Oct 2, 2012
Kotaku
Call me crazy, but this is the kind of realism I want from my Sonic games, not regrettable mouth-kissing or a never-ending sense of crushing disappointment.
Silly Sonic [DeviantArt, via insanely gaming]
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Call me crazy, but this is the kind of realism I want from my Sonic games, not regrettable mouth-kissing or a never-ending sense of crushing disappointment.
Silly Sonic [DeviantArt, via insanely gaming]
Without a doubt, Tiger & Bunny was one of the most popular anime of 2011. It took the idea of superheroes and mixed it with reality TV to create what amounts to a buddy-cop anime series. Now a year after the series' end, the heroes are making their leap to the silver screen with Tiger & Bunny: the Beginning.
As you may have guessed from the title, Tiger & Bunny: the Beginning is a retelling of the first few episodes of the TV series. The good news is that it's not all rehash. Actually, a little under half the movie is brand new. This new chunk of the story deals with the world's greatest thief (not Lupin III sadly) who has stolen the city's symbol of superheroism and has a seemingly unstoppable superpower. While nothing game changing, it is a decent little diversion in the world of Tiger & Bunny.
The rehashed section of the movie is usually frame for frame identical to the TV show, but it has been greatly cleaned up for the big screen. Better still, both the TV section and new section have more moments spent with each of the non-titular heroes, showing more of what they do best. So if you are a Sky High or Blue Rose fan, you will no doubt be pleased with their added screen time.
By far the biggest change in the movie deals with Barnaby. By and large, he is a much more unlikable character. In the series, he's just playing the hero reality show like it's meant to be played—trying to get the most points. But in this movie, he's thoroughly mean and 
condescending to the rest of the heroes both on and off duty. This makes him come off as far more of an ass and serves to make the moments where he supports the other heroes seem more out of place than it did in the series. However, it also makes his gradual steps toward accepting Tiger as a partner all the more meaningful.
Many of the other heroes are far less developed here because of the abridged nature of the movie. However, this has the side effect that everyone is far less hard on Tiger—which is a welcome change.
While it was nice to have a large chunk of the movie to be brand new, it was mostly a throwaway story—entertaining though it was. Frankly, it was like watching the first two episodes of the series with a couple of extra filler episodes fitting in between episodes two and three. The new villain, which while creative, was hardly dangerous. The trick was just catching him. When compared with the main villains of the TV series, though, he was laughably weak.
Judging by many recent anime feature films, I went into Tiger & Bunny: the Beginning expecting nothing more than a big screen remaster of the first few episodes. The fact that there was new footage at all—much less a whole new two episodes worth—was such an unexpected plus that I really enjoyed it. However, despite being new, it was far from the heights of the TV series proper. Honestly, though, should I rewatch the series in the future, I will likely pause after the first couple of episodes to watch the new section of this movie and treat it as two lost episodes.
Tiger & Bunny: the Beginning was released in theaters in Japan on September 22, 2012, and is currently being screened in numerous countries around the world.
Monteroza, which owns a handful of izakaya restaurants like Shirokiya and Wara Wara, is offering a special deal at many of its eateries: If you have the same name as a Neon Genesis Evangelion characters, it will discount your bill.
The characters include Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari, Kaworu Nagisa, Soryu Asuka Langley, and Makinami Mari Illustrious.
So, if you have the same family name as one of these characters, you can get 30 percent off. If you have the same first name, you can get 15 percent off. If you exact same name, you can get 50 percent off. If everyone in your group has Eva names, then you get 77 percent off!
There are probably lots of people with the name "Shinji" or "Rei" as they are both fairly common. But Soryu Asuka Langley or Makinami Mari Illustrious? Anyone with those names deserves much more than a dinner tab discount.
The promotion runs from October 1 to November 30.
最大77％オフも！ エヴァ搭乗者と同性or同名で割引される「綾波割」登場 [Kotaku Japan]
A few years back, EA (of Japan!) was slated to publish a Nintendo DS game dubbed Hachi Koi in which you touch various girls. It was the least EA game EA was ever to release. But by 2009, EA got cold feet—or something—and the game was shelved.
Fast forward to October 1. Hachi Koi resurfaced on iOS and Android as a free-to-download dating game that not only looks different from its DS version, it also looks ready to nickel and dime players with in-game items. But, hey, at least it lives. I guess.
ニューロン・エイジ、iPhone/Android「はち恋」配信 [Game Impress Watch via 2ch]
I have made no secret of how much I have been enjoying Sword Art Online—going so far as to call it the smartest anime in years. When fellow Kotaku East writer Toshi Nakamura told me that there was another anime by the same author also about online games called Accel World, I began watching it as quickly as possible. But while it has a phenomenally well thought out concept and starts off incredibly strong, it is just one of those anime that falls apart in the second half.
The world of 2046 as portrayed in Accel World is perhaps the most realistic and well thought out version of the future I have ever seen. This is because it is centered around one world-changing invention: the Neuro Linker. The Neuro Linker is a personal computer that clips to your neck and overlays the computer screen over your field of vision. With it you can search the net, play online games, and call other people directly—talking virtual avatar to virtual avatar. Nearly from birth, everyone has one of these computers and it affects the very social structure of the world. Talking avatar to avatar is considered a common method of communication. On the other hand, cabling—i.e. connecting Neuro Linker to Neuro Linker directly with someone else sans the avatars—is considered one of the most intimate of actions as you not only talk mind to mind but also can access the other person's computer. It is the deep examination of the cultural impact of such a computer that makes Accel World so enjoyable.
The plot of Accel World centers around not only the Neuro Linkers but also a secret MMO fighting game called Brain Burst. What makes Brain Burst unique over the other MMOs seen in Accel World is that it offers a real-world reward: the ability to slow time to a near stop. By using the data of the nearly ubiquitous security cameras, the game creates a 3D model of the real world and puts it directly into your mind—stretching one second into sixteen minutes. Doing this takes one Burst Point—more of which can only be obtained by playing the game.
The genius of this series is the exploration of the implications behind such a game existing. Being able to stop time gives you the ability to win any fight and pass any test just by the sheer amount of time you get for planning your next move—and this is not even the only way to use burst points either. Of course, should you run out of points, the game uninstalls itself and can never be installed again. So what would you do to keep such power? How important would the game become to you, knowing that the only way to keep your power is to win? Would you go so far as to kill an unbeatable in-game rival in the real world to assure your safety?
Simply put, Accel World is the first thing I have ever seen that makes logging into an MMO seem not only exciting, but also a matter of life or death.
Many anime star the likeable loser—though like in 80's teen movies, all it takes is a simple 
makeover to turn them into a stud. Not so in Accel World. The protagonist, Haruyuki, is short, fat, and the most bullied kid in school—so much so that his online avatar is a pig. Of course, in the online world, while still socially awkward, he's amazing. It is his online skill—and the fact that online, looks are meaningless—that gains him the love of the most popular girl in school. Even then, with a girlfriend and time-stopping powers, his change into a self confidant person is slow and gradual—as it should be.
Of course, Haruyuki being a likable character does little to change the fact that he is actually the main villain of the story—though not the big bad. That would be his girlfriend, "Princess Snow Black" (no one knows her real name). At level nine, she is one of the strongest players in the 
game. However, to reach the level cap, she must defeat the other level nines in sudden death matches where the loser's game is uninstalled. While the other level nines want peace so everyone can play the game and enjoy its real-world benefits, she wants to hit level ten, meet the creator of the game, and perhaps end it for everyone—just to satisfy her curiosity.
So any way you look at it, the main characters are the villains, ruining other people's fun for their personal gain. But this does not make them bad people. In fact, while their goal is of the most selfish kind, it is also the goal the game was designed for. After all, games are meant to be beaten.
The first two story arcs in Accel World are great for the reasons I have stated above. The third story arc—which incidentally takes the entire second half of the series—is contrived at best, lazy 
at worst. The entire arc revolves around a blackmail plot. The problem is that Snow Black has the real-world resources to easily fix any problems caused by the blackmailer and can beat him in the game without much effort should a fight be needed. Now of course it's noble to want to deal with the blackmail problem yourself and leave those you love out of it, but once life-long friendships are being ruined and expulsion from school is on the table, it's time to suck it up and call in the big guns.
Still, the story might have been okay if it had been just a few episodes long, but as it's half of the entire anime, it feels monotonous and entirely without suspense since it can so easily be fixed by a single phone call. With that said, the twist/explanation for one of the character's incredibly out-of-character actions was quite well done; so at least that ended the arc on a positive note.
The beginning of Accel World is amazing: the first five episodes might be one of the best world-building introductions in anime history. And it continues strong until the midway point—before spending its remaining time on a story arc that, while not totally irredeemable, pales in comparison to the first half. However, despite its shortcomings, the first thing I did after finishing the series was head out to my local game store to buy the new Accel World PS3 game (with OVA episode)—at eleven o'clock at night. I think that action really speaks for itself.
Accel World aired this summer on Tokyo MX in Japan. It is available with English subtitles on Viz Anime.
Los Angeles. Summer 1997. There was this guy named Kevin in the office I worked at who was obsessed with the notion of panty vending machines. He even wrote a screenplay about them, complete with, as he explained, a scene at the panty vending machine factory. He said, "Dude, in Japan, they're on every corner."
My boss headed to Japan that summer to try to negotiate the rights to a Kinji Fukasaku gangster flick. But before my boss left, this guy wanted him to find out about these vending machines. When my boss got back, he brought back tales of hanging out with big time movie directors, delicious food, and new friends. But no underwear vending machines.
There's a fascination in the West with Japan's underwear vending machines, as they are a perfect storm of what foreigners think are Japan's obsessions: tech and sex. In Japan, the vast majority of vending machines can be divided into two categories: drinks and cigarettes. But the country has seen an array of vending machines over the years—from comic books to umbrellas. Some of the most interesting vending machines have sold neckties, milk, noodles, batteries, and even canned bread. Vending machines that sell alcohol are harder and harder to find (they still exist, though!).
From the late 60s to throughout the 80s, vending machines popped up all over the place. They were supposed to offer convenience and easy shopping, especially in rural areas. Those specializing in adult goods figured that they'd be good for business, too, because they offer a degree of privacy and anonymity. This same rationale is why quasi-legal drugs have recently been sold via vending machines. It's also why you could, until around 2002 at least, purchase magic mushrooms via vending machines—they were made illegal around the time of the 2002 World Cup—in love hotels. (At the time, the rumor was that these drugs were made illegal over concerns about foreign soccer fans getting high.)
Since you could get, well, a wide variety goods via vending machine, it seems to make sense that someone, somewhere in Japan, would decide to offer underpants—used underpants. During the 1990s, there was a cottage industry, with some teens cashing in on the schoolgirl craze and selling their "worn" skivvies. So, yes, someone somewhere in Japan would put those in vending machines, too. But that wasn't the main way used panties were sold—they were sold in a certain type of adult store—and it apparently wasn't widespread. This used clothing trade, however, soon came under scrutiny for obvious reasons, and a group of used underwear sellers were busted in 1993 for selling schoolgirl underpants; they were nailed for violating the country's child welfare and second-hand seller laws. Today, this type of business is thankfully illegal.
Of course, it's still totally legal to sell new underpants via vending machines, which is how you'd actually see these sorts of vending machines in Japan—if you actually saw one (website Gakuranman spotted one a few years back as did this Japanese site; Blog of the Hawk saw one at a hot springs resort that was for people who needed clean underpants.)
Still, the vast majority of Japanese people have no clue about them because the vast majority of people have never seen one. They weren't exactly out in the open. There weren't many of them. And the ones that existed were often in old, sketchy vending machines in super sketchy places. More importantly, most people are just not interested in buying underpants from a vending machine. So if you knew about them, that probably said more about the places you frequented or the things you are interested than Japan. They were real, yes, but were a blip on Japan's subculture radar and more of an urban legend than anything else. They have seen been blown out of proportion, fetishized by foreigners, and turned into a caricature—much like a Hollywood movie.
Oh, now this is nice! Look at that red. And the black. And that neat little cloth. Like I said, nice!
On November 22, a new Red/Black PSP-3000 value pack is hitting Japan for ¥14,800. Note that quantities are limited. M'kay, noted!
"PSP「プレイステーション・ポータブル」（PSP-3000）バリューパック" [4Gamer]
Well, maybe you will. Mojang, the folks behind Minecraft, is a success story. Great news for them! That not only means Mojang honcho Notch (aka Markus Persson) can afford nicer hats, it also means the studio can afford nicer digs. And boy, look a these digs.
The studio recently moved to a bigger pad, MCV reports. And now is up for the best looking office in Sweden as it's been nominated for the "Sveriges Snyggaste Kontor 2012". Congrats on that! Always nice to see people do well.
Here, have a look at Mojang's leather-wrapped and wood-covered workplace.
Mojang [Sveriges Snyggaste Kontor via MCV]
In the real-world parts of the game, it plays like most traditional Tokimeki Memorial-style dating sims. Each day you choose what to study, occasionally go on dates with the female cast member of your choice, and watch the overall story evolve through numerous event cutscenes.
However, once every day, the game allows you to go into the VR world for one round of the MMO fighting game, Brain Burst. Despite looking at first glance like your typical 3D fighter, this portion of the game is actually a turn-based RPG. On each turn, you choose your attack, watch it unfold, and then watch as the enemy does the same on his turn. What makes Awakening of the Silver Wings unique, however, is that each turn you fine tune your stats for the best results.
You have four stats you can alter each turn: attack, defense, evade, and accuracy. Attack and defense are paired so that if you increase one, you decrease the other. The same goes for evade and accuracy. Also, if your attack is higher than your opponents's defense, you will hit—unless of course his evade is higher than your accuracy. And just when you thought it was simple—aka the higher the number the better—if you manage to match your evade number to his accuracy number or your attack number to his defense number, you will give him a debuff to that stat for several turns.
Lastly, each action you take gains you a number of temporary stat points which you can use to give yourself a stat boost without decreasing the opposing stat. Combine this temporary buff with one of your special moves and you can turn defeat into victory.
Sounds complicated, right? Well, if you want to see exactly how it plays out, check out the video above to see Accel World: Awakening of the Silver Wings in action.
Accel World: Awakening of the Silver Wings was released in Japan on September 13, 2012, for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Stay tuned to Kotaku East for the full import preview later this week.
On September 30, the twice-a-year DreamParty roared through Tokyo. The fall event is aimed at bishoujo (beautiful girl) video games, and it celebrates bishoujo figurines and cosplay.
So, if you are hoping to see some hunky male cosplayers in this gallery (courtesy of an array of Japanese cosplay sites), you'll be disappointed. Sorry!
The DreamParty is held in both Tokyo and Osaka. While the autumn DreamParty has already wrapped up in Tokyo, it will hit Osaka on October 14.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 [アサガヲBlog]
ドリームパーティー東京２０１２秋 2012.9.30（ダイジェスト版） [怠惰らぼっちなおおかみ]
天使みゅ。さん＆Lenfriedさん, Lenfriedさん, 木葉さん・みちこさん・甘栗いるふさん, 甘栗いるふさん, みちこさん, 木葉さん, 八重舞子さん, ねこさん [West Windsor]
DreamParty東京2012秋/ビッグコスプレ博 12.9.30(a) [違和的角色空間！]
