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“Do you prefer busts or bottoms?” Prison School drama looks to be as lewd as the anime 【Videos】
- Casey Baseel
Oct 7, 2015 - Tweet
Last month, we got our first in-costume look at the cast of the upcoming live-action TV adaptation of manga and anime Prison School. But while the production’s casting directors, stylists, and costumers have done a commendable job making the real-life performers look like their 2-D inspirations, fans have been wondering if the live-action Prison School will still feel like its source material.
After all, it’s not uncommon for there to be a major shift in tone when anime goes live-action, and a lot of the outlandishly pervy stuff that goes on in the animated Prison School ostensibly gets a pass from censors because it’s not being done by real people. Still, it doesn’t look like the live-action Prison School is looking to change the formula that worked for both the anime and the manga, as its two preview videos show it’s still perfectly happy to bask in its ludicrous lewdness, as well as repeatedly ask the question “Do you prefer butts or breasts?”
Heads-up! Depending on how accepting your workplace environment is of ludicrous lewdness, you might want to save these videos for after you get home.
Robot cellphone makes calls, walks, talks, projects, dances and will be your new BFF【Video】
- Oona McGee
Oct 7, 2015
As Japan’s human population decreases, its robot population steadily rises. From the giant, rideable KURATAS to SoftBank’s domestic robot, Pepper, there’s diversity in their numbers but from next year, one smart mechanical biped aims to outdo them all.
It’s the adorable RoBoHoN from Sharp, who’s set to crush the cellphone market with an array of impressive features and an equally charming character. To see just how amazing this little guy is, come with us as we take a look at his exclusive introductory video after the break.
Buildings transform into giant robots in Japanese real estate company’s anime commercial【Video】
- Audrey Akcasu
Oct 7, 2015
When was the last time you sat down to watch a YouTube video by a real estate company? We’re going to assume never, because who even knew that real estate companies had YouTube accounts?
Japan’s Mitsui Real Estate Residential, however, not only has a YouTube account, but their recently posted video is becoming wildly popular. The company managed to combine their housing expertise with the fail-safe giant robot genre to create a short animated series about apartment buildings that transform into giant robots!
- Japan
- (anime • commercial • real estate • robots • video)
“Come on Hammy, time for walkies!” Old man attempts to walk hamster on leash in Tokyo 【Video】
- Evie Nyan
Oct 7, 2015
Sometimes, it’s nice to be able to take your pet out into the fresh air and commune with nature together. It’s an obvious perk of dog-ownership, but even some cats enjoy a little time on the leash. And who could forget the spectacle of the giant tortoise taking a stroll around Tokyo with its owner?
But a recent pet-walkies fiasco captured on Twitter has us scratching our heads. Why on earth would anyone try to walk a hamster?!
Fans replace Dragon Ball Z’s animation with finger puppets, keep the awesome fighting 【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Oct 7, 2015
Many Japanese animation fans, after having their hopes dashed and their hearts broken one too many times, come to accept the truism that it’s just not possible to make a good live-action version of their favorite anime. Right now, it’s Attack on Titan’s turn in the hot seat, as its two recently released movies have been roundly roasted by fans of the original work and critics alike, and years ago Dragonball Evolution had far more people groaning than cheering as their left theaters.
But maybe it’s not so much that anime has to stay hand-drawn, but just that it can’t be replicated by human actors. We’ve seen Attack on Titan look cool in stop-motion and sheep sub for the cast of Dragon Ball. As a matter of fact, maybe you can even show part of a human actor, just not the whole person, like in this epic and funny battle between two of Dragon Ball’s mightiest martial artists…as played by a pair of finger puppets.
Cute cat’s curiosity kills the Japanese sliding paper door 【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Oct 6, 2015
If you’ve ever seen shoji, the sliding wood-framed paper doors that are a common element of traditional Japanese architecture, you’ve probably been overcome by two strong emotions. First, a sense of admiration for the timeless beauty of the elegantly simple aesthetic. Second, a burning desire to know just how hard you can poke that translucent paper before you puncture it.
Poking holes in the shoji paper is a major faux pas, however, and even young kids in Japan know they’re supposed to resist the temptation. It doesn’t look like this kitty got the message, though, as it unleashes its adorably destructive hunting instincts on a defenseless shoji in this video.
In Japanese elementary schools, lunchtime means serving classmates, cleaning the school 【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Oct 6, 2015
Last month, we took a look at how in Japan many children are expected to commute to school without their parents’ help starting in elementary school. That’s not the only amazing display of responsibility that’s part of everyday life for Japanese kids, though.
Not only do Japanese schools not have school busses, they also don’t have food-serving or cleaning staff. That means it’s the students themselves who’re responsible for distributing school lunches and keeping the building clean, and the diligence with which they go about their tasks would put many full-blown adults to shame, as shown in this video of all the things Japanese grade schoolers are expected to do during a typical school day in addition to studying.
All about the Kumano Kodo, the World Heritage Sites of the Kii Peninsula【Pics & Video】
- Amy Chavez
Oct 6, 2015
Walking through Japan can be a truly uplifting experience. You see so much more by walking through places, especially sacred places. It’s different from walking to them, seeing, and then leaving. Another bonus is (unless you’re climbing Mount Fuji), there are no crowds since, in our modern world, it just doesn’t occur to most people to see things on foot. As we learned previously, quite a few of Japan’s World Heritage Sites are on hiking trails, and the World Heritage Sites of the Kii Peninsula are also located conveniently along ancient pilgrimage routes of the past.
The Kumano Kodo (actually a network of trails) has been traveled by Japanese worshipers for over 1,000 years. By following the route, you not only get to see ancient Japan, but you’ll encounter nature worship everywhere you turn. You’ll feel more like you’re experiencing ancient Japan, rather than just looking at it from the outside.
Come with us now as we hike our way along the Nakahechi route, the well-groomed, often cobble-stoned path that connects a string of quaint little towns where you can book into comfortable ryokans serving gourmet food and offering hot spring baths to soothe your tired muscles. This is glamping—Japanese style!
- Japan
- (3 grand shrines • Japan • Kii Penninsula • kumano kodo • Nachi • photos • video • world heritage)
Smashing cakes and eating hair: City in Gifu Prefecture releases bizarre PR video【Video】
- Krista Rogers
Oct 6, 2015
Following in the footsteps of Kobayashi City in Miyazaki Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture’s Seki City has recently released its own quirky PR video. This ad, however, focuses on the city’s contribution to daily life with an important product that the city is famous for rather than emphasizing any local accent. Judging by the bizarre scene in the photo above, can you guess what Seki City is famous for producing? Here’s a hint: This video is shear madness!
High school students’ teacup ride blows up online, looks more fun than the Disneyland one
- Preston Phro
Oct 6, 2015
For many of our readers, the “culture festivals” held at high schools and colleges will already be familiar thanks to their prevalence in anime and TV dramas produced in Japan. Even if you’ve never been to Japan yourself, you probably already know that the classes turn their rooms into fun little shops, offering food and entertainment for their families, friends, alumni fellow students and teachers.
While most of them aren’t particularly elaborate, every now and then, a class with will show up with a project that goes above and beyond. This year, one of those projects exploded online, capturing the attention of thousands of Twitter users. The idea? The students made their own “tea cup” ride! It’s just like what you’d see at Disneyland, but entirely mechanical and way, way more awesome!
- Internet, Japan
- (bunkasai • culture festival • high school • tea cup ride • twitter • video)
Baked Sweetness from London arrives in Tokyo as Lola’s Cupcakes opens shop in Harajuku!
- Kay
Oct 5, 2015
The Harajuku/Omotesando district in Tokyo is already a mecca of sweet shops from around the world, but things in the area just got even sweeter this past weekend as another internationally loved bakery opened its very first shop in Japan. Yes, we’re delighted that London’s celebrated LOLA’S cupcakes now has a shop in Tokyo, and as you may have guessed, we weren’t about to miss out on trying the sweet creations from one of London’s best-loved baking outlets, so there we were on opening day.
We already knew from the pictures that their cupcakes look simply amazing; now we couldn’t wait to try some for ourselves, and there were even going to be four original Japanese flavors too — Yum!
- Europe, Japan
- (food • grand opening • Harajuku • LOLA'S cupcakes • photos • sweets • video)
Join the hordes of net users giggling at GIFs of sumo wrestlers performing comedic moves【Videos】
- Krista Rogers
Oct 5, 2015
Unless you’re striving to become one of the big guys yourself, you may not have much connection to the world of professional sumo. As an ancient sport with plenty of ritual elements, the wrestlers, known as rikishi in Japanese, have a highly regimented training lifestyle. With all those rules, it’s certainly easy to overlook the comedic side of sumo.
Wait, there’s a comedic side to sumo?
Angry university student knocks classmates’ drone out of the sky, throws a hissy fit【Video】
- Krista Rogers
Oct 4, 2015
We’ve already seen what happens when a pack of square-dancing ladies go after a drone carrying around coupons for cakes. But what happens when a similar scene occurs on a university basketball court with what appears to be a spoiled, entitled student having a tantrum thrown into the mix? The sight is not very pretty, to say the least.
- China
- (basketball • drone • Guangzhou • jocks vs nerds • rich • spoiled • video)
This compilation of teas from around the world is making us thirsty! 【Video】
- Meg Murphy
Oct 4, 2015
While coffee may be the world’s favorite caffeinated beverage, tea has a much longer history, and is still deeply ingrained in many cultures. How people in each country take their tea is as varied is the types of tea available, and even personal preferences within each country.
Whether you like your tea black, green, white, hot, iced, served straight or with yak butter, take a look at this video compilation of teas around the world and see how many you have tried!
Check out the incredible futuristic gear at Japan’s 2015 Good Design Awards 【Videos】
- Krista Rogers
Oct 3, 2015
Every year since 1957, Japan’s Good Design Awards have honored products which are designed in such a way to have a positive impact on people’s lives. The award system, which is now operated by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, has recently released their list of 2015’s Good Design Best 100 award winners.
With such innovative ideas as LED jump ropes and basketball courts, these awards are truly the best place to catch a glimpse of athletics equipment of the future!
- Global, Japan
- (athletics • exercise • Good Design Awards • jump rope • LED • Smart Rope • technology • video)
“My son didn’t look back when I waved.” Toyota ad will leave you choked up, wanting to call home
- Casey Baseel
Oct 3, 2015
You might think that Japanese advertisements are all Hollywood celebrity endorsements or surreal tales of busty schoolgirls with nose rings, but when it wants to, Japan can make commercials that yank on the heartstrings as strongly as anywhere else in Asia. Getting the waterworks flowing today is Toyota, asking the question, “Do you care about your parents as much as they love you?”, and while the video is short on cars, it makes up for that with plenty of tears.
This precious kitten’s “squeak” is making us all squee! 【Video】
- Meg Murphy
Oct 2, 2015
Not another cat video! …said no one ever. We here at RocketNews24 know just as well as anyone that nothing does cuteness more purrfectly than cats do. We’ve found one kitten, though, that’s people in Japan mad, and absolutely killing us with its most adorable, squeaky meow.
“Miyako” – one of the most beautiful, feels-inducing Japan videos you’ll ever see【Video】
- Oona McGee
Oct 2, 2015
If you’ve ever visited Japan, chances are your first stop in the country has been a big, bustling metropolis like Osaka or Tokyo. While the enormous flat screens, heaving intersections and impressive skyscrapers make for some memorable photo moments, it’s the serene, picturesque country towns that really hold the true essence and beauty of Japan.
For those of us who can’t make a trip out to soak in the serenity of the countryside, there’s a short, three-and-a-half minute film that will transport us there. If you loved Chihiro’s tranquil train ride in the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away, you’ll love this touching video, which introduces us to a stationmaster called Miyako, who waves at all her departing passengers—and keeps waving until they disappear into the horizon—showing us just how moving a simple gesture can be.
- Japan
- (countryside • cute girls • Erez Sitzer • Miyako • Rural Japan • rural life • trains • video)
Japanese restaurant makes awesome anime and game character pancake art, takes requests 【Videos】
- Casey Baseel
Oct 1, 2015
Even if you’re not ordinarily a very artistic person, we bet you get a spark of inspiration when you’ve got a pancake on your plate. Who hasn’t drawn a doodle or sketched a smiley face in maple syrup, or at least initialed their flapjacks with the sticky, tasty condiment?
After all, tasty as they may be, pancakes look pretty dull if you don’t add any decoration…unless you’re dining at this restaurant in Japan where the pancakes come pre-decorated with images of Pikachu, Mario, and dozens of other anime and video game characters.
- Japan
- (anime • cool • food • pancakes • Pikachu • Pokemon • restaurants • video • video games)
Japanese coffee maker’s commercial is dark, milky, and udderly crazy 【Video】
- ロケットニュース24
Sep 30, 2015
Not everyone loves Japanese TV, but we have to admit that one thing it has going for it is absolutely bonkers commercials. You can find weird, unsettling, funny, emotional, or even just hilarious commercials the world over, but it sometimes seems that Japan has a particularly high concentration of them. Maybe there’s something in the coffee…
And speaking of coffee, Japanese coffee brand Blendy has produced one of the most bizarre commercials we’ve seen to date, mixing absurdist comedy with unsettling, dark undertones. Oh, and milk. Lots and lots of milk.
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