Kotaku East

Penguins’ Greatest Enemy? A Piece of Rope.

Who knew a simple piece of rope could cause such consternation? Penguins, that’s who. Last fall, a YouTube user named Smekh Eto Khorosho uploaded a video of penguins struggling to overcome rope tied to rubber rafts. (I believe the video was taken a few years back in the Antarctica.) Earlier today, the video started to…

Giant Gundam Made Even Better with Projection Mapping

The enormous 59-foot Gundam statue in Tokyo is pretty cool. Projection mapping makes it even cooler. Projection mapping certainly isn’t new. But recently, it’s become increasingly popular in Japan. Take Osaka Castle, which kicked off a cool projection mapping show late last year. Japanese site Gigazine recently checked out the Gundam projection mapping event at…

Some Say Frozen Ripped Off a Japanese Anime. Here’s Why.

Disney’s hit animated feature Frozen follows the story of two sisters—the older of which is able to wield snow and ice. Then, suddenly, that sister’s personality changes for the worse, and the younger sister tries to save the day. Sound familiar? The official line is that Frozen is based on The Snow Queen. That isn’t…

The New Metal Gear Solid Game Was Censored for Japan [Updated]

Japan’s getting a slightly different version of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes than everyone else. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the separately sold prologue to the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is out this week. The Western version will feature the vocal talents of actor Kiefer Sutherland as Big…

I Want a Giant Cat To Carry Me To Work, Too

Morning commutes in big Japanese cities are notoriously awful. If only people had giant cats to keep them company! The most recent commercial for Fit’s chewing gum is one of the more memorable Japanese commercials of late. The commercial marks the fact that the gum’s flavor lasts for fifty minutes and the song’s refrain keeps…

Attack on Titan‘s English Dub Isn’t Half Bad

I actually dreaded hearing Attack on Titan in English more than I fear actual titans. Now I just fear titans. For me, Attack on Titan is one of those series that I really like, but don’t know why. FUNimation, the North American anime distributor, is releasing the series in the US with a new English…

Ever Wonder Why Japanese Trains Aren’t Late? Here’s Why.

Trains in Japan are incredibly punctual. Being on time is counted down to the centiseconds. And unless there’s an accident, Japanese trains simply are not late. In the above Discovery Channel Asia video, you can see some of the reasons why the country’s rails run, well, like clockwork. Super Japan: On-time Metro [Discovery Channel Asia@YouTube]…

No Objections to Resident Evil‘s “Deaf Composer” in Ace Attorney

The controversy around Resident Evil‘s supposed “deaf composer” has been the center of attention in Japan and recently culminated in what could only be described as “a fiasco” worthy of everyone’s favorite video game courtroom. In case you didn’t know, Mamoru Samuragoch* was the composer for the DualShock version of Resident Evil Director’s Cut and…

Inside South Korea’s Coolest Military Theme Park

This is the Wanju Military Theme Park in South Korea. If only more video game first-person shooters were this colorful! The self-described “military theme park” is an airsoft pellet gun map that uses the GunPower system. According to YouTube user Ds4odk, this system employs wireless BB detectors—one on the front, one on the back, one…

Are the Attack on Titan Fries Big Enough for You?

Today, fast food chain Lotteria launched its new bucket of Attack on Titan french fries. It’s literally just a massive bucket of fries—but served up in an AoT container. I guess you could say it’s a titan-sized bucket? Or maybe you were hoping for something larger? Website Gigazine ordered the fries, which clock in at…

This University Cares About What Truly Matters: Being Good At Gaming

Starting next year, if you are really, really good at video games, you can use your gaming skills to get into one of South Korea’s best universities—just like being a talented football or basketball player can help your admissions odds. According to PGR21 (via tipster Sang), Chung-Ang University will begin accepting eSports applicants next year,…

The Strangest Dick Drawings You’ll Ever See (NSFW)

In your life, you’ve probably seen your share of dick doodles. But I can guarantee you’ve never seen any quite like this. Note: Some readers might find this article’s content objectionable. Meet Yuuki Tokuda The illustrator’s work varies. Some drawings are wonderfully realistic Others are wonderfully strange. Just so you don’t think Tokuda only draws…

What’s the Point of Releasing the Xbox One in Japan, Anyway?

Today, Microsoftannounced that the Xbox One will be out in Japan in September 2014. That’s almost a year after it was released in North America and parts of Europe. But, really, why bother? Online in Japan, many gamers were amused by the fall 2014 release. “September, lol. It’s already forgotten,” wrote one commenter on 2ch,…

Crimea’s Attorney General Spawns Anime Fan Art

With all the turmoil in Crimea, a press conference clip of the new Prosecutor of the Crimean republic, Natalia Poklonskaya, went viral in Japan, spawning anime-style fan art. As website Voice of Russia points out, Poklonskaya recently gave a no-nonsense press conference. “I tell the truth and I’m not afraid of this truth. I am…

First Glimpse of the New Sailor Moon Anime

Toei Animation uploaded the first official picture of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, a new Sailor Moon anime for 2014 that will also be a reboot of the series, adapting the original manga. The show will premiere in July on Niconico. Here’s the full picture with a slightly redesigned main character, Usagi Tsukino: Toei Animation,…

The Xbox One arrives in Japan—and twenty-five other countries—in September this year. The full list of countries can be found over at Xbox Wire, with more details on the forthcoming September launch promised for April.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is at its Best When it Connects to the Series

In the West, Cowboy Bebop is one of the most popularly acclaimed anime of the past two decades with its space western plots, intense action, and memorable soundtrack. The Cowboy Bebop movie is really just more of the same—only in widescreen and with a bigger budget. Good – Dreams and Death Cowboy Bebop: The Movie…

Japanese Star Wars Book Covers are Awesome

I love me some Star Wars—so much so that I have read every single post-A New Hope book that has come out (and more than a few of the comics, too). A lot of the novels have come out in Japan as well, but with one major improvement: the awesome covers. American Star Wars book…

Take a Virtual Tour of Cowboy Bebop‘s Iconic Ship

Ever wanted to explore the ship where Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed, and Ein spend their downtime? Back in 2005, the Cowboy Bebop video game, Cowboy Bebop: Serenade of Reminiscence, was released on the PlayStation 2—nearly seven years after the anime’s release. Set during the show’s run, the game is a 3D brawler with its own…

Wanna-Be Japanese Celebrity Arrested for Stealing 22 Leotards

In Japan, there are some people who are famous simply for being famous. They are called “tarento” (タレント) and appear on variety shows and talk shows. Misaki Hashigawa isn’t one of those people. But as of today, she’s famous online! According to Jiji and Sankei News, this “self-styled tarento” was arrested for stealing twenty-two leotards.…