Kotaku East

How That New Pokémon Is Like Frieza from Dragon Ball

Over the weekend, a new Pocket Monster was revealed. The character seemed familiar. However, that’s not because it looks like a new form of the Pokémon character Mewtwo. There’s another reason. The new Pokémon looks like Frieza, the villain in Dragon Ball. And the resemblance isn’t only in that purplish color scheme. On Japanese bulletin…

In China, You Can Pay Women To Play Video Games With You

In many parts of Asia, there is a job called “beer companion”. It’s exactly as its name implies. Young women working for a bar or a beer company dress in relatively skimpy outfits to drink with and to entertain bar guests. It’s already hit the West, but this seems this type of service is now…

Laughably Bad Errors In Chinese TV Spotted By Netizens

Chinese television for the most part is pretty bad. Chock full ‘o’ rules and regulations by ridiculous State Organs, Chinese TV producers are still able to produce TV shows. However despite the producers’ best efforts, Chinese ‘netizens’ are still able to pick up inconsistencies and errors in production. First spotted on Chinese Twitter-like Sina Weibo,…

It’s That Time of Year Again. Time for Giant, Spiritual Dicks.

Every spring, like clockwork, the Kanamara Matsuri is held in Kawasaki, Japan. People flock to the Shinto fertility festival, which honors enormous phalluses like the one above. And no, it’s not actually pixelated. Note: This article contains content that some readers might find offensive. Not every Shinto shrine has fertility festivals or honors giant dongs.…

Kadokawa Games, the Japanese publisher behind the upcoming Killer is Dead, has trademarked “Demon Gaze” in the US. You may recall that Demon Gaze is the name of a rather good dungeon crawler for the PS Vita. [via Siliconera]

One Piece and Dragon Ball Z Collide in this TV Special

A week ago, the new movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods hit theaters across Japan. But that is not the only Dragon Ball-related thing to happen. This last Sunday, Dragon Ball Z returned to TV as part of the Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special!! And, as…

As our pals at Gawker point out, China wants someone to calm down. But it isn’t saying whom. Whoever could it be? Hrm…

Cosplay Mob Immortalized in New Anime

In the past, the Tokyo Game Show relegated cosplay to the corridors between the main convention center hallways (the upcoming TGS, apparently, will be different). Those corridors were always packed with cosplayers—and people. Sometimes things could get a little scary when cosplayers were surrounded. A little? Make that very. The below photo is apparently from…

Here’s the first trailer for Project Versus J J-Stars Victory VS, the latest Shonen Jump crossover fighting game to grace our consoles. It has been described as the “ultimate Jump game” and, well, it sure does look the part. J-Stars Victory VS is coming out in Japan sometime in 2013 for the PS3 and the…

Japanese Teens Are Now Playing Fake Quidditch

Well, that escalated quickly. First, Japanese schoolgirls started uploading photos of faux Dragon Ball moves. Then, Westerners replied with Star Wars style Force Grips. And now? Japanese schoolboys, it seems, are now uploading photos of imaginary Quidditch games. Quidditch, of course, is the broomstick-based team sport from the Harry Potter books. Why “imaginary”? There already…

The Second Arc of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is Better Than the First

When I looked at the first arc of the 2012 anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure earlier this year, I said that it captured the essence of the manga for better and worse. The second arc suffers from the same double-edged sword; but thanks to a far more interesting story and protagonist, it comes off much more…

Light Novel Fan Translators Build a Centralized Community on the Web

Anime is by far the most popular piece of Japanese popular culture to leave Japan and spread to other parts of the world. But as the vast majority of anime series are adaptations, that leads to the question: From what are these anime adapted? Of course, most are originally manga series that become popular in…

Look at this Dragon’s Crown trailer. Just look at it. It’s like concept art coming to life. Absolutely phenomenal—though the title font is still looking atrocious. Vanillaware’s pretty side-scrolling action-RPG will be landing on the PS3 and the Vita on July 25.

“Dogs Wearing Pantyhose” Is Now a Thing in China

The latest meme to overtake the internet in China? “Gou gou chuan siwa” (狗狗穿丝袜), or in English, “Dogs wearing pantyhose”. Note: This post contains content that some readers might find offensive. Hong Kong news site Sharp Daily (via IT Media) is reporting that on Chinese social networking site Weibo, many users are uploading gag photos…

I’ve Never Seen Action Figures Like This Before

Every artist has his or her material of choice. For some, it’s paint. For others, it’s stone or clay. For Japanese artist Shota Katsube, it’s twist ties. You know, twist ties, right? Those metal wires incased in paper or plastic that you use to close up bags and stuff. Katsube twists colorful and shiny ties…

Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment is Tailor-Made for Fans of the Franchise

Sword Art Online is a massively popular franchise in Japan. Last year it was the best selling light novel series in Japan and in my review of the first half of the anime I called it the smartest anime I had seen in years Yet in the half-a-decade since its first release, this franchise centered…

In Japan, There’s a “Girlfriend Coat” to Hug Lonely People

Behold, a coat. That will hug you. And whisper into your ear. Some Japanese students at the University of Tsukuba decided they’d put their effort into creating a coat that could give the sensation of being hugged from behind by their girlfriend. Make that, their imaginary anime sounding girlfriend. The result is called the Riajyuu…

Sega Is Selling a New Dreamcast Controller. It’s a Cute Backpack.

In an effort to appeal to hip Japanese teens (I think?), Sega is rolling out a Dreamcast controller…backpack. This, according to Japanese game site Gamer, is part of Sega’s new brand, “SegaKawaii”. In Japanese, “kawaii” (かわいい) means “cute” or “adorable”. The Dreamcast controller backpack is priced at 13,860円 (US$146) and is going on sale April…

Drakengard 3 Isn’t Just About Making A Sequel… Not Entirely

It’s been 10 years since Drakengard (Called Drag On Dragoon in Japan) was released for the PlayStation 2 and 8 years since the release of its sequel, Drakengard 2. Now, Drakengard 3 is on the way, and according to producer Takamasa Shiba, it’s the perfect time for it. “Everyone says the Japanese game market, particularly…

North Korean Propaganda Website Hacked, Apparently by Anonymous

Uriminzokkiri.com, the North Korean propaganda site, was hacked, it seems. As of posting, it is impossible to access the site. It’s gone dark. What’s more, Uriminzokkiri’s Twitter currently appears compromised and is tweeting, “Hacked” and “Tango Down” for various other North Korean propaganda sites—as noted by website North Korea Tech. Uriminzokkiri’s Flickr page is now…