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Rocksmith’s Japanese Commercial Seems to Defy You to Buy It, Employs Aki Toyosaki

Rocksmith’s Japanese Commercial Seems to Defy You to Buy It, Employs Aki Toyosaki

After mastering Guitar Hero years back, I was left with an empty feeling.  I had taken my plastic 4-button guitar controller out on the street to perform One by Metallica but no one paid any attention to me.  In fact, passersby seemed to be intentionally avoiding eye contact.

This is why I was excited to find Rocksmith would be released in Japan on October 11.  The game that actually lets you practice a real guitar in a fun way so you can walk away from it a better person with an entertaining skill!

However, my excitement took a bit of a hit when I saw the first Japanese commercial for it.

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Getting Directions Home from High School Girls: K-On! Anime-Themed Car Navigation System Helps Drivers Reach their Destination

Getting Directions Home from High School Girls: K-On! Anime-Themed Car Navigation System Helps Drivers Reach their Destination

Tired of listening to the same, soulless car navigation systems while you drive? Wouldn’t you rather listen to someone a little cuter while you’re trying to track down your nearest Guns ‘n’ Ammo store? Wouldn’t it be fun if your favourite animated high-school girls could be the voice of sense and direction!?

If you’re a K-On! fan, you’re in luck- a new portable car navigation system has just arrived in stores, ready to drive you home and everyone else up the wall. Read More

Eyes on the Prize: A Look at Japanese Pop Culture Trends Through Arcade Prizes 【October 2012】

Eyes on the Prize: A Look at Japanese Pop Culture Trends Through Arcade Prizes 【October 2012】

One fun way to see what anime or game series are currently popular with kids and otaku in Japan is to visit an arcade and take a look at the prizes up for grabs in the crane machines, or UFO catchers, as they’re often called in Japanese.

Unlike North America, arcade culture is still going strong in Japan and UFO catchers are one of the main attractions. Always found on the first floor of arcades, these machines are stocked with the latest limited-edition figurines and plushies of popular characters, many of which can only be acquired as UFO catcher prizes (or on Amazon at obscene prices).

Japanese toy company Banpresto has announced their newest lineup of CRANEKING arcade-exclusive prizes, available this October. Check what toys are hot on the Japanese arcade scene below!

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Cover of Hey Jude by Japanese Voice Actress is “An Insult to the Beatles,” Destroyed by Internet

Cover of Hey Jude by Japanese Voice Actress is “An Insult to the Beatles,” Destroyed by Internet

A cover of “Hey Jude” performed by Aki Toyosaki, a Japanese singer and voice actress best known for her role as Yui in the anime K-On!, has become the joke of the internet after a video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube earlier this year.

Toyosaki is an avid Beatles fan and in the video, which is taken from the DVD of her first solo tour “love your live,” she appears to singing her heart out in tribute to the band.

Unfortunately, that enthusiasm only seems to amplify Toyosaki’s ‘cutsy’ high-pitched voice and thick Japanese accent, which, to the ears of most of the internet, make for an unforgivably disastrous cover of the beloved Beatles classic.

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K-On! Full Facial T-Shirts Challenge The Fashion Conscious Fan

K-On! Full Facial T-Shirts Challenge The Fashion Conscious Fan

With the successful release of a feature length film in December 2011, Japanese anime K-On! is enjoying broader popularity than ever before.

The release of the film was accompanied by waves of new merchandise and even a tie-up with convenience store Lawson.

Yet there is one product series in particular that has been gaining attention for seeming to challenge fans to prove their devotion and enthusiasm for K-On!: full color T-shirts designed with one of the main character’s face occupying the entire front side.

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K-ON! Invades Convenience Store In Front Of Universal Studios Japan, Pay Close Attention To Mugi-chan’s Name

K-ON! Invades Convenience Store In Front Of Universal Studios Japan, Pay Close Attention To Mugi-chan’s Name

Attention K-ON! fans: the Lawson convenience store near Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka has undergone a K-ONplete makeover to celebrate the release of the K-ON! movie next month. Read More