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Kotaku East
Karaoke for Really, Really Shy People
Usually, when you sing karaoke in Japan, you either sing it in a bar, or at a room at a karaoke parlor, or maybe somebody’s house. But those ways involve other people. And what if you don’t like other people? There’s this. Dubbed “Choi Kara,” these telephone box-like, sound-muffling booths allow folks to belt out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2015 -
Kotaku EastA Sea of Firecrackers Exploding
Recently, folks in China and Taiwan covered the main streets of their villages with tens of thousands of firecrackers. Then, they lit the fuse, engulfing the street in explosions and smoke. The local tradition, That’s Online explains, wraps up the annual procession of the area’s guardian deity. According to Kotaku reader Bruce Hsu, the firecracker…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2015 -
Kotaku East
One Piece Made “Real” for Japanese TV
This isn’t a live action adaptation of One Piece per se. Instead, it’s a live action collaboration with Monkey D. Luffy. Comic Natalie reports that actor Hiroshi Abe stars in the upcoming television special as a yakuza member who ends up in the hospital, where his characters mistakenly eats the gum-gum fruit that made Luffy…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Suffering, Card Battles, Little Girls, and More Suffering
Yes, there is so much suffering in the anime Selector Spread WIXOSS that I had to list it twice. Selector Spread WIXOSS is the continuation of last spring’s Selector Infected WIXOSS—an anime where young girls battle alongside magical girl avatars in a collectible card game, hoping to have their greatest wishes granted. [The following review…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 10, 2015 -
Kotaku EastJapan Built a Candy-Powered Rocket
And yes, it’s called the Candy Rocket. Japanese sweets maker UHA Mikakuto brought together experts from various labs and universities to make a rocket that uses candy as its fuel. Powered by twenty Puccho soft candies, the rocket successfully launched last week and reached an altitude of 248 meters (813 feet). This isn’t just the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Enormous Burgers from Japan’s Best Fastfood Chain
There is no better burger chain in Japan than Mos Burger. And there is no bigger burger at Mos than this. On March 13, Mos is opening a “Mos Burger Tokyo Tower” restaurant. According to website Entabe, the limited time only establishment will offer the “Tokyo Tower Burger” and the “Tokyo Tower Cheese Burger.” Both…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Being an Animator in Japan Is Brutal
Animator Henry Thurlowhails from New York. Now, he’s in Tokyo, working as an animator for Studio Pierrot. Sounds like something you might want to do, no? Before you make the plunge for yourself, read this. After sending off his resume and getting rejection after rejection for several years, he finally got hired by a smaller…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2015 -
Kotaku East
The Food in Final Fantasy XV Looks So Delicious
Maybe the graphics are currently a little jaggy and the frame-rate not yet totally smooth. Does that stuff really matter when the in-game food looks this friggin’ good? Yes, yes it does. But damn, Final Fantasy XV food is making me hungry. Ever since the game’s meals werefirst shown off earlier this year, some fans…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Attack on Giant Lucky Cat
Surely you can see the similarity to Attack on Titan Below, of course, is an image from the Attack on Titan anime, featuring a Titan about to tear down the wall, so other, smaller Titans can enter and eat all the villagers. Spotted by Twitter user Minami_Carapare, this giant Super Lucky Cat has been compared…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Now This Is a Smart Anime Gag
There are lots of visual gags in anime. Some are funny! Some are not. But few are this biting about the anime industry itself. Here, you can see frames from a recent episode of Shirobako, an anime about, well, making an anime. Shirobako gives an inside look at how anime is made. The most recent…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2015 -
Kotaku East
LEGO Is Perfect for Remaking Game Sprites
LEGO bricks are blocky. So are old video games. You know what that means? It means this. Twitter user Ryusen is good at building LEGO creations. Really good. Just look as he recreates everything from Super Robot Wars‘ Billbine to first-gen Pocket Monster sprites. In particular, the shading on that Billbine is superb. [All photos:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Sickness Masks Get Real and Somewhat Freaky
You didn’t ask for this, but here you go: a Japanese sickness mask that looks like a woman’s face. In Japan, people try to combat pollen—as well as sickness—with masks. When you get sick, the proper thing to do is wear a mask so you don’t get others sick. If you are worried about getting…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2015 -
Kotaku East
An Anime Full of Medieval Politics and Fantastical Warfare
Lord Marksman and Vanadis is a low fantasy anime where various nobles are vying for the throne of a kingdom using political savvy, armies, and the occasional dragon. It’s kind of like Game of Thrones—only with a lot less in the way of soul-crushing despair. Set in a fantastical version of medieval Europe, Lord Marksman…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 6, 2015 -
Kotaku EastDragon Quest Heroes is Part Dynasty Warriors, Part Tower Defense
Coming from a partnership between Square Enix and Koei-Tecmo’s Omega Force, it’s no surprise that Dragon Quest Heroes plays a lot like Dynasty Warriors. What is surprising, however, is how much it resembles tower defense games. From the moment you start playing, Dragon Quest Heroes is clearly cast in the same mold as many a…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 6, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Metal Gear Solid V Gets One Pretty PS4
I would call this the most gorgeous PlayStation 4 released so far, but I prefer the 20th Anniversary model. That being said, this looks nice. Real nice. Konami has announced a special Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain PlayStation 4. The color combination is patterned after Snake’s bionic arm. Pretty slick! The console—and controller—both…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Ramen Has Never Been This Lewd or Perverted
What kind of ramen do you expect from a game that revels in ridiculous breast physics? I guess you’d expect something like this. Ah, Senran Kagura. If you haven’t been keeping abreast, the game originally debuted on the Nintendo 3DS because its creator wanted some 3D boobs. Yes, that game. To date, there have been…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2015 -
Kotaku East
The Korean Meal That Might Kill You
Lots of Korean food is both healthy and delicious. While delicious, these meals are certainly not healthy. Nor are they recommended for regular consumption! As recently noted on Korean website Instiz, last year some schoolgirls put their own unique spin on the traditional dish bibimbap Here is a nice photo of bibimbap before it’s mixed.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2015 -
Kotaku EastDragon Ball Characters Are Good Dancers
Forget the controversy over Frieza’s new colors. That’s not that important. What is important is that Dragon Ball Z‘s bad guy would be a good time at a club. Here, you can see Frieza get down in an ad for Japanese beverage Mets (yes, an ad, blergh). Turns out, Goku and co. can get down,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Tokyo’s Newest Godzilla Statue Unveiled
Previously, Kotaku reported that a Godzilla hotel was opening in Tokyo this April. Next to the hotel, a huge ‘Zilla head was slated to appear, but all we’ve seen were computerized concept images. Until now. Today, the actual Godzilla head was unveiled for the first time. It towers over Shinjuku, making a very cool addition…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2015 -
Kotaku East
The Coolest Women in Anime, According to Fans
Do you have a favorite female character in anime? Maybe you’ll find her in the results of this Japanese poll. Maybe not! Website Charapedia recently published the results of its questionnaire that asked ten thousand anime fans which woman in anime they thought was cool. This wasn’t a poll for cutesy anime characters! But rather,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 3, 2015