Kotaku East

Another Japanese Schoolgirl Photo Meme to Sweep the Internet

It all started with Japanese schoolgirls doing Dragon Ball attacks. That spread to people doing Street Fighter and Star Wars moves. And Japanese schoolboys playing fake Quidditch. Where to go from here? A little after the schoolgirl Dragon Ball meme first blew up this spring, the below photo popped up online in Japan. It shows…

Famitsu reports that Etrian Odyssey: Millenium Maiden, the new, story-focused dungeon crawler coming out in Japan on June 27, will have cutscenes and an animated opening. Cutscenes and an animated opening done by Madhouse, of Trigun, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Paprika fame, no less.

Parents Ask Vladmir Putin To Ban Death Note in Russia

This past February, a fifteen year-old girl jumped to her death in Yekaterinburg, Russia. In her room, four copies of the wildly popular Japanese manga Death Note were discovered along with a suicide note that read, “I don’t want to live anymore”. Some blamed the comic for the girl’s death, and now a group of…

Japan Has a Giant Godzilla You Can Play With

Kurihama Flower Park is not safe! Actually, it is. The giant Godzilla that towers above the play area doesn’t breathe fire. Heck, it doesn’t even move. But, the kaiju does have an unusual secret. This nine meter tall, five ton Godzilla is actually playground equipment. The monster’s tail doubles as a slide for children. However,…

At a recent meeting, Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata said (via Reuters Japan and Business Week) that Nintendo isn’t currently planning on lowering the Wii U’s price to improve sales.

That Huge Anime Inspired Hamburger Looks Gross

Today in Japan, fast food chain Lotteria launched its ridiculous nine-patty hamburger, which was inspired by anime Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. While the promotional photo showed a proud hamburger, the real deal is…yeah Dubbed the “Q-Story Cheese Burger”, it’s priced at the equivalent of US$12.86. Here are various pics collected via Twitter: まいく,…

An Iron Man 3 Poster You Will Never Forget

In Taiwan, Iron Man 3 isn’t the only super hero movie debuting this spring. There’s another one. HK: Hentai Kamen is opening soon in Taiwan. This is why, according to Wow! News, internet users in Taiwan have whipped up this unforgettable Iron Man 3 and HK collaboration by combining movie posters as a gesture of…support.…

The Most Expensive Wii U System On Sale in Japan

A good rule of thumb is that if something needs to be wheeled in, it’s probably expensive. This is the JoySound Festa. It’s an on-demand karaoke system from Xing, a Japanese karaoke company (no, it’s not from Nintendo per se!). According to Sankei, the set-up uses the Wii U’s software, the Wii U GamePad, and…

In Japan, Saying “Thanks” with Mustard Is Possible But Not Recommended

Let’s say you eat out in Japan. And let’s say, the food is really good. Ditto for the service. How do you express your gratitude? Well, there’s always mustard… The phrase “Mustard Thanks” (“masutaado sankusu” or マスタードサンクス) started popping up increasingly online in Japan this past February and March. It supposedly refers to writing a…

The live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service movie rumor is true. Shimizu Takashi of The Grudge fame is directing, and 16 year-old Fuka Koshiba was picked out of 500 hopefuls to star as Kiki, Yomiuri reports. It is her feature film debut.

This Is Just a Middle-Aged Man Dressed as a Japanese Schoolgirl

He’s called the “Sailor Suit Old Man.” And he’s called that for good reason, too. Whenever you see Hideaki Kobayashi on the weekend, he’s dressed as a Japanese schoolgirl. Recently, Japanese sites and Twitter users in Tokyo have spotted an old guy dressed in a sailor style school uniform—a truly unusual sight to behold. People…

Satoru Iwata is taking over control of Nintendo of America. Its current CEO, Tatsumi Kimishima, will be moving to Kyoto to work as a managing director for Nintendo Japan, while Iwata will assume the role of Global President. So… a global president, direct to you! (Sorry.)

Muse Uses Japan’s Rising Sun Imagery, Forgets It Pisses People Off

British rockers Muse have a new music video out. It was shot in Tokyo, and it’s lighthearted and fun. Oh, except for the part that pissed people off. On YouTube and 2ch, commenters are pointing out that the video briefly featured Japan’s Rising Sun flag—something that angered people online. For many, it symbolizes the country’s…

The Steins;Gate Movie is an Emotional Ride Through Time

Richard: Today, myself and fellow Kotaku author Toshi Nakamura are here to look at the recently released movie sequel to the 2011 Steins;Gate anime: Steins;Gate: The Burden of Déjà Vu Toshi: Which was in turn based on a very successful visual novel. Richard: I very much enjoyed the anime series, saying it “might be the…

Diet Diet Revolution: How I Lost Weight Playing a Video Game

Growing up, I was a very thin kid. Thanks to an amazingly high metabolism, I could eat anything I wanted, as much as I wanted and never gain weight. Once I did nothing but eat junk food and play games over winter break in high school and lost 5 pounds—dropping me to 119 pounds. My…

Chinese Airline Dressing Up Flight Attendants as…Maids and Butlers

In China, one airline isn’t just flying the friendly skies. It’s cosplaying in them. Spring Airlines, a Shanghai-based budget airline, is dressing up its male cabin attendants as butlers and its female ones as maids. Some in China are pleased with the cosplay promotion, comparing it to Japan’s maid (and butler) cafes. Others are not.…

Here Are the Coolest Starbucks in Asia

Chain establishments can start to blur together. They start to seem the same, because they all look the same. That’s not always true for Starbucks, especially in Asia. Some of its ubiquitous coffee houses are not only unique, but so cool. Yes, most Starbucks in Asia do look like the Starbucks you’d see anywhere in…

The Special Attacks in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 Are Just Insane

Like most shonen anime and manga, One Piece is filled to the brim with crazy attacks and special moves. But what would these attacks be if they weren’t all given names to be shouted at maximum volume whenever said attack is used? With everything from the Gum Gum Elephant Gun to the Mirage Tempo: Fata…

How a Bill Gates Handshake Caused Controversy in South Korea

Bill Gates is dedicating his life to helping others. But let’s not judge him on that. Let’s judge him on how he shakes hands. Because that’s important. The above photo is all over the South Korean press. Gates is shaking hands with President Geun Hye Park. He has one hand in his pocket. That’s a…

Boring Tower Defense Game Spices Things Up With Poop

I don’t care for carrots. I don’t enjoy eating carrots. Throughout my lifetime, the few times I would knowingly eat carrots is when I’m consuming bahn mi, curry, or pot pies. Luckily, my disdain for carrots is only in the real world because saving carrots is literally the point of this tower defense game —…