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Kyoto Int'l Manga Anime Fair Collabs With Black Butler, Bungō Stray Dogs More for Promo Images
Staff for this year's Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair posted four promotional poster images on Wednesday. The images take characters from Black Butler, Bungō Stray Dogs, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Hozuki's Coolheadedness and pair them with popular Kyoto landmarks, like the Sagano Bamboo Forest. The posters will be shared on the event's official website and Twitter account and posted in city f...
Love Stage's Eiki Eiki, HKT48's Rino Sashihara Appear on Boys-Love Talk Program
Manga creators Eiki Eiki (Love Stage!), Tatsuya Egawa (Golden Boy), Mineo Maya (Patalliro!), editor Saki Fujita, and sociologist Dr. Akiko Mizoguchi will appear on NHK's "Sashipedia ~BL o Tansaku Seyo!" program on June 11 with host, HKT48 idol group member Rino Sashihara. During the 20-minute program, Sashihara will investigate the world of boys-love with input from the guests. Mizoguchi has writt...
MegaHouse Gives Android 18 Chest "Upgrade" for 'Dragon Ball Gals' Figure
MegaHouse, the makers of the One Piece Portrait of Pirates (P.O.P.) figure line has made some "adjustments" for their Android 18 figure. Her outfit is the same as her appearance in Dragon Ball Z but the black tank top is fitting a bit differently than viewers probably remember. Android 18 has always enjoyed popularity among the Dragon Ball Z fanbase. Much of her appeal is in her tough, cool attit...
"Seven Star Re-Animate" Fan Project Debuts Dragon Ball Episode
The "Seven Star Re-Animate" fan project debuted its finished English dub version of Dragon Ball's eighth episode, "The Kamehame Wave" on Friday. Seven Star Re-Animate went into production last December with over 250 artists contributing to its creation. The team of animators were inspired by Kaitlin Sullivan's popular "The Moon Animate, Make Up!" project that premiered last year. That project will...
"Moon Animate Make-Up! 2" Sailor Moon Fan Animation Project's Teaser Streamed
Kaitlin Sullivan's popular "The Moon Animate, Make Up!" project is back with a newly reanimated episode slated for next month. This time the team of animators, each tackling a short shot in their own style, are taking on Sailor Moon R episode 68: "Protect Chibi-Usa: Clash of the Ten Warriors." Unlike the previous episode, this one is reanimated to the original Japanese voice track. Moon Animate Ma...
Tokyo Police Hope Kayako & Sadako Will Scare Drug Users Straight
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police, who previously turned to Aikatsu! and Vocaloids for their campaigns, are now hiring two famous ghosts to combat quasi-legal drug use. The Ring series' Sadako and The Grudge series' Kayako appear in a poster shared by the Tokyo Police on Thursday that warns against drug use. It reads: "The shadow of quasi-legal drugs creeps towards you. Once you fall, you can't get up...
Yowapeda Creator Takes Part in Tour of Japan Race
Wataru Watanabe, creator of the popular cycling anime Yowamushi Pedal, participated in the final stage of the 19th Tour of Japan cycling race in Tokyo on June 5. This year's Tour of Japan was held from May 29 to June 5. Watanabe wore the same bright yellow Sohoku High School jersey worn by main character Sakamichi Onoda and other members of the cycling club. A tweet from the Yowamushi Pedal Twitte...
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round Will Add Fairy Tail Costumes
Gust costume pack preview video is also streaming
― The June 23, 2016 issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine is announcing on Thursday that Dead or Alive 5 Last Round will collaborate with Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail manga and anime series for new character costumes. The example image shows fighter Helena as the mermaid Aquarius. Weekly Famitsu announced last month that the game would get a costume pack base...
MBS Mascot Stars in Shiritsu Liyon Gakuen Anime Short Series
Shorts star Mamoru Miyano, Daiki Yamashita, Yuuki Kaji, Hiroshi Kamiya
― Japanese channel MBS launched a new series of anime shorts titled Shiritsu Liyon Gakuen (Liyon Private Academy) on Tuesday. The first 30-second episode is already available on MBS' website. Liyon-chan, the station's mascot, is the series' protagonist. In the series, Liyon-chan is transported into a school into another world. Var...
Pokémon General Election's Winner Declared — And It Isn't Pikachu
The Pokémon franchise's mascot monster was dethroned in the The Pokémon General Election 720. Pikachu might be the "face" of Pokémon but it apparently isn't players' favorite. That honor belongs to Greninja (Gekkōga), the final evolution of the starter Froakie from Pokémon X & Y. The final results were announced on Tuesday's episode of Oha Suta! and at a celebration broadcast live via Line Live on...
Get a Peek at Universal Studios Japan's 'Death Note- The Escape' Game in Promo Video
Beloved series Death Note is bringing fans a chance to team up with L for a realistic escape game as part of "Universal Jump Summer", Shonen Jump's series of summer attractions at Universal Studios Japan. The upcoming attraction is a fully immersing, realistic escape game in which participants work alone or in a group of up to five players to "escape from the evil clutch of Kira by solving the mys...
Tashigi Looks Distressed in Too-Small Swimsuit Figure
Marine officer Captain Tashigi is attempting to squeeze into a racing-style swimsuit for the Limited Edition Portrait of Pirates (P.O.P.) Tashigi Ver. B.B. (Bathing Beauy) figure. The 1/8-scale figure is the latest in the line-up, following Nico Robin, Boa Hancock, and Nami. Despite her best attempts, Tashigi looks practically topless from certain angles and her backside doesn't fair much better....
Sanrio and DLE Create 8-Bit Hello Kitty Anime Short
Sanrio and DLE Inc., the animation studio best known for the supervillian show Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume Neo, have collaborated to produce the animation series, “Sanrio World Tours." The latest video, which features an 8-bit Hello Kitty, debuted on May 31 ahead of its television premiere. In the first video, “Hello Kitty Bit Tour,” two new characters, Taburerōna and Sumaikyā, are introduced. T...
Eisner Winner Paolo Rivera Draws Attack on Titan Vol. 19 DVD Edition Cover
Eisner-winning artist Paolo Rivera drew a variant cover for Kodansha USA's release of Attack on Titan's 19th manga volume. The volume bundles a copy of the second episode of the Attack on Titan: No Regrets original video anime. The volume goes on sale on August 2. The first episode of Attack on Titan: No Regrets was bundled with the special edition of volume 18 in April. The special edition volume...
Free Visual Novel Stars Characters with Scribbles for Faces
Protagonist has memory loss, psychological issues
― Visual novels and dating sims are a very common genre in Japan, leading some developers to experiment with wacky premises like dating pigeons. The free visual novel chaos pastel orange has been attracting attention on social media for its distinctive art style and tone. "Hel, the man-eating bird! In philosophy, the bird of judgment turns people into...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Snacks Come to Japanese Arcades in August
They're NMAAAAAI!
― The latest episode of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable saw Okuyasu experiencing amazing (if unconventional) Italian food. It may not quite be the same as Tonio's mozzarella and tomato antipasto, but Banpresto is bringing an Okuyasu Umaibō (Tasty Stick) to Japanese arcades in early August. Umaibō are puffed corn snacks with both sweet and savory flavors like chicke...
AKB48 to Perform Regularly at Universal Studios Japan This Summer
On June 2, the popular idol collective AKB48 made the surprise announcement that they would be performing regularly at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka this summer. 16 members of the group, including Mayu Watanabe and Haruna Kojima, were performing a concert at the event stage in the park's New York Area; they sang 10 of their greatest hits, including "Heavy Rotation" and "Everyday, Katyusha." The...
Sanrio Boys Merchandise is Here
Say the right passphrase for a free manga
― Sanrio is unveiling the Sanrio Boys merchandise it had first announced in April. Beginning on June 24, the clear files and acrylic key chains seen below will be available in Sanrio stores (and other locations). The clear files will cost 250 yen ($2.30) and the key chains will cost 650 yen ($6). And that's not all! If you say the right passphrase, the cashi...
Tokyo Gundam Project to Host International Gathering at Life-Size Gundam Statue
Japanese students, foreigners to host cultural performances
― The Tokyo Gundam Project has sought to revitalize Tokyo's waterfront area by capitalizing on the fame of Mobile Suit Gundam, since the life-size Gundam statue is now based there, at the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba. This year's events will be called the "Tokyo Meeting," which brings Japanese high school students together with foreign ex...
Cardcaptor Sakura Gets Its Own Newspaper
Advance copies available at Tokyo Toy Show
― Cardcaptor Sakura will get its own newspaper, Cardcaptor Sakura Serial Newspaper. Fans can get a sneak peek at the Takara Tomy booth at the International Tokyo Toy Show, to be held June 9-12 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center (although general admission is June 11 & 12); it will be distributed for free. Visitors will also be greeted at the booth by K...
TeniPuri Festa Will Declare Series' Best Character Songs Out of 800
This year's TeniPuri Festa, a yearly event to celebrate Takeshi Konomi's The New Prince of Tennis manga, is adding some competition to its line-up. The July issue of Jump Square magazine revealed on June 3 that TeniPuri Festa 2016 ~Gassen~'s ("Battle") theme will be battle, as the subtitle suggests. Fans will be able to vote on their favorite out of the series' 800 unique character songs to decla...
Life-Size Taurus Aldebaran Statue for Saint Seiya Exhibit Completed
The life-size golden statue of Saint Seiya's Taurus Aldebaran created for the 30th anniversary "Complete Works of Saint Seiya" exhibition has just been completed. Shown below, it stands at 210 cm tall (just under 6'11") and is both the tallest and heaviest out of all of the 12 planned statues. As previously reported, the life-size golden statues will depict the "Gold Saints" of Saint Seiya, who a...
Space Brothers Art to Adorn H-IIA Rocket
Art to be composed of 10,000 kids' drawings
― The Himawari 9, a meteorological satellite, will launch sometime this year with an H-IIA rocket. It will carry artwork from Space Brothers — the first time in history a rocket has been decorated with manga art. The Dream Art Rocket Project will use two illustrations drawn by Chūya Koyama, the creator of Space Brothers. One shows the manga's character...
Hatsune Miku Shows Us How to Eat Pocky in Summertime
Also: how to play tunes with Pocky
― Ezaki Glico's chocolatey snack Pocky may be familiar to Japanese kids and anime fans everywhere, but there's a "proper" way to eat it in the summertime: stick it in the freezer for a bit first. When it's frozen, the snack makes an audible snap when broken. Allow Hatsune Miku to demonstrate: If you're the type who enjoys making music out of everyday objects, you mi...
Love Live! Sunshine Mini-Unit Guilty Kiss' 1st Single Previewed
The Love Live! Sunshine mini-unit Guilty Kiss, comprised of characters Yoshiko Tsushima (Aika Kobayashi), Riko Sakurauchi (Rikako Aida), and Mari Ohara (Aina Suzuki), are releasing their first single, "Strawberry Trapper" on June 8. The single comes with two songs, the title track and the song "Guilty Night, Guilty Kiss!" as well as a drama part titled "Yūran-sen de Doko made mo ❤" Lantis is strea...
MechaGodzilla Figure Gets Unit-02 Paint Scheme, Too
Just one month after the announcement that MechaGodzilla would get a limited edition Unit-01 paint job at Japanese 7-Elevens, Premium Bandai and the Evangelion Store announced that it too, would sell a purple MechaGodzilla model and a Unit-02 version, too. The 30cm figure is modeled after MechaGodzilla as it appears in the 2002 Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla film. The heavily armed version has ro...
Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III's 1st Blu-ray/DVD Art Revealed
The official website for the Sailor Moon multimedia franchise revealed the artwork for the first Blu-ray and DVD release of Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III. The first volume jacket shows Sailor Moon with her companions Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. The box art is a dark navy blue with a red bow showing the five Guardian's planetary symbols. The volume includes the series' first four e...
Steelers' Wideout Antonio Brown Looks to Pokémon to 'Catch 'Em All'
Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown revealed his secret inspiration on ESPN's NFL Live on Wednesday. The football player has one particular character he tries to emulate when he's out on the field. Brown said on the program: I don't have a number, I just want to catch them all. That's always my goal is to maximize every opportunity and every throw that's coming my way. To be consistent, be a...
Fate/Extella's Limited Edition Comes with 3D Saber Bride Mousepad
Gilgamesh's bonus costume gets pulled for changes
― Marvelous Inc.'s Fate/Extella action game for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 is throwing in some added fanservice for customers that purchase the premium limited edition "Fate/EXTELLA VELBER BOX." The box set includes a 3D mousepad of Saber Bride. Someone must have managed to undo the lock on her bodysuit zipper. The 19,990 yen (US$187) package...
California Gallery Holds Official Tezuka 70th/Unico 40th Celebration
Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California will hold an official exhibition to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the late Osamu Tezuka's career debut and the 40th anniversary of his work Unico. The event is in its planning stages. The exhibition will show tribute artwork from 30 different artists, display rare memorabilia, sell exclusive licensed Tezuka merchandise, offer themed refreshments and host...
Sun & Moon's Topless Pokémon Professor Has Fans Hot & Bothered
The tropical setting of Pokemon Sun & Moon means a more liberal dress code for what is usually the franchise's most straight-laced NPC. Each Pokemon incarnation had its own professor, the character that gives players a quick rundown on the game dynamics and their starter Pokemon before sending them on their intrepid journey. The role is usually filled by a Professor Oak type, a somewhat serious-lo...
Wakako-zake's Wakako Endorses Iwatsuka's Bar Snacks
Wakako, the protagonist of Wakako-zake, loves to imbibe beer and munch on tsumami, the bar snacks that typically accompany it. It's no surprise, then, that she goes "Pushushu~" to Iwatsuka Confectionary's line of bar snacks "for adults." The above video (starring Miyuki Sawashiro of the Wakako-zake anime) introduces Iwatsuka's Ebi Kari, a deep-fried rice cracker stick flavored with shrimp and curr...
Aoi Nishimata Draws Clamp's Rayearth for Anime Busience Magazine
An illustration of CLAMP's original work Magic Knight Rayearth drawn by Aoi Nishimata will be on the front cover of volume 11 of the Anime Busience magazine, which will be released on June 13. Nishimata is an illustrator whose previous work includes character design for Shuffle!, Final Approach, and Lovedol ~Lovely Idol~. Magic Knight Rayearth, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in 20...
Kayako & Sadako Take Their Grudge to the Baseball Field
On June 1, teams Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows held a baseball showdown with a horrific twist at Sapporo Dome. Two spearheads of the horror genre, The Ring series' Sadako and The Grudge series' Kayako, took the mound for a fast-pitch game. As the baseball match ended, Sadako fell to Kayako's victory. Commentators said that Kayako's enthusiasm was "the end of Sadako's ...
Onna no Yūjō to Kinniku Manga Mixes Women's Friendship and Muscles
Onna no Yūjō to Kinniku (Women's Friendship and Muscles) is an unusual ongoing manga about a group of three muscular, athletic women and their struggles with love and their body proportions. They may be strong, but they are also kind and are constantly doing their best to help other people. The manga is serialized on Saizensen's Tsui 4 website and so far four manga volumes have been published as w...
Gintama Characters to Host Variety Program Next Month
The Gintama television anime might be over for now, but the characters are keeping busy. Starting on July 2, the Kids Station satellite channel will air the Gintama Station variety program, with new episodes every other week. During the 14-minute program, characters will address comments from viewers which can be submitted through the Kids Station website. The show will host Gintoki Sakata, Shinpa...
Square Enix Streams Introduction Movie for Visual Works Exhibit
Visual Works, the CG movie production department of game developer Square Enix, is the subject of an exhibition currently being held at the Ooka Makoto Kotoba Museum in Mishima, Shizuoka. The game developer began streaming an introduction film for the exhibit on Tuesday to give a taste of what visitors can see. The exhibit opened on March 26 and will run until August 31. Visitors get the opportuni...
Tour a Manga-ka Share House in French TV Program
The French television program toco toco began streaming its interview with Yuka Fukuma, the manager of the Tokiwa-so Project, on Wednesday. The project was founded 10 years ago and provides low-cost housing in Tokyo for aspiring manga creators working on their professional debut. The video shows one of the houses that can host up to five people. The project has expanded beyond Tokyo and into Kyoto...
Nostalgic Fans Recall When Taking Care of a Tamagotchi Wasn't So Easy
The creature-raising Tamagotchi keychain game was originally released by Bandai in 1996 and kept many owners awake in attempts to keep their beloved digital pets from dying, either from starvation or poor living conditions. Tamagotchis couldn't be toilet trained and owners risked the little monster becoming increasingly filthy. The toys were popular with school children, so much so that they were ...
Color-Coordinated Mr. Osomatsu Lingerie Revealed
The collaboration brand Tajuary is working on its next lingerie project after previously creating Gangsta-inspired women's underwear. This time the company is looking to the limitless popularity of Mr. Osomatsu to create a series of color-coordinated two-piece camisole and bloomers. The main color is a sheer aqua blue with dark pink, dark blue, light green, yellow, lavender, and light pink accent...
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra Plans 'Hatsune Miku Symphony' Concert
The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra is following the NHK Symphony Orchestra's lead by performing a concert with virtual idol Hatsune Miku. While the NHK Symphony's concert paired Hatsune Miku and other artists with the orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra's concert is described as the "first-ever concert to showcase masterpieces focusing on Hatsune Miku." The orchestra will perform Hatsune Mik...
Free!'s Iwami Recruits Cosplayers for Pool Clean-Up Duty
Iwami is a seaside town in Western Japan's Tottori Prefecture and the setting of Free! Eternal Summer. Like the first episode of the anime, the pool at Iwami High School is in need of a clean-up and staff are hoping to enlist the help of 40 volunteers. Volunteers will be split into groups of 20, with the first group helping on June 4 and the second group on June 12. If there's a large turn out, st...
Takeshi Konomi Announces Prince of Tennis Charity Event in Kumamoto
On May 26, Takeshi Konomi, the manga artist behind The Prince of Tennis, announced that he would participate in a Prince of Tennis charity event on June 26 to benefit the victims of the April earthquakes in Kumamoto. To drum up anticipation beforehand, he posted a series of tweets in the voices of his characters (particularly in those of Kippei and Senri, who hail from Kyushu, where the earthquake...
Popin Q CG Idols Show Off Their Dance Moves
The idols of Toei's upcoming Popin Q movie dance their hearts out in two CG-animated promotional videos. In the first video, character Isumi Kominato joins with a group of chibi dancing animal people that represent each of the film's characters. The following video is set to the movie's theme song "Teenage Blues" performed by P.IDL. The cast appears in both their normal forms and animal forms. The...
Pikachu Name Change Protest Highlights Language Tensions in Hong Kong
A small protest took place at Chater Garden in Centra to the doors of the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong on Monday. Approximately 20 protesters held signs and marched together to protest Pikachu's pending name change from Bei Ka Chiu (Cantonese) to Pei Ka Yau (Mandarin). At first glance, the issue may seem minor but it highlights a general discomfort with perceived "cultural whitewashing"...
English Textbook Character Ellen Baker Gets Unauthorized Hug Pillow
Ellen Baker, the fictional young English teacher featured in the new edition of the Japanese English-language textbook New Horizon who achieved wide-spread internet popularity is now featured on an unauthorized hug pillow despite her creators' request for "discretion." The hugging pillow cover is for sale on Yahoo! Japan's shopping website for 5,088 yen (US$46). The pillow is being sold by Pepera ...
Idolish 7 One-Year Anniversary Campaign Includes Full Album, Themed Cafes
Also: Ichiban Kuji lottery
― August 20 will be the one-year anniversary of the release of IDOLiSH7, a rhythm mobile game focusing on male pop idols. To welcome the occasion and thank fans for their support, Bandai Namco Online is unrolling a campaign months in advance. On August 24, IDOLiSH7 will finally get its first full album, i7. The album will contain 12 songs and come in three different edition...
Nodame Cantabile Actress Juri Ueno Marries Singer Shō Wada
"For the two of us, it was very natural"
― GYABO! Juri Ueno (Nodame in the live-action Nodame Cantabile) announced via fax on May 26 that she has married Shō Wada, singer and guitarist for the rock band Triceratops. She is 30 years old and he is 40. Ueno was added to Wada's koseki (family registry) and will live with him, but the ceremony and reception haven't been held yet. A photo posted by JURI (@...
Toast Dragon Quest's 30th Anniversary with Premium Sake
Also: deluxe artbook
― It's been 30 years since the first Dragon Quest introduced role-playing gameplay to the Famicom/NES, and Square Enix is determined to honor the occasion. On May 27 it offered fans a junmai daiginjōshu (the highest quality of sake) from Fukumitsuya to celebrate. The sake, called Soshite Densetsu e... (roughly, "And Then, Towards Legend..."), is brewed from 100% Yamada Nishiki r...
Pretend You're Spending the Night in the Matsuno Household at Ikebukuro Hotel
Futons, Hatabō's flag, even Chibita's oden stall
― The Sunshine City Prince Hotel in Ikebukuro will offer Mr. Osomatsu fans a big treat this summer: a suite that recreates the Matsuno household thanks to the niche interior design company SO-ZO. Guests are greeted by Osomatsu at the door and the other brothers in the entryway. The room itself is decorated and outfitted in the same way as the Matsuno b...
[email protected]'s Hiromi Hirata Gives Birth to Baby Girl
Voice actress Hiromi Hirata (Makoto in THE [email protected], Ruji in Zoids Genesis, Maggie in R.O.D -The TV-) hadn't updated her blog since February. Her latest post, on May 26, reveals that there's a good reason for that: she's given birth to a girl this month. In the cool season of May, I gave birth to my second child, a girl! We are both healthy, and now my eyes are spinning at the thought of a four...
Dedicated Fans Can Get 8" Tora Figure with 13 Blu-ray/DVD Volume Purchases
Ushio & Tora fans who purchase all 13 home video releases of Ushio & Tora can apply to receive a 20cm (about 8in) Tora figure. Each Blu-ray volume costs 6,500-8,500 yen (US$59-77). Buying the entire series on Blu-ray would cost roughly 97,500 (US$883). There are additional bonus items available for customers who buy the whole set. Amazon Japan will offer a storage box and digipak with new artwork...
Join NERV's Godzilla Division With Bags, Keychains. and Storage Bins
The only organization strong enough to take on all the Godzilla and Unit 01 crossover merchandise is U.N. NERV's Anti-Godzilla Division. The specialized unit has a modified logo, replacing NERV's maple leaf with the spikes from Godzilla's back. Prospective recruits can join the battle between Unit-01 and Godzilla by purchasing a folding storage container, camo duffle bag, storage pouch, t-shirt, ...
Hello Kitty & My Melody Step Out for Adventure in Super Mario Maker
Sanrio's Hello Kitty and My Melody are joining the roster of Nintendo's Super Mario Maker Wii U level-creating game. The two mascots join Nisekoi's Chitoge, the original Pokemon starters, Babymetal, and Daigasso! Band Brothers P's Yu Ayasaki. Nintendo began streaming a gameplay video of Hello Kitty and My Melody on Friday. The character costumes are available after players clear a new event course...
Inti Creates CEO Joins Criticism of Mighty No. 9 Trailer
Trailer slammed for narration, graphics
― A trailer for Mighty No. 9, the Mega Man-styled action-platforming video game developed by Comcept and Inti Creates, was released on May 25. It has received widespread scorn, in part because of its graphical quality and in part because of its narration, which is widely perceived as patronizing. The most derided line is "stuff... that'll make the bad guys cry ...
Monster Hunter Stories Game Plans Pom Pom Purin, DAIGO DLC
CAPCOM's Monster Hunter Stories Nintendo 3DS role-playing game isn't even out until October but the company is already planning its downloadable content. After the game's release, CAPCOM will offer a Pom Pom Purin costume for Naviloo, turning the Felyne into Sanrio's beret-wearing dog mascot. More details on how to obtain the costume will be announced later. The recently wed singer and BREAKERZ ba...
Sadako & Kayako's Next Collaboration is Spooky-Cute Hello Kitty
The ghoulish stars of Sadako vs. Kayako have gone horseback riding and stumping to promote their film's release on June 18. The duo's next collaboration is with Sanrio's Hello Kitty, a mascot all-too-familiar with crossovers of every stripe. The merchandise, which features a long-haired Hello Kitty climbing out of a well and her twin sister Mimmy as Kayako, launches on the same day as the film. I...
Scientists Nickname Gas-Absorbing Galaxy 'Akira'
Galaxy steals gas from neighboring galaxy, Tetsuo
― A team of scientists answered an intergalactic riddle that has left many stumped. An international team discovered why galaxies that previously absorbed gases at a rapid rate and produced an impressive amount of stars will suddenly stop. University of Tokyo's Edmond Cheung and his team used manga, the kind penned by Katsuhiro Otomo and the Mapping N...
Space Patrol Luluco Crosses Over with Animator Expo's SEX and VIOLENCE with MACHSPEED
Studio Trigger's short form sci-fi comedy Space Patrol Luluco has recently crossed over with the studio's other projects as the protagonists travel through space in search of a stolen city. Luluco, Midori, and Nova have encountered obvious references to Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia. In the latest episode premiering today, director Hiroyuki Imaishi takes the crew to his yellow world from ...
Horror Icons Sadako and Kayako Compete in Cup no Fuchico Horse Racing Web Game
Sadako options added to game
― The upcoming film Sadako vs. Kayako pits two iconic ghosts, Sadako from Ring and Kayako from Ju-On: The Grudge, against each other for the first time. On May 29, the Japan Derby horse race will be held. What better way for these vengeful spirits to exercise their animosities than by racing horses? The face-off, organized by the Japanese entertainment site Kai-You, was c...
Barefoot Gen Author's Undelivered Letter to President Obama Discovered
A letter penned by the late Barefoot Gen author Keiji Nakazawa to U.S. President Barack Obama was discovered. In the letter dated August 20, 2009, Nakazawa praises the President's speech in Prague calling for an end to nuclear weapons and urges him visit the atomic bomb museums in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, talk to survivors, and continue to push for disarmament of nuclear weapons worldwide. You can ...
Smartphone Game Features Stray Cats Who Turn into Handsome Hunks
Stars Shinnosuke Tachibana, Hiroki Yasumoto and others
― The Japanese smartphone game Alchemy of a Stray Cat and Love (Noraneko to Koi no Renkinjutsu) revolves around a familiar premise: a young lady finds herself surrounded by a group of attractive young men with an assortment of hair styles and personality types. The twist in this case is that the lady is an alchemist and the men are all actually s...
New Sailor Moon Musical Cast Will Appear at Usagi & Chibi-Usa Birthday Celebration
The new cast appearing in the fourth 20th-anniversary stage musical of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga will attend this year's Usagi & Chibi-Usa birthday celebration.The five actresses will be joined by Sailor Moon voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi. Tickets to the event will be distributed by lottery to members of the Sailor Moon fan club. Members can enter the lottery via an application on the me...
New York Nintendo Store Will Demo Wii U Legend of Zelda Game
Nintendo will show off its upcoming The Legend of Zelda game at its booth at this year's E3 convention in Los Angeles. Those bound to the East Coast that can't make it to the public E3 Live event can instead head to the Nintendo Store in New York for a chance to play the game and watch a live-stream from the show floor. Nintendo will select 500 fans who sign-up at its Super-Fan Signup Day on June ...
Ghibli Museum Will Reopen with Miyazaki-Curated Retrospective, Giant Catbus
The Ghibli Museum in Tokyo is preparing for its reopening in July with brand-new exhibits and attractions, including a retrospective on animation curated by Miyazaki himself and a Catbus large enough for adults to climb inside. Miyazaki's exhibit isn't strictly limited to Ghibli works and includes Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Nutcracker alongside Spirited Away, Heidi, Girl of the Alps, P...
Char, Garma Star in Gundam Thunderbolt Theater Manners Ad
Bandai Visual began streaming a theater manners ad for the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky theatrical screenings. The video stars bird versions of Char and Garma where Char misbehaves by recording footage, yapping on his cell phone, and kicking the seat in front of him. In this version, the duo speak in a Kansai dialect. Garma: Gosh, am I looking forward to the movie! Char: H...
LaLa Magazine Celebrates 40 Years with Exhibition in July
Hakusensha's LaLa has been the home for popular manga like Snow White with the Red Hair, Kare Kano, Natsume's Book of Friends, Maid-sama!, Ouran High School Host Club, and Vampire Knight since it launched 40 years ago. The publisher and a total of 63 creators are participating in a large-scale exhibition event with original artwork and areas set up by theme. Visitors can see works in the "LOVE," "...
Watch Hideo Kojima's Full Q&A Session at the Nordic Game Conference
Last weekend, the annual Nordic Game Conference took place at Slagthuset in Malmö, Sweden. The first event was held 2004 and has since established the Nordic Game Program and a grant to fund gaming projects.The conference's speakers included Kojima Productions founder Hideo Kojima. Kojima participated in a 30 minute question and answer session which is now streaming with English subtitles for anyo...
Max Factory's Makes 10 Life-Size Bridal Lingerie Momo Belia Deviluke Figures for 2.5 Million Yen
Hobby collectible producer Max Factory first unveiled its life-size figure of To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness' Momo Belia Deviluke at the Tora no Ana 20th Anniversary Appreciation Fair last year. The figure depicts Momo in bridal lingerie like the cover of the To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness: Venus artbook. The company announced that it will produce a total of 10 of these 160cm (5'2") figures and rel...
Justin Leach, Dai Satō Name Promising Anime Directors to Watch
Animator and producer Justin Leach (Kick-Heart) and scriptwriter Dai Sato (Ergo Proxy, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), both members of Japan Society's Innovators Network, held a talk for New York's Japan Society titled "The State of Japanese Animation in a Post-Miyazaki World" last month. Part of the discussion included what directors could possibly fill the void left by Miyazaki. While ...
Eva Store Stocks Evangelion x Godzilla Regional Hand Towels
The Eva Store is stocking 10 limited edition hand towels featuring Godzilla, Evangelion units, Angels, and regional Japanese landmarks. The set includes Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. Each towel costs 1,296 yen (US$12). With Hideaki Anno (the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion) helming the upcoming Godzilla Resurgence film (along with Attack on Tita...
Mr. Osomatsu's Matsuno Brothers Celebrate Their Birthday with Theme Song Remix
The sextuplet stars of Mr. Osomatsu are celebrating their birthday this week with a special remixed version of "Six Same Faces ~Kon'ya wa Saikō!" starring the life-size Matsuno brothers and Iyami. The brothers are also planning a birthday party event on Tuesday at Charmant Scena Tokyo wedding hall in Shibuya with all six brothers appearing in costume, a huge cake, and keepsake prizes. HAPPY BIRTHD...
Cosplayers VampyBitMe & Livia Chu Star in Food Wars! Spoof
Cosplayers Linda "VampyBitMe" Le and Livia Chu star in a Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma live-action spoof as cutting edge chef Alice Nakiri and meat advocate Ikumi Mito. The short opens with three customers requesting Japanese-style food, but the order elicits a disagreement between the two characters. It's decided that the only way to settle the matter is with a Shokugeki. The short was written, di...
Chalk Artist Renarena Returns to Create Giant Dragon Quest Heroes Ⅱ Mural
Square Enix began streaming a video on Friday to promote the release of its Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy's End action game for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita. The video artist Renarena draw a huge, 14-meter wide mural of monsters and characters from the game entirely out of chalk. The blackboard was transported to and displayed at Shinjuku Station. The mural will ...
Megumi Hayashibara Shares Her Thoughts on Modern Voice Acting
"You're made to feel like an indispensable person, but in three years' time that position might change"
― The mook (a publication that's part magazine, part book) Seiyū Premium interviews voice actors who got their start in the industry in the 1990s, a time when demand sharply increased for new talent, especially female talent. Among these actresses is the legendary Megumi Hayashibara (Rei in Neon Ge...
Love Live! School Idol Festival Event Draws 51,149 in Attendance
Franchise confirms Festival event for 2017
― The official Twitter account of KLab's Love Live! School idol festival smartphone game announced on Sunday that the game's "School Idol Festival Thanksgiving 2016" event that took place over this past weekend drew an attendance of 51,149 visitors. Last year's event drew 39,459 visitors. The Twitter post also confirmed that there will be a Thanksgiving even...
Aichi Prefectural Police Turn to Pretty Boys to Stop Train Groping
Previous campaigns used female characters
― As fashion gradually changes with the warming weather, incidents of molestation and illicit photography on Japanese trains increase. That's why the Aichi prefectural police are launching a campaign to eradicate molestation and make women feel safer on transit. They're spreading the word through crime prevention lectures, musical performances, public announc...
Love Live! Thank-You Event Draws Massively Long Lines
Crowds already huge five hours in advance
― Over the weekend (May 21 - 22), the Love Live! School idol festival Thanksgiving 2016 event was held in the Ikebukuro Sunshine City complex in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Livers (Love Live! fans) clamored to obtain exclusive merchandise and see the girls of Aqours and their sub-units take the stage. The lines this event drew even had many Livers' jaws on the ground. ...
Space Brothers' Kasarinchu Performs at Japanese Space Center
Coincides with new album release
― On May 18, the J-pop band Kasarinchu performed a concert at the Tanegashima Space Center south of Kyushu. The band is associated with Space Brothers, having performed its seventh ending theme, "New World," and their concert included the song "Ato Ippo" ("One More Step"), an image song dedicated to the Space Brothers character Serika. Their concert, titled "To the IS...
Yo-kai Watch to Haunt Universal Studios Japan This Summer
Also: new commercial for Dragon Ball Z attraction
― Yo-kai Watch is returning to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka this summer as the "Universal Yo-kai Watch Festival." The main attraction will be Yo-kai Watch: The Real, which has visitors walk through a town street searching for hidden Yo-kai with the help of a Yo-kai Pad (map), Yo-kai Watch (which alerts the wearer to nearby Yo-kai) and Yo-kai Lens ...
Get a Mr. Osomatsu-Style Makeover with "Matsumaker"
2015's surprise hit, Mr. Osomatsu, stands out with its old-fashioned, cartoony art style. This has made it very easy to imitate for fan artists everywhere, but now a fun online service, Matsumaker, makes designing a Mr. Osomatsu-style character a cinch. The service gives you a set of options with your character's hair, shirt, mouth, eyes, and accessories, along with the background. The emphasis is...
New Artbook Presents Japanese Illustrators' Takes on Classic Paintings
Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh and more reinterpreted
― Japanese illustrators tend to work on things like video games, light novels, and commercial promotions, but that doesn't mean they can't take on "high art." As if to prove this point (or disprove it, if you prefer), 43 professional illustrators have drawn their own versions of classic artwork and collected them in an upcoming artbook, Eshi de Irodoru ...
Evangelion × Godzilla Crossover Continues with Another Eva-Colored Godzilla
Also: chibi Evangelion × Godzilla characters
― With Hideaki Anno (the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion) helming the upcoming Godzilla Resurgence film (along with Attack on Titan's Shinji Higuchi, who wrote and storyboarded several Evangelion episodes), an Evangelion × Godzilla crossover should come as no surprise. And indeed, that's what transpired following an April Fool's update to the Godzilla...
Takayuki Yamada Casts Dragon Quest Spells at Work in New Commercial
Also discusses personal Dragon Quest preferences
― It can be easy to forget that even widely known fan jargon still sounds like complete gobbledygook to ordinary people. Still, it's unlikely that most of us use it as much as Takayuki Yamada (Terraformars, Bakuman.) does in his commercial for Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy's End. The commercial shows Yamada at a board meeting deli...
U.S. Band Pentatonix, Daisuke Ono Collaborate for Planetarium Show
Texas-based a cappella group Pentatonix and voice actor Daisuke Ono are being featured together in a new program screening at Konica Minolta Planetarium in the Sunshine City building complex located in East Ikebukuro. The "Star Flight Hokkaido" program is narrated by Ono while the Pentatonix is providing the music. The program will launch on June 11 and runs for about 40 minutes. It offers views o...
NIS America Opens Poll to Add Character to Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet Game
NIS America opened a poll on Wednesday for fans of Touhou Project. The poll specifically refers to the Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet shoot'em up fighter game for the PlayStation 4. The title will expand its roster, but players can first vote on which character they'd most like to see added to the game. The character with the most votes will be included as the People's Choice Winner when NISA r...
Ayana Taketatsu Goes Steampunk for Latest Single
Voice actress and singer Ayana Taketatsu has lent her vocal chops to Dagashi Kashi, Lance N' Masques, High School DxD New, and Yuruyuri - Happy Go Lily. On June 22, she'll release her ninth single "Miss. Revolutionist," a song that blends a near future aesthetic, steampunk, and "revolution." The music video (note: video is region-locked in the U.S.) was created under the supervision of Toshitaka S...
British Animator's Full R-Type Animated Short Project Streamed
Paul Johnson's animated R-Type project for the YouTube channel Mashed began streaming on Wednesday. R-Type is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game from the late 80s. Johnson, with inbetween assistance by Claudia Montealegre, created the short with 17 drawings per second. Mick Lauer and Hayley Nelson voice Player One and Player Two, respectively. For comparison of Johnson's inspiration, here's ...
Ghibli Animator Directs Kumamoto Union's 'Nikoyaka Shokudō' Anime Ad
Koji Aritomi directed, storyboarded commercial at Encourage Films
― The Kumamoto Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative Union's website began streaming an anime commercial titled 'Nikoyaka Shokudō' (Smiling Restaurant) on Wednesday. The commercial is intended to highlight produce grown in the prefecture, including meat (niku), rice (kome), vegetables (yasai), and fruit (kajitsu). The first characters of...
Check Out the Unique Displays from the Attack on Titan: Wall Sapporo Exhibit
The Attack on Titan exhibition took over Tokyo in 2014, followed by stops in Oita, Osaka, and Taipei. The exhibit is currently running in Sapporo until May 25 with exhibits unique to the location. Outside is a smaller-sized, but still grotesque, titan to greet visitors. Inside, among the standard displays, is a model of the Colossal Titan attacking a snowy city. A larger version made of snow was f...
Takuya Eguchi, Sōma Saitō Join Sanrio Boys Project
Sanrio's bishōnen mascots that love Sanrio mascots are one step closer to a potential anime, game, or idol unit. Five popular voice actors signed on to bring the characters of Sanrio Danshi (Sanrio Boys) to life in a mini-drama on YouTube ahead of the Sho-Comi manga adaptation that launches next month. The cast includes: Takuya Eguchi (Haikyu!!'s Yūji Terushima, My Love Story!!'s Takeo Gōda) as Kō...
Music Unit eyelis' New Album Includes Group's Anisong Works
The musical unit eyelis has created theme songs for Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Unlimited Psychic Squad, and the most recent season of Snow White with the Red Hair. The unit, consisting of Satomi Kawasaki, Takeshi Masuda, and Wataru Maeguchi formed in 2012 and they released their first single the same year. On Wednesday, the group will release the full-length album cresce...
Midori/Shōjo Tsubaki Café Isn't for the Faint of Heart
If the idea of an eyeball panacotta and a sundae topped with maggots doesn't have you screaming in terror, the stomach-churning Shojo Tsubaki cafe might be up your alley. The café "holy" in the Daikanyamachō area of Shibuya is getting a menu makeover from May 24-31 to mark the debut of the live-action "erotic grotesque" film based on Suehiro Maruo's Shojo Tsubaki horror manga. A store inside the c...
Hikaru Utada's 1st MV in 6 Years Uses Stop-Motion Animation
Singer Hikaru Utada released a 30-second preview of her music video for her single "Hanataba o Kimi ni" (Bouquet for You), the artist's first in six years. The video uses stop-motion animation with artwork by Keiko Tsuji. A music video preview for the track "Manatsu no Tōriame" (Midsummer Shower) is also streaming. Longer version of both videos can be viewed at Utada's website. Singles for both tr...
Hentai Kamen's Revealing Superhero Garb Now a Costume
The barely-there costume worn by panty-mask superhero Hentai Kamen will be available for sale to anyone brave enough to wear it. Don Quijote and MEGA Don Quijote retailers will stock the costume set. Each set comes with the face transformation mask, panty mask, the V-shaped bodysuit, beige inner pants to wear underneath (lest onlookers get a real eyefull), and fishnet stockings. Price for the set...
All Out!! Rugby Anime Inspires 3 New Figures
This year's upcoming rugby anime All Out!! attracted attention with its announcement flyer, specifically Captain Takuya Sekizan's front and center derriere. Union Creative's Menshdge Technical statue line is adding three of the characters from the manga and anime, bringing their athleticism into the 3D world. Captain Sekizan, the timid and shy protagonist Sumiaki Iwashimizu, and Wing-position Mas...
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