Brian Ashcraft

Track: Always Ascending | Artist: Franz Ferdinand | Album: Always Ascending Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Japanese Role-Playing Game Trend: Big Sister Characters

Have you noticed? Some of the biggest recent Japanese role-playing games feature older sister type characters instead of predominately kid sister ones popular in years past. Big sister characters aren’t necessarily related to the protagonists, but they are often surrogate older sisters, even if they are portrayed as fetching or become a romantic interest. A…

Danny DeVito Fans React To Detective Pikachu Announcement 

When it was originally announced that a Great Detective Pikachu movie got the greenlight, fans thought Danny DeVito would be the perfect choice for the character. Hollywood, however, had someone else in mind. See? DeVito is perfect! As just announced, Ryan Reynolds will play Detective Pikachu when production starts in London early next year. Some…

The Best-Selling Manga Of 2017 In Japan 

As the year begins to wind down, now is a good time to see which are the best-selling manga in Japan during this year. I bet One Piece did pretty well! Oricon, which tracks chart rankings, is listing sales numbers for the time period between December 5, 2016 and November 27, 2017. Here at the…

The Boat. Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. By Daniel Lim. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Let’s Go Crazy | Artist: Prince | Album: Purple Rain  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Just Released PlayStation VR Game Already Has Porn Parody

Today, PSVR game Fate/Grand Order VR feat. Mashu Kyrielight was released in Japan. It already has a VR porn parody, and the side-by-side comparisons are unexpectedly accurate. Well, save for the sex parts. Those aren’t in the PlayStation VR game. In original PS4 game, players interact with virtual lady Mashu Kyrielight. It’s all rather tame.…

In the wake of accidents caused by tourists riding go-karts in Japan, the country’s government increasing regulations, such as requiring helmets, seat belts, rear break lights and fenders. 

Japanese Gaming’s Incredible Comeback Story 

With Puyo Puyo’s release in 1991, Masamitsu Itani became one of the most successful game company presidents in Japan. Then everything went bust. But just as Itani lost everything, he didn’t lose his will to keep making games. According to AOL News Japan, Itani said he wanted to make a game that sold. While Kazunari…

Mt. Chocorua in White Mountain National Forest. New Hampshire, USA. By Brian Harvey. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

The Traditional Games Nintendo Continues To Sell

On Nintendo’s Japanese website, there is a page called “Other Products” (その他の商品). It’s fascinating. This piece originally appeared 8/10/17. At the top of the page, there is an entry for Western-style playing cards: Below that, there is a mahjong set. Look at these pieces. The chips have “Nintendo” emblazoned on them. How cool is that?…

Manga Confronting Homophobia In Japan Getting Live-Action TV Drama

My Brother’s Husband tells the story of Yaichi, a single father raising his daughter, and Mike Flanagan, a Canadian man who was married to Yaichi’s twin brother Ryoji. Mike travels unannounced to Japan after his husband’s recent passing. Yaichi must face his deceased twin’s sexuality and overcome his own preconceptions, and Mike learns what caused…

Is a new Armored Core announcement incoming? A recent From Software tweet says the company is not intending to end the series and asks fans to “wait patiently a bit more.” 

The Japanese Solo: A Star Wars Story Logo Is Being Called “Dorky” Online In Japan

Yesterday, when the Japanese release date for Solo: A Star Wars Story was announced, the official Star Wars Japan Twitter account also revealed the movie’s logo. People online are saying how uncool it looks. The Japanese title is actually different from the English-language one. In katakana, the Japanese writing system used for foreign words among…

Visiting Game Of Thrones‘ Real-Life Locations

While Game of Thrones relies heavily on CG effects, it also uses tons of real-world locations to bring places like King’s Landing to life. Blogger Andrea David of Filmtourismus travels around the globe, taking snaps of locations from a variety of movies and TV shows. Her Game of Thrones comparison photos show how places like…

View From Le Mont-Saint-Michel. Normandy, France. By Patrick Lehrmann JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Jinsei ha Yume Darake | Artist: Ringo Sheena | Album: Gyakuyunyu: Kowankyoku Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Turning Real People into Anime Art

Real life looks different from anime and manga. That’s okay! But here’s what three dimensional humans might look like if they were two-dimensional drawings. This is called “nijigenka” (二次元化) or “2D-ification” in Japanese. It’s not only popular in Japan, but pretty much anywhere people are interested in anime and manga. Some 2D-ified images created by…

The Best Cosplay Of The Tokyo Comic Con

The Tokyo Comic Con just wrapped up, so let’s check out some of the best—and most entertaining—cosplay of the show. Held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, the Tokyo Comic Con kicked off last Friday and ran through Sunday. Since this is Comic Con, cosplayers mostly portrayed Western comic book, video game and movie characters,…

In Japan, Family Mart Opening Fitness Gyms

Japanese conveniences are already great, but they’re getting greater. Family Mart is opening a string of fitness gyms on top of its convenience stores. According to Jiji, Family Mart plans to open 300 gyms over the next five years, with the first hitting Tokyo’s Ota Ward in February 2018. Dubbed “Fit & Go,” the 24-hour…