Brian Ashcraft

When Anime Characters Have the Same Damn Face

Love Live is an incredibly popular anime with incredibly devoted fans. But, you know what, the characters kind of all look the same. Here, you can see the Love Live’s Museunit characters in their frilly outfits and with their different colored eyes and hair. [Photo via 96egoak] But if you isolate only their faces and…

A Theme Song for Sex Lube Athletics

Last year, Kotaku introduced Japan’s “sex lube Olympics.” People into lube, “lotionists,” were competing in a variety of athletic events. Fast forward to 2015, because now, there’s an official theme song. Note: Some readers might find this article’s content objectionable. The name of this track is “Theme of Lotion,” and that’s rapper Cypress Ueno going…

Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Exhibit. Seoul, South Korea. By Michael Song. 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!

Um No, Mad Max Isn’t Ripping Off Fist of the North Star

Mad Max: Fury Road is finally coming out in Japan. And someone people think the movie looks like it’s aping the iconic manga and anime Fist of the North Star. Wait. Really? Really. Even manga artist Nawoki Karasawa seemed surprised by this, tweeting, “Ri-right now, at work, all of my assistants asked me, ‘Why does…

Artist: Judy and Mary | Track: Over Drive | Album: Miracle Driving Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The First Dragon Ball Super Footage 

Earlier this spring, it was announced that Dragon Ball was getting its first anime series in nearly two decades. At that time, all we got was a logo. Now, we finally get a very short look at what to expect. The trailer, translated by YouTuber Dragon Ball Z ᴴᴰ, is around 14 seconds long and…

Thank goodness! Arc System Works has acquired the IP rights from the now defunct Technos Japan, including the rights to Double Dragon, River City Ransom, Dodge Ball, and more.

Artist: Tomoyasu Hotei | Track: Battle without Honor or Humanity | Albums: New Battles Without Honor and Humanity Soundtrack / Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Poll: The Top Twenty Most Anticipated Summer Anime

You excited? You should be. Because the summer 2015 anime season is coming. And if you don’t have any idea of what to look forward to, perhaps the results of this Japanese poll can help. Perhaps not! Biglobe News reports that Charapedia, which looks at the appeal of anime characters, polled 23,000 thousand people via…

When CG Animation Goes Wrong and Boring

This is an image of Ganba no Bouken or The Adventures of Ganba. The anime debuted in the mid-1970s. Now, they’re making a CG version, and damn, it looks tragic. I quite like Ganba! So do many Japanese people. No wonder it’s one of the country’s most beloved anime. Ganba was originally based on a…

That Harvard-Stanford genius story? Kotaku has confirmed that it was a hoax, as suspected. We’ve added more to our original report.

Okubo Station. Tokyo, Japan. By Kappuru. 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!

Shia LaBeouf Motivates Anime Characters

Even characters from Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball, and more need a pep talk sometimes. And who better to do that than Mr. Motivation, Shia LaBeouf. The actor appeared against a green screen for an art project titled #INTRODUCTIONS. And since he’s against said green screen and since the video has a Creative Commons licenses,…

Former Employee Sues Bandai, Alleges Racism

An ex-Bandai employee’s lawsuit alleges discrimination and racism in the work place. According to My News LA, Tony Le, a Vietnamese-American, isn’t only suing Bandai America Inc. and Bandai Namco Holdings USA Inc., but also some of his former bosses over alleged discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, among other claims. The suit, My News LA…

Track: Toshishita no Otokonoko | Artist: Candies | Album: Toshishita no Otokonoko Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The Harvard + Stanford Genius Story Is Bullshit [Update]

The Korean media dubbed Sara Kim the “Genius Girl.” A young math whiz so brilliant that two elite universities, Harvard and Stanford, offered her dual admissions. Her father, an exec at Korean game company Nexon, must have been proud! Other people, however, were suspicious. Update: 6/12/16 – 4:00am. We’ve now also been able to directly…

Inari Shrine. Kyoto, Japan. By Martin Sturk. 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!

Awaodori in Koenji Tokyo, Japan. By Jason Arney 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!

Miffy, the Cute Character, Turned into a Brutal Zombie

In this clip, Hong Kong is under attack. The threat is real. The threat is Miffy. That’s right, Dick Bruna’s adorable rabbit isn’t so adorable in this faux movie trailer from YouTubers Gun N Cult. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice…

The Horrible Evolution of Anime’s Most Lovable Brat

Things are bound to only get worse from here. Much, much worse. Anime and manga characters change! That we know. And since Crayon Shin-Chan debuted in the early 1990s, the character has transformed. It’s been an on-going change. In this image, which was recently posted on Japan’s 2ch as well as Tumblr over the years,…