Brian Ashcraft

Link Is So Pissed, So Effing Pissed

Bet he’s dealing with Mothula in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I can see it on his angry, tortured face. (We’ve all been there!) This is Link’s “Angry Face” from Figma’s new Skyward Sword figurine (read the Kotaku review). Please, let’s make Angry Face Link a meme. Surely, there are more…

Just a friendly reminder! In Japan, Nintendo said its TVii streaming service hits December 8.

Sometimes, Interaction with Foreigners Is Awkward, Even in Japanese Anime

The long pauses. The nervous gestures. They’re not quite sure what to say, and thus, neither are you. Sometimes when foreigners interact with Japanese people, things can get awkward. Very, very awkward. Good thing there’s anime to remind us how awkward! Japan is around 98.5 percent Japanese. Within that, there are small groups of are…

Nintendo Is Charging People to Change TV Channels (No, Really)

With Nintendo TVii, the Kyoto-based game maker is bringing streaming video to the GamePad. Starting on December 8 in Japan, gamers can watch the pictures as they fly through the air via the comfort of the Wii U GamePad. But if you want easy channel changing, you must barf up extra cash. On December 8,…

Let’s Face It, The Best Bits Are the 8-Bits

From around the age of seven, I saw the world in 8bit color. The Nintendo Entertainment System was more than a revelation for my young eyes. It was a revolution. Even now, I love the look of 8-bit, those stark and sometimes saturated blocky colors. I love it so much that I downloaded this 8-bit…

Parents, Please Don’t Name Your Kid “Pikachu”

For decades, no, centuries, Japanese parents were happy giving their kids regular Japanese names. Sure, there have been trends, but the latest one is producing some kids with peculiar names—and even worries about bullying. Japanese names are slightly different from English ones. Traditionally, first names were selected based on the number of brush strokes in…

This Bonsai Tree Made Entirely of LEGO Makes Me Wish I Had LEGO Scissors

Seeing the original Karate Kid as, um, a kid, I was amazed that there were little trees that needed to be cut with little scissors. Those trees, of course, are bonsai trees. Via botanical artist Makoto Azuma, come these bonsai trees made out of LEGO. All that’s missing are little LEGO clippers! As website Spoon…

Between Dec. 1 and Feb 28, Japanese rental store Tsutaya is renting copies of Dragon Quest X free of charge.

Some of the Smallest (and Most Amazing) Figures on Earth

Welcome to the realm of dust particles and hair strands. Tinyland! It’s also the scale at which some truly minuscule—and impressive—sculptures have dazzled Japan, a country with a long tradition of making things small. For several years now, these carved figures have appeared on Japanese bulletin boards. The figures are called “100 Yen Coin Person”…

Third Grader Dazzles Twitter with Her Amazing Doodle

Some say artistic talent is innate. Other claim it’s the result of hard work. Whatever it is, this Japanese third grader has it. On November 24, a Japanese Twitter user named Shin_Toto uploaded the above image online, writing, “My daughter’s (third grade) drawing. Ball point pen on A4 photocopy paper. What’s the best way for…

Why Apple’s Siri Is Personified as a Butt Lady in Japan

In Japan, it’s been popular for the past several years to make “-tan” versions of electronics. These are cute personifications of game hardware or even computer operating systems. Most recently, Microsoft released the official Windows 8-tans; however, most of these “-tan” creations are not official. They are fan creations, like “Siri-tan”. Everyone’s favorite virtual personal…

Yes, the Wii U Also Works on Japanese Bullet Trains

For those worried that the Wii U doesn’t work on outside, say on Japanese high speed rail, take heart. Apparently, it does. And here’s the photo proof. Kuzo from Japanese site Rocket News recently boarded the Nozomi bullet train—the N700 series Nozomi, to be exact, which is outfitted with electric sockets and WiFi. Besides being…

At a Tokyo Event, Sony Turned Western Games into Video Game Ambassadors

Today, Sony held the “World Game Project” in Akihabara, in which the electronics giant showed off twenty PS3 and PS Vita games. These titles were developed outside Japan, and the point of this hands-on event was to give Japanese gamers a chance to check out titles they might not otherwise and maybe remind them that…

Can Someone Please Save This Cat from the Crane Game Machine? Please?

Children have accidentally crawled into crane games before, so why wouldn’t there be a cat in one? And look how comfy the animal is, just sprawled out on those soft, plush toys. Still, I do hope someone got the cat out—and not by using the claw. Ganar un gato en máquina de peluches [tinchovm85@YouTube]

The Oliver Twins want to make a brand new Dizzy game. Here’s the Kickstarter

This Lady Cosplays in Cute Outfits and Then Shoots Deadly Assault Rifles

Japan seems to have an idol for everything. Besides all the typical singing schoolgirl idols, there’s a glasses idol, a retro gaming idol, and even an “ugly” idol. So you can bet there’s also a military idol. Meet Mii Aihara. She got her start working at a Mia Cafe, a maid cafe in Tokyo’s geek…

Report: How Japanese Women Tell If Male Co-Workers Are Totally Unpopular

Are you a working dude? A popular working dude? If not, you might be giving off telltale signs to your female colleagues that you are not popular. Japanese research website Otome Sugoren (via Sugoren) regularly polls its women readers and has come up with the seven most popular ways women (in Japan, at least) know…

If Back to the Future Was Made by Japanese Geeks

It would probably feature a Delorean that looks like this. Behold, the itasha DMC-12, complete with an “OUTATIME” California plate. Itasha (痛車), literally “painmobile”, are cars covered with anime, manga, or video game themed stickers. This Delorean is wrapped in Japanese anime Haiyore! Nyaruko-san and was on display at a recent itasha gathering in Tokyo’s…

Let’s Overdose on All this Wonderful Mecha Plastic

Gundam models are called “Gunpla” (ガンプラ) in Japanese. And at this year’s Gunpla Expo, there were plenty of them. The event, which runs until November 25 in Tokyo’s Akihabara, not only showcases upcoming models, but also the work of master Gunpla builders and famous fans. Let’s have a look. Some of these are actually entries…

Navy Serviceman Says He Wasn’t “Totally Nude” at the Comic Cafe (But He Did Pee)

Manga cafes might be wretched hives of scum and villainy, but they are also a place where people unwind, read comics, play video games, and pass out after missing the last train. Maybe that’s what happened to 23 year-old Navy serviceman Oscar Hayes Weigle, and his buddy. If so, that’s easy to explain. What actually…