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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.

Posted by Joan Coello (Page 5)

This crazy 4-minute clip is the most epic fan-made anime tribute we’ve seen this year

Joan Coello
Dec 13, 2014
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I thought I watched a lot of anime, or at least the number of times someone told me to “stop spending so much time watching anime” put me under such an impression. Apparently I wasn’t viewing anime as extensively as I had imagined, a realization I came to after encountering Anime 404, an incredibly bizarre mash-up video of various anime, songs and trend references. It’s pretty difficult to describe this crazy clip in words, but to put it simply, I think it is what I would call “chicken soup for the anime lover’s soul”. If you like anime, you’ve got to see this!

Christmas cards are too mainstream, get your hands on these awesome anime-inspired cards!

Joan Coello
Dec 10, 2014

It’s almost that time of the year! The time of the year that people who work for postal services probably dread the most. Tis’ the season for greeting cards, be it for Christmas or for the New Year. While electronic greetings have become a major trend, what with the wide range of social networking platforms we have access to nowadays, handwritten snail-mailed cards just pack that much more warmth and sincerity than mass sending a copy-and-paste kind of generic message to every friend, family member and I-don’t-remember-who-you-are on your contact list.

If you’re a manga or anime fan who likes to send cards with a touch that represents who you are, or if you know someone who would be thrilled to receive an anime-inspired greeting card, these awesome hand-crafted anime/manga-inspired cards would probably be your best bet!

17-year-old aspiring artist creates amazing Disney and Marvel fan art with colored pencils

Joan Coello
Dec 10, 2014

When I was 17, I was an aspiring interior designer, but I lacked the passion, determination and talent for it, and never got anywhere in that trade. 17-year-old aspiring artist Mandy Wang, however, is probably going places with her talent and passion for drawing, seeing as she has already captured the hearts of over 70,000 fans on Instagram! Just look at the lovely drawings she creates with colored pencils and watercolor, after the break!

Tear-jerking illustrations of a Twitter user’s deteriorating iPod go viral in Japan

Joan Coello
Dec 8, 2014

Electronic gadgets are part and parcel of our daily lives, helping us get work done, keeping us in contact with our friends and family, and entertaining us even in the most ungodly hours of the night. Our computers, mobile phones, music players and game consoles have become like friends and partners we can hardly live without, yet more often than not, we’re on the look out for newer models that have more functions, better technology, and nicer designs.

Some of us have a greater affection for our “buddies” of technology than others, and prefer to hang on to our trusty gadgets instead of forsaking them for newer ones. Japanese Twitter user Kameco (@kameco3) is one such loyal user, and the illustrations she created depicting the heart-wrenching situation of her deteriorating iPod tugged at the heartstrings of fellow iPod users in a similar plight. Check out the touching story after the break!

Ago-kui is the new kabe-don, and it looks incredibly cute when done to pets!

Joan Coello
Dec 5, 2014

Are you still caught up in the kabe-don craze? We’ve even seen some variations to the wall-pounding approach, but it’s time to change it up for the next manga inspired photo trend – ago-kui!

Japanese Twitter users have shifted their attention to another heart throbbing situation that often comes up in manga and anime, the act of gently tilting another person’s head upwards by their chin. Similar to when kabe-don was trending, Twitter users started posting images of themselves getting caught up in an ago-kui situation, but they soon realized, it looks way cuter when ago-kui is done to their pets! More cuteness ahead!

Pet owners, beware! Cat gets “toasted” by a space heater

Joan Coello
Dec 5, 2014

Winter has been homing in hard and fast this year, hasn’t it? Two weeks ago a massive snowstorm invaded America, and a cold wave has been sinking into Japan this week, already causing unexpected snowfall two months early in certain parts of the country. It feels almost as if Elsa is throwing a fit because Baymax has been getting more attention lately.

In such unpredictable freezing temperatures, it’s best to stay at home with the heater on so you’ll be warm and dry. All the better if you have a huggable, furry pet at home who wouldn’t mind cuddling up with you. Keep an eye on your pets when you’re using a heater though, or else they might end up like this unfortunate feline who got a pair of charred “wings” on its back!

McDonald’s Korea now serving up Hello Kitty in cute Sanrio costumes

Joan Coello
Dec 4, 2014

Hello Kitty has been quite the busy cat celebrating her 40th birthday. Earlier this year, she was making rounds at theatres in Japan dressed as characters from Rurouni Kenshin, and now she has crossed the ocean to make an appearance at McDonald’s in Korea. This time, she’s cosplaying as some of her fellow Sanrio mates. Check out the cute kitty after the jump!

What’s up doc? Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Lola Bunny in human form are too hot to ignore!

Joan Coello
Dec 2, 2014

Walt Disney cartoons were one of my favorite things to watch on TV when I was a kid. But giving the ever-popular Disney animated series a good run for its money was the Looney Tunes series by Warner Bros. In fact, if I really had to choose one out of the two, I would have leaned towards Looney Tunes, largely because of my childhood crush, the witty and crafty Bugs Bunny.

As I grew up, I became more interested in Japanese anime, and gradually drifted away from Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang, but my oh my, I think I’m falling head over heels for Bugs again after seeing Canada-based artist Sakimichan’s series of Looney Tunes illustrations. See Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Lola Bunny in their humanized forms after the jump!

12 creative packaging designs to loosen your purse strings

Joan Coello
Dec 2, 2014

What makes or breaks your decision to purchase something new and unfamiliar? For some shoppers it may be the peculiarity of a product that loosens their purse strings. Others may be won over by the low price or high quality of an item. And then there are those who have a weak spot for clever packaging.

Of course, price and quality matter, but the packaging of a product plays a significant role too despite the sad fact that it usually ends up in the trash soon after the product has been taken home. If you’re fond of interesting, creative, unique packaging designs, take a peek at this little collection!

Now you see it, now you don’t! Korean artist creates amazing “empty” sculptures out of paper

Joan Coello
Nov 30, 2014

Our faces are not symmetrical, and that’s probably why some selfie lovers spend hours on end getting into odd poses and taking shot after shot in order to find their best angle. Some of us might have entertained the thought of perfecting our appearances to be like dolls or sculptures so that we’d look perfect from every angle. But lo and behold, sculptures have their “photogenic” angles too!

Chinese sand artist tickles the heartstrings of manga fans with stunning sand manga drawings 【Videos】

Joan Coello
Nov 29, 2014

Many of us can’t even draw a decent manga portrait on paper, but there are talented individuals who manage to replicate character illustrations on food, and some using just their bare hands and sand.

Chinese sand artist Zhao Ying Li creates portraits of manga characters from titles such as Slam Dunk and Detective Conan that are so detailed it’s hard to believe they were drawn with sand. See the creation process after the break!

Anime-loving mum takes kyara-ben to a new level with these well-drawn anime bentos

Joan Coello
Nov 26, 2014

We’ve seen quite a number creative character bentos here on RocketNews24, some cute, some educational, and some that didn’t turn out as well as expected. The most common way of creating character bentos we’ve seen so far involves decorating with pieces of seaweed, ham, egg, sausages and the like.

But Japanese Twitter user Akiran takes a different approach to creating anime character bentos for her two sons. Read on to find out how she does it!

Japan’s prince of tennis gets his own Prince of Tennis manga portrait

Joan Coello
Nov 26, 2014

Earlier this year, pro tennis player Kei Nishikori became the first Asian man to make it to the finals of the U.S. Open Championships, and was subsequently the first Asian man to qualify for the star-studded tennis event, the ATP World Tour. He was also the first man in Japanese tennis history to place 5th in the world rankings.

To add to his list of “firsts”, Nishikori is also probably the first tennis star to receive a manga style portrait illustrated by The Prince of Tennis mangaka (manga artist), Takeshi Konomi. Check out the stylish piece after the jump!

The weirder the better? These Japanese zakka are hot sellers in Korea

Joan Coello
Nov 24, 2014

There are many Japanese products that are popular overseas, such as Japanese snacks, beauty products, character goods… the list goes on. Character franchises aside, some of the more common reasons why people living outside of Japan purchase Japanese products is because they generally tend to be produced under higher quality and hygiene standards, and more often than not come in temptingly beautiful or cute packaging.

Japanese zakka (sundries/miscellaneous goods), however, are popular for entirely different reasons. Check out these Japanese zakka that a Korean retailer has picked for their website to get a clearer idea of what tempts the purse strings of Korean consumers!

Creative 15-year-old artist makes characters pop out of “notebooks” like magic

Joan Coello
Nov 20, 2014

If you’re looking at the picture above and wondering if your eyes are playing tricks on you, yes, they probably are.

15-year-old Brazilian artist João Carvalho creates these simple yet amazing 3-D illustrations of famous characters, among other things, that seem to have emerged from the back of the page of a ruled notebook. See his brilliant creations after the break!

The 9 types of basketball players in Slam Dunk – which type are you?

Joan Coello
Nov 18, 2014

Playing sports brings out a different side of us. This is especially so in sports that require cooperation within a team in order to go up against an opposing rival. It’s easy to put on a front at normal times when you’re composed and in your comfort zone, but it’s a battlefield out on the courts. That’s probably why some people say that you can tell a person’s personality by the way he/she plays on a team.

Here’s a personality analysis derived from the play styles of the characters from a certain popular basketball manga and anime series. Which type of athlete are you? Read on to find out!

Joker weds Harley Quinn! Guess who walked the bride down the aisle

Joan Coello
Nov 18, 2014

Hey comics fans, check out this plot twist of the year! Apparently, Joker and Harley Quinn tied the knot, and Batman officiated the ceremony for his nemesis. And that’s not quite the biggest twist yet…

Well, the top image has probably given it away, this isn’t a real plot twist in the authentic DC Comics series. This happily-ever-after ending came from a comic fan’s dream wedding; a totally awesome Marvel/DC Comics-themed wedding that is just a delight to look at even if you’re not a fan of Batman or Harley Quinn or I… oops! Nearly let the cat out of the bag! Unveil the big twist after the jump (there are no titans this time, we promise)!

All hail the mighty “muggle magic tape”! 24 awesome ways to use duct tape like magic

Joan Coello
Nov 11, 2014

We’re sure you know that duct tape is not just for taping ventilation ducts. With its superb adhesion and strength, duct tape works like a magic spell for holding things together, and is a savior around the house as a quick repair solution.

If you’re an avid duct tape user, or haven’t realized what else you can do with duct tape besides fixing pipes and ducts, here are some creative (and some outrageous) ideas for using the powerful tape!

The secret lives of stationery unveiled! What happens when a pencil and eraser wed?【Video】

Joan Coello
Nov 9, 2014

Have you ever twirled a pencil between your fingers, drawn on an eraser, or chewed on a pencil? Most of us have done at least one, if not all, of the above-mentioned things when we were in school. But have you ever considered the feelings of these objects? If inanimate objects had any feelings, that is…and we bet you can’t guess what happens when a pencil and an eraser tie the knot! See the humorous vid after the jump!

It’s Pikachu! No, it’s Jibanyan! No… what IS that?

Joan Coello
Nov 5, 2014

Rumored to be the new wave to take over the long-running multimedia kid’s series Pokémon, Youkai Watch and its various colorful characters can be seen all over the streets in Japan. Just as how Pokémon posters and merchandise used to be visible almost everywhere, the streets and shelves are now occupied by Jibanyan and his fellow youkai counterparts from the hit series Youkai Watch.

Pokémon has yet to back out from the race though, as loyal fans who loved the series since they were kids continue to shower their love (and money) on Pikachu and his hundreds of mystical friends. What are fans to do? Cling on to the old, or embrace the new? Check out the ingenious solution Twitter user @umeko_kj8 came up with after the break!