Earlier this month, the third annual World Line Comic-Con got underway in Chengdu, Sichuan province. On Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, a net user called Yi er Zai, zai er San, De zai san (loosely “Again and Again Repeatedly”), claimed that cosplayers were barely dressed, posting photos as proof. The images were real, but they…
In the Japanese children’s anime Anpanman, the titular hero’s head is made from a bun stuffed with bean paste. When Anpanman’s noggin gets damaged in the show, a new one is baked and switched out, reviving his powers. Anpanman is one of the most famous characters in Japan. Generation after generation has grown up with…
Today, a 24-year-old man named Kazuki Domoto was arrested for sending a fax threatening to kill pop idol Yuka Ogino. Domoto has confessed, there was “no mistake” that he sent the fax. Ogino is a member of the Niigata-based NGT48. BSN reports that a fax was sent to the group’s Niigata office from a convenience…
Slayers was one of the most iconic light novels of the 1990s, spawning manga, anime and video games. Good news! Creator Hajime Kanzaka is doing a third arc. Slayers is back! The news was made official in the latest issue of Dragon Magazine As ANN and SG Cafe point out, the first new Slayers volume…
Iwate Prefecture in Japan recently selected Geodude as its official supporter, with the Rock Pokémon doing its best to promote the region. In the Pokémon games and anime, Geodude does not have legs, but its real-world cosplaying counterpart does. Unleash the fan art! Of course, we can see the cosplayer’s legs, but we’re supposed to…
Who would have thought that for this console generation the Nintendo Switch would be home to slightly racier content than the PS4? Omega Labyrinth is proof of that. Dungeon crawler Omega Labyrinth was released on the PS Vita in 2015, telling the story of Aina, who hoped to increase the size of her bust. By…
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is full of Easter Eggs—namely, a bunch of Pokémon getting cameos. You’d expect that! But there is one Easter Egg I was surprised to see. [Note: This article includes spoilers] During one scene early in the movie, Justice Smith as Tim Goodman goes to his missing father’s apartment. On the TV, an…
It seems like a miracle. As a rule of thumb, Hollywood’s video game adaptations have been subpar. But the Pokémon Detective Pikachu is the exception to the rule. The movie is good “Did you have trepidation about adapting Pokémon?” I asked director Rob Letterman late last month in Tokyo. “I still do! I’m very nervous,”…
Did you know that May 9 is Goku Day in Japan? There is a good reason why today is the best day to celebrate the Dragon Ball hero. In Japanese, five (五) is “go” and nine (九) is “kyuu” or “ku.” Voilà, “Goku”! While not an official holiday (dammit), people are using the tag #悟空の日…
In the past, Nintendo released its consoles through a subsidiary called iQue. Even Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently admitted that they “cannot say these releases were a great success.” In a recent Q&A for investors, Furukawa was asked about Nintendo’s plans for China. Why all the China questions? Because the Switch is finally going on…
Taiko no Tatsujin is one of Japan’s most iconic arcade games. Recently in Nagoya, two kids appear to have stuffed one of the drums into a plastic bag and walked out of the arcade. May 7 – 6:00am: According to Livedoor, three high school students have admitted to stealing the drum kit, reportedly telling authorities…
Detective Pikachu’s humor is kid-friendly. Deadpool, this ain’t. During an interview with Kotaku late last month in Tokyo, Ryan Reynolds said an R-rated version of Detective Pikachu was possible. That doesn’t mean one will happen, though! “Motion capture is a unique experience in which you are alone and you throw a billion things up against…
Japanese shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger is releasing two pairs of Chun-Li inspired sneakers. Both are based on Onitsuka’s iconic Mexico 66 SD with Chun-Li themed color patterns and dragon designs. The Tiger and Street Fighter logos are emblazoned on the heel flap. The sneakers come with a download code for players to dress Chun-Li in…
Itasha (痛車) literally means “pain mobile” and either refers to the pain it inflicts on car owners’ wallets to trick out their rides or how it affects the eyes of those who see these wheels. The Japanese word tengoku (天国) means “heaven.” At this year’s NicoNico Chogai event, there was an itasha tengoku that certainly…
The current Japanese imperial era ends today when Emperor Akihito abdicates the Chrysanthemum Throne. It is the end of an era. The Heisei Period began on January 8, 1989 when Akihito ascended to the throne. The day prior, his father, Hirohito, had passed away, ending the Showa Era (1926-1989). Traditionally, new eras begin when the…
In Tokyo’s Akasaka, there is a fashionable-looking restaurant that serves up cuisine made with Japanese soup stock called dashi. It looks great. It might even be so good that it’s “da shit”! The establishment’s actual name is “Dashi Plus.” The stylized logo is written in English with a plus mark that inadvertently turns “dashi” into…
On April 21, 1989, the Game Boy first went on sale in Japan. This year marks the handheld’s thirtieth anniversary. And this weekend, the internet was more than happy to celebrate. The Game Boy went on to spawn several iterations including the Game Boy Color, the Game Boy Advance and the Game Boy Micro. It…
Earlier this month, Lupin III creator Kazuhiko Kato passed away. This week, Kazuo Koike, who created such landmark manga as Lone Wolf and Club and Lady Snowblood, has died. The Lone Wolf and Club manga was adapted into movies that made a cinematic superstar of Tomisaburo Wakayama and the film version of the Lady Snowblood…
We know the Sega Genesis Mini is small, but I don’t believe we have seen it side-by-side with the original console. That is, until now. During today’s Famitsu livestream, the actual hardware was shown off to give a better idea of the machine’s size. Like other mini consoles, it’s small! This is obviously the Mega…
Manga artist Kazuhiko Kato, better known by his pen name Monkey Punch, has passed away. According to Mantan Web, Kato died from pneumonia on April 11. He was 81 years old. Kato took the name Monkey Punch at a manga editor’s recommendation during the mid-1960s. In 1967, when Lupin III debuted, the moniker stuck. Lupin…
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