arm has toy and game licenses for iconic Japanese institutions like Gundam, Kamen Rider and Ultraman, as well as new favs like One Piece and Haruhi Suzumiya. More »

Lock Up Your Dancing Daughters, Here Comes the Internet

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:00:00 EDT

If you've spent any time on Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga, you've seen them: young girls dancing to cutesy pop music. It's their chance to live out their adolescent idol fantasies for viewers with adolescent idol fantasies of their own. More »

Racing to Win over Your Nerd Hearts

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:00:00 EDT

Martini. Marlboro. Cigarettes and liquor have traditionally been big motorsports sponsors. But a new breed of sponsors exists, such as Sony's PlayStation, and even more otaku geared companies are using racing as a vehicle to promote their wares. More »

You'll Never Guess How Much These Drawings Cost

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EDT

During the days that followed March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, game companies donated money and musicians donated songs. And illustrators? Why, they drew pictures. More »

Masked Avengers Doing Good In Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 02:00:00 EST

A forty-year-old manga starring a mask-wearing wrestler is inspiring Japan to do good. Only, they are dishing out presents instead of punches. Rwar. More »

For Idols, Even Twitter Following Is Scandalous

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:00:00 EST

Yu Darvish, the half-Japanese half-Iranian pitcher for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, is a popular guy. He's tall, handsome and a brilliant pitcher. And he's being followed by Japan's biggest voice actress. More »

Black Rock Shooter Ready To Shoot Up The PSP

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Lock and load, because popular original video anime Black Rock Shooter is getting a PSP title. More »

Hello Duck Face

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Anime and video game voice actress Aya Hirano continues her move into mainstream Japanese entertainment. Today, she appeared on popular afternoon show Waratte Iitomo! ("It's Okay to Laugh!"). Yes, that's a big deal! More »

Voice Actress Pisses Off Otaku

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:00:00 EDT

Voice actress Aya Hirano doesn't seem to want to be a voice actress anymore. The 22-year-old is trying to make the leap to mainstream celebrity and ticking off her rabid fan-base in the process. More »

Haruhi, You Can Drink

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:00:00 EDT

Thirsty? More »

What's Haruhi Suzumiya Doing In Your Chewing Gum?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Not only does Lotte's gum make your breath minty fresh, it also turns all the ladies around you into moé anime characters. Chew on that. More »

Drawn Rocker Schoolgirls Getting Their Own Video Game

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

If you follow anime, you probably know K-On!, which depicts the adventures of four Japanese schoolgirls in their high school music club. Here's the anime's opening theme song: More »

Wearing A Dress, This Cosplayer Will Kick Your Butt

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima likes to dress up. He also likes to pummel the crap out of people. More »

This Character's Voice Actress Might Surprise You

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EDT

Hana is a character in Yakuza 4. She is a clerk at in-game finance company Sky Finance. This is what she looks like in the game. What does her voice actress look like? More »

A Very Expensive Collarbone

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST

As part of a promotion to encourage repeat business, a "Film Bookmark Repeater Campaign" was launched for anime The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. This film book mark just went for nearly US$4,000. More »

So How's The Haruhi Suzumiya Movie Doing?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Pretty darn good. In its debut week, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya hit the box office top ten. More »

SEGA Says "Ahoy!" With Haruhi Suzumiya

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

What's better than a pirate? A Haruhi Suzumiya pirate! SEGA's upcoming Wii title The Parallel of Haruhi Suzumiya is getting its own limited edition "heroine collection." More »

Haruhi Wii Game Pushed Back To January

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Those eagerly waiting next month to get the Wii Haruhi Suzumiya game, wait some more. The title, based on the popular anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, won't get released now until late January next year. As we previously posted, the game apparently no longer has dancing in it — or something. For those of you who either do not know who Haruhi is or aren't yet sick of the Haruhi dance, click over. More »

Suggestive Rodeo Riding Machine Shame!!

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A little background: Panasonic released "Joba" in 2005, a horseback riding machine. The machine mimics, well, horseback riding and provides riders with an ab workout. Aimed at seniors and those not keen on doing actual exercise, the key feature of Joba is that you really don't have to do more than simply sit on it to get a workout. (Though, arm movements are encouraged.) What's more, unlike, say, a treadmill, Joba does not take up much space in cramped Japanese dwellings. Panasonic has launched this product outside Japan to varying degrees of success. Some shameful individuals have noticed how the machine is quite suggestive. And those shameful individuals have created embarrassing fan-made clips of video game characters riding the rodeo machines. Sadly, we have posted a few of the more game related ones after the jump — THE iDOLM@STER and Haruhi. Remember: These poor characters are supposed to be on the horseback riding machines. So! If you find that offensive, do not click over. The clips are possibly NSFW. More »

Let Pokemon Show You The Haruhi Dance

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

We haven't posted a Haruhi Suzumiya dance clip recently. For good reason, because we've already posted tons. Too many actually! Haruhi overload!! Because of that, the bar for Haruhi dance clips is high. Few things can effortlessly jump over that bar as Pikachu can. Quality stuff, this. More »

Phoney Haruhi Suzumiya On Real Russian Chocolate

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:00:00 EDT

How popular is anime Haruhi Suzumiya? Popular enough to get its own PSP game and Wii game. Popular enough to be ripped off for the Bejing Olympics. And now, popular enough for Russian copyright infringement. Pictured, Haruhi appears on a tasty treat. But remember kids, in Russia, Haruhi Suzumiya infringement eats YOU! Heh. More »

Haruhi Dances Up The Wii

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Certainly! By now you must have seen the credit sequence for anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Catchy, huh? No wonder the Wii Haruhi game is going to be a dancing game. Well, not a straight up dancing game as it'll have a "Story Mode" (with dancing) and a "Free Mode" (with dancing). The game's about half done and slated for this year. Hum~ming! More »

Big Headed Freaky Assed Haruhi Suzumiya Doll

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:00:37 EDT

Ack! CREEPY. Human heads are not that big. Found at the Den-Den Town Kotobukiya shop, these are staff-created customized Haruhi Suzumiya Pullip dolls — poses, uniform and everything. There's another nightmare inducing pic of these dolls after the jump. *shiver* More »

How Many Haruhis Fit in a Phone Booth?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:00:43 EDT

This has been bothering us. Really. We've been dying to know. For ages. The question: How many Haruhis fit into a telephone booth? Such a simple, yet profound question. Hit the jump for the exciting conclusion! Do it!! More »

From Seiyuu To Dirty Parody Stars...

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:00:11 EDT

Previously, we've brought word of the risky Haruhi Suzumiya adult parody flick. But how do those stack up with the animated versions and the various manga incarnations? Or even the characters' voice actors? NOT SO GOOD. Check out these charts that show the characters' voice actors (seiyuu), various artists interpretations including the anime and ending up with the TMA dirty movie actors and actresses. Hit the jump to look at the fugly dude porn actors. More »

Cosplay Haruhi Suzumiya Dance on Ice and in Snow

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:00:26 EST

We've done so many Haruhi Suzumiya, that we've become jaded. From inmates to global nerds, we've seen it all! Well, almost. Here a motley crew of cosplayers brave the snow and ice of Gunma Prefecture for some Haruhi. The dancing isn't great. Hell, it's not even good. But, it is in the freezing cold, and that alone is worth something. What exactly, no clue. More »

Life-Size Haruhi Suzumiya Has "Moveable Groin"

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:00:29 EST

Ack! Freaky giant doll alert. March 1st (tomorrow!) pre-orders start for this huge, freaky-assed life-sized Haruhi Suzumiya figurine in Japan. According to the maker, the five-foot statue has a moveable head, shoulders, elbows, lower back, knees, ankles, fingertips and, ahem, "groin." This Haruhi has an expected sticker price of ¥380,000 (US$ 3,628.72). But can you really put a price on something so creepy? Yes, apparently! More »

Cosplaying with Cosplay Figurine

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:00:08 EST

This is a Kotaku first, I believe. We've featured cosplaying tons on Kotaku. Ditto for figurines. But, we've never covered people cosplaying with figurines that are cosplaying. Here, cosplayer Usagi Tsukimiya poses with a Hobby Wave Haruhi Suzumiya bunny figure. Even though Tsukimiya was a Hobby Wave booth companion at the recent Wonder Festival in Japan, something about this photo shoot seems oddly profound. A cosplayer posing as a figurine character in cosplay? Damn, that's deep.
More »

Haruhi, Lucky Star, Nazis

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:00:53 EST

Over the weekend, garage kit convention Tokyo Wonder Festival kicked off. Cosplayers came in droves, dressing up as everything from Haruhi Suzumiya to Lucky Star or from Haruhi Suzumiya to Dead or Alive's Kasumi or from Haurhi Suzumiya to Nazis. Always marvel at folks who think dressing up as genocidal killers is a good idea. (Hey, maybe they're getting ready for Indy 4! Oh, wait...) Click through the gallery below for pics. More »

Unofficial Haruhi Suzumiya Game Smacked Down

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:40:06 EST

Doujin-made game The Fierce Fighting of Haruhi Suzumiya has been killed off! The doujin circle behind the game has pulled it at the (scary?) request of Kadokawa Shoten, the publisher that originally put out the Haruhi light novels and manga, plus distributes the anime and is releasing the upcoming Wii game. The totally unofficial The Fierce Fighting of Haruhi Suzumiya had characters from the franchise battle each other in Dynasty Warriors-style battles. Rad! It even had cameos from another Kadokawa property, Lucky Star! Kadokawa hates on those who use its IP without authorization, going as far as to make YouTube take down unauthorized vids and whatnot. I can understand where Kadokawa is coming from, but it seems like a place in the oh so distant past. More »

Pick Your Favorite Haruhi

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:24 EST

Oh, Haruhi Suzumiya. We love you even when you are not dancing. Japanese site Byonabi has a collection of various Haruhi incarnations — some official, some not. My question: Which one do you like best? More »

SEGA Brings The Skimpy Maid Outfits

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:40:50 EST

Saucy! That's not just any old maid outfit. It's a UFO Catcher prize from SEGA! The prize is a maid costume that Mikuru Asahina from anime Haruhi Suzumiya that Mikuru wears while making and serving tea at her school club. The costume is actually slightly different from the one Mikuru wears, and it looks shameful — like you'd find in an adult novelty shop. The prize doesn't include the salmon colored undershirt, the wig or the faceless mannequin. No mannequin, can you believe it?! The nerve! More »

Phoney Haruhi Promotes Bejing Olympics

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:00:29 EST

Fugly! This Chinese middle school pamphelet features a crummy Haruhi Suzumiya rip-off. It's to promote the Bejing Olympics. And since Haruhi has fuck-all to do with the Bejing Olympics, you'd think that the rip-off artists could have done a slightly better job of tracing. You'd think. Though, it might be the fugly part that's keeping the publisher from getting its pants sued off by Haruhi creator Nagaru Tanigawa. More »

Don't Look Up Haruhi's Skirt!

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:00:34 EST

This post is so embarrassing. On January 31st, PS2 game Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi goes on sale. To get everyone excited, Akihabara retailer Messe Sanoh has a life-sized Haruhi Suzumiya figurine in front of the shop. Some might get a little too excited and have the urge to shame poor Haruhi. How the store is combating that, after the jump: More »

Haruhi Figures You Can Move All Smooth Like

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:00:46 EST

Wow, we've made it 11 days into the new year without posting the Haruhi Suzumiya dance video. WTF is wrong with us?! (Hit the jump for that.) This Japanese ad features a Max Factory "Figma" figurine of character Yuki Nagato from hit anime/manga/game Haruhi Suzumiya. The Figma line supposedly poses very well. By the looks of that stop motion animation, it does! Goes on sale Valentine's Day. How romantic. More »

Horrible Haruhi Figurine

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:40:35 EST

Jaw meet floor. This shockingly bad figurine of popular anime/manga/game character Haruhi Suzumiya has gotten the face right (very important!), but those joins are hideous. Sure, it's supposed to be a posable toy, but couldn't they have tried to raise the bar above freakazoid. This looks like those posable wooden statues for sketching with a Haruhi head stuck on it. So sad. More »

Pro Evolution Made Unsettling

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST

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