Kotaku East

Professional DOTA 2 team Rave were given sports visas by the South Korean government to stay in the country as athletes. The players—who are from the Philippines, the U.S., and Canada—can stay in the country for up to a year and play eSports. [Thanks, Sang!]

There’s No Reason To Get Out of Bed. Ever.

You know some mornings when you wake up and think, “Why do I have to get out of bed?” Well, you don’t! Behold, the “Super Upward-Looking Dozing Desk.” It’s for folks who like to doze and nap. Folks like me. Going on sale this month in Japan for 8,980 yen (around US$90), the desk can…

In Japan, Starbucks’ Secret Menu Isn’t So Secret

Diehard Starbucks drinkers are probably familiar with its secret menu, whipped up by dedicated fans and creative Starbucks employees. In Japan, one furtive drink in particular is now out in the open. In Japanese, secret menu is called “ura menu” (裏メニュー), and, like elsewhere, the country’s Starbucks have numerous customized drinks that aren’t official. Due…

Black Bullet Irredeemably Ruins An Otherwise Good Premise

Back at the start of the spring season, as I wrote short summaries about all the season’s then upcoming anime, post-apocalyptic tale Black Bullet was one of the anime I was most looking forward to. However, less than two episodes in I could already see that it was failing to live up to its interesting…

New Anime Casts the Ghostbusters as Penguin-Hunting Kidnappers

Tokyo ESP is the story of a teenage girl with the power to phase through solid objects and a teenage boy with the power to teleport who decide to become superheroes. So while I wouldn’t have been surprised by an X-Men cameo, I certainly didn’t expect the Ghostbusters to show up—especially as villains! In all…

Watch Us Play the Neptunia SRPG

In the past, the Neptunia series has taken the form of turn-based JRPGs and an idol simulator. Now, the newest game moves the series into the realm of tactical strategy RPGs. Join us as we see how this game full of game-series-reimagined-as-anime-girls plays. Hyper Goddess Faith Noire: Ultra Goddess Black Heart was released for the…

Pervy Super Famicom Game Lets You Play One-Handed

Makes sense as this is, perhaps, the Super Famicom’s most dubious unlicensed game: SM Teacher Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. Recently, Twitter user No3_hiyamugi uploaded the following pic from the game’s instruction booklet. The underlined section reads, “You can use your right hand freely” (右手は自由に使えます or “migi te wa jiyuu…

Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Rez and Lumines fame is working on a new puzzle game. 4Gamersays it’s for smartphones, while Insider says the platform hasn’t been announced. The title is TBA, but the game will have a “mysterious story” and is slated for this winter. Currently, there are negotiations for a global distributor.

Pokémon Wearing Glasses Is a Meme

Who knew Pocket Monsters looked so good in glasses? I sure didn’t. But now I do. In the past few days, fans have been uploading photos of their Pokémon plush toys wearing glasses. Their look is somewhat unexpected! Even Pokémon game designer Junichi Masuda has been retweeting the pics. I’m assuming that recent promotional material…

If Your Phone Rings on Live TV, Don’t Do This

Recently, on a Vietnamese morning show, a guest was talking about the serious flooding in Lang Son when something unexpected happened: His phone rang. In the clip below from YouTuber Góc Thư Giãn, you can see the stealthy way the guest dealt with the situation: Very smooth! Didn’t even notice. Phóng Viên Ném Điện Thoại…

Here’s a Godzilla Plush Toy Priced at $500

Open your wallets! Wide. Germany’s premiere stuffed toy maker Steiff is releasing a Godzilla plushie for a whopping 51,300 yen, or $504. According to website Response, the Godzilla plush toy will mark the character’s 60th anniversary. Measuring 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall and covered in mohair, each Godzilla is made by hand by Steiff’s…

Professional Gaming Is Hard

Pro-gamers dedicate long hours honing their skills to compete on a world class level. According to one team manager, in the world of Dota, the stress to win is heavy. In an interview with Sina Games, Team Newbee manager Tong Xin talks about the pressures his players face going into every game, including their run…

Accused Murderer and Victim Both “Liked Anime”

Over the weekend, a Japanese teenage girl was accused of brutally murdering a 15 year-old acquaintance. The crime is shocking and terrible. And some members of the Japanese media have pointed out that the suspect and the victim might have shared a love of anime. According to Kyodo News, the suspect, who is a minor,…

Soldiers Try Charming Women with Push Ups

When some male animals attract mates, they often present themselves in a way that shows off their virility. This form of mating ritual is often called peacocking, and it appears that in China’s military speed dating circles, it’s done through push-ups. Chinese News Agency Xinhua brings us a set of photos of soldiers attending a…

EA Korea has been rebranded Spearhead. This looks to be an effort to make the studio, which is responsible for FIFA Online 3, more of a brand name for EA. [Thanks, Sang!]

S.W.A.T. Team Wedding Photos Are More Romantic Than Tactical

Twenty-nine year-old S.W.A.T. team member Hou Weilin wasn’t able to get time off from work to take wedding photos, so he did the next best thing: He brought his wedding pics to work. According to the Global Times (via The Nanfang Insider), the couple appeared in a series of romantic special weapons and tactics-themed pics.…

Darth Vader Is Teaching Japanese People English

Is this a joke? Nooooooooooo! This is for real. A Darth Vader-themed English-Japanese dictionary was released this month in Japan. According to website Japan Star Wars, the dictionary is priced at 3,131 yen (about $31), comes in a Darth Vader case, features Vader binding, and has a collection of Lord Vader’s English phrases. [Photo: Gakken]…

See How An Anime Master Manipulated Space And Time

The late Satoshi Kon — director of Paprika and Paranoia Agent — was one of the greatest animators to ever walk this earth, and the impact his body of work had on cinema is so rich and dense, we’re only now fully unpacking it. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself: In this excellent…

Fighting in This RWBY Fan Game Feels Just Like the Series

This week marks the start of the second season ofRWBY, the fairytale and anime-inspired web series by the crew over at Rooster Teeth. But as a single new episode left me wanting more, I decided to try out the fan game RWBY: Grim Eclipse Based on the series’ “Red” trailer, the hack ‘n slash survival…

Crossdressing Ex-Maid Allegedly Torches Building in Attempted Robbery

Last month, security camera footage showed what appeared to be a woman with long hair and a skirt entering a building in Tokyo’s Ueno in the middle of the night. An hour passed, and the figure emerged from a building, which was soon engulfed in flames. Today, that suspect was arrested: A 27-year-old man. The…