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English Teacher Illustrator Comments on Character's Sudden Popularity
"It's kind of amazing how much activity went into this"
― On Thursday, we wrote about the new Japanese middle school English-language textbook, New Horizon, and its cute English teacher character, Ellen Baker. Japanese netizens swiftly became infatuated with Ms. Baker, and Twitter and Pixiv have been flooded with fanart of her. (The previous article focuses on a particular meme involving Ms. Baker de...
Cancelled Metal Gear Solid Fan Remake Returns with David Hayter
The cancelled Metal Gear Solid Unreal Engine 4 "Shadow Moses" fan remake has reemerged as the The Fan Legacy: Metal Gear Solid. The new project is a virtual reality, first-person museum experience focusing on fan-art gifted from contributors of the "Shadow Moses" project. Original Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter has signed on to contribute to the project. It's slated for release for free for ...
Nintendo Offers Kirby, Super Smash Bros.-Themed Amiibo Diorama Kits
Both diorama kits available on April 28 in Japan
― Nintendo revealed on Thursday that it will offer diorama kits for its Amiibo figures. The company will offer Kirby- and Super Smash Bros.-themed diorama kits on April 28 in Japan. Each diorama kit will have space to display the Amiibo figures, as well as accessories to match the theme. Users can also fold the kits for storage or transport. The Kirby...
Anthropomorphized Version of Sanrio's Fillet Mascot Kirimi-chan Gets 2 Manga in April
Kirimi-chan credited for 1st manga, Soyogo Iwaki draws 2nd manga
― The official website of Kadokawa's Sylph magazine announced on Monday that the magazine will begin serializing a manga this month based on the anthropomorphized version of Sanrio's Kirimi-chan mascot. The manga is titled Kirimi-chan Gijinka Aquarium ~Kirimi-tachi no Legend~, and Kirimi-chan herself is credited as the writer, with assi...
Fans Recreate Classic Zelda in 3D for 30th Anniversary; Nintendo Takes it Down
Developers Mike McGee and Scott Lininger created an ode to Nintendo's classic The Legend of Zelda game for the franchise's 30th anniversary. The result was is a browser game that took the original pixel art from the NES game and brought it into a 3D world. Unfortunately, the game didn't get to stay up very long. Nintendo asked the creators to remove the game for copyright infringement not long aft...
Arina Tanemura Draws Idolish 7 Project's 'Koi no Kakera' Album Jacket
The CD jacket art for the Mezzo single, the latest CD release from Idolish 7 "big media-mix project" was revealed on Tuesday. Like the previous Good Night Awesome single, Arina Tanimura drew the jacket artwork. Kasumi Fukagawa (Persona 3 The Movie #1 Spring of Birth assistant animation director) also drew art for the release. MEZZO is a duo consisting of Tamaki Yotsuba (KENN) and Sogo Ohsaka (Atsu...
Erotic Sketch of Code Geass' C.C. Auctioned for 830,000 Yen
An erotic sketch of Code Geass' C.C. drawn by the series' character designer Takahiro Kimura fetched 830,000 yen (US$7,670) on the auction site Mandarake on Wednesday. The auction opened last month with a starting price of 60,000 yen (US$554) but climbed to its sale price after 60 bids. The sketch is signed by Takahiro Kimura with a January 4, 2009 date. If your curiosity has gotten the better of ...
Mega Man Creator Inafune Makes His Own Super Mario Maker Level
The Polygon website's YouTube channel streams an interesting series called "Devs Make Mario" where video game developers like Castlevania's Koji Igarashi and Shovel Knight's level designer Michael Herbster make their own Mario levels in Super Mario Maker. The latest developer is Mega Man's Keiji Inafune. He created a jump-focused level with a retro feel. Inafune is currently working on the crowd-f...
University Professor Uses Bakemonogatari in Japanese Literature Class
Wants to break down barriers between "literature" and "light novels"
― Are light novels "literature?" With their fantastic elements, casual writing style and dialogue, and young demographics, Japanese generally do not think so. They are rarely taught in university classes on Japanese literature. But Masahiro Hirose, a professor in the subject at the Aichi University of Education near Nagoya, is tryin...
English Textbook Character Inspires Battle-Ready Meme
The English-teaching textbook New Horizon released its newest edition and added a new character, Ellen Baker. Ellen is a cute, blonde assistant language teacher that appears through out the pages to help teach concepts. Her design has attracted attention on Twitter, not only for being cute but also because on particular image is ripe for meme images. In the original, Ellen-sensei is discussing her...
Future GPX Cyber Formula Zero Inspires New Merch Ahead of 2017
The Future GPX Cyber Formula Zero original video anime is inspiring a resurgence of merchandise. Why this particular OAV? Within the series, Formula Zero took place in 2017; a futuristic sounding year when the episodes were released in 1994. The line of goods includes two new zip-up parkas and a reprint of Bleed Kaga's earrings. The zip-up designs are based on Hayato Kazami's Sugo Asurada team an...
Sanrio Boys Get Their Own Line of Merchandise
The official Twitter account for the cute guys of "Sanrio Danshi" (Sanrio Boys) project announced that they will get their own line of merchandise starting in June. Sanrio will release clear files, keychains, a calendar, and more on a monthly basis. The project opened its website earlier this year. The project stars Kōta Hasegawa, a high school boy that loves the yellow Pom Pom Purin dog. By mere ...
Watch Babymetal Make Their U.S. Television Debut on The Late Show
The official YouTube channel for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert began streaming the Japanese idol group Babymetal's performance from last night's show. The trio performed the track "Gimme Chocolate!!" from their 2014 album Babymetal. Their new album, Metal Resistence was released on April 1. The trio's world tour kicked off with a performance at The SSE Arena Wembley in London on April 2. The ...
Oscar-Winning Studio Robot Animates 4th Marukome Miso Ad
The anime studio Robot returned to animate the fourth commercial for Marukome, a food company best known for its Ryōtei no Aji (First-Class Flavor) miso products. The 30-second and 90-second versions of the "Ryōtei no Aji-Eki Miso Jōkyo-Hen (Ryōtei no Aji Brand Liquid Miso Soup: Moving to Tokyo Chapter) ad are streaming on Marukome's website, and will debut on television on April 7. The story foll...
Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III's 1st Blu-ray/DVD Art Previewed
The first episode of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III debuted this week and pre-orders quickly opened for the season's first Blu-ray and DVD releases. The franchise's official website revealed that like previous seasons, the home video release will include a limited edition that comes in a special box. The first volume's box shows Uranus and Neptune. Special features include audio ...
Funassyi Follows Up Budōkan Announcement With Virtual Reality Stage Play
Funassyi is following up its solo Budōkan concert announcement with another one-of-a-kind mascot experience.The unofficial pear-fairy mascot of Funabashi City will star in a virtual reality stage play at the DMM VR theater beginning on June 30. The story is titled "Legend of Funassyi" and promises to be an "epic fantasy adventure" performed live on a holographic stage in full CG animation. Tickets...
Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition's Teddyloid, DAOKO, Hibiki Yoshizaki Return for College CM
The minds behind Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition's "ME! ME! ME!" and "GIRL" shorts teamed up for a commercial to promote HAL Tokyo College of Technology & Design. Composer Teddyloid (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Space Patrol Luluco), rapper DAOKO, director Hibiki Yoshizaki (Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~) and character designer PALOW created the commercial. The video streamed on YouTube ahead o...
Babymetal Idol Group's Late Show Appearance Confirmed
The official website for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert confirmed the Japanese idol group Babymetal will appear on the show tonight. The group's American distributor RED announced in February that the group was confirmed to appear on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert the week of the album's April 1 release. Since the announcement, the information was removed from RED's website for the album, ...
Latest Unreal Engine Fan Project is Castlevania
Fans have been revisiting classic video games and souping them up with the Unreal Engine for high-definition remakes. Amateur game developers have taken on Pokemon, environments from The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario 64. The "Shadow Moses" project was attempting to remake Metal Gear Solid but staff shuttered the project last month. YouTuber Dejawolfs spent four months on his own remake of Castl...
Wrestling Trio Go Super Saiyan for Wrestlemania 32
The WWE's Wrestlemania 32 kicked off on Sunday with plenty of surprises outside of headline matches between Roman Reigns and Triple H, the Undertaker and Shane McMahon, and Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar. One ring entry that grabbed anime fans was the trio The New Day. The group busted out of a giant cereal box to reveal themselves in Saiyan Armor from Dragon Ball Z. The #BootyOs are flowing on the...
Goku Cosplayer Takes His Flying Nimbus to Los Angeles
Goku cosplayers on flying nimbuses are popping up all over the world to delight and astound civilians. The latest cosplayer is Johannes from Melonboard Electric Skateboards who rode around on a few of company's boards in Los Angeles. YouTuber YUKON1 made a similar video in February where he rode around in Taipei. A previous Goku cosplayer was spotted flying around Dragon Con in Atlanta last year. ...
Life-Size Godzilla Reminds Visitors To Manage Their Oral Hygiene
Official Shinjuku tourism ambassador and rampaging monster Godzilla wants to remind visitors that taking care of their teeth is important for bodily health. The Godzilla bust atop Kabuki-cho's TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku can be seen holding an equally giant cup with the word "Isodine" written on the side. Isodine is a brand of mouthwash being promoted by Mundipharma in collaboration with Toho. The cup w...
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Takes Over Shibuya in Commercial, Wall Ads, Masks
Staff dressed as "Kabane" hand out tissues
― Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block began streaming a new commercial on Monday for WIT Studio's original television anime series Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Kōtetsujō no Kabaneri). The video features the main cast giving a message to fans and features animation from the upcoming series. Text: Shibuya-only commercial Cast: Everyone currently walking th...
4 New Versions of McDonald's Anime Shorts With AKB48 Idols Streamed
Chūgoku, Kyūshū, Hokkaido, Chūbu/Hokuriku versions streamed
― McDonald's is streaming four more versions of its "Mirai no Watashi" (The Future Me) campaign anime shorts. The first video is the Chūgoku version of the short, featuring the voice of Ikumi Nakano, who is from Tottori prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The second video, the Kyūshū version, features Narumi Kuranoo, who hails from Ku...
Zombie Schoolgirls ”Infest" Uniqlo to Promote I Am a Hero
Customers visiting Ikebukuro's Sunshine 60 shopping complex on April 1 were treated to an unusual sight at the Uniqlo outlet: 20 high school girls dancing in zombie-like makeup. They were impersonating ZQNs, the monsters of I Am a Hero, a horror-thriller manga with an upcoming live-action film adaptation. The ZQN-schoolgirls performed three times for three minutes each at the store entrance, in th...
Funassyi Gets Its Own Concert at the Budōkan
Freaks out over prospect
― Funassyi, the bizarre yet very excitable pear-based mascot unofficially representing Chiba Prefecture's Funabashi City, has amassed quite the fandom in Japan over the past few years, even eclipsing other, official yuru-chara (regional mascots). On April 1, it gained a privilege other yuru-chara can only dream of: a concert at Tokyo's famous Nippon Budōkan concert hall (whic...
Luffy Gets into Superhero Mode in Live-Action One Piece: Burning Blood Ad
Also: watch Japanese comedian get electrocuted
― Luffy tries out some Spider-Man-style aerobatics in the new (mostly) live-action ad for One Piece: Burning Blood, an upcoming fighting game. Tokyo is being assaulted by Crocodile and Enel, so who else are you gonna call? If you're interested in watching some gameplay footage, this Japanese ad has several minutes of it. It also attempts to recreate a ba...
Naruto Cheers on My Hero Academia's Deku
Words of support from Masashi Kishimoto
― With the premiere of the anime adaptation of Kōhei Horikoshi's hit Weekly Shonen Jump manga My Hero Academia swiftly approaching, its protagonist, Deku, recently got a shout-out in Shonen Jump issue 17 from a fellow aspiring warrior: Naruto. Naruto is shouting "Congrats on getting an anime! Believe it!!" (Yes, the "believe it" bit is actually dattebayo.) Naru...
Corporate Twitter Accounts Get Their Own 4-Panel Manga
Sharp and Tanita personified as handsome young men
― If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in corporate social media departments, Sharp, a major electronics manufacturer, and Tanita, a firm specializing in digital scales, have an entertaining answer. These companies attracted a following through their Twitter accounts, which led to a four-panel manga in the magazine Kurofune Zero abo...
One Hundred Famous Artists Scheduled for Exhibit on April 29
Ume Aoki, Otohiko Takano, Hajime Ueda, and 97 more
― Eshi 100-nin-Ten (100 Artist Exhibit) is scheduled for April 29 through May 8 this year. As the name indicates, it displays artwork from 100 prominent artists and illustrators in the anime, game, and light novel industries. This year's theme is "color." The theme transcends the word's dictionary definition to encompass the concepts "the condition t...
Character Designer Mel Kishida to be Maid for a Day
Gonzo illustrator Mel Kishida (Hanasaku Iroha, Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland) will try out a new job on April 3: maid. At a maid cafe, no less. He will carry on the proud tradition of cute Japanese maids, drawing pictures on omrice (omelets filled with rice) with ketchup and chanting cute incantations (his will be "Mel Mel"). He will also hold an autograph session. What Mel Kishida-chan ...
New Cannabis Works Art Book Explores Tatsuyuki Tanaka's Sensibility
13 years after the publication of the art book Cannabis Works, veteran animator Tatsuyuki Tanaka is back with a follow-up, Cannabis Works 2. The work contains book covers, magazine illustrations, CD jacket illustrations, art for the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2015, character designs for Short Peace (among other projects), drawings and sketches for various unrealized projects, and a 22-page story ...
Prince of Tennis Creator Will Sing Jump Shops' Theme Song
Takeshi Konomi, the manga artist best known for Prince of Tennis, has signed an exclusive artist contract with Shueisha. He became the publisher's one, and only, in-house recording artist. He kicked off his career with a stage show in January and is now recording a theme song for Shonen Jump Shops. (It should be noted that Konomi tweeted the image on April 1). 【JUMP SHOPのテーマ曲】をこの度依頼を受け作らせて戴きました(๑•...
Leiji Matsumoto Designs Sci-Fi Inspired Costumes for Idol Trio
Leiji Matsumoto , the man behind Galaxy Express 999, Star Blazers, and Captain Harlock can add "techno idol costume designer: to his long list of achievements. Matsumoto himself designed costumes for the idol trio Cupitron for their latest single covering the Galaxy Express 999 theme song. The designs were inspired around the motif of fairies in a digital world. Cupitron formed in 2014 and include...
Latest Dark Souls III Trailer Reimagines Game as B-Movie Splatter Film
From Software's Dark Souls III is a gothic horror-action game. Fans are already enjoying the title after its launch in Japan last week. Bandai Namco America decided to have a little fun on April 1 and released a trailer for the game edited to look like a cheap splatter film of the VHS era. The game is slated to ship in Europe and North America on April 12. The "Apocalypse Edition" available in Eur...
See All the Snow Miku 2016 Sights in Digest Video
Every year, Sapporo throws the Snow Miku 2016 festival and rakes in over 100 million yen (about US$839,433) in revenue, with about 40 different companies participating in the promotion. This year's design was sporty, with Miku decked out in owl-themed gear and ready to take on the slopes. The virtual idol's new song "Yuki Ga Tokeru Mae Ni" ("Before the Snow Melts") by Doriko debuted in November, S...
Wake Up, Girls! Miyagi Prefecture Promotional Short Streamed
Short highlights Miyagi prefecture's sights, local cuisine, culture
― Avex Pictures began streaming "Wake Up, Girls! no Miyagi PR Yarasete Kudasai!" (Wake Up Girls! Please Let Us Promote Miyagi!), a new anime short for the Wake Up, Girls! franchise, on Monday. The short is part of a larger "Wake Up, Miyagi! Fure-Ai Project in Taiwan" campaign to promote Miyagi (the anime's home prefecture) as a touri...
Sanrio Puroland Will Host Hatsune Miku Mystery Event
The world of Vocaloid will be cast into a spooky mystery at Sanrio Puroland for two weekends this summer. On July 30-31 and August 6-7, Rush Japan, in cooperation with the Exit Tunes record company, will host the "Bad ∞ End ∞ Night" event based on the song series composed and written by Hitoshizuku-P and Yama△ with illustrations by Suzunosuke and character designs by Hidari. The series includes si...
Anime/Manga/Game Industry Celebrates April Fool's Day 2016 Part II
It's that time of the year again: the cherry blossoms fall, and the April Fool's pranks fly. Japan's anime, manga and video game industries are fun-loving enough to participate in this tradition every year. Here are more of 2016's best anime-related April Fool's pranks. AOKANA: Four Rhythm Across the Blue The anime is now NEKOKANA: Four Rhythm Across the Cat. sprite次回作・猫の彼方のフォーリズム-UMYAI-を発表しました。#ね...
Sanji Goes for Full Sex Appeal in Ab-Revealing Figure
Move over Nami and Robin, a new, brooding Sanji figure is upping the sex appeal ante. The Portrait of Pirates (P.O.P.) line of figures is adding a new acronym, "SOC." The SOC series celebrates the 12th anniversary of the P.O.P. figure line and will focus specifically on characters sitting in chairs and Sanji is kicking it off on April 1 by sitting in a leather chair in low-rise pants and an open ...
Anime/Manga/Game Industry Celebrates April Fool's Day 2016
Mr. Osomatsu, Fate/Grand Order, Is the order a rabbit?, and more
― It's that time of the year again: the cherry blossoms fall, and the April Fool's pranks fly. Japan's anime, manga and video game industries are fun-loving enough to participate in this tradition every year. Here are 2016's best anime-related April Fool's pranks. Bravely Default Work in progress.Don't miss it! pic.twitter.com/4D9hPSFN1...
Attack on Titan x Rascal Collaboration Substitutes Terror for Cuddles
Rascal the Raccoon is a popular collaborative partner, transforming Tiger & Bunny and Madoka Magica characters into cuddly furballs. The raccoon has set his sights on the Attack on Titan anime series for his next collaboration. The specifics are still under wraps with an official reveal scheduled for April 14. The collaboration's official webpage currently hosts the often parodied image of the Col...
Mini Documentary Discusses Importance of Sailor Moon for 90s LGBTQ Kids
Sailor Moon holds a unique place in the anime fandom as a common entry point for many 90s kids and introducing queer characters to children's television. DiC's adaptation of the first two seasons and Cloverway's release of S and SuperS both removed quite a bit of what was regarded as controversial content. Zoisite's gender was changed to female to remove his gay romance with fellow villain Kunzite...
5,000 Love Live! Fans Line-Up for Final Concert a Day Early—For Merch
The Love Live! School idol project idol unit μ's "final" concert issn't until March 31, but thousands of fans gathered outside the Tokyo Dome on March 29. The venue would start selling exclusive merchandise on March 30 and fans wanted to ensure they got their hands on it. The crowd grew throughout the day until the line was easily viewable from the nearby Tokyo Dome Hotel. 東京ドームホテルにて上からみたラブライブの物販列...
AKB48 Founder Appointed Honorary President of Yoyogi Animation Academy
The Yoyogi Animation Academy, which has branches around Japan, appointed AKB48 founder Yasushi Akimoto as its honorary president and general producer on Monday. Yoyogi Animation Academy recently acquired the "Ginga Gekijō" theater in Tokyo and will set up its "Practical Idol Course" training sessions beginning in June. Akimoto said at his inauguration that the move looks to further infuse the worl...
Japan Cabinet Office Posts Manga to Convey the Dangers of Drug Use
The Japanese government released a new manga in the hopes of combating the growing trend of illegal drug use. The Cabinet Office released the 10-page manga "Tatta Ichido no Ayamachi" (A Single Mistake) earlier this month about a male college student who begins to use marijuana at the urging of an upperclassman. The student's marijuana use leads to use of other drugs and addiction. One night, while...
Scratch and Sniff Your Fav Mr. Osomatsu Brother
Magazines have ridden the wave of Mr. Osomatsu popularity since the show helped sell out issues of PASH!, Otomedia, and Animage. The June issue of Shogakukan's shōjo manga magazine Ciao is next in line. The issue is including a page of scented Mr. Osomatsu stickers. 次号ちゃお6月号売り切れ必至パターン入りましたwおそ松シール&アイカツスターズカード封入www気をつけよう ٩(๑>◡<๑)۶:.｡+ﾟ#aikatsustars #ちゃお #おそ松さん pic.twitter.com/nwEOTlFkvj— [email protected]/...
New Cardcaptor Sakura Clow Card Set is Interactive
Takara Tomy will introduce line that includes Sealing Wand, Clow Card Book, Kero-chan that talks
― Cardcaptor Sakura's powerful Clow Cards are getting yet another reprint, but this time Takara Tomy is creating the set as part of an interactive line of products. The set of 52 cards will include RFID chips, so they interact with a brand-new Clow Card Book, a Sealing Wand (that lights up), Sealed Key, ...
Fans Speculate on Mr. Osomatsu Sequel Based on Hidden Messages
The Mr. Osomatsu anime series' came to an end on Monday, but cryptic messages in the episode's end card and hidden in the episode have fans speculating that it's only a matter of time before we see the sextuplets again. Of course, the staff could be simply poking fun at the concept of hidden messages all together. The rumors started when the series' official page and Twitter account went on tempor...
Halko Momoi is Seeking Suggestions for Male-Performed Anisongs to Cover
Singer and voice actress Halko Momoi is working on her new, tentatively titled album Self Kaba (Self Hippopotamus) and plans to include some fan-submitted cover songs. The album is slated for late July, but she'll accept suggestions until March 31. The only catch is Momoi is specifically asking for anime songs originally performed by male artists. Momoi has performed theme songs for almost 30 anim...
The Anthem of the Heart Characters Star in Sony Walkman, Headphones Ad
Aniplex Japan began streaming a 30-second ad for The Anthem of the Heart's collaboration with Sony high-resolution Walkman and headphones on Monday. (Note: the linked video is region-locked). Kokosake x Sony collab CM by pKjd The ad first premiered at the Aniplex booth at Anime Japan 2016 last weekend and will begin running on Japanese television next month. The Japanese Academy Prize nominated fi...
Fukushima Gainax's Miharu Tourism Anime's 1st Episode Streamed
The first episode of anime studio Gainax Fukushima's "Miharu no Arumiigo" net series to promote Miharu town in Fukushima began streaming on Monday. The series of cut-out animation shorts follows Harumi-chan, a young girl who visits her grandfather's house in Miharu. While looking for her grandfather, she hears voices coming from the storehouse. Inside she sees a trio of fairies and follows them in...
Bandai Namco Announces Plans to Open Virtual Reality Experience Center
Bandai Namco announced on Monday that the company will open a virtual reality "experience center" in Tokyo next month. "VR Zone: Project I Can" will give individuals to test out the latest in virtual reality technology without breaking the bank. In exchange, Bandai Namco gets valuable feedback on how to improve their virtual reality simulations. The company will offer six games to try out: Fear of...
Pepper Opens Cell Phone Store Staffed Entirely by Robots
Pepper, the humanoid robot designed to be "a genuine day-to-day companion," can also be adapted for business use. Softbank, the Japanese telecommunications company that co-developed it, is proving this point with a Softbank store along Tokyo's Omotesandō road staffed entirely by robots. When customers enter the store, they are greeted by four Peppers. They are equipped with monitors on their torso...
Results Announced for Love Live! Sunshine Mini-Units Name Poll
The official website for the Love Live! idol anime and music franchise announced the results of Dengeki G's Magazine's mini-unit name poll for Love Live! Sunshine!!'s AQUORS idols. Yō Watanabe, Ruby Kurosawa, and Chika Takami will form CYaRon! Dia Kurosawa, Kanan Matsuura, and Hanamaru Kunikida will form AZALEA Yoshiko Tsushima, Riko Sakurauchi, and Mari Ohara will form Guilty Kiss Voting opened o...
Enough Already: Survey Chooses Long-Running Anime That Need to End
One of Japan's most popular anime tops list
― We may all love anime, but we can also admit that there are some long-running shows that outlast their welcome and need to just end already? We can disagree on what these are, but everyone must have an experience of flipping through channels, seeing a show from your childhood, and wondering, "Why is this still on?" The Japanese website Cyzo Woman surveyed...
Space Adventure Cobra's Terasawa Draws Titular Character at Monaco Anime Game International Conferences
Space Adventure Cobra manga creator Buichi Terasawa attended this year's Monaco Anime Game International Conferences (MAGIC) last month. While at the event, he sat down to sketch Cobra's profile. American companies Onyx and Studio 37 planned to produce a live-action Space Adventure Cobra film with a budget of over US$100 million with Piranha 3D director Alexandre Aja. The film was originally slate...
ERASED Creator Draws Manga Featured in Film Adaptation
Also: His comments on the film
― Satoru Fujinuma, the protagonist of ERASED, is a struggling manga artist. He's drawn the superhero manga Fight! Wonder Guy, but can't get it published, and still must work as a pizza deliveryman to make ends meet. The film adaptation of this story, which was released in Japanese theaters on March 19, features a neat bonus: an actual Wonder Guy book, drawn by Kei Sanbe...
Channel the Samurai Spirit Through Faux Armor Hoodies
Includes mask, crests
― Many an anime fan has dreamed of donning a suit of samurai armor and riding ferociously into battle, sword held aloft. But obviously, actually buying a suit of samurai armor is impractical — too expensive, too bulky, too heavy to wear. Luckily, Tokyo Otaku Mode is introducing a more convenient alternative: a line of hoodies that closely mimics samurai armor. The project ...
Book Design Blog Names Best-Designed Manga of 2015
The Black Museum: Ghost & Lady takes top spot
― While we're all taught not to judge books by their covers and accordingly read reviews and ask around to gauge the values of the stories they tell, it's hard to deny that an eye-catching, unique cover plays a big role in increasing interest in a book on a store shelf. KT certainly thinks so, and KT's blog, Yoi Comic ("Good Comics"), has gained the atten...
Voice Actress/Idol Suzuko Mimori Caught Ring-Handed
Brushes off ensuing furor
― Voice actress and singer Suzuko Mimori (Umi in Love Live! School idol project, Sherlock in Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, Alice in Lance N' Masques) appeared on the latest installment of the online video program Monthly Bushiroad TV to advertise the Bushiroad card game Weiss Schwarz. She plays its mascot, Shiyoko, and has appeared in several commercials for it. (Skip to around...
Hatsune Miku to Appear in "Senbonzakura"-Themed Kabuki at Nico Nico Chōkaigi
Stars alongside kabuki actor Shidō Nakamura
― It's cherry blossom season again, and folks from Kagoshima to Saitama are enjoying the picturesque pink blooms. Naturally this means there are other cherry-themed events coming up, including a combination of the classic kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbonzakura with the popular Hatsune Miku song "Senbonzakura." The combo will take the form of a kabuki play call...
Japan's Cutest High School Girl Crowned
Aichi Prefecture's Rikopin triumphs
― On March 22, the winner of Miss Con, a contest to crown Japan's cutest high school girl, was announced. Rikopin (Riko Nagai), an 18-year-old senior from Aichi Prefecture, stole the show and was awarded "Grand Prix." The finalists in the contest were announced in December and included two representatives from Japan's six regions (smaller regions were amalgamated f...
Experience Muv-Luv Alternative Combat Through Virtual Reality
Series creators to attend gaming event in Akihabara
― Muv-Luv Alternative fans anxious to pilot a TSF against a BETA will get their chance at an upcoming virtual reality event. The combat will unfold through the HTC Vive head-mounted display and uses Unreal Engine 4, the Galleria gaming PC, and Radeon R9 Nano and Radeon R9 390X graphics cards. The game can also be played with the Steam controller, as...
Luffy's Gum Gum Devil Fruit Goes Life-Size
Luffy's fate took an irreversible turn when he found the Gum Gum Devil Fruit in Shanks' treasure chest. Premium Bandai is now offering all aspiring Rubber Humans their own life-size fruit, although this one isn't for eating. Third in the series, the shop previously sold the Flame-Flame Fruit and Op-Op Fruit. Luffy's Devil Fruit is 150mm (6in) high, making it roughly the size of a cantaloupe. It c...
Kuroko's Basketball Deodorant Will Keep You Smelling Clean
Sports and sweat just don't mix, which is why the boys of Kuroko's Basketball are collaborating with Premium Bandai for a second series of antiperspirant "deodorant water" to keep you smelling fresh on the court. Each character comes on color-coordinated bottle with a unique smell. Some are expected deodorant scents, like citrus and florals, while others are headscratchers. What exactly does "squ...
Divine Gate x Blood Blockade Battlefront Smartphone Game Collab Shows More Images
More images were revealed for the upcoming collaboration between the Divine Gate mobile game and the Blood Blockade Battlefront anime series. The anime's official website initially revealed only Klaus Von Reinhertz and Leonardo Watch but has since updated with Zapp Renfro, Chain Sumeragi, Steven A. Starphase, K.K., Zed O'Brien, and Mary Macbeth. The collaboration starts on March 25. Divine Gate wr...
Chitoge Dethrones Onodera, Marika in Shonen Jump's Nisekoi Character Poll
In 2014, Weekly Shonen Jump held a character poll asking readers who their favorite character was. 24,000 fans participated, choosing demure classmate Kosaki Onodera as the #1 choice followed by the secretly unrefined Marika Tachibana as #2 and Raku's "fiance" Chitoge Kirisaki as #3. This year things got shook up. This year's 17th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump will publish the results of the latest ...
Kyoto Animation Marks 50,000 With Short Animation
Fan-favorite studio Kyoto Animation (K-On, Clannad, Free) reached over 50,000 Twitter followers last week. The studio marked the occasion with a short, adorable animation to thank its fans. 京都アニメーション公式Twitterが5万フォロワーを突破しました!皆さま本当にありがとうございます!感謝の気持ちをアニメーションにこめてお届けします。これからもよろしくお願いします!https://t.co/l8U2uz5llN pic.twitter.com/g2yHQ2W7Bv— 京都アニメーション (@kyoani) March 17, 2016 Kyoto Animation is currently an...
Universal Studios Japan's Eva Unit-04 Gets Its Own Revoltech Figure
The Evangelion Unit-04 design created by Evangelion mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita for Universal Studios Japan's "Evangelion The Real 4D: 2.0" attraction is getting a Revoltech EX figure. The figure will get limited sales online and at Universal Studios Japan, although the website is currently sold out. The figure comes with multiple hand parts and action effects to simulate how the Eva look...
New Akihabara Shrine Seeks Miko to Perform Figurine Memorial Services
Akihabara is well known as a otaku paradise with plenty of shops catering to anime goods among the more electronic superstores and crane machine arcades. The district is already relatively close to the Kanda Myōjin Shrine, a shinto shrine that "hired" Love Live!'s Nozomi as a shrine maiden mascot after she appeared as one in the anime series. Akihabara will welcome a new shrine next month. The loc...
Love Live! 'Final' Concert Ticket Auctioned for 430,010 yen
The girls of the Love Live! School idol project idol unit μ's have had a good run. Their singles have regularly ranked in the Oricon charts and overall they were the the eighth best-selling musical act in Japan of 2015. News broke that the March 31-April 1 concerts will be the group's final performances before the group breaks up, and while the members denied the "break up," Emi Nitta acknowledged...
Love Live! Gets Its Very Own Knockoff Dress-Up App
Also: Vocaloid, KanColle
― It seems like Love Live! School idol project is everywhere these days: Sega arcades, tombstones, chewing gum, white rice, men's fashion magazines, The Mike Toole Show, etc. The anime is popular enough that it's receiving the time-honored badge of hit franchises: obvious foreign ripoffs. This dress-up app available on the iTunes store is titled "Dress up ' School idol love l...
Sadako vs Kayako Cup Companions Keep Drinks Spooky
Who would win in a ghostly face-off? The Ring's angry psychic spirit Sadako or Ju-on: The Grudge's vengeful Kayako? A new live-action film, Sadako vs Kayako is asking that question when it opens in theaters in Japan on June 18. To promote the upcoming duel of cursed onryō, PUTITTO is releasing a line of drink companion figures perfect for keeping your beverage deathly cold. The figures include Ka...
Girls & Panzer Helps Ōarai Spring Matsuri Festa Draw 80,000
The coastal town of Ōarai in Ibaraki Prefecture has seen much economic success since the Girls und Panzer anime merged with its annual Angler Fish Festival in November. Since the merge, the town has seen a steady increase in attendee turnout, starting with 65,000 in its first year in 2012 before jumping to 100,000 in 2013. This year the anime also joined forces with the Ōarai Spring Matsuri Kairak...
Your Lie in April, One-Punch Man Top Sugoi Japan Awards 2016 Results
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper published the winners of its 2016 Sugoi Japan Awards. The project promoted pop cultural works that fans feel are most deserving of foreign attention. Divided into four categories — anime, manga, light novels, and "entertainment novels" — the awards promote the works that have the "universality," "originality" and "potential" to be big international hits. The time fram...
New T-Shirts Combine All Esper Dayo! with Tenga
Lottery for prize package including autographed shirts
― New T-shirts are now available that combine Yoshirō, the hero of the manga All Esper Dayo!, with Tenga, a popular Japanese sex toy brand. Tenga makes several appearances in the series, and the 2013 live-action TV adaptation is famous for a sexy scene between Yoshirō and Sae. Above, the gravure idols Ami Tomite, Anna Konno, and Airi Shimizu mod...
Final Fantasy Type-0 Characters Do Some Spelunking in Game Crossover
Special stage, characters in Spelunker HD Z
― March 19 marked the one-year anniversary of the release of Spelunker HD Z (Minna de Spelunker Z), the sequel to the HD remake of the classic cave exploration game Spelunker. It's also the one-year anniversary of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, the HD remake for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One of the PlayStation Portable game Final Fantasy Type-0. Since both of these ...
The Pokémon Company, U.K. Artist Create World's Largest Pokémon Trading Card Mosaic
The Pokémon Company and U.K. artist Quentin Devine created the world's largest Pokémon Trading Card as a mosaic. The mammoth undertaking measures 10 meters (33 feet) on its longest edge, seven meters (23 feet) wide. Overall its 71.54 square meters (770 square feet) and is comprised of 12,987 individual cards. The picture itself is, of course, Pikachu, and replicates the original card's artwork dra...
Madoka Magica Girls Hop Into LAWSON Easter Campaign
The magical girls of Puella Magi Madoka Magica are returning to LAWSON's for a new Easter-themed campaign. The new round of lottery goods and point prizes reimagine the girls with bunny ears and their soul gems as giant Easter eggs. Customers can get original bromide art starting on April 5, although a unique bromide featuring Kyubey and the Dessert Witch will be available at AnimeJapan 2016 on M...
Gainax Fukushima Tohoku Earthquake Short Gets 25-Minute Version
Anime studio Gainax Fukushima's "Omoi no Kakera" (Fragments of Feelings) animated short to promote Fukushima and Tohoku will get a 25-minute version. The extended version will run on NHK on March 24 at 8:15. The channel will also run the original two-minute and five-minute versions intermittently. The original two-minute short follows junior high student Hina Satō (voiced by Kiyono Yasuno), an ene...
Draw the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Way with Rohan Kishibe's Manga Creator Set
The May issue of Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine will bundle everything JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fans need to start drawing Diamond Is Unbreakable. Specifically, the manga-within-a-manga Pink Dark Boy drawn by character Rohan Kishibe. The set comes with an excerpt of the manga's layout, manuscript, special manga manuscript paper, screentone decal, and a memo pad. The May issue will hit store shelve...
Pacific Rim Gets Fan-Created Anime Title Sequence
Once upon a time, Guillermo del Toro's giant robots-fighting-monsters film Pacific Rim had a sequel, comic books, PlayStation 3 video game, and animated series in the works. Two of those came to fruition and the sequel, while put on the back burner a number of times, is now moving forward with Daredevil and Spartacus alum Steven DeKnight. The animated series is still missing in action but the show...
Assassination Classroom, Kami-Usagi Rope Get Collab Episode
Ryōsuke Yamada, Kazunari Ninomiya guest star in episode airing on March 22
― The television anime series Kami-Usagi Rope: Warau Asa ni wa Fuku Kitarutte Majissu ka!? will broadcast a special collaboration episode to commemorate the opening of the live-action Ansatsu Kyōshitsu: Sotsugyō-hen (Assassination Classroom ~Graduation Edition~) film on March 25. The episode, titled "Kansatsu Kyōshitsu" (Obser...
Aniston, Bateman Film Need Extras to Play 'Harajuku Clique/Bronies/Hello Kitty Lovers'
4 Star Casting is seeking extras to play a Harajuku clique, bronies, and Hello Kitty lovers in the tentatively titled Office Christmas Party film starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Olivia Munn. Shooting is scheduled for the end of this month and early April in Chicago. Actors will be compensated and the listing specifically asks for multicultural actors of all types. The ad includes two...
Sanrio Gears Up for Its 2016 Character Popularity Poll
Sanrio and its huge stable of character mascots are gearing up for this year's character popularity poll. The voting will kick off on April 10 and last through June 19. The winners will be announced at Puroland on July 2. Sanrio has over 450 different characters, however only 100 are up for vote. New choices include Rilu Rilu Fairilu from Rilu Rilu Fairilu ~Yōsei no Door~, Diet member Pepepepen fr...
Splatoon Fanbook Includes Art by Attack on Titan's Hajime Isayama
Nintendo's Splatoon Wii U shooter game is getting a mook titled Splatoon Pia on March 23 with fan art by well-known creators, including Attack on Titan's Hajime Isayama. Mikasa is shown in the upper left side giving a thumbs up of approval. The book also has interviews and comments with celebrities like voice actors Takuya Eguchi (Takeo Gōda in My Love Story!!), Jun Fukuyama (Assassination Classr...
Pile Sneaks Hidden Message into Song Lyrics
Gives credit to person who made her a star
― The Korean-Japanese singer Pile's new self-titled album includes the song "P.S. Arigatō...," ("P.S. Thanks..."), which contains a message hidden in the lyrics. At first glance it seems like a typical J-pop love song. The lyrics sing about "wanting to dream once more with you," "putting heart in the song," and, of course, lots of "shining." But the bold cha...
Arina Tanemura Holds Annual Birthday Party For Fans
Full Moon artist talks about recent adventures, gives out prizes on 38th birthday
― Last Saturday was famous shōjo manga artist Arina Tanemura's (Full Moon O Sagashite, Phantom Thief Jeanne) 38th birthday. And, as she does every year, she spent her special day with her fans at a birthday event. For the price of 6,500 yen (about US$58) per ticket, fans had the chance to attend her birthday bash. The e...
Sanrio Mascot Cinnamon Gets Unauthorized Lewd Twitter Account
The Sanrio character Cinnamon has his own Twitter account, which he uses to keep his 243,000 followers up to date on all of his important activities. Here's a sample, celebrating his birthday on March 6: おはよう♪きのうはたくさんの温かいメッセージどうもありがとう!みんなが居てくれるから、ぼくはぼくで居られるんだ。これからもずっと、お友達でいてね☆ pic.twitter.com/Z7QIitRi4j— シナモン【公式】 (@cinnamon_sanrio) March 6, 2016 Good morning♪ Thank you for all the warm messages ye...
Industry Insiders Offer Reality Checks on Directing Erotic Games, Voice Acting
"95% of directors quit"
― Three industry insiders recently offered insights on the sometimes dispiriting workings of the erotic game and voice acting fields. On March 15, Kei Mimasu, founder and CEO of the adult visual novel developer Akabeisoft2 (Boku no Hitori Sensō, G Senjō no Maō), related the dropout rates for various positions in the erotic game industry based on his experience: "Directors: abo...
Crowdfunding Secured for Anime Short on Kyoto's Subway Girls
Anime to be screened at Kyoto's Subway Day
― Crowdfunding for an anime short based on Kyoto's subway system's promotional campaign, Chikatetsu ni Noru ("Ride the Subway"), has been achieved, with 1.84 million yen (US$16,438) currently raised through the website Makuake. This is enough money for an anime between 30 seconds and one minute; the length will expand to two minutes if 2 million yen (US$17,...
Nagoya Suburb Promotes Itself with Anime Short
Anime follows five high school girls in relay club
― Kariya, a suburb of Nagoya, will use an anime short produced by Zexcs to promote itself to tourists. The anime, Hikari ~Kariya wo Tsunagu Monogatari~ ("Hikari ~A Story Connected with Kariya~"), tells the story of a high school ekiden (long-distance road relay running) club and its efforts to prepare for the ward tournament. Since the story takes pl...
Final Fantasy's Yoshitaka Amano Art Exhibit Features David Bowie Pieces
Yatterman also featured among artwork
― Artist Yoshitaka Amano, possibly best-known for his artwork and character designs for the Final Fantasy franchise, held his "Amano Yoshitaka: Shinka Suru Fantasy" (Yoshitaka Amano: The Evolving Fantasy) exhibit in Tokyo's Yurakucho district from January 29 to March 8. Aside from showing off his works for the video game series, he also showed off some of his wor...
Time-Lapse Video Shows Artist Draw Dark Souls III Scene in Chalk
FromSoftware began streaming a live painting video on Friday to promote the release of its Dark Souls III PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC game. The time-lapsed video shows a gothic cityscape form as one artist draws and smudges it out of chalk. The drawing was created by 20-year-old artist Renarena at the Kansei Happyō Shiyūkai event on March 10. The game is slated to ship in Europe and North Amer...
Saekano's Megumi to Appear in 3-D at AnimeJapan 2016
Uses latest projection mapping technology
― At this year's AnimeJapan convention at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center, fans of Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend will be greeted at a certain booth by a 3-D version of Megumi, the "boring girlfriend" of the title. She will be made by the latest projection-mapping technology by Sony and can be viewed from many different angles. The project is...
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