Brian Ashcraft

From Dragon Ball to DoTA, Here’s a Resort for Geeks

This is Jed’s Island Resort. There are many places in the Philippines to unwind in the sun. There is only one resort with a DoTA Tauren Chieftain statue. Since 1995, Jed’s Island Resort has been severing vacationers in the province of Bulacan. The resort continually rotates out new statues that are often video game, anime,…

Blackface Continues in Japan. In 2015. [Update]

Above, you can see a photo the members of Momoiro Clover Z, one of Japan’s most famous idol acts, and long-time pop group Rats & Star. And this is apparently how they’ll appear on Japanese television next month. Update: Momoiro Clover Z has cancelled an appearance at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. The group…

Mario, I Don’t Recognize You Anymore

We’ve already seen Mario without his moustache. But via 2ch, let’s see that again. And minus the hat. And while we’re at it, ditch those overalls, put on a t-shirt, and wear glasses. It looks like the actor Nintendo hires to play Mario in his off hours. To contact the author of this post, write…

Pokkén Tournament, the Pokémon fighting game developed by Namco, will be out in Japanese arcades this summer.

Capcom Is Making An Attack on Titan Arcade Game

Today, Capcom announced an Attack on Titan game for Japanese arcades. That’s about all we know! According to Inside, all the Osaka-based game maker showed this afternoon at the Japan Amusement Expo were title cards revealing the project. So, sadly no game footage. The screen says “Capcom” and “Attack on Titan” (進撃の巨人). And this card…

Cats Versus Robot in a Lethal Battle of Cute

A handful of feline friends go head-to-head with a remote-controlled robot. Who will come out on top? Because there can only be one winner: Us. The clip was created by Japanese YouTube user StudioSinga a few years back (but recently popped up on Korean website Today Humor). I’ve never seen it before. Maybe you have!…

Just What Skyrim Needs: My Neighbor Totoro

Let’s be honest. There really is no better way to spruce up Skyrim than the Totoro bus stop. As pointed out by website DragonPorn, this particular mod is called “That Bus Stop” (あのバス停) and was created by modder Higeyoshi. Just like in Totoro, you can wait at the bus stop with Mei’s red umbrella. Or…

The Pyramids Make for a Great Cosplay Location

Looking for somewhere to cosplay? May I recommend the Pyramids? Also, camels are good if you’ve got ’em. That’s Japanese cosplayer Akira Konomi, who also appeared in Cosplay World, dressed as Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. She’s visiting for the Egycon And while in Egypt, she took the opportunity to bring JoJo‘s Stardust Crusaders…

Square Enix Is Sorry for Parodying a Disgraced Scientist

Well, I guess that didn’t go as planned, now did it? Then again, maybe it did. Japanese researcher Haruko Obokata caused one of the biggest science scandals in recent memory after her botched stem-cell research was proven highly questionable. Obokata resigned due to research misconduct, and currently, there’s talk of criminal charges against her. Square…

Fake 7-Elevens That Fool No One

Not that they would! But the next time you step into a, say, 7-Twelve in China or a 7-Minutes in Russia, remember that you’re not actually in a 7-Eleven. Got it? Of course you do. Recently, Twitter user Livein_Chinauploaded the above pic of a faux convenience store. But China is hardly alone in being home…

Square Enix has trademarked “Square Soft” and “Enix” in Japan. It’s unclear if this is to prevent other companies from using them (highly likely!) or if Square Enix will use them for branding (perhaps!).

Can You Identify These Anime Eyes? Go On and Try. 

Hrm. I see a Naruto eye. A Dragon Ball eye. An eye from Evangelion. Another from One Piece. This is tricky! Actually, it’s not that tricky, because the anime each eye belongs to is written next to it in Japanese. But, ignore that! Do it! Try to see how many anime eyes you can spot…

The Japanese Military Is Great at Snow Sculptures

Remember that enormous Star Wars snow sculpture? Wonder who helped make it? The Japanese military, that’s who. The Japanese Self Defense Force Northern Army 11th Brigade was instrumental in completing the large works, including the Vader piece and the snow version of Shinto shrine Kasuga-taisha Here, you can see how the Japanese military drew up…

The Future of DLC Is an Expensive Place

You’ve probably seen that famous Mona Lisa Photoshop that shows how downloadable content has evolved in games over the years. The image has gotten yet another update to show our grim DLC future. While not brand new, the image continues to float around internet bulletin boards like 4chan and 2ch. In case you missed it,…

Xenoblade Chronicles X‘s Stupid-Looking Characters Are A-Okay

I know it’s only February. But this year, these are going to be hard to top. Congrats, Xenoblade Chronicles X, for some of the dumbest-looking characters of 2015! Before we start, realize I don’t think characters with stupid faces are problematic. Not in the least! Rather, I’m charmed by their unapologetic ugliness (no need to…

Bravely Second, the sequel to Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, finally has an official subtitle. The game will be called Bravely Second: End Layer.

How Final Fantasy XV Does Pre-Render and Real-Time

In Final Fantasy XV, pre-rendered and real-time graphics do look different. Not that different, apparently. Recent Japanese magazine scans show a pre-render and real-time comparison for FFXV character Cidney, the first female Cid While she’s not a playable character, Cidney appears as an in-game mechanic. Below, you can see the images via GermanFFBlog and website…

Studio Ghibli Doesn’t Know What To Make Next

The studio behind Totoro, Porco Rosso and more is not dead yet. But as Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki explains, the studio isn’t sure about its next feature film project. “Right now, Studio Ghibli is open, but not in production,” Suzuki is quoted as saying by Oricon. “We’re worrying over what would be good to make.”…

The New 3DS vs. Wii Graphics Comparison You’ve Been Waiting For

Which has better graphics? The New Nintendo 3DS or the (old) Nintendo Wii? Let’s compare and find out. We’ve seen graphic comparisons between the Wii U and the regular 3DS (thanks, Smash Bros.!). But since Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is a port of the Wii original and a New Nintendo 3DS exclusive, we get a very…

The “Most Wonderful” Anime of 2014

Reader poll time! Japanese website Anime Anime (via Otanew) polled seven hundred of its readers, asking them to name the most splendid anime of last year. Here are the results. Keep in mind that this is a reader poll and not representative of all anime viewers in Japan. It is, however, representative of the seven…