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Kotaku EastLady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and the Rise of the Googly Eyes
The bigger, the better, right? For a generation of kids, doe eyes are all the rage. Photos of young women in both Asia and the West show that this trend isn’t going anywhere. Big eyes are here to stay. The look is a melding of both the real and the unreal. Eyes that existed only…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 13, 2012 -
Kotaku East
How “Fun” Is Your Country Online? Find Out!
I live in Japan. Japan, according to this poll, is not having much fun on the internet. I grew up in the United States, which is so-so for online amusement. It’s fun, sure, but not everyone is having a good time. But which country is having the most fun online? And what the hell does…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Mario‘s Creator Thinks Angry Birds Is Pretty Damn Good
You might not like Angry Birds. You may think it’s crap—or that it’s not a real game. But you are not Shigeru Miyamoto. He thinks Angry Birds is fantastic. The famed game creator told website Edge that he enjoyed the downloadable game and that it was his favorite non-Nintendo game of last year. “I usually…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
How Microsoft *Almost* Screwed Up a Japanese University
When the Sapporo Gakuin University attempted to transfer their mail system from Hotmail to Windows Live@edu, it looks like Microsoft may have misinterpreted the meaning of the word “Troubleshooting.” After a hiccup in the transfer process, the university’s system engineer followed Microsoft’s instructions, and as a result, ended up deleting the entire university mail system.…
By Toshi Nakamura Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
It’s Back to School Time!
Growing up in Texas, I always looked forward to fall. September was back-to-school time. New pencils. New notebooks. New backpacks. But in Japan, back-to-school time isn’t fall. It’s spring. With the cherry blossoms and flowers in bloom, there’s rich association with new beginnings and the start of spring. When kids are starting school for the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Social Gaming Is Kind of Like Gambling. Pachinko Industry Is Worried.
Blogger and financial investor, Ichirou Yamamoto recently wrote for website 4Gamer on the danger and “slot machine-like” gambling nature of mobile and social games. In his article, Yamamoto writes about the recent spread of social games that utilize a collectible card game random draw mechanic with “rare” items that are often sold via internet auctions…
By Toshi Nakamura Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
If You Have Worries, The Image Will Move
We all have worries: school, work, friends, and families. This image, which is making the internet rounds in Japan, apparently can show just how much you worry. So, if you have few worries, then the second image in the above gallery will probably move slightly, as if its fluttering in the breeze. If you are…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Tekken Fighter Gets All Prettied Up
Famed Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya is readying a “bishoujo” (beautiful girl) version of Tekken character Asuka Kazama The 1/7 scale figure will be out this August. It’s priced at ¥6,510 (US$80). Kotobukiya’s bishoujo line takes beautiful female characters and tries to make them all “bishoujo”—bigger eyes, softer features. Just look at this figure if you…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Check Out That New Game from Capcom, Sega, and Namco
Project X Zone is an upcoming collaboration from Capcom, Sega, and Namco. The game is a role-playing sim and features characters from all three game makers. The characters square off in groups of two and duke it out. Have a look at the game’s first screens. Project X Zone is slated for a 3DS release…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku EastWho Knew You Needed Bikinis and Suggestive Bouncing to Play Video Games?
Japanese pin-up model Yukie Kawamura plays through Super Monkey Ball: Tokumori Asobi-ta! on the PS Vita. In a bikini. While bouncing on a big ball. Clothing is irrelevant and shouldn’t impact gameplay. But will trying to balance on a ball while trying to balance a ball in game impact gameplay? Yes, yes it will. Gameplay,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Guns and Girls. The New Lupin Anime Is Fully Loaded.
The famous French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard once said, “All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun.” That certainly seems to be the M.O. for the new televised Lupin anime, A Woman Called Fujiko The anime recently debuted on Japanese TV (check out the first episode here). In the gallery above,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan Finally Makes Dancing Schoolgirl Game for Kinect
Headed to the Xbox 360 this year, game developer Boost On will be releasing a series of Kinect-only dance adventure games. Titled Love☆Tore, the game will have three versions, “Sweet,” “Mint,” and “Bitter,” and are scheduled for release in 2012 Summer, Fall, and Winter, respectively. In the game, the player takes on the role as…
By Toshi Nakamura Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Marry These Japanese Geeks!
It’s a big decision. Choose wisely. And more and more Japanese women are supposedly picking towards otaku (geeks) for their marriage partners. The reason why otaku make attractive partners is that Japanese women think they won’t cheat on them and that they’ll be good listeners. But not all geeks are the same! And not all…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 12, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Do Not Share Resident Evil 4 Online in Japan. The Cops Might Get You.
Heck, do not share anything online in Japan. The Hyogo Prefecture cyber police nabbed a 34 year-old man for doing just that. On Jan. 26, he uploaded an episode of anime Toaru Majutsu no Index II as well as the PC version of Resident Evil 4 via closed source Share software. The police picked up…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Report: Peeping Toms Targeted Cosplayers
Cosplayers have it rough. It’s not simply coming up with the outfits and posing for all those pics. It’s also the jerkwads they have to deal with. Of course, not all cosplay photographers are bad people—many are very good people. But according to Japan’s Weekly Jitsuwa, there was apparently a “tousatsu team” (盗撮チーム) or “Peeping…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
She’s a Model, She’s Famous, She’s in Pokemon
Every summer there’s a new Pokemon feature film in Japan. And every Pokemon film seems to rope in a big celebrity to do voice work. In the past, Akihiro Miwa and Shoko Nakagawa lent their talents to the flicks. For the upcoming flick, popular Japanese model Rola will be voicing “Marine”, a young girl Ash…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
This 3DS Game Still Looks Bananas
Guild 01 is an upcoming 3DS game made by four different creators. It’s not really “one game” per se, but four games. The games include Kaiho Shojo, a shooting game from Goichi Suda. There’s also Rental Bukiya de Omasse—a game in which you are an arms dealer. Then there’s Air Porter, a airport baggage simulator.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
It’s Like My Little Pony, But with Evangelion
You are looking at some of the strangest Neon Genesis Evangelion products ever released: Evangelion branded mini toy horses. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an iconic Japanese manga and anime that launched in the mid-1990s. The Italian inflatable Rody toy is teaming up with apocalyptic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion for mini Rody horses made to look…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2012