Kotaku East

Namco Bandai is counting down to “New Title”. Whatever could this mean?

Non-Anime Fan Reviews Madoka Magica in “Just” Two Hours

As a critic, I always believe that a work should be able to stand on its own, that you don’t need to be a fan of something in order to comment on an artistic work—be it a painting, play, game, or anime. But as someone who is very much immersed in the culture of anime,…

Why Nintendo Fans Are Called “Pigs” (and Other Things) in Japan

Not everyone in Japan loves Nintendo. Some people hate Nintendo. Like, really, really hate Nintendo. And online, those folks have nicknames for Nintendo diehards. Online in Japan, mean nicknames aren’t unique to Nintendo fans! Previously, Kotaku covered the mocking monikers given to Sony and Xbox fans on Japanese gaming forums and in blog comment sections.…

Bow Before Your Japanese Boy Band Overlords!

Have you ever heard of Arashi? It’s a Japanese boy band that’s so popular, that a poster of the group is drawing crowds, cameras, and grovelling. You might not know Arashi, but perhaps you’ve seen Letters from Iwo Jima? One of the stars, Kazunari Ninomiya, is a member of Arashi. The group has also appeared…

Japan Has the Cutest Construction Signs You’ll Ever See

Road construction isn’t what I would call “cute”. It’s hard work. Dangerous. Sweaty. There’s nothing cute about that. Japan, however, might beg to differ. Yes, Japanese construction workers are a tough and serious lot. The construction sites, though, often have signs with little anime style characters bowing and asking to pardon any trouble the construction…

In Japan, Not All Men Are Gundams… Just Some of Them

Whether you have actually seen it or not, anyone familiar with Japanese anime has no doubt encountered the term Gundam at one point or another. Japan’s popular mecha series has been around for 34 years, so it’s definitely got its place in Japanese culture. The series is especially popular among males, which led one woman…

Why the Grand Theft Auto V Trailer Depressed Hideo Kojima

Chin up, Hideo! Don’t let something like a new Grand Theft Auto V trailer get you down. “I saw the new GTA V trailer!” Kojima tweeted*. “It was awesome, way too awesome. This degree of freedom is surely the future of gaming! It’s at a different level from others. To be honest, it depresses me.”…

Suda 51 Is Turning This Gorgeous Anime Movie into an Action Game

Coming to theaters in Japan on July 25th is the anime movie, Short Peace. The movie consists of four short movies by various directors – a couple of which (Hinoyoujin and Farewell to Arms) are from Akira creator, Katsuhiro Otomo. Now, a fifth part of the project has been announced… As a video game. A…

Oh Hey, It’s Kim Jong-il Immortalized in Wax

North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il is long gone. But his likeness lives on in this highly realistic statue given to North Korea as a gift of gratitude. Nothing says “thank you” like a wax dictator! As China Daily(via Beijing Cream) points out, China’s Great Man Wax Museum made the figure, Kim coat and all, and…

Would You Like To Buy One Thousand Famicoms?

The Famicom is an iconic game console. It established Nintendo as a gaming powerhouse. So! How would you like to own, oh, a thousand Famicoms? On Yahoo! Auctions Japan, a seller is offering a lot of one thousand Famicoms (above). Just look at that stack. Look at it! Goodness. The haul contains 480 Famicom consoles…

It’s Time Nintendo Brought Out a New Franchise, Says Shigeru Miyamoto

Nintendo has a stable of tried and tested games. But those of you who wished Nintendo would do something new, listen up. According to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo will. In the latest issue of Famitsu, Miyamoto talked about a “new franchise”. Here’s the direct quote (translation via Kotaku‘s Toshi Nakamura): Famitsu: So, starting with…

In Japan, Living People Are Lying in Coffins

Death is inevitable. And for many, it’s also scary. In Japan, some are confronting death head on in a rather unusual way: climbing into coffins. Earlier this spring, end of life counselor Atsushi Sakabe and coffin manufacturer WiLLiFE began an “Experience Being Placed in a Coffin” (入棺体験 or “nyuukan taiken”) event. Nikkei reports that the…

How to Sign Up for Chinese Online Games

Recently, there have been more and more interesting online games coming out in China. With Monster Hunter Onlineand Call of Duty Online, there will be two top tier free-to-play games in the middle kingdom. While these games are only available in China, that doesn’t mean enterprising players abroad can’t play them. Playing Chinese games abroad…

Hey Pranksters, Get Your Ridiculous Level-5 Wallpaper Right Here!

Recently, Level-5 held a popularity contest, with the most popular characters appearing in a special wallpaper. Good thing internet pranksters apparently rolled the poll, because the ensuing wallpaper is all kinds of fun. Sure, the airplane is easy to spot, but you find the porter from Aero Porter? Download the wallpaper in the link below.…

Man’s Online “Girlfriend” Turns Out To Be Part of a Pyramid Scheme

In this day and age of technology and the internet, online dating is becoming more and more “normal.” Unfortunately, every now and again online relationships tend cause problems with one party being untruthful to the other. Well, for one Chinese man, his digital girlfriend turned out to be more than just a scammer. Originally reported…

Korea’s Photoshop Trolls Make the Internet a Better Place

On June 26, a Korean language Facebook page called “We Do Phoshop” appeared online. The site solicited Photoshop requests, and the ensuing ‘shops weren’t exactly what askers had in mind. Or what anyone had in mind, for that matter. There’s a tradition of these kind of Photoshops online in China. People would ask “Photoshop masters”…

Report: China Is Ending Its Ban on Video Game Consoles

Since the year 2000, video game consoles have been banned in China. According to a new report, however, that is about to change. Video game consoles could soon be legal in the world’s most populated country. The South China Morning Post is reporting that the Chinese government is expected to reverse its 13-year video game…

Japan’s “High-Speed Sushi” Is Amazing

In Japan, your typical conveyor belt sushi restaurants keep a slow and steady flow of food flowing. This is not your typical conveyor belt sushi restaurant. This is Uobei. Like many other sushi chains, it’s not so expensive—one plate of sushi is 105 yen (around $1). And according to online reviews, the sushi is pretty…

All of Summer 2013’s New Anime (And Where to Watch Them)

As we head into July, we finish up the spring anime season and head into the summer one. But with over 30 new anime in the pipeline, how do you know which ones to watch? Check out the trailers and brief blurbs about each to see what catches your interest. [*Note: Series are grouped loosely…

Popular Webcomic Megatokyo Is Getting Its Own Game

Megatokyo, the story of two Americans trapped in a hilariously over-the-top portrayal of Japan, is one of the world’s most popular webcomics. Now, through the power of Kickstarter, it is making the leap into the land of video games in the form of a visual novel Last weekend I sat down via Skype with Fred…