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Feb 08, 2010 18:10:44
$4,800 Asuka Langley from EVANGELION and other life-sized models
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:43 Feb. 07, 2010)
Life-sized models of various anime characters by Akiyama Kobo including Asuka Langley Shikinami and Rei Ayanami from Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Astro Boy, and characters from Tensai Bakabon were on display at Wonder Festival 2010 Winter.
Read on for details and pics.
“Ita-Danchi” Housing Complex featuring “K-On!” Characters
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 11:02 Feb. 07, 2010)
By now any self-respecting otaku must be familiar with itasha(painmobile) and itachari(paincycle). We've heard of ita-PC and even ita-furnitures, but a whole building adorned with bishojo chracters might be pushing it a bit too far...
Aoshima Bunka Kyozai known for their various itasha plastic models unveiled their ita-danchi models of housing complex featuring K-On! characters at Wonder Festival 2010 Winter, which may or may not give ideas to anime-obsessed landlords.
Pics after the cut!
Gorgeous-Hunk-of-a-Doraemon and Adorable-as-always-Doraemon
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 10:53 Feb. 10, 2010)
Following the extremely handsome "Suneo in his Dream" shown at Wonder Festival 2009 Summer, Medicom Toy came up with another Doraemon makeover, this time focusing on none other than everyone's favourite cat-shaped super robot, as "Kakkoii Doraemon"(lit. Cool Doraemon).
So what will Doraemon look like as a heartthrob with male model body? Take a look!
We've also got pics of super adorable Doraemon figurines "Doraemon Soft Vinyl Time Part 2" themed on upcoming movie Doraemon: Nobita's Great Battle of the Mermaid King for comparison.
Pics after the cut!
Wonder Festival 2010 Winter: Table of Contents
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 10:27 Feb. 07, 2010)
Wonder Festival 2010 Winter was held on February 7, 2010 at Makuhari Messe.
Tons of figures, models and garage kits were showcased and we'll be posting tons of coverage, so here's our summary post for your convenience, to which all of our posts related to Wonder Festival 2010 Winter will be linked from later on.
Feb 05, 2010 18:13:20
The True “Industrial Music” played on “Bearing Glockenspiel II”
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 00:01 Feb. 04, 2010.)
"Bearing" is one of the most important invention in modern industry. Without these tiny metal balls, we couldn't overcome even slightest friction.
This "Bearing Glockenspiel II" by composer Kosuke Kawase and bearing manufacturer NSK is a mixture of traditional percussion and state-of-the-art accurate technology. Just listen to the music that iron and steel plays.
Read on for detail.
“YUREX” Jitter Counter by Meiwa Denki measures your Nerve and Anxiety
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 03:00 Feb. 04, 2010)
YUREX by KAYAC Inc. and artist Meiwa Denki is a pedometer-like gadget that counts binbo-yusuri (the nervous involuntary movement of your leg when you're jumpy).
This absurd device was chosen as one of the Jury Recommended Works in Entertainment division of Japan Media Arts Festival 2010.
Video and pics after the cut!
Whirlpool of white partical leads you to amazing serenity in blizzard simulator “Nemo Observatorium”
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 22:30 Feb. 03, 2010)
"Nemo Observatorium" is an installation by Belgian artist Lawrence Malstaf that simulates a blizzard, to be experienced individually on a chair in the centre of the storm.
It won the Excellence Prize in Japan Media Arts Festival 2010 and was exhibited at The National Art Center, Tokyo.
Videos and pics after the cut!
Japan Media Arts Festival 2010: Table of Contents
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 21:30 Feb. 03, 2010.)
Japan Media Arts Festival 2010, the 13th festival of "Media Arts" is now held at The National Arts Center, in Roppongi Tokyo from Feb. 3 to 14.
It's hard to define what "Media Arts" is. They say it's an idea that contains "not only media art with digital technology but also entertainment expression such as animation, manga and game". There are 180 showpieces screened from 2592 candidates of 54 countries. You can actually touch many of them and experience the concept. Here are the list of products we actually tried and wrote about.
Read on for detail.
Feb 04, 2010 19:26:52
Filmstrip of “Nanoha” movie sold at surprisingly expensive $5,850 on Internet Auction
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 02:18 Feb. 04, 2010.)
In prior article we reported that some of the filmstrips of Lyrical Nanoha movie given away for dedicated fans are traded at inflated prices.
We know that the thing is quite precious, for no two film strips are ever the same. But going through auction sites on the Internet, we met some ridiculously high-priced filmstrips. Some of them are more expensive than $5000. How could they be?
Read on for detail.
Old VHS never dies! Affordable Composite-Video-to-HDMI converter enables vintage video on latest LCD
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:34 Feb. 02, 2010.)
It has been long since our analog yellow-red-white composite signal plug washed away from video displays by "digital" standards like HDMI. But still there are demands for the old standard, for we have unignorable amount of video archives in VHS format, and some of game consoles, say Nintendo Wii, still use it.
Answereing this niche but yet strong market, PC peripheral distributer Shang-Hai Donya released "DN-CSTH6230", an hardware up-converter from analog video to 720p HD resolution.
Read on for detail.
Feb 03, 2010 16:40:43
“FoodPic” web service helps you a lot in Retouching and Tweeting your Gourmet Photos
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 10:41 Feb. 01, 2010.)
It's always annoying to see unflattering food pictures when checking after a perfect meal. Before throwing these datas to the rid, it may be worth trying "Food Pic", an automatic photo retouching service specialized in food images.　Adopting Noritsu Koki's "AccuSmart" technology, the service can do quite effective retouch just by clicking on a button. You can also tweet your food photos from the service.
Read on for detail.
Feb 02, 2010 17:21:19
“Eden of the East the Movie II: Paradise Lost” to come out on March 13
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:48 Feb. 02, 2010)
Eden of the East aired from April to June, 2009 and the two-parter movie adaptation was first announced even before the TV series' conclusion. The first part, The King of Eden came out on November 28, 2009 but the second part Paradise Lost, originally planned to come out in January, 2010, was postponed for two months.
Today the official release date was announced as March 13, 2010.
Read on for details and pics.
“Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st” Tie-In Pizza Box by Pizza Hut
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 14:50 Feb. 01, 2010)
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie First hit the theatres in Japan on January 23, and a tie-in campaign by Pizza Hut Japan started today on February 1, 2010.
Like the past Pizza Hut's anime tie-ins including Maria-sama ga Miteru, Sengoku BASARA, Bakemonogatari and Macross Frontier, the pizza will be delivered in a special pizza box, and you'll get to download a special wallpaper after ordering one.
Pics after the cut.
Filmstrip of Fate Testarossa’s Rare Smile from Nanoha Movie Fetch $2,000
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 02:41 Jan. 30, 2010)
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie First came out on January 23. At the theatres they're giving away five-frame filmstrips for dedicated fans who've seen the movie three times.
As usual, many of those filmstrips already came out on Internet auctions and one of them, with Fate Testarossa showing her rare smile, is fetching some incredible price, even higher than the filmstrip of Rei Ayanami that sold at 150,000 yen in 2008.
Read on for details and pics.
Jan 31, 2010 00:00:31
Actresses in Cosplay announced “Magical Princess Minky Momo” musical at a conference
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 01:41 Jan. 21, 2010.)
2012 is the 30th anniversary for Magical Princess Minky Momo(a.k.a. Magical Princess Gigi in some countries). Saluting this memorable year to come, they are launching various projects.
Some of them were already introduced on Tokyo Anime Fair 2009, including serialization on magazines and re-airings. And now we got another impressive act. This beloved magical-girl anime is coming theater musical and to be performed at Ikebukuro Sunshine Theater from April 29 to May 5th.
Script will be totally re-written but based truly on anime's original concept; "Story of a girl who struggle to make adults recall their dreams" but there will also be a new villain "Nightmare" appearing in the show. It's gonna be quite challenging.
Read on for detail.
Jan 30, 2010 09:00:27
Now on Youtube! Theme Song of “Vanishment Of Haruhi Suzumiya” unveiled
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 16:30 Jan. 28, 2010.)
The theme song video for new Haruhi movie came out on YouTube and Nico Nico Douga. Titled "Yasashii Boukyaku(lit. Sweet Oblivion)", it would ease your hunger for longed-for Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya coming almost a week ahead.
Read on for detail.
Jan 29, 2010 17:41:07
Free Streaming of “Gunbuster”, Evangelion director Hideaki Anno’s directorial debut
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 13:13 Jan. 29, 2010)
Gunbuster is a six episode OVA series created by Gainax in 1988, the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno(Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water).
Whole six episodes of the cult favourite are now streaming online for free.
Read on for details and pics.
Winners of “iida AWARD 2010” Cellphone Peripherals Design Contest
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 13:06 Jan. 28, 2010)
The winners of iida AWARD 2010 was announced today as well as the new handset lotta at KDDI's press event. The winners and selected nominees were on display.
Pics after the cut.
Jan 28, 2010 16:55:47
Compact and Simple “lotta” with a Lotta Fun, New Handset for KDDI’s “iida” Line
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 11:09 Jan. 28, 2010)
New model in KDDI's design-conscious cellphone brand iida was announced today at their press event.
"lotta" is a compact and simple handset designed with the concept "a lot of fun" by former Sony product designer Ichiro Iwasaki.
Pics after the cut!
Street Fighter II and Xevious “Mousou Controller” Sound Keychain to Play Imaginary Games
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:06 Jan. 28, 2010)
A true gamer should be able to perceive what's happening on the screen without even looking, just by the sound.
Bandai's Mousou Controller(Imagination Controller) keychains allow you to picture your character's move and play imaginary games of Street Fighter II, Xevious and Family Stadium by emitting sound like "Shoryu-ken" and "Hadoken" according to your command.
Read on for for details and pics.
Jan 27, 2010 16:02:46
Breathalyzer-Cum-Twitter Bot “Akiduki Drunk” Tweets How Drunk You Are
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 22:01 Jan. 25, 2010)
The geeky trio of Koress Project known for Akiduki Pulse(heart rate posting device that lets your Twitter followers know you're alive) have kindly sent us their new creation Akiduki Drunk for a test.
As you can guess from the name, Akiduki Drunk is essentially a breathalyzer that also tweets the state of your intoxication, which sounds actually a lot more useful and fun than the heart rate tweeter.
So we gave it a go!
Jan 26, 2010 18:09:18
Voice Actor Takashi Kondo’s Special Announce on Bizan Aerial Tramway in Machi★Asobi Vol.2
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 03:12 Jan. 18, 2010.)
On the last Machi★Asobi vol.1, an anime and sightseeing event held in Tokushima city, voice actress Maaya Sakamoto did special announce to introduce the city of Tokushima on Bizan Aerial Tramway. This time on Machi☆Asobi vol.2, Takashi Kondo(Toriko, Kate-kyo Hitman) was chosen as a announcer.
Read on for detail.
Censorship under capitalism launched: “Web Checker” service identifies anonymous comment posters
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 14:33 Jan. 22, 2010.)
You might have heard of "2channel". It's the biggest web community in Japan and surely the greatest source of viral marketings, both in a positive and negative way.
To prevent damage from false(or inconvenient) post on this notorious web site, a firm in northern Japan launched a "Web Checker Service", which deletes those posts and specifies posters for for a seemingly-bit-too-costly one million yen.
Read on for detail.
Fangirls Gone Crazy at Voice Actor Takashi Kondo’s Concert in Machi★Asobi Festival
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 15:50 Jan. 25, 2010)
Takashi Kondo known for his role as Train Heartnet in Black Cat(2005) has become fangirls' favourite with Kyoya Hibari in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, now on his way to become one of the most sought-after voice actors in Japan.
He was also casted as the hero Toriko in TORIKO special anime for Jump Super Anime Tour 2009. He performed the theme song "Sonona wa Toriko!"(His Name is Toriko!) at a special concert in anime fes Machi★Asobi Vol.2 held in Tokushima.
Videos and pics after the cut!
Jan 25, 2010 17:37:50
World’s Fastest Engine-Driven Free Kicker “Castrol Ichi-GO” capable of Kicks Beyond 200km/h
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 19:00 Jan. 21, 2010)
Castrol Japan's gasoline engine-driven free kicker development project Castrol Ichi-GO started last year inspired by Castrol becoming an official global sponsor of FIFA World Cup.
Upon hearing Castrol Ichi-GO's kick achieving world's fastest 200km/h (about 124mph), we visited the studio of artist/metal fabricator Kogoro Kurata who designed and built the monster machine.
Videos and pics after the cut!
“Crying Girl”, a DVD containing exclusive videos of crying beauties coming out
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:01 Jan. 22, 2010.)
There are so many videos with weird ideas(like anime-and-workout fusion "Training with Hinako") and here's another: "Crying Girl - Tears on face".
Labeled as "Crying Documentary", the video contains 11 crying girls, recalling the day they cried the most for various reasons.
Read on for detail.
Buff Up with Karate-Style “Push-Ups Dojo” App for iPhone and iPod Touch
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 11:00 Jan. 22, 2010)
iPhone app Push-Ups Dojo was released by BIGLOBE on January 22.
As the name suggests, it's essentially a push-ups counter app in which you smash roof tiles with your nose in a karate-style dojo with your favourite music.
Read on for details and pics.
Annual “Birdman Contest”, a Man-Powered Aircraft Competition to be held again
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 12:48 Jan. 19, 2010.)
"Toriningen Contest" or so-called Birdman Rally had been one of the biggest arena for private man-powered airplane flyers in Japan. It has been discontinued for economical reasons, but this year it's coming back.
Read on for detail.
Jan 22, 2010 19:46:38
Preview of upcoming “Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie First”
©NANOHA The MOVIE 1st PROJECT
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 03:54 Jan. 22, 2010)
The first Nanoha movie Magical Girl Lyrical nanoha The MOVIE 1st is to come out on January 23 and we were lucky enough to see the preview.
Read on for details and pics.
Promotional Video for “Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya” Soundtrack Came Out!
(This article was originally posted in Japanese at 03:50 Jan. 22, 2010)
Promotional video for the soundtrack CD of upcoming anime film The Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya(due February, 2010) came out, unveiling a lot more than the film's trailer.
Read on for details and pics.