Kotaku East

Three Years Later, the PSP Gets a Firmware Update

Today, Sony released firmware 6.61 for the PlayStation Portable. Um. What? According to Sony, the update improves system software stability. For those keeping score, the last time Sony updated the PSP’s firmware was in August 2011. The update, however, is currently only for Japan. It will be announced for elsewhere at a later date. Keep…

Becoming a Japanese Animator Is Hard

There’s been a deceptively difficult question on the test to get a job at Toei Animation. Below, you can see a drawing that, according to a 2ch user, has appeared on the studio’s employee entrance exam. Toei, of course, is famous for an array of anime, and some of Japan’s most famous animators, including Hayao…

New Tales DLC Costs More Than the Actual Game

The latest Tales game, Tales of Zestiria, comes out in Japan next week, and already it’s got a ton of wallet-gouging DLC announced. Bandai Namco has recently came out with a series of DLC for Tales of Zestiria: character costumes, and accessories, some of which are collaborations with other series. The costume themes are as…

Popular online game Kantai Collection is getting an arcade game from Sega. Location tests begin this month in Japan.

Can You Tell What’s Chocolate? The Eagerly Awaited Sequel 

Maybe this man is biting a shoe. Or maybe, he’s biting a shoe made of chocolate. That’s right, your favorite sweet tooth quiz is back. Surely you remember last year how Japanese TV show Ultraman Dash had its celebrity panel try to discern what items were real and what were sweets? This January, Ultraman Dash…

The PS4’s China Launch Might Have Been Delayed due to Region Locking

Like the Xbox One months before it, Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita have been delayed in China until further notice. The reasoning behind the delay? Sony needs to resubmit its business plans to the Chinese government. Sony announced last week that the PS4 and PS Vita would not make its scheduled Chinese launch date…

​Four-Year-Old Kid Pulls Off a Killer Bruce Lee 

You might like Bruce Lee. You might love him. But can you do this? Maybe you can! But could you when you were still in preschool? I know I couldn’t. What’s cool is that the kid isn’t only doing a solid job of matching Lee’s moves from flicks like Game of Death, but the tyke…

Shooting Incident Outside Sega Exec’s House

Hajime Satomi, the CEO of Sega Sammy, is one of Japan’s richest individuals. And early this morning, there was a frightening gun incident at his house. Thankfully, the Sega exec and his family were not at home. Satomi founded pachinko machine maker Sammy Corporation, which bought Sega in 2004. He is now the director of…

Your Complete Winter 2015 Anime Guide

It’s winter. It’s cold outside. So stay in and bundle up next to a cozy fire; there are 35 new anime airing this season to keep you company. But how do you know which ones to watch? Check out the trailers and brief blurbs below to see which of them catches your interest. [*Note: Series…

19-Year-Old Kid Creates Badass Fighting Anime

There are shades of Dragon Ball here, and well, pretty much every epic anime battle brawl you can think of. That being said, this is pretty darn cool. As noted on NicoNico, the animation is a solo work, created by a 19-year-old in Guangzhou, China. Nice job! The clip has been impressing Japanese net users…

Japanese Maids Sure Make Frying Pans Exciting

Then again, I’ve never really thought that seriously about frying pans. One hundred Japanese maids show off these non-stick cooking pans in this Direct Teleshop spot. That’s a lot of maids. And a lot of frying pans. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East…

Artist Screws with Street Signs, Ticks Off Japanese Cops

For the past few years, French artist Clet Abraham has been putting up removable stickers on street signs through Europe. Since late last year, he’s been in Japan. And now, he’s allegedly in trouble with the law. Abraham puts up his stickers during the night, creating street art that surprises people during the day. Some…

Naruto Live-Action Actors Look Dirty

They’re making an official Naruto musical. And now, we finally get a look at the whole cast all dressed up in their Naruto costumes—and covered in grime. Is “dirty” the new “gritty”? Get these ninja some soap! As previously mentioned, the stage version is called Live Spectacle Naruto and features actors Kodai Matsuoka as Naruto,…

GIFs Make Monday Bearable

Monday sucks. It always sucks. So here are some animated GIFs to help get your through the morning. These GIFs were originally uploaded to 2ch (via Himasoku). Some of these you might know and love and have seen before. Others might be new to you. Hopefully they’ll bring a smile to your face. To contact…

Pokémon Wasn’t The Biggest Seller in Japan Last Year

In 2014, Japan saw the release of big Pocket Monster games Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The games sold a ton in Japan, but not enough to reign supreme. A new challenger has taken the crown: Yokai Watch That’s right, Famitsu is reporting Yokai Watch 2 outsold Pokémon ORAS in 2014. What’s interesting about…

Last Year’s Biggest Selling Cosplay Outfits in Japan 

Not every cosplayer makes his or her outfit. Many of them buy them. And Japan’s largest cosplay outfit company Cospa just released its biggest sellers of 2014. As pointed out on Nico Nico, this list is Kantai Collection heavy, but there are a few surprises, such as Legend of the Galactic Heroes making the list.…

You’re Not Looking at Real Japanese Food. This Is Art

Well, I’m now hungry. You? Over on Pixiv, there is a series of “realistic Japanese meals” illustrations. Damn, they look good. Good enough to eat. Udon [by 麝香丸] Aji furai (Deep fried Japanese mackerel) [by イエローケーキ] Soy Sauce Ramen [by Buttercup] Tamago kake gohan (Raw egg over rice) [by ななつ] Ten-don (Tempura over rice) [by…

Psycho Pass: The Movie Is Not the Climax You Were Expecting

Hot on the heels of Psycho Pass’ second season comes Psycho Pass: The Movie. But as a movie that builds yet another layer to the franchise’s lore and catches up with some old familiar faces, it is less the completion of the final picture and more just another piece in the puzzle—though an interesting one…

Hollywood star Chris Evans makes an appearance in this Chinese promotional clip for Call of Duty Online. [Thanks, Sang!]

The Ghostbusters Anime We Never Got

The world is a little sadder that the 1980s never actually saw a Japanese animation version of the Ghostbusters cartoon. A little? Sorry, a lot. This spoof was created by YouTubers Nacho Punch Of course, there really was an American Ghostbusters cartoon during the 80s, which this parody is, well, parodying. You know, actually, there…