1990s – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Thu, 03 Oct 2024 02:00:13 +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 1990s – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Animated video looks at 40 years of women’s fashions in Japan as Tokyo landmark gets set to close https://soranews24.com/2024/10/03/animated-video-looks-at-40-years-of-womens-fashions-in-japan-as-tokyo-landmark-gets-set-to-close/ https://soranews24.com/2024/10/03/animated-video-looks-at-40-years-of-womens-fashions-in-japan-as-tokyo-landmark-gets-set-to-close/#comments Thu, 03 Oct 2024 02:00:07 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=680307 
Shinjuku Mylord takes a moment to remember four decades of trends.
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Shinjuku Mylord shopping center. Attached to Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway hub in the entire world, Shinjuku Mylord has enjoyed decades of its location making it both an extremely convenient place to shop for the latest fashions and giving its clothing exposure massive exposure to the over 3.5 million people who pass through the station on an average day.
As Shinjuku Mylord celebrates its 40th birthday, it’s released a very cool animated video providing a glimpse back at women’s fashion trends in Japan over the years since its opening.
【お知らせ】ご愛顧いただいた皆さまへの感謝を込めた新宿ミロード フィナーレキャンペーンを、2024年10月4日(金)から開催します。キャンペーンの開催にあたり、フィナーレムービー『Good bye Movie』を本日から公開します。
フィナーレキャンペーン特設サイトはこちらhttps://t.co/1g8Cr1yxHl pic.twitter.com/YtVYymyhcn— 新宿ミロード (@shinjukumylord) September 19, 2024
Things start off with the conservatively classy design sense of the mid ‘80s, before getting loosening up into more casual and clothing in the ‘90s, including a visual shout-out to the kogyaru look, complete with a pager.
In addition to clothing stores, Shinjuku Mylord also has cosmetics shops, so the animated retrospective, created by illustrator Poki and video artist Masumi Nishibori, also tracks makeup trends, like the heavier use of blush in the 2000s.
We also get some reflection of lifestyle trends, like a young women in an outdoorsy outfit drawing inspiration from the “yama girl” hiking boom among young women in the mid-2010s, who’s snapping a smartphone selfie as social media takes off…
…and the 2020 ensemble includes a color-coordinated face mask for the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The video even shows off a theoretical look for 2025, with a woman with bright pink hair and a futuristic dress with detached sleeves and a geometric opening around her navel. However, Shinjuku Mylord isn’t going to get much of a chance to see if this bold prediction of the next big thing in women’s fashion come true or not, because the animated sequence is actually a goodbye video, as Shinjuku Mylord will be permanently closing as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Shinjuku Station area. Shinjuku Mylord’s last day won’t come until March 16 of next year, though, so there’s still time for one last visit until then.
Related: Shinjuku Mylord official website
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: Twitter/@shinjukumylord, PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2024/10/03/animated-video-looks-at-40-years-of-womens-fashions-in-japan-as-tokyo-landmark-gets-set-to-close/feed/ 0 680307 f Puyo Puyo Manju return after 21 years…and our Puyo Puyo fan reporter achieves a childhood dream https://soranews24.com/2023/09/15/puyo-puyo-manju-return-after-21-years-and-our-puyo-puyo-fan-reporter-achieves-a-childhood-dream/ https://soranews24.com/2023/09/15/puyo-puyo-manju-return-after-21-years-and-our-puyo-puyo-fan-reporter-achieves-a-childhood-dream/#comments Fri, 15 Sep 2023 03:00:35 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=635948 
Two dreams, in fact. It was a good day for Haruka!
Puyo Puyo is game very similar to Tetris in that you have to race against the clock to clear a screen of little round creatures called Puyo Puyo before it becomes too full. Despite being released more than 30 years ago, the game is still highly popular and is also a huge part of the E-Sports scene in Japan.
Our Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi is a huge fan of the game, which she first played in the form of Puyo Puyo 2 for Windows 95 when she was in elementary school. At the time, she didn’t have any game consoles like the Nintendo 64 or a Super Nintendo, or even a Gameboy, so she spent her childhood days playing Puyo Puyo 2 on her family’s computer. Though she was never good enough to beat “Solo Puyo”, she practiced making chains by competing with her sister, so she had a pretty fulfilling gamer life.
▼ The arcade version
The game also came with a small booklet that contained installation instructions, game rules, and strategy guides, but on the very last page was an advertisement for a sweet called Puyo Puyo Manju (shortened to “Puyoman”), which were red bean stuffed sweets with Puyo Puyo faces on them.
Puyoman were made by a company called Compile based on Momiji Manju, which is a popular maple leaf-shaped sweet from Hiroshima Prefecture, and were sold for a few years during the ’90s and early 2000s. You could find them in select stores in Hiroshima City and on Miyajima, a tourist island just a short ferry ride from Hiroshima City, or you could direct order them from Compile. They came in two flavors: red bean and cream, and were sold in packs of ten for 1,000 yen (currently US$6.83).
Haruka wanted them more than anything in the world, but though she begged her parents to buy her some, they never managed to get their hands on a catalogue (there was not much access to the Internet in those days) and never had the chance to visit Hiroshima before they stopped selling Puyoman in 2002, so she never once got to try them.
10 years later, when she finally visited Miyajima, she spotted a standing sign advertising Puyoman covered in dust and stuffed into a forgotten corner of a souvenir shop, and thought sadly, “I guess times have changed…”
Though she wouldn’t say she regretted never getting to try it, Puyoman had nevertheless achieved a legendary status in her mind as the “sweet that never was”.
But not anymore! By some miracle, the Puyo Puyo Manju are back, and Haruka was finally able to achieve her childhood dream of trying them!! She had honestly never thought she would ever have the chance, so she was very excited.
The new Puyoman are made by an old Hiroshima Japanese sweets maker called Heiando Umetsubo in collaboration with Oken, a janitorial service company at which former Compile employee Kenji Ondo now works. They now sell in a pack of four for 1,000 yen.
Under the neatly sealed wrapping paper was a pure white box.
And inside the box was…
Puyo Puyo Manju!
“So cuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!” cried Haruka, who’d even seen Puyoman in her dreams a child. She was so overcome with emotion that she lost all of her vocabulary. “How could I ever eat these?” she thought.
There were even four different Puyo Puyo faces: normal…
Smiling…
Angry…
And crying.
They were fairly heavy and looked like they were about 1.5 times larger than regular Momiji Manju. Currently, they only come stuffed with red bean paste, but Haruka heard they may add more flavors in the future.
“I can’t wait to eat it!” she cried, forgetting how she’d said they were too cute to eat only moments before. But before that, there was one thing she had to do…
Beat all the levels of Puyo Puyo 2 Solo Play! Though as a child she couldn’t make it past Stage 2, she wanted to crush the Dark Prince and achieve a final victory, flaunting her success at the end with a victorious bite of a Puyoman.
She fired up her Nintendo Switch and loaded up Puyo Puyo 2, which is available as part of a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership in Japan. With sweaty hands, occasionally yelling at the screen, and panicking at the increasing speed of the dropping Puyos, Haruka progressed stage by stage, until finally, finally, she made it to the end.
It was an unfair match in which only double chains dropped, but somehow, by some miracle, she managed to clear it.
“Did you see that, past me?!” she cried, leaping to her feet in victory. “Future you loves Puyo Puyo just as much as you did!!”
When she’d finally calmed down, she cracked open a Puyoman package.
The dough was soft and fluffy, and had a very sweet smell.
▼ Those big beady eyes actually see the dreams of children… Haruka had to try not to look deeply in them, or she thought she’d never be released.
To keep from drowning in the eyes’ depthless gaze, she quickly broke it in half.
The castella dough was faintly sweet and refreshing, a great complement to the sweet, rich, and thick red bean paste. It was a really rice manju that felt high quality. Haruka could see herself making a habit of eating them. Plus, each one is a substantial size, so just one is fairly satisfying!
Though it may be a specialty snack based on a video game character, it was still a simple, delicious manju. Honestly, it was what you’d expect from a long-standing sweets shop.
If you wish to relive a niche segment of ’90s and early 2000s culture in Japan, you can find these Puyo Puyo Manju from select souvenir shops in Hiroshima Prefecture, which will stock them for a limited time only, as well as Hiroshima-only Heiando Umetsubo stores. If travel to Hiroshima or Miyajima isn’t an option for the near future, you can also order them online from 47 Club Net Shop.
Puyo Puyo fans, don’t miss out on this chance to try a nostalgic, ’90s-era Hiroshima sweet!
Images © SoraNews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/09/15/puyo-puyo-manju-return-after-21-years-and-our-puyo-puyo-fan-reporter-achieves-a-childhood-dream/feed/ 0 635948 puyoman2 McDonald’s brings back the Japanese ‘90s with Heisei comeback menu, videos with J-pop hit【Videos】 https://soranews24.com/2023/05/25/mcdonalds-brings-back-the-japanese-90s-with-heisei-comeback-menu-videos-with-j-pop-hit%e3%80%90videos%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2023/05/25/mcdonalds-brings-back-the-japanese-90s-with-heisei-comeback-menu-videos-with-j-pop-hit%e3%80%90videos%e3%80%91/#comments Thu, 25 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=624525 
Any Boys and Girls hungry for some ‘90s nostalgia?
Lasting from 1989 to 2019, Japan’s Heisei era isn’t a particularly lengthy part of the country’s centuries-long history. It’s hard to overstate how formative the Heisei years were for modern Japanese society, though. The people growing up in the period were arguably Japan’s first generation ever to enjoy prevailing peace and prosperity, sparking an exuberantly expressive youth culture that drove changes in fashion and music.
Now that we’re four years into the current Reiwa era, there’s a growing sense of Heisei nostalgia, especially the buzzy energy of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. So to feed those nostalgia cravings, McDonald’s Japan is bringing back three of its hit menu items from the Heisei era, plus one of its biggest dance-pop smash hits, “Boys and Girls,” by legendary J-pop songstress Ayumi Hamasaki.
Originally released in the summer of 1999, “Boys and Girls” was Hamasaki’s first million-selling single. For a second, you might think that’s Ayu (as she’s known to fans) herself in the above video asserting “Even if the era changes, there’s a deliciousness that remains,” but it’s actually actress/model Elaiza Ikeda, who was just 3 years old when “Boys and Girls” came out.
Hamasaki isn’t the only ‘90s music/fashion icon Ikeda is paying homage to, either. The long, super-straight, chapatsu brown-dyed hair she sports in another video for McDonald’s Heisei revival menu, plus the sleeveless turtleneck and plaid miniskirt, are clear cues from Namie Amuro, who was so influential that an entire Japanese slang word, “Amura,” was created for those who adopted their look for themselves.
▼ Speaking of Japanese slang, Ikeda tells the guys in this video that the burger is “Choberigu,” which is how Heisei’s cool kids said something was “super very good.”
And in her third outfit/hairstyle, Ikeda appears to be channeling the auras of Heisei’s sporty, girl-next-door idols, such as Ami Suzuki or Ryoko Hirosue.
▼ An extended version of the videos, featuring even more Heisei-style fashion
Oh, right, the sandwiches. Since Japanese fast food chains getting really crazy with their offerings is more of a recent development, there’s nothing too crazy in the McDonald’s Heisei Burger Big Comeback menu, as the lineup is officially known. The three returning items are the Juicy Chicken Black Pepper (450 yen [US$3.25]) chicken cutlet burger, Tamago Double (460 yen), a two-patty burger with egg and bacon, and the Roasted Sesame Filet o’ Shrimp (450 yen), all of which debuted in the Heisei era but were later cycled off of McDonald’s Japan’s constantly rotating menu.
The lineup goes on sale May 31 at McDonald’s across Japan, with the exception of branches in Hiroshima Prefecture and the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where customers will apparently have to keep their fingers crossed that their local McDonald’s branch is still serving some of the chain’s really old-school items.
Source: McDonald’s Japan via Otakomu
Top image: McDonald’s Japan
Insert images: McDonald’s Japan, YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/05/25/mcdonalds-brings-back-the-japanese-90s-with-heisei-comeback-menu-videos-with-j-pop-hit%e3%80%90videos%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 624525 MH 1 Hello Kitty goes back to the ‘90s for Sanrio’s kogyaru schoolgirl collection【Photos】 https://soranews24.com/2022/09/14/hello-kitty-goes-back-to-the-90s-for-sanrios-kogyaru-schoolgirl-collection%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2022/09/14/hello-kitty-goes-back-to-the-90s-for-sanrios-kogyaru-schoolgirl-collection%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2022 01:00:03 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=600922 
Loose socks, sticker pictures, and more ‘90s must-haves featured in throwback series that co-stars My Melody and Kuromi
Hello Kitty was a success right from her debut in 1975, and during her decades of unwavering popularity she’s seen fashion trends come and go…and also come back again. So for her latest project the Sanrio star is heading back to the ‘90s with a new line of merchandise celebrating kogyaru schoolgirl culture.
First, a quick linguistics/history review. “Kogyaru” is an evolution of “gyaru,” which itself comes from the English “gal.” Gyaru were a pop culture phenomenon starting in the mid-1990s when flashy fashions and more assertive, outgoing personalities were in vogue among young women in Japan. When these trends trickled down to high schoolers, they became known as kogyaru, with the “ko” part coming from either koukousei (high school student) or ko (child/girl), depending on who exactly you ask.
▼ A kogyaru, equipped with several must-have items for the kogyaru lifestyle
Kogyaru culture went into a period of decline not long after the turn of the millennium, but the look is currently going through a revival in popularity in Japan. The years it’s been dormant mean it’s a fresh-feeling aesthetic for today’s teens, and between that and finely matured nostalgia among the now-grown-up original-generation kogyaru, Sanrio has decided the time is right for its Tokimeki Heisei Kogyaru Design Series.
Starting things off is a collection of strap plushies, though technically Sanrio calls them “mascot holders,” possibly to avoid confusing them with another type of strap we’ll get to in a second. Kitty, My Melody, and Kuromi all sport the short skirts and, more importantly, the voluminously baggy loose socks, which became a symbol of the era among schoolgirls. Of course, they all have a flip phone, with an antenna to keep in touch with their friends. Cinnamoroll, the only dude in the group, is dressed in slacks but still has a bit of ‘90s flair with what appears to be a wallet chain.
Speaking of flip phones, or garakei, as they’re now called in Japanese, Sanrio also has a series of six flip phone-shaped photo holders. But since no true kogyaru would be caught dead with a non-customized phone, you also get a sheet of stickers, like the ones ‘90s girls used to fancy up their phones, as well as a strap.
▼ Kogyaru had a custom of attaching multiple straps to their phone, sometimes so many that the cluster of decorations was bigger than the handset itself.
Of course, you can’t discuss kogyaru ornamentation without talking about purikura, or “print club” sticker pictures. While you can still find them in video game arcades in Japan, purikura booths used to be ubiquitous, and no day out with a group of kogyaru friends was complete without a commemorative sticker photo session, which is why the Tokimeki Heisei Kogyaru Design Series includes sheets of purikura-style stickers.
Rounding out the lineup are hibiscus hair clips (the tropical flowers was one of the favorite motifs for kogyaru accessories)…
…a “school bag,” of the style common in the ‘90s, that’s actually a 21-centimeter (8.3-inch) pouch to put inside your actual bag as an organizer…
…flip-phone style mini cases…
…this mirror, which proclaims “We loved the ‘90s! We’ll be best friends forever!”…
…and a series of blind-buy straps featuring the four back-in-the-‘90s Sanrio characters, a hibiscus, and the retro-tech trio of a flip phone, a disposable film camera, and a pseudo-Tamagotchi.
The mascot holders are priced at 1,980 yen (US$14), while the rest of the items ranges from 396 yen (the purikura stickers) to 2,420 yen (the mirror). The lineup goes on sale September 14 at Sanrio physical stores in Japan as well as the Sanrio Japan online store.
Source, images: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2022/09/14/hello-kitty-goes-back-to-the-90s-for-sanrios-kogyaru-schoolgirl-collection%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 600922 HK 1 ‘90s shojo manga nostalgia in the palm of your hand with Kodocha, Marmalade Boy keychain straps https://soranews24.com/2021/11/08/90s-shojo-manga-nostalgia-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-with-kodocha-marmalade-boy-keychain-straps/ https://soranews24.com/2021/11/08/90s-shojo-manga-nostalgia-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-with-kodocha-marmalade-boy-keychain-straps/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2021 01:00:33 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=564306 
Ribbon shows some love to fans of some of its greatest romantic manga hits from yesteryear.
As much as she’s enjoying adult life, our Japanese-language reporter and child of the ‘90s Saya Togashi can’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia when she thinks back to the shojo manga of her youth. Those bittersweet stories of young love attached themselves to her heart…and now they’re attaching themselves to her keys and bag too.
Japanese media company Tsutaya has just announced a new line of merchandise celebrating some of the greatest hits of shojo manga anthology magazine Ribbon, and while Saya has nothing against Hime-chan’s Ribbon or Gokinjo Monogatari, the two series whose merch she immediately knew she needed were Marmalade Boy and Kodomo no Omocha.
These keychains/bag straps perfectly replicate the series’ first tankobon (collected volumes), right down to the colorful stripped Ribbon Mascot Comics logo. While they’re small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, they stirred some big emotions in Saya, who remembers the excruciatingly long wait between chapters back when she was reading the series during their initial runs in Ribbon, which comes out just once a month.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of reading it themselves, Marmalade Boy boy is a 1992-1995 series by manga artist Wataru Yoshizumi that begins with the most wholesome instance of spouse-swapping ever depicted in a fictional narrative, suddenly making high school classmates Miki and Yuu stepsiblings as well. Romantic misunderstandings, childhood friends who were harboring secret crushes, and exes who aren’t ready to let go, naturally, start piling up one after another in short order.
Kodomo no Omocha, also known as Kodocha or Child’s Toy, starts off with a more manic narrative, starring elementary school-age child actress Sana and her love-hate relationship with Akito, the troubled troublemaker in her class.
The straps aren’t solid plastic blocks, either. Open them up, and you’ll find…
…that they’re actually mini notebooks, complete with a bit of character art.
The straps are priced at 825 yen (US$7.25), and if you want a larger expression of your ‘90s shojo fandom, Tsutaya also has Marmalade Boy and Kodomo no Omocha tote bags for 1,320 yen.
Orders can be made online here through the Tsutaya online store.
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert images: SoraNews24, Tsutaya (1, 2)
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2021/11/08/90s-shojo-manga-nostalgia-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-with-kodocha-marmalade-boy-keychain-straps/feed/ 0 564306 SS 1 Miniature purikura photo booth from Japan lets you feel like a Japanese schoolgirl from the ’90s https://soranews24.com/2019/11/21/miniature-purikura-photo-booth-from-japan-lets-you-feel-like-a-japanese-schoolgirl-from-the-90s/ https://soranews24.com/2019/11/21/miniature-purikura-photo-booth-from-japan-lets-you-feel-like-a-japanese-schoolgirl-from-the-90s/#comments Thu, 21 Nov 2019 02:00:49 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=476218 
New palm-sized machine actually takes real purikura photos.
Purikura — an amalgamation of the Japanese words purinto kurabu, which translates to “Print Club” — has been a huge part of youth culture in Japan since it first debuted here in 1995.
Back then, purikura were basic photo booth machines that took photos and printed them out with fancy frames around them, but these days they’re far more advanced, allowing people to digitally mainpulate their appearance and add personalised sketches, words and cute icons.
Still, there’s a lot of nostalgia for the look of photos printed out from the old models, especially amongst people in their 30s and 40s, who remember using them with their friends after school. And seeing as people in this age bracket are likely to be in full-time jobs with disposable income, now’s a perfect time for them to recapture their lost youth by splurging on this new miniature purikura created by Takara Tomy.
Called the “Seishun no Purinto Seal“, which translates to “Youth Print Sticker“, this new item not only looks like a purikura photo booth machine, it works like one as well, allowing you to actually take photos with it.
Simply download the special app and then place your smartphone inside the machine, where it acts as the purikura camera and selection screen. Then all you have to do is press the button in the middle of the machine, just like people did back in the ’90s, and your photo will be taken!
▼ When the machine is being used, side lights turn on to add the authentic feel of a real purikura machine.
The app allows you to select from two different modes when shooting: “normal mode” for normal shooting and “time travel mode”, which allows you to get a glimpse of your past, present and future self.
▼ You can see what you might’ve looked like back in 1998 and 2008…
▼ What you look like now…
▼ And, for the brave, what you might look like in 10 years time.
In “normal mode”’ you can select different frames from designs that were popular back in 1995.
And because all the processed images are saved on your smartphone, you’ll be able to share the photos on social media or print them out so you can relive the ’90s with all your high school friends.
The Youth Print Sticker can be purchased from Takara Tomy Arts from 21 November, where it’s set to retail for 3,980 yen (US$36.64) plus tax.
And if you’re looking for another dose of childhood nostalgia, Takara Tomy has a talking, dancing Pikachu light to tempt you right now as well.
Source, images: PR Times
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/11/21/miniature-purikura-photo-booth-from-japan-lets-you-feel-like-a-japanese-schoolgirl-from-the-90s/feed/ 0 476218 Japan purikura print club photos Japanese toys Takara Tomy photos fun presents souvenirs gift shopping purchase buy 1 Japanese Twitter obsessed with app that revives the VHS camcorder recording quality of the ‘80s https://soranews24.com/2019/08/24/japanese-twitter-obsessed-with-app-that-revives-the-vhs-camcorder-recording-quality-of-the-80s/ https://soranews24.com/2019/08/24/japanese-twitter-obsessed-with-app-that-revives-the-vhs-camcorder-recording-quality-of-the-80s/#comments Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:00:29 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=462469 The app turns your high quality smartphone camera into a handheld VHS camcorder!
Ahh the ’80s. Big hair, neon-colored clothing, sweatbands, synthesizers…What a time it was to be alive! Well, I wouldn’t know, since I was born at the tail-end of the ’80s, but it sure does look like it was a wild ride. And the technology of the time is simply nostalgic! Videos on VHS, music on cassette tapes, boom boxes, corded telephones, Famicom and other retro gaming consoles. People love to reminisce about the old days, but do they really want to go back to that technology? After all, who would want the blurry, fuzzy, lined, and jumpy video quality of VHS tapes?
Everyone, apparently. Especially Japanese netizens! When Twitter user @knushi22 shared a video that they took while using a VHS-quality recording app, it blew up, with tens of thousands of people clamoring to know how they did it.
▼ “I took this using a recording app that makes VHS-style videos and it’s amazing”
VHS風の動画撮影ができるアプリで撮影したけど凄いこれ pic.twitter.com/HPyWlKqIan
— かんぬし (@knushi22) August 13, 2019
The video is (presumably) a recent one of the Sobu Line in Tokyo, taken with @knushi22’s smartphone, but it looks exactly like it would have in the ’80s and ’90s, with grainy picture quality, tracking lines, and the age-old, blocky time and date stamp in the corner. How could anyone forget the font of all the “Funniest Home Videos” we used to watch on TV as kids?
▼ It looks just like a video taken on a handheld, tape-based camcorder!
Excited Japanese Twitter users shared videos they took with the app, including this one where they were even able to change the date to make it look like it was recorded in the early 2000s.
https://twitter.com/resub355/status/1161675905799839744
Many went along the horror route, since the quality befits the style of old horror movies.
— 日神 風音
トラウマハピネスVシンガー (@triadfixer) August 14, 2019
エアコンの風邪で動く小扉をこのアプリで撮ったらおぞましくなりますた pic.twitter.com/SbvYBckBU0
— 細井 勇希 (@420fudlv) August 15, 2019
The app is actually pretty smart, too. As this user recorded their descent in an elevator, it began to get more noise interference as it moved under the ground.
エレベーターで撮影したら地下に入るとノイズが激しくなる pic.twitter.com/161hx0T9z9
— 白髮のケイ (@homura_88) August 15, 2019
The app, which was released in December of last year by Rarevision, is called “VHS Cam Lite”, and appears to be available for both Apple and Android devices. It’s free to download and has over one million downloads on the Google Play Store, so it’s fair to say that everyone is a little nostalgic for ’80s video quality.
https://twitter.com/Chocomint_Queem/status/1161649713910669312
Plus, after @knushi22 tweeted about it, more than 100,000 people liked and retweeted their video, so Japanese netizens are particularly pleased with the app. Comments were all in praise of the fun idea:
“If you made a Sadako video with this app it would up the scare factor by about 10 times.”
“This is so weirdly nostalgic”
“What’s even better about it is that you can change the dates on it.”
“Oh man the noise and the date stamp font is soo nostalgic”
“I bet it would be interesting to purposefully film today’s technology with this app!”
Now that we’ve seen what the app can do, it’s time to take our phones, go out into the world and make some home videos like they did in early days! And if going retro is really your thing, there are lots of old-school products for smartphones out there to go along with your ’80s camcorder app, like this tape recorder for your iPhone. Happy time traveling!
Source: Twitter/@knushi22 via My Game News Flash
Images: Twitter/@knushi22
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/08/24/japanese-twitter-obsessed-with-app-that-revives-the-vhs-camcorder-recording-quality-of-the-80s/feed/ 0 462469 vhs camcorder app Japanese netizens list their top 10 choices for ’90s anime remakes — What’s your pick? https://soranews24.com/2019/01/18/japanese-netizens-list-their-top-10-choices-for-90s-anime-remakes-whats-your-pick/ https://soranews24.com/2019/01/18/japanese-netizens-list-their-top-10-choices-for-90s-anime-remakes-whats-your-pick/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2019 02:00:52 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=438564 
Now that we’re two decades on from the ’90s, what shows would you like to see receive a modern day make-over?
We live in the age of the remake. Disney movies are getting all manner of live-action reimaginations, Final Fantasy VII is planned to be remade…at some point and even Japan’s biggest animation smash hit is due for a Hollywood face-lift in time (though we already have an idea how that might turn out).
Anime is a tricky thing. Some series span decades through their longevity and can boast popularity across generations, like Dragon Ball, Detective Conan and Doraemon. Others get updates via remakes to keep them relevant: see Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura and Mr. Osomatsu for examples of that.
But there’s a whole lot of ’90s anime that hasn’t been picked up for a modern update yet, and when questioned about which franchises they’d most like to see on their screens again, fans made their opinions known. In a poll by Japanese survey site Goo Ranking of 3,193 individuals, vintage anime fans said exactly which series they’re chomping at the bit to reunite with, with a final list of 60 titles. Here’s a countdown of the top ten most desired ’90s reboots!
10. Mamotte! Shugogetten (Protect Me, Heavenly Moon Guardian!) (73 votes)
▼ Enjoy this fan cover of the extremely catchy opening tune
From 1998 to 1999, Toei Animation broadcast its take on this popular shonen manga concerning a teenage boy, the ring his father had gifted him as a souvenir from China, and the moon spirit residing inside that ring. The adventures of normal boy Tasuke are aided by the cute moon spirit girl Shaorin, who is determined to keep him safe from harm at all costs.
The otherworldly romance aspect of the series would benefit from the recent supernatural romance boom, and it’d be cute to see all those spirits redrawn and redesigned for modern audiences!
9. Hell Teacher Nube (93 votes)
This fun little series is also by Toei Animation, and originally ran between 1996 and 1997. Flitting in between the genres of comedy and horror, it follows 25-year-old elementary school teacher Meisuke Nueno…Who just happens to also be a demon exorcist. Assisted with the demonic power trapped in his right hand, he saves his students and fellow teachers from a host of ghoulish demons and still has to face regular issues, like making it to payday without frittering away his wages on gambling.
Supernatural series are evergreen anyway, but the dash of comedy in this one – plus that rocking opening – would make it a great contender even in today’s anime scene!
8. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (114 votes)
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water was broadcast from 1990 to 1991 and features some familiar names: the show was drawn up from a Jules Verne-inspired concept by Hayao Miyazaki, and directed by Hideako Anno from Studio Gainax (best known for Neon Genesis Evangelion). It concerns the titular Nadia, an ex-performer from the circus, and a kind child inventor named Jean Rocque Raltigue who promises to help get her back to her home country. Along the way, they are pursued by a band of thieves who want to steal Nadia’s pendant, and must traverse the skies and oceans while unraveling Nadia’s mysterious past.
This has all the intrigue and excitement to make for a gripping retelling, but similarities to the modern Disney’s Atlantis (2001) might work against it if a remake were in the cards.
7. Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (116 votes)
This series is actually the second time Dragon Quest took the leap from video game cartridge to animation reels, and it did so in 1989 – but because it ran through until 1992, it’s still safely a “’90s” anime. Based on the manga of the same name, the anime follows the antics of young hero Dai in his quest to defeat the Great Demon King and avenge his teacher, and features battle moves, foes and locations familiar to fans of the game series.
As Dragon Quest is eternally popular in Japan, this sounds like a super safe bet – and a great excuse to open another collaborative cafe!
6. Hana yori Dango (Boys over Flowers) (119 votes)
Toei Animation’s animated adaptation of Boys over Flowers aired from 1996 to 1997, inspired by the popular shojo manga where regular working-class girl Tsukushi attends a rich and prestigious high school full of rich and prestigious boys. She snaps back at the richest and most prestigious of all of them, Tsukasa, and earns the obsession and teasing of he and the other three boys who form the elite F4 group at the academy.
Boys over Flowers is the best-selling shojo manga of all time and has been adapted multiple times since the anime (most notably as a live-action TV series). But seeing how the author started a sequel series in 2015, maybe it’s time that got an anime too?
5. Future Grand Prix Cyber Formula (New Century GPX Cyber Formula) (157 votes)
Gundam animation studio Sunrise is responsible for this 1991 racing series, which imagines a world where racing cars come with built in AI computer support, and these systems are equally integral to racing victory as the human driver. The main characters are Hayato, a race car driver, and his computer system Asurada – the show follows his development as a racer as well as his rivalry with his mentor and friend, Bleed Kaga.
Associated video games came out until 2012, but now is the perfect time to reboot this series and throw it even further into the future – how about with motorcycles as the focus this time?
4. Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (180 votes)
Though the creator has come under fire recently for unsavory reasons, Rurouni Kenshin is one of Japan’s most dearly beloved manga and the Studio Gallop/Deen anime, which aired from 1996 to 1998, is especially cherished. Himura Kenshin, an expert assassin before the start of the series, uses his blade to protect and defend rather than to take lives, and the series depicts both his atonement for his violence and how he returns to take up his katana for the greater good.
With the creators modern-day dealings currently casting a shadow over the Meiji-era world of Kenshin, this one is tricky. But the story of overcoming one’s old demons and learning to live and love after a life of cruelty is deftly-told, and viewers are just as sure to react to it in 2018 as they were twenty years before.
3. Yu Yu Hakusho (215 votes)
Studio Pierrot’s 1990 adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s award-winning shonen manga ran until 1994. It tells the tale of delinquent 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi, who famously dies in the very first episode and, after proving his worth in the underworld, spends the rest of the series as a ghost detective who solves monster troubles in the human world. Packed to the brim with ghouls, ghosts and demons, it’s beloved not only in Japan but across the world.
This series is especially poised for a reboot, because a tie-in smart phone RPG was released last year to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary along with a bunch of new merchandise and Blu-ray releases. Arigato gozai-MASU!
2. H2 (285 votes)
This baseball series was animated by Ashi Productions and aired from 1995 to 1996. It includes multiple characters with names starting with H, not just the protagonist Hiro – his childhood friend Hikari, baseball ace Hideo and his manager Haruka – and shows him grappling with his love for a sport that might end up injuring him, his turbulent love life and his rivalry with Hideo.
Baseball is far and away Japan’s favorite sport and there has been a gap in the market since the popular show Daiya no Ace stopped broadcasting in 2016. Add in the cute romantic dynamics, high-paced baseball animation and some stylish re-designs, and this could be a winner!
So here we are at the number one slot!
The ’90s anime that the Internet most desperately wants to make a comeback is…
1. Slam Dunk (298 votes)
Based on one of the most popular manga of all time, and one credited with helping boost the popularity of basketball as a sport in Japan, Slam Dunk aired from 1993 to 1996 and was produced by Toei Animation. Starting with the simple ambition of wanting to impress a girl who was kind to him, rough n’ tumble teen Hanamichi Sakuragi joins his school’s basketball club. After some time spent with the team, he discovers his passion for the sport itself; and decides to put his all into bringing home the high school championship on his captain’s behalf.
With super enthusiastic fans who still seize opportunities to express their love for Sakuragi and his teammates, we figure it’s high time we brought basketball back to animated screens. Where else are we going to get our fix?
So who didn’t quite make the top ten?
11. Magic Knight Rayearth
12. Fushigi Yugi
13. Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne
14. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
15. Martian Successor Nadesico
16. Marmalade Boy
17. Cowboy Bebop
18. Ghost Sweeper Mikami
19 (tie). Baby and Me
19 (tie). After War Gundam X
21. Midori no Makibao
22. Ping-Pong Club
23. Akazukin Cha Cha
24. Kodomo no Omocha
25. Magical Taluluto
26. Goldfish Warning!
27. Master Keaton
28. Flame of Recca
29. Hime-chan’s Ribbon
30. Revolutionary Girl Utena
31. Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun
32. Neighborhood Story
33. Mobile Suit victory Gundam
34. Karekano: His and Her Circumstances
35. Clamp School Detectives
36. Mobile Fighter G Gundam
37. Tottemo! Luckyman
38. Saint Tail
39. Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight
40. Ninku
41. NG Knight Ramune & 40
42. Aoki Densetsu Shoot!
43. Super Bikkuriman, The Vision of Escaflowne
45. Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus
46. Sorcerer Hunters
47. Sorcerous Stabber Orphen
48. Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko
49. Turn A Gundam
50. Ore wa Chokkaku
51. Getter Robo Go
52. Nurse Angel Ririka SOS
53. Chiisana Obake Acchi Kocchi Socchi
54. Dokkiri Doctor
55. Maze the Megaburst Space
56. Musashi, the Samurai Lord
57. Marude Dameo
58. Fancy Lala
59. Excel Saga
For those of you who are hungry for a little more nostalgia, make sure to stop by the Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary exhibition – and stay tuned for some upcoming remakes of classic shows!
Source: Goo Ranking via Hachima Kikou
Top image ©SoraNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/01/18/japanese-netizens-list-their-top-10-choices-for-90s-anime-remakes-whats-your-pick/feed/ 1 438564 unnamed (1) A blast from the Poképast! Original Pokémon figures from the ’90s get a re-release https://soranews24.com/2018/08/07/a-blast-from-the-pokepast-original-pokemon-figures-from-the-90s-get-a-re-release/ https://soranews24.com/2018/08/07/a-blast-from-the-pokepast-original-pokemon-figures-from-the-90s-get-a-re-release/#comments Tue, 07 Aug 2018 05:00:07 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=421625 
Fans of fat Pikachu rejoice! The classic designs from the original Pokémon games star in this reprint of an old line. Gotta catch ’em all!
Pokémon has already proven it can stand the test of time, with Pikachu and friends battling their way through two decades of colorful critters, gorgeous locations and friendly rivalry. Nowadays you can step into almost any grocery store (or heck, even the streets of Yokohama) and catch a glimpse of Pikachu, and the arrival of Pokémon escape rooms and refreshing Pokémon beverages means that Pokémon fever shows no signs of breaking any time soon.
But while we can hit up any local Pokémon Center for a variety of modern-day monster merchandise, it can be easy to forget the humble roots of the franchise: Pokémon Red and Green (known as Blue in the West).
▼ The games were re-released on the Nintendo virtual console in 2016 if you fancy a trip down memory lane.
ポケットモンスター赤青緑ピカチュウ（GB）
大人気シリーズポケモンの初代の作品。
151匹のモンスターを捕まえて、交換してバトルして。
バージョンによって出るポケモン等の違いもある。
3dsでVCも配信中。https://t.co/KSvFJCE326— ゲームを紹介するすろにあbot (@S6NAGOD) August 6, 2018
If you were around for the Pokémania of the mid-’90s, you might remember coveting recreations of your favorite ‘mons in colorful plastic. Those classic toys are hard to come by these days, and even the designs of the monsters themselves have changed – Pikachu got seriously svelte over the last 20 years! It’s great to hear, then, that the Pokémon company is re-relasing its very first line of Pokémon Kids figures – tiny colorful plastic toys, with chunky designs and a hole at the base so you can put them on your stubby little fingers.
▼ Here are the classic designs for Charizard, Metapod, Pikachu and Raichu
▼ And here’s roly-poly diva Jigglypuff, eyeball magnet Magnemite and popular Ghost-type Gengar
▼ Lastly there’s marine mobile Lapras; evergreen fave Eevee and the tragic legendary Mewtwo – plus a secret bonus design
The characters are still perfectly recognizable as their modern-day counterparts but are notably chubbier, with Charizard in particular being super stylized in contrast to its newer toys. Newer figurines keep the fiery lizard proportional, while this original model is pratically all jaws!
https://twitter.com/Chalizardon/status/1006430452817657856
The re-releases of the figures will be sold in randomized boxes at convenience stores for 194 yen (US$1.75) including tax. The boxes come with an added bonus too, in that they recreate the art from the original games overlaid on a chunky, colorful GameBoy! Each box contains one of the figures and a random card, as well as a small chewable ramune candy.
▼ The boxes make great keepsakes too!
Maybe if these cute little pieces of nostalgia sell well enough, the Pokémon Company might be convinced to sell other toys from the ’90s? The Internet is certainly clamoring for more of those feel-good memories.
▼ How about these vintage dice?
https://twitter.com/matome_pokemon/status/890230881738043392
▼ Let’s bring Pokémon back in pog form!
https://twitter.com/unmai_milk/status/804683285628452864
▼ And of course, it wouldn’t be the ’90s without some good old Polly Pocket…Monsters.
ポケモンの懐かしいおもちゃは自分的にこれだ…(拾い画) pic.twitter.com/MhRQnAPgFs
— あしゅた (@twryu_24) September 28, 2016
The Pokemon Kids re-release will hit stores in December, but if you want to guarantee your success as a Pokémon master you can pre-order a box of 12 from AmiAmi. While you’re there, why not grab some cute merch from the upcoming Let’s Go! games? Nostalgia is great, but the future is brighter than a shiny Pikachu!
Source: Kinisoku, AmiAmi
Featured image: AmiAmi
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/08/07/a-blast-from-the-pokepast-original-pokemon-figures-from-the-90s-get-a-re-release/feed/ 2 421625 goods-00239591_01 Shonen Jump exhibition featuring classic ’90s manga and anime to open in Tokyo https://soranews24.com/2018/01/17/shonen-jump-exhibition-featuring-classic-90s-manga-and-anime-to-open-in-tokyo/ https://soranews24.com/2018/01/17/shonen-jump-exhibition-featuring-classic-90s-manga-and-anime-to-open-in-tokyo/#comments Wed, 17 Jan 2018 13:00:27 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=401167 
Old favorites like Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, and Yu Yu Hakusho will make an appearance.
These days manga anthology Shonen Jump is known for its modern hits like Naruto and One Piece, but as you’ll see from the list of Shonen Jump’s best 20 sellers of all time, the weekly manga anthology magazine’s history goes back much farther than that. In fact, this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the first ever Weekly Shonen Jump publication!
To celebrate, publisher Shueisha is holding a series of exhibitions featuring their most popular and famous manga. The first of the series, “Vol. 1 -From the beginning to the ’80’s: The Start of the Legend-” was held between July and October 2017, and featured extensive exhibitions of their hits from the 1960s to the 1980s, like City Hunter, Fist of the North Star, and Saint Seiya. A second exhibition, sparking joy in the hearts of ’90s kids everywhere, will feature such perennial fan favorites as Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Yu Yu Hakusho.
▼ Sample of what the Yu-Gi-Oh! exhibit might look like
【ジャンプ展VOL.2展示紹介！ 高橋和希先生『遊☆戯☆王』】
遊戯、そして海馬をはじめとしたライバルたちとの激闘が今ここに蘇る！ブラック・マジシャン、青眼の白龍など、作品を彩った数々の名カードも一挙集結！！今なお愛され続ける、カードゲームの原点が、ここにある！！https://t.co/HU4E9HPgCo pic.twitter.com/ZjsVFdAwmz— 週刊少年ジャンプ展 (@shonenjump_ten) January 16, 2018
▼ Basketball manga Slam Dunk
【#ジャンプ展 VOL.2展示紹介！ 井上雄彦先生『SLAM DUNK』】
圧倒的な画力で描かれた花道＆湘北メンバー。そして胸を熱くさせ、心を奮い立たせた数々の名言、名場面が、あの興奮をフラッシュバックさせる！#ジャンプ50周年 pic.twitter.com/pwbr0gLZwq— 週刊少年ジャンプ展 (@shonenjump_ten) January 15, 2018
▼ Supernatural fisticuffs saga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
【#ジャンプ展 VOL.2展示紹介！ 荒木飛呂彦先生『ジョジョの奇妙な冒険』】
Part3・4・5の主人公とライバルの驚愕のスタンドバトルを再現ッッッ！！個性豊かなスタンド、物語を彩どる名言がキミを奇妙な世界へと誘うッ！https://t.co/z3FwlgaENA#ジャンプ50周年#ジョジョの奇妙な冒険#荒木飛呂彦 pic.twitter.com/sdztQiNPcz— 週刊少年ジャンプ展 (@shonenjump_ten) January 15, 2018
This exhibition, called “Vol. 2 -The ’90s: A Historical 6.53 Million Copies in Circulation-“, will be held at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. “6.53 million copies in circulation” refers not to their total number of copies in circulation for the decade, but the number of copies printed for one issue: 1995 Numbers Three & Four, a double issue. That’s the highest in Weekly Shonen Jump history!
▼ Admission at the door costs 2,000 yen [US$18] for adults), but you can get this special pin set with your pre-order ticket if you’re willing to spend 9,500 yen.
「創刊50周年記念 週刊少年ジャンプ展VOL.2」。その「限定ピンズセット付前売券」を好評予約受付中！額装にはシリアルナンバー入り、数量限定の激レア商品です♪ https://t.co/DpViIdvkbb#ジャンプ展 pic.twitter.com/l0RNPuNMY5
— セブンネットショッピング (@7_netshopping) January 15, 2018
According to the official website, the exhibition will consist of eight sections, and feature original hand-drawn illustrations from our favorite ’90s Jump manga. There will also be a space called “Jump to 2000s” dedicated to manga that started in the ’90s but became Jump flag-bearers of the 2000s, like One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. While the same manga will also be featured in Vol. 3, this particular part of the exhibit will only be around for Vol. 2, so don’t skip it!
Every visitor will also get a free sticker of a Weekly Shonen Jump ’90s issue cover, randomly chosen from one of nine possibilities featuring nine different manga! Each one also has two varieties, depending on if you pre-ordered tickets or purchased on the day you attended. And of course, there will be a store featuring lots of original merchandise!
▼ Some of the original sticker gifts you can get with purchase of a ticket
If you’re a fan of these old-school Weekly Shonen Jump manga, then you won’t want to miss this exhibition. It will be run from March 19 to June 17 at the Mori Arts Center, and if you wish to pre-order tickets, you can do so at 7-Eleven. If you aren’t a fan, but are curious, check out these top 10 epic fights scenes in Shonen Jump history–they’ll definitely get you excited to see this!
Related: Shonen Jump Ten website (English)
Source: Net Lab
Top image: Shonen Jump Ten
Insert Images : Shonen Jump Ten (1, 2)
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/01/17/shonen-jump-exhibition-featuring-classic-90s-manga-and-anime-to-open-in-tokyo/feed/ 0 401167 shounen jump1