Brian Ashcraft

How That New Pokémon Is Like Frieza from Dragon Ball

Over the weekend, a new Pocket Monster was revealed. The character seemed familiar. However, that’s not because it looks like a new form of the Pokémon character Mewtwo. There’s another reason. The new Pokémon looks like Frieza, the villain in Dragon Ball. And the resemblance isn’t only in that purplish color scheme. On Japanese bulletin…

It’s That Time of Year Again. Time for Giant, Spiritual Dicks.

Every spring, like clockwork, the Kanamara Matsuri is held in Kawasaki, Japan. People flock to the Shinto fertility festival, which honors enormous phalluses like the one above. And no, it’s not actually pixelated. Note: This article contains content that some readers might find offensive. Not every Shinto shrine has fertility festivals or honors giant dongs.…

As our pals at Gawker point out, China wants someone to calm down. But it isn’t saying whom. Whoever could it be? Hrm…

Cosplay Mob Immortalized in New Anime

In the past, the Tokyo Game Show relegated cosplay to the corridors between the main convention center hallways (the upcoming TGS, apparently, will be different). Those corridors were always packed with cosplayers—and people. Sometimes things could get a little scary when cosplayers were surrounded. A little? Make that very. The below photo is apparently from…

Japanese Teens Are Now Playing Fake Quidditch

Well, that escalated quickly. First, Japanese schoolgirls started uploading photos of faux Dragon Ball moves. Then, Westerners replied with Star Wars style Force Grips. And now? Japanese schoolboys, it seems, are now uploading photos of imaginary Quidditch games. Quidditch, of course, is the broomstick-based team sport from the Harry Potter books. Why “imaginary”? There already…

The San Andreas set is now available in the GTA Kubricks collection, Rockstar tweeted.

“Dogs Wearing Pantyhose” Is Now a Thing in China

The latest meme to overtake the internet in China? “Gou gou chuan siwa” (狗狗穿丝袜), or in English, “Dogs wearing pantyhose”. Note: This post contains content that some readers might find offensive. Hong Kong news site Sharp Daily (via IT Media) is reporting that on Chinese social networking site Weibo, many users are uploading gag photos…

I’ve Never Seen Action Figures Like This Before

Every artist has his or her material of choice. For some, it’s paint. For others, it’s stone or clay. For Japanese artist Shota Katsube, it’s twist ties. You know, twist ties, right? Those metal wires incased in paper or plastic that you use to close up bags and stuff. Katsube twists colorful and shiny ties…

In Japan, There’s a “Girlfriend Coat” to Hug Lonely People

Behold, a coat. That will hug you. And whisper into your ear. Some Japanese students at the University of Tsukuba decided they’d put their effort into creating a coat that could give the sensation of being hugged from behind by their girlfriend. Make that, their imaginary anime sounding girlfriend. The result is called the Riajyuu…

Sega Is Selling a New Dreamcast Controller. It’s a Cute Backpack.

In an effort to appeal to hip Japanese teens (I think?), Sega is rolling out a Dreamcast controller…backpack. This, according to Japanese game site Gamer, is part of Sega’s new brand, “SegaKawaii”. In Japanese, “kawaii” (かわいい) means “cute” or “adorable”. The Dreamcast controller backpack is priced at 13,860円 (US$146) and is going on sale April…

Now This Guy Is Totally Pissed about the Xbox Always-Online Controversy

Think you are upset about that Microsoft creative director’s always-online remarks? No, you are not upset. Francis, however, is upset. Very upset. All of this comes in the wake of a piece Kotaku published earlier today, detailing how sources told Kotaku that the next Xbox requires an internet connection to start games. Francis is MAD…

North Korean Propaganda Website Hacked, Apparently by Anonymous

Uriminzokkiri.com, the North Korean propaganda site, was hacked, it seems. As of posting, it is impossible to access the site. It’s gone dark. What’s more, Uriminzokkiri’s Twitter currently appears compromised and is tweeting, “Hacked” and “Tango Down” for various other North Korean propaganda sites—as noted by website North Korea Tech. Uriminzokkiri’s Flickr page is now…

The Queen of Kerrigan Cosplay

Tasha from South Korean cosplay team Spiral Cats has outdone herself. Her take on StarCraft‘s Kerrigan is nothing short of spectacular. No, it is spectacular. Kerrigan is certainly not an easy character to bring to life. And look how Tasha did just that. Previously, Kotaku showcased the impressive cosplay work of Tasha and her Spiral…

Here’s How You Make Cracked iPhones Cool. I Guess?

Don’t let wrecked iPhone screens ruin your day. Turn that frown upside down. Or something! Here’s how Twitter user Inami made a cracked iPhone screen cool: An image of Sasuke from Naruto And voilà, a cool looking iPhone. Well, cool looking broken iPhone. 画面がひび割れたスマホをカッコよく見せる方法。[@inami4] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you…

This Is Japan’s “Sad Keanu” Meme

Shoko Nakagawa is a superstar. She records music, she appears on TV shows, and she even voices Pokémon anime characters. You’d think she would be happy! Maybe she is. But, in this meme, she’s Japan’s equivalent of Sad Keanu. Awww. In Japanese, the meme is often called “Shoko is lonely” (“Shokotan Bocchi” or しょこたんぼっち). “Bocchi”…

It was only a few years ago that Hiroshi Yamauchi, the man who helmed Nintendo for over fifty years, was the richest man in Japan. Now, according to the latest Forbes rankings, he’s only the 13th richest. Hard times!

Creepy Woody, Angry Link and Friends Make Plastic Benches Fun

Japanese toy line Tomy Tec is releasing a series of train station benches. Boring, you say! Well, just look at all the possible figure hilarity these plastic seats make possible. Below is a series of photos from the Hobby Search Blog. They are wonderful. 駅ベンチ(オレンジ色タイプ/緑色タイプ)で遊ぼう！ [Hobby Search Blog] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian…

Chinese search engine Baidu is working on its own version of Google Glass. According to our pals at Gizmodo, it’s called Baidu Eye.

Report: 1.2 Million Chinese Died in 2010 Due to Air Pollution

You’ve seen China’s pollution. While it might look like something out ofscience fiction or a video game, the horrible air quality is very real. And according to a new report, it’s deadly. Chinese newspaper 21st Century Business Herald (via 47News) is reporting that in 2010, 1.23 million Chinese died due to air pollution in 2010.…

Dragon Ball Photo Meme Has New Competition: Darth Vader

It started with a Japanese schoolgirl trend: Kids doing anime style attacks and uploading their pics to Twitter. The trend went global, with people all around the world doing their version of Dragon Ball moves. Now, that meme has some new competition: The Dark Side of the Force. Say hello to “Vadering”. The trend began…