Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Attack on Titan (Page 6)
The Attack on Titan live-action movie hit the big screens in Taiwan recently, and in order to add to the hype, the local film distributors organized a cosplay segment during the movie premier event held at Ximending. Cosplay-loving fans of the series turned up at the event dressed as various members of the Recon Corps, but it was an unexpected Captain Levi cosplayer who stole the show.
See more pictures of the kitty cosplayer after the break!
Wagakki Band is keeping busy this summer! Even though they released a video just two weeks ago, a new one has just appeared today! This time, it’s for “Hangeki no Yaiba,” the theme song for the new Attack on Titan series produced from dTV. That’s right, now you can get your Wagakki Band fix and your Attack on Titan spin-off fix all in one place!
The video features the band performing in a crumbling church and wielding weapons that look like they were taken straight from the set of the show. The song itself features Wagakki Band’s distinctive sound and it sure to get your blood pumping. Check it out below and blast it while you get ready to fight some giants!
Men’s rhythmic gymnastics may still be considered a minor sport, but the boys at Kagoshima Business High School in Japan are leaving a huge impression with their amazingly synchronized moves, high-flying flips, and hilarious little acts, which is helping to draw more interest to the sport.
Their performance to music from Attack on Titan last year was a huge hit, and this year’s, set to a number from popular children’s anime Yokai Watch was no less loved. Watch the full performances below, laugh, and be amazed!
There’s no denying that the Attack on Titan manga and anime have become runaway hits, but reactions to the franchise’s recently released live-action movie have been far less enthusiastic. Some detractors have complained that the changes made to the series’ well-known characters and events don’t work, and more than a few purists are upset that any alternations were made at all.
We’ve seen the film’s director and special modeling director testily respond to harsh criticism, but what does series creator Hajime Isayama have to say about all this? Not only did he recently comment on the debate, he’s even offered a simple way to check if the live-action Attack on Titan is for you before you drop your hard-earned cash on a ticket for it.
It’s looking more and more like the highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Attack on Titan released on August 1 will amount to nothing more than a critical flop, based on the majority of reports from Japanese film critics and fans of the anime series. Some of their reviews were even bad enough to provoke the ire of the film’s director and special modeling director into posting angry rebuttals on their social media accounts.
Now, adding even more fuel to the fire are the voices of dozens of Japanese extras in the film, who seem unanimous in their declaration that the film turned out the way it did because its production staff was incredibly arrogant and treated everyone like dirt.
Coming off mixed reviews of his live-action Attack on Titan film, fans may recall that Shinji Higuchi is also tasked with directing TOHO‘s upcoming Godzilla film with fellow tokusatsu lover Hideaki Anno. Helming the first Japanese Godzilla film in 12 years is no small feat. In fact, Higuchi almost turned down the offer because of the sheer amount of pressure that comes with directing such an iconic monster.
The live-action Attack on Titan movie is currently playing in theaters across Japan, but the film adaptation’s decision to go very much its own way means it isn’t exactly scratching the itch felt by fans of the anime and manga. But while the movie and its sequel are going to have to succeed or fail by their own merits or lack thereof, there’s good news for everyone who’s chomping at the bit to see the heroes they know and love in action again, as there’s a new Attack on Titan video game on the way that looks to be much more in keeping with the tone of its source material.
So, there’s a movie that came out in Japan last week based on this little cartoon. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s called Attack on Titan.
The more popular an anime gets, the more attached fans become to its characters and setting, and the more demanding they become of any new part of the franchise. No anime released in the past decade has come anywhere close to the success and mainstream pop cultural impact of Attack on Titan, so perhaps it’s not entirely surprising that not everyone’s sky-high expectations were met by its first live-action film.
But if those moviegoers who were disappointed aren’t mincing words in their criticisms of the film, the people who made the film don’t seem inclined to phrase their rebuttals diplomatically, either. We’ve already seen how Attack on Titan’s director responded to one harshly worded review, and now the movie’s special modeling director is spitting back at disgruntled audiences too.
Attack on Titan is no stranger to the world of spinoffs. Its immersive world and plethora of rich characters easily lend themselves to new series with new viewpoints, such as an anime focused on fan-favorite Levi or the manga that focuses on the female point of view with Mikasa and Annie.
But there’s one spinoff coming out soon that’s a little… different: Attack on Titan: Junior High. And yes, we mean that Junior High. Yes, it is cute and silly and stupid in all the right ways. And yes, you need to watch the preview video right now.
Fans of the hit anime Attack on Titan may also know it by its original Japanese title, Shingeki no Kyojin, which literally translates to “Advancing Giants.”
Giants aren’t the only thing advancing upon us, though, because now there’s an unusual advertising campaign announcing the arrival of Shingeki no Bijin, or Advancing Beauties, and the war we’re fighting is the war on body hair.
Escape games, where people work in teams to solve puzzles to free themselves from confined spaces, have become hugely popular in Japan and around the world. When combined with a role-play theme, these events become even more exciting, as participants get to dress up and live out their fantasies in cleverly constructed worlds filled with props, sound and oodles of atmosphere.
As luck would have it, the escape concept is an idea that fits in perfectly with the narrative of the hugely popular Attack on Titan franchise, where members of the human race live in the confines of a walled city and spend a large chunk of time running away from flesh-eating giants. If you ever wanted to experience the thrill of being chased by a hungry Titan while also dealing with the stress of solving a puzzle within a time limit to save your life, it’s time to dress like a member of the Survey Corps and head out to Tokyo or Osaka this summer.
If there’s anyone who should be celebrating the upcoming Attack on Titan live-action movie release, it would have to be Japan’s largest DVD, CD and bookstore rental chain, Tsutaya.
Specialising in multimedia, and with a huge selection of anime and manga titles to choose from, the company is anticipating increased interest in all things Titan-related and is marking the occasion with a special point card we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Not only does the card feature a stunning image of our beloved Survey Corps, it can also be used to accrue points at various stores around the country. And with accrued points comes the chance to receive a variety of special, limited-edition merchandise!
The music plays a huge role in setting the mood of some of anime’s most memorable hits, but it can be kind of hard to notice behind all of the dialogue and sound effects. Grabbing the series’ soundtrack and popping in your earphones is a good way to appreciate the compositions, but an even better way is to hear them performed live by a full orchestra, which is just what fans of Evangelion, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Attack on Titan, Berserk, and more will be able to do at a special concert taking place in Tokyo this month.
Attack on Titan and K-pop are both making huge cultural waves in Japan right now. Attack on Titan, presumably, because of its inherent badassness (plus its currently screening and upcoming movies), and K-pop because men and women alike find the melodies extremely catchy and, let’s face it, the girls and guys in the videos extremely pleasing to the eye.
So it was, of course, only a matter of time before these two pop cultural, ahem, titans clashed in one way or another. And while we were expecting, eventually, some kind of official collaboration between the anime franchise and, say, KARA – the K-pop band largely credited with kicking off Japan’s current K-pop boom – it turns out the first piece of Internet ephemera to, accidentally, hilariously, combine the two is just so, so much better.
The August issue of Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine is announcing on Thursday that Ryōsuke Fuji will adapt Hiroshi Seko’s Attack on Titan: Lost Girls novel into a manga series. The manga will debut in the magazine’s next issue, which Kodansha will publish on August 9. The manga will have a color opening page.
Following the success of the Attack on Titan Exhibit at the Ueno Royal Museum last winter, the exhibit and the Titans are moving down to Kyushu just in time for summer vacation.
Although it mostly remains the same as the one shown earlier in Tokyo, this time around the exhibit includes extra shots of the Titans out and about exploring some of the southern island’s most famous tourist spots. Apparently even Titans need a break from attacking and devouring mankind every now and then!
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Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama is actually pretty new to the manga and anime scene, with the runaway hit franchise being his only notable work out of just three total published properties.
The giant-people-eating-regular-sized-people anime and manga series has been met with wide praise and probably, like, 400 billion trillion copies sold globally. But being a fresh new kid bursting onto the scene with no significant prior work and basically hoovering up every single yen that ever was and ever will be has earned Isayama a little undue ire among other anime creators.
To wit, some other creators – including, famously, Gundam mastermind Yoshiyuki Tomino – have passive-aggressively attacked Isayama’s drawing ability, with Tomino dismissing it as “crude.” But don’t worry, guys: Isayama says he’s practicing regularly to become a better artist, specifically by having people cosplay as Attack on Titan characters and drawing them!
The only thing better than the upcoming live-action Attack on Titan movie is all the related merchandise that’s slowly being pumped out ahead of its release.
The latest offering from the giants is coming to us from Aeon cinemas, who’ll be bringing us two gigantic hot dogs as part of the celebrations. Netizens, however, are pondering why they’ve chosen to use extra-long sausages to promote the film when a similar-looking appendage is so obviously missing from between the Titans’ legs.
As you may have noticed, there’s a lot of Attack on Titan stuff to spend your money on. Add in the fact that not one, but two theatrical features are coming this summer for the phenomenally popular franchise, and fans are probably feeling the need to economize and cut back on their discretionary expenditures to make room in their budget for more Titan-related ones.
And if you’re pinching your pennies, what better place to store them than in a gigantic 1:100 scale Colossal Titan coin bank?
Anti-drug posters and commercials usually have a way of getting us down. Dark images of despair, death and homelessness rely on realism to get the message across, leaving us with tiny mental scars as a warning to stay away from the dark side and walk on the right side of life.
Here in Japan, though, anti-drug tactics are very different. Instead of scaring citizens, animated images are used to inform and empower people. And when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government enlists the help of the Survey Corps and Colossal Titan to fight the war on drugs, you’ve got a campaign that catches everyone’s interest.
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Hamster abandoned at Tokyo ramen restaurant gets new home
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Beautiful Sailor Moon manhole cover coasters being given out for free by Tokyo tourist center
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Enjoy viewing Kyoto’s cherry blossoms from above on a guided zipline tour
The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go thereMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen communityStarbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ballMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
Japan’s bone-breaking and record-breaking roller coaster is permanently shutting down
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird train
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Kyoto bans tourists from geisha alleys in Gion, with fines for those who don’t follow rules
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli’s new desktop Howl’s Moving Castle will take your stationery on an adventure
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Beautiful Sailor Moon manhole cover coasters being given out for free by Tokyo tourist center
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Enjoy viewing Kyoto’s cherry blossoms from above on a guided zipline tour
The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go there
Mint Pepsi for Yakisoba is coming to Japan, and we got to taste it before it goes on sale
Mr. Sato eats banana flower, still isn’t sure what it tastes like, loves it anyway【SoraKitchen】
The Ghibli theme park’s food looks good enough to be a reason to visit all by itself【Photos】
Smartphone app finds empty restroom stalls in Tokyo subway station, makes pooing easier than ever
Starbucks releases a special sparkly tumbler in Japan to support diversity
Super-cheap Online Shopping – Can you make a capsule hotel look cool with a 365-yen aurora light?
Is this frozen tonkatsu sandwich vending machine really worth 700 yen?【Taste test】
Brazilian man acquitted of sexual assault after kissing Japanese woman on Nagoya train
