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Master Blaster

Writer / Translator

Master Blaster is the two-man translating team of Canada’s Steven Le Blanc and Japan’s Masami M, a pair who in addition to writing work are in English education and created the StudyNow app for Japanese students of English.

Together they have written somewhere around 1,500 articles for RocketNews24 covering such diverse topics as Chinese men selling sanitary napkins to each other and a Japanese guy dragging an ear of corn around the Tokyo train system. A few of these were actually good, but don’t take our word for it! Here’s what our beloved readers had to say:

“One isn't always in the mood for bold tastes. But when I'm in the mood for bold flavor I turn to you.”
“Stupid article. Who cares what the Japanese think it's cool. You don't call a monkey, "gorilla".”
“You know, this is about the most cogent explanation of how a turbocharger works that I have ever seen in the non-motorsports world.”
“Thanks for the article peter!”
“It's people like you who make exploitation possible.”
“It looks yummy and the story was great. Thank you for the smile.”

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Posted by Master Blaster (Page 131)

Japan’s better farming through precision drone strikes

Master Blaster
Jun 17, 2016
Tweet

A team in Saga prefecture has successfully developed Agridrone, which will seek out and terminate pests with extreme prejudice.

Games & Tech, Japan, Lifestyle, News
(agriculture • Agridrone • drones • farming • OPTiM • Saga Prefecture)

McDonald’s new toppings yield a cheap surprise: Hidden Chicken Crisp for 140 yen!

Master Blaster
Jun 17, 2016

By the look on Seiji’s face you might think he just discovered the cure to a rare disease, but the truth is much better. He found a way to get a delicious chicken sandwich for only 140 yen (US$1.34) from McDonald’s.

Food & Drink, Japan, Lifestyle
(cheap eats • Chicken Cheeseburger • Chicken Crisp • cream cheese • McDonald's • Seiji Nakazawa)

“Best Korea’s Social Network” hacked after using worst ID and password possible

Master Blaster
Jun 16, 2016

Even my mom practices tighter internet security than what appeared to be North Korea’s version of Facebook.

Games & Tech, Internet, Lifestyle, North Korea
(facebook • hacking • Scotland • Starcon)

Traditional Japanese holiday gets boost with an injection of cold hard cash

Master Blaster
Jun 15, 2016

A lesser-known Yamagata Prefecture custom may just be what Obon needs to stave off invasive species of the holiday kingdom like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.

Culture, Japan
(culture • festivals • holidays • money • Obon • Obondama • otoshidama)

Here’s why you’ll never want to hit a hole-in-one in Japan

Master Blaster
Jun 14, 2016

Japan may be the only country in the world that insures golfers in the event they hit a hole-in-one during a round of golf.

Culture, Entertainment, Japan, Lifestyle
(culture • Golf • hole-in-one • Insurance • sports)

Fruit drink expired for 21 years delivers a literal fruit punch to our staff【RocketScience】

Master Blaster
Jun 12, 2016

You would never guess what a can of fruit drink from 1995 smells like, and now, thanks to us, you won’t have to.

Entertainment, Food & Drink, Japan
(expired food • fruit drink • gross • Morinaga • nectar • RocketScience)

Universities plan to build android of Japanese literary great Soseki Natsume

Master Blaster
Jun 10, 2016

Soseki Natsume: writer, a man long dead. We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was: better, stronger, faster…

Culture, Games & Tech, Japan
(A-Lab • Android • literature • Nishogakusha University • Osaka University • robot • Soseki Natsume)

Balloon stuck in a tree? This looks like a job for…Heavy Machinery Girl!

Master Blaster
Jun 9, 2016

If you only watch one construction equipment themed superhero series today, do yourself a favor and make it Heavy Machinery Girl.

Entertainment, Japan
(commercials • engineering • Heavy Machinery Girl • Juki Shojo • Kyun-kun • Taguchi Kogyo)

The curious case of Benjamin the neighbor arouses suspicion in Japan

Master Blaster
Jun 7, 2016

Always be mindful of what you write or let others write for you. You never know when it will be scrutinized by thousands upon thousands of Japanese people.

Culture, Internet, Japan
(Google Translate • Japanese • language • translation • twitter)

New parking ordinances mean trou… What the hell is that?!

Master Blaster
Jun 6, 2016

I do say, that little trolley appears to be floating upside down.

Entertainment, Internet, Japan
(art • optical illusion • parking lot • trolley • twitter)

Chinese manners-vigilante throws away shoes of sleeping passenger at airport

Master Blaster
Jun 4, 2016

One man in China was mad as hell at uncivilized behavior in airports and divided opinions in the country by not taking it anymore.

China, Lifestyle
(airport • etiquette • manners • shoes • sleeping)

Lightly-salted, potato-cracker-flavored ice cream now on sale nationwide

Master Blaster
Jun 3, 2016

As Japan continues to make an ice cream flavor of every conceivable thing, the limited Ottotto Ice is now only available at Family Mart.

Culture, Food & Drink, Japan, Lifestyle
(crackers • Family mart • ice cream • Morinaga • Ottotto)

Testing out the legendary hair growing power of kinako【RocketScience】

Master Blaster
Jun 2, 2016

We investigate the widespread rumor that Japan’s beloved sweet and savory soy bean powder kinako actually has the ability to restore hair.

Food & Drink, Japan, Lifestyle
(baldness • hair loss • kinako • oolong tea • RocketScience)

Tokyo curry restaurant refuses to serve any customer with a strong odor

Master Blaster
May 31, 2016

If you’re a smoker or enjoy wrapping yourself in designer fragrances, Kyobashiya Curry’s doors are not open for you.

Food & Drink, Japan
(curry • restaurants • smoking • Tokyo)

Japan’s train conductors would like to remind everyone not to attack them

Master Blaster
May 30, 2016

Apparently people in Japan are finding it harder and harder not to assault their friendly neighborhood train station staff as incidents of assault are on the rise.

Japan
(assault • conductor • crime • society • train)

Fortune smiles upon thee, Sir Sato. Thou hast found the 30th Anniversary Dragon Quest sake

Master Blaster
May 29, 2016

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the legendary RPG series Dragon Quest, a limited edition bottle of sake is released. But for Sir Sato, a hangover draws near!