As we know, idol groups, most notoriously AKB48, will exploit fans who want to purchase ways to vote for members in "election" or for chances to shake their hand. They do this by selling these privileges as slips of paper included with CDs or other products.
The most recent campaign has been a tie-up with Kodansha's Young Magazine, an iconic weekly manga magazine.
Kodansha chose a number of idol candidates from various groups (AKB48, NMB48, SKE48, HKT48) and said fans could choose the idol who will appear in a sexy swimsuit photo shoot. (The ladies on the cover are actually from ...
Even a 2D anime character has feelings, you know.
Otaku love to decorate their hug pillow (dakimakura) with an anime character cover. Their companion is theirs to squeeze and talk to at night.
But Rina Makuraba, developed by Koichi Uchimura, takes things to another level.
She is a hug pillow that responds to your touch verbally. Just stroke her to elicit a "conversation".
She has a real personality and will even get cross with you if you get too touchy-feely. As we know, a cute girl getting angry at you is a fetish in Japan.
The system is called Itaspo ...
Mineo is a mobile virtual network operator.
It offers a range of services. As reported by Rocketnews 24, apparently one of these is making giant (and we mean, GIANT) anime hug pillows!
Mineo is so big now they even have a mascot, Maineo-tan. In this video they showed off a new blow-up hug pillow of Maineo-tan that is six meters long and two meters wide.
Needless to say, the otaku customer who unwittingly finds himself with the giant character has to sacrifice some things in his small home to get her to fit in his apartment. But once they are snuggled up, he seems ...
It just goes to prove: being an middle-aged otaku does not mean you stop being attractive to the opposite sex.
Toshio Okada, the famous anime producer and writer, and co-founder of Gainax (Evangelion), has been exposed as a mass philander.
The 56-year-old chubby otaku had his cat let out of the bag when a picture of a smooch with a younger lady was leaked online.
The 21-year-old girl posted the purikura (photo booth) pic on Facebook on December 31st, along with screen captures of her exchanges with Okada on Line where he says he loves her.
The girl did it because she claimed ...
Remember the Zettai Ryouiki Flashing Skirt?
We blogged about it late last year as a cool gadget-cum-cosplay item that really draws attention to that sexy area of the upper thigh, known as zettai ryouki ("the absolute zone").
In this skirt, developed by Kiyoyuki Amano of Kayac Inc, multi-colored flashing lights have been added to a Hatsune Miku miniskirt.
It looked awesome before but now the creators have set up a proper Tumblr account with lots of great images of the flashing skirt in action.
So next time you see a girl in Akihabara with what looks ...
We're a bit late with this but we love it.
Live2D Euclid is a system created by Live2D to animate characters in a rich 3D environment.
Reported by the reliable chaps at DigInfo, the technology allows you to interact with 2D illustrations in a 3D space.
Of course, the demo is an anime girl character!
Live 2D models can be animated and moved freely, while retaining the defining characteristics of the original illustrations, which are difficult to reproduce with regular 3D models. Due to this unique feature, Live2D has been used in over 100 commercial products since its release ...
What happens when otaku ask the gods for good fortune for the year ahead?
Ita-ema, that's what.
These are the ema plaques, usually hung on boards at Shinto shrines in Japan to ask for fortune in work, love or study, but here with a very moe twist. It is common to decorate a plaque with a handwritten message and perhaps a little illustration, but we think these worshippers are revealing their true religious idols.
These "Ita-ema" have been appearing at Kanda Myojin Shrine in east Tokyo (and elsewhere) since a few years ago, getting more numerous and inventive with each New ...
They say that otaku are weak. They say they wouldn't last long in a fight.
But not this otaku.
He wears otaku armor!
@umigame2D designed and made this unique suit of Love Live! anime character merchandise, adding more and more layers until you see the results before you.
The "armor", as some are calling it, is made of badges, bags and other "figure goods".
By the pictures he has also apparently been wearing it outside, so don't be shocked if you see this figure lurking ...
You see! It's not just Japanese guys! Other Asian men also have a thing for dakimakura.
Artist Lee Kan Kyo originally hails from Taiwan, though he came to Japan in 2007 to study. Now he is holding his first solo exhibition in Japan at Guardian Garden gallery in Ginza.
And the theme? Pop art-style dakimakura Dutch wife hug dolls.
The exhibition "Dream That Girl (Don't Stop)" -- which may or may not be ironic -- will be held from January 13th to January 29th.
It will feature around 13 exhibits of Lee Kan Kyo's original idol ...
A man in his late thirties living in Tokyo earlier this year sued AKS, the company that manages AKB48, as well as King Records (AKB's record label), and Google Japan for "nonfulfillment of financial obligations" after he had been denied the chance to shake hands with his favorite idol, Karen Iwata.
The verdict on the case was heard in a court in Tokyo on November 20th.
The court threw out the Hidenobu Onishi's suit, since it ruled the complainant had the choice to purchase or not purchase the band's CDs with the handshaking event tickets.
The fan had previously sent AKB member ...
