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Controversial Oculus Founder Cosplays as Metal Gear Solid 5's Quiet
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has recently caused controversy with scandal rumors, lawsuits, and his departure from social media and Oculus. Now he is stirring things up more by attending anime conventions cosplaying as Quiet from Metal Gear Solid V. Attendees of Machi Asobi, a convention in Tokushima, Japan, spotted Luckey in full costume. He wore a bikini top and ripped fishnet stockings, and hel...
Ghost in the Shell Realize Project Holds Symposium
The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project partners with companies and university research and development teams to work towards creating the technology from Ghost in the Shell in the real world. The project will hold the "Kōkaku Symposium in InnoFes 2017" at the J-Wave radio station's J-Wave Innovation World Festa 2017 Supported by CHINTAI event. The theme of the symposium will be discussing to what ...
Neko Danshi Nyankee High School Project Adds More Cat Delinquents
Hakusensha and Takara Tomy's Neko Danshi Nyankee High School multimedia project unveiled three more cast members on Friday. The new roles are: Sōma Saitō as Toru ShitaraKarikari AcademyCat breed: Ragdoll Takuya Eguchi as Tsuyu AoyamaKarikari AcademyCat breed: Russian Blue Seiichirō Yamashita as Chikatarō ManjomeKarikari AcademyCat breed: Munchkin The previously announced roles are: Taku Yashiro as...
Magikarp's Official Love Song Gets English Version
Last year, Pokemon's running gag Water-type got an official love song and dance routine. The song was completely in Japanese and celebrated Magikarp's status as the weakest Pokemon with a useless starting move. The official Pokemon YouTube channel is now streaming an English version of the melody. Although Magikarp is Pokémon's least effective monster, the fish has been getting some extra attentio...
Tokyo Ghoul Cafe Menu is Horrifying
The Tokyo Ghoul manga, anime, and upcoming live-action film certainly aren't short on the gore factor. One would expect as much about a story featuring human-eating monsters. Ikebukuro's Parco cafe is bringing a similar experience to its patrons with horror-inspired food items like a bloody Salisbury steak with a side of dismembered fingers. All that protein can work up a thirst, so the cafe is of...
Relive 20 Years of Saiyuki History in 18-Minute Video
Kazuya Minekura's Saiyuki Reload Blast manga and its upcoming anime adaptation is the latest installment in the myth-based series that spans nearly 20 years. The manga's publisher Ichijinsha released a video on Thursday recounting the manga's story thus far narrated and told from the point of view of character Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva that sent Dōji Konzen on his mission at the start of th...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's Yoshikage Kira Attacks in Real Escape Game This Summer
Scrap's Real Escape Game announced on Thursday that it will run a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable-themed attraction. The Real Escape Game, titled JoJo no Kimyō na Yūenchi kara no Dasshutsu (Escape From JoJo's Bizarre Amusement Park), will run at Tokyo Dome City Attractions from July 15 to September 24, and at Hirakata Park in Osaka from July 21 to September 18. In the attraction's...
Dragon Ball Super Happy Meal Toys Come to Japan's McDonald's
The U.S. and Europe are finally getting Super Mario Happy Meal toys this month, meanwhile the Super Saiyans of Dragon Ball Super are unleashing their powers in Japan. A total of six toys, Goku, Gotenks, Vegeta, Trunks, the dragon Shenron and a glowing Dragon Ball are coming to McDonald's fast food restaurants in Japan on Friday. On May 13-14, participating locations will distribute a Super Dragon...
Sanrio's My Melody Gets Magical Makeover with Sailor Moon
Sanrio's Cinnamon is appealing to fans of Golden Bomber, but My Melody may have hit the jackpot by capitalizing on Sailor Moon fans for this year's character popularity poll. The adorable rabbit got a magic girl makeover for Sailor Moon's 25th anniversary. The series' official Twitter account shared a key visual of the two characters together on Wednesday. The collaboration will include stuffed a...
Get Your Burger Manga-Style at Japan's Village Vanguard Diner
Manga creator Umetarō Saitani is currently serializing Honjitsu no Burger (Today's Burger), a food-centric manga about a man who has traveled the world over eating various cuisine for his job at a food specialty trading company. He then decides to set up a hamburger restaurant utilizing his experiences. Japan's Village Vanguard Diner is taking inspiration from the manga for a new menu item startin...
Nagoya Anime Project Program Offers Behind-the-Scenes Look at Anime Production
The Nagoya Anime Project program will premiere on Chukyo TV's free video streaming service Chuun on Thursday. The series will offer a behind-the-scenes look at anime production. The studio Sublimation has worked on 3DCG for anime such as Love Live! Sunshine!!, Ancien and the Magic Tablet, and Uchū Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi-tachi. The company established Nagoya Studio in December. The new an...
Leiji Matsumoto Creates Sci-Fi Landscapes for Unique Sand Art
Acclaimed manga artist Leiji Matsumoto lent his skills for a new kind of artistic project. The Galaxy Express 999 and Captain Harlock creator illustrated beautiful, science-fiction backgrounds for Nissei Commerce's SandPicture Gallery Japan. Matsumoto's background artwork is combined with Austrian artist Klaus "Sandman" Boesch to create a unique piece that changes every time it's moved. Matsumoto...
Cinnamon Rocks Out with Golden Bomber to Garner Popularity Votes
Sanrio mascot Cinnamon is pulling out the charms early for this year's character popularity poll. Cinnamon and his pals appear in a music video with Golden Bomber band member Jun Utahiroba where both perform air guitar. Cinnamon, who came in second place last year, is hoping to pull ahead into the top spot as a crowning achievement for the character's 15th anniversary. The character already tried ...
Chihayafuru Star Streams Live from Sequel Film's Set
Actress Suzu Hirose (The Boy and the Beast's Kaede; Fireworks, Should We See it from the Side or the Bottom?'s Nazuna) will stream live from the set of the live-action Chihayafuru: Musubi (Chihayafuru: Conclusion) sequel film on Thursday starting at 12:00 p.m. Hirose will use her official LINE messaging app account to stream the "Hirose Suzu Channel Vol. 14 Chihayafuru Special" through the LINE LI...
Masaaki Yuasa's Lu over the wall Brings Mermaid Magic to Odaiba
A popular date spot in Odaiba will bring the magic of Masaaki Yuasa's Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta (Lu over the wall) to life starting on May 12. The DECKS Tokyo Beach shopping center will illuminate it "Yakei" tree light display twice per hour to the film's theme "Uta Utai no Ballad" by Kazuyoshi Saitō. The display promises to be an impressive sight, spanning 200 meters and featuring 220,000 individua...
Gintama Classifieds: Cosplay as Elizabeth for 50,000 Yen
The part-time job news service An has already posted listings for positions such as manga "extra," Resident Evil zombie, and Death Note Shinigami. The latest in the site's series of pop culture-related listings is recruiting someone to cosplay as Elizabeth for an event for the live-action Gintama film. The website is collaborating with the film to offer the one-day job to one person. The successfu...
Royal Tutor Anime's Ending Sequence Filmed in Live-Action by Cast
The cast members of The Royal Tutor anime are busy. In addition to recording scenes for the television series, which premiered on April 4, they are preparing to reprise their roles in the stage musical. Avex Pictures began streaming a live-action promotional video on Wednesday, in which the five main cast members appear as their characters. Although the cast already appeared in costume in visuals,...
Yuri!!! on Ice Campaign Brings 20,000 People From 27 Countries to Setting City
The second half of the Saga!!! on Ice campaign wrapped up in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture on Sunday. The official Facebook page for the city revealed on Sunday that more than a total of 20,000 people from 27 countries visited the Yuri!!! on Ice setting city during the two-month promotion that began on March 6. Due to the popularity and success of the campaign, the staff will continue to distribute the...
Sonic The Hedgehog Extreme Skateboarding Game's Lost Footage Revealed
Sonic The Hedgehog has been a popular game for many years, but not all of its projects have been a success. Liam Robertson revealed details about the unreleased game Sonic The Hedgehog Extreme in a new Unseen64 video. Vision Scape Interactive (Razor Racing, X-Bladez: Inline Skater) began developing the game in 2002, which would have been based on Vision Scapes' previous skateboarding games. Sonic ...
'your name.' Collaboration, 'Fastening Days' Short Win Animonozukuri Awards
Project Samantha AI, Hatsune Miku woodblocks, Evangelion kimono, more also honored
― The first Animonozukuri Awards announced the winners on Monday. The awards honored collaborative products and promotions in four categories: Animation Commercial, Content Collaboration, Original Content, and Craft Design. The awards ceremony was held at the Machi Asobi Vol. 18 event on Friday. Comprehensive Grand Pri...
Nipper Mascot Makes 2nd Anime Cameo in Frame Arms Girl
Japanese toolmaker God Hand introduced its mascot character Ultimate Nipako and she's sense appeared in a manga series and as a GPS guide voiced by Rumi Ookubo. She's even pitched alcohol. The character recently appeared in Frame Arm Girls, an anime about sentient model kit girls. As far as collaborations go, Nipako was a shoe-in. God Hand's Ultimate Nippers tool's primary purpose is for model bui...
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Player Finishes Big Blue Course in 63 Seconds
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Big Blue course is unique in a few ways. It's one of only a few coursed to use three sections instead of having its racers lap three times through one section. This allows racers on the F-Zero-based track to come up with interesting ways to shave seconds, or in this case, minutes, off their run time. Player Jimmy-e has managed to run through three sections in 63 seconds by sk...
Attack On Titan's Eren, Levi Inspire Jewelry Designs
Attack on Titan second season and accessory brand Material Crown are collaborating to create jewelry based on the popular franchise. The collaboration includes two types of silver rings: one based on Eren and one based on Levi. Both rings feature the "wings of freedom" from the Survey Corps crest, colored stones, and each character's name inscribed in English on the inside of the ring. Eren's ver...
Couple Ties the Knot With Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest Wedding
Engaged couples who share a love for a special interest as great as their adoration for each other sometimes take the ultimate plunge with themed weddings. For example, two fans chose to hold an elaborate Pokémon-themed wedding last year. Two more unnamed gamers tied the knot with the help of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest on Friday. Twitter user UkiUki-san posted images from the wedding. A game p...
Kemono Friends Director Tatsuki Attracts Huge Crowd at Dōjinshi Event
Director and animator Tatsuki (Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono, Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono Encore animation director) helmed this anime season's unexpected hit series Kemono Friends. Tatsuki spawned another surprise when his circle's booth at the Comitia 120 dōjinshi event had a massive line. People who attended the event on Saturday posted images of the colossal queue on Twitter. コミティア120たつき監督本待機列です(ブースも移動済み)...
MangaOne App Streams Astro Boy, Black Jack TV Ads
Shogakukan began streaming Astro Boy and Black Jack manga television commercials for its MangaOne app on May 1. Anime voice actors Makoto Tsumura and Akio Ohtsuka reprise their respective roles as the title characters in the videos. The MangaOne app had been downloaded more than 10 million times as of April. The app added nine Osamu Tezuka manga including Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Phoenix to cele...
Kemono Friends Boosts Zoo's Attendance by 20,000 for Golden Week
The collaboration project between the Kemono Friends anime and the Tobu Zoo in Saitama proved wildly successful as it boosted attendance to the zoo by 23.6% from last year during the nine-day Golden Week period. 91,754 people visited the zoo last year from April 29 to May 7, compared to this year's attendance of 113,404 people. However, the zoo saw an even bigger spike in attendance in 2013: abou...
Japanese Netizens Choose Jump's Best Manga Artist
This summer's upcoming "Weekly Shonen Jump Exhibition" is offering a retrospective on the many great manga that have jumped out of the magazine's pages and into readers' hearts over the last 50 years. The Goo Ranking website asked its readers to choose which Shonen Jump manga artist is the most skilled and while the website says such a barometer is easy to gauge, but art quality past a certain poi...
Baseball Team Hanshin Tigers Go Super Saiyan for Promotional Collaboration
The spring baseball season in Japan has become another avenue to introduce anime crossovers. These routinely come in two varieties: the macho and the moe. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp picked the former for its tie-in with The Fist of the North Star and the Hanshin Tigers are following suit by imagining its players as literal Super Saiyans. Five players, catcher Fumihito Haraguchi, outfielder Yoshio It...
Persona Series Director, Character Designer Thank Western Fans
The Persona 5 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 game has shipped more than 1.5 million copies worldwide since its release in Japan on September 15. Series director Katsura Hashino and character designer Shigenori Soejima shared their enthusiasm for the game's success on the North American PlayStation blog on Thursday. Soejima created the image to the right while Hashino shared his feelings in a gues...
Eevee & Colorful Friends Merch Campaign Gets Cute Animated Video
Eevee and its rainbow iteration of evolutions are the stars of a cute new animated promotional video for the "Eevee and Colorful Friends" merchandise. The line is heading to Pokémon Centers throughout Japan and the Amazon Pokémon Store starting on May 13. The merchandise line-up includes new stuffed plush dolls as part of the Pokémon Dolls line, tote bags, baseball caps, Pokémon card flip cases, ...
1st Shonen Jump Exhibition's Display Line-up Announced
Further details on this summer's "Weekly Shonen Jump Exhibition" event announced the full line-up of series and creators scheduled to be on display. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, Shueisha's male-targeted magazine known for serializing some of the industry's most popular manga series. Artwork spanning the magazine's launch to the 1980s will go on display on July 18 and...
Beef Production 'Manga' Shows How Cattle Become Meat
Japan's love of meat is no secret to people who spend any significant amount of time in the country. Those who do not eat animal products often struggle to find options at restaurants. Whether or not they eat meat, most people wonder at some point about how it is produced. The process may be less known in Japan because there is little farmland suitable for raising cattle. Twitter user Syosa posted...
ufotable's 2017 Awa Odori Posters Feature Tōken Ranbu
Anime studio ufotable revealed at the Machi Asobi Vol. 18 event on Friday that its posters for this year's Awa Odori festival will feature characters from the Tōken Ranbu game. The studio is displaying samples of the posters at the event, which is being held in Tokushima from Friday to Sunday. One of the characters on this year's posters is Hachisuka Kotetsu (pictured far left in above images). Hi...
Figure Build Close-Up: 2014 Master Grade Build Gundam Mark II
Once you've built a few High Grade models, Bandai's most varied but basic grade of kit, you may be looking for a bigger challenge—and a bigger payoff at the end. That's exactly what I got when I built the 2014 Master Grade Build Gundam Mark II. This is not a groundbreaking Gunpla design. In fact, it's almost exactly the same kit as the 2005 Master Grade Gundam Mark II, except with a new V-Fin and...
Video Explains Power Rangers Franchise's Foreign History to Japan
Lionsgate's new Power Rangers film opened in North America on March 24, but it won't open in Japan until July 15. Although the Super Sentai franchise is popular in Japan, Japanese people may be unaware of the franchise's popularity and iconic status in North America. Toei began streaming a promotional video this week to explain the television shows' history outside Japan. The video includes clips ...
New Gunpla Models on Display at Shizuoka Hobby Show
The 56th annual Shizuoka Hobby Show will take place from May 11-14 and is promising to premiere all kinds of new Gunpla, figures, and models for fans of every walk of life, whether you love Dragon Ball Z, trains, or scaled military replicas. Popular exhibitors include Bandai Hobby, Tomy Tech, Platz, and many others. Bandai in particular is promising to debut new Gundam models at the event. New mod...
Singer Daigo Gets Emotional After Watching Madoka Magica Films
Watching the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime is an emotional experience for many fans. The series may gain some new viewers this week because it ranked at #3 on NHK's Best Anime 100 list. Singer Daigo was apparently new to the franchise's films until this week. After spotting some real-life Mario Kart drivers, he purchased a set of the Madoka Magica films (Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part ...
Aya Hirano Wows TV Hosts With 'Cruel Angel Thesis' Performance
Voice actress Aya Hirano has joked about being an idol, but if the results of her recent performance on TV are any indication, she should strongly consider it. The Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball Z Kai, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya star appeared on the program Kanjani Eight no The Mozart Ongaku Ou No.1 Ketteisen and karaoked the opening theme song "Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangeli...
Poll Breaks Down Best Anime Swimsuit Episodes for the Summer Heat
Last week we looked at which hot spring episodes brought the best fanservice. This week we'll look at its fanservice cousin: the beach/pool episode. Which examples of this series staple are the best or otherwise feature the best swimsuits? Poll participants at d anime store weighed in. Men's Top 10 Swimsuit Episodes Sword Art Online: Extra Edition Infinite Stratos episode 9 Amagami SS episodes 13-...
Why to Choose New Gunpla: An Io Frame Shiden Review
When people ask me, “Which Gunpla should I build first?” my temptation is to tell everyone to build a kit that matches their favorite Gundam from anime, end of story. However, the more Gunpla I build, the less I can deny that quality has increased a lot in recent years. Today's Gunpla are more accurate, more articulate, and often much easier to put together. That's why I tell beginners to pick a ...
Cute Cat Tries Out Fate/Stay Night Saber Cosplay
Tokushima's Machi Asobi anime festival brought out one particularly cuddly cosplayer on Friday. The cat's blue dress and scaled armor meant only one thing: someone accomplished the impossible and found a cat that would serve them instead of vice versa. Such a rare feline could only have been summoned using magic of some kind, as it is against the laws of the natural world for a cat to be a human's...
Aniplex Teases Fate Grand Order Pencil-Rolling Battle Game
Servants are... pencils?
― Aniplex opened a teaser website on Friday for a mystery "analog game" titled "Fate/Grand Order Summon Pencil Servant." In this "somewhat nostalgic" Fate/Grand Order game, the Servants are pencils, and the player must battle by rolling them. Details are scarce, but the Twitter account calls it "new merchandise," and it is slated for this year. Aniplex released the Fate/Grand...
Animonozukuri Awards Honor Anime Business Collaborations, Promotional Goods
A prominent part of Japanese culture is monozukuri (literally, "thing making"), wherein Japanese people take pride in carefully crafting products. Although the term commonly appears alongside traditional Japanese items such as paper fans or pottery, the concept can also apply to goods produced for the anime and popular culture industries. The otaku market brings in a large part of its revenue thro...
Tokimeki Recipe Show Starring Voice Actors Streams for Golden Week
Video distribution service Animate Channel announced on Thursday that it is streaming the first four episodes of the live-action Tokimeki Recipe Shitsuji Restaurant e Yōkoso (Welcome to the Throbbing Recipe Butler Restaurant) television series for Golden Week this year. Viewers can relive the show's voice actor restaurant experience during Japan's spring vacation period. The available episodes sta...
Camouflage Gundam Blends Into Its Gunpla Box Surroundings
Gundam plastic model (Gunpla) builders often go to great lengths to create unique works of art from kits. However, Twitter user Otoyan posted pictures of what may be a first in the world of Gunpla. The Gunpla was painted to blend into a backdrop of Gunpla boxes almost perfectly. The model is made from a so-called "old kit" 1/144-scale Gundam model kit with parts divided by color. Some net commente...
Sword Art Online Movie's Sayaka Kanda Gets Married
Singer, voice actress, and stage play actress Sayaka Kanda announced on April 25 that she married her Danganronpa stage play co-star Mitsu Murata. The couple played Junko Enoshima and Mondo Owada in the Danganronpa The Stage 2016 ~Kibō no Gakuen to Zetsubō no Kōkōsei~ plays. Kanda appeared in a special video role in the Super Danganronpa 2 The Stage ~Sayonara Zetsubo Gakuen~ stage play rerun this ...
ToraCon's Otaku Matchmaking Parties Struggle to Find Women
The ToraCon marriage consulting office dedicated to helping otaku find love has been struggling to fill slots for women at its matchmaking parties. As of Wednesday, no women had signed up for ToraCon's two parties this month that are limited to lovers of video games and anime. Even a cheaper participation fee was not enough to entice women, although the deadline to register looms. However, it seem...
Mamoru Oshii Plays Fallout 4, Makes His Fan Newsletter Late
The official Twitter account for Mamoru Oshii's "Anger Half the World" newsletter revealed on Sunday that the 110th issue will be late due to the director playing Fallout 4. Oshii apparently said in messages to the newsletter's editorial department, "It's all my responsibility. I'm caught up in Fallout 4, so I ended up forgetting to send [the manuscript] and going home. Forgive me." ぐっ、ぐぬぬぬぬ…。 pic...
Futari H's Yura Gets Life-Size Figure
Yura Onoda and Makoto Onoda of Aki Katsu's Futari H (Manga Sutra) manga are celebrating an upcoming birth as one part of the manga's 20 year anniversary. The "love bible" is also joining the recent trend of expensive live-size figures. Images of the upcoming figure are scarce, but the Young Animal magazine's website does have a prototype preview showing the figure from the bust up. Based on that ...
Kissed by the Baddest Bidder's Eisuke Comes to VR Gaming Center for 'Chair-don' Experience
One of virtual reality's biggest bad boys is looking to make 3D women swoon at the AEON Lake Town VR Center in Saitama. "Chair don" like its "kabedon" counterpart, is the act of being "trapped" my a person's arms blocking you while sitting in a chair. The VR game gives the same experience and stars character Eisuke Ichinomiya from Voltage Inc's Kissed by the Baddest Bidder (Suite Room de Itazura n...
Steel Jeeg Anime Voice Actress Narrates Italian Film's Manners Video
The 2015 Italian live-action film They Call Me Jeeg will open in theaters in Japan on May 20. The film is a tribute of sorts to Go Nagai and Tatsuya Yasuda's 1975 Steel Jeeg (Kotetsu Zieg) manga and its anime adaptation. In honor of the Italian film's Japanese debut, the original anime's voice actress Rihoko Yoshida (voice of Miwa Uzuki) narrated a theater manners video with footage from the film....
Kemono Friends Rendition of Tezuka's Phoenix Revealed
The Hankyu Umeda Gallery on the ninth floor of the Hankyu department store in Osaka is hosted the "Tezuka Osamu no Binan Bijo-ten ~Yū Tsuya~" (Osamu Tezuka's Beautiful Girls Exhibition ~Elegance~) art show, which, other than art by Noizi Ito, Mutsumi Inomata, Risa Ebata, Chinatsu Kurahana, Hidetaka Tenjin, Kurone Hijikata, Haruhiko Mikimoto, Masume Yoshimoto, and elements,H, also included a take o...
Lisa, Homer Catch 'Peekemon' in The Simpsons' Pokémon Go Parody
The "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" episode of The Simpsons premiered on Fox on Sunday. In the episode, Bart develops a relationship with a retirement home resident named Phoebe. When she goes missing, he suspects she has gone into the woods to end her own life. Homer and Lisa assemble a group of people who play a thinly disguised version of Pokémon Go to help with the search for Phoebe. In the below e...
Tiger & Bunny, Madoka Magica, Love Live! Top NHK's Best 100 Ranking
NHK posted the final results for its Best Anime 100 fan poll on Wednesday. The poll collected votes from January 8 to March 31 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of anime. People could choose from the approximately 10,000 Japanese anime produced so far and vote for three works per day. The poll received about 600,000 votes. NHK and BS Premium will broadcast the top-ranking anime. Here are the top ...
Reborn! Gets Tie-In Events, Blu-ray Box Sets, Compilation CD
Approximately 10 years ago the anime adaptation of Akira Amano's Katekyo Hitman Reborn! premiered on Japanese television. The series' production companies are taking note by planning a series of collaborations and new merchandise to celebrate the milestone. One of the first collaboration is the return of "Vongola Festa" at the Jump Shop within the Tokyo Dome City store. This is the first Volgola ...
Fan-Voted Detective Conan Real Escape Game Opens in June
Scrap's Real Escape Game announced on Wednesday that its 10th anniversary collaboration project with Detective Conan will run in 31 cities in Japan. The new Detective Conan-themed attraction will debut in Harajuku, Tokyo on June 30 and conclude in Sunport Takamatsu's Takamatsu Symbol Tower in Kagawa Prefecture on November 26. The project is celebrating both the tenth anniversary of Real Escape Gam...
Fukushima Gainax Streams Robot Anime Short to Promote Coastal City
Onahama City Planning Citizens Conference and Fukushima Gainax's "Jinryoku Senkan!? Shiokaze Sawakaze" anime short began streaming on YouTube and Niconico on Wednesday. The anime debuted at an event in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture on March 20. The anime is set in the Onahama district in Iwaki, which is in a coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture. The anime's production committee hopes the project w...
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Utsutsu VR Experience Runs in Tokyo in May
From involvement in games to videos to adult content to toys, virtual-reality technology is receiving a lot of buzz lately. Now Ryukishi07's Higurashi no Naku Koro ni game and franchise is inspiring a new project in the world of VR. An official website for the "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Utsutsu" ("VR When They Cry... Utsutsu") VR experience opened on Saturday. The project will hold an event in Tok...
Anime Music Industry Members Discuss the Past 10 Years
Lantis chief producer Shigeru Saitō (Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club music producer) appeared on the 316th episode of composer Tomokazu Tashiro (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Dusk maiden of Amnesia theme songs) and musician Tomoya Tabuchi's (member of the band Unison Square Garden) Tacchi Radio podcast that debuted on Saturday. The group discussed the past ten years ...
Street Fighter V DLC Stage Temporarily Pulled to Remove Islamic Chant in BGM
Background music for a newly added Street Fighter V stage saw the stage pulled nearly as quickly as it was released. On April 25, Capcom released DLC for the game that included "Capcom Pro Tour" costumes and the "Temple Hideout" stage. The stage had a Thai motif and took place in a Buddhist temple. The background music that included chanting, but it was Islamic. Fans theorized that the stage was p...
Yu Yu Hakushō, Monster Strike Collaboration Gets New Commercials
A new series of commercials featuring the collaboration between anime Yu Yu Hakusho and mobile game Monster Strike began airing in Japan on Tuesday. Famous Japanese comedian Naoki Matayoshi appeared in the previous commercial as Elder Toguro. The new commercials add Elder Sister Toguro played by comedian Oniyakko Tsubaki, Mother Toguro played by Hisako Manda, Father Toguro played by Jun Miura, and...
Game Maker Rejet's Latest Project is Undead Musical CDs
Otome game maker Rejet has released games starring sadistic vampires (Diabolik Lovers), flamboyant singing demons (Dance with Devils), and mechanized band members (Scar-red Rider XechS). The company's latest project is a drama and musical CD combo all about another kind of lovers from the dark side: undead. Rejet announced its next foray into the non-living romance genre on April 28 on the Otome n...
Takahiro Sakurai Promotes Apartment Complex as Butler Chipmunk
Many people moving into new places ask their prospective neighbors about the area before deciding on a new home. Humans can probably provide the best advice for fellow people seeking to move into a new apartment. But if we could talk to them, local animals would also provide unique bird's-eye—or chipmunk's-eye—perspectives on living spaces. UR Toshi Kikō is combining a mammalian point of view with...
Love Live! Character Designer Yūhei Murota Welcomes Baby
Character designer and key animator Yūhei Murota announced on May 1 that he became a father to an "adorable" son. 実はパパになってました可愛いぞマイサン… pic.twitter.com/lg10Hjs8e4— 室田雄平(犬画像bot?) (@muromuromurota) May 1, 2017 Murota is the character designer and lead animator for the popular Love Live! franchise. He has also worked as an animator on Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096, Interviews with Monster Girls, ...
Kemono Friends Character Designer Draws Tsuchinoko for Yearly Festival
As an island nation, Japan has some unique flora and fauna exclusive to its geography. You've probably heard of tanuki, Japanese macaque, and the presumed extinct Hokkaido wolf. But have you heard of the tsuchinoko (literally, "child of hammer"), Japan's popular Unidentified Mysterious Animal (UMA)? This creature of folklore is described as an elusive serpent and, depending on the legend, enjoys b...
Soap Opera of Grape, the Zoo Penguin in Love with Kemono Friends Character
The hit series Kemono Friends has had a predominately positive effect with its recent zoo collaborations. The influx of visitors raised money for area zoos while its own line of original cookies donated proceeds to benefit Kumamoto City Zoo, which was damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016. These collaborations have included original goods and character cut-outs in the animal exhibits. All in ...
Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2D Fan Game Gets Taken Down
If there's one thing fans can reliably count on, it's Nintendo sending a DMCA notice to makers of fan games based on the company's properties. The latest victim is Winter Drake, the developer behind "Zelda: Breath of the NES," a combo of Nintendo's latest The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch and the classic graphics of the original Legend of Zelda. The project was inspired b...
42-cm Femto Figure from Max Factory is Nearly US$1,000
Griffith's villainy is larger than life. Figure maker Max Factory is releasing a new rendition of his Femto persona that, at 42cm tall (16.5in), puts his evil on display. Slated for September, the figure costs 98,000 yen (US$876). He stands atop a burst crimson Behelit and a pile of corpses and monstrous body parts. His God Hand version is intricately detailed in shades of dark purple. Good Smile...
Color Version of Yuri on Ice's Victor Figure Introduced by VA Junichi Suwabe
MegaHouse's previously teased Yuri!!! on Ice's Victor figure for the company's GEM line was revealed in last week's issue of Monthly Hobby Japan. Buyers who couldn't pick up a copy can still get a detailed look thanks to none other than Victor himself, Junichi Suwabe. While in character, he adds humorous comments. Suwabe can be heard stating that Victor's hips are "Amazing!" while his hand posture...
Japanese Google Doodle Honors Late Cat Stationmaster on 18th Birthday
If you accessed the Google search engine on April 29, you may have a noticed a particularly cute calico cat playing with a toy train. The Doodle was viewable to countries outside of North America. The Google Doodle was drawn by Lydia Nichols and celebrated what would have been Wakayama stationmaster Tama's 18th birthday. The head of Kishi Station passed away in 2015. The cat was acknowledged for b...
Details, Collaboration Visuals Released for Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair 2017
New information and collaboration visuals have been released for this year's Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair (Kyomaf). Kyomaf 2017 will take place from September 16 - 17 at the Miyakomesse Exhibition Hall and the Kyoto International Manga Museum. This year's "official supporter" will be special guest Haruka Yoshimura, who voices Mika Jōgasak in the The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls franchi...
Naruto Singer Diana Garnet Voices Japanese Role in Moe Tech Audio Drama
American vocalist Diana Garnet, who sang the theme song for the anime Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note and an ending theme for Naruto Shippuden, voiced her first Japanese role in the audio drama "Gijinka de Manabo! IT Infura no Shikumi" (Learn via Anthropomorphization! IT Infrastructure Systems). The drama is part of the project IT Gijinka Keikaku (IT Anthropomorphization Project), which is designed to ...
Shrine Maiden Swimsuit Sure to Turn Some Heads on the Beach This Summer
Japan's shrine maidens (miko) have always been a favorite stock character in anime, since they are supposed to represent the Yamato nadeshiko ideal: beautiful, virtuous, poised, and polite. For the same reason, they are also often fetishized, and their distinctive red and white robes are often repurposed and sexed-up. This new swimsuit, though, might mark a new frontier. The swimsuit was inspired ...
Augmented Reality Lets You Take a Date with Hatsune Miku
She can follow you and interact with the environment
― An enterprising electronics engineer who goes by "Alsione" is developing an augmented reality (AR) program with the Microsoft HoloLens that lets you go on a date with the phenomenally popular Vocaloid star Hatsune Miku. As the video below demonstrates, it can not only simulate an appropriate (if strangely empty) environment for a date, but summon...
Sumō Champion Kisenosato to Wear Fist of the North Star Apron
"His body is amazing!"
― Yutaka Kisenosato, a champion sumō wrestler (yokozuna), will soon wear a most intimidating character on his silk apron (keshōmawashi): Fist of the North Star's Raoh. He is sponsored by Coamix, the company that publishes Monthly Comic Zenon. As part of the deal, Coamix promised Kisenosato that they would provide him with a custom apron if he made it to yokozuna rank. In Januar...
Hatsune Miku Hosts Concert with Taiko Drumming Troupe Kodō
In a mix of traditional Japanese culture and new technology, the NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, hosted a collaboration concert between virtual idol Hatsune Miku and the professional taiko drumming troupe Kodō on March 4 and 5. A recording of the concert will re-air on television on NHK BS Premium on April 23 and NHK Sougou on May 7. The concert also included appearances from the virtual idols Meguri...
Craft Boss Coffee Commercial Draws on your name. for Inspiration
Stars Ryō Narita (Tessie)
― One of the main themes of last year's hit anime film your name. is the wide gulf between Japan's countryside — simple, friendly, traditional — and its bustling metropolises — crowded, anonymous, modern. Although Mitsuha clearly yearns for the urban life, it can be overwhelming for many rural migrants, especially those unfamiliar with urban customs or those w...
VR Kanojo Adult Game Collaboration Lets You Sniff Virtual Girlfriend's Pantyhose
Vaqso Inc. CEO Kentaro Kawaguchi has announced a collaboration with the game VR Kanojo that will let players smell the scent of their virtual girlfriend and her pantyhose using a Vasqo VR scent device that can work in collaboration with Oculus VR, Vive, and Playstation VR. Attendees at the Unity developer event Unite 2017 Tokyo, which will be held at the Tokyo International Forum on May 8 and 9, w...
1970s-80s Science Fiction & Fantasy Shōjo Manga Omnibus Features Moto Hagio, Keiko Takemiya
An omnibus volume of definitive science fiction and fantasy shōjo manga from the 1970's and 80's was recently published by Rittorsha on April 20. The volume includes the first printing of Moto Hagio's short science fiction work The Unicorn's Dream in A5 size, Moto Hagio's They Were Eleven, Keiko Takemiya's Toward the Terra, and more. Also included in the omnibus are 106 color cover illustrations c...
10 Years' Worth of Anime Bread Commercials Will Make You Hungry
Apologies to the gluten-intolerant
― In this writer's opinion, there are few experiences in life as satisfying and memorable as the initial sensation of eating freshly baked European bread. The warmth, the crisp texture, the fresh and natural taste... Evidently Japanese agree, since bakeries are commonplace in Japan and often use European names and motifs. For ten years, the Kyushu-based bakery Franc...
Gunpla Fan Turns Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Model Into A 2D Illustration
No, it's not an illustration but an actual 3D model. Gunpla builder Kyo used tricky paint techniques to achieve a 2D appearance on a 1/100-scale Barbatos Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. When placed against a black background, the figure really just looks like a painting. Then, when standing next to 3D objects, tlooks like a paper cutout. The illusion is really impressive. Ky...
Gravity Rush 2 Gets NieR: Automata Character Costume DLC
NieR: Automata is showing up everywhere, with its heroine appearing in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and one of the game's bosses showing up in a concert hall. Its ubiquitousness is thanks in part to its financial success. It has sold more than 500,000 physical and digital copies in Japan and Asia and Square Enix announced on April 4 that the the game's physical and digital versions have exceeded one...
Poll Answers the Question: Which Hot Spring Episodes Bring the Goods?
Anime is notorious for having one of two filler episode types: going to the beach or going to a hot spring resort. Both offer opportunities for fanservice by letting characters show off a little skin. In a medium where both these types of shows have become very by-the-book, viewers voted for which hot spring episodes are worth watching and separated the choices into two lists based on the viewer's...
McDonald's Releases AKB48 Anime Commercial Sequel
Focuses on lifelong skills you can gain by working at McDonald's
― While Americans often view a job at McDonald's as a grimy, greasy, thankless job, in Japan McDonald's is largely free of these connotations. It's seen as a standard part-time job for teenagers looking to earn some money and gain career experience; even demon kings can make a good impression by working there. To really hit this reputat...
Gundam's Char Trades In His Toyota for a Road Bike
Mobile Suit Gundam's infamous Char Aznable has had no shortage of promotional car deals. The Zaku II pilot got an exclusive Toyota Auris II model with its own anime commercial and special features like a navigational guidance system is voiced by Char voice actor Shuuichi Ikeda and Lalah Sune voice actress Keiko Han. The relationship was a good one, but Char is also looking for an eco-friendly opt...
Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta Voice Actors Appear at Dolphin Show
Two aquariums help promote upcoming film
― Since the title character of the upcoming anime film Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta (Lu over the wall) is a mermaid, it's only natural that aquariums would be interested in pumping up interest in it. Two aquariums in the Tokyo area are doing just that. Voice actors Shōta Shimoda (Kai), Kanon Tani (Lu) and Shinichi Shinohara (Lu's father) made an appearance at the d...
New Racing Manga Portrays Bond Between Jockey and Centaur
As any jockey will tell you, the bond between jockey and horse is one of the crucial dynamics of racing. Longtime horse-and-jockey pairs come to know each other, respect each other, and get a sense for each other's moods just as if they were good friends. The manga Our Derby (Futari no Derby) by Masahito Sasaki explores this further, since the horse in this case is actually a centaur. In a world w...
Futari H Manga Holds Contest to Guess Baby's Name, Sex
One of manga's long-running romantic couples are finally expecting their first child. Yura Onoda and Makoto Onoda of Aki Katsu's Futari H (Manga Sutra) manga are pregnant; about six years after Katsu first made note of the upcoming plot development. The pace seems about right for a series that's been in print for 20 years. The manga's publisher is celebrating the upcoming birth by holding a contes...
Nobunaga Shimazaki Cosplays as His Fate/Grand Order Character, Edmond
Part of promotion for upcoming Fate/Extra CCC crossover event
― Viewers of Fate/Grand Order Chaldea Radio Station, a weekly radio show hosted by Fate/Grand Order voice actresses Rie Takahashi (Mash Kyrielight) and Minami Tanaka (Nitocris), were in for a special treat during a special Nico Nico livestream on April 26: Nobunaga Shimazaki dressed up as his character Edmond Dantes, and in his detective g...
Watch My Hero Academia With Japanese Cast Members This Saturday
This Saturday, My Hero Academia cast members Daiki Yamashita (Izuku Midoriya) and Tasuku Hatanaka (Denki Kaminari) and producer Wakana Okamura will live-stream commentary for the latest episode on Twitter. The cast will react along with the series' fifth episode, give a behind the scenes look at production, and talk about the upcoming episode starting at Saturday, 5:00 p.m. JST (Friday, 4:00 a.m. ...
Create Your Own Dragon Ball Character — And Win a 3D Figure of It
Kirin Beverage is running a Dragonball campaign from April 25 to June 8 that lets fans create their own Dragon Ball characters and enter to win 3D figures of said characters. After designing their original characters, fans can increase their power levels by inputting the codes attached to bottles of Kirin Mets Grapefruit. The characters with the highest power levels are printed on the campaign we...
Create Your Own Case Closed Character on Face Maker Website
Your character could appear in a Case Closed story
― Gosho Aoyama (Case Closed, Yaiba, Magic Kaito) has sold 200 million volumes of manga worldwide. Most of these are of his signature series, Case Closed, which is sold in 25 countries and has become one of the most well-known and popular manga. To celebrate the achievement, Aoyama has started a campaign to design witness characters for an upcoming my...
Kemono Friends Joins Forces with 4 More Zoos (with Goods in Tow)
After a wildly successful crossover event with the Tobu City Zoo in Saitama, Kemono Friends is getting new collaborations with Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, Chiba Zoological Park, Kyoto Municipal Zoo, and Fukuoka Municipal Zoo. The project is called "Meeting Zoo Friends!" and will run from April 28 to May 31. Each zoo will be selling original merchandise featuring new illustrations of the characters Kaba...
Power Rangers' Original Blue, Black Rangers Aren't Impressed by Reboot Film
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers original cast members David Yost (Billy/Blue Ranger) and Walter Jones (Zack/Black Ranger) shared their thoughts about Lionsgate's Power Rangers live-action film at the C2E2 convention in Chicago. The film, which opened in the U.S. in March, has taken home US$129.2 million, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its share of critics, Yost and Jones included. The two ori...
Up Close With Kazuki Higashiji's EARTH COLORS (Video)
Take a tour through the incredible background art of PA Works' Kazuki Higashiji, whose brilliant backdrops brought life to Angel Beats, Nagi no Asukara, Charlotte and more!
― In March 2017, PA Works sponsored a gallery exhibition in Akihabara of the art of Kazuki Higashiji, renowned art director and background artist on shows like A Lull in the Sea (Nagi no Asukara), Charlotte, Tari Tari, Hanasaku I...
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