Brian Ashcraft

World of Warships is removing the Rising Sun flag In its place, Japan’s national flag will appear instead. Previously, the Rising Sun flag’s in-game appearance caused controversy among some players. The flag cannot be used as a clan mark, either. However, players are allowed to use a modded flag for play only on their computers.…

Japanese Garden. Portland, Oregon. By Jason Brennan. 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!

Big Gundam Statue Coming to Hong Kong

Japan isn’t the only place that gets giant Gundam statues. Hong Kong gets them, too. As the Gundam Global Portal Facebook(via tipster Mox Factor) points out, this summer another big Gundam is coming to Hong Kong’s Times Square. Back in 2013, the area hosted a Gundam display with an RX-78 Gundam squaring off against a…

Showing Off the Psycho-Pass Dominator the Best Way Possible

Anime interface graphics really make everything better. This month, Bandai is re-releasing its replica of the Dominator, the weapon carried by the Public Safety Bureau’s officers in Psycho-Pass. This review is about five minutes long, but it feels like less of an in-depth criticism and more of a way just to show off the piece.…

Artist: Sakanaction | Track: Music | Album: Sakanaction Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Abeno Harukas Osaka, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft. 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!

Google’s Deep Dream Is Turning Anime into Nightmares

When artificial neurons meet anime characters, the going gets weird. Since Google’s Deep Dream system allow people to upload photos for the AI to enhance, people have been uploading all sorts of pics, many of which are pornography (this is the internet!). But amid the sea of uploaded meme pics and selfies, there are also…

When a Cat and an Owl Develop a Beautiful Friendship

We’ve seen cats and dogs getting along together just fine. But cats and owls? Welcome to the world of Hukulou Coffee. Located in Osaka, Hukulou Coffee is an owl cafe, serving up cups of hot coffee and oodles of owl cuteness. If that weren’t enough (and I guess it’s not), the resident owl, Fuku-chan, is…

Artist: Kana Nishino | Track: Moshimo Unmei no Hito ga Iru no Nara | Album: Moshimo Unmei no Hito ga Iru no Nara (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

New Dragon Quest Looks Like Minecraft

Today, Square Enix announced a new Dragon Quest spin-off title. It’s called Dragon Quest Builders and looks like Minecraft. There’s not much info on the game yet, but according to 4Gamer, you can construct what you like and the game’s genre is a “block-building RPG.” Hrm… The game is slated for a winter release in…

For Frieza, Nipples Change Everything

There’s a good reason why Frieza doesn’t usually have nipples. Make that, two reasons. Previously, Golden Frieza made his debut in the movie Dragon Ball Z: The Resurrection of F. The character’s golden version does not have nipples. See? [Photo: you_ki61] [Photo: GoOvbc] [Photo: coolbeauty123yk] Frieza is nipple-free. At a recent event to mark Dragon…

Japanese Snacks Don’t Get Odder Than This

I love salted salmon. I love chewy candy. But salted salmon chewy candy? Eh… I’ll sit this one out. Japanese snack Puccho is teaming up with the Sanrio salmon character known as Kirimi-chan for a limited edition salmon candy. This is most unusual and is even surprising for Japanese people. [Photo: uma_1222] Typically, Puccho comes…

Metal Gear Solid V Has Cardboard Box Sledding

If the amusing dogs, pooping horsesandsheep balloons weren’t enough, maybe the game’s cardboard box sledding will be. Kotaku has already spent two hours with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but now, let’s sit back and watch thirty minutes of the game. The video below is in Japanese, with certain parts sped up on…

Cherry Blossom festival. Hirosaki, Japan. By Chantal Gonzalez (via Coby Teal). 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!

Kpop Dance Move Is So Attack on Titan

The Korean pop group Sistar has a smash hit on their hands with “Shake It.” The YouTube video has racked up over five million views. Congrats on that! Ditto for the Attack on Titan comparisons. Wait. What? As folks online in South Korea recently pointed out (via the Entasia Forums), one of the group’s dance…

Why Some People Are Calling Fire Emblem Fates ‘Homophobic’

Last month, Nintendo announced that gay marriage would be included in the strategy game Fire Emblem Fates, a first for a series that has long included straight romantic relationships. This month, many are calling the game “homophobic” and criticizing it for allegedly featuring “gay conversion therapy,” all based on a Tumblr translation of the game,…

Artist: LadyBaby | Track: Manjuu | Album: Manjuu/Ultra Lucky (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

These One Piece Characters Are Too Damn Big

Not all the One Piece characters are tall. But the ones that are are freakin’ huge. In the image below, which has circulated online in Japan for a while and recently popped up again, we can see a handful of One Piece characters compared to a sumo wrestler, an elephant, a giraffe, and even pole…

Live-Action Pokémon Done Right

I know if, for some crazy reason, there is ever a live-action Pokémon movie, the Pocket Monsters will probably all be CG. However, that might not be the best choice. In this spot for the latest Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game, a handful of Pocket Monsters come to life thanks to people in Pokémon suits. I…

Purification ritual during Gion Matsuri. Kyoto, Japan. By Vincent Fournet. 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!