New product promises the look of “a shining idol singer.”

Japanese cosplay company Assist Wig gives top billing to its extensive line of hairpieces, which stand ready to help costumers replicate the vivid and dramatic hairstyles of their favorite anime characters. But the company has a variety of other cosplay products, and after fans have selected a wig with the color of their cosplay target’s hair, Assist Wig can also provide assistance in matching the skin tone of the character as well.

One such product is the newly released Idolish Powder AS. Packaged in five-gram (0.2-ounce) containers, the Assist Wig touts the facial powder as providing “the gleaming skin of a shining idol,” a colorful way of referencing the fair complexion generally favored by Japanese pop stars and commonly seen in anime character designs.

The powder contains pearlescent components to help gather light on the skin, imparting it with the sort of luminous glow that often highlights anime character artwork. Idolish Powder AS is formulated to help keep your other makeup in place as well, and also contains UV-blocking agents, making it a handy multi-benefit assistor for long, outdoor cosplay photo shoots.

Idolish Powder AS is priced at 1,380 yen (US$12), and can be ordered here through Assist Wig. And if you’re planning to cosplay as an idol who’s crying as she retires from show business, or is perhaps covered in blood for some reason, Assist Wig has you covered on those fronts too.

Source: Assist Wig
Images: Assist Wig (edited by RocketNews24)

Cooking and eating tasty food out of a Ghibli movie for charity certainly sounds like a good idea to us!

Have you ever wondered what some of those yummy-looking dishes from Ghibli movies might taste like in real life? Well, Japanese non-profit organization Filmeet is offering anime fans the opportunity to find out first-hand in an interactive event where participants get to actually prepare and eat Ghibli-inspired food! And the best part is that it’s all for a good cause.

Filmeet, the organizer of the event, is involved in sponsoring various movie-related activities such as outdoor film screenings and talk shows, and all profits from the event will go towards their World Theater Project, which works to bring traveling movie theaters to children in developing countries.

▼ Actually making food from a Ghibli film sounds great. Helping to bring some cinematic joy into children’s lives in the process is even better!

Now, there are plenty of drool-worthy meal scenes in Ghibli movies, so it’s hard to say which dishes are most worthy of being recreated, but for the upcoming event that will be held on March 4 at the Kitakagaya Minnanouen farm/kitchen facility in Osaka, participants will be cooking and feasting on Sheeta’s hearty-looking stew from Castle in the Sky. Yum!

This is actually Filmeet’s second Ghibli cooking event, with their first one in October last year – featuring the herring and pumpkin pot pie  from Kiki’s Delivery Service and the meatball soup from Castle in the Sky apparently – having been a huge success.

▼ Here are some pictures from the first event, starting with the ingredients.

▼ The herring and pumpkin pot pie coming out of the oven looks amazing!

▼ It certainly looks like people had a good time!

▼ At the next event in March, it’ll be Sheeta’s stew, and the sample picture already looks good enough to make our mouths water.

▼ Of course, there’ll be oven-baked French-style sourdough bread to go with the stew as well.

The cooking event, priced at 3,500 yen per person for adults and 3,000 yen for students, is currently fully booked, but you can still be placed on a wait-list. We think it’s great that enjoyment of anime, cooking and good food are being combined to bring the magic of cinema to children in different parts of the world, so here’s hoping the second event will be a big hit as well!

Source, images: ValuePress! press release
Reference: World Theater Project website, Facebook/ Filmeet

Pikachu is in the clear, but the pro football player suspects one of his anime co-stars might be guilty of the crime.

It’s been a good month for professional football player Tom Brady. On February 5, the 39-year-old quarterback’s New England Patriots pulled off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, scoring the final 31 points of the game to defeat the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34 to 28.

The win gave Brady his fifth championship, a feat no other quarterback, and only one other player, has ever accomplished. However, there has been one blemish on Brady’s otherwise picture-perfect February. Shortly after the conclusion of the Super Bowl, someone stole the jersey Brady had worn during the game. After weeks of searching, it’s yet to turn up, but Brady is still hoping to recover the significant piece of sports memorabilia.

While Brady’s ability to read defensive coverages and throw tight spirals is already well-known, he’s now putting his deductive skills to work by apparently conducting his own investigation. The quarterback has even set up a special bulletin board to keep track of all the likely suspects, and he recently shared a photo of his working theories through his Instagram account.

Looking at the board, those who watched the Super Bowl might recognize Brady’s teammate, wide receiver Julian Edelman, and Lady Gaga, who gave a musical performance during halftime. Since both were at the stadium during the game, they can’t be entirely ruled out. Brady realizes, though, that a crime of this magnitude means the search has to be expanded to the realms of fiction as well, and so on the left side of the board he’s got such covetous characters as Lord of the Rings’ Gollum and Game of Thrones’ Pyat Pree, whom he lists as simply “Guy Who Stole Khaleesi’s Egg.”

But there’s one more suspect lumped in with Gollum and Pyat Pree in the group that Brady labels as “can’t be trusted.” Right below the two fantasy antagonists on the suspect board is a picture that should be familiar to anime fans, since it’s a shot of Pokémon’s Gary Oak.

Having your own cheerleaders >> http://t.co/gQoSNgryGZ

—
Gary Oak (@GuryOak) June 19, 2015

Given the Pokémon Trainer’s penchant for self-centered behavior, plus the fact that “Gary Oak” is technically an alias (his original name is Shigeru Okido), we wouldn’t put jersey theft past him. Further arousing Brady’s suspicion is Gary’s fondness for the phrase “Smell ya later,” which the quarterback seems to think identifies him as a “bad kid.”

We wish Brady the best of luck in his ongoing investigation. At the same time, since some criminals react violently when confronted about their wrongdoings, we recommend that he make sure his stable of Pokémon is in top fighting form before demanding that Gary return his property.

Source: Instagram/tombrady
Featured image: Instagram/tombrady

Instead of Pikachu, these creative Pokémon fans have chosen each other.

When my wife and I got married, we decided to have a very simple ceremony and reception, attended only by our parents, siblings, nieces, and nephew. Add in the fact that we have pretty similar aesthetic tastes, and we managed to plan the entire thing over the course of a few afternoons, sidestepping many of the time-consuming challenges that other couples have to deal with.

For example, we didn’t bother mailing invitations to anyone, since we could contact all of our guests with four phone calls to see when they would be available. But while I can’t say I regret missing out on scrutinizing dozens of stationery samples and fretting over which envelope to send out formal invitations to our ceremony, even I have to admit that the wedding invitation Japanese Twitter user @poco0v0 received from her friend is pretty awesome.

See, @poco0v0 is a pretty big Pokémon fan, and apparently her friend has a similar passion for the series, since the invitation looks like this.

親友の結婚式の招待状が届いたー！😳✨✨✨ もう流石としかwwwww(画像掲載許可頂いてます🙏💕 https://t.co/b1iOFkcc7W

—
poco (@poco0v0) February 21, 2017

The invitation opens in dramatic fashion with a portrait of the bride and groom drawn in the style of the Pokémon anime’s character designs, with each of them holding a Poké Ball. Underneath, @poco0v0’s friend ditches the stuffy “Your presence is cordially requested” for a much more dramatic phrase taken from the Pokémon game series’ combat scenes:

“NEWLEYWEDS [bride’s name] AND [groom’s name] WANT TO BATTLE!!”

The Poké-motif continues on the right half of the invitation, in which a blocky, Game Boy-like font lists the options “attend” and “not attend,” complete with the triangular cursor players use when making selections in the early games’ battle menus.

“This is so totally my friend’s style,” tweeted @poco0v0. Here’s hoping the sweetness shown in the invitation continues throughout the couple’s married life, and also that the guests at their reception aren’t too shocked when they kiss.

Source: Jin
Featured image: Twitter/@poco0v0

Company plans singles parties for fans of specific areas of otaku interest.

Japan’s Tora no Ana chain of specialty stores is well-known to otaku as one of the best places to look for dojinshi (independently published Japanese manga, often featuring characters from existing anime series). Starting this month, though, the company can help people find not only the comics they want, but also the lifelong romantic partner they dream of as well.

On February 25, Tora no Ana’s parent company is launching Tora Con, a matchmaking service exclusively for otaku who are seriously seeking a potential spouse. When registering for the service, users are asked to take an “otaku diagnostic test,” which asks them to identify their areas of interest such as anime, manga, video games, cosplay, idol singers, figures, or voice actors. The test also requires registrants to identify specific series or characters they enjoy, or otherwise pinpoint their specific interests within the fields they’ve identified as hobbies. In addition, Tora Con wants to know how long users have been otaku (possible responses range from one to 30 years), and also asks how much time per week they spend on their hobbies (with the maximum possible choice being 100 hours a week).

Tora no Ana says it asks these questions in order to identify and exclude imposters and fakers who don’t really care about the otaku arts, but rather just want access to the dating pool made up by fans. After taking the test, the next step is an in-person consultation at Tora Con’s office, which is of course located in Tokyo’s Akihabara, the heart of Japan’s otaku community.

▼ Artist’s rendering of the Tora Con office

アキバのアツい結婚相談所 「とら婚」 はじまります！ https://t.co/17kPPx7DII

—
とら婚 (@ToraCon_Akiba) February 22, 2017

Once you’re in the system, Tora Con can help match you with a romantic prospect who’s not only an otaku, but a fan of the same genres and series as you are. The company will also be holding matchmaking parties for its members (limited to those interested in specific otaku fields), and a dizzying array of optional services are available. Aside from helping you plan dates, Tora Can can give you advice about what to wear, run a training simulation of the date for you, or keep a staff member on standby in case you need to email the company for advice in the middle of your date. The company can even advise you on how to decorate your home interior and cook a romantic meal, should the object of your affection be coming over for dinner.

Depending on the specific services you sign up for, and how frequently you want to be introduced to potential matches, the cost of Tora Con’s services varies widely. At the bottom end, the service is completely free, while more inclusive plans have signup fees ranging from 98,000 yen (US$845) to 230,000 yen, with monthly fees from 10,000 to 15,000 yen. However, the service’s grand opening sale, which is going on until March 31, has discounted those by over 50 percent.

Other discounts for otaku content creators and fans of specific genres are also hinted at on the company’s website, and if all of this has you ready to take your otaku diagnostic test, you can do so right here.

Related: Tora Con website
Source: 1Up Johokyoku
Top image: Tora Con

So this is what Pokémon might look like in real life!

While Pokémon have certainly been around for a long time, the magical monsters continue to captivate us, as evidenced by Pokémon GO taking the world by storm last year. And why should we expect otherwise? No one can deny how adorable Pikachu and Eevee are, or how cool Charizard and Mewtwo look, right?

But have you ever wondered what Pokémon might look like if we were to come face to face with the creatures in real life? Well, London-based concept artist Joshua Dunlop has created some amazing images using 3D art that give us a pretty good idea.

The Pokémon Zoology series that Dunlop has shared on his Facebook and Instagram accounts shows us some of our favorite Pokémon in such breath-taking reality and detail that the monsters seem to actually come to life! Let’s take a look at some of the images.

▼ Of course, we have to have Pikachu!
The detailed scenery makes it look even more real.

▼ And Eevee looks so cute and fluffy, you can’t help
wanting to touch the screen and try to pet the soft fur.

▼ And we also have some images from Dunlop’s Instagram page.
Bulbasaur is definitely looking cool and impressive here.

▼ Squirtle looks mighty happy in the water!

▼ Charmander is not just sizzling but burning HOT!

▼ Here’s Poliwag! The texture of the semi-transparent skin is stunningly life-like.

▼ We also have Jigglypuff. How adorable are those big eyes?

▼ And here’s a wild Oddish, looking perfectly content perched on a fallen tree.

What’s even more awesome is that you can see time-lapse footage of how the image is created on Dunlop’s YouTube channel. The amount of time and effort that goes into the work is astounding and makes the images even more compelling.

If you want to see more of the fascinating world of Pokémon Zoology, make sure to check out Joshua Dunlop’s pages on ArtStation, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. We for one can’t get enough of his surreal yet life-like artwork!

And if you’re still left craving for more, you can check out some photos of actual animals (and some non-animals!) looking like Pokémon.

Featured image: Facebook/JoshDunlopConceptArtist

One Piece may be first and foremost a kids’ anime, but this sexy figure is definitely for grown-ups.

The One Piece anime and manga franchise is in sort of a unique position. Eiichiro Oda’s original manga began all the way back in 1997, and it, along with the anime adaptation. has continued non-stop through the present day.

Other long-running series, such as Dragon Ball or Sailor Moon, had official conclusions, and survive today as either reruns, sequels, or reboots. But even One Piece’s newest content is part of the continuous, ongoing stream of the original series, and so fans who’re invested enough to have stuck around since its beginning are now at least in their 20s, if not their 30s or 40s.

As such, the One Piece marketing machine serves two groups of masters, one of which is kids with some pocket change to blow on cheap toys. The other is full-grown adults with adult-level cash and adult desires, and it’s for them that this new One Piece figure is being made.

Curvaceous character Carifa, known to some fans as Kalifa, serves as the muse for this one-eighth-scale figure that measures roughly 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) in height.

▼ Carifa’s eyes (and glasses) are up here.

The figure is part of the One Piece Portrai of Pirates Version BB line, with the BB standing for “bathing beauty” (the shapely Boa Hancock was also given the BB treatment a while back). High-end anime retailer Premium Bandai seems to understand that Carifa’s outfit is somewhat different from ordinary swimwear, however, describing it as “a bondage-style swimsuit” meant to evoke the uniforms of the secret organization Cipher Pol Number 9, of which Carifa is a member.

The figure is priced at 9,720 yen (US$86), and Premium Bandai is limiting each customer to three units. Furthermore, only one unit can be ordered at a time, so if you want a copy of Carifa to hang from your ceiling, and one on each side of your bed for when you sleep on your side, you’ll need to place three separate orders.

Furthermore, Premium Bandai’s website says the figure, which is scheduled to ship in late July, is recommended for customers 15 and up. Whether that’s because of fragility, its high price, or simply the belief that pre-pubescent fans won’t be able to get the full enjoyment out of the figure is unspecified.

If you’ve got sufficient money and maturity, the Version BB Carifa can be ordered from Premium Bandai right here.

Source: Premium Bandai
Images: Premium Bandai (edited by RocketNews24)

Perfect for cosplay, or for when you want them muscles without the work.

I think we can all agree that cosplaying is an art. If you’ve ever attempted your own costume from scratch, you know just how much time, effort, and creativity is needed to create a worthy finished product. The feeling that comes from finally putting on your completed work and fully transforming into your character, though, is what makes it all worth it in the end.

Sometimes, cosplayers will share a useful trick to help others create a costume that’s just that much more spectacular. In this case, Twitter user @YakiYakou shows us how anyone can beef up in minutes to give their muscular character the right look.

@YakiYakou, who specializes in game character cosplay, shared how she muscled up for her Fate/Grand Order cosplay using silicone push-up bras.

オルタニキの為に筋肉もどきやってみたんだけど結構良い感じなので簡易レポ(*⁰▿⁰*) ヌーブラをなんとなく腕の筋肉っぽい位置に貼り付けるだけ！(肩に2枚重ね、二の腕の両サイドに1枚ずつ、腕を挟むように1枚ずつ、片腕で計6枚使用)上… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…

—
夜光夜希🕯春閃華東4あ11b (@YakiYakou) February 15, 2017

She explains:

“The fake muscles for my Cú Chulainn cosplay turned out really well so I just want to share. All you need to do is attach NuBra cups to muscular places around your arms! (Layer two on your shoulder, and put one on both sides of your upper arm and your forearm, using a total of six cups per arm)”

If you have slender arms, this method is the perfect way to bulk up your look if you’re cosplaying a particularly built character. Or, you know, if you’re just wanting to envision what you would look like with some nice shapely arms.

It’s a small touch, but seeing the costume all put together shows it adds just the right little something to the whole deal.

オルタニキ制作レポモーメント用の完成図です😭これからまだまだ要改良ですがとりあえず！ 撮影:@SkywalkerCam https://t.co/pYZL61qlh8

—
夜光夜希🕯春閃華東4あ11b (@YakiYakou) February 22, 2017

If you need some ideas for cool cosplay weaponry, hit up your local 100 yen shop (or dollar store) and check out these tutorials for inspiration!

Source: Twitter/@YakiYakou
Featured image: Twitter/@YakiYakou

Talented costumer’s international inspirations are winning her fans around the globe.

While Japan was the nation that coined the word cosplay, the hobby has really become an international phenomenon in the 21st century. So even when dealing with Japanese pop culture franchises, talented costumers can be found outside the series’ home country.

A prime example of this is Taiwanese cosplayer Misa Chang, who’s been drawing inspiration from two of the highest-profile releases from Japanese video game developer Square Enix. Following the release of Final Fantasy XV, Chang, who goes by misa72600 on Instagram, recently dressed up as small town mechanic Cidney, or Cindy, as the character was renamed for the game’s English version.

More recently, Chang has been turning her attention to blindfolded combat android 2B, from Square Enix’s latest hit, Nier: Automata.

While top-heavy pugilist Honoka debuted in fighting game Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, Chang’s take on the character seems to stem from the character’s appearance in the series’ controversial Xtreme volleyball/swimsuit modeling spinoffs.

But Japanese developers are no longer the only ones producing iconic character designs. Chang also travelled to Spain for Japan Weekend Valencia, where she dressed as Overwatch tank/South Korean feminist icon D.Va.

She also hand-crafted many of the components of her League of Legends Star Guardian outfit.

While many of Chang’s recent muses originate in video games, she also does anime cosplay, like when she donned the plugsuit of Evangelion’s Rei.

Here she sports a scarf that, while not an exact match, is remarkably similar to the one worn by Cardcaptor Sakura’s titular magical girl.

Chang has also thrown her hat into the Harley Quinn cosplay ring…

,,,and contributed to the extremely niche genre of “sexy female gender-swapped movie characters with blade fingers” with this Edward Scissorhands outfit.

And finally, during the month of February, Chang dressed up as both a maid…

…and a baseball-playing fox girl.

It’s unclear what, if any, video game, anime, or movie those last two costumes are from, but Chang’s many fans don’t seem to have minded the lack of specificity one bit.

Related: Misa Chang Instagram
Featured image: Instagram/misa72600

With some artistic decisions, the longer you think about them, the harder they become.

While there are plenty of people out there with the artistic abilities to make eye-pleasing doodles, professional illustrators know it’s the tiny details that make or break the bond they’re hoping for their audience to form with a 2-D character. That’s something Kina Kazuharu, who’s contributed artwork for video games and novels, is well aware of, and to get a better feel for the public’s taste, he recently presented his Twitter followers with a question.

See, as a pro, Kazuharu knows that it’s not enough simply to decide to draw a cute girl with a ponytail. Doing his job thoroughly means thinking about just how much hair should be bunched up in the tail, and so he drew up two options and asked his followers which they preferred.

▼ Girl with a lot of hair in her ponytail (left) vs. girl with less hair in her ponytail (right)

毛量の多いポニテ　VS　毛量の少ないポニテ #30minutesJK https://t.co/tblwG1kwiZ

—
✡和遥キナ✡ (@kazuharukina) February 25, 2017

While at first glance the two styles don’t seem all that different, when asked to stop and think about their preference, some respondents weighted a rather complex set of factors . “The one with a thick ponytail looks like she always wears her hair like that,” said one commenter, “but the other on looks like she puts it up when she’s studying or something. Personally, I like the way the look of a thick tail, but I also like it when a girl with a thin tail says ‘Time to do this!’ and ties her hair up.”

Yet another commenter pointed out a possible flaw in the question, saying that he thought the girl on the right was absolutely the cuter of the two, not because of her hair, but because she’s wearing a sailor suit while the girl on the left has a blazer instead.

Meanwhile, the illustration led a third respondent to muse about how characters with ponytails project an active personality, while those who wear their hair in braids have a more reserved atmosphere to them. And speaking of braids, Kazuharu puts plenty of thought into them as well, as evidenced by another comparative illustration he shared.

細くて短い三つ編み　VS　太くて長い三つ編み #30minutesJK https://t.co/V4jybOd0XF

—
✡和遥キナ✡ (@kazuharukina) February 26, 2017

This time, Kazuharu asked which design people liked more, the short, thing braids of the girl on the left, or the long, thick ones of the girl on the right. “You’ve given u another difficult question today,” lamented one Twitter user of the quandary.

At the moment, the voting is split 69 percent/31 percent in favor of the thick ponytail and 58 percent/42 percent in favor of the thin, short braids, making this yet another tough choice for fans of cute anime-style girls to make.

Source: Kinisoku
Featured image: Twitter/@kazuharukina

Pokémon’s 20th theatrical feature is shaping up to be an emotional, lavishly animated look back to the series’ very start.

In Japan, there are certain events that let you know summer is in full swing. Towering thunderheads form in the humid skies. The sound of fireworks festivals echo through the night. And in theaters, a new Pokémon anime film is released.

And no, we’re not exaggerating about the frequency of Pokémon theatrical features. Since 1998, the Pocket Monsters franchise has released a new movie each and every summer. But after roughly two decades of moving relentlessly forward, this year Pokémon is taking a moment to look back. The 20th Pokemon movie, subtitled I Choose You, is turning the clock all the way back to the beginning of the animated Pokémon narrative, and the film’s first trailer has just been released.

The clip opens with on unseen man saying “There’s sort of a problem with this leftover Pokémon.” That doesn’t seem to bother series protagonist Satoshi/Ash, though, who eagerly says “Please, let me have him.” The man reluctantly consents, adding, “See, his name is Pikachu…”

Latecomers to the Pokémon fandom may assume that Ash and Pikachu have always been inseparable pals, but those who watched the anime’s very first TV episode know that their relationship wasn’t always marked by such friendly compatibility. As a matter of fact, in the beginning Pikachu was downright rebellious. As shown in the clip, he refuses to go in a Poké Ball, and resents being literally dragged around by Ash. When the young Trainer asks “Do you hate me?”, Pikachu nods and, though only saying his name, seems to be indicating a pretty clear “Yes.”

Against this backdrop, it looks like the new I Choose You movie is going to be placing its focus less on tracking down Legendary Pokémon or saving the world from some sort of crisis, and more on how the bond forms between Ash and Pikachu.

▼ Though Ho-Oh does make a dramatic appearance in the trailer.

It’s unclear how closely the events of the I Choose You movie will align with those the Pokémon TV episodes with which its story overlaps. For fans who ‘ve been around since the beginning, though, it at least offers a concise way to relive the excitement of the early Pokémon arc with a fresh coat of paint that’s far more lavish than what the anime could afford when it was just an unproven television series, compared to the massive pop cultural icon it is today.

And for those who missed out on seeing Ash and Pikachu’s friendship develop in real time, I Choose You appears to be a great way to see an important part of the franchise’s history without having to watch several hours of old TV episodes.

Pokemon the Movie 20 – I Choose You premiers in Japanese theaters on July 15.

Source, images: YouTube/ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネル

Bringing the over-the-top soccer moves of Captain Tsubasa to a live stage seems like a crazy idea, but it’s the kind of crazy Ebina has built a career on.

Captain Tsubasa stands among the true classics of manga and anime. Aside from its endearing and epic tale of the titular soccer player and those he meets, the series if often accredited with sewing the seeds of soccer fandom in Japan, which would give birth to the J-League and modern Japanese World Cup Teams that today have a significant presence in the sports world.

And now it has been announced that Captain Tsubasa will become a theatrical production this summer in Tokyo. The logistics of holding a soccer match live on-stage seem harrowing enough. I mean, how do you control the ball?

But the particular brand of soccer played in the world of Captain Tsubasa is even more daunting. For example, here are one of the many special moves of the series: The Sky Hurricane by the Tachibana Brothers.

Okay, I suppose you could pull that off with wires, but how about the Phoenix Drive Shot?

I don’t care how many wires you have, making a soccer ball morph into a glowing phoenix and back into a ball again before hitting the post in front of a live audience is damn near impossible.

Perhaps that is why the one and only Kenichi Ebina (a.k.a. Ebiken) has been tasked with directing the Captain Tsubasa stage show. You may recall Ebina as the winner of America’s Got Talent a few years back. Anyone who remembers his performances there will know he’s got the right skill set to take on this challenging task.

The stage show’s announcement is light on details, but they say they will present all of the popular special moves depicted in the manga authentically using “dance, martial arts, illusion, and digital.” What exactly they mean by “digital” is unclear, but they go on to say that they will be using the latest technology never before seen in the theater to present a show that can be enjoyed with all five senses.

Upon hearing “latest technology” and “all five senses” it’s hard not to wonder if they plan to incorporate either virtual or augmented reality to recreate some of the more dazzling moves.We certainly wouldn’t put it past Ebina to try something like that.

More details are sure to emerge leading up to its 18 August debut at the Zepp Blue Theater in Roppongi, Tokyo. Expectations are high, not only to see how they pull this off, but how they treat one of Japan’s most beloved and culturally significant manga franchises on the live stage.

Event information
Captain Tsubasa: Super Experience Stage / 超体感ステージ「キャプテン翼」
Venue: Zepp Blue Theater Roppongi / Zepp ブルーシアター六本木
Address:  5-11-12 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo
東京都港区六本木5丁目11−12
Scheduled run: 23 shows from Friday, 18 August to Sunday, 3 September, 2017

Source: Fashion Press
Top image: YouTube/douga mon

Annual tradition is more beautiful than ever this year.

Education in Japan is often characterized as having very little interaction between students and their teachers. Traditionally, the instructor lectures and the students listen and take notes, with far less discussion and debate than is often present in, for example, American classrooms.

However, that shouldn’t be taken to say that all teachers in Japan are emotionally standoffish or fail to develop a bond with the children they teach. Take, for example, Japanese schoolteacher and Twitter user @hamacream. With the academic year winding down, @hamacream wanted to say goodbye to his graduating students in a special way, and so to celebrate the milestone he created this beautiful work of chalkboard art featuring the star of classic Studio Ghibli anime Kiki’s Delivery Service.

おちこんだりもするだろうけれど、みなさんおげんきで。#黒板アート #魔女の宅急便 https://t.co/YRbTXCIWGC

—
はまー (@hamacream) February 28, 2017

This isn’t the first time @hamacream has put his artistic skills to use in brightening his students’ day. In December he marked the end of the year with some chalk-based Totoro art.

▼ So many Totoros!

とにもかくにも黒板から多くの恩恵を受けた2016年。正確には黒板の向こう側にいる「人」との出会いに恵まれていました。ただの"黒板の人”で終わらないよう、恩師の背中に少しでも近づけるよう、来年も一生懸命頑張ります。今年も本当にありが… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…

—
はまー (@hamacream) December 31, 2016

▼ An alternate angle, shared by hamacream through his Instagram account.

The talented teacher also pitched in by recreating an iconic scene from anime phenomenon Your Name for the school’s culture festival last autumn.

But while the Your Name chalkboard was a special request from his students, it seems that hamacream’s graduation presents are an annual tradition. Last year, The Little Mermaid’s Areil and Flounder offered their congratulations to the graduating class…

…and the year before that, Sanrio’s Little Twin Stars Kiki and Lala did the honors.

But that’s not to say hamacream is only concerned with animation and pop culture art. On the contrary, he’s also shown an appreciation for old masters such as da Vinci and Hokusai.

But while hamacream’s artwork has won him tons of admiration online, he’s staying humble even after achieving Internet fame. In the same tweet in which he showed his Totoro chalkboard art, he said:

“Honestly, I’ve been blessed to meet all of the people who sat in front of this chalkboard. I won’t let myself be satisfied just being a good chalkboard artist, and in the coming year I’ll continue to do all I can to get even a little closer to being as good of a teacher as the teachers who taught me.”

A beautiful sentiment, from someone who creates beautiful art.

Source: IT Media
Featured image: Twitter/@hamacream

The original Gundam statue is no more, but dry your tears, anime fans, because a new mecha is on the way.

Fans of Japanese animation, robots, and awesome sightseeing attraction in general were saddened in December by the sudden news that the life-size statue of anime mecha Gundam would no longer be on display after March 5. Some may have been holding out hope for a last-minute change of heart, the fateful day has now come and gone, and the 18-meter (59-foot) recreation of the RX-78-2 Gundam, the mechanical star of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam TV series, is no longer greeting guests to the Diver City entertainment complex in Tokyo’s Odaiba neighborhood.

▼ A tweet from the Gundam Front Tokyo museum/amusement park, which opens with “With sadness and joy, today is the last day of the Gundam statue’s display.”

おはようございます。泣いても笑ってもガンダム立像の展示は本日最終日です。今でしたら「青空とガンダム」の撮影ができます！また、ガンダムフロント東京は4月5日(水)まで営業しておりますのでよろしくお願い致します！… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…

—
ガンダムフロント東京 (@gundamfront_t) March 05, 2017

What made the decision to take down the statue particularly hard for fans to stomach is that, right up until the end, it remained an extremely popular destination for domestic and overseas travelers alike. On any weekend, crowds would gather to snap photos with the iconic mecha, often buying food and drink from nearby vendors before wandering into the Diver City building to further support the local economy. With Gundam loved by visitors and businesses alike, why take it down?

Apparently to make space for a new giant robot, since it’s now been announced that this coming fall a life-size statue of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, the titular robot of video/TV series Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, will take up the RX-78-2’s position in front of Diver City.

▼ A concept render of the Unicorn Gundam statue

Gundam Unicorn isn’t the absolute newest animated arm of the Gundam franchise, but it is the most recently made TV series to take place in the Universal Century timeline, of which the original 1979 series is a part. And while old-school fans will still be sad to see the RX-78-2 go, the official height of the Unicorn Gundam is 19.7 meters (65 feet), meaning the new statue should be even larger than the original.

It’s unclear whether the Unicorn Gundam statue will be an entirely new piece, or whether it will make use of parts sourced from the RX-78-2. If the Unicorn is all-new, though, it also opens up the possibility of the two statues someday being displayed side-by-side, but if nothing else, the new statue’s announcement means that while Tokyo is currently without Gundam protector, it’ll have one again soon enough.

Source: Gundam Fanclub via Jin
Top image ©RocketNews24
Insert image: Gundam Fanclub

And it’s not just the tame stuff he’s into either.

Sift through the lengthy resume of Samuel L. Jackson, and you’ll get the impression that the guy has a soft spot for American comics and science fiction. Aside from his recurring role as Nick Fury in the Marvek Cinematic Universe, he also famously played Jedi master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels.

But how does the lauded thespian feel about the fantastic fiction being pumped out on the other side of the Pacific in the form of anime?

Jackson recently participated in Wired’s Auto-Complete Interview series, in which celebrities Google their names plus an interrogative lead-in, and answer the top queries that the search engine puts together from the prompt.

Google asks the actor if he’s a vegan, what’s engraved on his lightsaber, and how many movies he’s been in (to which he answers “Not anymore,” “BMF,” and “I’m not really sure”). Once he gets to questions beginning with “Does,” the first is “Does Samuel L. Jackson play guitar?” Second on the list, though, is, “Does Samuel L. Jackson like anime?”

Jackson’s answer?

It turns out he can indeed appreciate the artistic stylings of Japanese animation. “Yes I do,” he responds, before adding “Hentai too,” referring to anime of a sexual or pornographic nature. He then gives out a hearty laugh and sticks out his tongue, displaying either his polished acting skills by portraying a creepy otaku, or his well-documented attitude of not being at all concerned about what others think of him.

Actually, Jackson isn’t just a fan, as during the course of his career he’s been professionally involved with projects that have either a direct or indirect connection to the Japanese animation industry. He voiced the titular character and served as a producer on the Afro Samurai anime TV series, and also voiced a character in the 2009 non-Japanese-produced Astro Boy film, based on Tetsuwan Atom, the seminal work of Japan’s “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka. More recently, Jackson appeared in Kite, a 2014 liv-action adaptation of the then-15-year-old anime of the same name.

Unfortunately, Jackson doesn’t expand on which particular anime he’s fond of, although you can’t blame a guy for wanting to keep some semblance of privacy regarding which specific hentai titles scratch his personal itches.

Source: YouTube/WIRED via Lynzee Loveridge at Anime News Network
Images: YouTube/WIRED

The top-heavy, exaggerated character design of One Piece steps into the real world.

There’s a pretty standard progression that occurs in the anime world. First, a new anime is released. The producers and other stakeholders then gauge the audience reaction to determine which characters are the most popular, with cosplay frequency being one way to gauge which specific characters are resonating with fans. Then, those characters with the largest or most passionate followings get merchandise made for them, such as high-end figures.

If demand is high enough, the same figure will even get multiple figures, some with special costumes that are different from the ones they wear in the series proper. Then, as the anime fandom cycle continues to spin around on itself, those alternate outfits become the basis for even more cosplay.

However, while the character Carifa, from pirate saga One Piece, is much loved for her cool demeanor and busty body, we didn’t expect anyone to be up for cosplaying in the near-nude attire of her just-unveiled Pirates Version BB (“bathing beauty”) figure.

That’s just a little too bold for the real, human world, right? Well, not if you’re Japanese celebrity Mika Kano.

Mika is one half of Japan’s famous “Kano Sisters” (the other being her older sister, Kyoko). While not as active on the Japanese variety show circuit as many other celebrities, the pair have nonetheless achieved rather significant fame for their prodigious busts, revealing fashions, and purportedly glamorous lifestyles.

The sheer bodysuit being worn by Mika isn’t an exact match for the one Carifa has on in her new figure, and there are also differences in their eyeglasses and hairstyling. However, there’s no question that Mika, who’s normally neither a blond nor bespectacled, is taking cues from the One Piece character. The Japanese Internet doesn’t seem to be too bothered by the costuming discrepancies, with online reactions including:

“Only Mika could pull this off!”
“So sexy – losing consciousness.”
“First Super Sonico and now this?”

That last remark is in reference to another cosplay effort Mika recently shared photos of, in which she donned the striped bikini of anime character Super Sonico.

▼ Seriously, when was the last time you saw such a gigantic pair of headphones?

Given the positive response Mika’s Carifa has been getting, admirers are probably keeping their fingers crossed that big sister Kyoko will follow in her footsteps by cosplaying as one of One Piece’s other voluptuous seafarers.

Source, featured image: Kano Sisters Official Blog
Top image: Premium Bandai (edited by RocketNews24)

The new automated money box speaks, plays music from the film, and burps after every deposit!

Studio Ghibli’s 2001 animated film Spirited Away remains the highest-earning anime in Japan, with much of its success due to its unique cast of magical characters. There’s a mysterious boy who turns into a dragon, a stinky bowl-hatted white radish, soot sprites who hide in the shadows, and of course, a lonely spirit called No Face.

As one of the main characters in the film, No Face is a lonely creature who becomes close to female protagonist Chihiro, only to turn into a hungry monster when exposed to the greed of people surrounding him in the magical bathhouse. His gold-and-human-devouring rampage is one of the highlights of the film, where he reveals a set of white teeth from beneath his expressionless mask as he eats everything in sight, including a frog spirit called Aogaeru.

Now No Face’s hungry greed for money is being put to use in a new product developed by Benelic, the company behind the official Studio Ghibli merchandise sold at Japan’s Donguri Kyowakoku chain of stores. Called the Spirited Away No Face Munching Piggy Bank, the automated product springs into action once coins are placed onto the red bowl it holds in its outstretched hands.

Once the coins reach a default weight of about 30 grams (1 ounce), No Face lets out his signature “Ah…ah…” phrase, and music from the movie begins to play as the dish of coins moves towards its mouth. No Face’s teeth are revealed, the coins are consumed and the spirit lets out a glorious burp at the end of its rich meal.

Given the huge demand for Studio Ghibli merchandise, this new product is sure to be a hit with locals and overseas visitors with a soft spot for the lonely spirit from Spirited Away. Set to retail for 5,184 yen (US$45), the No Face Piggy Bank will go on sale at Donguri Kyowakoku stores around Japan from 20 May, with pre-orders available on their website from today.

Source, images: PR Times

The protagonist of the Hollywood anime adaptation will always look like Scarlet Johansson, but she won’t always sound like her.

The titles of a lot of anime and manga were chosen by their creators simply because they sound cool, but “Ghost in the Shell” actually has a strong connection to the events of the series. Ghost in the Shell’s most defining characteristic is the prevalence of technology that allows people to transfer their consciousness (ghost) into a different mechanical body or vessel (shell), and the franchise’s plotlines often explore the military, political, and philosophical ramifications of those capabilities.

▼ Trailer for the upcoming Ghost in the Shell movie

So it’s sort of fitting that even when Ghost in the Shell makes the leap to live-action with the soon-to-be-released Hollywood adaptation, when Scarlet Johansson’s character, The Major, opens her mouth, in some versions she’ll sound exactly like the 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime movie’s protagonist Motoko Kusanagi.

Ahead of the live-action Ghost in the Shell’s release in Japanese theaters, it’s been announced that the Japanese-dubbed version of the film will feature the voice of Atsuko Tanaka as The Major. Tanaka voiced Kusanagi in not only the 1995 theatrical anime that served as the franchise’s breakout moment in the international anime and sci-fi communities, but also its sequel Innocence and the Stand Alone Complex TV series.

▼ Oddly enough, the red bodysuit The Major can be seen wearing in the trailer is inspired by Kusanagi’s outfit from Ghost in the Shell: Arise, in which Tanaka was replaced by a different voice actress.

Also reprising their roles from the anime film and TV series are Akio Otsuka as Kusanagi’s burley cohort Batou and Koichi Yamadera as cybernetics-averse Togusa. Having seen much of the live-action Ghost while recording their dialogue, Ostuka expressed his admiration for the film, saying “There were many scenes that were done just like they were in the anime, and I was happy to see that the filmmakers have such an obvious respect for the source material.”

As with many foreign films, the live-action Ghost in the Shell will screen in both its original language (English) with Japanese subtitles and also in Japanese-dubbed format. Tanaka is hoping some fans come out to see the latter version, though. “I am so happy that the Hollywood version is being dubbed with the original cast,” the voice actress said. “Closing my eyes, and just working off of Otsuka and Yamadera’s voices, like animation scenes come flying, it was a mysterious experience.”

▼ As a side benefit, closing her eyes would also help prevent being distracted by questionable set design in the live-action film.

Ghost in the Shell opens in Japanese theaters on April 7.

Source: Livedoor News via Jin
Images: YouTube/Paramount Pictures

Patlabor’s Ingram is out on patrol.

You don’t have to be a hard-core anime fan to know that there are a lot of giant robot series to be found within the medium. But what’s set the Patlabor franchise apart since its very beginning is the way it grounds its mecha in reality, giving the machines not to a plucky group of teenage heroes or hot-blooded interstellar adventurers, but to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Likewise, Patlabor recognizes that having the Ingram (as its most iconic mecha is called) walk along the same streets that civilian traffic is flowing on would be dangerous, and so when the police protagonists catch a case, they roll out with the Ingram loaded onto a flatbed truck, then stand it up once they’re on-site. It sounds like the sort of scene you could see in real life, and indeed it was for Japanese Twitter user @ok0, who spotted this while driving down the expressway.

パトレイバー輸送中。 https://t.co/NLZUu08vYQ

—
ok0©︎ (@ok0) March 13, 2017

As @ok0 comes across a truck ambling along in the center lane, he notices the Japanese katakana characters for Patlabor (パトレイバー) stenciled across the back. Sure enough, the vehicle is transporting a prone Ingram, and @ok0 (or the person occupying his car’s passenger seat) records the anime police hardware as his car slides past.

▼ The truck’s cab also bears a Special Vehicle Section 2 designation, just like its anime counterpart.

It’s unclear where exactly the robot was off to this time as part of its semi–regular patrol around Japan. With the recent decline in the number of giant guardian mecha in Tokyo, though, it’s reassuring to know that the Ingram is still on the job.

Source: IT Media
Images: Twitter/@ok0

A few scribbles and bullet points were all this amazing artist needed.

Most people would say that being an illustrator is an especially creative line of work. However, when it comes to producing drawings on a commission, the creative process doesn’t take place entirely inside the artist’s head.

For commercial projects, the artist has to collaborate with clients, who ostensibly has some idea of what they want but lack the artistic capabilities to arrive at a comprehensive vision and transfer those ideas to paper. Still, that doesn’t mean the artist’s job is an easy one, since sometimes clients can provide only the vaguest details as a starting point.

Take, for example, Japanese Twitter user and singer, songwriter, and Vocaloid music producer Madoka Kurosawa, whose resume includes the song “No Arugoburu Atonement Doll,” with vocals by Hatsune Miku.

Kurosawa has a new song coming out on April 30 titled “A Supper of Snake Eyes” (“Hebi no Me no Bansan” in Japanese. For the jacket cover artwork, the instructions she gave the illustrator were:

● A person and skull that will grab people’s attention, with a design that has sort of a vignette framing to it (to draw attention to the center of the jacket).
● I’m undecided about the positioning, orientation, and font size for the album title text.
● A person (female). Undecided about hairstyle and color but wearing gothic clothing.
● A motif that includes flowers or eating utensils or something.
● An overall dark-color image.

She also supplied a very rough, black-and-white concept sketch, which can be seen on the left half of the tweet below. From that, the artist she hired produced the lavish illustration shown on the right.

しっかし、絵師さんて本当にすごい…。 頭でイメージできてもこんなに残念な私のラフ画からここまで汲み取ってくださるんだもの。。。。 1枚目：依頼者の要望ラフ 2枚目：完成品 ＿人人人人人人人人人人人＿ ＞　絵描きさんてすごい　＜… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…

—
♚黒澤まどか(弟の姉)♚ (@kurosawamadoka) March 13, 2017

“Illustrators are really amazing…” gushed Kurosawa. “Based on the image I had in my head, I made such a pitiful concept sketch, but the artist was able to draw so much out of it.

We have to agree. When your illustrator can find a way to implement your suggestion of “eating utensils” into something with serious visual impact, you know you’ve found a genuinely talented individual, and let this be further proof that great art can sometime be born from even the most unpolished of ideas.

Related: Madoka Kurosawa official website, YouTube channel
Source, featured image: Twitter/@kurosawamadoka
Top image: Madoka Kurosawa official website