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June, 2014 (Page 12)

Chinese woman’s two-pronged money-saving plan: Eat her grandson’s pet for dinner

Casey Baseel
Jun 12, 2014
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As a kid, I went through a stage where I bugged my parents to let me have a dog. My dad, though, wisely realized that he would be the one who ended up having to take care of it, so jokingly told me that I couldn’t have any animal I wasn’t prepared to eat.

Apparently a woman in China took the same philosophy regarding her grandson’s pet, only she didn’t bother to tell him before she cooked it for dinner.

China
(animals • fish • funny • pets • weird)

A pink unicorn and a yellow hippo dance to “What Does the Fox Say?” on Just Dance 2015【E3】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 12, 2014

The promoters of Just Dance 2015, Ubisoft’s sixth dancing game of the series, sure do know how to get people’s attention at E3. Songs such as “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and Run DMC’s remix of “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith already make you want to tap your toes. But they’ve also deployed cute dancers at the Just Dance booth to encourage the crowd to start, well, dancing. Even Wolverine couldn’t resist slicing the air with his claws to the game’s groovy beats.

And on Day Two of E3 2014, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the elusive unicorn…dancing with his hippo pal to “What Does the Fox Say.” Yeah, we don’t know why either, so you’d probably better just watch the video…

USA
(dancing • E3 • Just Dance 2015 • LOL • video games • What Does the Fox Say? • wtf)

15 of the highest-paid professional female video gamers

BUSINESS INSIDER
Jun 12, 2014

The professional video game world might be a boys’ club — males account for 70% of frequent viewers and players — and there aren’t a lot of women playing video games professionally. At least not yet.

But those who do are definitely making a name for themselves.

e-Sports Earnings has ranked the top 100 female players who have won the most prize money, based on information provided online.

Global
(competitive video gaming • girl gamers • ranking • video games)

Jojo’s bizarre coffee – Anime characters to grace cans of java in Japan

Casey Baseel
Jun 12, 2014

With their dramatic posing, frenetic accessorizing, and manic shouting, you could easily arrive at the conclusion that the cast of long-running manga and anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures is one seriously over-caffeinated set of super powered bare-knuckle brawlers.

Don’t expect Jojo and company to settle down anytime soon, though, as the characters created by artist Hirohiko Araki are set to grace cans of Coca-Cola Japan’s Georgia coffee this summer.

Japan
(anime • Beverages • coffee • food • JoJo)

“A Taste of Japan”: Mouth-watering video of one man’s incredible gourmet trip 【Video】

Fran W
Jun 12, 2014

A filmmaker based in Los Cabos, Mexico, is attracting attention online in Japan with his stunningly beautiful food video. Entitled “A Taste of Japan”, Mike Arce’s video features the food he fell in love with on a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. In an impressively expansive gourmet tour, Arce sampled everything from Kyoto speciality tofu cuisine to delicious hot-plate favourites like okonomiyaki and sukiyaki, even squeezing in a trip to Sukiyabashi Jiro in Roppongi for some high-class sushi, too.

If you didn’t already want to go to Japan really, really badly, you will after you watch this!

Japan
(food • gourmet • Japanese food • okonomiyaki • Sukiyabashi Jiro • sushi)

Playing ‘The Deep’ on Sony’s Project Morpheus was terrifying【RN24@E3】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 12, 2014

My hands are still trembling after demoing The Deep on Project Morpheus, Sony’s virtual reality headset. The game brings players into the middle of shark-infested waters with only a flare gun and a flimsy steel cage for protection. It’s this generation’s Jaws in a new, terrifying reality never seen before, and will no doubt scar another decade of children who will be too scared to take a bath. Check out our hands-on review and have fun laughing at me screaming to myself during my battle against a Great White.

USA
(E3 • headset • project morpheus • Sony • virtual reality • VR)

We play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U【RN24@E3】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 12, 2014

SUPER SMASH BROS!!!! It’s been six years since we’ve seen a new version and this latest one, playable on Wii U and 3DS, did not disappoint. With new characters, like the Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac, and new levels, including one where Pong starts playing right on the screen, the only thing that could have made it better was if we placed first in our battle and won a Nintendo T-shirt.

After playing Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U, I have concluded that it’s, in a word, awesome (but it still can’t salvage my signature button smashing technique).

USA
(E3 • gameplay • nintendo • RN24@E3 • Super Smash Bros. • video games • Wii U)

The E3 merch is pretty boring…with one exception【RN24 at E3】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 12, 2014

We’re here at E3, and we realize the focus should be on the games, but we did take a small detour and poked around the merchandise store for some sort of souvenir (somehow, I wasn’t satisfied with the mutant rabbit balloon swag from Sunset Overdrive). Overall I wasn’t impressed with the T-shirt designs or commemorative mugs inscribed with “E3,” but there was one exception.

USA
(E3 • merchandise • video games)

Crocodile ice cream: It won’t bite back!

ロケットニュース24
Jun 12, 2014

With summer very nearly upon us, it’s time to break out the cold foods like kakigori, Garigari-kun, and, of course, ice cream. Even now, as we struggle through the rainy season and moisture hangs in the air, there’s little in this world as wonderful a giant bowl of strawberry ice cream.

If you’re in Tokyo like we are, there are plenty of places and reasons for gobbling up a chilly bowl of sweet ice cream–and the same is certainly true for the Philippines as well. However, while Tokyo may have some of the best restaurants in the world, Davao City in the Philippines has something Tokyo does not–crocodile ice cream. Don’t worry, though–it won’t bite back!

Oceania, SE Asia
(crocodiles • food • ice cream • Philippines)

Western media ranks the toughest women in animation, list unsurprisingly anime-heavy

Mike
Jun 12, 2014

While TV and movies seem to have a hard time grappling with the evolving role of women in society, animation has been delivering strong female leads for decades.

Sure, some of their empowering swagger is tempered with skimpy clothes and breasts so large they’re almost certain to cause major chiropractic problems, but animation has been surprisingly progressive when it comes to depicting women in comparison to film and live action television.

So it was only a matter of time before someone put together a list of the most badass female characters in animation, and it makes sense that the list is heavy on the anime; Manga and anime artists infamously have a bit of a fetish for strong female leads, after all.

Global, Japan
(anime • anime & manga • culture • female characters • video)

Kentucky fried rice bowl – KFC’s Kentadon expands throughout east Japan

Casey Baseel
Jun 12, 2014

It’s amazing how much Japan loves KFC. I pass by more locations of the world’s most popular fried chicken chain on an average day in Tokyo than I ever did in Los Angeles, and it’s even the meal of choice for most Japanese diners on Christmas Eve.

Now, just as Japan has embraced KFC, KFC is embracing Japan by expanding the number of locations where you can get your hands on one of the restaurant’s rare Kentucky Fried Chicken rice bowls.

Japan
(cheap eats • fast food • fried chicken • KFC)

Man arrested for crimes against nature and potato chips, did it to meet popular voice actress

Master Blaster
Jun 12, 2014

Here at RocketNews24, we consider wasting food to be one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Whether it be a 1,000 bacon slice burger, feces wine, or the most disgusting ramen ever, we always clean our plates or ask for a doggie bag.

And so it’s with heavy hearts that we bring you the story of a particularly disgusting crime. This suspect stands accused of buying, having his way with, and then dumping 208kg of potato chips in the wilderness, eating hardly any of them. As it turned out, this was all part of a bigger scheme to meet the talented voice actress and vocalist Nana Mizuki.

***Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of delicious snack wastage which some readers may find disturbing.***

Japan
(Calbee • crime • Nana Mizuki • potato chips)

“Singapore Da Por” confesses his love in a clever cover of Joyce Chu’s “Malaysia Chabor”

Krista Rogers
Jun 12, 2014

Singing that kimchi is delicious but that she prefers her familiar cendol (a traditional dessert) and keropok (shrimp crackers), 17-year-old Joyce Chu (also known as 四葉草) from Johor Bahru, Malaysia has become quite the YouTube sensation. It’s now approaching three weeks since her song and video Malaysia Chabor (“Malaysian Girl”) about her experiences being mistaken for a Korean in her home country was first published on YouTube, and since then the video has racked up 3.9 million views and counting.

With her good looks and sweet voice, it was inevitable that Joyce would pick up a few admirers after her sudden rise to fame. One man in particular seems to be quite smitten with her, and even went so far as to create his own original response video to her song.

Who is this mysterious admirer? Keep reading to find out more and watch his video for yourself!

Internet, SE Asia
(cover • Joyce Chu • love • Malaysia • Malaysia Chabor • Singapore • YouTube)

Hungry for love – 10 dishes Japanese men want their girlfriends to cook for them

Casey Baseel
Jun 11, 2014

Men are, in many ways, simple creatures. Our two greatest desires in life are, without question, women and food.

While a tasty meal or a good-looking lass with a nice personality are both things to be thankful for on their own, it’s hard to top the bliss that comes from eating a home-cooked meal made by the girl you like. Still, just as guys have preferences in women, they’ve also got preferences in food, as revealed in a poll that asked Japanese men what dish prepared by their girlfriend makes them the happiest.

Japan
(culture • curry • food • relationships • romance)

Disney movies with a grumpily ever after ending are just as epic and way funnier!【Pics】

Joan Coello
Jun 11, 2014

If there’s one thing that we can’t hide, it’s probably our love for Disney animated movies! And we’re pretty sure we are not the only ones who are great fans of Disney’s works. Just last week, we caught a glimpse of Game of Thrones characters in a Disney-esque setting, and this week, we found something even more intriguing…

The Internet’s celebrity feline, Grumpy Cat, is out to thwart Disney’s happily ever after endings in these brilliant illustrations!

USA
(art • cats • Disney • funny • Grumpy Cat • illustration)

Twitter users check possibility of entering Universal Studios Japan dressed as Disney characters

Master Blaster
Jun 11, 2014

As the art of cosplay steadily proliferates into the culture of Japan, even traditionally stodgy institutions like universities have begun accepting it at their graduations. So it would seem obvious that more “carefree” places like theme parks would embrace the costumed fun.

Tokyo Disneyland had their own cosplay event and Universal Studios Japan makes provisions for it in their park rules and regulations. Still, with these companies and others protecting their own brand interests there’s bound to be some lines one shouldn’t cross when trying to gain entrance in costume. But with no official bans on dressing up like certain characters it’s up to Twitter users to test the waters and find where these parks draw the line.

Japan
(cosplay • Disney • Mickey Mouse • Universal Studios Japan)

New 3D aquarium show to let visitors experience a trip to the deep sea in Enoshima

Scott R Dixon
Jun 11, 2014

Japanese aquariums are a pretty popular destination for families during the summer break in July and August. As a part of Enoshima Aquarium’s 10th anniversary celebration, it is putting on a show called “Night Aquarium” where 3D projection mapping will make it seem like visitors have traveled to the deepest parts of the ocean.

Beginning on July 20, the special show will use the aquarium as a backdrop during the evening and project moving images of sea life around the awestruck sightseers. Although other aquariums have given visitors a rather intimate look at deep-sea creatures, this is the first time an aquarium has use this projection mapping technology and is sure to draw big crowds.

Japan
(Aquarium • deep-sea • Enoshima • Kanagawa • NAKED Inc. • projection mapping)

Our favorite photos from Day One of E3 2014【E3】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 11, 2014

The first day of E3 2014 has come to a close and our heads are spinning from all the Gamecube throwback controllers and unexpected Just Dance participants…or are we still just a little queasy from that Oculus Rift demo (more on that soon!)? Either way, we feel so lucky to have been a part of this huge event and want share some of our favorite photos from the day.

Let the photo dump begin!

USA
(E3 • Mario Maker • nintendo • photos • Sony • video games • Xbox)

Nintendo’s Mario Maker lets you do exactly what it promises 【E3】

Casey Baseel
Jun 11, 2014

Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. was a hit almost immediately upon its release in 1985. Everyone who played it knew right away that it was fun, but what wasn’t so immediately apparent was just how solid, and therefore timeless, the basic game engine was.

You’ll find very few gamers today who remember, and even fewer who honestly care, about titles such as Comic Wartoad and Section Z, both of which saw release in 1985 and were moderate hits in their day. More than 30 years later, though, Mario still has a special place in gamers’ hearts. Now, even if you’ve played through all of Mario’s adventures, both new and old, the fun doesn’t have to stop, as Nintendo is releasing a new piece of software that’ll let you create your own Mario levels.

Details, and photos from the E3 show floor after the jump!

Japan
(Mario • nintendo • video games)

Doctors puzzled by Indonesian woman who claims to have given birth to a gecko

Master Blaster
Jun 11, 2014

Since the end of May a special investigative team was dispatched to Oenunto Village in Indonesia at the request of the Chief Medical Officer of nearby Kupang City. Their mission was to figure out what really happened after hearing about a woman who gave birth to her third child: a healthy, bouncing baby gecko.