Brian Ashcraft

Jackie Chan thinks America is “the most corrupt country in the world.” No, he didn’t say it in Jeremy Clarkson’s voice

Why Ash Ketchum Always Loses (And Why That’s Okay!)

Since the late 1990s, Ash Ketchum has been training Pocket Monsters. And with a decade plus under his belt (sixteen years, actually), you’d think he’d be pretty good. You’d be wrong. In Pokémon League play, in which trainers have their Pocket Monsters battle, it always seems like he’s losing. Well, that’s because he is. And…

All These Little Steve Jobs Heads Are Creepy

They really, really are. That’s okay, because that Steve Jobs figure is already kind of creepy! Japanese figure maker Legend Toys nailed Jobs’ face, which is a testament to the company’s sculpting talents. All these little Steve Jobs heads lined up all neat like, however, is a testament to Legend Toys’ ability to freak people…

You Can Now Rent Ninja in Japan. They’re Not Deadly.

Well, it’s about friggin’ time! Starting this month, a new service will deliver ninja on the time and to the place of your choosing. The name of this new service? Why, Ninja Delivery. So clever. Don’t expect these on-demand ninja to climb walls and assassinate enemies. But who cares when ninja are only a phone…

This Lineage II Elf Statue Is Neat and Tidy

Heads up, Lineage fans. Japanese figure maker Max Factory is rolling out a Lineage II Elf figure. As Japanese site Moeyo (NSFW) points out in its review, this is one tidy looking statue. Can you imagine wearing something white like that outside? Think of the dirt stains! Plastic sculptures don’t have to worry about that…

Of Course The Internet Is Awash with Pokémon X/Y Fan Art

Newly announced Pokémon X/Y isn’t even a week old. Heck, it’s not even half a week old. But the internet makes it seem like the game is a thousand years old. Sites like DeviantArt as well as numerous Tumblr blogs are awash with Pokémon X/Y fan art. Here’s a very small sampling of what’s out…

Sex and Violence in Far Cry 3 Edited for Japan

For its Japanese release, Far Cry 3 is getting a series of edits that will result in a slightly different experience for the country’s gamers. According to Ubisoft (via website 4Gamer), here’s what’s different in the Japanese language version: • Wounded corpses have been cut (er, censored) • A sex scene as well as a…

Like Creepy Woody, This Skeleton Warrior Is Nothing But Good Times

A skeleton wielding a sword is supposed to be scary. It was scary in 1963 when special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen created a whole army of them in Jason and the Argonauts. How do you kill something that’s already dead? But what happens when you take a Skeleton Warrior out of Jason and the Argonauts?…

The Titles Pokémon X/Y Were Predicted in 2008. Maybe as a Joke.

Think back to 2008. That September, Pokémon Platinum, an enhanced version of Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, hit shops in Japan. Yet, people online made one sort of accurate prediction—and one very accurate prediction. People? Sorry, I meant soothsayers. On Yahoo! Japan’s questions section, someone asked what people thought the next Pocket Monster installment would be titled. Then,…

Work for Nintendo and People Will Want To Marry You (Apparently!)

A new Japanese poll of 500 men and women between 20 and 39 years old revealed that the most desirable company a prospective partner could work for was Nintendo. According to website Business Media, Japanese airline ANA came in at second place. Third was (very successful) scale maker Tanita, followed by Google and Apple. Those…

In Japan, Dominos Has Kobe Beef Pizza

To ring in the New Year, Dominos not only has a very special pizza, but a very pricey one. For a limited time, pizza lovers can order a “Kobe Beef Steak” special. A medium costs ¥4,800 (US$55), while a large is ¥5,800 ($66). Sixty-six bucks! The Kobe beef is covered in a simple special sauce,…

Sony unveiled a teaser site for a new Vita and PS3 title with the motif “an old dude throwing things”.

Toyota Is Making a Gundam Car. You Can Buy It.

Not to be outdone by Volkswagen, Toyota is slated to sell a nerdy car of its own: a Toyota Auris customized in the image of Gundam character Char Aznable The car was first shown last summer as a concept vehicle. At that time, Toyota said the car would go into production, provided there’s demand. Apparently…

Japan’s Newest McDonald’s Meme Is Delicious on Twitter

Twitter. Bulletin boards. And even internet chats. These are all forums of communication and public record. According to an alleged leaked memo, McDonald’s Japan branch has drawn up a list of things that are okay—and not okay—to say online. But in the process, McDonald’s just spawned a new meme tearing up Twitter among delicious burgers.…

An Important Reminder about Tetsuya Nomura: The Man Has Mad Skills

Tetsuya Nomura wears various hats at Japanese game maker Square Enix. He designs games, he produces them, he directs them—he also designs characters! His artwork is perhaps the most influential of the Final Fantasy series. But it’s sometimes easy to forget his pure artistic talent, and sometimes easier to get lost in his resume, whether…

Sony honcho Kaz Hirai tells The Verge (via CVG) that the console business is “not going away any time soon”.

Japan’s Most Wanted Criminal Trolls Cops with a Cat

In what must be one of Japan’s most unusual investigations ever, the alleged culprit behind a series of online threats continues to slip past Japanese police. This time, there’s a cat involved. Yes, a cat. Last summer, a Japanese animator was taken into police custody after remote-controlled threats of a killing spree were sent from…

Pokémon X/Y Is Already Teaching Children English in South Korea

The newest Pocket Monster games, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y aren’t even 24 hours old, but they’re already making learning English in Korea fun—and heart-meltingly cute. According to Kotaku reader Justin, who teaches English in Seoul, South Korea, his kindergarten students are bananas for Pocket Monsters. Writes Justin: “I hyped them up with the announcement.…

Holy Sorcery Story is a Japanese role-playing game about making a legendary curry. Yes, curry. That’s awesome.

Welcome to Vending Machine Hell, Where You’ll Be Threatened with Brutality

Castration. Cutting off fingers. Photos of your genitals shown publicly forever. These aren’t just idle threats. They’re vending machine threats. It’s like a ring of Hell Dante missed, but with fizzy drinks and canned coffee. There’s a cluster of fifteen vending machines in Tokyo’s Akihabara, the city’s gaming and geek district. The unmanned machines are…