Brian Ashcraft

Woman Transforms into a Dragon Ball Villain

Growing up, one of the greatest things I ever saw on television was when LeVar Burton got special effects make up on Reading Rainbow. The power of make up, especially special effects make up, still fascinates me. In the photos below, check out how a make up artist turned a lady into Dragon Ball‘s King…

The Latest Japanese Emoticons Are Freaky, Yet Wonderful

In Japan, they’re called “kaomoji” (顔文字) or literally “face character”. In short, they’re emoticons. These pictographs enable people to convey their mood online, whether that’s via chat, email, or in a forum. And now, those face pictographs have apparently evolved. Recently, Japanese TV showed off two new versions of typical kaomoji, (`_´) for “angry” and…

Bikini Lady with an Anime Head Is More Than *Just* Nightmare Fuel

Standing out in the world of Japanese pin-up models is not easy. Being attractive is often not enough! Anna Amamiya decided the best way for her to separate herself from the competition was an anime mask. Debuting in 2010, Amamiya released an image DVD, which featured her in various provocative poses, wearing said anime mask.…

Fans Make a Peaceful Online Protest for Final Fantasy Versus XIII

While Square Enix recently confirmed that it is still making Final Fantasy Versus XIII and that it’ll be out when it’s good and ready, some fans are having a hard time waiting. It’s only been six years. What’s the rush? Recently, a group of fans on the GameFAQs boards banded together to form Project Crystallis…

Next year, Clamp’s supernatural manga xxxHolic is getting a live-action series in Japan.

This Beautiful Voice Belongs in a Ghibli Movie

If you’ve seen the wonderful Ghibli anime Whisper of the Heart (and if you have not, you should), you’ll know that the it features John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” throughout. The Japanese version of that tune is fantastic. The lyrics are different, of course, but they’re still wonderful and rousing. So is this…

The Z.O.E. Premium Bundle Is Pretty Damn Big

The upcoming HD version of Zone of the Enders is getting a “Premium Package”. It’s enormous and heavy. Don’t believe me? Compare below! The game and this jumbo-sized collector’s edition will be out in October. 重いw, 並べてみたw [@Kojima_Hideo] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan,…

The Geekiest Humidifier I’ve Ever Seen

And, let me tell you, I’ve been looking! So here you go, the Neon Genesis Evangelion humidifier, which is based on the iconic anime of the same name. It features Eva Unit 01 standing atop NERV head1quarters in Evangelion and looks more like a diorama and less like a humidifier. It also looks completely bonkers.…

Dragon Quest X Wii U will appear at the Tokyo Game Show as part of a stage demo.

This Game Looks Nothing Like Pokémon

Nope. Nothing like it at all. It’s totally different. No way could anyone call Little Masters a Pokémon rip-off. Just look at it. See? Totally different. Recently released on iOS, Little Masters is a game in which you caught monsters, train them, and have them fight. Know why they call the game “Little Masters”? Because…

The Time Jeremy Lin Escaped in a Hello Kitty Mask

Being super famous is difficult. Just ask Jeremy Lin! That dude is super famous—in the US and especially in Asia. This video shows how the hoopster escaped Linsanity while in Taipei: by wearing a Hello Kitty mask. Cool video, but there’s something Lin couldn’t escape: all those Nike logos! A Late Night Escape in Taipei…

Check out more footage of Demon Training (Nintendo’s new Brain Age) here. Lotsa math and floating heads.

Way Before “Gangnam Style”, Gangnam Was Very Different

This summer, the K-pop single “Gangnam Style” hasn’t only been popular in its native South Korea, but it has also captured the imagination of those outside the country. Gangnam is a ritzy area of Seoul and the term “Gangnam style” obviously refers to that district. However, Gangnam wasn’t always galloping horse dances, tennis courts, and…

Mike Fahey is out this morning! So in his place, there’s this. Go to 5:14—watch it!

A Game with Truly Ugly Characters Is a 3DS Hit

Kobito Dukan, those ugly troll characters, got their own 3DS game. And that game had insane box art. And the game itself looked okay, fun even as you attempt to catch those little characters and make your own field guide. But those little characters? They look like a dog’s breakfast. But as fugly as the…

The Voice of Kingdom Hearts‘ Riku Will Soon Appear in a “Nude Men” Special Issue

There’s an assumption that only women appearing in revealing magazine spreads in Japan. That’s incorrect! Hunky dudes do, too. Hunky dudes like video game voice actor Mamoru Miyano. The 29-year old has done a lot of voice work. He debuted as the voice of Riku in Kingdom Hearts, before moving on to the character of…

The history of Resident Evil in unnerving website form. Enjoy?

Release the iPhone 5 and We’ll Sue You, Warns Chinese Company

Um. Okay. Deep breath. The folks behind the Goophone i5, the Android-powered iPhone 5 clone, are threatening to sue Apple if the California-based tech giant releases the iPhone 5 and if it looks like the Goophone i5. Or something. This is probably a publicity stunt—one with a mind boggling YouTube video. The reason why Goophone…

Models Sure Love Wearing Mai Shiranui’s Clothes

The iconic outfit of fighting game character Mai Shiranui has become the standard, de rigueur threads. It’s not the standard for gamers, but for models. In Asia—especially China and Taiwan—models keep popping in non-gaming related events dressed as the SNK fighting game character. So whether its car shows or book signings, Mai Shiranui continues to…

In This Assassin’s Creed, You Build Cities and Then FIGHT

There have been a bunch of those Assassin’s Creed spin-off games. But this newly revealed one offers a new spin. It’s a strategy sim. Dubbed Assassin’s Creed: Utopia, the game is set during America’s colonial era and allows players to build their 17th century colony—and then, watch it flourish over 150 years, right up to…