Set the Alarm Clock for Rice!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 9, 2007 in Japanese TV
Because seven o’clock is rice time! I love this catchy commercial from Japan…
Transformers: Laptops in Disguise
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 8, 2007 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is the Transformers Trans-Portable PC which is learning laptop aimed at kids. So ou can play with a robot while having it teach you about math, spelling, logic and memory games. It also features real-time English to Spanish Translation of select words and instructions (take that Lou Dobbs!).
Found via GeekAlerts.
Lucky Star to be Released in 2008
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 8, 2007 in Animation
I’ve watched just about every episode on YouTube but being able to see it on a real TV screen will be fun! I hope hey include some good extras:
Bandai Entertainment Inc. to Release Kadokawa’s Anime Series, Lucky Star!
“Kadokawa Pictures USA, Inc. and Bandai Entertainment Inc., announced today that it will be releasing the anime series Lucky Star in North America in 2008. The announcement was made in a unique way – a surprise trailer at the beginning of Vol. 4 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which was just released.
Lucky Star is a 24 episode television series from Kyoto Animation, the same anime production company that created the anime series for Haruhi. Lucky Star’s main character is Konata Izumi, a lazy high school girl who isn’t interested in anything besides anime and video games. The series is described as the ultimate “otaku anime,” — it pays tribute to anime culture and other series with in-jokes and hilarious references.
Prince of Persia: Coming to the Big Screen
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 8, 2007 in Videogames
What do you do when you run out of old movies to remake? You make movies out of old videogames:
Disney, Bruckheimer talking ‘Prince’
Newell in negotiations to direct live action film
“Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have made an offer to Mike Newell to direct “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” a live-action feature based on the videogame. Newell, who last ventured into franchise fare with “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” met execs at the studio to discuss the project this week, and negotiations are expected to begin shortly.”
Xmas Beer
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 7, 2007 in Japanese TV
You’d think that Christmas beer from Kirin would come in a glass bottle rather than a can?! Well at least it’s not egg nog flavored…
A Kitty Piggy Bank
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 7, 2007 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is the Hello Kitty ATM which allows you to save money. The kitty ATM also comes with a kitty credit card that alows you to take money out of the cute little kitty cash machine.
Found via Kittyhell.com.
An Athletic Pocky Commercial
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 7, 2007 in Japanese TV
Aragaki Yui stars in the above athletic themed Pocky commercial. Of course I like her previous Pocky commercial better (because it has an electro clash beat that much more easy to dance along with):
Fifth Planet Orbiting Nearby Star
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 6, 2007 in Science
You know more and more I wonder if within my lifetime we’ll see the discovery of Earthlike planets:
Scientists Discover Record Fifth Planet Orbiting Nearby Star
“Astronomers have announced the discovery of a fifth planet circling 55 Cancri, a star beyond our solar system. The star now holds the record for number of confirmed extrasolar planets orbiting in a planetary system.
55 Cancri is located 41 light-years away in the constellation Cancer and has nearly the same mass and age as our sun. It is easily visible with binoculars. Researchers discovered the fifth planet using the Doppler technique, in which a planet’s gravitational tug is detected by the wobble it produces in the parent star. NASA and the National Science Foundation funded the research.”
ComixMix: Bookmarkworthy!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 6, 2007 in Comic Books
ComicMix is very much worth checking out if you’re a comic book fanboy, the site features free issues of full comic books that you can read online. I was quite impressed with the ease-of-use of the interface with the site (a sample of which is shown above) which allows you to navigate a comic without having to open Adobe Acrobat. I also liked the fact that the first wave of comic books that they’re showing are quite diverse in subject matter and style, a good example of this is Munden’s Bar #2 which featured some nice artwork by Marc Hempel. Also their comic book news coverage is worth checking out too…
A Plush Ichigo: How Humiliating!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 6, 2007 in Animation
Death Note is cute, but I’ve been missing watching the latest and greatest of Bleach every week on the Cartoon Network. Yeah I know I can catch up on YouTube, but there’s something nice about seeing the animation on my tv set. By the way shown above is the Kurosaki Ichigo DX Plush Doll
Do the Darth Dance!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 5, 2007 in Star Wars
This is a funny fan made video of Darth Vader dancing it up in Japan!
Space:1999 Deluxe Eagle Gift Set
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 5, 2007 in Hobbies and Collections
You know I see so many Star Wars and Star Trek themed toys I get burned out after a while, so it was with delight that I discovered this Space: 1999 themed goodie! Shown above is the Space 1999 Alpha Moonbase Deluxe Eagle Gift Set
Neritan Anime Works
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 4, 2007 in Animation
I’d love to see this show get translated into English, even if it’s just a fansub on YouTube! Being a Yamato fanboy it would be nice to see an interview with Leiji Matsumoto:
Anime haven Nerima launches ‘Neritan Anime Works’ cable show
“The local government of Tokyo’s Nerima-ku, the birthplace of Japanese animation, started broadcasting its own anime-themed cable TV program this month, with a first run lasting until next spring. “Neritan Anime Works” will be aired via cable service J:COM Tokyo three times a day on weekdays, and twice a day on weekends. Program content will be updated every two weeks until its 12th and final installment.
Nerima-ku’s roster of anime kingpins includes the Toei Animation Company, their forerunners Toei Doga — producer of Japan’s first color animated feature film, “Hakujaden” — and the late Osamu Tezuka, Nerima resident and creator of Japan’s first animated TV serial “Astro Boy.”
Lightsaber MP3 Player
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 4, 2007 in Star Wars
Shown above is the Lightsaber MP3 Player which is available here in either two or four gigs of storage, and a built-in FM radio too! Of course for me I’ll always prefer my iPod:
Found via GeekAlerts and Techfresh.
Japanese Video Game Commercials
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 4, 2007 in Japanese TV, Videogames
This collection of Japanese video game commercials is amazing! It’s like getting a compressed overview of the history of video games. Here’s part two:
Jedi Academy in New York
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 3, 2007 in Star Wars
The Jedi Academy in New York is starting to get HUGE press! It was recently featured on ABC World News segment which had this great quote from Taryn Fireside, a student at the academy:
“My favorite thing about New York Jedi is not nerds trying to best each other. It’s about nerds trying to better each other. And make life better through the dorkiness that make them great!”
Found via Neatorama.
Ganguro + Goth = Sweet Lolita
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 3, 2007 in Fandom
Tokyo sub-culture fashions are oh so fickle! I guess this means that Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook
Ganguro, Goth gals come together to close dark past with ‘Sweet Lolita’ trend
“Ganguro gyaru, young women known for their deep tans, panda-like make-up and bright fashions are fusing with once bitter enemy “Gothic Lolitas” in their Goth garb and little girl look to create a new fashion mode in trendier parts of Tokyo, according to Weekly Playboy (11/5). “There were three rules that made up the definition of a gyaru: a tanned face, flamboyant make-up and hair dyed in the lightest color possible,” Kyoko, the girl once dubbed the Empress of (gyaru haven) Shibuya, tells Weekly Playboy. “Anyway, you’ve got to look as flashy as possible. Scary if need be, which gives you the mental strength that’s part of being a gyaru.”
Gothic Lolitas, however, have deeper, darker roots. “What defines a Gothic Lolita is the color black. Black can’t be dyed any darker than it already is,” author and self-professed Gothic Lolita Karin Amemiya tells the weekly. “The Goth look comes from Europe in the Middle Ages and its supposed to give its proponents a regal air.”Ada, a journalist who specializes in Tokyo teen girls’ culture, notes that the gyaru and Goths haven’t always been as receptive to each other as they appear to be now.
A Japanese Documentary on Star Blazers
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 2, 2007 in Animation
Shown above is a clip from a Japanese Documentary on Star Blazers, NOT Space Cruiser Yamato but the American translation! It’s funny for me to see the American version with Japanese subtitles.
Just looking at that short clip I can see why I loved the series – within the first few minutes you find out that Wildstar is a little bit complex because his brother was killed off before the show started. I realize that in Anime today that’s a throw away device, but way back when in the 70s the most complex plots in animation were unmaking Scooby Doo villans. To me that’s just one reason why this series was revolutionary.
Credit for Star Blazers being seen by Americans should go to Claude S. Hill who was behind distribution of the show from the 70s and the 80s. Sadly Mr. Hill passed away in 2005, but it was because of him at an entire generation of fans got to discover anime for the first time. Claude Hill was very much a kid at heart which is why he got into the business, in addition to Star Blazers he also distributed a number of other shows including Rocket Robin Hood and the Steve Krantz Marvel Comics cartoons from the 60s. In addition to the above Claude Hill gave me first break as a graphic designer and was also just a real good guy (one of the rare ones in the business), so I miss him a great deal…
Gundam USB Ionizer Air Freshener
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 2, 2007 in Hobbies and Collections
So you’re a fanboy who is:
– A huge Mobile Suit Gundam fan
– Glued to your computer all day
– …and the air around you is polluted
Well you’re in luck: The Gundam USB Ionizer Air Freshener is your dream come true! While it’s not as a cool as some of the robots from the show the ionizer is based on the design of the “White Base” from the show. The ionizer is will come out next month from Banpresto, and you can read about it here (warning: link leads to an acrobat file which is in Japanese).
Found via akihabaranews.com.
More Hello Kitty Laptop Bling
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 1, 2007 in Hobbies and Collections
It’s always Hello Kitty themed goodies
Found via GeekAlerts and Akihabara News.
Sailor Moon Cosplay Tragedy!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 1, 2007 in Fandom
This video is like a car accident, you know you shouldn’t but you can’t help but stare into the horror! Although it looks like those Sailor Moon fanboys put quite a bit of work into it…
Found via Zaeega.
Happy Birthday Princess Apple-Momoka
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 1, 2007 in Animation
Today is the birthday of Japanese pop idol and model Yuko Ogura (小倉優子) who is known to her fans as “Princess Apple-Momoka” of the apple-shaped planet Korin. In terms of music Ogura is best known for her song “Onna no Ko♥Otoko no Ko” which is the ending theme of the anime series School Rumble:
The Simspsons vs. Japanese Adventure Games
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 31, 2007 in Videogames
Shown above is a clip from the upcoming Simspson game which is a parody of Japanese role playing adventure video games. I love how they renamed each character!
A Groovy Ralph Bakshi Film from 1967
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 31, 2007 in Animation
Marvin Digs was a UPA inspired animated short film directed by Ralph Bakshi from 1967. The cartoon features the voice over talents of Corrine Orr who anime fans whould know for her work on Speed Racer and Star Blazers.
Found via Metafilter.