games  anime  toys
Japanator is anime news, community, videos & geeky J-stuff. Updated daily!   Sign up to comment or blog    |    Returning? Login

japanator logo


Hatsune Miku crackers may be the most moe meal ever
by Colette Bennett, 02/04/2010
Hatsune Miku crackers may be the most moe meal ever photo

Alafista brought us an update today on what have to be the most incredible crackers of all time. If you feel like forking over your 1,280 yen for a box of these, you are going to get some scrumptious goodies with not only Miku on them but other vocaloids such as Kaito too. Finally, I can eat him!

These are on sale through Amazon JP and Rakuten and are slated to come out around May 25th. I'm just so pleased to see these, but at the same time I am 100 percent sure that if I did fork over the money for these that I could not actually eat them. I would go to the kitchen, and I would think about it. I would probably look longingly at the box, open it, and sniff them. But the idea of actually chewing Miku or Kaito up ... I'm just not sure I could do it. I don't want to kill them!


  3 comments Latest by Al-mal
"@gwjunkie same here it never really made any sense to me as welll"...read more



 Good Smile...curry? Also, 100th Nendoroid
by Dale North, 01/29/2010
Good Smile...curry? Also, 100th Nendoroid photo

I'm used to Good Smile making good things, but they're usually not edible (though I have been known to put figures in my mouth). But curry. And holy crap, it may just be the photography, but this curry looks amazing.

Want a taste of what Good Smile is cooking? you'll have to be at Wonder Festival next week to pony up 600 yen for a bowl. I totally would if I were there. Indian curry. Hell, I'd go to the event just for curry.

....

You know that was a lie.

In related news, Good Smile is also bringing their 100th Nendoroid along with all the good eats. WonFesu. [sigh]

[via Dannychoo]


  6 comments Latest by undyingstorm
"That looks de-lish! I haven't had good curry in awhile!"...read more

Gallery Images:
Photo


McDonald's Japan's Texas Burger CM: American much?
by Dale North, 01/21/2010
McDonald's Japan's Texas Burger CM: American much? photo

We've been tracking McDonald's Japan's Big America Burgers lately, mostly out of hunger. I think the Texas Burger looks to be the best out of all the regional selections. I'm not digging the extra piece of bread in the middle, but the rest looks great. They're advertising the burger on television right now, and we have the newest commercial to share with you.

The scene they've set even looks like Texas. Kinda. A McDonald's food cart (?!) rolls up to an old gas station while "Footloose" plays in the background. The whitest, mullet-headed cowboy on Japanese TV takes a big bite out of the burger. The cart then rolls off into the desert. Wait, what?

Also after the jump you'll find one Japanese fast food fan's fevered first-person tasting of the Texas Burger. He's so frantic to bite into it that he knocks his drink over on his bed. orz...
That's one meaty looking burger, though.


view full story & comments

  16 comments Latest by torode
"I did not enjoy this burger for two reasons. Firstly, the sweet BBQ sauce didn't go well with the mustard that is spread over the cheese at the bottom. Secondly, what you get is far from the imag..."...read more



 See McDonald's Big America burgers up close
by Dale North, 01/14/2010
See McDonald's Big America burgers up close photo

We already told you a bit about McDonald's Japan's new Big America burger campaign. They're burgers that are supposed to have flavor profiles that match the areas they're named after. There's a New York, California, Texas and Hawaii version, one for all tastes.

Oooooooooooki!

These bastards are big, and the video below gives you a visual taste of them. I love the hoe down music in the background early on. I also love how beefy these burgers look. The patties are crazy thick. I'd totally drop 740 yen on a Big America meal.

At about 4 minutes in, this video from Japan Probe shows a host trying each burger. She has good stuff to say about all of them, naturally. I would love to try for myself. I hope that McD's Japan will still be running this promotion when I visit this spring. 

Which one looks best to you? I like the Texas Burger most. 


view full story & comments

  9 comments Latest by DorjiFAU
"haha! Americas answer to obesity... Make it global! "...read more



 Japan bids farewell to Wendy's by lining up for food
by Dale North, 12/31/2009
Japan bids farewell to Wendy's by lining up for food photo

Ah, Wendy's Japan. I didn't love you, but you've saved my ass a couple of times. I'd rather eat a burger somewhere else (another good reason to close), but convenient locations and low prices sometimes win over taste. Your location on ritzy Omotesando, next to high end shops like Louis Vuitton and Rolex, always made me giggle. It was there that I tried your Bolognese Burger out of hunger and desperation. It was not good. Also, your small Frosty is laughable. It's like 3 spoonfuls.

On second thought, I won't miss you at all.

Some Japanese will miss the burger chain, which opened up in the 1980's in Japan. Tokyo-based Zensho Co. didn't want to renew their franchise agreement, so the locations all close up shop today, the last day of the year. As you'll see in this news clip below, some regulars are really bummed out. One guy in particular looked really down when he said it was sad to see it go. Chili? Really, dude? It's not that good!

Cheer up, dude. You got Freshness Burger, MOS Burger, and Lotteria. You're doing it wrong!


view full story & comments

  7 comments Latest by Kawaikunai
"I'm living in Osaka, and my friends and I went out for Wendy's periodically. There are tons of McDonald's, but Wendy's is 10x better. All of the Burger Kings are in Tokyo! Damn right we'll be ..."...read more



 Japanator Kitchen: Easy one-pot Gyudon (beef bowl)
by Dale North, 12/29/2009
Japanator Kitchen: Easy one-pot Gyudon (beef bowl) photo

I promised earlier this month that I would teach those that asked how to make an easy Gyudon (beef bowl) that's perfect for a quick lunch on a cold winter's day like today. To make it easier to teach you, I've created a little instructional video which you'll find below the jump.

What's great about my recipe is that it does not require anything fancy or imported. Other versions require dashi or mirin, but this uses white cooking wine that you can find at any grocery store instead. You'll find your boneless beef rib at any butcher or grocery. This cut works best because it's marbled and yummy, but rib eye will work too. The key is using a pan that will let you deglaze it, giving you a nice, rich beef flavor. You likely have the rest of the ingredients. This takes about 15 minutes to make from scratch (not counting rice), perfect for a quick lunch.

Let us know if you enjoyed this recipe. We'll make more to share.


view full story & comments

  23 comments Latest by Tamakun
"I just need to make a second comment, since I just made myself a batch of Gyudon following the recipe. Delicious! I definitely want to keep this in my recipe book! I used Beef Brisket instead ..."...read more



 'Big America' comes to McDonald's Japan. Plus bacon
by Josh Tolentino, 12/27/2009
'Big America' comes to McDonald's Japan. Plus bacon photo

Ah, McDonald's. It's a quintessentially "American" franchise, but global enough to develop a unique identity for nearly every market it claws its way into.

Following up on the Quarter Pounder's Japanese launch, the House of Ronald (and Mr. James) plans to distend Glorious Nippon's gut with four new Quarter Pounder varieties, all promising a uniquely "Big American" taste. Plus bacon.

The Texas Burger contains mustard relish, fried onions and barbecue sauce. Plus bacon.The California Burger combines spicy cheese, tomato slices, and some kind of red wine sauce. Plus bacon. The Burger New York is pretty much a standard burger save for the choice of Monterey Jack cheese. Plus bacon. And the Hawaiian Burger channels the classic "Loco-Moco"-style meal by using an egg and gravy sauce. Plus bacon.

I can't speak for the other regional burgers, but having moved to California relatively recently, I would argue that there's enough asian influence around here that they could sell the McRice burger instead and get a better "native" feel. Plus bacon.


  11 comments Latest by KajunBowser
"Oh, my. They're trying to outsource the obesity "epidemic" to Japan. I am disappoint."...read more

Gallery Images:
Photo Photo Photo Photo


KFC for Christmas? Japan is all about it
by Tim Sheehy, 12/21/2009
KFC for Christmas? Japan is all about it photo

We might find it strange that anyone would want KFC for their Christmas dinner, but in Japan, it's standard practice. With lines that stretch beyond the eye can see, and people actually going out of their way to reserve buckets of chicken months ahead of time, the southern delicacy has practically become as synonymous as the trees, presents and stockings you'd expect on Christmas, but why?

KFC's Japanese website has provided some insight. According to their Q&A section, the time-honored tradition dates back to the ’70s. With Turkey being rather hard to come by, a customer at the chain’s Aoyama store stated that fried chicken made for a decent substitute. The manager just happened to be paying attention, and informed his employer, leading the company to launch its “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” campaign during 1974. Needless to say. the campaign was incredibly successful.

To be perfectly honest, I think Turkey is over-rated. I'd take a bucket of KFC over it any day, and I know a lot of you, my wife included, would agree. Now all we need to do is get America to start doing that for Thanksgiving and we'll be set.

[via Metropolis]

  16 comments Latest by SeancetheBLADE
"I'm not surprised, I remember watching Cat Girl Nuku Nuku and seeing in the beginning of the 1st episode the father celebrating his Christmas dinner with his son and he had a bucket of KFC wow..."...read more

Gallery Images:
Photo Photo


FINALLY, someone puts real effort into selling moe food
by Josh Tolentino, 12/14/2009
FINALLY, someone puts real effort into selling moe food photo

Any otaku with a shred of consumer discretion left within his heart knows that moe-marketed food is usually a massive disappointment. Cynical (or desperate) vendors pull some illustrator in off the street (or Aoi Nishimata, heh) and have them draw a random character to plaster onto a bunch of labels. And otaku lap it up.

It's finally good to see a company actually showing real enthusiasm about moe-fying a product, in this case a new line of moe sake produced as part of the "Tomulier" moefication project. Called "Ojou," the line has its own promotional character of the same name.

Now, if it ended there this would be the same as any other moe cash-in, but a lot of care and heart seems to have been put into Ojou, with the brewery going so far as to hire prolific voice actress Rie Tanaka (of Rozen Maiden, Hayate the Combat Butler and Gundam SEED fame) to provide voice acting. For a product that many consumers will never actually hear talking (at least, not until they've downed a few). Tomulier even provided backstory, helpfully translated by Gigazine:

Fairy Ojou resides in the snowy mountains of Minamiaizu, Fukushima. Her "White Breath" brings out the fragrance of sake, making it fruity and clear.

That's the kind of moe consumerism I'm willing to support. It should take more than just an embarrassingly cute label to make it work.

Check out Ojou's homepage for more voice clips, or see an introductory video below.


view full story & comments

  1 comments Latest by Trashed
"Is she missing her left hand? Or was the picture just weirdly cut off?"...read more



 100 people punished for not ordering sushi
by Dale North, 12/14/2009
100 people punished for not ordering sushi photo

Sorry, that's a pretty misleading headline. But Gin no Sara would maybe put me on their payroll if I continue to crank out stories that work in their favor.

Oh, what's Gin no Sara, you ask? It's a Japanese sushi delivery service. They make some of the funniest commercials ever, and their newest does not disappoint. Let me set the scene here: One-hundred people are in a field, and are given the choice between a fancy food joint or Gin no Sara's delivery service. All 100 start running toward the fancy food place, of course. 

They are punished for their choice. Some fall into a hole, others explode in a fire, more are beaten down. They should have gone to Gin no Sara. Why? Well, look. There's hot girls, glitter, flying ninjas (no kidding), lassoing cowboys and more. Oh, and good sushi. 

Hilarious. 

After the jump, also check out the second video, an older commercial for Gin no Sara. It makes a great case for not dining out. 


view full story & comments

  10 comments Latest by Digishade
"Raging Kendo students! Ninjas! Cowboys! Pitfalls! Random Nettings! Explosions! Half-naked chicks shaking it up! And Sushi! This sounds like an awesome idea for a manga, actually..."...read more






« OLDER POSTS
« Older posts - Headlines Only


 
Anime news got news? tips@japanator.com
 Japanator AM Episode 4: Love and Durararararararara!
Endless Eight gets an R1 box set
First teaser for Karigurashi No Arrietty shows up
Annotated Anime: Winter 2010 Week 5
What we want from a new Sailor Moon
An Ode to the GARtender: the most manly man among men!
Man Day: Kamina my Love, I love you more than Colette
JapanaTen: Ten shows you that teach you how to be a man
Arrietty the Borrower now dated for Japanese theaters
Sailor Moon Returns! (kind of)
The Otaku Express joins anime and rap in musical rhapsody
Why So Ra No Wo To is failing
Animekaki means anime oekaki which means I'M VERY BUSY
Japanator AM Episode 3: Harem Hijinks
Is Christina Vee the new Haruhi?
Bakemonogatari vol. 4 sells like crazy thanks to lolis
FUNimation licenses Dragon Ball Kai, to release this year
Highschool of the Dead getting an anime adaptation!
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha filmstrips fetch insane bids
Multiple Gundam series streaming online now



New episode: Japanator AM Episode 4: Love and Durararararararara! GET!

Loading
Loading Videos


    Community Blogs   + post a blog   view all


















    TEAM

    Editor-in-Chief
    Brad Rice

    Managing Editor
    Dale North


    Associate Editors
    Chelsea Thompson
    Colette Bennett
    Edward Baylon
    Eva Duenas
    Rio McCarthy
    Tim Sheehy
    Topher Cantler
    Zac Bentz

    Made by

    ModernMethod













    about us and privacy policy