Tag: weird (Page 2) | RocketNews24

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Original Japanese Kirby Was Even Less Hardcore

May 13, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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No discussion of the pantheon of video game heroes is complete without mentioning HAL Laboratory’s Kirby. Including his recently-released 20th anniversary collection, the adorable pink puffball has close to two dozen appearances under his belt, which is an impressive feat for someone who lacks a waist.

Kirby has also gotten a bit of free publicity from website TV Tropes, with its “American Kirby is Hardcore” entry, which catalogues how the images of Kirby and other fictional characters are “toughened up” in marketing to make them more appealing to U.S. audiences.

In recent years, Kirby’s earned enough gamer goodwill to be as cute as he wants to in any market. Even still, we’re guessing he would have had a tough time of it initially in overseas markets if HAL had stuck with the character’s original name. Read More

Who Needs a Cherry on Top? Osaka Café Crowns its Parfaits with Cake

May 11, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Tokyo’s restaurants may have more Michelin stars, but for many Japanese foodies, the real culinary action is in Osaka. Particularly if your tastes run more towards good honest grub than haute cuisine, Japan’s second largest city is the place to be.

The people of Osaka enjoy a good meal so much that they coined the phrase kuidaore, to eat until you collapse. But even with this image firmly entrenched in our minds, the city has found a new way to surprise us with its gastronomic decadence.

On a recent day out in Osaka, our reporter stopped by a café and ordered a truly hard-core parfait. It wasn’t that the parfait was so big, and no, it didn’t contain any shocking ingredients. What blew our minds about this parfait was its topping.

It was a slice of cake, and it was so big it wasn’t even trying to fit into the glass.

May 11, 2013 by Rona Moon
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A picture speaks a thousand words, so they say. But if pictures could actually talk, sometimes you wish they would just shut up and go away. Other times, no matter how awful or shocking a picture may be, you somehow can’t tear your eyes away and you stare in bewilderment, struck by new fears for the future of humanity, wondering why cameras were ever invented if they were just going to be used to chronicle mass pool orgies of blow-up dolls.

If you can shed light on any of these shocking images, comments are very welcome. Japanese netizens were mostly left dumbstruck by the level of perversion. More bizarre amateur photography coming up after the break! Obviously, NSFW…

May 10, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Video games have made pretty steady progress into the cultural mainstream. Even people who aren’t gamers themselves can at least see the entertainment potential of a Mario title with its breezy fun, or the sweeping adventure of a Final Fantasy.

A genre many people have a harder time wrapping their heads around, though, is the dating simulator. Sure, driving games like Gran Turismo let us tune and race cars so expensive we can’t even talk the dealer into giving us a test drive in real life. And while Japan does have a royal family with princesses, the country’s lack of fire-breathing dragons means our chances of having to pick up sword and shield to go rescue them are slim, at best. But a game about going on dates? Couldn’t we just, like, ask someone out in real life?

Apparently some developers feel the same way, and have decided to spice up their dating sims with scenarios that take full advantage of video games’ unique style of escapism. Read More

The Branomics Bra: Keeping Politicians’ Busty Promises

May 10, 2013 by Preston Phro
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This Wednesday, underwear manufacturer Triumph International’s Japan team held a product-release event for its bra that “reflects the times.” On display at the biannual event was the Branomics Bra, based on the Abenomics “Three Arrows” policy. Arisa Watanabe and ALISA, poster girls for the company, wore the bust-increasing garments, striking various poses for the attendees. (As far as we know, tickets to these events are not publicly available. Rats!) Read More

Baby’s First Warmachine: the Perfect Mech for Your Tiny Supervillians!

May 10, 2013 by Preston Phro
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As with most weeks in Japan, robots seem to be dominating the news, but this one’s much cuter and waaaay more alarming.

Sakakibara Kikai (or Sakakibara Machines), a well established manufacturing company in Gunma Prefecture, has released a video of their KID’S WALKER CYCLOPS out for a test drive. (No buildings were destroyed by errant missiles in the filming of this video.) Read More

When Two Amazing Worlds Collide: Welcome to the World of Cat Sushi!

May 8, 2013 by Oona McGee
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There’s a new breed of sushi in town, and it’s called nekozushi (cat sushi). These unusual creatures live in an alternate reality, travelling between worlds on colourful sushi train plates, stopping to stare at passers-by for just long enough to get them thinking, “Did I really see that?” before zooming off again. Rare sightings have been reported over the years but no-one’s ever been able to really prove the existence of a sushi cat. Until now.

May 8, 2013 by Preston Phro
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Many cities and institutions have cute mascots for PR purposes, usually based on some special local product or place name. Japan and many other countries have plenty of these kinds of characters, but one surprising new face has caught the attention of the entire globe.

We are speaking, of course, about the mascot based on “the family jewels.” The… family jewels? Yep. It’s exactly what it sounds like! (And totally NOT safe for work!!) Read More

Even Your Creepy Male Otaku Friend Can Become a Real Princess with this Hotel’s ‘Pretty Cure’ Stay Plan

May 8, 2013 by Mike
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Nothing says “luxury vacation” like staying in a hotel room dolled up like a little girl’s dream bedroom. At least, that’s what the Ikenotaira Hotel in Nagano is banking on with the “DokiDoki! Precure Stay Plan.”

DokiDoki! Precure (also known as Pretty Cure) is an anime series popular with elementary school-aged girls in Japan (and, inevitably, a number of creepy middle-aged otaku men) that focuses on a Sailor Moon-esque team of teenaged wizard girls. Read More

Buzzard Breath? Funky Feet? Odor-Detecting Robots Rate Your Pungency

May 7, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
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A team from Kitakyushu National College of Technology (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka) and CrazyLabo (Koga City, Fukuoka) has developed two robots capable of detecting degrees of offensiveness in foot odor and breath.

Blow into the face of lovely Kaori, a female mannequin-headed robot, for a quick reading on whether or not you are ready to interact with others. After a brief analysis, Kaori will assign one of four ratings to the (un)pleasantness of your breath…
Read More

‘It Scared the Poop Outta Me!’ Public Toilet in China Explodes, Woman Escapes Unharmed

May 7, 2013 by Preston Phro
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When it comes to bizarre toilet stories, China may be in the running for the number one spot. (Or should we say “number two?” Sorry…) This story, though, is a little more… explosive. Read More

Love Money? Cuddle Your Cash with this Chinese Money Pillow!

May 4, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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Oh, money, you make me smile like it’s Christmas Day and the cat’s just coughed up a shard of rainbow. As a man who spent most of his university years trying to work out ways to make potato chips and sliced bread viable alternatives to meat and vegetables, during the brief moments that I have a bit of cash in my bank account these days I become a noticeably nicer person to be around. I won’t even try to gouge your eyes if you greet me in the street.

This pillow is for people like me. People who want that warm money glow 24/7, so that even when our bank accounts are empty, our hearts are filled by the shallow but immediately believable promise of happiness that only cold, hard cash can bring.

May 4, 2013 by Preston Phro
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When traveling overseas, we like to check out the nearby shopping malls and amusement parks, too, whenever we can. But we don’t waste our time with the famous amusement parks that everyone and their mother has been to. For us, it’s the local, never-before-heard-of amusement parks that we love. Why? Because that’s where you can really see the way the local people live… and some of the clever stuff they’ve come up.

So, this time around, we headed to “Happy World” in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), located right in front of the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda.

May 3, 2013 by Mike
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Unlike the more somber State of the Union Address, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is generally a more raucous affair; a chance for the Commander in Chief to get cozy with journalists through self-deprecating humor and celebrity guests.

This year’s dinner, which took place Saturday, was no exception, with guests from actor Kevin Spacey to Korean Gangman Style artist and noted gentleman Psy hearing President Obama make jokes at his own expense while also ribbing Republican rivals.

Oh, and he also showed guests a disturbing montage of photos featuring a new hairstyle he’s thinking of sporting for his second term…

May 2, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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On one of my first days as an exchange student in Tokyo, as a group of us were being shown around the college, someone asked “Where are the parking lots?” Our Japanese guide explained that students in the city don’t commute by car. Neither do the teachers, and even in most companies, the cost of real estate dictates that the few office parking spots available are reserved as perks for the uppermost reaches of the corporate ladder. In Tokyo, everyone takes the train.

Including, apparently, the mythical beasts. Read More

Celebrities with Shrunken Faces the Latest Meme to Sweep Japan 【Photo Gallery】

May 2, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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It’s a universal truth that when large things are made small, they become infinitely cuter. We at RocketNews24 must have documented this phenomenon 100 times over. From tiny crochet figures to cat nuts, small-sized items are just so darn adorable.

But what about shrinking only one part of an object? Cute or just plain creepy?

Apr 29, 2013 by Master Blaster
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Comedian Ijily Okada is known for his behind the set antics on TV shows in Japan. When an idol makes an appearance we often find Ijily in their dressing rooms or homes licking their belonging. But licking is an understatement, for Ijily possess a superhuman tongue flicking ability. He can flick his tongue up and down faster than mere mortals and for that has earned the title, “God of the Tongue.”

Starting this week for a limited time at Village Vanguard, the shop that specializes in random, you can pick up some limited edition Ijily Okada merchandise and creep out pretty girls 24/7.

Apr 29, 2013 by Oona McGee
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Wool felt crafting is fast becoming a popular hobby these days. With new techniques and innovative designs, more and more people are taking out their needles and dusting off their glue guns to test the boundaries of the craft. The results are wide and varied; some crafters choose to create cute, brightly coloured toys and accessories, and others prefer to sculpt half-shaved animals with pissed off faces.

Apr 27, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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Whatever the reason, there’s something incredibly funny about watching an Asian man perform ridiculous dances with a deadly serious expression. We saw it not too long ago with the online explosion of Gangnam Style, and we’re seeing it now with an influx of foreign interest in Japanese comedian, Gonzo. This man is known for his choreographed tambourine dances, always performed without cracking so much as a smirk. If not for his crazy outfits, you might think that he was taking his performances just a bit too seriously! Read More

Procrastination is the Mother of Invention: College Student Invents Kinect “Boob Tracker”

Apr 27, 2013 by Mike
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While most male college students put off homework assignments by looking at boobs on the Internet, one enterprising computer programming student decided to procrastinate by inventing an ingenious program that tracks and hides them with Kinect-enabled gestures.