Brian Ashcraft

Attack on Titan Mini-Titan Is Certainly Freaky

Imagine this wandering around Tokyo. Actually, don’t imagine. Because this Sunday, it was. This “Mini Titan” (ミニ巨人 or mini kyojin) spent the day promoting the upcoming Attack on Titan art exhibit by appearing at book shops and manga sellers. The big-headed Titan sure looks freaky out and about. The following photos are from the exhibition’s…

Final Fantasy XV Gameplay Sure Looks Fantastic in HD

This is the Final Fantasy XV gameplay walkthrough. We’ve already seen it. We’ve even translated it. But here it is again, in 1080p. While the walkthrough doesn’t have the commentary, it does have stunning HD footage of the game in motion. Just gameplay, nothing else. FINAL FANTASY XV Walkthrough October 2014 [Square Enix@YouTube] To contact…

Huge Crowd at Pikachu Parade Causes Safety Concerns

This weekend, a Pikachu parade was held in Seoul, South Korea. Too many people showed up. The parade marked the first Korean to win the Pokemon World Championships. It was similar to the parade held this past summer in Japan—but minus the sea of humans. Don’t get me wrong! The event in Japan drew crowds,…

GTA V’s First-Person Driving in Chaotic GIFs

First-person shooting and driving are coming to Grand Theft Auto V with the game’sre-release. And if these GIFs are anything to go by, it’s going to be great. As pointed out on webforum NeoGAF, someone, it seems, has been streaming GTA V. GAF user Dreamlock made GIFs from the footage. The GIFs are spreading around…

Iconic JRPG Series Inspires High Heel Shoes

The Tales Japanese role-playing series is being immortalized in footwear. See how Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia and Leon Magnus from Tales of Destiny inspired these shoes? Priced at 16,800 yen (US$144), these heels are available for a limited time only. Pre-orders started this week in Japan and end on December 7. 『テイルズ オブ』シリーズのコラボパンプスはリオン&ユーリモデル[Super…

Make Your Own Silly Titan from Attack on Titan

To promote the upcoming Attack on Titan art exhibit in Tokyo, the show’s website launched an online Titan creator. It’s a fun time waster, especially if you make goofy-looking Titans. To make your own Titan, open up the website and click on 自分でつくる (Make Your Own). Then, you’ll see faces, hair, eyes, and more to…

More Wonderful Chalk Art from Japanese Classrooms

There’s more to do than study at school. For example, you can draw amazing pictures on the chalk board. So, let’s have another look at just that. Last fall, Kotaku took a look at some of the terrific chalkboard art found in Japanese classrooms. Some of these drawings were done after school during club activities.…

Soon, You Can Eat Gundam Burgers in Japan

Yep. Japan is getting official Gundam burgers with Gundam-themed buns. AnimeAnime reports that the Tokyo Station Gundam Cafe is being turned into McDaniel Hamburgers Gundam Cafe. The restaurant appeared in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime as a secret meeting place for the Anti-Earth Union Group, and now it will appear in Tokyo starting November…

Japan’s Slightly Depressing Video Game Sales Figures

Or, perhaps, truly depressing. It might depend on which console you own in Japan. That, or even if you own a home console. Full stop. Earlier today, Dengeki Online published the Japanese software sales chart for the week of November 3 to November 9. Keep in mind that the chart covers both home and portable…

Japan Is Getting a KFC Coffee Shop

On November 28, the first “cafe type” KFC will open in Kobe, Japan. And it even serves pancakes and coffee. What does the “C” in “KFC” stand for again? The Colonel’s Cafe will serve French press espresso as well as hot tea, such as Earl Grey or Darjeeling. Websites Entabe and Ryutsuu News add that…

K-pop Group Wears Nazi-Like Uniforms, Controversy Ensues [Update]

This is Pritz. They’re a South Korea pop group. And during a recent performance at a horse track, they wore outfits that drew comparisons to Nazi uniforms. Update: The group’s newest video, which was released after this initial controversy, features the Nazi-like get-ups. You can watch it below. According to Realtime Korea, the group’s management,…

So Many Legendary Pokémon Coming to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

While the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is right around the corner, Japan’s CoroCoro Comic points out that eighteen more Legendary Pokemon are headed towards the 3DS remakes. As mentioned previously, Legendary Pokemon are supposed to be “incredibly rare” Pokémon and often have special powers. CoroCoro Comic notes that you can meet…

Sony Has A Cloud TV Service, Coming To PS3 & PS4

Sony just announced a new on-demand service that doesn’t use traditional satellite or cable services. Instead, it’s cloud-based. Sony is calling it PlayStation Vue. According to Sony, PlayStation Vue is available through the PS3 and the PS4. There are no contracts and no hidden fees. However, expect more details about pricing at a later date.…

An Astro Boy crossing signalwas just installed in Kanagawa Prefecture, outside Tokyo. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am…

PS4 exclusive Bloodborne has been delayed from February 5 to late March—specifically, March 24 for North America, 25th for Europe, 26th for Japan, and 27th for the UK and Ireland. The reason? So that From Software can “deliver the best possible final experience.”

What It’s Like To Be Poor and Rich, According to This Cartoon

While I may not agree one hundred percent, I do think there is certainly an element of truth to this illustration. Artist Rika Asakawa drew the image, which Kotaku has localized. OnTwitter, she wrote, “This is something I thought about when I became an adult.” The image appeared online earlier this fall and was retweeted…

A Final Fantasy VIII Remake Could Be a Beautiful Thing

Just look at it. This fan art is based on Final Fantasy VIII‘s Balamb Garden, and it not only looks fantastic, but also screams HD remake for FFVIII This was created by Scott Honeycutt, a 3D environmental artist—and a talented one at that. These images have been floating around Japanese web forums, impressing Final Fantasy…

Japanese High School Holds “Sex Change Day”

Yesterday wasn’t your typical day at Fuji Hokuryo High School in Yamanashi Prefecture. Male and female students could trade uniforms for what the school dubbed “Sex Change Day” (セクスチェンジ・デー or sekusu chenji dee). The event made the national news. According to one of Japan’s largest papers, Asahi Shimbun (via game site My Game News Flash),…

You Can Buy a $250 Drum Controller for Wii U, If You Like

If you really, really like Japanese drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin and are planning on getting the upcoming Wii/Wii U game Taiko no Tatsujin: Tokumori!, then perhaps this drummer controller might be of interest? On sale December 4 in Japan, this Taiko no Tatsujin Dedicated Controller Pro is priced at 29,800 yen (US$258) and measures…

Japanese Snack Inspires Kissing, Fan Art, and Internet Celebrations

Today is Pocky Day! So Happy Pocky Day! The iconic snack has its own day in Japan. While hardly a national holiday by any stretch, people online have been celebrating in an array of different ways. November 11 is Pocky Day, because 11/11 looks like Pocky sticks, no? Japanese snack company Glico uses the day…