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Kotaku East
Japanese High School Holds “Sex Change Day”
Yesterday wasn’t your typical day at Fuji Hokuryo High School in Yamanashi Prefecture. Male and female students could trade uniforms for what the school dubbed “Sex Change Day” (セクスチェンジ・デー or sekusu chenji dee). The event made the national news. According to one of Japan’s largest papers, Asahi Shimbun (via game site My Game News Flash),…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Another Season of RWBY Means More Epic Fights
Want to see some of the most amazing, well-choreographed fights animation has to offer? Then RWBY season two is the place for you. [Note: As this is a review of the second season of RWBY, there will be spoilers in this review. For a non-spoiler look, check out our review of the first season here.]…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
You Can Buy a $250 Drum Controller for Wii U, If You Like
If you really, really like Japanese drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin and are planning on getting the upcoming Wii/Wii U game Taiko no Tatsujin: Tokumori!, then perhaps this drummer controller might be of interest? On sale December 4 in Japan, this Taiko no Tatsujin Dedicated Controller Pro is priced at 29,800 yen (US$258) and measures…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Japanese Snack Inspires Kissing, Fan Art, and Internet Celebrations
Today is Pocky Day! So Happy Pocky Day! The iconic snack has its own day in Japan. While hardly a national holiday by any stretch, people online have been celebrating in an array of different ways. November 11 is Pocky Day, because 11/11 looks like Pocky sticks, no? Japanese snack company Glico uses the day…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
OneChanbara Z2 Pushes the Limits of Console Game Fanservice
There are a lot of console games out there these days with more than a little sexual fanservice in them. There are even some where fanservice is a core element. But then there’s OneChanbara Z2, which pushes the boundaries of fanservice you can have in a console title to a whole new level. [Note: This…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
New Super Smash Bros. 3DS Patch Will Address Balance Issues
Good news, Smash Bros. players! Nintendo announced an upcoming patch, stating it will adjust the game’s balance. Phew. According to Nintendo, the Ver. 1.0.4 update will adjust game balance as well as “fix various problems to make the game more enjoyable to play.” Nintendo hasn’t yet gone into specifics regarding what exactly will be changed…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastJapanese PS2 Budget Games Were an Outlet for Pure Insanity
Since the time gaming began, there have been budget titles alongside the blockbuster games we all know and love. Sure, many are utter crap, but every once in a while there is one that is so creative or quirky, you can’t help but like it. In Japan during the PS1 era, publisher D3 put out…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastTetsuya Nomura’s Version of Hikaru Utada Is… Interesting
This December will see an album of Hikaru Utada songs covered by an array of famous singers. Well-known artists are also doing illustrations, drawings, and art inspired by Utada and her music. For example, this. The album is called Utada Hikaru no Uta (宇多田ヒカルのうた) or Hikaru Utada’s Songs and features covers by Ringo Sheena, Ayumi…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Neon Genesis Evangelion Turned into a Hideous Japanese Car
Just look at that. Do it! It’s called the 7-Eleven Limited Evangelion Orochi. It’s not only incredibly ugly, but incredibly rare. It’s also the most expensive item 7-Eleven has ever offered for sale. That’s right, 7-Eleven. Based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime, only one of these special cars will be offered. Sankei News reports…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Blizzard Wins Copyright Lawsuit Against Chinese Hearthstone Clone
The makers of a Chinese Hearthstone clone have come out to the public to “refudiate” reports that they had been sentenced to pay Blizzard over $1.6 million. Tencent News reports that Unico Interactive, the makers of “Crouching Dragon Legends,” has been ordered to pay Blizzard and its Chinese partner NetEase for copyright violations. Apparently, Unico…
By Eric Jou Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Asian Movie Star To Play Gul’Dan in Warcraft Movie
Asian action star and all around good-looking guy, Daniel Wu, is set to play Gul’Dan in the new Warcraft movie. Friday, during the annual all things Blizzard convention, BlizzCon, the Warcraft Company released more information regarding the 2016 movie. Now we know which actors and actresses will play which characters, and that Wu will be…
By Eric Jou Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku EastSleeping Totoro Plush Toy Is Somewhat Cute, But Kind of Freaky
Just look at how it breathes. And listen to how it snores. And opens its mouth. Below you can see a video of the Inemuri Totoro (Dozing Totoro) in action from nigiwaishouten. Here, have a look: Just by squeezing Totoro’s hand, you can send him into a deep slumber. This isn’t the first sleeping Totoro…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Mysterious Naruto Balloon Appears in China
Earlier today, a strange sight appeared in the Pearl River Delta area of Guangzhou. A giant blow up toad smoking a pipe is seen tied down near Guangzhou’s Canton tower. According to Sina games, the giant toad is a tribute to the 15 year-old Naruto comic series that just came to an end last week.…
By Eric Jou Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Wedding Proposal with 99 iPhones Turned into One Pricey Rejection
In case you are wondering, 99 iPhone 6s apparently costs over 500,000 yuan—or about $85,000. That’s a lot of money! That’s a lot of iPhones. QQ Games (via The Nanfang) reports that a computer programmer in Guangzhou decided to propose to his girlfriend in the middle of an iPhone 6 heart. The proposal happened right…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
You Can Study DOTA at College in China
Many students might spend their free time at college playing DOTA. Why not spend your study time doing the same? Well, in China, you can. According to CQ News (via That’s), Chongqing Energy College now has a course on Defense of the Ancients, aka DOTA. (Note: The article did not specify whether the class covers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Five New Anime of Fall 2014 You Should Be Watching
We are now six weeks into the fall anime season, and with 50 shows on the air it can be more than a little difficult to know which new ones to watch. Luckily, we at Kotaku East are here to help with our recommendations. Over the past few weeks, I have spent hours upon hours…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published November 7, 2014 -
Kotaku EastNot Quite the Japanese Assassin’s Creed You’ve Been Hoping For
That what-if Japanese Assassin’s Creed artlooked sweet. This is not that. It is from Ubisoft Japan, though. No, really. Dubbed “Akiba Stealth,” the clip is set in Tokyo’s geek Mecca, Akihabara, and is heavy on the otaku stereotypes but features some neat chases. AKIBA STEALTH/アキバステルス [UbiJapan@YouTube] To contact the author of this post, write to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 7, 2014 -
Kotaku EastI Love OneChanbara Z2’s Random English
If there is one thing I love about Kagura, the newest OneChanbara protagonist, it’s her penchant for spouting random one-liners—sometimes in nearly nonsensical “Engrish.” While her random English (and “Engrish”) was more prevalent in the last game, there are still a few cases in OneChanbara Z2 that are both awesome and absurd. So check out…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published November 7, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Get Your Butt Kicked at this Maid Cafe. Literally.
For years now, maid cafes have been popular in Japan’s geek and gaming districts. Most of them are similar and staffed by frilly maids that speak in high-pitched voices. This cafe, however, has a cheeky twist. Dubbed Cafe CC Ocha and located in Osaka’s Nipponbashi, the cafe has an unusual option on the menu: Visitors…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 7, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Looking at One Piece and Declining Popularity Claims
Recently, a thread appeared on Japan’s largest net forum attempting to point out that the One Piece juggernaut was ending. Not sure about that, though. Bandai releases various items, such as plush toys, figurines, notebooks, bento boxes, cups, t-shirts, video games, etc. Those licenses include Gundam, Power Rangers, Dragon Ball, Yokai Watch, and One Piece.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 7, 2014