Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Anime News Network (Page 14)
LogoTV, the lifestyle channel targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender demographics, is holding a “Gayest Cartoon Tournament.” Sailor Moon characters Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus and her partner Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune have successfully made it to the semi-finals. The duo is competing against South Park’s Big Gay Al. If they win, they will go to the finals round against eitherFamily Guy’s Stewie or American Dad’s Roger.
It’s April Fool’s Day, which means that plenty of anime companies are having a good chuckle with fake announcements, quirky crossovers, and more. Here’s Part 1 of our round-up; check back later in the day for more!
If any Hatsune Miku fans find themselves in China’s Guangxi Province, they might want to stop by the city of Yulin for an unexpected surprise, because it’s in this city that the Vocaloid singing sensation has gotten a fast food restaurant dedicated to her, though likely not in any official capacity.
Anime Japan 2013 had plenty of booths at Tokyo Big Sight advertising the latest anime and hawking related swag, but some companies also took the opportunity to showcase new technology that might be of interest to fans of animation.
Copies of Keiji Nakazawa‘s Barefoot Gen manga were temporarily removed from 13 elementary and middle schools in Osaka’s Izumisano City. Nakazawa’s manga that tells the story of survival after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The copies were removed at the request of Izumisano mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu for what he says are “many expressions in the manga that impact human rights,” including derogatory terms for beggars and the unemployed.
Anything that gets published is prone to typos at any stage of the process, and manga is no exception. From using the wrong kanji to misprinting page numbers, any number of mistakes can happen. Readers haven’t always proved to be understanding of these, but when it comes to a matter very dear to many hearts — bra sizes — errors can be especially unforgivable.
Thanks to the patient translation efforts of AltJapan Co., Ltd. co-founder Matt Alt, readers can now read, in English,most of the 90-page study on robot anime made available by the Japanese government. Titled “Nihon Animation Guide: Robot Anime-hen,” the original document was written by anime critic Ryusuke Hikawa, Sunrise head of cultural promotion Koichi Inoue, and writer Daisuke Sawaki, and compiled by Mori Building Co., which has previously also compiled reports on Japanese live-action special effects shows, movies, and other pop culture topics. In addition to these reports, the company also promotes media arts information, hosts symposiums, conducts surveys, and works on archive projects.
North American anime distributor FUNimation Entertainment began streaming a second clip from the dub of Attack on Titan on Monday. The clip was previously released last Tuesday to subscribers to accompany the second round of voice cast announcements.
J-Stars Victory Vs., the crossover fighting game that pits characters from 32 Shonen Jump manga against each other, debuts on Wednesday, and to celebrate the launch, Bandai Namco Games erected life-size statues of Dragon Ball Z‘s Son Goku duking it out with One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy on the streets of Tokyo.
The first teaser trailer for the Ju-on: Owari no Hajimari (The Grudge: Beginning of the End) horror film began streaming on Saturday.
Hirofumi Watanabe cites jealousy as motive & vows to kill himself when released
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXCoU_sbJ8U
Hirofumi Watanabe, the suspect in the Kuroko’s Basketball threat letter case, admitted to all the charges in his first day in court on Thursday. He added that he will accept the court’s judgment and any punishment without appeal.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested the 36-year-old Osaka temporary worker on December 15 and accused him of sending threatening letters to convenience store chains and other establishments linked to Tadatoshi Fujimaki‘s Kuroko’s Basketball manga.
TV Asahi aired the 2013 Doraemon film Doraemon: Nobita no Himitsu Dōgu Museum on March 6 with a censored scene. In the scene, the character Shizuka encounters the secret tool “hyper vacuum,” and the vacuum sucks up the clothes she is wearing, including her underwear. In the TV broadcast version of the scene, lines of light were used to censor Shizuka when her clothes were sucked up by the vacuum (see image above).
FUNimation Entertainment announced on Monday that it will reveal the dub cast for Attack on Titan in several installments over the next few days. Elite video subscribers will see the news every day at 11 a.m. EDT, while the general public will receive the news later in the day. The first round of cast members is:
Suzuki takes less hands-on role at studio he co-founded with Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata.
With today’s economy, even colossal titans need extra work. Luckily, their tall statures make them a perfect fit for construction.
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Sailor Moon and J-pop mega-star Ayumi Hamasaki team up for collaboration, pre-defeat scalpers
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Police called out to investigate suspicious Santa in Wakayama
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Nakano Broadway sells a fukubukuro lucky bag for foreigners, but is it a good deal or a scam?
Japan now has fish-shaped soy sauce bottle hand cream
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glassesStation of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet range
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frostJapanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a wholeJapanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Nakano Broadway sells a fukubukuro lucky bag for foreigners, but is it a good deal or a scam?
Japan now has fish-shaped soy sauce bottle hand cream
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】
Manga artist raises question online about false perspective in Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro
The 5 best Japanese bento to buy at Kyoto Station
Genuine Muramasa blade and Muromachi katana on display at Tokyo’s Touken Ranbu store【Photos】
New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
