Kotaku East

Getting a Job at Studio Ghibli Could Involve Fresh Fruit

Recently, When Marnie Was There director Hiromasa Yonebayashi talked about how he got his job at the famed animation studio. The application process might surprise you. Maybe not! As part of his application, Yonebayashi had to submit two drawings. Then, he had to go to Ghibli and take a rather simple examination. Then, at the…

Unusual Japanese Bank Commercials Feature Magical Girls

These are commercials for Bank of The Ryukyus, an actual bank in Okinawa, Japan. Like, a real bank. Here, you can see one of its loan ads from earlier this year. The virtual idol animation is all kinds of awful! Apparently, this was made for broadcast television. And here is the bank’s latest commercial, for…

Buying Japan’s Most Popular Toy Was Crazy Hard

You know the routine. New popular toy comes out. It quickly vanishes from store shelves. And when it’s finally in stock, you gotta line up. That was this morning, but with a slight twist and months of waiting. After breakfast earlier today, my whole family—all five of us—piled into the car and headed over to…

Ping Pong is Less About the Sport and More About Growing Up

Ping Pong: The Animation is far from being your normal sports anime. Rather, it is an insightful coming-of-age tale of four high schoolers and how the sport shapes their lives. Good – Not Really About Ping Pong Ping Pong begins as the story of two high school freshmen, Peco and Smile. Peco is a ping…

This Mega-Evolved Pokémon Looks Like a Tadpole, Apparently

Most of the Mega-Evolved Pocket Monsters look totally rad. That’s the point! They’re supposed to be badass. I guess this one missed the memo. This is the Mega-Evolution for Dragon Pokemon Salamence for the new Pokémon remakes Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. “This design truly sucks,” wrote one commenter on 2ch, Japan’s largest bulletin board,…

The Cast of New Persona 3 Stage Play Looks Great in Costume

With the recent release of the Persona 3 movies, it’s no surprise that next month will see the release of a new Persona 3 stage play in Japan. And it’s no exaggeration to say the cast looks excellent in costume. Sakuya Shiomi (male protagonist) — Shouta Aoi Kotone Shiomi (female protagonist) — Kana Asumi Aigis…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Anime

While attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is known in Japan, everyone in the country might not be familiar with it. So, what better way to explain than with, um, an anime. The name of this short, seven-minute anime is To Correctly Understand ADHD (ADHDの正しい理解のために or ADHD no Tadashii Rikai no Tame ni). It is in Japanese,…

Just What the 3DS Needs: A Large Joystick

Now, there’s nothing wrong with your 3DS XL getting a joystick. Heck, more portable consoles should have them. As Inside Games reports, this is the Cyber Arcade Stick from Japanese peripheral maker Cyber Gadget. It’s for the 3DS XL! And with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS soon coming out on… the 3DS, this might be…

Oh Hey, It’s a Dog on a Segway Going Down the Street

Sometimes you can see the darndest things from a car window. Things like this. Recently, images appeared on a Chinese social networking siteshowing a man jogging down the street, with a dog riding what looks kinda like a Segway (but might be this). The images were apparently taken in Shenzhen and then circulated on the…

Playing in a World of Japanese Watercolors

Back at the Tokyo Game Show last year, I got some hands-on time with Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines. At that time, I said it was the prettiest game I saw at the show. And now, as I play through the full version, I find myself loving the art style more and more. Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines is…

Square Enix is Bringing Back Its First Game. It’s Not What You Think

When game companies Square and Enix merged in 2003, JRPG fans were on edge as to what masterpiece the new juggernaut was sure to make. They made a game. And now, 11 years later, they’ve brought it back. It’s not the game you think it is. The first game that was developed and released in…

The PlayStation Optimus Prime Transformer Looks Glorious

Last month, Kotaku first reported that Optimus Prime was getting a special PlayStation Transformer. But that was concept art only! Now, we get a look at the actual toy. It’s wonderful. Website Radio Kaikanattended a figure event in Tokyo’s Akihabara where the 19cm-tall Optimus Prime PlayStation Transformer was on display. [Photo: Radio Kaikan] [Photo: Radio…

I Can’t Believe These $18,000 Evangelion Statues Sold Out in Minutes

Often, when Japanese companies offer ridiculously expensive, limited edition products, I kind of shrug my shoulders. “Nobody’s gonna buy this,” I think. Well, this time I was wrong. Yesterday, Kotaku reported that 7-Eleven Japan was offering twenty five limited edition Evangelion Unit-01 statues, priced at 1.836 million yen (or US$17,892). According to Sankei News, within…

There’s a Good Reason Why This Game Is Japan’s Current Best-Seller

Yokai Watch 2 (妖怪ウォッチ２), the sequel to the exceedingly popular Yokai Watch, has been selling like gangbusters in Japan. And for good reason. Not only is the TV anime going strong and related toys disappearing off of store shelves faster than they can stock them, but the game itself is a whole lot of fun.…

Every Dorm Room Should Come With an Inflatable Pool

It’s summer. It’s hot. In China, some college students have figured out a way to beat the heat: Inflatable pools in their dorm rooms! In Chinese, these are called “college student dorm inflatable pools” (大学生宿舍充气泳池). Summer sessions are notoriously hot, and Chinese university students have come up with a variety of ways to cope, including…

Your Rival in Keiji Inafune’s Next Game is Basically Mega Man

In Azure Striker Gunvolt, you play the role of the electricity manipulating Gunvolt. If you thought that with Keiji Inafune as producer, Gunvolt would be just another enemy power-stealing Mega Man clone, worry not – That’s your rival character. Produced by Keiji Inafune and developed by Inti Creates, Azure Striker Gunvolt is an upcoming 2D…

Hearing “Ebola” After Eating Bat Meat Can’t Be Good

On August 4, one of Japan’s largest newspapers, the Asahi Shimbun, published a story on eating bat meat. You know what happened that same day? Another Japanese site warned that bat meat could be spreading Ebola. That’s unfortunate timing. The Asahi Shimbun article was titled “I Tried Eating a Whole Bat.” The writer described her…

Regarding those misconstrued Studio Ghibli comments Kotaku previously pointed out, producer Toshio Suzuki recently said he was talking about changing the the way Studio Ghibli works. What’s more, he said, “It looks like Hayao Miyazaki also wants to make something.” There’s talk of Miyazaki doing an animated short, which wouldn’t break his retirement from animated…

I Had No Idea Electric Guitars Were So Damn Dangerous

Well, they are electric. But, I guess I’d never really thought about it. But if you’ve never wondered what happens if there isn’t proper grounding, watch this. That’s Bae Chul-soo, the singer for the legendary Korean band Song Gol Meh. The clip is super old, but was recently unearthed on Japanese site Livedoor News. The…

A Guide To China’s Biggest Game Convention… Through Selfies

Throughout the years, China Joy has been labeled various names by both the foreign and Chinese press. Some have called it a show about busts, others have called it a giant sea of people. Personally, I call China Joy fun! Now, bear with me, China Joy isn’t exactly fun. There isn’t a lot of news…