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Kanan Matsūra Steals the Show in 3rd Single Animated Music Video
The mature Kanan Matsūra stars as the center in Aqours' third single, "Happy Party Train." As the title suggests, the animated music video features train imagery, but everything doesn't look happy. "Happy Party Train" is slated for release on April and will include three songs: the namesake track, "SKY JOURNEY," and "Shōjo Ijō no Koigashitai." The single will also bundle a Blu-ray or DVD with the ...
New Manga Explores Dietary Habits of a NEET
Lazy, but still interested in fine dining
― NEETs (people with No Education, Employment or Training) are usually stereotyped as lazy louts who lounge around the house all day eating high-calorie snacks and frozen foods. But just because you don't have a job or school doesn't mean you can't enjoy good food. In fact, all that free time means you can put that much extra energy into fixing up a scrumptio...
ToraCon Otaku Marriage Consulting Proves Popular With Women
The ToraCon marriage consulting office dedicated to helping otaku find love opened in Akihabara, Tokyo last Saturday. AbemaTV began streaming a video report about the service on Wednesday. Many women are reportedly registering with ToraCon. In the video, a woman in her 30s spoke to AbemaTV on the condition of anonymity. She said, "I looked at Twitter and ran over. [It will be good] if I can find a...
Maya Okamoto Sings Theme Song for Fictitious '90s Anime
"ZANAM, Femme Fatale of Destiny"
― Voice actress Maya Okamoto had many roles in the 1990s, like Orihime in Sakura Wars, Harumi in The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Ono in Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo, and Minato in Martian Successor Nadesico. Since then she has provided voices for dubs of Hollywood movies, but roles in anime have been hard for her to come by. She's found a novel s...
Kaito's New Ao no Flag Manga Trends #1 on Twitter
Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ online manga app revealed on Wednesday that Kaito's Ao no Flag (Blue Flag) romance manga had become a #1 trending term on Twitter. Have you heard of it? Don't worry. Most people outside of Japan's Twitterverse have yet to hear about the series because it debuted only one month ago. Kaito (Cross Manage, Buddy Strike) just launched the series on the app on February 1. The fif...
Play Shogi With Rei in March Comes in Like a Lion 360° VR Pilgrimage Video
It is no secret that anime pilgrimages are a growing trend in Japan. Some fans might even go on pilgrimages to visit the shooting locations of live-action works based on manga or anime. Asmik Ace began streaming a 360-degree virtual-reality pilgrimage video for the live-action March comes in like a lion films on Tuesday. Viewers can explore the setting of March comes in like a lion in the video. F...
Shōnen Jump Celebrates 50 Years With Commemorative Events
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shōnen Jump, Shueisha's male-targeted magazine known for serializing some of the industry's most popular manga series. The magazine currently serializes Gintama, My Hero Academia, Haikyu!, One Piece, Food Wars!, Hunter x Hunter, and Black Clover but some of its other popular works include Naruto, Shaman King, Assassination Classroom, Toriko, Bakuman.,...
Upcoming Light Novel Ties Record for Title Length
They just keep getting longer, and longer, and longer.......
― Japanese light novels have a reputation for unusually long titles. Many of them are so long, bookstore browsers can get a fair idea of what the story is without having to read the plot summary. The list of light novels published in the last two months should give you some idea of how these look. Among the list is a novel slated for public...
Morning Show Recreates Fuji's 'White Whale' Technique From Prince of Tennis
The informational entertainment morning program ZIP! attempted to recreate Prince of Tennis character Shusuke Fuji's Hakugei (White Whale) technique on Wednesday. Former professional tennis player Takefumi Satō joined the show's regular cast to attempt the feat. To use Hakugei, Fuji hits the ball with a super backhand slice, which makes it hop. Then the ball falls suddenly at the baseline. Due to ...
Beat Takeshi Discusses In This Corner of the World's Tokyo Sports Film Award Win
Director, comedian, actor, and television personality Beat Takeshi (Takeshi Kitano) isn't shy to express his opinion on Japan's anime and film industry. In 2014, he expressed what he saw as mutual back-patting between film companies, cinemas, and newspapers with the added bonus of stating that he dislikes animation and Miyazaki's works. When the anime film In This Corner of the World won Best Film...
Tezuka's Phoenix Transformed Into Kemono Friends Character
Mine Yoshizuki draws iconic Phoenix for exhibition this month
― The anime girls of Kemono Friends have captured the attention of audiences in Japan, starring in virtual reality and other fan works. The series is definitely at its peak, if for no other reason that series is crossing over with one of anime and manga's greatest influencers, Osamu Tezuka. The Hankyu Umeda Gallery on the 9th floor of the ...
MIT's Super Smash Bros. Melee AI Dominates Against Pros
Scientists at MIT have developed an artificial intelligence that is an actual challenge to its biological gamer counterparts. The CSAIL team trained a neural network in the fine art of Super Smash Bros. Melee and the result was so impressive that it can knock out top ranked players. The team's lead research Vlad Firoiu told TechCrunch that the AI balances a calculating strategy with reckless aband...
81Produce Asks Fans to Stop Harassing Voice Actors
Voice talent company 81 Produce, the agency of Takuya Eguchi (My Love Story!!'s Takeo, Re:Zero's Julius) and Wataru Hatano (ReLIFE's Kōshi, STARMYU's Sakuya), issued a request to voice actor fans on Tuesday. The request relates to recent extreme actions of fans such as the stabbing of 21-year-old singer and songwriter Mayu Tomita (pictured at right, no relation to the former AKB48 member of the sa...
Live-Action Peach Girl Star Makes Peach-Shaped Prayer
Part of PR event for upcoming film
― On February 28, Mizuki Yamamoto (Momo), Kei Inoo (Kairi), and director Kōji Shintoku attended an event at the Tokyo Daijingū (Great Tokyo Shrine) to promote their upcoming film Peach Girl, a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name. As the shrine is popular among the lovelorn, Yamamoto hung an ema on a blossoming peach tree to pray for success for her ...
Limited Edition One Piece Mihawk, Shanks Woodblock Prints Cost 17,500 Yen
The HKDS Online store added limited edition woodblock prints of One Piece's Shanks and Dracule Mihawk on Monday. The art is priced at 17,500 yen each (US$154) and limited to only 200 pieces per design. The wood prints are joining Sanji, Roronoa Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Sabo, Portgas D. Ace, and Luffy. The artwork is first carefully carved by artist Norikazu Yamaguchi before being pressed on "Sesshu-h...
Company Releases 1st License-Free 3DCG Actress
Japan has previously employed an android to star in a feature film, but Yūno Takasaki may be the first "free-to-use" digital actress. Gugenka from CS-Reporters, Inc. released the license-free actress on Monday. Her creator, CG artist Takuya Igarashi, points out on the official page that Yūno has several "fetish points" that can be enjoyed. The downloadable actress is shown in both her regular clot...
Japanese Theme Park Is Taking Final Fantasy's Bahamut to the Disco
One of the Final Fantasy series' most iconic summons is letting its hair down at an upcoming virtual reality dance party event in Japan. Square Enix is teaming up with the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki for the "Bahamut Disco" attraction in July. Partygoers won't have to wear a VR head mount to enjoy the event. Instead they'll dance the night away in "450-degree" video space that re...
Wake-Up Girls! Yutaka Yamamoto Criticizes Attacked Idol
"You can't help how it looks when you return a present."
― Anime director and Ordet animation studio founder Yutaka "Yamakan" Yamamoto (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fractale, Wake Up, Girls!) commented about a news story of a man getting sentenced to 14 years in prison for stabbing 21-year-old female singer Mayu Tomita (no relation to the former AKB48 member of the same name) on his blog on Tue...
Saori Hayami Voices Finland Mascot in Short Anime
The Embassy of Finland in Tokyo debuted a short anime about its Twitter account mascot "Fin-tan" on Monday. The Twitter account polled followers on who they would like to hear voice Fin-tan, and voice actress Saori Hayami was selected from the suggestions to voice the character. The short is the first anime to star an embassy's mascot. It was created in part to celebrate the 100th anniversary of F...
Haikyu!! Boys Make Cameo in High School Study Booklet Commercials
Juggling the many aspects of high school life can be brutal. There's the classes themselves, extracurricular sports, hobbies, hanging out with your friends, dating, maybe even a part-time job. It's easy for your grades to start slipping amidst the bustle. That's the predicament the boys of Haikyu!!'s Karasuno High faced in season 2. One way they could've coped with it is with Shinken Zemi Kōkō Kōz...
Kemono Friends Dominates Winter Anime on Twitter Rankings
This season's surprise sleeper hit is the most talked about winter 2017 anime series on Twitter, according to the Kadokawa Ascii Research Laboratories. The content and information trend analytics company revealed its research for the most Tweeted anime series between January 24 and February 21, crowning Kemono Friends as the top show by a large margin. The show had 1,257,696 Tweets made in the giv...
Pikachu's Easter Merchandise is Pastels-a-Plenty
Spring is in the air anime and games are coming 'round to celebrate Easter by embracing flower, egg, and rabbit motifs. This is especially true for Pokemon's one and only Pikachu who is adorning itself with a flower crown and posing with painted eggs for a line of merchandise. "Pikachu's Easter" goods will appear in Pokemon Center stores throughout Japan starting on March 18. The items range from...
Virgin-Killing Sweater Finds New Appeal on Male Cosplayers
Male crossplay is hardly a rare sight at Stateside conventions. Men have enthralled congoers as Hestia but have also found barriers to their hobby at Japanese conventions. A current trend, the "virgin-killing sweater," took over pixiv and garnered commentary from Takuya Eguchi and Sanrio mascot Kirimi-chan. During its height, female models posted numerous snapshots on Twitter and Instagram while w...
Idol Nana Asakawa is the Detective Conan 'Shadow Person' Gravure Model
The identity of Detective Conan's 'Shadow Person' gravure star was revealed to be none other than 17-year-old idol and actress Nana Asakawa. Publisher Shogakukan revealed the SUPER ☆ GiRLS member as the girl behind the mask in this year's 14th issue of Weekly Shōnen Sunday on March 1. In the issue, Asakawa wears a black full-body leotard to take on the role. She also appears in more standard gravu...
Haikyu!! Characters Hunt Eggs at Easter-Themed J-World Event
Japan has traditionally ignored Easter, but recent years have seen more amusement park decorations and themed chocolates inspired by the bunny- and egg-filled holiday. Namco's J-World Tokyo indoor theme park will hold a Haikyu!!-themed event this spring to celebrate Easter, which falls on April 16 this year. The "Haikyu!! Karasuno Easter in J-World" event will be held from March 11 to May 7. Durin...
Anime-Focused 2.5D Musical School Opens in Tokyo in 2018
Jikei college group's Tokyo School of Anime will add a program devoted to 2.5D musicals in April 2018. The school will be the first of its kind in Japan. Tokyo School of Anime defines 2.5D musicals as those that are inspired by anime, manga, and video games. The school's website features cast images from the Haikyu!!, Kuroko's Basketball, and other stage adaptations. The new program will host the ...
Ancien and the Magic Tablet Crosses Over With 5 GungHo Games
Ancien and the Magic Tablet's heroine Kokone is traveling to some new locations in her dreams. She and other characters from the film will appear in five different GungHo game titles, including Puzzle & Dragons, Divine Gate, Seventh Rebirth, Summon Board, and Kerihime Suites. Details, including each game's respective collaboration launch date, will be announced in the future. Ancien and the Magic ...
Tomokazu Seki Pens Book for Aspiring Voice Actors
Also: Mitsuo Iwata publishes memoir
― Tomokazu Seki has performed a wide range of roles in anime, like Shinya in Psycho-Pass, Domon in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Yotarō in Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū, Lieutenant Sakuma in Joker Game, and Chichiri in Fushigi Yugi. He also teaches aspiring voice actors at a training school. He's now putting his expertise to even better use and publishing a book, Seiyū ni...
One Piece, Naruto, More Manga Creators Commemorate Final Makibao Volume
Popular manga creators like One Piece's Eiichiro Oda and Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto showed their support for colleague Tsunomaru in this year's 11th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Playboy magazine on Monday. Tsunomaru ended his Taiyō no Makibaō W (The Rising Sun from the Ocean) manga in the 20th volume on Februray 17. The volume also serves as a capstone the entire Makibaō series that began in 1995 wi...
Olympian Usain Bolt Joins Team Skull in Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon
The world's greatest sprinter Usain Bolt is seen rolling with Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon adversaries Team Skull in a new ad. Bolt challenges the viewer to a Pokémon battle where he will invariably run circles around the competition before deploying Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack. Bolt is the Olympian and third professional athlete to appear in a Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon ad this year. New York Yank...
Naoki Urasawa Manga Documentary TV Series Returns for 4th Season
NHK's documentary television series Urasawa Naoki no Manben (roughly translated, "Naoki Urasawa's Manga Exertions") will return for a fourth season on March 2. Veteran manga artist Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys; pictured right in below image) hosts the program that showcases prominent manga artists. The show discusses the guest manga artists' individual styles, work methods, and workpl...
Yui no Shinobi Ninja Rice Ball Smartphone Game's Opening Video Streamed
The official website for the upcoming card-based smartphone game Yui no Shinobi began streaming the opening video on Friday. The video features visual kei band Kiryu's theme song "Gekkabijin." The website also began streaming a character video last Friday that previews the main character's voices. The anthropomorphized ninja rice ball characters represent flavors such as tuna mayonnaise, walleye p...
Yuri!! on Ice's Futon Covers, Calendar, Soccer Collaboration Revealed
After teasing silhouettes earlier this month, M's Factory revealed its Yuri!!! on Ice Japanese futon covers on Wednesday. The polyester covers with special illustrations of Yūri, Victor, and Yuri are available for pre-order now. If unexpected visitors arrive, people can flip the covers over to the plain white back and conceal the risqué ice skaters. Each futon cover costs 9,000 yen (about US$80),...
First Foreign Female Pro Shōgi Player Inspired by Naruto
Attains second kyū (rank)
― On February 20, Karolina Styczynska of Warsaw, Poland, attained the second kyū (rank) in women's shōgi, a chess-like board game primarily played in Japan. This officially makes her a professional player — the first time a foreign woman has done this. She managed a come-from-behind victory against Minami Sadamasu, a more advanced first-dan (level, considered higher tha...
JoJo's Festival to Be Held at the Real 'S City'
Anime and manga can be obtuse about its settings, only stating that live in "Prefecture M" or "X City." An upcoming festival celebrating Hirohiko Araki's Jojo's Bizarre Adventure traveling to "S City Morioh Town," or in this case Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture. Morioh Town is the setting of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. The festival will host an exhibition celebrating the ser...
New Awards Show to Honor Anime-Business Collaborations
Kadokawa's Takeshi Natsuno, Madhouse's Masao Maruyama head selection committee
― Anime committees frequently arrange collaborations, or cross-promotions, between their works and other businesses, be they restaurants, theme parks, car companies, video games, or traditional craft enterprises. It's a mutually beneficial partnership that brings in a new crowd to whatever the business is selling while rai...
Kirby Transforms Into Plushes, Pouches for 25th Anniversary
Character goods maker San-ei Bōeki revealed new merchandise on Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of a certain pink, puffy character. Hal Labratory and Nintendo released Hoshi no Kirby (Kirby's Dream Land) for Game Boy in 1992 and Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe (Kirby Super Star) for Super Famicom (SNES) in 1996. To celebrate the original game's anniversary, San-ei Bōeki is offering Kirby plushe...
Hideaki Anno to Present Selection of His Favorite Tokusatsu at Shinjuku Theater
Over 50 works from about 50 years
― It's no secret that Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shin Godzilla, His and Her Circumstances) is a big fan of tokusatsu (special effects-heavy Japanese action stories). Astute viewers can pick up the influences in his work, he recreates scenes from them in Insufficient Direction (a manga by his wife, Moyoco, on their life together), and he's even curated a m...
Next Sword Art Online Game Goes Analog
Board game designed by Love Letter's Seiji Kanai
― Sword Art Online may be about players trapped in a video game, but its latest game incarnation takes a step back to a more accessible format: the board game. Sword of Fellows puts players in the roles of Kirito and Asuna as they level up in the MMORPG Sword Art Online with the ultimate goal of escaping the game. Players progress through different sce...
A3! Mobile Game Theme Tops Oricon Chart
Downloads now exceeds 2 million
― The "ikemen-raising" mobile game A3! burst onto the scene late last month, generating over 800,000 downloads in three days. 300,000 of those downloads took place on its launch day. The game's popularity continued to grow, as download numbers raised to 1.5 million in two weeks and finally topping two million downloads by February 21. It's not just the game itself that...
ToraCon Offers Marriage Consulting for Anime Fans in Akihabara
For various, oft-debated reasons, young Japanese struggle to form romantic relationships or even successfully mingle with each other socially. For fans of subcultures like anime, manga and video games, finding a loving partner can be doubly difficult. That's why ToraCon, a marriage consulting office aimed at these fans, is opening this weekend, and in the most appropriate place — Akihabara, t...
Celebrate Pokémon Day on February 27
Next Monday is the 21st anniversary of the day the original Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue Game Boy games went on sale in Japan. The Pokémon Company is offering a host of Pokémon Day celebrations to mark the occasion. A special version of Pikachu will appear in Niantic's Pokémon Go smartphone game beginning on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Every Pikachu that players encounter until March 6 at 5:00 p.m. ET...
Japanese Environment Ministry Fights Climate Change with Moe
"Mirai Kimino" teaches "Ima Kimino" how to be more environmentally responsible
― As part of the international agreement on lowering carbon emissions reached in Paris in 2015, Japan has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2030. To educate ordinary Japanese about the energy-efficient lifestyle choices they can make to meet this goal, the Ministry of the Environment has launched a "...
One Piece's Portrait of Pirates Swimsuit Figure Line Adds Kalifa
MegaHouse's Portrait of Pirates (P.O.P.) Limited Edition B.B. (Bathing Beauty) figure line unveiled a new Kalifa figure on Thursday. The former Iceberg secretary shows off her sexy side in a swimsuit inspired by her typical black dress from the One Piece anime. The new figure is about 120 millimeters (about 4.7 inches) tall. Kalifa is the 10th entry in the B.B. figure line that also includes gend...
Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino Praises In This Corner of the World
Video discussion with director Sunao Katabuchi for new entertainment website
― AG-ON Premium, a Japanese web portal for pop culture news including anime, video games, and voice actor-related information, will open on March 17. To drum up anticipation for the website's launch, it has released a preview: the first part of a video discussion between Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of the Mobile Suit Gundam se...
Magikarp's Official Love Song Gets Dance Video
Love it or hate it, the Asian carp Pokémon known as Magikarp got its own official song last year. The "I Love Koiking" song showcases all of the fish's faults and weaknesses, but it is ultimately an ode to everything that makes Magikarp special. The official Pokémon website added a page on Friday that features a dance version of the song. The song's original animated music video is four minutes lo...
Real-Life Mario Karting Company Sued by Nintendo
Company claims it had prior understanding with Nintendo
― The Shinagawa-based company MariCar lets visitors combine a tour of Japan's flagship city with geeky pleasure and the thrill of racing with its Mario Kart-themed go-cart tours. Customers don costumes from Nintendo's popular Mario Kart series (or of other well-known characters), then go careening through the streets of Tokyo through famous dist...
Golden Bomber Band Makes Appearance in Chibi Maruko-chan Special
Visual kei rock band Golden Bomber will appear as guests in the Chibi Maruko-chan 1-Hour 30th Anniversary Special on March 19. The four members will voice a father, grandfather, mother, and grandmother that visits the Sakura household at the beginning of the program. Kenji Darvish is voicing the grandmother who appears wearing his trademark face makeup. Golden Bomber currently perform the series' ...
Monster Hunter XX Game's Campaign Offers Real Beekeeper Suit, In-Game Items
Capcom is holding a sweet Twitter campaign in the lead-up to the release of its upcoming Monster Hunter XX (pronounced as "Double Cross") Nintendo 3DS game on March 18. The "318 Honey, Please Campaign" will offer increasing numbers of in-game rewards to players depending on how many times they tweet with the project's hashtag from February 23 to March 10. In addition to in-game rewards, Twitter us...
20th Century Boys, Beck Live-Action Director Producing Panda Bikini Group
Idol groups are continually expanding into more niched territory to stand out. Options run the gambit from religious to heavy metal, sci-fi fairies to yuri-bait, cougars to the unemployed, raving chainsaw killers to sister wives, and more than a few have opened up the option to date. With all this variety, wearing a bathing suit seems rather blase. Live-action film director Yukihiko Tsutsumi added...
Morning Two Manga Magazine Celebrates Cat Day with Special "Morning Nyan" Collection
Cat festivals held across Tokyo
― February 22 is Cat Day in Japan, so deemed because of its three 2s ("two" sounds like nyā, "meow," in Japanese). To celebrate the occasion, the seinen manga magazine Monthly Morning two included a special section to its April issue called "Morning Nyan." It involves no less than 15 cat-related manga, including Yomawari Neko ("The Cat Night Watchman"), Neko no Kohana ...
Pokémon Rival Listed as Potential Suspect in Tom Brady Super Bowl Jersey Theft
New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady pulled off the unthinkable by bringing his team back from the brink to win their fifth NFL championship. Not long after his historic moment, a still unknown person made off Brady's jersey that he wore during the game. The search for the culprit is still ongoing, but Brady shared some of his top suspects on Instagram. Among the top persons of interest inc...
Mr. Osomatsu Contact Lens TV Ads Only Make Us Want More Anime
The Mr. Osomatsu comedy anime exploded in popularity during its run, selling out magazines, crowding out dōjinshi events, and claiming top spots on yearly trend lists. Despite its multitude of crossover merchandise campaigns and fan demand, the series hasn't gotten a proper sequel announcement. The recent special was a comedic tie-in with the Japan Racing Association. Animated ads, including one f...
Detective Conan's 'Shadow Person' Tries Out Gravure
Plenty of male-oriented manga magazines include gravure centerfolds and covers, usually featuring a voluptuous model in a skimpy bikini. Hakusensha's Young Animal and Young Animal Arashi, Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits, Akita Shoten's Young Champion, and Futabasha's Manga Action all regularly feature gravure models. Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday skews to a younger audience than the listed sein...
Rose of Versailles Art Book Marks Anniversaries of Riyoko Ikeda's Debut, Her Manga
In honor of the 50th anniversary of manga artist Riyoko Ikeda's debut, Fukkan.com is releasing the Versailles no Bara -Animation Album- art book in mid-March. This year also marks the 45th anniversary since Ikeda launched her Rose of Versailles manga in Shueisha's Margaret magazine. The book will include materials that depict main characters and famous scenes from the anime adaptation of Ikeda's o...
Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen Manga About French Escorts Inspires Beauty Items
Moyoco Anno's Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen manga recounts the life of Colette, a prostitute in an early 20th century French brothel. There, she makes men's dreams a reality with her coworkers Ivy and Mignon but can't help but imagine a life with her lover Leon. Leon, on the other hand, sees Colette as little more than a money source. This is the tale Anno weaves about women in love whose job it is...
Your Forgotten Goldfish is Back for Vengeance in Shibuya Kingyo Manga
Goldfish aren't an uncommon starter pet for kids. So long as its owner doesn't overfeed it and cleans its tank, "Bubbles" is pretty low maintenance. However, more than their fair share of well-meaning fish have ended up getting a "burial at sea" and flushed down the commode. This might explain why goldfish of every size and shape are turning on humans in Hiroaki Aoi's Shibuya Kingyo manga. The sto...
Attack on Titan Characters Take the Runway in Fashion Collaboration
The long anticipated second season of Attack on Titan will be here in a few short months, but before they wage war against giant humanoids, the Survey Corps top members will take their fight to the runway. Attack on Titan is collaborating with the Tokyo Girls Collection 2017 SPRING/SUMMER fashion line on March 25 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo. Illustrations showing the characters in so...
Build Your Own Walking, Talking, Singing Astro Boy Robot (for US$1,600)
Robot can communicate, use onboard camera to remember faces
― Tezuka Productions, NTT Docomo, Fujisoft, Vaio, and Kodansha announced its new "Atom Project," named after the protagonist of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom) manga. The highlight of the project is "Japan's first real character-based communication robot" that can speak and move. Kodansha is streaming a series of videos that demonst...
D3Publisher Countdown Site 'Trolled' Into Delaying Game Reveal by Years
Game company D3Publisher has had mixed results with its game teaser countdown sites. In 2016, a week-long reveal was cut short when fans found "edf5" in the source code, all but confirming that the big reveal was for Earth Defense Force 5. The company sped up its reveal to a single day as a result. The company also had its Omega Labyrinth countdown site in 2015, which sped up if visitors rapidly c...
Lupin III's Fujiko Bares All to Recreate Anime Opening
Lupin the 3rd's femme fatale is never shy to show a little skin, especially if she can use it to her advantage to make off with a pricey item. Crane King is will stock a topless Fujiko bust in its arcade machines for anyone who wants to pull off the impossible and take her home. Fujiko keeps the bust barely safe for work by placing her hands strategically across her chest. The pose is recreating ...
Intermediary Results are In for NHK's Best 100 Anime Ranking
NHK updated the results of its ongoing online poll of the 100 best anime of all time. The TV station is holding the poll to honor the medium's 100th anniversary. The TV program announcing the results is a long way away — May 3 — but the poll closes on March 31. NHK has released the intermediary results to check in again with fans on the status of their favorite shows. There has been some...
Anisong Top 100 Program Crowns 'Snow Halation,' Tiger & Bunny Themes
NHK's TV special Countdown Live: Anison Best 100! hosted by Nogizaka46 member Sayuri Matsumura aired on Saturday and announced the winners of the station's popular vote. While Neon Genesis Evangelion's "Cruel Angel's Thesis" opening topped a similar poll last year, followed by tried and true favorites from Sailor Moon, Touch, and Dragon Ball Z, NHK's results leaned more recent. The top choice is "...
Yuri!!! on Ice's Main Characters Don Kigurumi for Store Event
The Shinjuku Marui Annex department store in Tokyo announced on Tuesday its plans for a Yuri!!! on Ice collaborative event. The store unveiled Yuri, Yūri, and Victor in animal kigurumi on a promotional image for the collaboration. The "Ice Castle Hasetsu Branch Office in Shinjuku Marui Annex" event will run in the event space on the store's sixth floor from March 1 to March 26. In addition to new ...
Good Smile Racing Reveals 2017 Car With Tony's Hatsune Miku
The Good Smile Racing team revealed this year's machine design at Wonder Festival on Sunday. The company also announced the four young women who will serve as "Racing Miku Supporters" for the 2017 season. The Good Smile Company subsidiary unveiled this year's rewards for individual sponsors who donate money. Rewards include Max Factory's Nendoroid and figma Racing Miku figures. The project began a...
Figure Build Close-up: 2016 S.H. Figuarts Naruto & Sasuke
Figures are provided courtesy of Bluefin Distributors Naruto and Sasuke may not be real, but to call their latest figures anything less than “lifelike” wouldn't be doing them justice. With soft poseable plastic and a variety of expressions, hands, and accessories, this pair can reenact any Naruto Shippuden scene in your living room. These 2016 S.H. Figuarts models are among Bandai's latest. The b...
Android Idol U Debuts at Tokyo Department Store
Media company Dwango, Osaka University's Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, and department store chain Parco announced their android idol-raising project on Wednesday. "Androidol" U made her debut public appearance at the Ikebukuro Parco store in Tokyo with a Niconico live streaming broadcast. U used artificial intelligence to answer questions and speak live during the broadcast. She asked the audie...
Kemono Friends' Serval Stars in Fan VR Video
Niconico member JAK began streaming a Kemono Friends virtual reality video (VR) on Saturday. The video features a VR version of the character Serval that can interact with a user. Niconico 【VR】サーバルちゃんとフレンズになりたかった Schwarz created the VR model, and Unity Technologies Japan provided part of the script. The television anime adaptation of Nexon's Kemono Friends smartphone game stars Yuka Ozaki as Serva...
Take a Look at the Evangelion Bullet Train's Cockpit
Also sign up for the ultimate train otaku tour
― The Neon Genesis Evangelion bullet train has shuttled passengers on the JR-West line from the Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station for over a year, giving fans a chance to drink Misato's wine, hear announcements by Kaworu, and with the right ticket, take a sit in an Evangelion cockpit. The cockpit is part of a diorama boarding experience limited to pas...
135,000-Yen Evangelion Unit-01 Statue Debuts at Wonder Festival
Prime 1 Studio unveiled new Evangelion statues at its booth at the winter edition of Wonder Festival 2017 on Sunday. The Evangelion Test Type-01 NONscale Statue inspired by Eva Unit-01 from the new Evangelion anime films will stand 76.8 centimeters (about 2.52 feet) tall. The polystone statue will cost 135,000 yen (about US$1,193). According to a pamphlet distributed at the event, the statue will...
Voice Actor Kensho Ono Confirms Relationship With Kana Hanazawa
The 11th episode of the Bunshunhō Live (Bunshun Bazooka Live) streaming program of Bungeishunju's Weekly Bunshun magazine reported on Saturday that voice actors Kensho Ono and Kana Hanazawa are in a relationship. The episode revealed reported images of the pair after a double date at a Western restaurant in Tokyo's Yoyogi neighborhood on February 12. After eating and getting coffee, the group spli...
Final Fantasy Game Series Earns 3 Guinness Nods
The Final Fantasy game series earned itself three Guinness World Records; two for Final Fantasy XIV and one for the series as a whole. The awards were handed out at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival during the EU Fanfest 2017 event in Frankfurt on Sunday. Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida was on hand to accept the achievements. Final Fantasy XIV was acknowledged for having the lon...
Moyoco Anno Joins Evangelion Theme Singer, Composer on New Single
The more the merrier seems to the approach for "Cruel Angel's Thesis" singer Yoko Takahashi and Evangelion composer Shiro Sagisu's new collaborative single. Accomplished manga artist Moyoco Anno, the wife of Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, has joined in to provide the jacket art for the now titled "Welcome to the stage!" single. The CD includes the track "TENSIONS - welcome to the stage," a rearr...
Toyota's C-HR Takes on Street Fighter II's M. Bison
The marketing team over at Toyota are always thinking up new, fun ways to make their vehicles more appealing to potential buyers. The 2017 C-HR (Coupe High-Rider) is a crossover vehicle, a blend of features from SUVs and passenger cars. The company decided to take the word "crossover" literally by putting the vehicle in different environments. In this case, the world of Street Fighter II. The C-HR...
Production I.G is Animating Next Idolish 7 Music Video
The official Twitter account for the Idolish 7 multimedia franchise announced on Thursday that the next anime music video will be produced by Production I.G. The company will animate the single "Mission" by the group Re:Vale. Re:vale×Production I.GによるMUSIC VIDEO ANIMATION先行カットが到着しました!千くん主演ドラマ『Mission』の世界観を踏襲した圧巻のパフォーマンスが繰り広げられます。是非ご期待くださいませ。#アイナナ #Revale pic.twitter.com/VMJo4ZeLYG— アイドリッシュセブン公式@大神...
Real Escape Game Holds Space Brothers 'Astronaut Selection Exam'
Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut? While it can't provide official certification, Scrap is collaborating with Space Brothers to offer the next best thing. The company's Real Escape Games are partnering with the franchise to hold an "Astronaut Selection Exam" beginning on March 17. Fans will be able to relive some of the challenges that Mutta encountered when he took astronaut exams in...
Planetarian Net Anime Inspires Real Planetarium Project
The Planetarian net anime is inspiring a special planetarium feature at Koriyama City Fureai Science Center in Fukushima Prefecture from March 4 to April 5. A special presentation at the science center's planetarium will talk about the world of the anime during the collaboration. The anime character Yumemi Hoshino will provide an original presentation against the backdrop of the planetarium's star...
Osamu Tezuka's Daughter to Hold Discussion with Black Jack Parody Artist
Artist has been hired by Tezuka Production
― Drawing parodies of famous works is a risky business, since the original creators or their estate might not appreciate the joke. On the other hand, it might propel you to fame and acclaim, as was the case with Tsunogai, artist of the Black Jack parody manga #Konna Black Jack wa Iya Da ("This Black Jack is Bad"). She will be the subject of a discussion even...
Sumire Uesaka to Go Strawberry-Picking with Her Fan Club
Barbecue, discussion, photography also on schedule
― Voice actress Sumire Uesaka (Sanae in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, Nonna and Piyotan in Girls und Panzer, Serika in Chaos;Child) is giving the members of her fan club, Kolkhoz no Tamanegibatake ("Kolkhoz Onion Field"), a chance to do some field work with the actress herself. It's not picking onions, though, but something a little sweeter: str...
Make a Statement in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Loungewear
Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure characters are known for their distinctive style. Now fans of the franchise can dress like these fashionable characters without even leaving their homes. The Premium Bandai website revealed a new line of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure loungewear on Thursday. The JoJo's Bizarre Roomwear line features outfits inspired by Jōsuke Higashikata, Okuyasu Nijimura, and ...
Sword Art Online's Traditional Craft Goods Line Offers Kirito, Asuna Kokeshi Dolls
The retail chain Animate unveiled the Sword Art Traditional line of collaboration merchandise on Thursday to promote Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale, which will open in Japan on Saturday. The anime and producers of Japanese traditional crafts are teaming up for the project. All of the products in the line are hand-made by artisans. The merchandise showcases regional traditional crafts f...
Shōjo Manga Expert Uses Statistics to Reveal 'What Girls Truly Want'
Midori Makita can rightfully call himself a manga expert — he's read thousands and thousands of pages of manga over many years. But he works as a statistical analyst and approaches manga from an analytical point of view, collecting data from each series he reads to reveal what it says about the larger manga-reading audience. So far he's mostly focused on erotic manga aimed at a male readershi...
Doraemon Figure Recreates His 1st Corocoro Comic Cover
Doraemon 1st appeared on the cover of the magazine 40 years ago
― Medicom's Vinyl Collectible Dolls line adding a special throwback Doraemon figure next month. The figure is modeled after the futuristic cat's first appearance on the cover of Corocoro Comic magazine 40 years ago. The figure measures 17cm (6.7in) high and depicts Doraemon singing, albeit poorly. It was the image selected for the cover...
Tokyo Police Team Up with ēlDLIVE to Fight Illegal Employment
ēlDLIVE and Tokyo Metropolitan Organized Crime Measures' 1st Division collaborated on a poster encouraging proper employment of foreigners in Japan. The poster will be put up in areas around Tokyo starting in mid-February. The reminder to focus on legal avenues of employing foreigners comes not long after Prime Minister Shinzō Abe spoke on looser immigration policies as part of his economic reform...
Tokyo Department Store to Host Hiro Mashima Art Exhibition
Mashima himself to sign autographs
― On March 22, the department store Matsuya Ginza in Tokyo will put on an exhibition of the manga of Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail, Rave Master). The exhibition will include manga rough drafts, full-color illustrations, sketches, and planning documents and give visitors a sense of "the world of Hiro Mashima." Merchandise related to Mashima's works will also be on sale. M...
Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale's AR Yuna, LiSA Perform at Film Event
A promotional event for the Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale anime film featured an augmented reality (AR) performance by the character Yuna on Wednesday. After the talk portion of the event, Yuna appeared via AR technology to perform a medley of three songs from the film: "Ubiquitous dB," "longing," "Break Beat Bark!" Yuna introduced LiSA as a secret guest after finishing her own performance. Yuna...
Cardcaptor Sakura Fan in Peru Gets Guinness World Record For Largest Collection
The Guinness Book of World Records awarded Sofia Pichihua of Peru with a certificate recognizing her as the owner of the world's largest Cardcaptor Sakura memorabilia on December 11. Pichihua began her collection as a school girl over 17 years ago. Her collection consists of 1,086 items including games, trading cards, action figures, calendars, stickers, comic books, DVDs, and stuffed animals. In ...
Magikarp App Splashes Into Smartphones This Spring
A teaser website for the Haneru! Koiking (Splash! Magikarp) smartphone game for iOS and Android devices launched on Thursday. The app inspired by Pokémon's least effective creature is slated to launch this spring. The website features the front cover of an extra February 16 edition of the fictional Pokémon App Newspaper. The headlines read, "Scoop! Mysterious Holes Appear" and "In a peaceful town,...
Story, Theme Song Details Revealed for Saga Prefecture's 'Okaeri' Anime Short
Japan's Saga Prefecture has two promotional anime shorts in the works, "Tadaima" (I'm Home) and "Okaeri" (Welcome Back). Staff revealed more information about the second short, including a key visual and theme song information on Thursday. "Okaeri" follows high school senior Sora who is aiming to be a professional soccer player. Unfortunately, Sora is injured and finds that the path to being a pro...
Everything is Bloody Terrifying with Saya no Uta VR Filter
Before penning Madoka Magica, Gen Urobuchi crafted an erotic horror visual novel for Nitroplus titled Saya no Uta. In the game, protagonist Fuminori Sakisaka barely survives a car accident that claims the life of his parents. When he awakens in the hospital he finds himself unable to correctly process the sensory information around him and instead sees everything as pulsing gore and monsters. This...
Mr. Osomatsu Butt Mousepads are Finally a Thing That Exists
Japan is no stranger to breast and butt mousepads, although admittedly its usually the female characters that are chosen for this type of merchandise. HobbyJapan announced its changing things up and releasing butt mousepads of all six of the Matsuno brothers. If you've ever wanted to relax your wrist on a Matsuno tush, now is the time. Each one costs 4,800 yen (US$42). Customers are in for a bit ...
Gender-Swapped Sōgo Okita Figure Will Whip You Into Shape
MegaHouse's GEM line of figures covers a variety of anime series, but it has specifically released characters from the Gintama anime for the last seven years. To celebrate, the figure line opened the "G.E.M. Gintama Commercialization Election - 7 Year Edition" website in September to select one of four figures for release. Choices included Kagura (Two years later version), Sōgo Okita (gender-swap...
K-ON! Tops Poll of Anime With Same-Face Characters
Have you ever been watching anime and suddenly realize all the characters are identical? You are not alone. The Goo Ranking website asked readers about which anime they think depict "all the characters with similar faces." The site conducted the poll from January 1 to January 22 and posted the results on Saturday. The girls of K-ON! topped the list with their different hair and outfits but nearly ...
Even Adults Will Want to Ride This Giant Pokémon Lapras Plush
If you've ever dreamed of smooth sailing on the back of a Lapras, the online Pokémon Center shop is about to make your dreams come true. The store is accepting pre-orders for a jumbo sized plush of Lapras measuring 93cm (3.5ft) tall and weighing 2,200 g (5lbs). It's approximately 1/3-scale in height but is unlikely to float. The images suggest a small child could fit on its back but why let that ...
Leiji Matsumoto's Galaxy Express 999, Yamato, Harlock Get Ukiyo-e Prints
Acclaimed manga artist Leiji Matsumoto is inspiring a series of ukiyo-e prints based on his works. The "Leiji Matsumoto Ukiyo-e Collection" will include prints from Galaxy Express 999, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and Space Battleship Yamato. Living Japanese national treasure Ichibei Iwano created the paper for the prints using traditional techniques, as he previously did for the Ghost in the She...
'Bathing Boyfriends' Make a Scented Splash in Aromatherapy Manga
TMS Entertainment's line of bishōnen bathing products inspired a manga last fall. Anna Takamura launched the Nyūyoku Kareshi -Hadaka de Aroma Healing- (Bathing Boyfriends: Naked Aroma Healing) series Kadokawa's B's Log Comic magazine on October 31, and the first compiled book volume shipped on February 1. To celebrate the manga, the website Nijimen posted an introduction to Takamura's series on Su...
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