JapanaTen: Top Ten Macross Cosplays
Macross and cosplay... two of the most awesome things in the universe. Bring them together, and what do you get? Pure, epic deculture, that's what.This post is the result of hours spent slogging ...
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Today is Macross Day!
This announcement is a little belated, but what the hell.In order to celebrate the release of the Macross Frontier film in Japan, I hereby declare today to be Macross Day on Japanator. Keep your ...
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Please license Macross Frontier
[Since yesterday was Idol Day, I figured this would be the perfect time to beg for my favorite anime involving idols to be licensed.]You know what we haven't had in a while? A good, old-fashioned...
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Absolute Territory After Dark
Hello, and welcome to the first edition of Absolute Territory After Dark, a special series of our world-renowned column, Japanator After Dark. As might be gleaned from the title, this series will...
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Advicemaster Asia: Back with a vengeance
[I'll let this serve as Master Asia's theme song, now that he has returned to us here at Japanator]Finally, I have returned from my time in solitude and training. I have returned a stronger, fast...
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What Manga's Been Up To: It's Sexy Time
I love Itoshiki-sensei because he really tells it how it is. Also, he's hot (you know us ladies love the brooding types). Anyway! This week we have an all new assortment of goodies for you,and wh...
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Confession 7: Cafe
Not counting OPs and EDs, little Cafe has only appeared in one episode: Yumeiro Patissiere episode 6. Some would say that I'm moving too fast; that maybe I should wait until he's spoken more than...
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The Best Thing Ever: Yotsuba&!
[Want to tell us what you think is the best thing ever? Post it in our community blogs section, and you might wind up on the front page!] In the course of trying to explain otaku culture to the ...
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Featured Fan Art: Bonnie Tang
When going around at conventions, I always love to take a look through the artist's alley, because you're bound to discover some amazing. And so that's what Featured Fan Art highlights: the best ...
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Why Haruhi Suzumiya shouldn't be over
[We love it when you disagree with us. And so lyfeforce felt strongly enough about Karen's Haruhi artlce that he just had to respond, and came up with a fantastic counterpoint to her article. Let...
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The Best Thing Ever: Otaku Housemates
[EuricaeriS kicks off the latest Monthly Musing with his envious lifestyle: living with a bunch of otaku. All of whom are awesome. It's what many envision college life to be like, and sadly it do...
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Why Haruhi Suzumiya should be over
You don't hear a whole lot of requests for Casablanca 2.It's just not something people ask for. People aren't on pins and needles to find out what else Rick can hide from the authorities in Sam...
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Confession 6: Sebastian Michaelis
From the first moment I laid eyes on you, Sebastian, I was simply enamored. Of course, who wouldn't be -- you're the type of guy who seems to be SO together. I mean, that Ciel is such a bot...
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What's Susan Boyle doing in my anime?
Britian's Got Talent, sure, but it has no place in anime. We'll let this one slide, mostly because it's hilarious.Surely you've heard of Susan Boyle. Most of the world fell in love with this ugly...
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Oh, goo Ranking, you conduct the best surveys ever. Another gem plucked out of the swirling statistical sea was a survey asking men what sorts of clothes would make ladies seem most approachable at a party. That sounds incredibly creepy, though the results themselves were relatively tame. But enough about how open to criminal reinterpretation the survey feels, which items of clothing won out?! Well, if the title didn't clue you in, apparently Japan's men find women in sleeveless tops to be most approachable at a party. Uh...OK. I don't really see the connection, but I don't go to many parties, so it might just be out of my ken. Following in an even less comprehensible second were denim miniskirts. Rrrriiigght. And specifically denim miniskirts! Third came hot pants. Seriously? The clavicle-revealing wide-necked top sitting at fourth place I can understand, since that sort of thing was mentioned in an earlier survey on men's favorite fetishes, but what about see-through white blouses, fishnet stockings ? Do women really wear those? After reading the point-based full list (which you can check out below), I feel almost relieved that the Absolute Territory didn't make an appearance on the list, since a lot of the respondents seemed to be on the hunt for tramps. On another note, I'm glad that turtlenecks and puffy sleeves are low on the ranking, as my girls Rider and Saber are now in less danger.
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"what if you wore the sleeveless top, the denim mini-skirt, and the fish net tights would that be like the trifecta of approachability. "...read more
Seriously ... I can't stop laughing. OH JAPAN! You are so weird, wacky and amazing. The latest innovation from the masters of odd seems to be a handy bustier which you can remove that turns into a putting mat. Called the "Nice Cup in Bra", it's made by lingerie company Triumph International Japan and you can actually see a video of it in action here. Of cours, the bottom is functional too. As you can see, it has a pocket that can hold your accessories (see more pics at Pink Tentacle). It's also detachable and reads "Be Quiet" so you can use it as a flag to let onlookers know to keep it down. You know, as if that was possible if you removed your skirt on a golf course in front of a legion of men.
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"Just what I always wanted! Is there the boy version? and with the guy included, please!"...read more
Have you ever looked at a cellphone strap or lanyard and wished "boy, I wish I could tie a woman up in a sexy manner with this?" No? That just means you are not in the target market for this kinky little accessory, sold at GeekStuff4U for a cool 5,490 yen. The straps are handmade, and sell in two varieties, "Miwako" and "Shinobu." Both are knotted up in the famous "Kikkou Shibari" (Tortoise Shell) style. It's nice to see artistic, err...pioneers exploring new fields to appeal to the secret pervert within everyone. Also, I think it would make for a great Christmas present. [Via Akihabara News]
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"Just having a cell phone that's got that press on jewel crap on it makes me not want to call that person, forget about the naked tied up voodoo doll lookin' thing."...read more
If you're an Otaku, and you don't already know about Cospa, then you're missing out on life. They're the largest manufacturer of cosplay apparel in Japan, and the parent company of Broccoli. While it's true that Brocolli hasn't been doing so well lately, having closed its doors in US, Cospa seems to be doing just fine.
As such, it came as no surprise to me when internet entrepreneur, and life-long otaku, Danny Choo decided to team up with them for a line of graphic t-shirts featuring the lovely mascots who grace his blog. I've always been a fan of Danny's site and even I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of his high-end otaku lifestyle. It's not like he hasn't earned it though. The shirts, designed by the talented artists over at Cospa, look amazing and are undoubtably well crafted. If you're in Japan, you can order yourself one of these shirts today via the Japanese Cospa website. If you're like me though, you'll end up having to order yours from JList, HLJ, Toylet, AmiAmi or HobbySearch. Personally I'd recommend JList, since I know Peter runs a decent shop there. Oh, and he'll be making t-shirts for dollfies too. If you want to see more, check out Danny's blog entry about it the shirts here.
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"XKCD? Kinda funny, not very sexy."...read more
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If you have even the remotest sense of appreciation for fashion, and you get a chance to go to Japan, you will surely be amazed by how effortlessly fashionable so many of its residents are. When I was in Tokyo last month for the first time, I was absolutely stunned by how wonderfully the women dressed and how great they looked. So even if one of their trends seems crazy to our eyes, I kind of appreciate them. Here's the latest on that front -- men wearing those fitted stretchy pants called leggings that have been popular with women the last few years. As you can see in the video, guys are rocking them under shorts and such. I seem to recall this was kind of popular for some men during the grunge era (Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder did it for sure). Japan Probe says 62 out of 100 women do not like the look on men. I dig it, personally. What do you think?
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"I approve. I don't think it looks that horrible on guys.
-I am woman btw! ;P"...read more
And it's wearable in public, unlike those horrid Marc Ecko Halo t-shirts. The only hint as to its Persona 3 heritage is the distinctive pattern on the front and back, matching that on the dress of the Velvet Room attendant, Elizabeth. Her male replacement, Theodore, also displays the design on his clothing, but it's much less noticeable, thus making him inferior. Also included in this Persona 3 Portable "DX pack" are twelve PSP jacket-sized character posters and a 2010 desk calendar (appropriate, since Persona 3 takes place in 2010). Oh, and the game, too. You can order the bundle here and pay the oh-so-very-Japanese price of 8,495 yen (roughly $92), or go through a special 6-step process of my devising, detailed after the jump.
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"Awesome design, I recognized it immediately. Shame I'll never buy it since it's so expensive (Even 360 games have cheaper "Special Editions").
I personally think the best gaming shirts are subt..."...read more
Over at Uniqlo's website, they've unveiled the latest part of their Japan x Game collection: Pokemon. Last month, they started selling kid-sized shirts in this category. Sometime this month their men's group of six shirts will hit stores, and soon after that they'll trickle out to the lone U.S. store in SoHo. Now, the question is: which of these would you actually wear? You know, in public. For me, there are two that have caught my eye: The one where you've been spotted by a fellow trainer, and the yellow with the Pokemon battle scene on the back. Those I could easily see getting rocked at an event, or slipping it on underneath a button-down shirt for a little extra flair. These shirts will likely go for $18.99 a piece, and if Uniqlo has another shirt sale (probably not, as it's a spring/summer thing), they'd go down in price the more you buy. So, it's up to you to choose which ones you'd wear. And hey, got some photos of you in otaku clothes? Show us how fashionable you can make them in the community blogs!
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"Oh man, I love that "Which" shirt. Must have!"...read more
As if the recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment wasn't enough, Disney has recently signed a contract with Uniqlo, the popular, and yet affordable, Japanese designer label, Starting early next month, Uniqlo will start rolling out new designs featuring the characters from various Disney properties. It'll be hitting the Japanese stores first, and will eventually spread to the international outlets. Currently planned are a line of regular t-shirts and long-sleeves which will retail for 1,500 yen, or roughly $15 USD. There's also a line of three-quarter sleeved tees planned which will run about 2,990, or a little under $30 USD. I know that a lot of you might be a bit hesitant about buying shirts with Mickey Mouse on them, but seeing how it's Uniqlo, I'm sure they'll look great.
What I'm left wondering is if this means they'll be selling Wolverine or Iron Man shirts as well. No doubt Disney could option that at any time. And, with the upcoming anime in development, who knows? I'm really happy to see Uniqlo branching out though. They even signed a deal with the German luxury designer Jil Sander the other week, which seemed really strange considering Uniqlo specializes in casual wear. It shouldn't be a cause for concern though, as I'm sure any deal would benefit either designer, especially in these tough times. [via JapanToday]
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This will probably scar you for life, so don't say we didn't warn you going in. I'm not even sure where to start with this one. Obviously she's having some fun with it, but the fact that she thinks it looks amazing has me dumbfounded. It kills me every time she says "...so you don't look stupid," as if most people won't think that already. Of course, if you're into this sort of thing, then you might benefit from someone telling you how it's done. A word of advice though? A real tan beats foundation any day--just remember that you'll probably die from skin cancer if you try it. If you fear for your life, the clown make-up might be the way to go. Be sure to watch the bonus footage at the end. Just don't blame me if you have nightmares now.
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"Disturbing, but for some reason I laughed when she said "I dunno" in that weird voice. I'm glad for her sake that it's not serious. "...read more
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Haha, this is great. I'm not a huge fan of gyaru fashion, and this video shows exactly why. In one of their recent commercials, Seiyu, a Japanese department store, advertised it's latest products while making fun of the popular, over-stylized haircuts that seemed to be plaguing the Japanese fashion world in recent years, despite a rather recent decline in the popularity of that subculture. However that decline, didn't stop us from seeing it in Japanese fashion magazines, or even in some of our favorite Dramas. While general Gyaru style doesn't require the over-tanned body and glossy clown makeup, it tends to feature the use of dye, a ton of hair product, and a slight tan is still preferred. It's not as scary as ganguro, but still a bit overboard at times. What kills me is that nobody has really stopped to tell these girls that it's just not that attractive. At least it's not as bad as those women who dress in decora--a fashion which appears to have developed from dressing in the dark and being completely blind. Does anyone else agree with me on this? Check out a video that features the latest gyaru looks after the jump to see what I mean.
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"A good friend of mine is actually a very huge fan of Gyaru culture. When she first introduced me to it, one of the first thoughts on my mind was "OHGODTHESPARKLESANDCOLORS""...read more
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