An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla

OTAKU USA: Anime Expo® 08 panel (Sun/6)

OTAKU USA hype machine here, about to SLAM into overdrive! New issue and new website info tomorrow, but for now...

We just got the date and time for the OUSA panel at Anime Expo® in LA this weekend. Confirmed panelists include editor in chief Patrick Macias, contributing writer Darius Washington, and Manga Section editor Jason Thompson. I'm guessing Ed 'Mangacast' Chavez will be there too...OUR MISSION: to give away swag, to answer your most curious and burning questions, show some nutty videos, and just to shoot the breeze at another Sure To Be Great Anime Expo®.

OTAKU USA ANIME EXPO® 2008 PANEL
SUN/6
1:30pm to 2:30pm
(Room LP 4)

FREE ISSUE if you showing up wearing an ANIME CLUB SHIRT!!!

Also, the mag be out in full force with our very own OTAKU USA booth/clubhouse in the exhibition center. Stop by, say hi, and show us your ketsutobi dance! Tell 'em Danny Tanner sent you!!!

1978 is 2008: Captain Future

* 1970's anime
* 1978
* Captain Future Karei naru Taiyôkei Race

TV special
31/12/1978 (Sun) Broadcast time: 20:00~21:00
1 episode / Color

TV channel: NHK

MARUIONE.JP x KERA Magazine x ANIME EXPO

MARUIONE.JP & KERA magazine to host “Street Snap” Event at Anime Expo 2008 in L.A.

June 26, 2008 (Tokyo, Japan)

MARUIONE.JP, an international shopping website based in Japan, operated by Marui Co., Ltd. will be participating in the Anime Expo 2008 convention in Los Angeles this July 3-6. In addition to selling Gothic, Lolita and Punk fashion items, the MARUIONE.JP booth will be hosting a “KERA STREET SNAP in L.A.” event together with the editorial staff of Japan’s KERA magazine.

The photography team of KERA magazine's popular “Harajuku Street Snap” feature will be taking photos of attendees dressed in their best “KERA Snap” style. Some of the photographs will be featured in an upcoming issue of KERA Magazine as well as MARUIONE.JP’s LIVEJ website. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to be featured in one of Japan's most popular teen fashion magazines!

Come dressed in your very best! We look forward to seeing you there!

UPDATE 6/30

Here's the exact times for the KERA STREET SNAP sessions, which will be held at the MARUIONE.JP booth at AX...

(Thurs/3) 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
(Fri/4) 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
(Sat/5) 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

(Kind of) Another Akihabara Stabbing Today

For those of you keeping score...

Courtesy of Lord Bashcraft @ Kotaku

Just hours ago, a man stabbed a police officer in Akihabara during a random bag check. This comes in the wake of the tragedy earlier this month when Tomohiro Kato drove through Akihabara in a truck and proceeded to stab 18 pedestrians with a knifes, killing 7. Today's incident happened at 1:30pm Japan Time, and the individual that attacked the officer is being detained and questioned. The officer sustained a slight injury to the hand as the knife was apparently small.

Tokyo's game/anime/manga haven Akihabara certainly doesn't seem as safe as it once appeared...

In other news...AKIBA-CHAN!

Update: Tis only a flesh wound. Read comments.

Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno Scans

Download here, thanks a lot.

MAIDS x Me x NY TIMES

6/25...The New York Times (perhaps you've heard of it?) investigates the globalization of maid cafes with the help of a Very Special Friend.

“The concept started off as a club for the loneliest guys in the world,” said Patrick Macias, editor in chief of Otaku USA magazine. “Here at last was a place where single young otaku men could go and interact with kind women, and also get lukewarm hamburgers and lousy cake.”

Link: 'Service With a Wink to a Japanese Fad'
(Usual annoying registration may be required)

Diavlo: Diablo x Black

Official Shopping Page of Diavlo and Twisty

Shibuya 109-2 MEN's 30 Brand Complete Logos Sticker

Xfrm: Cooperation Insomnia Lounge

Does Xfrm know it? Do not you know you? I am nerdy! A woman comes if she wears this because I wanted to be popular! The guy whom HOODRATZ more says to is dangerous! The outside was extreme popularity for light-brown gals just to walk! Teach the sexy clothes which you wear what brand it is! jammy says so! Kaai is good, and B.A.R. asks you cool very much if want to get you, good dangerous clothes in time; and all. Because I get it by swift attack if I go to the shop written more below, I will perform it! Cooperation Insomnia Lounge

Godzilla x Marui: The Wood Carvings

Now on sale at MARUIONE.JP: Limited edition figures of Godzilla and his pals created by master sculptor Akira Ibaraki of the M-ARTS company...

Each statue is individually hand-carved by Ibaraki himself, beginning with Godzilla circa 1962, making each a one-of-a-kind item. Maybe that’s why it goes for $2,916.27 (Approx.) making it the most expensive non-vintage Godzilla figure EVER!

Can’t afford it? That’s OK, because someone in Dubai probably can. And of course, they’re probably going to want the whole ding dong set, including King Ghidorah as he was in 1964.

Mothra from 2003’s Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. seems like an odd choice for the third and final chapter of the trilogy, especially when there’s still Megalon and Gigan to consider, but whatever. M-ARTS also makes a wooden $466.00 Wooden Gundam and a series of Buddhist deities as well. So start saving your pesos now.

MARUIONE.JP

Happy Therapy

Ok, Junzo Mizuno was in the Washington Post today, by way of AP and ANN, on account of her upcoming harmonic convergence with My Little Pony, Debbie Gibson, LeAnn Rimes, and Hasbro Toys (details here). So this seems as good a time as any to take a peek into The Miz’s latest book A-ko chan no Beautiful Cinema,which went on sale in Japan earlier this year.

The tome itself is a compilation of 55 short movie reviews that Junko made in her distinctive manga style for Princess Gold magazine. The selection of films, seemingly plucked out of the æther at random, range from Ocean's Eleven, Queen of the Dammed, Minority Report, to Legally Blond 2. And there is nothing predictable about her weird caricatures of movie stars (like Anger Management-era Jack Nicholson, above) as they parade through the Mizunoverse.

But the real highlights come in the form of spot illustrations that have the titular A-ko chan, and her rabbit familiar Kuro, cosplaying as a variety of iconic movie characters ranging from Hannibal Lecter, Rachel from Blade Runner, Barbarella, and Lone Wolf and Cub (above). Cool and crazy...

1978 is 2008: The Okinawa 10 Year War

THE OKINAWA TEN YEAR WAR

"Guns, death, and violence! The battling children of Okinawa! Sonny Chiba and Hiroki Matsukata star in this passionate and powerful violent action film depicting the ten year history of blood, guts, bullets, and killing. Violent gangs come together to form the Okinawa syndicate and prepare for the invasion of mainland Japan. But from the beginning of the consolidation, divisions within the ranks pile up and the group splits into two factions. Against the background of the ocean, the Hondo gang aspires for possession of Okinawa and merges with a minority faction. The climax is a firece three-way battle as the Okinawa police call out the previously unheard 'assassination order'!!! Directed by Akinori Matsuo."

NOW PLAYING AT THE SHINJUKU TOEI PALACE, THE SHIBUYA TOEI PLAZA, AND THE OKINAWA CINEPLEX ODEON!

1978 is 2008: The Gatchaman Movie

THE PURPOSE OF PROJECT

Though science is indispensable to the progress of mankind, it will be not only that science may become a cat’s paw of wickedness but also that human beings may even be put under its rule in the end unless we take a proper way to make use of it. As a matter of real fact, we often observe grave situations arisen in connection with varied cases of pollution issues.

The confrontation of science with human beings……This is the very subject taken up in this series of “The Gatchaman Force”; it is a showdown between a group of men in concert with science fight in the cause of world peace and a gang of devilish men who commit crimes abusing the power of science. The former is symbolized by a party of five youngsters entitled Gatchaman Force who fight bravely to secure the world peace in close association with such mechanical works brought forth by modern science as aircrafts, automobiles, marine vessels, etc. while the latter is illustrated by Galactor, a gang of villains who are enslaved by computers and other kinds of ingenious equipment of their own and who incessantly attempt to deprive people of freedom and other fundamental rights.

Thus, based on the relation between mechanism and human beings, this series is to unroll drama full of actions and moving deeds.

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: Theatrical Version
General Supervision by Kihachi Okamoto
Music by the NHK Symphony Orchestra (Prologue)
Released in 'Phoenix Sound 4ch . Stereo'

NOW PLAYING AT A THEATER NEAR YOU!

MARUI x KERA / June 08

Tokyo Fashion Now at LIVEJ

Bringing you KERA Magazine's popular "Street Snap" corner, with snapshots of fashion from the streets of Harajuku.

HAL (From Kanagawa Prefecture) 21, Blood type A, Assistant Hairdresser, Height 158cm

Fashion theme I’d like to try: Flashy flashy
How I get through the rainy season: Go to Harajuku anyway!!!

MARUIONE.JP

At the House of Leaf and Lime

Vacation.
Hawaii.
Five days.
Sunken battleships and some pineapples filled with rum.

And that's how I spell F-U-N!

OTAKU USA: The Legend of the Super Galaxy

OTAKU USA is doing great, by the way. Thanks for asking! We just shipped our first anniversary issue (no. 7, for those of you keeping score), to the printers on Monday and we’ll be at Anime Expo in a few weeks with a booth and everything. This is not hype or spin from the Editor in Chief, seriously: our circulation and ad sales have gone way up since we started putting the heavy hitters on the cover and our “competition” began to conveniently bite the dust. Meanwhile, exclusive content is appearing on a regular basis at the official OUSA website and our commitment to Japanese pop culture remains as unflappable as ever. Just ask M.D. Geist (below).

Now here’s a taste of the next issue: an excerpt from an exclusive interview with The Most Dangerous one himself, Koichi Ohata (director of Burst Angel, designer of the Gunbuster).

OUSA: So what do you think are the challenges for the future?

Koichi Ohata: I think the future depends not on the anime industry, but rather on anime fans. In some ways, it makes a big difference on when you became an anime fan: when you were a kid, when you were a teen, and so on. Either way, the audience is getting older now. The future of anime depends on if the viewers want to treasure it, or abandon it. Personally, either way, I am going to do whatever the [email protected]#k I want in this industry for the rest of my life.

Update : Why did I post this? Because as PiQ crashed and burned early last week, I came across about half a million posts on various message boards speculating about the health of OUSA. If I'd made no concerted effort to make some kind of statement, y'all would have started digging us a hole in the boneyard, too. And that wouldn't be very good, now would it?

PQ magazine: Akarui Mirai

I picked up the new issue of girl's free magazine PQ ("Paradise Queen") at that one totally insane am/pm in Kabuki-cho just before hitting a lingerie pub nearby for a few drinks and only a few drinks. At first, the doorman took one look at my raggedy ass and said "Gaijin dame", but we told him that I was half-Japanese from America by way of Okinawa, in a rare "so-crazy-it-actually-might-work gambit" that actually did. The set-up inside was like flipping through a Victoria's Secret catalog where you have to actually talk to the models under the assumption that they aren't just sitting there in their underwear while pretending that this is all totally normal and relaxing. After warping my way through three staff members in about 30 min. I finally settled on one girl that was really funny and who broke character long enough to say that this was only a part time job (shock) and what she *really* did for a living was work at TBS doing food prep, hopefully after she washed her hands with Borax powered soap. She said that when it came to music, Cyndi Lauper of all people was top of the pops in her book, which seemed incredibly unlikely until "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" came on the house PA and I realized that all of us probably need to get out more often.

Anyway, back to PQ...it's only this time that I found out that it is actually the sister publication of Pokepara ("Pocket Paradise Tokyo") a free guide aimed at men to help guide them through the maze of hostess bars, love hotels, yakiniku joints, and real estate options in Shinjuku. It seems there' a reason why this digest-sized magazine is designed to fit in the palm of your hand. The scouts - African, native, and otherwise - all seemed to be carrying copies, shoving them into people's faces, pointing at ads for various kyabakura and "International Clubs" inside.

Both PQ and Pokepara stop short of advertising the hard stuff: soaplands and health delivery services, but that's OK. Both are published and owned by the Creators Company Connection, beloved by millions for their monthly fuzoku guide MANZOKU. So one way or another, all the bases are covered. Sure, in this day and age you can get all of data you need for a wild weekend off your cell phone and whatnot, but CCC understand the need for related print publications to also be made available near the actual point of purchase. At 260 pages, Pokepara is 90% ads. PQ bares reaches the 130 p. mark and has more original content by way of ageha-style advertorial. What's it going to take to get the old gal into healthier shape? Well, a diet and some deconails might help, and if you're short of cash to invest in a summer kimono or some instant ramen, I hear there's a place in Gotanda that's now hiring...

1978 is 2008: Lupin III - The Mystery of Mamo

NOW PLAYING AT A THEATER NEAR YOU!

Poster illustration by Monkey Punch

1978 is 2008: Starwolf Graffiti

Starwolf opening theme

Have You Come To Tell Me You Change What You Hate and Live With What You Don't Like?

Yoshiki on Tomohiro Kato (of "The AKB Massacre" fame)

"I think the thing you Americans and even many of Japanese TV people didn't get from the killer's note, is that he is so empty. He is empty in every way. He is a Hollow Man.

There is no such thing like deep thought, nor imagination. No nothing, but the envy to the others (who seem to him that they got everything), and strong resentment. Of course none of them are based on fact, thought, or any kind of intellectual activities.

I said he is a stupid piece of shit because he is trapped inside a trap of his own making.

It goes like this: I am alone and pathetic--because I couldn't win the game anyway--because my face is ugly and my life is a mess--that makes me alone and pathetic--because [back to top].

Or, it might go like this too: People seem to be happy all the time--but I am not--because they have the love ones and money and car and steady job and--but I don't have none--that makes me a fucking looser--but I can't do anything about it--because I am ugly and my life is a mess--so there's no chance that I'll be happy--I'll never have a girlfriend--that makes me unhappy--People are happy because they STOLE my happiness, or chicks to fuck--I am alone and have nothing to do, I am totally miserable--On the other hand, other people seem to be happy all the time [back to top].

See how stupid and hollow it is? The important fact is this is ALL he got in his ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE. What a waste of oxygen, food, water and humanity.

Oh I forgot to tell you, that he had one another thing. It's his memory of his elementary to junior-high school age. At that time he was a superman who was good at his study (because his parents helped him), and sport.
Then he went to a good high school, which is filled with real smart kids, which he and his parents couldn't win. His scores went down and so is his confidence. He was empty from the beginning. When grown up, he started to blame his parents to have helped him back in that time, he thinks his life went wrong because of that. Now you see why I said 'He was a kind of guy who is always waiting some lucky shit will happen to him without
doing nothing'.

Anyway I am so sick and tired of this bitch. Fuck. thanks."