1 comments

#Nozomi: Well, the folks at Right Stuf/Nozomi are up to something. They've put up a Coming Soon page over on their website, counting down to a license that'll be revealed on Wednesday at 5pm EDT...

13 comments

#News: It's always a good thing when people band together and speak out against laws they don't think help matters, and a bunch of famous manga creators did just that last night on an "emergency pr...

0 comments

#New York Times Bestseller: Well, time to get to this week's bestsellers in manga. To no one's surprise, Bleach has topped the list with its latest volume, while most others are either rehashes or good ol' sequels. Surprisi...

1 comments

#Sakura-Con: Sorry, Sakura-con fans. Hate to break the news to you, but your 2010 convention has just gotten a little less awesome. Yasuhiro Imagawa, the director of G Gundam, has decided to pull out of the e...

2 comments

#TV and Film: Welcome to another edition of Rock the Charts, where we check out the latest information in the Japanese box office! This week, Doraemon debuts in the South Sea, meeting up with all sorts of hist...

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#top stories: Not much to say this time around, except...WE HAVE A FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD RECAP NOW! Thanks, Ben! Now all we need to do is add Naruto and Bleach recaps, and we'll be set for life! Any...

47 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Whoa! This Cblog has certainly ignited some passionate debate. Let's promote it to the front page and give all our readers a chance to weigh in on the issue of moe hypocrisy. If you'd like to st...

16 comments

#top stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, w...

8 comments

#The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Welcome to Featured Fan Art, the weekly spotlight that adds to your ever-growing repository of "Images to Reproportion for Wallpaper-size".Today's featured fan artist is known as "...

4 comments

#TV and Film: Everyone's seen a Japanese film or two in their day that isn't animated, but as a fan of Japanese culture, you may not know where to begin. It can be a little overwhelming, after all -- do you st...

7 comments

#Tokyopop: If you're in college and don't have anything better to do this summer, why not shack up with TokyoPOP?The company's holding a big ol' summer internship tour, and you might get the chance to go on...

4 comments

#TV and Film: If I were to create anthropomorphic representations the seasons, I would absolutely make Spring the cutest, so NHK and I are on the same page here. Recently, they've started using cute anime-styl...

33 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog...

6 comments

#TV and Film: Such is the name of the new Gundam 00 movie, scheduled to come out this September."Wakening" is apparently a real word, though I don't know why they decided to use "A Wakening"...

13 comments

#weird news: Welcome to Vexing Vidoes, where I post stuff that will blast your sanity into oblivion.I know, that's a bit different from my usual catchphrase, but this week's first video is one of the weirdest...

28 comments

#manga: Tim Rogers' rant about everything that's wrong with Japan over at Kotaku has been up for a while now, and I hadn't been sure what to make of it. It's not the kind of article I feel compelled to d...

3 comments

#Hana-mi: Do you like spring? Do you like cherry blossoms? If the answer is no, then why the hell not? I'm trying to think of a reason why anyone wouldn't like cherry blossoms, and I'm drawing a total blan...

17 comments

#Winter 09 Season: As the screenshot above demonstrates, this week's episode of Durarara!! (the ensemble drama that's single-handedly raising the average quality of currently airing anime by several points) feature...

23 comments

#Video games: We already know how Yakuza 3 is blatantly better than Final Fantasy XIII, but it turns out that it could have been even more blatantly better, because some folks have reported that SEGA cut much ...

3 comments

#music: Japan Nite? Oh yeah, we've gone to that. And taken some photos of the whole shebang. In fact, we plan to go again, as in two weeks it'll all be going down at the annual Japan Nite in Los Angeles,...

39 comments

#videos: Do you know what it takes to be a true mangaka? Do you emulate the master artists that draw such fine series as Naruto and Inuyasha? Do you know the pains of drawing boys (and how much harder the...

0 comments

#Viz Media: The financial industry is one that's probably the hardest hit out of all of them in this economy. I know lots of people who used to earn high-paying salaries or do seriously complicated work in t...

7 comments

#yaoi: If you're into yaoi or looking to get into yaoi, it's best to start with the best, and according to Digital Manga Publishing and Libre Shuppan, they've got the right one for you.Finder, the semin...

26 comments

#K-On: That's right, they're adding a new girl to the second season of K-ON!!, named Miura Akane-chan. Instrument of choice? Tuba. She's about 5'8", which puts her well above everyone else in the g...

5 comments

#learn japanese: Now, I know the purpose of these waterproof flashcards is to allow you to study while soaking comfortably in a nice warm bath, but I think I'm ready to take it one step further: I think I'm ready...

6 comments

#Video games: Considering how often I say things like "Why must it always be PORN??", I might not seem like the most likely person to be bringing you news about the hentai dungeon-crawler Lightning W...

23 comments

#Sex: According to the Japan Subculture Research Center, many otaku haven't given up real women for the likes of Nene from Love Plus just yet. Of course, that doesn't mean that they're going out on dat...

23 comments

#vocaloid: They nearly ruined the whole affair, especially for folks who have to view such things through a certain series of tubes, like myself.The issue is - and I'm not afraid to admit it - that Miku and...

3 comments

#Viz Media: Yup, yesterday, which means that the first volume of Arata: The Legend should be on store shelves right now. It's from Yuu Watase, also known as the lady behind Fushigi Yuugi and Ceres: Celestial...

7 comments

#anime: Wow, a few great days in a row. How lucky am I? First, I find out that Fantagraphics has licensed one of my favorite manga titles and are bringing it over to the US this year, and now I found out...

8 comments

#Video games: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, warm up your keyboard and write something awe...

32 comments

#Video games: This week, one of the most anticipated Japanese Role-Playing Games just came out in the western market, and that game is Final Fantasy XIII. I'm sure many of you out there are going to get (or al...

4 comments

#vocaloid: Actually, it's a little late for Miku day itself, which was yesterday, but HearJapan's "Miku Treasure Hunt" contest is still running, and you might just win some adorable Vocaloid figur...

5 comments

#music: They say MTV is no longer about the music, but MTV Iggy still has some musical stuff going on. This site gives itself the headline "Breakthrough Music and Pop Culture from around the Globe&q...

23 comments

#top stories: For all your worrying about FUNimation editing Dance in the Vampire Bund, they've made an update to their stance when it comes to the show. The full statement is down below, but the short of it i...

3 comments

#Video games: Sega has teamed up with the Japanese restaurant chain, Watami, in order to promote its upcoming release of Yakuza 4 in Japan by giving away a hundred "legendary beer jugs." While that n...

4 comments

#manga: Like some Yoshitoshi ABe? He's one of the guys behind Serial Experiments Lain, NieA_7, Texhnolyze and Haibane Renmei. You can have his new doujinshi, I Am An Alien, I Have A Question for more tha...

14 comments

#yotsubato:

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#music: Disney is really fond of releasing these arrangement albums overseas. Some of them are terrible, some are tolerable and some are actually half-way decent, but given that I haven't heard ...

32 comments

#ZOMGWTFBBQ: The time has come. The "Youth Nurturing and Protection Ordinance," a proposal to essentially censor images of "childlike" characters in media, is set to enter committee on Mar...

1 comments

#San Francisco: Not part of the GDC crowd, but looking to get out tonight? Well, why not haul yourself over to the Viz Cinema tonight down in San Francisco and go to see what's sure to be an interesting talk, en...

5 comments

#Toradora: It's no secret that I love me some Toradora!, and if you ever pay attention to the Japanator twitter account, you'll see that I post pictures of Taiga from time to time, attempting to induce suga...

14 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, warm up your keyboard and write something awesome!...

9 comments

#podcast: It's a new Japanator Radio! Exclamation point! For emphasis!This week, music from Capsule, Mudy on the Sakuban, The Telephones, Chatmonchy in the Artist Spotlight and much more! Woo!Grab it whils...

76 comments

#top stories: Okay, so technically this is a WEDNESDAY Otaku Debate. Wanna fight about it? Although the Imperial Star Destroyer performed better than I expected last week, it still wasn't powerful enough to to...

11 comments

#weird news: Japanese emoticons (kaomoji) are awesome. They're so much more versatile (and expressive) than our boring old :) and :( . Hell, they can even include hand movements and body language.Unfortunatel...

1 comments

#manga: Not much to go on right now, except that it's going to be called Kenpachi Kanpachi, and will be run by Kannagi author Takenashi Eri's real-life brother, Yuuki Shinichi. This might smack of nepoti...

6 comments

#Viz Media: Mmmm, horror manga. I can never get enough of it. Having reread my Junji Ito dozens of times however, I have to admit I would not mind something new. VIZ has come to my rescue with the announceme...

16 comments

#review: For the longest time, I had films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away as my safe bets for favorite Miyazaki films. They were accessible, fun, and certainly evoked plenty of emotions. But th...

2 comments

#News: You know those awesome music videos GAINAX did featuring characters from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann in new "stories" or environments (or just sticking their fingers where they don't bel...

5 comments

#videos: Various news sites are reporting that Koichi Nakamura, lead vocalist for the j-pop band Jaywalk, was arrested for possession of stimulants late last evening.&nb...

2 comments

#TV and Film: Well, now that just about every person in Japan has seen Avatar, it shouldn't be too long until it starts fading away from the country's mind, right? Knowing this film, I'm probably dead wrong. W...

20 comments

#top stories: You'll notice that this week's title comes with two exclamation points, because two exclamation points are the new exclamation point. What's up with that, anyway? Chu-Bra!!, Durarara!!....This we...

3 comments

#New York Times Bestseller: While this is appearing a little late, the charts this week are none the less surprising. We've got a few new entries on the list, with series like Negima! and Soul Eater showing off their popula...

7 comments

#vocaloid: Well, yesterday was Miku Day in Japan. And for once it's not a day we just made up so we could post fun things. It's actually "Miku Day", March 9th, which in numbers is 3/9, which in Ja...

11 comments

#media blasters: While the manga business seems to be growing to allow more competitors in, the anime front is seeing more troubled times. Starting last Friday, anime/manga licensor and distributor Media Blasters...

11 comments

#releases: Excited to be spending some money? Of course you are! There's plenty out there for you to pick up this week, most notably the Blu-ray version of Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone, because I ju...

3 comments

#top stories: I come back from a trip to find out that Fantagraphics is now launching a full manga line, watched over by the eminent Professor Matt Thorn, a well-known translator and guru on manga. Four years ...

6 comments

#News: There's a first time for everything, right? Japanese police recently arrested a man for exceeding the speed limit by roughly 140 kilometers per hour--for those of us who live in US, that's roughl...

3 comments

#Sex: Name: Yumi SugimotoBirthdate: April 1, 1989 Home: Osaka Sizes: 82/58/85 cm You know her from her gravure and television work. Maybe. I know her from my dreams. Yumi Sugimoto is about as lovely a...

16 comments

#TV and Film: I think it's pretty much safe to say that any fan of animated films probably has a little bit of Miyazaki in his or her collection. Or, if you're anything like me, you may have an obsessive colle...

15 comments

#ZOMGWTFBBQ: This cannot be allowed to pass.Wi-Z Garage has created...something that should not be, but is.It's called "Cho-Marisa" and is apparently...inspired(?) by homoerotic shooter Cho Aniki an...

11 comments

#TV and Film: If you're an old manga nerd like me, you may remember a series that came out in the early seventies called Ashita no Joe. It follows the adventures of Joe Yabuki, an orphan who meets his future a...

7 comments

#TV and Film: You are not going to see a better commercial today.I promise. Hit the jump and try to disagree with me. Just ... TRY. [Via Alafista]

5 comments

#TV and Film: It looks like it won't be long before we know just how terrible the Tekken live-action movie will be as Jon Foo, the film's leading man, was recently in Tokyo to promote the films upcoming premie...

4 comments

#Video games: Yes! Irem has officially stated that the sequel to Bumpy Trot (known as Steambot Chronicles to western gamers) is in development for the PS3!Well, still in development, at any rate. Y'see, Bumpy ...

23 comments

#top stories: Greetings, citizens of Japanator! Allow me to introduce myself. I am the mighty defender of justice and protector of the innocent known as FROGMAN!Huh? Jon Snyder? As far as I know, he's simply a...

10 comments

#weird news: They also want BURGER! and PIZZA! from Armani model Meisa Kuroki.But, as Japan Probe points out, Kirin has yet to mention if they're actually going to be selling Cola Shock, the spiked cola tha...

8 comments

#Video games: I don't really "get" anime fandubs. I guess it's part of me not being able to tell if most Japanese voice acting is good or bad, so unless the fandub dialog is clearly rewritten for hum...

2 comments

#Featured Fan Art: [Welcome to another edition of Featured Fan Art, the Japanator feature that makes you wish you could draw so that you couldbe featured on Japanator's Featured Fan art feature.]Update: DeviantArt ...

20 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, w...

4 comments

#Video games: Do you play Hanafuda? Do you like iPhone Apps? Do you like Summer Wars, the anime that's been sweeping the awards scene lately?If you own an iPhone and answered "yes" to any two of the ...

22 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, warm up your keyboard and write something awesome!...

17 comments

#Promoted Stories: [Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, w...

5 comments

#weird news: In case you haven't heard, Japan Airlines has been in trouble of late. Disturbances in the parent company could also mean trouble for JAL's employees, so it would no doubt be important for everyo...