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Short thriller by JoJo series creator Hirohiko Araki to become unique theatrical production!

Kay
Aug 17, 2015
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Manga artist Hirohiko Araki is best known for his hugely popular JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure comic series, which began in 1986 and is still going strong today, after nearly 30 years. But now fans of the series can look forward to enjoying one of Araki’s works in a different form this fall — as a theatrical production! This is actually the first time a manga by Araki will be turned into a play, so fans are bound to be excited, but, as it turns out, it’s not a story from the JoJo series that we’ll be seeing on stage. Instead, it’s a short story with a fast-paced and bizarrely creepy plot, known in English by the title Under Execution, Under Jailbreak, and fans are already abuzz with speculation about the upcoming production!

Things are just peachy at Freshness Burger: Peach burger added to special menu

Aleisha Riboldi
Aug 16, 2015

One of the simple pleasures of summer is all the amazing sweet fruit in season, like watermelon, cherries, apricots, berries and peaches. Now Freshness Burger have come up with a way to combine one of your favourite summer fruits with the humble hamburger. The latest item on their special menu is a peach burger, which went on sale August 14. If you can’t decide whether you want something sweet or savoury to snack on, this burger should do the trick!

We try Cup Noodle Ice Cream, filled with shrimp, meat, eggs, chives, and madness 【Taste test】

Casey Baseel
Aug 15, 2015

A few days ago, we heard that Nissin, maker of Cup Noodle, was now selling ice cream topped with meat, chives, and all the other fixings that are found in instant ramen at the Cup Noodles Museum. One of my coworkers, who lives not far from the Osaka Cup Noodles Museum, bravely volunteered to try it out, and I was all set to let him be our guinea pig, since I’ve already taken one for the RocketNews24 team as far as strange desserts go.

But as it turns out, the Cup Noodle Ice Cream is available exclusively at the second Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama. Hey, wait a second! That’s where I live!

Uh oh…

The cosplay of Comiket 88: Sailor Moon, Splatoon, Love Live! and more【Photos】

Philip Kendall
Aug 14, 2015

Comiket 88, the world’s largest dojinshi fair, is now underway at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre. And while thousands of people are already rushing to buy some of the best and rarest anime, manga and video game merch money can buy, others were there for one thing only: cosplay.

Despite the beating sun and intense humidity that comes as standard with Summer Comic Market (you did read our Comiket survival guide, right?), the almost complete lack of shade outdoors did not deter Tokyo’s cosplayers, who stood out for photo after photo, striking their best poses and wowing our reporters with their incredible outfits.

Join us after the jump for a look at some of our favourites!

We tried torching sushi with a “flamethrower” to increase its flavor! 【Video】

Krista Rogers
Aug 14, 2015

Okay class, who’s ever tried aburi sushi, or seared sushi before? Sushi prepared in this manner has its own unique savoriness that’s different from that of the raw kind.

Our Japanese reporters recently got it in their heads that they wanted to try preparing some roasted sushi for themselves…and when they do something, they go all out. In other words, forget regular kitchen tools–a flamethrower was obviously called for in this situation! Would they find that bigger flames equal bigger flavor?

Prepare for a “poopoopoo” picnic with Nintendo’s Kirby at Kiddyland this month

Mike
Aug 14, 2015

It’s hard to believe that our beloved, voracious powderpuff Kirby is over 20 years old now! “Born” in 1992 on the Nintendo Game Boy, the adorable little guy is actually a fully grown adult now, possibly with a driver’s license and, like, maybe even a family we don’t know about. We picture him holding down a boring office job somewhere in Tokyo, willing himself not to snap at his irritating boss and hoover him up (thus gaining his incredible powers of bureaucracy and micromanagement).

But, even though everybody’s favorite non-Jigglypuff pink ball creature is all grown up now, that doesn’t stop him from enjoying a good picnic!

A Poopoopoo picnic, to be exact.

Tokyo train station and convenience store roll out otaku welcome for Comiket attendees 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Aug 14, 2015

Just how big is Comiket, the dojinshi (independently produced comics) event held twice a year in Tokyo? Over the three days of the event, some 35,000 creative groups and roughly 600,000 fans are expected to attend. In terms of size, Comiket isn’t so much an anime convention as it is a temporary city that roles through the Big Sight conference center.

Comiket is such a large-scale gathering that it changes the whole atmosphere of the neighborhood on the weekend it’s held, and with this summer’s iteration right around the corner, the local train station and convenience store are looking a lot more otaku-centric, as these photos show.

It’s anime pirates vs. idols as Love Live! fans spit fire at One Piece creator’s perceived slight

Casey Baseel
Aug 13, 2015

Determining Japan’s most popular anime or manga franchise isn’t such a cut-and-dry thing, as different criteria suggest giving the crown to different series. For example, if you’re going by longevity, pirate saga One Piece has to be in the discussion, since its manga started in 1997 and its anime in 1999, with both still going strong.

However, you could also make a case that teen idol singer story Love Live! is a contender for the title, since currently no other show’s fanbase can hold a candle to the burning passion of the Love Livers, as Love Live! fans are called.

But while the main characters of both One Piece and Love Live! and friendly, forgiving, and work well in a team, the Love Livers are feeling quite a bit more animosity towards One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda for a remark he made that many interpreted as the famous manga artist throwing shade on the way Love Live! has become a pop cultural phenomenon.

Tokyu Bus alight button is yours to own, pushing all the right buttons

Aleisha Riboldi
Aug 13, 2015

Japanese people take their public transportation very seriously. Millions commute to work either by train, subway or bus on a daily basis. When spending so much time on buses and trains, one tries to find joy in the small things in life, like the sound and satisfaction from pressing the alight button on a bus to indicate you want to get off at the next bus stop.

That thrill can soon be yours to hold and enjoy to your heart’s content. Tokyu Bus Corporation, which operates multiple lines in and around Tokyo, will be releasing a Tokyu Bus alight button kit, which allows transportation nerds to press away all day long.

Japanese moms tweet the stupid things kids do during summer vacation that drive them crazy

Scott Wilson
Aug 13, 2015

Oh summer vacation. For little kids (and big kids too!) it’s a time to finally throw off those backpacks, forget about homework, and have fun all day long running around outside or playing video games. If you’re the mom or dad of one of those kids, though, you’re often left to clean up in their wake.

And the same is true in Japan too. For the most part it’s moms who’re left to run after kids giddy with the freedom of no school. They’ve even started a Twitter hashtag for it: #SummerVacationStupidKids.

What kind of things do Japanese kids do to drive their parents crazy? Are they the same as the rest of the world or completely different? Read on to find out!

Comiket for beginners: 7 tips for surviving Summer Comic Market

Cara Clegg
Aug 13, 2015

A hashtag has been trending on Twitter in Japan recently that roughly translates as “the Comiket tips no one ever teaches you”. While a lot of the suggestions are tongue-in-cheek, there are actually some extremely useful tidbits hidden in there. People often say that Comiket is a battlefield, and it really is; thousands of otaku jostle for the chance to get their hands on limited-edition merch before it sells out, and if you’re not being crushed half to death like you’re on a rush hour train, you’re struggling to stay on your feet in the hours-long queues (here’s a bonus tip – portable folding chairs come in handy here).

Summer Comiket truly is hell on earth, so Winter is recommended for newbies, but if you really insist on going this summer, we’ve got this handy guide to help you out.

Subway Japan launches cheesy pizza squares, but will they destroy its fresh and healthy image?

Cara Clegg
Aug 13, 2015

Subway is one of the most popular and successful fast food chains from the US to make it here in Japan. While of course you could always load your sub up with things like meatballs and cheese, the company has succeeded here by carving out a niche for itself as the healthy fast food option. Subway’s brand in Japan is now synonymous with fresh vegetables and lean meats, so what happens when a chain with a reputation for offering healthy, light lunches starts selling gooey, cheesy pizza?

These are not just any pizzas, though; they’re Pizza Subs, but not as Americans might know them.

Ramen ice cream topped with freeze-dried beef cubes now available in Japan! (barf)

Mike
Aug 12, 2015

You hear a lot of news about the weird foods coming out of Japan. It’s almost as if, once a year or so at one food retailer or another, the guys in the marketing department have a meeting to determine the next delicious flavor to serve up to the masses, only for the director to suffer a minor brain aneurysm and start shouting a bunch of random gibberish about soil-flavored bananas or something.

And that, friends, is probably how we ended up with beef-topped ramen ice cream.

Osaka fried chicken is sibling devourin’ good, implies morbidly funny ad

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2015

Japanese culture has more or less made peace with the fact that the things we eat used to be alive. Part of the reason people in Japan say itadakimasu, literally “I will receive,” at the start of a meal is to verbalize their gratitude for receiving the life of the ingredients that make up the dishes. Sashimi that’s served still moving is considered a delicacy, because what’s fresher than seafood that’s arguable not even entirely dead?

Still, even Japan generally has limits of how much it wants to imagine the former life of the tasty morsels it’s dining on, which is why one startling fried chicken advertisement is drawing a mixture of gasps and chuckles.

Erotic manga reimagining Doraemon as robot shaped like underage girl comes to premature end

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2015

Remember that manga we talked about a while back which was a thinly veiled erotic retelling of beloved children’s story Doraemon? Or, perhaps more specifically, have you been unable to completely repress the memory and knowledge that it exists?

Nozoemon, which prominently featured an android of the same name that looked like an elementary school girl and whose moniker and design were clearly inspired by robot cat, was sure to be a decisive work. But while controversy can help generate attention and sales, it’s generally a good idea to keep the publisher on your side. Nozoemon, though, wasn’t able to do that, and it looks like the “Slightly Fakkin’” (the manga’s words, not ours) tale has come to an abrupt end.

This is what ramen with 100 slices of chashu roast pork looks like

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2015

Earlier this month, we decided to find out just how many hard-boiled eggs you can fit into a bowl of ramen/human stomach, and found out that 10 was a doable and delicious number. But while an egg is a nice accent to a bowl of Japan’s favorite kind of noodles, the king of ramen toppings is chashu, the slice of roast pork that adds some heft and protein to the meal.

Most ramen in Japan comes with a solitary slice of chashu, but some places allow you to pile on more pork. Since we’d already gone with ten times the normal amount of toppings with eggs, we decided to raise the scale to the second power and chow down on a bowl of ramen with 100 slices of chashu.

Two families brawl in a Kobe home center over diapers, likely rivals in resales to China

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2015

After a long, tiring week at work, most people don’t feel like jumping out of bed to be somewhere by 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The prospect usually doesn’t get any sweeter if the reason for dragging themselves out from under the sheets is as mundane as going shopping for diapers with their spouse and mother-in-law.

Nonetheless, that what not one, but two families living in Hyogo Prefecture did last weekend. Still, the trip wasn’t as dull as it could have been. As a matter of fact, if anything there was too much excitement, as the two families ended up getting into a seven-person brawl, since they appear to be rival factions competing for riches in the wild speculative trade sector of reselling Japanese diapers in China.

Otaku oasis of anime and manga discovered in the Dubai Mall 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2015

Growing up, I spent many a weekend fighting traffic to drive into downtown L.A. or Orange County to check out the manga, magazines, and other publications imported from Japan at one of the area’s handful of Kinokuniya bookstore branches. But Southern California isn’t the only place where you’ll find fans of Japanese pop culture looking for a fix. Over the last few decades, anime and manga fandom has spread around the globe, and travelers to the Middle East are sometimes surprised to find that there’s a gigantic Kinokuniya branch in Dubai helping Arabic and expat otaku keep up to date on all their favorite series.

Beaver logs, Christmas dinner, and other crazy stuff foreigners bring to Japan in their suitcases

Amy Chavez
Aug 11, 2015

These days in Japan, you can get almost anything. Nonetheless, there are still some things that remain either hard to find or unavailable at all. We asked our RocketNews24 English writers, as well as a bevy of tourists and expats, what things they’ve made a point to bring into Japan in their suitcases.

If you’re headed to Japan either for a vacation or for a longer stay, you’ll want to take a peek at what items you may want to bring with you. It’s helpful to know, for example, that if you plan on sleeping on a queen size bed in Japan, you should be prepared to bring your own linen because Japan only sells bedding sets up to a double. If it’s Skittles candy you’re addicted to, bring a stash of that too. But some people have more extravagant tastes than others, so you’ll surely find yourself saying, “You brought WHAT in your suitcase??” a few times.

Join us for some head-scratching after the jump!