Kotaku East

Japanese TV Channel Stops Airing Interspecies Reviewers

Earlier this month, Funimation announced that it would no longer stream Interspecies Reviewers, stating the show fell outside its standards. Now a Japanese TV channel is also canceling the program. IT Media reports that late last week, network TV channel Tokyo MX announced it would no longer broadcast the show. No specific reason was given…

Previously, Kotaku reported that after March 31, Nintendo would no longer be servicing first-gen Wiis in Japan. Nintendo has changed the cutoff date for RVL-001 Wii repairs in Japan to February 6. The company projects it will quickly run out of necessary parts. 

Masahiro Sakurai Says There Are Too Many Fire Emblem Characters In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Even before last month’s DLC was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the game already had too many Fire Emblem characters! Developer Masahiro Sakurai is well aware of this fact. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the playable Fire Emblem characters include Marth, Roy, Lucina, Ike, Robin, Corrin, Chrom and Byleth. In the most recent Weekly…

Lanterns. Kyoto, Japan. By Bobby Vu | Instagram JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line

In Japan, Animal Crossing Switch Pre-Orders Delayed Due To Coronavirus

Pre-orders for that beautiful Animal Crossing-themed Switch and its matching carrying case have been moved from February 8 to TBA. As reported earlier, coronavirus has impacted Nintendo’s supply chain, affecting Switch production and shipment for Japan. It is unclear how the outbreak will impact Switch hardware sales outside Japan. (Kotaku is following up with Nintendo…

Coronavirus Will Impact Nintendo Switch Production And Shipment To Japan

Today, Nintendo announced that, due to the affects of the coronavirus, there will be delays of Chinese-made Switch consoles and peripherals bound for the Japanese market. According to Nintendo, production and shipment of Switch consoles, Joy-Cons and other peripherals to Japan are being impacted by the effects of the coronavirus. Kotaku has reached out to…

The Studio Ghibli Theme Park Should Be Incredible

Excited? You should be. An official Studio Ghibli theme park will be built in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The first concept art we saw looked great. The latest concept art does, too. The park will be divided into different areas. Ghibli’s Giant Warehouse is filled with all sorts of Ghibli stuff; Dondoko Forest is Totoro-themed; Princess…

Composer Joe Hisaishi Describes His Creative Process

Princess Mononoke. Castle in the Sky. Kikujiro. It’s hard to imagine any of these films without composer Joe Hisaishi’s iconic scores. Decade after decade, he’s consistently written some of the most memorable movie music of our time. Thank goddess for that. This month, Hisaishi is releasing a best-of, 2-disc compilation album Dream Songs: The Essential…

Dragon Ball‘s Failure Meme Got An Enormous Sculpture

Yamcha sucks, sure, but an enormous statue of the character’s famous meme pose does not. Pictured is Yamcha’s Death Pose. The character met this grim fate at the hands of the weak baddie Saibaman, and the pose has come to symbolize utter failure. This huge statue version of that pose is anything but. It was…

The Japanese Esports License System Is A Mess

In Japan, there is a gaming license system that defines what a pro player is. The system was established in February 2018 and nearly two years later, the awkward stop-gap seems like a mess. The reason given for creating this gaming license is to get around the legal restrictions that have prevented esports from taking…

Live-Action One Piece Coming To Netflix, Eiichiro Oda Involved

The hugely successful One Piece is making the jump from manga (and anime) to live action. Working with Tomorrow Studios, Netflix has okayed a ten-episode adaptation. Tomorrow Studios is currently working on a live-action version of Cowboy Bebop with John Cho. That production is currently on hold after Cho injured his knee during the shoot.…

Man Visits Japan Because of The Yakuza Games, Gets On Japanese TV

SuzuKube of French-language game site OtakuGame.Fr traveled all the way from Martinique with something very specific in mind: He wanted to experience the world of the Yakuza games firsthand. As pointed on HachimaKikou (via SoraNews), SuzuKube was interviewed after arriving in Japan for a TV show called You wa Nani Shi ni Nippon e? (Why…

Real-Life (And Totally Unofficial) Mario Kart Ordered To Pay Nintendo Over $450,000

In Japan, Nintendo has won an intellectual property infringement court case against go-kart operator Mari Mobility (the company formally named Maricar). Mari Mobility was found guilty of infringing on Nintendo’s intellectual property. The go-karting company’s original name resembles Mario Kart, and it also has offered Nintendo-themed costumes for customers to wear. “Unrelated to Nintendo,” was…

In Case You Have Problems Seeing Your Switch’s Screen

Going back to the original Game Boy, there have been peripherals like the Booster Boy or the Light Boy to help players see the screen. The Switch’s screen is more illuminated and has brighter colors, but just in case you’re having difficulties seeing it, you’ll be happy to hear that help has arrived. From Japanese…

League Of Legends Pro Games Postponed In China Due To Coronavirus Concerns

China’s League of Legends Pro League has decided to postpone the upcoming 2020 Spring Season matches that were originally slated to start early next month after the Chinese New Year’s holidays. According to CCN, the matches have been pushed back for the foreseeable future. Likewise, the League of Legends Development League’s second division will not…

Man Allegedly Kidnapped And Tortured After Dating An Akihabara Maid

Last August, the former manager of an Akihabara maid cafe was kidnapped and tortured after he had quit his job at the cafe without notice and was dating one of the maids. This, it seems, pissed some folks off. A group of men involved with the cafe’s management allegedly forced the victim into a car…

A Better Look At The New Ghost In The Shell 3D Anime

Last fall, when the teaser for the full-3D animation Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 was released, there was a range of reactions. Some were totally put off, while others thought it looked okay. Now, thanks to the latest trailer, we can get a better look at the anime. And you know what? Maybe it does…

Nintendo Japan Will No Longer Service The Original Wii [Update]

Today, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has announced that it’s going to end repair service for the original Nintendo Wii. The console launched in Japan on Dec. 2, 2006, and went on to sell over a hundred million units worldwide, making it one of the most successful consoles ever. After March 31, Nintendo will no longer be…

The Most Downloaded Switch Games In Japan Last Year

Do you wonder which Switch games were downloaded most in 2019? Would you like to know? Well, good news, because Nintendo just released a list of them. There are two lists, actually. The first is for download-exclusive games. Let’s have a look! And here are the top 30 downloads for retail games: Any surprises? Any non-surprises?

Why Anime Art Styles Change

A new decade has begun. The style of anime that we see over the next 10 years will be different from the last 10. This is natural. But are there reasons that we can pinpoint and break down? Turns out, there are. Above are illustrations by artist Date Naoto demonstrating how anime-style art has evolved…