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Kotaku EastJapanOfficially Branded Resident Evil Booze
Herbal spirit Cocalero is collaborating with Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness to help promote the upcoming Netflix show. The name “Cocalero” refers to coca leaf growers, and this herbal spirit is a blend of 17 botanicals, including guarana, ginseng, juniper, and non-psychoactive coca. As Paste Magazine points out, this Incan spirited spirit is actually made in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureDaigo Umehara Describes His Battle With Covid-19: ‘It Was Hell’
As reported earlier this month, esports pro Daigo Umehara was hospitalized after contracting covid-19. This weekend, Umehara tweeted that he had been discharged. Thank goodness. Daigo expressed tremendous gratitude for the medical attention he received, adding that he is on the road to recovery. “After nearly two weeks of treatment, today I was released from…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 24, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanNew Japanese TV Drama About Manga Fan Who Loves Shipping
Baki The Grappler is a manga (and anime, pictured) about dudes beating the crap out of each other in an underground material arts tournament. In 2019, sociologist Junko Kaneda wrote a book about viewing it through a Boys’ Love lens. It’s now being adapted into a live-action TV series in Japan. Boys’ Love (BL) manga…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2021 -
AnimePikachu Just Got Arrested On The Pokémon TV Anime
Things sure got real on this week’s episode of Pocket Monster, the latest Pokémon TV anime series. As teased last week, Pikachu got arrested—cuffed and everything. Fittingly, the episode is titled “Yougisha Pikachu?!” or “Pikachu the Suspect?!” In it, large amounts of electricity are being stolen from houses in Vermilion City, and a Pokémon that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2021 -
Kotaku EastSouth KoreaSouth Korean Politician Wants To Protect Esports Leagues From Sudden Shutdown
In order to protect esports players and fans from the mercy of companies, South Korean Congressman Dong-su Yoo has proposed a bill to prevent esports leagues from being suddenly shut down unilaterally. Inven Global reports that the bill requires game companies to first make an announcement or even try to switch hosts for the leagues.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanWoman Arrested For Allegedly Sending Customer Bottled Water Instead Of PS5
Ikuko Tokuoka, a 41-year-old unemployed woman in Shiga, Japan has been arrested for fraud after allegedly sending a customer two bottles of water instead of a PlayStation 5. FNN reports that another woman had purchased the PS5 from the suspect for around 65,000 yen ($596) earlier this year. The PS5 arrived cash on delivery, but…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2021 -
CultureKentaro Miura, Creator Of The Berserk Manga, Dies Aged 54
On May 6, Kentaro Miura died from acute aortic dissection. The editorial department of Young Animal Comics announced the news today through the official Berserk Twitter account. One of the best-selling manga of all time, Berserk debuted in 1989, with an eighth volume slated to be released this summer (Eds note: this is the Dark…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapan“Nintendo Marriage” Trends In Japan After Celebrities Tie The Knot
Earlier today, soon after singer Gen Hoshino and actor Yui Aragaki announced they had gotten hitched, the phrase “Nintendo-kon” (任天堂婚) or “Nintendo marriage” began trending on Twitter in Japan. No, the couple probably did not have a Mario-themed wedding (well, not as far as I know!), but rather the term refers to how both Hoshino…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 19, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsThis Mai Shiranui Statue Is Only $1,000
No Mai, no buy, right? The iconic King of Fighters character is getting a 1/4-scale, 1.7 foot tall statue from PJ Studio. The statue is made from polystone and epoxy resin, with glass eyes and “simulated skin paint”. As Wario64 points out, it’s priced at $1,049.99 with pre-orders underway. The statue will be delivered later…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 18, 2021 -
AnimeHideaki Anno Is Not Remaking A Famous Anime, Says Studio
Recently, an article on a Japanese news site claimed that Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno was doing “a new version” of an anime that “everyone knows” in Japan. The article added that the original iconic anime was directed by someone else, and the information claimed to be from a studio staffer. Speculation ran wild. Online, people…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 17, 2021 -
Kotaku EastChinaChina Building Full-Sized Titanic Replica As Tourist Attraction
At the end of this year, a theme park in Suining, China is slated to finish a full-sized version of the Titanic. Around $155 million has been spent on the replica, which is being built in a landlocked province. So no worries about it getting out to sea and meeting a grim fate! Xu Junnian,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 17, 2021 -
CultureFinal Fantasy Has A New Brand Manager
For over a decade, Shinji Hashimoto was the brand director for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy. He has stepped down, and Yoshinori Kitase became his successor last month. Kitase, of course, has had a storied career at Square Enix, working as director on Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 17, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapan93-Year-Old YouTuber Loves Racing Games
This grandpa loves cars. During the 1960s he was a taxi driver in Tokyo, and drove dump trucks from the 1970s through the 1990s. He’s driven loads of classic Japanese domestic models like the Mazda Savanna RX7. The man loves cars. And now, at the age of 93, he’s playing racing games. In the video…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2021 -
AnimeFans Polled Over Which Anime Or Manga Should Be Live-Action And Most Replied “None”
Yikes! A Japanese poll asked one thousand men and women, ranging in ages from teens to 60s, to name which anime or manga they’d like made live-action, courtesy of Hollywood. The reply that took the number one slot should surprise no one, really. It was, well, “nothing” or “none.” Here, via Yahoo News! Japan, is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2021 -
CultureUnsurprisingly, Nintendo Switch Shipments Were Impacted By Stuck Suez Canal Boat
The global business trade seemed to grind to a halt this past March when the Ever Given container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal. Loads of product shipments were impacted, including the Nintendo Switch. During a recent investor conference call, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about regional demand for the Nintendo Switch. He…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2021 -
AnimeHow Studio Ghibli Helped With The Latest Evangelion Film
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno has a history that goes way back with Studio Ghibli—before it was even founded. One of the first big jobs he got in the industry was working on Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 classic Nausicaä. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time was made on computers, but when Anno needed to do some analog…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2021 -
CultureNew Dragon Quest Will Be Announced Later This Month
Square Enix has announced that later this month it will announce a new Dragon Quest game. Yes, this is an announcement of an announcement. According to Automaton, Square Enix also announced that it will be making this announcement on its official YouTube on May 27 in a 35th-anniversary special. It is unclear if this is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Daigo Umehara Hospitalized After Contracting Covid-19 But Is Feeling Better
This weekend, it was announced that Daigo Umehara, one of the greatest Street Fighter players of all time, had contracted covid-19. He has since been hospitalized to get the care he needs as the esports pro came down with pneumonia. According to a tweet from Umehara’s official account, he was experiencing a high fever and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2021 -
Gundam’s Zaku Makes A Pretty Good Japanese Teapot
Quick! Out of all the Gundam mecha, if you were to pick one to make a Japanese teapot, which would you pick? Well, as Get News reports, Bandai selected Zaku. Starting this month, pre-orders kick-off for the green-color version Zaku teapot. Priced at 27,500 yen ($252), it will also go on sale in late June…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 12, 2021
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