Brian Ashcraft

Cosplayer Forgets Something Very Important 

Costume and accessories? Check. Makeup and hairdo? Check. Sunscreen? Um… Cosplayer Ayane Maro dressed up as Death Note’s Misa Amane during the recent Comic Market in Tokyo. This weekend was hot and sunny, and Ayane forgot to put on sunblock. [Photo: aru_nico] You might think, well, her sunburn probably wasn’t that noticeable. [Photo: aru_nico] You,…

Awa Odori Festival. Tokushima, Japan. By William Hofer. 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!

Japan’s Best Cosplay of Summer 2015

It’s August. And that means one thing for geeks: Comic Market. And you know what that means? Cosplay. Lots of it. At this year’s Comiket, which wrapped up yesterday, the cosplayers were out in full force. There was a nice range of outfits on display this year in Tokyo. Let’s have a look at some,…

Sources: When You Work At Konami, Big Brother Is Always Watching

Konami, the company behind Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill, does not appear to be a fun place to work. That’s according to reports in the Japanese press and new information shared with Kotaku by people close to the company. They describe a game development environment where Big Brother is always watching and where…

Car Seesaw Is Terrifying and Dangerous

Just when you think Japanese TV has settled down, it goes and pulls a stunt like this. Television program Itte Q! sent some members of its celebrity panel to Taiwan, where they got to experience a car seesaw, among other activities. The driver, a fellow named Mr. Wan, has been doing this car seesaw stunt…

Track: Woo Hoo | Artist: The 5, 6, 7, 8’s | Album: Bomb the Twist Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

During its first week on sale in Japan, Wii U exclusive Devil’s Third didn’t make the top fifty on the sales chart. Number fifty, Yokai Watch 2, sold 1,006 copies. Guess that means Devil’s Third didn’t even sell a thousand copies! Correction, 8:06 AM: As pointed out by several Kotaku commenters, Devil’s Third isn’t in…

A Religious Shrine for Voice Actors

This month in Tokyo, a voice actor museum opened. It claims to be the first of its kind. It houses anime scripts and various memorabilia. But the most interesting part of the museum is a Shinto shrine dedicated to voice actors. In Japan, voice actors (seiyuu) also release pop music albums, write books, and some…

Square Enix’s streaming service Dive In is dead. The company’s Japanese headquarters announced that it will end on September 13. It launched in October 2014 in Japan. At last year’s Tokyo Game Show, Kotaku checked out Dive In. Read our impressions right here.

Kabuki-cho Signs. Shinjuku, Tokyo. By Denis Barbini. 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: Angel Night | Artist: PSY・S | Album: Non-Fiction Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Japan’s Official Mario and Luigi Cosplay Costumes

Here we go! These are the first officially licensed Mario and Luigi costumes for Japan. I believe that officially licensed Halloween costumes are available outside the country, but until now, that wasn’t the case in Japan. Below, you can check out the Luigi costume (via Inside): Both outfits go on sale in Japan on September…

New Japanese TV Show Stars a Singing Sumo Wrestler

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-chun might be most famous for his rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” He sometimes appears on Japanese variety, showing off his incredible gift. Now he’s starring in a new Japanese TV show, showing off more than that. Lin is starring in a new Japanese drama for streaming service dTV. Called Dosu-koi…

Dude Tries Fixing Dragon Ball Super‘s Cruddy Animation

Animator Robson Menezes dos Santos, who created that touching Dragon Ball anime for his son’s birthday, is having a go at some of Dragon Ball Super’s not-so-super animation from a recent episode. In particular, some of the anime’s art was awkward and clumsy. According to Robson, he knocked out some keyframe animation from the episode…

Dragon Quest XI looks very nice on the PS4 in this latest batch of screenshots. Check 4Gamer for more, including Nintendo 3DS screens.

Senso-ji at Night. Asakusa, Tokyo. By Edward Dearberg. 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!

Mad Max Recreated with Vegetables for Dead Spirits

This week, one Japanese Twitter user Sativa_high decided to turn eggplants, cucumbers, and a bunch of toothpicks into vehicles from Mad Max: Fury Road. This was to welcome his dead ancestors back to this world. And what a welcome! During August in Japan, Obon is when the spirits of people’s ancestors return to this world.…

Japanese Fan Comics Could Die Under New Trade Deal

“Doujinshi” (同人誌) is Japanese for fan-created, self-published comics, magazines, and novels. While Japan has strict copyright laws, doujinshi tend to get a free pass and flourish. A new trade agreement could change that forever. Doujinshi is a proving ground for new artists, who can create a name for themselves through their self-published works and make…

Sake barrels at Meiji Shrine. Tokyo, Japan. By Luke Plunkett. 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!

Dragon Ball Z Toy Shows Why Fan Art Is Tricky

This is not official art. It’s fan art. Pixiv member Kanon Kamishima created the piece and uploaded it in 2013. This week, similar art was spotted on a Dragon Ball Z toy. The artist apparently had no idea. The art depicts Super Saiyan God Goku. It is not official, but has been widely circulated online…