Mozart - On Shamisen. 0_0

source: Japan Probe.

New Samurai Shodown Video

Now, I care about this but I was there when the first ones came out. :) Am I alone in my love? (still gotta say it looks a bit rough and I worry about the online)




source: Kotaku

Ganguro Tutorial

This was popular in Japan. Truly.

Picking on Morning Musume

It's hard not to laugh, really. Poor MoMuSu.

It's a day ending in "y". Time for random news bits.

Hi, how's it going? I'm currently obsessing over the "Cannonball" achivement in KoF 12. I had no problem ripping through arcade mode in 10 minutes, or 8 even. In fact, I think I did that the first time I played. (there's a reason I have characters in City of Heroes/Villains named Mucho Aggro and Muchacha Aggro) ANYWAY, 6 minutes flat is giving me problems. I've come within a second of doing it. I shall keep on keepin' on with my boy Joe Higashi. I need more combos like these.



There's a Batman demo coming on Aug 7th for the 360 and PS3.
source: ConsoleMonster.com

Want to play Champions Online FOREVAR? Well, you can, for the low, low cost of 200 dollars.
source: Destructoid

Anyone playing Tetris Online? It seems fun.
source: TetrisFriends.com

Someone from Japanator.com was at Anime Festival Orlando this weekend (I was there on Saturday, myself!) and got some good cosplay pics.

In an unrelated note, they also found a webiste where cute Japanese girls hold up signs that tell you what time it is. Oddly fascinating.

Also, holy crap, 4kids is for sale!
via AICN's Twitter Feed.

More Fish'em All Info

BWAHAHAHAHA! The banjo guy in this amuses me for some reason.

Beetle Sumo

Japan Probe found a cute article & video about Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo wrestling. Click the link for the video and how exactly one DQ's a beetle from the championship.

Oujosama Kitty?

or just Wilford Brimly cat in drag?



via Kevin Periera's twitter feed.

diabeetus.

Ponyo, DC comics and other news

There's an American Ponyo trailer! I got goosebumps!

Some good books from DC dropping tomorrow. Wonder Woman 33 (continues the Rise of the Olympian (incredibly long) story arc) and Gotham City Sirens. GCS seems to be like Birds of Prey, but eeeevil. Catwoman, Harley and Ivy team up to kick some ass. Written by the amazing Paul Dini.

Play Asia has got a "new" Fushigi Yuugi [Limited Edition] DS game, which seems to be two previous Fushigi Yuugi games rebundled into one. $79.90 + shipping is a little too rich for my blood, but maybe not yours.

Finally, a friend was talking about video game series with great music. The Soul Edge/Calibur series has music that I have always enjoyed, even way back with this cheesy little number that is still one of my favorites to this day.

Misc News & FFIV: TAY

Tekken.com has relaunched - we need our Tekken 6 news, ya know. It looks swank has has some great quality video.
source: SD Tekken

Weird Asia News reports yet another oddly flavored soda out of Japan - Green Tea Coke. (bleargh)

There's too much E3 news that you're probably drowning in, but in case you missed it, Final Fantasy IV : The After Years has finally been released.

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Video Games | Final Fantasy IV: The After Years | E3 09: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

WiiWare! Now! Go!

Little Kabuki Kid

Japan Probe has found some great footage of a child Kabuki actor. Mini Lion Dance rules!

matsu moto
by gariisenab

Sphinx Cat Bath

Oh Japan Probe, you are the best for finding this.

Utada + Seacrest? =Wut.

Heard about this on the radio last night. Utada has some video up on RyanSeacrest.com
Yeah, I know, it boggles my mind too, but it's clever marketing.



Some mini rants:
I am so tired of them calling her The Japanese *add pop star here*. Now it's Madonna, where it was formerly the Japanese Britney Spears. It would not surprise me if that offended Utada greatly. "Yeah, you're like the nutjob, drug addicted, head shaving pop star we all like to mock! Yeah!" Also, could Ryan have greeted her in a more offensive way? Crikey, just punch her in the eye next time and maybe we'll think you're less of a racist d-bag. She's from Japan, not outer space.

Utada In Store "Tour" Postponed

Quote from Utada.com

Utada, who is set to release her new album This Is The One on May 12th, has been forced to postpone her promotions to launch the album along with a series of in-store appearances. The 26 year-old artist, who had planned to arrive today May 11th to promote and drive the album release, has been diagnosed with an acute case of left relapsing peritonsillitis.

source: Zac Bentz and Utada.com

If you were wondering what peritonsillitis IS, The Free Dictionary says it is: Inflammation of the connective tissue above and behind the tonsil.

HalCali - It's Party Time

Random PV time.



I want my trips to the grocery store to be more like this. (btw, it is impossible to stay sad if you listen to Halcali. Yep.)

Gaming Idol

While Kotaku was more impressed that this pin up model is the #1 Spelunker player in Japan, I was more impressed that she can clear world 1-1 in Super Mario Bros without looking at the screen. Nice!



source: Kotaku

Utada in top 25 on iTunes

Jpop singer Utada Hikaru, just known as Utada in the US has released her second album in the US. It was released on iTunes "on March 25 and ranked #19 among all albums" The video for Come Back to Me is available for free for a short time. Click the link on Utada's homepage to get the video. http://www.utada.com/news/ (go to news item "This is the One is here!")

The album itself is only $7.99. A non digital copy will be available May 12, 2009. So stop your piracy for a minute and go and support Utada's most recent release. If fans don't support her, then we will likely never get to see her play shows stateside. Go spend 8 bucks! That's round about the cost of a fast food combo meal and an ice cream cone! Skip it this week, (it's bad for you anyway and will give you GAS) and go buy this release!

source: AsianFanatics.net (thanks Joey!) and Utada.com

Shokotan GET!

(Otaku Idoru) Shokotan has a nice little interview on the Japan Times website. I hope she's as nice as she sounds. Because if she wasn't, that would be a bummer of epic proportions.

Anyway! Read it here.

Delicious, warm bento ^_^

Akibanana posts a cool new bento box with a warmer inside of it! Better yet, it has a USB plug so you can plug it in to your desktop at work. This is epic!

Thanko Bento Box

via Akibanana - probably nsfw.

Blog Drop - Japan-esque Edition

Some news that may amuse you. Or horrify you, either way.

Marvel is printing a mini-series called Big Hero Six. They're "Japan's top heroes" (ssh, no one tell any of the Super Sentai groups).

Their names/powers are as follows:

Hiro (the most brilliant mind in Japan), Baymax (his reliable synthetic entity), Honey Lemon (with her super-powered purse), and Gogo Tomago (an unstoppable explosive ball of energy)!

Gogo Tamago? Like, Gogo Egg?

I suppose after watching Sorcerer Hunters that I should be used to food names. No worse than Carrot Glaces or Chocolate Misu I suppose.

But not the tomato, it's mine.

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In other news, ANN reports that Kamen no Maid guy volume 9 will bundle with a dvd with one episode that was essentially "too hot for tv". As you may have guessed (clever you), it's the essential hot springs vacation episode.

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Kotobukiya is getting their chocolate in Marvel's peanut butter by releasing busts of Scott and Alex Summers, better known as Cyclops and Havok. $79.99 USD per bust if you're interested.
source: Kid Nemo Co.

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In one last Japanese-y moment, allow me to present to you some contact lenses that will make you look more like an anime character (and creep the hell out of people you stare at)
source: Inventor Spot