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Joan Coello

Native to the sweltering lands of Singapore, Joan spent a substantial amount of her teenage years gnawing through translated versions of Japanese manga and dubbed anime. Picking up the language sparked off something in her to abandon years of education and experience in design to pursue a career in translation instead. After spending a couple of years localizing Japanese product packaging and mobile games for the English-speaking population, Joan gave in to her longing for the magical land of Japan and leapt into the arms of Tokyo (missing by a bit and landing in Kanagawa prefecture). In her free time, she continues to nibble on Japanese manga and anime, now savoring them in full authentic flavor.

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Posted by Joan Coello (Page 4)

Taiwan’s moe train mascot’s new image song somehow reminds Japanese netizens of erotic games

The “K.R.T. Girls”, moe mascots fronting the line for Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT), are no stranger on our humble website. Just recently, we saw them taking over their trains with full-length decals, and just a couple of days ago they released a new image song for one of the girls that briefly mentions a few of the stations along the subway lines.

It’s a catchy pop tune befitting of the cute, refreshing image of the mascot girls, but some Japanese netizens are saying that it sounds like a theme song for an erotic game. Give it a listen after the break!

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Gudetama stops by Hong Kong with a pop-up store and irresistibly cute displays【Photos】

Have you ever felt like you were going to melt into a puddle because of the summer heat? Some months it just feels as if the weather is simply draining every ounce of energy and motivation out of you. And with how hot and humid summers are in Japan, there are days feel like doing nothing but lazing around in a puddle, just like Gudetama.

Everyone has lazy days, so it’s no wonder Gudetama, the laziest egg in Japan, is so popular, even outside of Japan. Though Gudetama rarely displays any intention to get anything done, it has managed to move its lazy bum all the way to Hong Kong to delight overseas fans with a pop-up store. More details after the break!

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History crash course: Charming animation shows 80 years of Singapore history in 16 minutes【Video】

Singapore is an island country so small you can barely see it on the world map. But despite its modest size, Singapore is among the most globalised countries you’ll ever visit, one of the world’s major commercial hubs, and sees over 15 million tourists each year. And no, in case you were wondering, Singapore is not a part of China.

Some of you may have visited the city-state on a vacation or business trip, but do you know Singapore beyond its modern, bustling cityscape? In celebration of the nation’s 50th National Day, animation director Ervin Han and team created a 16-minute animation that looks back at the 80 years of ups and downs Singapore went through to get to where it is today. Get your history crash course after the break!

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Birds of a feather flock together, so the saying goes. And that concept applies to non-humans as well; it’s not uncommon for pets and their owners to act, and sometimes even look, somehow similar after spending years together. Even in the super popular anime and game series Pokémon, where the aim of the game is to collect as many pokémon as possible, many of the pokémon trainers in the series use pocket monsters that somehow resemble them.

But what the characters of the anime series Free! were pokémon trainers? Which creatures would they have under their well-toned wings? Find out as this Japanese fan puts her imagination to work in a series of awesome Pokémon x Free! crossover illustrations!

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Chinese artist personifies pictures of cats and dogs into captivating traditional paintings

Have you ever wondered what your pets would look like as humans?

We’re no stranger to personification illustrations since the Japanese enjoy turning all sorts of things from battleships to swords to computer systems and even poop bacteria into human anime forms, but perhaps this is the first time our humble website has seen real animals portrayed as human figures. Check out these beautiful Chinese paintings of personified cats and dogs after the break!

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1 golden retriever + 8 birds + 1 hamster = 1 big happy animal family!

Like humans, dogs have different personalities and temperaments. Some dogs are playful, some are shy. Some bark or growl at every stranger they see, yet others are extremely caring and can even be trusted to watch over little humans.

Biologically, dogs are predators and they are equipped with strong teeth, muscles and instinct to go after smaller animals, but some domesticated dogs have such warm personalities they get along just fine with cats, rabbits, or even tinier creatures such as hamsters and birds. Bob the golden retriever is one of those gentle giants, and he’s been winning the hearts of Instagrammers with adorable pictures of him snuggling up to his little pals. Check them out!

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“A snowman tolerates while freezing.” Mystery product’s label is questionable and hilarious!

First impressions are very important, not only for people but for products too. A product’s packaging and labels can make or break a deal depending on whether the design and text on it appeals to the consumer. And, as you know, some companies choose to scrimp and save on hiring a professional to handle their translation needs. In many of these cases, the joke’s on them because they end up with hilarious gibberish on their products.

A Japanese Twitter user recently shared a photo of a Chinese product that had Japanese written on its warning label, and the text was so bad we couldn’t even imagine what product that label was supposed to be on! Take a guess and join us after the break!

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Drive-through for cyclists made possible with McDonald’s brilliant new McBike box! 【Video】

When I was a kid, I loved it when my parents would take me to a McDonald’s drive-through because back then I found it incredibly fascinating and fun that you could order food from inside a car by talking to a box, and then drive around the corner and receive your food from a person in a small window. I even asked my mum if I would be able to order at a drive-through stand on my tricycle, or on foot. Obviously, the answer I got was no.

How times have changed! Now cyclists can pedal into a McDonald’s drive-through stand, and the best part is, their food comes in a neat packaging designed specially for transportation on bicycles!

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The Japanese are rather enthusiastic when it comes to recycling. In most Japanese cities, domestic waste has to be separated into a minimum of three categories: combustable “raw” garbage, recyclable plastic and recyclable paper. Some areas have their residents splitting their trash into as many as 10 categories.

Even with that said, there’s probably no place in Japan more outreach than Kyoto when it comes to recycling plastic, as they’ve had a little magical help from a handsome new mascot: Gomi no Yousei (Fairy of the Garbage). Check out the bizarre recycling enthusiast after the break!

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From 0 to Lv 9999 badass in an instant! Online shop specializes in Japanese gangster fashion

One of the many interesting sights in Japan is the myriad fashion styles that exist. Although trends come and go, there are certain characteristics in each fashion faction that distinguish them from the others. For example, gyaru are often associated with heavy fake eyelashes, colored contacts and dramatic hairstyles, lolitas are usually decked out in doll-like dresses with poofy skirts accentuated with lace and frills, and obasan (middle-aged women) from Osaka are known for their fondness of leopard prints.

As one would expect, since there are people who dress in a specific style, there have to be retailers who sell clothes and accessories that cater to their unique fashion needs. In the case of Japanese gangster fashion, we came across this incredible online retailer that claims to transform common people into gangsters in a matter of seconds with their fashion pieces. Check out this fashion badass after the break!

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Taipei introduces taxi tours and 24-hour toll-free interpretation services for foreign tourists

Hello, Rocketeers! Have our recent posts on cute Taiwanese girls, guys and pets gotten you wanderlusting for the fascinating lands of Taiwan? Well, if the language barrier is a concern, we have some exciting information!

Taipei’s city government has been working with the leading local taxi companies to roll out some city tour packages and 24-hour interpretation services to make travelling around Taipei easier for foreign tourists. All the details after the break!

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We are officially colossal with these free Attack on Titan face packs! 【Photos】

“On that day, the writers of RocketNews24 received a grim reminder. We lived in the shadows of the Titans and had to become the Titans themselves to live in these cages we called the Internet.”

Free Attack on Titan face packs?! Of course we had to try it! We even made some customizations in an attempt to give Satosshi a run for his money, but alas, it seems that none of us have attained his level of Rocket-ness as of yet. Check out our titanic beauty experience after the break!

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e.l.f. Cosmetics delights Frozen fans with an Elsa makeover in a book

I subscribe to a handful of beauty gurus on YouTube, and the moment Frozen turned out to be such a mega hit, I knew I had to brace myself for a rush of Elsa-inspired makeovers taking over my subscription list. True enough, the Elsa-themed tutorial videos came in like a wrecking ball and suddenly my YouTube feed was flooded with women sporting blonde braids and smokey purple eyelids.

The thing about these makeup tutorials is that many of these YouTube beauty gurus have a rather extensive collection of makeup palettes and tools, so they can easily create different looks, but the average person might not own products in all the colors required to replicate Elsa’s look. That, was until e.l.f. launched their Disney Elsa makeup series that provided the full package at affordable prices. Check out the lineup after the break!

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Japanese netizens rewrite fairy tales in modern corporate situations so real they make us weep

In this modern age and day, most of us spend our days running the rat race and getting worn down by work and school, which is probably why some of us fantasize about the happy endings of fairy tales to get away from real life for a while. But then reality slaps us in the face and reminds us that the birds and mice aren’t going to help you with your chores even if you can sing like Celine Dion, Prince Charming is not coming to whisk you away from your office desk, and your bills aren’t going to vanish even if you fall into a deep, deep sleep.

If the heroes and heroines in fairy tales existed in modern-day and had to work like the rest of us, would their stories still be filled with all that magical glitz and romance? Perhaps not. Japanese Twitter users have been re-interpreting some fairy tales from a corporate perspective, which was supposed to be a creative and entertaining activity, but the new tales were so close to home they couldn’t even laugh over them.

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Two wildly different characters, same voice actor. Twitter users share their shocking anime finds

Are you an anime fan? Do you watch Japanese anime in their original Japanese dialogue? If your answer is “yes” for both questions, then you’ve probably had the experience of picking up on a familiar-sounding voice in a certain anime, Googling to uncover the seiyuu (voice actor in Japanese) behind the character, and then realizing that you’ve actually seen quite a few titles he or she has starred in.

Twitter users in Japan have been digging through the Internet for some drastically different performances from the same voice actor/actress, and sharing their surprising finds on Twitter. Check them out after the break!

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Forget cat cafes, there’s a cafe in South Korea where you can hang out with sheep!

Japan is home to hundreds of animal cafes where guests are able to hang out with cats, rabbits, and even owls as they sip lattes and cups of herbal tea. These establishments give their patrons, often people who live in rented accommodation in urban areas, a chance to interact with animals that they would not be able to keep at home due to a lack of space or strict “no pets” clauses in tenancy agreements.

In Korea, however, one particular cafe has upscaled the experience with something much bigger and fluffier than the common bunny, cat or pup. Check out this unique cafe which houses a pair of beautiful, friendly sheep!

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When K-pop clashes with Sci-fi, singing about PMS suddenly becomes a trendy thing【Video】

PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) is something many women and men are familiar with. Women bear the brunt of it on a monthly basis, while some men are indirect victims due to the mood swings of the “PMS-ing” females around them.

I doubt anyone would disagree that PMS is in no way enjoyable, but for once, the monstrosity that messes up our lives on a regular basis is starting to look interesting as Korean pop idol Lizzy teams up with comedian Park Myeong-Su to sing about it. Check out the music video after the break!

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Gotta buy ’em all! Whimsicott Substitute Plush Toys have taken over Pokémon Centers in Japan!

Whenever someone mentions Pokémon, the first thing that pops up in my head is Pikachu. And then there’s Charmander and Squirtle and Bulbasaur…and Jigglypuff and Snorlax… and that’s about all the Pokémon I can name among the 700 over monsters in the multimedia series.

With more than 700 characters, one would think that fans would be spoilt for choice shopping for character goods at the Pokémon Center, but as it turns out, the Pokémon Centers in Japan have been taken over by the Whimsicott Substitute Plush Toy (Elfuun no Migawari Nuigurumi) and fans are rushing in to grab them by the basket!

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French literature classic ‘The Little Prince’ coming soon to cinemas as an animated film!

Calling all movie-goers, animation fans and literature enthusiasts! It’s not often that we get the chance to pique the interest of individuals from these three groups all at the same time, but the animated version of The Little Prince, one of the most famed pieces of French literature of our time, is set to hit the big screens in the later half of this year! If you haven’t already seen the trailer, read on and get ready to be mesmerized!

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No more photo retouches! New makeup for cosplayers claims to create photo-perfect skin

Makeup is one of the most important factors that could make or break a cosplay outfit. Cosplayers sometimes spend hours exposed to sunlight or strong lighting in a photoshoot or at conventions, and it means a great deal to them to have makeup that lasts and delivers the photogenic results that they want.

Want your skin to look effortlessly flawless in photos? The good news is, the cosplay-loving Japanese have just released a lineup of base makeup items designed specifically to cater to the needs of cosplayers! The greater news is, these products are not going to burn a hole in your wallet, and non-cosplayers can use them for regular makeup too!

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