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Ring, Ring, Your Giant Nuclear Monster is Calling
April Fools Jokes coming out of Japan have a track record of becoming reality. The largest example in recent years was the combining of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Shin Godzilla after both franchises shared director Hideaki Anno. One illustration led to over a year's worth of art and crossover goods, and concerts enlisting the likes of Takashi Murakami and Yoji Shinkawa. This year's monster joke ...
Sunrise Asks Readers to Choose Which of Its Works Most Deserve a Sequel
Plenty of fan websites ask its readers to pick which series is most deserving of a sequel, whether its an anime original work or any series that remains strong in viewers hearts. If you clicked on either of those links, you might find one thing in common with the results: fans really want more Tiger & Bunny. Well, animation studio Sunrise operates its own fan-targeted website called Yatate Bunko a...
Ciel & Sebastian Take Over Fuji-Q Highland's Haunted House
Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic sailed the high seas but is Sebastian and Ciel's stomachs strong enough to withstand Fuji-Q Highland's coaster? Starting on August 1, the theme park will collaborate with the fan-favorite series for the Fuji-Q Highland × Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic ~Sono shitsuji, zekkyō~" (That Butler, Screaming) event. The park will open a Black Butler area as part of th...
Edison & Tesla Battle Over Meat, Cú Chulainn Inspires Hot Dog at Fate/GO Fest
The Fate/Grand Order mobile game is celebrating its second year of battling historical figures at the Fate/Grand Order Fes. 2017 ~2nd Anniversary~ event this weekend. The event is also selling tie-in food and drinks that range from mundane to hilarious. "Chaldea's Kitchen," named for the game's secret organization, is serving up a menu of carnivorous meals and treats. The first draws inspiration ...
Baki Manga Gives the Lowdown on Saga Prefecture Appeal
When they aren't commenting on American politics, Keisuke Itagaki's intimidating Baki The Grappler characters are helping bring in tourism for Saga Prefecture. The are has recently increased its tourism with a popular Yuri on Ice collaboration and promotional anime, but the Baki the Grappler campaign site is decidedly more weird. The campaign focuses on eight characters from the manga series and e...
History's Fine Artists Get a Ikemen Makeover in Upcoming Mobile Game
Things-as-girls appears to slowly be giving away to things-as-boys, albeit in no small part because of Touken Ranbu's huge popularity in Japan. Some of these "things" aren't things at all, just reimaginings of historical figures as attractive young adults, whether they're Sengoku-era generals, dictators, or the most prominent names in the fine art world. The latter is the premise of Silicon Studio...
Niji-Iro Hotaru Director Responds to your name. Plagiarism Claim
YouTube user Ms. Rachel thinks that one animated sequence from Makoto Shinkai's your name. film is a case of plagiarism. The YouTuber began streaming a side-by-side comparison video on Tuesday that shows your name. on the right and Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~ and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on the left. The your name. scene in question show Mitsuha running down a mountain to try to ...
Rock Band OLDCODEX Holds 1st Arena Concert in 2018
The official website for the rock band OLDCODEX announced on Wednesday that the group will hold its first arena concerts next year. The tour's first concert will be held at World Memorial Hall in Hyogo Prefecture on January 13, followed by a second performance at Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa Prefecture. The band's official fan club members can enter an advance ticket lottery until until August 27. O...
Real-World Jonathan's Restaurant Inspires Alternate World Light Novel
Isekai (alternate world) is a popular genre of manga, anime, and especially light novels. In a typical isekai story, the usually male protagonist finds himself in a fantastical alternate world that is very different from the ordinary human world. However, Yutaka Funabashi and Sunao Tobe's new light novel takes a novel approach to draw from reality and focus on the actual Japanese family restaurant...
Fairy Tail Creator Hiro Mashima Celebrates Manga's End
Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima's staff already celebrated the completion of the manga by giving Mashima a commemorative glass trophy earlier this month. Now, it's Mashima's turn to mark the series' conclusion. The final chapter of Fairy Tail debuted in this year's 34th issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on Wednesday. 今週号のFTの扉ページ、応募者全員に複製原画を無料でプレゼントしています。最後なので太っ腹ですね!詳しくは週刊少年マガジンをチェックしてください...
Reverse Harem Manga Netsuiai Prince Gets Voiced Promotional PV
Manga creator Madoka Seizuki's Netsuai Prince: Onii-chan wa Kimi ga Suki reverse harem manga combines a brother complex, idols, and triplets for shōjo romance filled with heart-throbbing drama. The story stars Matsuri Amamiya who finds herself the new step-sister of triplet idols after her mom remarries. Of course, three potential love interests isn't enough, as the manga also introduces rival ido...
Re:Zero's Ram Joins Twin Sister as Life-Size Figure for 1.48 Million Yen
Ram finally gets to join her sister from Re:Zero as a life-size statue. FigureX announced its Ram figure in February and recently revealed all the details. The 1:1-scale figure will stand about 154 centimeters (about 5'1") tall including the pedestal. The pedestal will feature a speaker that can interact with Bluetooth. Unlike her sister statue who carries a broom, this version of Ram will hold a...
Kyoto Animation Grills Fans With Trivia Questions Before New Films' Premieres
Kyoto Animation is preparing for the upcoming releases of its Free! -Take Your Marks-, Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody, and Eiga Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai! Take On Me films. As a lead-up to their releases, the studio posted tests about previous related anime on Twitter on July 15. However, only diehard fans may be able to answer correctly. 【京アニ映画year】もうすぐ夏休みですね。…でもその前に!岩鳶高校&鮫柄学園、北...
Doflamingo's Feather Coat Gets Even Bigger for Shibuya Ad
The One Piece's Dressrosa Arc will be released on home video as part of the One Piece Log Collection in Japan on July 28. The "Log Collection" are home video releases with higher episode counts than the original DVDs. The Shibuya subway station is commemorating the release with a huge ad of Doflamingo in his pink feather coat. The coat isn't just painted on, but is actually fluffy to the touch. Th...
Rie Kanō's Slow Motion o Mō Ichido Manga Featured on Akari Machi Album
Rei Kanō, the creator of the manga Slow Motion o Mō Ichido (Once More in Slow Motion) drew the inside cover art for singer Akari Machi's new album EXPO Machi Akari. Machi is a fan of television shows from the 80s and 90s while Slow Motion o Mō Ichido depicts a boy and girl who are big fans of 1980s idols. The jacket illustration depicts the manga's heroine Yakushimaru dressed as Akari Machi. The a...
Enjoying Pokémon GO Fest Despite Its Problems
Did Pokémon GO Fest Chicago have issues? Yes. Did I still enjoy my time there? Yes, and I'm glad I went. To be honest, I'm not necessarily a glass-half-full type of person. However, this event has gotten overwhelmingly negative press that I don't fully agree with. Players have a right to be upset over the problems on Saturday, but some of the feedback feels overly harsh. Let's take a look at what ...
Tokyo Olympics Committee President Proposes Manga Parade at 2020 Games
Japan is gearing up for its turn hosting the Olympics in 2020. The country's hosting of the world's largest international sporting event has been under scrutiny from its announcement. From criticism over excessive spending, to debate over the design of the main stadium, to allegations that the original logo was plagiarized, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been plagued with controversy. Former prime m...
Mazinger Z's Garada K7 Foe Gets 1-Meter Tall Figure
One of Mazinger Z's most iconic enemies is getting a one-meter (3.2ft) tall figure to commemorate the series' 45th anniversary. The Garada K7 figure is part of the "Kyūkyoku Zōkei" line and is available for pre-order on the Premium Bandai shopping site. The humanoid Mechanical Beast is the first foe Mazinger Z faces. His noticeable design features two scythes attached to his head like horns but c...
Figure Skating Pair Ryuichi Kihara, Miu Suzaki Perform to Yuri!! on Ice
Figure skating pair Ryuichi Kihara and Miu Suzaki were spotted performing this season's short program at Skate Detroit to a track that will be familiar to Yuri on Ice fans. In the video, the skaters are seen practicing to the anime's namesake track which is used as Yūri Katsuki's Free Skate background music. Fittingly, in the anime the track is an original composition put together by Yūri's friend...
Drive in Ultra Style in the Ultraman Toyota 86
Move over Char, one of Japan's top tokusatsu heroes is getting his own concept car. The Ultraman licensing brand "A Man of Ultra," a joint venture between Tsuburaya Productions and FIELDS Corp opened orders for the M78 × 86 concept car on Monday. The concept car was manufactured with many of the same companies behind the Toyota 86, including Sanei Shobō, Kotsu Time Sha, and Hattori Marking. The ca...
Mai Kuraki Awarded Guinness World Record for Most Theme Songs in a Single Anime Series
The Detective Conan anime series can add a Guinness World Record to its resume, thanks to Mai Kuraki. The singer was awarded the Guinness World Record for singing the most theme songs for a single animation series. Kuraki has performed 21 theme songs for long-running series and was acknowledged for her achievement at a ceremony on July 25. Kuraki first performed the ninth ending theme song "Secret...
Bandai Namco's New VR Arcade Has Something for Everyone
Skiing, fishing, or piloting an Eva unit; it's all at VR Zone
― There's a new arcade in town, but it's not like any other arcade you may have been to. Bandai Namco Entertainment has opened its VR Zone in Shinjuku on July 14th, which is reputedly the biggest Virtual Reality game center in Japan. It's an ambitious venture—not only does Bandai Namco plan to expand their VR activities overseas, they also...
Justice League's Ezra Miller Cosplays as Fullmetal Alchemist's Ed at Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con International brought out all the superheroes this weekend in the one event where fans can catch glimpses of Chris Hemsworth, Ben Affleck, Mark Ruffalo, and Cate Blanchette in the same place. One of the DC Universe's biggest stars, Justice League's Flash actor Ezra Miller, was also there, but he wasn't in red supersuit. Miller spent the weekend dressed as none other than Edward...
Aho Girl Creator Questions Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store Creator's Income, Expense Claims
Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store manga artist Matsukoma posted a response on Twitter on July 17 to a friend's teasing that he should be celebrating the series having more than two million copies in print. To demonstrate the reality of his situation, Matsukoma posted a graph of his expenses for the year so far. The graph states that Matsukoma's 2017 expenses include 2,191,028 yen (about US$19...
Aikatsu Stars Meets Aikatsu in 2-Episode Cross-Over
It's an idol inception in an upcoming two-episode crossover of Bandai Namco Pictures' Aikatsu franchise. The currently airing Aikatsu Stars! will feature the cast from the original Aikatsu to celebrate the anime series' fifth anniversary. Original protagonist Ichigo Hoshimiya and character Akari Ōzora from season two will appear in the first crossover episode on August 17. The second crossover epi...
New Light Novel's OP Main Character Literally Levels Up by Existing
There's plenty of actual criticism for the flood of isekai light novels, and mainly their protagonists, for being ridiculous over-powered wish-fulfillment. Detractors state that the characters typically have superficial flaws while also having "Chosen One" abilities that make any conflict a snap to overcome. Still, none of those previous protagonists hold a candle to 15-year-old Lana who levels up...
Women in Portugal are Forming Real Keijo!! Teams
Last year's sports series Keijo!!!!!!!! was unique take: combining sumo with floating arenas. Oh yeah, and all the moves were based around weaponized T&A. Keijo!!!!!!!! was great for walking the line of shōnen sports manga themes of camaraderie and training sequences with absurd special attacks like "Shoryucans" and "Gate of Bootylon." It was only a matter of time until someone tried to adapt the ...
Akira Bike Makes Appearance in Ready Player One Movie Trailer
A familiar motorcycle showed up in a car chase scene in the recently released trailer for Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One dystopian pop-culture sci-fi flick. The iconic red motorcycle from Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk masterpiece Akira shows up in the last third of the trailer. Ernest Cline's original novel, dubbed "holy grail of pop culture" features a plethora of early Japanese video game and...
Prince of Tennis Valentine Program Will Count Down from 50
The mountain of likely expired chocolates sent to Shueisha offices this year to elect readers' fan-favorite Prince of Tennis are all counted and the results will be announced on August 14 via livestream on Nico Nico Douga. The outpouring of gifts was huge; it took eight employees to count the sweets with numbers exceeding 180,000. The "Happy Summer Valentine" program will reveal which characters r...
Gem-Themed Land of the Lustrous Anime Inspires Real Jewelry
The jewelry brand Tasaki is collaborating with the television anime of Haruko Ichikawa's Land of the Lustrous (Hōseki no Kuni) manga to release real-world jewelry inspired by the gem-themed series. The anime's characters are getting their own necklaces with diamonds, pearls, and multi-colored stones. Each piece of fashion jewelry will be inspired by a certain character and their characteristic min...
Actress Rika Adachi Cosplays as Kemono Friends' Serval
The Kemono Friends franchise has a new celebrity fan. Actress Rika Adachi posted pictures on Instagram and Twitter of herself cosplaying as Serval on Sunday. Adachi wore the outfit for her appearance on the FM Nack 5 radio station's "Nack5 Special 'Anison Friends'" program. Adachi hosted the program with singer-songwriter and actor Yūtaro Miura. In the station's first program dedicated to anime so...
Code:Realize Otome Game Gets PS4 Console Variant
Idea Factory's Code:Realize game is not only getting a television anime, but also a PlayStation 4 model in Japan. Sony announced on Thursday that Code:Realize ~Bouquet of Rainbows~ (Code:Realize ~Saikō no Hanataba~), the PlayStation 4 port of the Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ PS Vita game and the Code:Realize ~Shukufuku no Mirai~ fan disc, will get a limited-edition tie-in PlayStation 4 model...
your name. Cafe Bus Rolls Out in Tokyo in August
The Willer bus company operates only two open-top "restaurant buses" in Japan. The company, Cool Japan Travel, THE GUEST cafe & diner, and the Anime Tourism Association decided to partner and utilize those buses for a special "your name. Cafe Bus" experience. The cafe bus inspired by Makoto Shinkai's hit anime film will operate in Tokyo from August 3 to September 29. Willer's two restaurant buses ...
Boruto's Showtaro Morikubo Gears Up for Next DVD Challenge
Voice actor and singer Showtaro Morikubo has played a wide variety of roles. He currently stars as ninja Shikamaru Nara in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Atsumu Ozaki in Clean Freak! Aoyama kun, but neither role has prepared him for the real-life challenges in his DVD series. The Marukubo Marutarō DVD series stars Morikubo attempting other occupations. The first DVD put him on board a ship an...
Love Live! School Idol Festival Popularity Contest Elects Character With Hidden Face
"Perfect Dream Project" (PDP), the new project for KLab Games and Bushiroad's Love Live! School Idol Festival smartphone game revealed the July ranking of its nine new characters. Users chose their favorites in poll held from July 4-10. This month's winner is Rina Tennoji, perhaps surprisingly since the character's actual face is still a mystery. Or maybe her quirkiness is winning players over? Se...
Agumon to Appear in Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters Anime
Chika Sakamoto voices character in episode premiering August 12
― The Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters anime has shifted the focus from "Digimon" to "Appmon," new creatures each based on a different smartphone app. Now, the show's website has announced that the anime will finally feature a familiar face: Agumon. Chika Sakamoto, the voice of Agumon from Digimon Adventure, is returning to the role for ...
Hatsune Miku Goes Post-Apocalyptic for Magical Mirai Event
Japan's most iconic virtual idol has joined the world of Mad Max in the "Dune" music video for "Suna no Wakusei" (Planet of Sand) the theme song for the Magical Mirai 2017 event. Miku appears to be the idol of apocalypse, backed by a posse of skull-wearing supporters. Hachi wrote, composed, and arranged the song and Minakata Laboratory animated the music video. The company has previously worked wi...
Love Live! Sunshine!! Cast Teach Choreography for Upcoming Festival
Planning to enjoy the Love Live! Sunshine!! activities this summer? The series' real-life setting of Numazu is holding its 70th annual fireworks festival on the Kano river this weekend. A Love Live! Sunshine!! stage event will take place over two days, including a choreographed dance to Aqours' single "Sunshine Pikka Pika Ondo." Don't know the moves? The cast from the anime series are more than ha...
Monster Hunter Bridal Fair Brings Fandom Fantasy to Nuptials
Newly wed couples have shared their fandom, sometimes subtly with themed registration forms, bling, or going all out with an entire themed wedding ceremony. Couples planning their fandom-fueled ceremony can get a major leg up from Capcom. The company is providing Monster Hunter wedding previews at 23 venues across Japan dubbed "Monster Hunter x Bridal Fair". The bridal event gives prospective coup...
Manga Creator Reveals His Recommendation List for Live-Action Gintama Film
Shueisha released the Eiga Gintama Silver Memories Visual Book for the live-action Gintama film on July 14, the same day as the film opened in Japan. The book includes a message to fans with the original manga creator Hideaki Sorachi's "recommended points" for the film that he thinks people who see the film might like. The tongue-in-cheek list includes aspects of the film such as Shun Oguri's (who...
One Piece Reveals 'One Piece Day,' Kyoto Collaboration, Oda Comment on Live-Action TV Series
One Piece will also "hijack" covers of 28 Shueisha magazines
― The announcement of a live-action One Piece Hollywood television series wasn't the only news to come out of the press conference today at the Tokyo One Piece Tower amusement park. The Japan Anniversary Association announced that July 22 is now officially considered "One Piece Day." July 22, 2017 is the day that One Piece is officially cel...
Best Saber Cosplay Yet Uses Projection Mapping Tech
Saber (Artoria Pendragon) is a popular character to cosplay from the Fate franchise. Even cats are getting in on the costumed action. Gomi and his tech circle TechnoAlta revealed what may be the best Saber cosplay yet in a "Summoning the 'King of Knights'" video earlier this month. The video begins with the project's complete two-minute cosplay video then explains the multi-faceted approach Gomi a...
20 Years Later, Xenogears Gets New Figures Teased
Nearly 20 years after Square Enix (then Squaresoft) debuted its psychological mecha role-playing game Xenogears, the video game is getting all new series of figures. Square Enix announced at San Diego Comic Con that the game's original mechanical designer Junya Ishigaki is supervising the figure line as well as reworking the designs. The announcement tweet included the hashtags "Wander Arts," a r...
Kids of My Hero Academia Enjoy a BBQ for New Goods
The kids of My Hero Academia are spending their mid-summer barbecuing together by the river. At least, according to a new collaborative image created for the Ikebukuro P'Parco shop. The art will serve as the focal point for new collaborative goods that will go on sale on August 2. The characters' shirts in the image read "Plus Ultra," which is also one of the key terms for the new goods. While we ...
Relive 10 Years of Oresama Teacher Manga in Anniversary PV
Best-selling shōjo manga Oresama Teacher first launched in Hana to Yume magazine 10 years ago. Creator Izumi Tsubaki created the story of Mafuyu Kurosaki, a girl attempting to reform her delinquent ways now that she's entered high school. Publisher Hakusensha is commemorating the manga's 10th anniversary with a one-minute promotional video that gives a quick lowdown of the characters and their rel...
Turkish Transforming Robot Car Appears for Transformers Film's Japanese Release
Some fans were dubious about the Letrons project when the Turkish company Letvision unveiled prototypes last year. People question if it draws inspiration from Transformers without giving credit or receiving authorization. However, it appears that the transforming robot car has finally gotten some official recognition from the franchise. The official Letrons Facebook page posted photographs this w...
Daisuke Namikawa, Persona 4 the Golden Animation Offer VR Voice Actor Training
VR Theater announced the world's first voice actor training course utilizing virtual reality on Tuesday. The beginner's course will features voice actor Daisuke Namikawa and the Persona 4 the Golden Animation anime. The voice acting agency Stay Luck, which Namikawa founded, is partnering with VR Theater to provide the VR training course for voice actors. Namikawa acts as a navigator for the course...
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Director Teases Blu-ray May Show Asuna's Nipples
To the delight of fanboys, Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale director Tomohiko Ito and fellow staff members have teased that the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of the film may reveal Asuna's nipples during the bath scene. The anime film's staff said during an interview that the Blu-ray Disc release of the film could have an upgraded bath scene with more detail. During the interview, Ito said that bot...
Monster Strike Game's Fullmetal Alchemist Campaign References Buddhist Item Ad
The Monster Strike smartphone game launched the Monster Strike Alchemy Campaign in collaboration with the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise on Friday. To kick off the collaboration, XFlag began streaming several television commercials that surprised some net commenters. Two of the commercials feature "Game Girl Yuka-chan," who explains in the videos that putting one's hands together brings happiness o...
The [email protected] SideM Live On [email protected] App Streams 2 Pre-Registration Bonus MVs
Bandai Namco Entertainment's upcoming The [email protected] SideM Live On [email protected] app has jumped to over 100,000 pre-registered users, prompting it to release the promised 30,000 pre-registration and 100,000 pre-registration bonus music videos at the same time. The first music video is the track "∞ Possibilities" sung by the in-game idol group SEM (voiced by Yoshiki Nakajima, Junya Enoki, and Kent Itō). Re...
Sanrio Reveals Fullmetal Alchemist Character Goods Collaboration
Sanrio announced on Wednesday that it is collaborating with Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist manga to produce special character designs and merchandise. The announcement image features Ed and a cat that perhaps Al befriended. The collaboration also launched an official Twitter account on Wednesday. Sanrio's Fullmetal Alchemist designs will begin appearing on various goods, including apparel an...
Limited-Edition Kemono Friends Merch Sells Out in Okinawa
Although the Kemono Friends anime has not aired in Okinawa, the franchise's limited-edition goods have become surprisingly popular in the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Okinawa-themed merchandise with illustrations by Kemono Friends conceptual designer Mine Yoshizaki went on sale at five souvenir shops and supermarkets in Okinawa on July 1. The goods, which feature anthropomorphized girl versio...
Saga!!! on Ice Campaign Returns for Round 2 in Karatsu
Karatsu in Saga Prefecture is gearing up for another round of Yuri!!! on Ice events starting in December. The city serves as the inspiration for the fictional Hasetsu, the hometown of underdog figure skater Yūri Katsuki. A street festival to celebrate Karatsu Castle's acceptance as a UNESCO heritage site is one of the events planned. One of the castle's towers is currently under renovations but it...
Conan Stars in TV Ads for Magic Kaito Manga's 5th Volume
For the first time in about 10 years, Gosho Aoyama's Magic Kaito manga received a new book publication. The series' fifth compiled book volume shipped on Tuesday. To celebrate the occasion, the protagonist of Aoyama's Detective Conan (Case Closed) manga is appearing in television commercials to promote the release. In the commercials, a kigurumi version of Conan Edogawa reads the Magic Kaito manga...
Despite Shōnen Jump Controversy, the Magazine's Erotic Art History is Decades Old
Female nudity has been par for the course since the 1960s
― This year's 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine became the center of a controversy and discussion online after shipping on July 3. Some people believe that the issue's illustrations of Tadahiro Miura's Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san (Yūna of Yuragi Manor) manga characters for a popularity poll are inappropriately sexual for a magazin...
Precure a la Mode Film Promises Sweet Treats for Moviegoers
The Eiga Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode: Paris to! Omoide no Mille-Feuille!! (Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode the Movie: With Paris! Mille-Feuille of Memories) anime film will make good on its namesake by offering excited moviegoers a trio of delicious donuts. The Mister Donut fast-food chain is making three confections that come in a themed box. One of the treats is a Pekorin donut that recreates the...
Sakura Wars Joins Puyo Puyo Quest for Limited Time
The Sakura Wars franchise has its own little anniversary, including an exhibit looking back on 20 years of steampunk video game and anime battles. Since then, the franchise continues to get occasional merchandise and most recently, tie-in booster packs for the card game Crusade. The next game tie-in is with Sega's Puyo Puyo Quest mobile game starting on July 24. The characters Sakura and Erika are...
Watch Yuri!!! on Ice Character Designer Draw Phichit
Much of the of the Yuri!!! on Ice fandom centers around Victor and Yūri, followed by Yuri and Otabek, but fans also have a special place in their heart for Yūri's former skating club member and fountain of purity Phichit Chulanont. Series character designer Mitsurou Kubo showed the Thai skater some love earlier this month when she drew the character at Paris' Japan Expo. She then uploaded a video ...
Japanese Celebrities Star in Dragon Quest XI's Live-Action TV Ads
The official website for the Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete (Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time) role-playing game began streaming five television commercials on Monday that star Japanese celebrities. The live-action videos feature people "looking forward to [the game] too much." Voice actor Banjou Ginga, who narrated ads for the first-generation Dragon Quest in 1987, narrat...
Yuri!! on Ice TV Anime Gets 4DX Theater Screenings
Yuri on Ice fans will get the chance to fill the cool breeze off the ice rink in an upcoming 4DX theater showing. The entire 12-episode anime series will be shown in sensory-enhanced screenings in theaters throughout Japan starting on September 23. 4DX screenings include moving seats, water, scents, smoke, and more. なんと、「ユーリ!!! on ICE」のテレビシリーズ全12話の体感型アトラクション・シアター4DX上映が9月23日(土)より全国の劇場にて決定しました!!!劇場公...
Shimogamo Siblings Return to Board Real Train From The Eccentric Family
In a new case of life mimicking art, two young tanuki walked aboard an Eizan Electric Railway (Eiden) train in Kyoto on Thursday. Net commenters wondered if this was another case of The Eccentric Family's Shimogamo family members making an appearance in the real world. A real tanuki version of the anime's protagonist Yasaburō ended up stuck in a well at the actual Shimogamo Shrine last month. The ...
Dragon Quest Writer's Hometown Unveils Metal Slime Statue
The Dragon Quest franchise's 30th anniversary has brought all kinds of tie-in goods, from laptops to chewing gum. The city of Sumoto on Awaji Island in Hyōgo prefecture created something far more permanent to remember the video game series and its ubiquitous slime enemy. On Sunday, a metal statue of the slime, alongside the Sword and Shield of Erdrick, was erected in the Sumoto Civic Plaza Square ...
'iMarine Project's' 'Deep Blue Song' 9-Minute Mini-Anime Streamed
Sanyo Bussan's nine-minute "Deep Blue Song" mini-animation, part of the larger "iMarine Project," began streaming on Sunday. The anime stars Aya Uchida as iMarine, Maaya Uchida as Wendy, and Ayane Sakura as Ūny. The three characters sing the track "Deep Blue Town, Oide yo!" at approximately the four-minute mark. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with "to be continued." Two music videos set to the ...
Made in Abyss, ReLIFE, Momokuri Vie for Top Spot in Web Manga General Election
Pixiv and Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc. opened voting for its "Web Manga General Election." A total of 50 titles are available for voting until August 7 and the winner will be announced on September 9. The winners will be highlighted with displays in bookstores and on a large signboard in at the Shinjuku station. The 50 selected titles were chosen from 1,600 nominations. Several of the works are eith...
The Seven Deadly Sins Elaine & Ban Spin-Off Manga Gets Promo Video
The first volume of The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days ~Tōzoku to Seishōjo~ (Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days ~The Thief and the Holy Girl) spin-off manga will be released on Friday and publisher Kodansha released a promotional video for the volume. Not only that, but voice actors Tatsuhisa Suzuki and Kotori Koiwai reprise their roles as the manga's star duo, Ban and Elaine. The ad has both a 15-secon...
Victor Coaches Rink-Side as New 1/8-Scale Figure
Retailers began accepting pre-orders on Thursday for the Yuri!!! on Ice Victor Nikiforov figure in Kotobukiya's ARTFX J series. A prototype of the figure debuted at the Mega Hobby Expo 2017 Spring event on May 27. The 1/8-scale figure is about 150 millimeters (about 6 inches) tall. This version of Victor wears the suit he appeared in in the anime when he made his coaching debut. He seems to be en...
Gintama Makes Fashion Statement With New Apparel Visuals
The official Gintama PR Twitter account unveiled three visuals on Tuesday for the franchise's new apparel items in collaboration with SwimmyDesignLab and HTML03. Although the images look like someone's 10-year-old brother might have drawn them, they are actually official collaboration art. The Gintoki image includes the text "sugar content" and "I love strawberry milk." The Katsura and Elizabeth ...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, One Piece Jump Off the Pages onto Honda Fit
Earlier this week, the Honda Fit car seen in a recent Weekly Shonen Jump commercial went on display at an exhibition in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills complex, albeit with an itasha makeover. The stark white car was covered in scenes straight out Captain Tsubasa, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball pages. IMG cimg0558.jpg IMG cimg0553.jpg IMG cimg0552.jpg IMG cimg0542.jpg The even...
Curry Restaurant's Gundam Campaign Offers Exclusive Figure With Spoon
The Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (CoCo Ichi) restaurant chain revealed the full details of its Mobile Suit Gundam collaboration on Friday. The chain's website had previously teased the collaboration with an image of Amuro Ray eating the restaurant's classic pork cutlet curry. An image of the collaboration's special RX-78-2 Gundam CoCo Ichi Extra Finish Ver. is appearing on promotional banners at res...
Sega's Project 575's Characters Azuki & Matcha Get Vocaloid Library
Sega's Project 575 virtual idols Azuki and Matcha are getting their own Vocaloid software. The stars of Sega's Utakumi 575 app and Go! Go! 575 television anime are now available through Yamaha Corporation's Vocaloid shop. The software remains faithful to Azuki (played by Yuka Ōtsubo) and Matcha's (played by Ayaka Ohashi) voices from the original game and anime. The Vocaloid 4 libraries are also co...
Gamers Store Manager Yoshiko of Love Live! Sunshine!! Gets 1/7-Scale Figure
Last year, Love Live Sunshine character Yoshiko won the honor of becoming the "image girl" of Numazu's new Gamers store when it opened in Numazu, Shizuoka. Numazu is the setting of Love Live Sunshine and the Gamers store is dedicated to selling all things otaku related. A tie-in image of Yoshiko wearing her work apron and holding the store chain's round mascot, albeit with a few Yoshiko-themed ch...
Tsuki ga Kirei Character Designer loundraw's Graduation Anime Stars Hiro Shimono, Sora Amamiya
The 22-year-old artist loundraw came into the spotlight this year after providing the original character designs for the Tsukigakirei television anime (seen below). That work apparently helped loundraw earn some big help on a special project. It appears that loundraw graduated from college this year. The artist revealed their graduation project on Twitter on Thursday. For the first time, loundraw ...
Celebrate 30 Years of Martial Arts Mischief with Ranma 1/2 Stamps
Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 martial arts romantic comedy is celebrating 30 years of gender-bending hijinks. Japan's national post office is celebrating with a framed stamp set of the series' iconic characters that goes on sale on July 18. The stamp set costs 4,200 yen (US$ ) and includes 10 character stamps, a stamp sheet holder, 12 color illustration postcards, and an A5-size calendar. Rumiko T...
Live-Action Gintama Film's Elizabeth's Identity Finally Revealed
Masaki Okada was shown as his character Kotarō Katsura for the live-action Gintama film way back in January. Pictured alongside Kotarō is his pet Elizabeth, and while the duck-like creature is definitely in the film, there has been no official announcement of the person underneath the costume. The part-time job news service An even opened a listing for an Elizabeth cosplayer, offering about US$450...
Watch the Dragon Ball FighterZ Exhibition Tournaments At Evo 2017
Bandai Namco Entertainment and Arc System Works's Dragon Ball FighterZ 2D fighting game is at Evo 2017 and players will be duking it out this weekend in four exhibition tournaments. Players Justin Wong, fLoE, MarkMan, Arturo Sanchez, Daymendou, Flux, Sabin, SonicFox, Kusanagi, and others are participating. The game is the same build as was previously shown at E3 2017, and players can choose betwee...
Kagerou Project's JIN's Nirvana Manga Gets Music Video
The Nirvana manga by team ZOWLS, made up of writer JIN and artist Sayuki, is the subject of an new animated music video. Singer Lia performs the untitled track in the video. The video is made up of images from the manga and original images for the music video. It includes appearances from well-known characters like main character Hitose Yachiyo and Maru, and characters that haven't been revealed ...
Musical Duo ClariS Releases 1st Photo Compilation Book
The musical duo ClariS, which keeps the singers' identities secret, will release their first photo compilation book on September 1. The book, titled illusion ~Hikari ni Kurumarete~ (Illusion: Wrapped in Light), will cost 3,500 yen (US$31). The hardcover collection will have 96 A4-size full-color pages. The photographs will include some unreleased concert pictures. ClariS also revealed a visual for...
Blast-From-the-Past Gundam Wing Anime Illustrations Bewilder Fans
The August issue of Gakken's Animedia magazine, which shipped on Monday, features special Mobile Suit Gundam Wing illustrations. The special illustrations are the anime's first in seven years. The magazine's official Twitter account previewed a Heero and Duo image. The actual magazine also features illustrations of Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Relena with character introductions. In addition, the iss...
Rejected Pearl Diver Mascot Megu Aoshima Gets Anime Promo Videos
The city of Shima, Mie withdrew official backing of its mascot character Megu Aoshima two years ago due to a raging controversy over whether the moe character is a suitable representation of the area's famous female pearl divers (ama) who are typically much older. However, that did not stop the character's creators from continuing to sell products with her likeness, and they launched a crowdfundin...
Red Ranger Checks Out His Rice Paddy in Nagoya
Yuusuke Murata shared his support of the super sentai characters from Lionsgate's Power Rangers live-action film, but Nagoya went all out with a Red Ranger rice patty. The artwork was sponsored by the Chaya Shinden Rice Patty Art Executive Committee, a conservation-focused group that raises awareness about paddy fields through planting and harvesting rice. This is the group's seventh year of opera...
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Director Teases Blu-ray May Show Asuna's Nipples
To the delight of fanboys, Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale director Tomohiko Ito and fellow staff members have teased that the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of the film may reveal Asuna's nipples during the bath scene. The anime film's staff said during an interview that the Blu-ray Disc release of the film could have an upgraded bath scene with more detail. During the interview, Ito said that bot...
Take a Look Inside an Eva Cockpit at Shinjuku's VR Arcade
The world of Evangelion is closer to reality in the new "Evangelion VR: The Tamashii no Za" (Evangelion VR: The Throne of Souls) virtual reality experience opening at Bandai Namco's VR Zone Shinjuku on July 14. In the video, the player pilots Unit-01 alongside two other Eva units in a battle against an invading Zeruel. The project will be the first VR Eva-piloting experience. The cockpit machines ...
Kobe Zoo Holds Kemono Friends Dōjin Event
Meanwhile, Nasu Animal Kingdom plans stamp rally
― Kemono Friends dōjinshi already attracts huge crowds and tie-in events at zoos in Japan saw a giant uptick in attendance. It was only a matter of time until both were combined into some kind of Kemono Friends dōjin super zoo event! The Kemono Friends exclusive dōjin event "Kōbe Chihō" will take place on August 27 at Oji Zoo Hall in the Kobe Oji Zoo. ...
Mega Maker Puts Mega Man Levels in Players Hands
Nintendo's Super Mario Maker for the Wii U and 3DS consoles is very popular with fans and creators alike. Polygon's "Devs Make Mario" video series even had Mega Man's Keiji Inafune create his own level. Players have also ditched Mario assets to create Mega Man within Super Mario Marker Fan developer WreckingPrograms is creating a similar game in reverse, meaning if it doesn't fall victim to a DMCA...
Crowdfunding Planned to Build Giant Mazinger Z Out of Balloons
Toei Animation's Mazinger Z film is slated for next year but the company is planning a much larger-scale campaign to promote the film, and I mean that figuratively and literally. The film's official Tumblr announced on Tuesday that a crowdfunding website is scheduled to launch on July 15. The site will gather funds to create a large-scale Mazinger Z robot that will appear at promotional events and...
Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san Stirs Controversy Over 'Sexual Depictions' in Shonen Jump
This year's 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine caused controversy after shipping on July 3. The issue published the latest chapter of Tadahiro Miura's Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san (Yūna of Yuragi Manor) manga, and the series is featured on the issue's cover. The issue also published the results of a character popularity poll for the series. Some people are questioning the appropriatenes...
Animator Teases KanColle Fan Anime Music Video
The dōjin circles Chūbō no Kōbō and Kinema106 are working together on a fan-animated music video starring the KanColle character Akitsushima, a Seaplane Tender ship. Dōjin member "Chūbō chau yo" shared a 12-second clip of the music video on Twitter and it's already been shared over 10,000 times. 動画の一部もちょいと出してみます。ひたすら好きに二式大艇を動かしてみました。 pic.twitter.com/3JYGJnSqtr— 厨房ちゃうよ (@tyuuboutyauyo) July 10, 201...
Watch Spriggan's Minagawa Draw His Latest Manga Kaiō Dante Part 2
Spriggan and Project ARMS artist Ryoji Minagawa launched his latest manga Kaiō Dante ("Dante" Ocean King) in Shogakukan's Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine in December 2015. In a new video, Minagawa draws the protagonists of all three works together in one image. The story follows a boy living in the middle of the 18th century during the height of sea exploration. To celebrate the release of the mang...
Kaworu Summer Fair Means More Angelic Goodies
While Shinji is gone fishing, Kaworu is throwing his own summer festival. The Evangelion Store Tokyo-01 will hold the "Summer! Nagisa! Kaworu Fair" from July 15 to August 31 and sell new goods based on the character from Evangelion Rebuild films. The store will offer clear files, towels, keychains, hoodies, coin cases, and pouches. Customers that spend at least 2,000 yen (US$17.50) will get one o...
It will be 'Breakfast at Tiffany' Some Day Manga Creator Draws Twin Peaks Cast
David Lynch's surreal murder-mystery series Twin Peaks left fans hanging for two decades about the identity of Laura Palmer's killer. The series returned to American television courtesy of Showtime in May and will broadcast exclusively on Japan's WOWOW network on July 22 under the title Twin Peaks: The Return. Manga artist Hirochi Maki is a huge fan of the original series and she drew profile imag...
The Mummy Film Gets 4-Episode Manga Spinoff
Ganma! artists draw spinoffs this month before movie's Japan opening on July 28
― Comic Smart's free manga website Ganma! revealed on Sunday that it is publishing four one-shot manga "episodes" collectively titled The Mummy - Dark Stories as a tie-in to The Mummy film starring Tom Cruise. The stories will be connected to the film's world, and will be set in London as it is suddenly engulfed by a sand...
Bigger Star Platinum Figure Means Bigger Poses This December
While fans are waiting to see Jotarō's live-action version this summer they can pose this new, bigger Star Platinum to recreate some of the iconic moments from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. Medicos Entertainment's Chōzō Kadō BIG line is planning to release its super-posable figure of Star Platinum—the Stand used by Jotarō in Part 3 and Part 4—in late December. Star Platinum co...
Fairy Tail Staff Celebrates Manga's End While Creator Continues Work
Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima tweeted a picture on Saturday of a commemorative glass trophy that the manga's staff gave him after finishing their work on the series. Mashima added that he is grateful and has the "best staff." Although the manga's staff has no more work for the series, Mashima himself noted in a follow-up post that his own work is far from done. Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine ...
Pikachu's Choco-Bananas for New McFlurry Flavor
Visitors who want to cool off with Pikachu before he takes over Yokohama next month can head to McDonald's locations in Japan for a Pikachu McFlurry. The chocolate-banana flavored ice cream is served in a Pikachu cup starting on July 14. The treat will be available for a limited time, approximately the beginning of August although popularity could affect how long the campaign lasts. The Pikachu cu...
Failing Idol Finds Success When Paired with Talking Mattress in New Manga
The world of a successful idol has a myriad of pitfalls from romantic relationship restrictions, paparazzi rumors, to outright crazed fans. In the manga Umō 100% ~Uchi no Aishō ga "Neshin" Sugite Nemui. (100% Feathers ~My Partner is Too "Sleepy"), Senko has barely managed to get her foot in the door. She's longed to be an idol from a young age, and even studied them until she managed to launch a s...
Voice Actors Ayumi Tsuji, Michiru Sato Marry
Ayumi Tsuji (Saki - The Nationals' Hatsumi Usuzumi, Red Garden's Rose Sheedy) announced on Twitter on Friday that she has entered the family register with fellow voice actor Michiru Sato (Play Ball's Igarashi, Vie Durant's You). Tsuji said in the announcement that her grandmother recently passed away due to a traffic accident. Along with her family, agency, and friends, Sato supported her during t...
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