Michelle Hughes – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Sat, 26 Nov 2016 17:45:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Michelle Hughes – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Super sweet exclusive Sailor Moon goods for sale at the Animate Girls Festival 2016 https://soranews24.com/2016/11/01/super-sweet-exclusive-sailor-moon-goods-for-sale-at-the-animate-girls-festival-2016/ https://soranews24.com/2016/11/01/super-sweet-exclusive-sailor-moon-goods-for-sale-at-the-animate-girls-festival-2016/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2016 02:00:55 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=352215 
Welcome to Volume No. 35,000,000 of More Sailor Moon Stuff You Didn’t Know You Needed Until Now!
The Animate Girls Festival (AGF) is a yearly festival held in Japan by Animate, the largest purveyor of anime, games, and manga in Japan, and is primarily aimed at female otaku. This year the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary and what celebration of anime, especially anime for girls, would be complete without Sailor Moon?
One of the featured Sailor Moon items from Megahouse is part of a trend that I really don’t understand but find appealing nonetheless. Tea cup friends (ochatomo) hang on the rim of your glass and keep you company as you consume the beverage of your choice. I imagine they could also serve the same function that wine glass charms do in helping people keep track of their drinks at a party. The collection that will be available at the Animate Girls Festival is called Tea Cup Friends Series: Night & Day and features Princess Serenity, Small Lady Serenity, Prince Endymion, Luna, Black Lady, and Prince Demande.
Also available will be two offerings from Gashapon toy-vending machines. The Capsule Goods Deluxe Set includes a Crisis Moon Mirror, Kaleido Moon Scope Stylus, and a scrunchie with a charmed attached in a pretty pink pouch for 400 yen (US$3.80). The Milky Pop Clear Charms are a series of six charms (300 yen each) that can be used to add a touch o’ moon to your charm bracelets or really just about anything.
▼ The Milky Pop Clear Charms represent some of the most iconic Sailor Moon magical items.
Megahouse will also have two other irresistible figures for sale at their AGF booth: Sweeties: Usagi Tsukino Fruits Parlor ver. and Petit Character Deluxe Sailor Saturn.
▼ This Sweeties Usagi Tsukino is sweet indeed!
The price isn’t currently available for the Megahouse items, but there’s no doubt they’ll be worth whatever they cost.
If you’d like to get your hands on these, you’ll need to make your way to the AGF. The Animate Girls Festival is scheduled for November 5 and 6, so if you aren’t in Japan already, you’ve got a couple days to hop on a plane and get over there!
Can’t make it to Japan? You can always order some Rainbow Moon Chalice blush to help you get your Sailor Moon fix.
Source, images: Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Project
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/11/01/super-sweet-exclusive-sailor-moon-goods-for-sale-at-the-animate-girls-festival-2016/feed/ 0 352215 sweet-sailor-moon-drink-toppers-2 sweet-sailor-moon sweet-sailor-moon-drink-toppers agf-sailor-moon sailor-moon-charm-bracelelt sailor-saturn sweet-sailor-moon Japanese rock star Hyde’s Harley Quinn Halloween costume is the best we’ve seen this year https://soranews24.com/2016/10/28/japanese-rock-star-hydes-harley-quinn-halloween-costume-is-the-best-weve-seen-this-year/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/28/japanese-rock-star-hydes-harley-quinn-halloween-costume-is-the-best-weve-seen-this-year/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2016 17:30:21 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=351748 No one can top this, unless that person is Margot Robbie!
Every year in Kobe, the Japanese rock band VAMPS hosts a Halloween party where the various artists in attendance are dressed to the nines in full Halloween regalia and this year looks to be no different. The costumes can be seriously impressive, too, as VAMPS’ lead singer Hyde recently revealed his look for this year’s gala and stunned the Internet.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL4PZX0DqOn/?tagged=hyde&hl=en
Nope, that’s not Harley Quinn; that’s a 47-year old man.
HYDE姉さんゲロマブm/,(•。•)#hyde #明希 #halloween2016 #AKi pic.twitter.com/w5fsOYuZtc
— SID 明希/AKi (@AKiSID_official) October 22, 2016
Pictured above with Hyde is the bassist from the band Sid, Aki. But let’s be real, Hyde is totally stealing the show in this picture. It seems like if there’s a fountain of youth, Hyde’s found it and is making full use of it!
▼ Hyde with Daigo from Breakerz, dressed in Monster Hunter regalia
HALLOWEEN PARTY 2016 Day 1
Thank you! BREAKERZ! #breakerz #vamps #ハロパ2016 #halloween @BRZofficial0725 pic.twitter.com/HQ9qdN1eU0
— VAMPS (@VAMPS_JPN) October 22, 2016
▼ Idol group Team Syachihoko, Halloween Party 2016 attendees, dolled up as Chuckie from the Child’s Play movies
＜HALLOWEEN PARTY 2016＞
チームしゃちほこ、仮装はチャッキーでした観に来てくれたみなさん、VAMPSさんありがとうございました〜
#syachi #ハロパ2016 (いずみ) pic.twitter.com/o1nPnIT4lt
— TEAM SHACHI
(@shachi_staff) October 22, 2016
▼ Fellow musician Gackt as a demon nurse at the 2015 VAMPS Halloween Party
https://www.instagram.com/p/91QGkPmWma/?tagged=vampshalloweenparty&hl=en
▼ Fans of anime Black Butler will appreciate this spot-on Ciel Phantom-hyde, er…Phantomhive, look from 2015
If previous years are any indication, then Hyde and Halloween Party guests will be delighting us with at least two more costumes to come. Until then, maybe you’d like to pick up some delicious “fingers” from Maison Kayser or follow in Hyde’s footsteps and dress up as Harley Quinn as part of the costume trend taking Japan by storm this year.
Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Instagram/hydeisbleu
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/28/japanese-rock-star-hydes-harley-quinn-halloween-costume-is-the-best-weve-seen-this-year/feed/ 0 351748 hyde-harley-quinn Japan’s Ministry of Defense unleashes the power of “Moe Marketing” https://soranews24.com/2016/10/24/japans-ministry-of-defense-unleashes-the-power-of-moe-marketing/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/24/japans-ministry-of-defense-unleashes-the-power-of-moe-marketing/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2016 15:00:04 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=351300 
Are anime girls on aircraft and recruitment posters enough to moe-tivate you to join the Japanese Self Defence Forces?
Every country undoubtedly has its own ways of trying to convince the young and able-bodied to serve in the nation’s military (or self defense force, if you are Japanese). It is highly doubtful, though, that any other nation has approached this in quite the same way Japan has.
Enter the moe.
https://twitter.com/masudado003/status/761204934977040384
What is moe, you ask? Well, to be honest, many scholars are still in debate in terms of how to precisely define this phenomenon; generally, though, it is accepted that moe is the embodiment of a certain kind of cuteness or adorable-ness of an anime or manga character that imbues one with a strong affection for the character with these qualities.
If you looked at the above picture and thought “Squee! So kawaii! I just want to hug her!” that’s a kind of moe-feeling. And it’s the strength of those kinds of emotions that the JSDF might be cleverly playing to in its most recent recruitment efforts.
Debuting on various aircraft in 2012 at the Kisarazu City Avaition festival, the anime-style artwork has been considered by some to be akin to the pin-up girl airplane nose art of the World War era rather than a recruitment campaign.
How can you tell that this is a Japanese military helicopter? Not a US or British helicopter.
Hmm maybe the Anime? pic.twitter.com/6pRR28jNmx
— Invent Anything (@inventanything) March 12, 2015
This isn’t the only weapon in Japan’s arsenal to attract new enlistees, though. Perhaps a poster will be that which inspires someone to answer the JSDF’s call.
In case you were wondering the answer is, "Yes, this is an actual Japan Self Defense Forces recruiting poster." All three services pictured. pic.twitter.com/AyP0Pd9ixn
— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) October 18, 2016
Recruitment poster for Japan Self Defense forces is a exactly what you thought it would be :) pic.twitter.com/rqbfn5SGzC
— migs (@migs81) September 15, 2014
While some have commented that the use of kawaii anime girls and moe elements seems to imply that one wouldn’t be able to put much trust into an army run by a bunch of otaku, others believe that the juxtaposition of these elements with the military and all things associated, such as weaponry, is indicative of a particular Japanese ambivalence in regards to the ever-changing role of the JSDF and Japan’s military history. As Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to push for a revision of the Japanese constitution to allow the JSDF to behave more like a conventional army, this viewpoint seems to become even more relevant. Taken in that context, this unique, and frankly somewhat appealing, recruitment effort may be a little more serious than the cute posters suggest at first glance.
Adding to that is a 20-minute anime video put out by Japan’s Ministry of Defense titled “Bo-Emon’s Defense Lecture – ABC of Self-Defense Forces”. In the video, a mysterious blue bird-thing comes to life out of a child’s drawing to explain to him and his siblings what the JSDF’s role is in Japan.
▼A trailer for the longer video
Do you think that kawaii motifs on helicopters, anime posters, and videos would have any success in engaging people in other countries with their military or defense forces? Would these kinds of things inspire or motivate you to enlist? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
Source: Kotaku
Images: Youtube/RUNWAY FUN, Wikipedia/Snow64
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/24/japans-ministry-of-defense-unleashes-the-power-of-moe-marketing/feed/ 0 351300 screen-shot-2016-10-22-at-1-06-27 kisarazu chara04 Popular bakery in Japan sells “fingers” for Halloween https://soranews24.com/2016/10/23/popular-bakery-in-japan-sells-fingers-for-halloween/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/23/popular-bakery-in-japan-sells-fingers-for-halloween/#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2016 23:30:20 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=351405 
“Waiter, there’s a bloody finger in my food!”
Halloween in Japan is probably completely different, yet exactly like what one might expect. Over-the-top costumes from the land of cosplay, parties, and gimmicky merch available on every street corner. However, Halloween also gives Japan’s chefs and bakers, who are known for their creativity and meticulous execution, an opportunity to play with their food in ways that may be a little…off-putting, at first.
Take for example the “finger” bread made by Maison Kayser. Complete with realistic wrinkles, red icing that looks even more like blood as it comes to room temperature, and, perhaps the most disgusting part, an almond sliver that closely resembles a fingernail, the only thing that keeps this bread from making you wonder if you are giving into some baser, cannibalistic instincts before you take a healthy bite into it is that it is rather plumper than any actual finger most of us have probably ever seen.
▼ Maybe even a bit ickier as the color of the almond slivers makes the “nails” look dirty
If you know anything about our editorial staff in Japan, though, then you already know that this was a “must-try”.
The verdict? Maison Kayser’s “finger” bread is light, fluffy, and totally delicious. However, the sweetness of the “blood” icing makes it a no-go as a ramen topper.
▼ Possibly the one time you won’t get yelled at for biting your nails
You can get your own hands on one (or 10?) of these at Maison Kayser bakeries through October 31. The cost is 194 yen (US$1.87) for one. However, if you’d like to check out some other spooky treats in addition to the “fingers”, the Daimaru Department Store in Tokyo is featuring seven other delightful breads and pastries, along with a host of other sweets, during their “Halloween Fest”, which also runs through October 31.
▼ There are witch’s hats filled with a raspberry and almond cream, and gorgeous-looking witch’s broom danishes on offer.
Looking for more Halloween-themed foods to junk-out on while in Japan? You might consider a round of McDonald’s “Magic Halloween Fries” or perhaps Lotteria’s “Purple Magic Bacon Double Excellent Cheeseburger”.
Store Information
Maison Kayser – Daimaru Tokyo / メゾンカイザー 大丸東京店
Address: Daimaru Department Store, Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 1-9-1, Floor B1
東京都千代田区丸の内1-9-1 大丸東京店 B1F
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (Mon-Fri); 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Sat-Sun)
Website
Images: RocketNews24, Daimaru
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/23/popular-bakery-in-japan-sells-fingers-for-halloween/feed/ 0 351405 myubi3-1 myubi3 myubi6 kyubira3 kyubira8 myubi10 halloween-pastries New Sailor Moon blush and brushes will have you yelling out “Moon Prism Power Makeup!” https://soranews24.com/2016/10/15/new-sailor-moon-blush-and-brushes-will-have-you-yelling-out-moon-prism-power-makeup/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/15/new-sailor-moon-blush-and-brushes-will-have-you-yelling-out-moon-prism-power-makeup/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2016 07:00:41 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=349897 
Is it too early to start making a Christmas wish list?
Premium Bandai’s at it again, finding clever ways to get you to part with your hard-earned money. As with most of the Sailor Moon merch they come up with, this new item is pretty awesome, especially if you’ve ever been the type to twirl around in front of your mirror as you apply that last layer of lipstick, imagining the transformation that must be taking place and shouting “Moooooooooon Priiiiiiiiiism Poweeeeeeeeeer!”
Behold, Rainbow Moon Chalice blush.
Currently available for pre-order through Premium Bandai, the container for the blush is based on the design of the Rainbow Moon Chalice in Sailor Moon S. The color palette is primarily red and gold and there are seven stones circling the middle, representing six of the Sailor Scouts in addition to Sailor Moon herself. Inside, the blush itself appears to be a standard kind of pink that would look fine on just about anyone. Another feature of the chalice is that it can be used as a trinket box after the blush is gone simply by removing the plate that the block of blush sits upon.
Recognizing that the blush isn’t just going to apply itself, Premium Bandai is also taking pre-orders for blush brushes that look like the Moon Stick and the Spiral Heart Moon Rod.
▼ The classic Sailor Moon Moon Stick
▼ The Spiral Heart Moon Rod from Sailor Moon S
The chalice and the brushes (which can be ordered here and here, respectively) are a bit costly; the Rainbow Moon Chalice is 4,968 yen (US$48) and the brushes are 3,456 yen each. However, shipping anticipated in December 2016, there’s still over two months for Santa to scrape together a little dough and make a Sailor Scout’s dreams come true!
If you are looking for more Sailor Moon merchandise to feed your obsession and take up space in your room, you may want to check out Gashapon’s “Prism Moon Perfume Bottles” and Premium Bandai’s “Romance Communicator Lip Gloss“.
Source, Images: AtPress
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/15/new-sailor-moon-blush-and-brushes-will-have-you-yelling-out-moon-prism-power-makeup/feed/ 0 349897 sailor-moon-makeup rainbow-moon-chalice-blush remove-blush moon-stick spiral-heart-moon-rod China’s first suspended railway looks like a panda soaring through the skies https://soranews24.com/2016/10/11/chinas-first-suspended-railway-looks-like-a-panda-soaring-through-the-skies/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/11/chinas-first-suspended-railway-looks-like-a-panda-soaring-through-the-skies/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2016 17:30:10 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=349359 
Maybe they’ll call it the Panda Express!
Last week, China’s first-ever suspended railway car made its first test run. Though it may not be the first ever suspended railway in the world – that distinction goes to the Wuppertal in Germany, which began operating in 1901 – it definitely is the cutest.
Apparently the Chengdu area of China, where the train is located, already has a panda-themed subway train and is home to the Chengdu Panda Base, a large panda conservatory.
Meet the 1st panda-themed subway train & subway station that began their trial operation in SW China's Chengdu, Sun. pic.twitter.com/i8MJGWZ84Z
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) July 31, 2016
Current plans for the train are to extend the track to 1.25 kilometers (about .77 miles). While the Chiba Urban Monorail in Japan beats the Chengdu line for the title of the longest suspended monorail train at 15.2 kilometers (about 9.4 miles) of train track, what the Chengdu train lacks in length, it reportedly makes up in environmental friendliness. The train runs on lithium ion batteries, which the chief designer of the project says is less harmful to the environment than traditional energy sources.
The train can carry up to 120 people at a time, but unless you’ve got some where to go, the interior is bland enough that it seems like it would actually be more entertaining to just watch the panda soar through the air like the next Marvel superhero.
The train isn’t ready to take passengers just yet, but the first test run on September 30th went off without a hitch. Apparently there plans are additional suspension trains in more scenic areas in the works for next year.
Riding in a panda flying through the sky isn’t the only awesome mode of transportation China has experimented with; the straddle bus is another recent interesting innovation that seeks to combat some the country’s traffic woes. Perhaps on your next trip to China, you’ll be able to take a ride on both!
Check out the video below for 60 seconds of futuristic, electronica-driven info about the panda train:
Sources: Shanghaiist, Conde Nast Traveler
Images: YouTube/New China TV
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/11/chinas-first-suspended-railway-looks-like-a-panda-soaring-through-the-skies/feed/ 0 349359 %e7%84%a1%e9%a1%8c %e7%84%a1%e9%a1%8c panda Check out Utada Hikaru’s unique 360-degree making-of video for her song “A Bouquet for You” https://soranews24.com/2016/10/01/utada-hikarus-unique-360-degree-video-for-her-song-a-bouquet-for-you/ https://soranews24.com/2016/10/01/utada-hikarus-unique-360-degree-video-for-her-song-a-bouquet-for-you/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2016 01:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=348120 
It’s a “making of” video like you’ve never experienced before!
Yesterday was the magical day when Utada Hikaru‘s 8-year musical dry spell broke and the world was once again awash in her music. Fans rejoiced and at this very moment, the album sits at #3 on the Apple Itunes chart. In conjunction with the release of the album, a new video was released for the song “Hanataba wo Kimi ni” (A Bouquet for You). However, this isn’t your typical music video; it isn’t even a typical “making of” music video! It’s a 360-degree video.
Huh? What does that even mean? Don’t worry, I asked the same thing as I stared dumbly at the video, wondering why it was of such poor quality and why nothing was happening. Then I noticed that my cursor had changed to a hand, the kind of hand that grabs and drags. Suddenly, I was in control and I began to understand exactly what makes this video so cool.
You see, YouTube actually started supporting 360-degree videos in March 2015, but they haven’t really caught on for a number of reasons, primarily related to things such as the cost of the equipment needed to make such a video. So, for those of us who are Utada Hikaru fans and were in the dark about the existence of 360-degree videos, the “Hanataba wo Kimi Ni” video is like a double-whammy of excitement-inducing experiences. Not only do we get to enjoy one of her songs from her latest album Fantôme, but we get engage with the video and see exactly what it looks like from her perspective as she’s making it and what the camera crew is doing to capture the best moments. In a way, we can act like a director, too, choosing which angles and whatnot to help the song achieve maximum emotional impact.
All in all, it’s something different and a little bit more fun that the usual music video. Check it out below and tell us what you think!
Source: KAI-YOU
Featured image: YouTube/Utada Hikaru
Image: Utada Hikaru
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/10/01/utada-hikarus-unique-360-degree-video-for-her-song-a-bouquet-for-you/feed/ 0 348120 utada-video aramajapan_utada-hikaru-fantome-promo 3 male governors in Japan experience what life is like for pregnant women https://soranews24.com/2016/09/29/3-male-governors-in-japan-experience-what-life-is-like-for-pregnant-women/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/29/3-male-governors-in-japan-experience-what-life-is-like-for-pregnant-women/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 05:00:14 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=347864 
Did they experience morning sickness and cravings, too?
According to the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), Japanese husbands are some of the most likely in the world to not do any household chores or to help with childcare. In fact, men in the Kyushu and Yamaguchi areas are even less likely than the average Japanese husband to help out around the house and data shows that wives do about 7 times the amount of work their husbands do.
As a result, the “Kyushu / Yamaguchi Work-Life Balance Campaign” was created to encourage people in the Kyushu and Yamaguchi areas to find a way to make their home life and their work life more compatible, and to create workplaces that are more understanding and flexible when it comes to workers’ needs in regards to raising their children.
So what’s the best way to get people to pay attention to the campaign and to deepen one’s understanding of what pregnancy is like for women? By getting your male governors pregnant, of course!
The 3 current governors of the Saga Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Yamaguchi Prefecture put on jackets weighing 7.3 kg (about 16 lbs.) that replicate the additional weight a woman would be carrying around the 7th month of pregnancy and wore them as they went about their normal daily lives – working, shopping, doing laundry, washing dishes, you name it. Their goal was to try to understand even just a little bit more how much difficulty and discomfort women have to bear during pregnancy.
A video has been released showing some of the trials and tribulations the governors experienced throughout the experiment. On top of having a larger, heavier stomach, their field of view was reduced, which made something as simple as going up and down the stairs troublesome. Actions such as leaning over the sink to do dishes or bending down to grab something off of the bottom shelf at a supermarket caused their bodies to ache. Putting on socks, getting into cars, and so on proved to be much more difficult than they expected.
Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi of Saga Prefecture had this to say afterwards: “I’ve experienced many things since I’ve become a governor, but experiencing what pregnant women go through had a real impact on me.”
After the “Kyushu / Yamaguchi Work-Life Balance Campaign” began, 96.7% of the men who went through the same pregnancy experiment said that “men also need to be responsible for household chores and child-rearing”.
Though wearing a bulky, heavy jacket can’t compare to the real thing, it seems that the closer men come to understanding what women go through in general and not just during pregnancy, the more likely it is that feelings of true partnership, as well as mutual respect and admiration, will grow.
Perhaps some of the male staff writers at RocketNews24 can try this experiment, too!
Images, Video: PRTimes, YouTube/九州・山口ワーク・ライフ・バランス推進キャンペーン
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/29/3-male-governors-in-japan-experience-what-life-is-like-for-pregnant-women/feed/ 0 347864 pregnant-governors pregnant-governors-3 pregnant-governors-shoppping pregnant-governors-walking Check out the sweet Sanrio treats from this popular bunny-themed bakery https://soranews24.com/2016/09/28/check-out-the-sweet-sanrio-treats-from-this-popular-bunny-themed-bakery/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/28/check-out-the-sweet-sanrio-treats-from-this-popular-bunny-themed-bakery/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=347573 
But they’re only available for a limited time, so you’d better hippity hoppity over there ASAP!
The Nicholas House bakery located in Harajuku is well-known for its rabbit-themed cream puffs. People from all over line up to get a taste of original flavor combinations like coffee-clove and chestnut-ginger, as well as to enjoy the light and airy pastry the cream is served on.
▼ Oh, did I forget to mention that they are totally adorable, too?
A post shared by Nano Betts • Stuttgart Travel Blogger (@travelswithnano)
Nicholas House founder and owner Nicholas Charles is a French pastry chef who has been pursuing a love of food and pastry fostered by his mother at a very young age. His desire to visit Japan also bloomed at a very young age, when he saw a calendar that had a picture of a rabbit sitting with pink cherry blossoms falling all around it; that desire came to fruition 15 years ago when he came to Japan after honing his craft in France.
▼ Who doesn’t like a good parfait?
A post shared by Nano Betts • Stuttgart Travel Blogger (@travelswithnano)
Now, thanks to the notoriety Nicholas Charles and his bunny treats have gained, Sanrio-themed cream puffs made by Nicholas House will be for sale exclusively at the Hello Kitty Fair being held at the Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza, but only for the next two weeks. There will be 7 different flavors and character motifs for guests to choose from, but perhaps the most highly anticipated one is the Hello Kitty cream puff with black tea cream and apple jelly.
▼ Elegant flavor combination: Black tea and apple jelly
The My Melody cream puff has a mousse made from tart French raspberries combined with peach jelly.
Strawberry custard and marshmallows fill the strawberry version of the Little Twin Stars cream puff; a chocolate version will also be available.
The usually lazy Gudetama gives a shot of energy with bitter coffee cream and crunchy hazelnuts.
Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin will also be featured at the Hello Kitty Fair. Each cream puff costs 378 yen (about US$3.77) and can be purchased at Mitsukoshi department store starting September 28 until October 11.
Which of these sounds the most delectable to you? My vote is for the Hello Kitty one, of course!
Event Information
Hello Kitty Fair
Location: Mitsukoshi Ginza
Address: 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo 104-8212
東京都中央区銀座4-6-16
Phone Number: +81 3-3562-1111
Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily
Website
Source: PRTimes, Nicholas House
Images: PRTimes
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/28/check-out-the-sweet-sanrio-treats-from-this-popular-bunny-themed-bakery/feed/ 0 347573 nicholas-house-sanrio nicholas-house-sanrio hello-kitty-cream-puff my-melody-cream-puff little-twin-stars-cream-puff gudetama-cream-puff What do Chicago hot dogs, a Japanese admiral, and a gold tooth have in common? https://soranews24.com/2016/09/23/what-do-chicago-hot-dogs-a-japanese-admiral-and-a-gold-tooth-have-in-common/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/23/what-do-chicago-hot-dogs-a-japanese-admiral-and-a-gold-tooth-have-in-common/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:00:15 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=346594 
This is guaranteed to be the extra-credit question on your next history exam!
Lucky Chicagoans are already familiar with the name Portillo. Portillo’s is a purveyor of some of the tastiest hot dogs you can get your hands on. Indeed, a stop at a Portillo’s restaurant is practically a requirement for any Midwesterner visiting Chicago.
▼ The Portillo’s official logo
Until a few days ago, though, Portillo’s founder Dick Portillo was likely one of only a handful of Chicagoans familiar with the name Isoroku Yamamoto. Isoroku Yamamoto was a Japanese Marshal Admiral who was responsible for planning the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. And Dick Portillo thinks he’s found something valuable that might have belonged to the notorious admiral – a gold tooth.
How did Portillo come to find this tooth and why does he believe it to be one of Admiral Yamamoto’s?
On a trip to the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea in July 2015, the site where Yamamoto died in a plane crash after a skirmish with American aircraft on April 18, 1943, Portillo, an avid WWII buff and former Marine took a crew on an expedition to view the plane wreckage from that crash, and as they were surveying the area, someone caught sight of the tooth in the mud nearby. The person who happened to lay his eyes upon it was a retired professor; as luck would have it, Professor Anderson Giles also has a particular fascination with WWII history and reportedly remembered that Yamamoto was shot in the jaw during the air attack.
Portillo purchased the tooth for $14,000 from the local clan who owns the area where the crash site is located. Although some feel the chances that it actually is Yamamoto’s tooth are slim to none, Dick Portillo is still hopeful that perhaps some DNA left in the tooth could be extracted for verification. He says his goal with the tooth is to make a documentary regarding his adventure in finding it and then eventually turn it over to the Japanese government.
It may be some time before we know whether or not the tooth did indeed belong to Admiral Yamamoto, but thankfully we can still entertain ourselves with stories about “ninja hot dogs” and other unexpected discoveries while we wait.
Sources: The Japan Times, Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic
Featured image: Wikipedia/Papers of Takagi Kiyohisa
Images: Portillo’s
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/23/what-do-chicago-hot-dogs-a-japanese-admiral-and-a-gold-tooth-have-in-common/feed/ 0 346594 isoroku_yamamoto isoroku_yamamoto portillos-logo This man’s solution to a forgotten leash is rather unique…but it has a good connection! https://soranews24.com/2016/09/22/this-mans-solution-to-a-forgotten-leash-is-rather-unique-but-it-has-a-good-connection/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/22/this-mans-solution-to-a-forgotten-leash-is-rather-unique-but-it-has-a-good-connection/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:00:36 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=346427 But what does the dog think about the solution? His face says it all…
When Yusuke Yamamoto received the picture of his dog out on a walk with his father, he assumed it would be a typical kind of snap; one where the dog is trotting along happily on a leash. Instead, he got this:
嘘くさいけど実話 pic.twitter.com/PGGg1Dc7L2
— 山本ユースケ (@yusuke) September 19, 2016
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. That is an Ethernet cable being used as a leash.
Yusuke insists his dad is no fool, though. It’s not that his dad had mistaken the cable for a leash, he explains, it’s that he had forgotten the leash at home and found the next best thing.
別荘に犬を連れて行ったところリードを家から持ってくるのを忘れた。別荘にあったLANケーブルを替わりに使った、という経緯になります。
散歩にリードと間違えてLANケーブルを持って出かけるようなボケボケの父ではありませんので！— 山本ユースケ (@yusuke) September 20, 2016
The dog, however, looks like it thinks there might have been a better alternative…
父親からLINEで犬の散歩風景が
「リードを忘れたので、LANケーブルで歩いてます。」 pic.twitter.com/MdQk4QmA3t— 山本ユースケ (@yusuke) September 19, 2016
Yusuke’s dog isn’t the only one having a rough week, though. A couple of parrots were longing for their owners’ attention so much that they started imitating household items to garner some affection! I guess the internet really isn’t just for watching cute cat videos.
But if indeed a cute cat video is what you are looking for, then these videos of one cat teaching another how to ring a bell for treats should be right up your alley!
Source: BuzzMag
Featured Image: Twitter/Yusuke
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/22/this-mans-solution-to-a-forgotten-leash-is-rather-unique-but-it-has-a-good-connection/feed/ 0 346427 tweet J-pop singer Utada Hikaru releases first album in 8 years and a new Kingdom Hearts song! https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/j-pop-singer-utada-hikaru-releases-first-album-in-8-years-and-a-new-kingdom-hearts-song/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/j-pop-singer-utada-hikaru-releases-first-album-in-8-years-and-a-new-kingdom-hearts-song/#comments Sun, 18 Sep 2016 16:00:25 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=345689 
Calling all Kingdom Hearts and Evangelion fans!!!
If there’s one J-pop singer that people outside of Japan might be familiar with, it’s undoubtedly Utada Hikaru. A New Yorker who’s been making music primarily in Japan since 1996, Utada’s jams have been adding atmosphere and emotional weight to Japanese people’s playlists since before playlists were a thing. Millions of people outside of Japan got their first taste of what some call “pop music genius” when unanticipated tears began rolling down their cheeks as Sora and Kairi were torn apart once again to the sounds of “Simple and Clean” at the end of the first Kingdom Hearts game. (Proof positive: I just looked up a video on YouTube of the end scenes of Kingdom Hearts and pretty much immediately started crying!) That connection was reinforced for video gamers when she contributed the song “Sanctuary” (aka *“*Passion”) to Kingdom Hearts II.
▼ The Japanese version of “Simple and Clean” is called “Hikari”
Kingdom Hearts isn’t the only franchise in which Utada has made a mark, though. Fans of Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance will recognize the remix of the song *“*Beautiful World“, which served as the theme song of the movie. In fact, Sakura Nagashi from Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo is the 11th track on Utada’s first album in over 8 years. The album, Fantôme, will be released on September 28th.
The news surrounding the release of a new album isn’t the only thing to get super hyped about. A new installment of the Kingdom Hearts series is scheduled for release in January 2017 and a new remix of the orignal tear-jerker “Simple and Clean” (“Hikari“) along with it. This version is much less serious in tone, but packs an emotional punch nonetheless.
It’s a great year to be an Utada Hikaru fan and 2017 is going to be another great year for Kingdom Hearts fans.
But hey, Utada and Kingdom Hearts may not be for everyone! Perhaps BabyMetal is more your style? Tell us who your favorite Jpop artist is in the comments below!
Source: PRTimes, POPCrush
Images: Utada Hikaru
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/j-pop-singer-utada-hikaru-releases-first-album-in-8-years-and-a-new-kingdom-hearts-song/feed/ 0 345689 hikki_2_800-600 utada Better than a Ouija board: Spot Message helps you communicate beyond the veil https://soranews24.com/2016/09/13/better-than-a-ouija-board-spot-message-helps-you-communicate-beyond-the-veil/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/13/better-than-a-ouija-board-spot-message-helps-you-communicate-beyond-the-veil/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2016 08:30:24 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=344102 
You’ll literally be able to hear hello from the other side.
One of the most difficult things every person will have to deal with at some point is the death of a loved one. Though little can truly provide enough solace in such a tough time, one company in Japan has created an app that aims to ease the pain.
Spot Message was developed by Yoshiyuki Katori, the president of a tombstone company. Yoshiyuki suffered greatly after the sudden death of his uncle, and as he worked through his grief, he wished he could hear his uncle’s comforting voice just once more. This desire, in combination with his goal of helping preserve the memories of loved ones who have passed, was the genesis of Spot Message.
The concept of Spot Message has been compared to Pokémon Go insofar as Spot Message is also as an augmented reality app. Users of the app can view pre-recorded messages at specific locations that have been uploaded by the videos’ creators’ to Spot Message’s cloud server. The app’s utility isn’t limited to messages from beyond the grave, though. President Yoshiyuki has suggested that the app could be used by one’s husband or wife to pre-record a surprise video at the location where they proposed their spouse, for their spouse to view on their wedding anniversary.
Spot Message is currently available on Android and will be available for iPhone at the end of September. The first ten video messages are free; after that, paying members can share up to 30 messages with up to 200 people.
Would you use Spot Message to leave your loved ones a video? What are some other creative ways to use the app? Share your ideas with us in the comments section below!
Source: OMG Facts, Spot Message
Photo: Spot Message
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/13/better-than-a-ouija-board-spot-message-helps-you-communicate-beyond-the-veil/feed/ 0 344102 spot-message-app spot-message-app Impress your Japanese history professor with this T-shirt https://soranews24.com/2016/09/11/impress-your-japanese-history-professor-with-this-t-shirt/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/11/impress-your-japanese-history-professor-with-this-t-shirt/#comments Sun, 11 Sep 2016 13:00:19 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=343645 
It could even double as a cheat sheet for your next exam!
If you’ve been paying any attention at all in your Japanese history classes, then the names Sekigahara, Tokugawa, and Mitsunari may already be familiar to you. For those of you who can’t resist the call of sleep during hour-long lectures about near-ancient history delivered in a monotone voice, a concise summary:
The Battle of Sekigahara was a decisive battle fought on the 15th day of the 9th month in the 5th year of the Keichō period, which happens to be October 21, 1600. Two armies fought in the battle: the Eastern Army, led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Western Army, led by Ishida Mitsunari. Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Eastern Army won the battle. Thus began the Tokugawa shogunate, the last shogunate in Japan.
Why should you care? Because you’ll need to be able to explain all of this when someone asks you about the cool shirt you’ve got on.
▼ Meet the team from the East: Hosokawa Tadaoki, Ii Naomasa, Fukushima Masanori, Honda Tadakatsu, Tōdō Takatora, Kuroda Nagamasa, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Kobayakawa Hideaki
Sengoku Corporation recently unveiled this simple, yet stylish t-shirt at a special event in Nagoya and announced that it would be available for sale at an exclusive web shop on September 30th. The cost of the shirt is for 5000 yen (US $48.69) and it is emblazoned with armored helms unique to the commander whom it represents, along with the names of each commander and the respective army for which they fought the epic Sekigahara battle.
▼Representing the West side: Tachibana Muneshige, Ootani Yoshitsugu, Ishida Mitsunari, Shima Sakon, Shimazu Yoshihiro, Konishi Yukinaga, Ukita Hideie, Ankokuji Ekei
If history isn’t your thing, Sengoku Corporation also has a pair of tights and a curiously large umbrella bag that will go on sale the same day. However, you might enjoy taking this history and fashion combo one step further by picking up some designer samurai duds made with traditional Japanese washi paper detailing.
Images: Sengoku Corporation
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/11/impress-your-japanese-history-professor-with-this-t-shirt/feed/ 0 343645 sekigahara-tee sekigahara-tee-2 sekigahara-tee-3 Youtube channel Make Food. Eat Food. will inspire you with creations based on Asian cuisine https://soranews24.com/2016/09/09/youtube-channel-make-food-eat-food-will-inspire-you-with-creations-based-on-asian-foods/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/09/youtube-channel-make-food-eat-food-will-inspire-you-with-creations-based-on-asian-foods/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2016 16:00:27 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=343263 Kimchi mac? Miso risotto? Mochi pizza? Pardon me, I think I just drooled on my laptop.
“Make food. Eat food. Share.” These three simple sentences can be found on any one of Los Angeles-based food genius Make Food. Eat Food‘s sites. What can also be found are recipes that surpass the standard “fusion” moniker and goes straight to delicious.
Exhibit A:
▼ Black sesame and matcha green tea cake
These days, short videos showing a pair of hands deftly transforming a set of ingredients is into a delectable dish in a mere 2 to 3 minutes are all the rage and it’s this format that makes cooking outside of one’s comfort zone seem a lot less intimidating.
Videos like this are Make Food. Eat Food‘s forte. Spanning across their Youtube channel, Tumblr blog, Facebook page, Instagram account, Google+ page, and Twitter account are a plethora of videos that teach you how to make familar Asian dishes such as Japanese croquettes (korokke) and Korean spicy tofu stew (sundubu jigae), as well as more adventurous offerings such as kimchi butter and “mochi pizza”.
▼Mochi pizza: soft rice cakes are used for the crust
Too weird? Well, you can’t go wrong with some Korean-style Pulled Pork Sliders.
▼Almost too pretty to eat
I'm not a baker, but really proud of these mini olive oil cakes I made at work #DTLA #LAeats #foodporn #tasty pic.twitter.com/CXTkr2lrF9
— Make Food. Eat Food. (@MakeFoodEatFood) April 8, 2016
The miso risotto is perhaps one of the most sophisticated and truly daring mash-ups from Make Food. Eat Food.
Is anybody else hungry yet? If not, this rice cooker cheesecake is sure to send you over the edge.
If you are the type who prefers their food a little more kawaii and a little less daring, then you might prefer to make all of your dishes look like Totoro.
So which of these recipes from Make Food. Eat Food. would you add to your weekly menu? My vote is for the kimchi spaghetti with pork belly – yum!
Source: Make Food. Eat Food
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/09/youtube-channel-make-food-eat-food-will-inspire-you-with-creations-based-on-asian-foods/feed/ 0 343263 kimchi-mac The Sailor Moon item that will officially turn you into a candidate for Hoarders! https://soranews24.com/2016/09/08/the-sailor-moon-item-that-will-officially-turn-you-into-a-candidate-for-hoarders/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/08/the-sailor-moon-item-that-will-officially-turn-you-into-a-candidate-for-hoarders/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2016 02:00:01 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=343045 
Better move the compacts, communicators, and charms aside to make some room for yet another Sailor Moon item nobody needs, but we all want!
The hallmark of a true Sailor Moon fan is the inability to resist a rather high-pitched squeal every time we happen upon something new and sparkly and in our favorite Sailor Scout’s motif (Mars, thank you very much). The latest item is no different.
Gashapon is releasing a set of “Prism Moon Perfume Bottles” featuring the iconic colors and designs associated with each Sailor Scout’s “Star Power Stick”, as well as Sailor Moon’s “Moon Stick”, Sailor Chibi Moon’s “Pink Moon Stick”, and Princess Serenity. The plastic bottles measure approximately 54 millimeters in height (about 2.13 inches) and are filled with scented perfume balls. They will be available for sale in gachapon machines this December and will be a perfect addition to your collection of Sailor Moon goodies, like Premium Bandai’s Sailor Moon Romance Communicator Lip Gloss!
【更新】セーラームーンのガシャポン®より、キラキラ香水瓶風ボトルコレクション『プリズムパフュームボトル』が商品化決定！https://t.co/GwI4jAT3Pz
ムーンスティックなど、アイテム＆キャラモチーフのラインナップです♪ pic.twitter.com/v5ZtHUuHO3— セーラームーン30th公式 (@sailormoon30th_) August 30, 2016
What Sailor Moon item would you like to get your hands on? Tell us in the comments below!
Source: Nijimen, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Project Official Site
Featured Image: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Project Official Site
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/08/the-sailor-moon-item-that-will-officially-turn-you-into-a-candidate-for-hoarders/feed/ 0 343045 sailor moon perfume bottles On your mark, get set, and go with these Racing Miku 2016 stamps! https://soranews24.com/2016/09/05/on-your-mark-get-set-and-go-with-these-racing-miku-2016-stamps/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/05/on-your-mark-get-set-and-go-with-these-racing-miku-2016-stamps/#comments Mon, 05 Sep 2016 03:00:05 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=342632 
Not just another useless (but super cool) collector’s item!
Racing Miku made her debut as the mascot for Good Smile Racing in 2008 and every year since then, her style has continually been re-imagined to keep it fresh and interesting.
▼ Good Smile Racing’s 2009 Racing Miku (Nendoriod Petite Ver.)
This year’s design by Mai Yoneyama, an animator known her for work on anime such as Kill la Kill and the Naruto Shippuden movies, was inspired by the fiery colors of the phoenix.
▼ Racing Miku 2016 in her fly ride!
Although the Racing Miku 2016 Nendoroid figure won’t be available for purchase until December 2016, you can satisfy your appetite for cute new Miku goods with a newly released stamp set. As you may already know, the inkan (or hanko) is a stamp with one’s name on it used much like a signature for official documents. This new stamp set is a ginkou-in – a stamp with your name on it that is used to conduct banking business, such as opening new accounts and withdrawing money from existing accounts.
▼This stamp set makes adulting a little more fun.
There are 7 different designs to choose from and you can select either a square stamp or a circular one. Each stamp is made to order.
The stamps aren’t the only Racing Miku 2016 item you can procure, though. Also available are leather stamp mats and gift boxes.
▼The leather mat helps ensure that the stamp impression comes out clearly and cleanly
▼ The gift box really adds some panache to the set as a whole.
The price of the square stamp is 3,980 yen (about US$38.28) and the round one is 3,580 (roughly US$34.43). The leather mat is priced at 1,980 yen (approximately US$19.04) and the gift box will cost you 2,480 (around US$23.85). All in all, it’ll be about $115 to score one of each of the items available, but for the little bit of fun it will add to your everyday life, that seems like a small price to pay!
If figures are more your style, you might like this Miku transformer. Or, if you have a lot more money to throw around, perhaps a BMW tricked-out in Hatsune Miku style!
Sources: 1Up, Itaindou, Good Smile
Images: Itaindou
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/05/on-your-mark-get-set-and-go-with-these-racing-miku-2016-stamps/feed/ 0 342632 racing miku racing miku 2009 racing miku good smile racing miku car racing miku 3 7 miku stamp faces racing miku leather mat racing miku gift box Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”, Chinese Opera-Style https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/adeles-rolling-in-the-deep-chinese-opera-style/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/adeles-rolling-in-the-deep-chinese-opera-style/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:00:33 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=342397 
Adele should try to do a cover of this guy’s version of her song!
Whether you like her music or not, it cannot be denied that Adele’s songs have had immense success worldwide. When this happens, it is inevitable that hundreds, if not thousands of people will try their hand at covering one of these tunes. The result is often something that is but a pale shadow of the original or is so fantastically awful that one wonders if the intention of the person covering the song is revenge rather than tribute.
One rendition you may have not anticipated, though, is Liao Jialin’s Chinese Opera-style version of 2011’s “Rolling in the Deep” on the tv show 1.3 Billion Decibel. On this show, singers take popular songs and sing them in different dialects. As a graduate of the Guangdong Conservatory of Music, there’s no doubt that Liao Jialin knows what he’s doing when it comes to singing or classical Chinese Opera. One might wonder, though, if this particular song would translate very well into such a specific genre.
Well, wonder no more. Feast your eyes on this amazing and somewhat crazy video:
Liao Jialin’s performance has garnered over 6 million views on the Chinese instant messaging app WeChat since it was first made available about a month ago.
▼ Here’s Adele’s original, in case you need it for comparison.
However, this isn’t the only musical moment grabbing people’s attention lately. Joseph Busto, an exchange student from Ohio, performed on the Korean tv show I Can See Your Voice and sang a well-known ballad in Korean that had the judges and the audience tearing up. Not only were they stunned that he could sing so well in Korean, but they were also touched because he seemed to understand what the song was really about; it had been recorded by the band SG Wannabe in memory of one of their band members who had committed suicide.
If you haven’t gotten your fill of international music happenings that are blowing the internet’s mind these days, you should check out our post about the K-pop boy band that has exactly zero Koreans in it.
Source: Next Shark, YOMYOMF
Featured Image: Next Shark
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/adeles-rolling-in-the-deep-chinese-opera-style/feed/ 0 342397 rolling in the deep Godzilla x Evangelion: Eva Unit-02 gets a shot of “G” cells https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/godzilla-x-evangelion-eva-unit-02-gets-a-shot-of-g-cells/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/godzilla-x-evangelion-eva-unit-02-gets-a-shot-of-g-cells/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:00:36 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=342175 
As if Evangelion on its own isn’t enough to give you nightmares and mess with your id…
Though the majority of us are too young to have ever experienced Godzilla at an age or in an age when it would have been appropriately terrifying, Evangelion has been messing with our minds for over 20 years now. Someone, though, has decided we don’t have enough monsters lurking in the darkest corners of our mind.
Last month, in conjunction with the release of Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno’s Shin Godzilla, Premium Bandai began taking pre-orders for the Evangelion Test Unit “G” Awakening Form. Apparently, after suffering heavy damage in a battle, the “G” cells inside Eva Unit-01 mutated and turned the unit into a half-Eva, half-Godzilla nightmare.
▼ Evangelion Test Unit “G” Awakening Form
Eva Unit-01 wasn’t the only one to be ravaged by these mysterious “G” cells. The following is what happened when some ‘G’ cells were put in the Eva Unit-02 while it was in beast mode.
▼Beast mode is a special kind of attack mode from Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance
It’s a bit scary to think of other potential Godzilla x Evangelion mashups, such as Lilith and Godzilla.
The good news about all of this is that these are only figurines. And they are pretty amazing figurines at that! Standing 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) tall and 38 centimeters (14.96 inches) in length, this thing is massive and it has a price tag to match. Eva Unit-02 Beast “G” mode will cost you 32,400 yen (about US$314.09) and a couple of sleepless nights, but for a true Eva fan, that’s nothing. Pre-orders can be placed via the Premium Bandai store or the official Eva Store and delivery is anticipated to be sometime in February 2017.
Tell us in the comments section which Evangelion character or unit you think should get the “G” cell treatment next!
Source: Kai-You, Premium Bandai
Images: ©TOHO CO., LTD. , ©カラー via Premium Bandai
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/godzilla-x-evangelion-eva-unit-02-gets-a-shot-of-g-cells/feed/ 0 342175 eva x godzilla 2 eva x godzilla 1 GE 3 eva x godzilla 3 eva x godzilla 4 Going from experiment to experience: Non-Korean K-pop boy band EXP heads to Korea! https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/going-from-experiment-to-experience-non-korean-k-pop-boy-band-exp-heads-to-korea/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/going-from-experiment-to-experience-non-korean-k-pop-boy-band-exp-heads-to-korea/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2016 03:00:39 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=341950 
The world is still trying to figure out if you need at least one Korean person in your band for it to qualify as K-pop.
Question: What makes a K-pop band a K-pop band? Is it the sound? The choreography? The language of the music? The actual Koreans in the band? The number of Koreans in the band?
No, these aren’t trick questions. As a matter of fact, Colombia grad student Bora Kim, who is an “interdisciplinary artist and sociologist from Seoul, Korea,” asked herself these very things as she began working on her thesis titled “I’m Making a Boy Band”.
▼The name EXP comes from the word “experiment”, an eternal reminder of the group’s origin.
A post shared by EXP EDITION 이엑스피 에디션 (@expedition.official)
Kim’s thesis project entailed the auditioning and selecting of 6 talented young men that she and her collaborators, Karin Kuroda and Samantha Shao, would train and groom to become the very essence of a K-pop boy band. In addition to exploring themes such as cultural appropriation and whether their creation could still be called “K-pop” without Korean artists, Kim and her team also wanted to discover what it might mean for women to be the producers of a product primarily intended for women and generally marketed to them by men.
A post shared by EXP EDITION 이엑스피 에디션 (@expedition.official)
Of course, this experiment has already garnered a plethora of commentary from K-pop fans far and wide on some of the very topics Kim and her cohorts wished to examine. As one might expect, a fair number of the comments have been negative. Upon the debut of their first single, LUV/WRONG, one of the band members remarked that a lot of racial and homophobic slurs had been directed toward them. Others have accused them of copying the hugely popular EXO’s style and sound. Despite all of this, the EXP guys are staying positive, believing they can eventually win over their detractors.
A post shared by EXP EDITION 이엑스피 에디션 (@expedition.official)
It’s been about a year since EXP made what one might call their “debut” and they’ve had two singles released to date; now it’s time for them to head to the homeland of their adopted genre – Korea. To prepare for this move, the guys have been studying Korean language and culture, and taking “cuteness classes”. Once they arrive in Korea, their Kickstarter-funded mini-album will be released and the band has high hopes for scoring interviews, festival performances, radio appearances, and, eventually, their own variety show.
A post shared by EXP EDITION 이엑스피 에디션 (@expedition.official)
The likelihood of EXP finding success in Korea is contingent upon innumerable factors, but perhaps the most important one is whether or not the music is actually any good.
Do you think they have a chance?
Source: Fusion, NBC News, KoreaBoo, Columbia University/Bora Kim
Images: Columbia University/Bora Kim
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/01/going-from-experiment-to-experience-non-korean-k-pop-boy-band-exp-heads-to-korea/feed/ 0 341950 immabb