Kotaku Australia » otaku

My Girlfriend Is The President Trailer Features Amazing Voice Over

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Back in July, we brought word of PC eroge My Girlfriend Is The President. Now, feel free to watch the game’s trailer, complete with amazing English language movie guy voice over.

My Boyfriend is Obama [Japan Probe]

Ten Ways To Spot Otaku (There You Are!!)

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

In case you didn’t know, the name of this site is Kotaku. Did you know that? Some people don’t, they just click wildly around the internet like a pyromaniac in a straw factory.

Kotaku isn’t a real Japanese word, it’s a word somebody (not me!) made up many years ago. “Ko” in Japanese (小) means “small”. “Otaku” has a couple meanings, but here it refers to someone who is obsessively interested in something. But shouldn’t the site’s name then be “Kootaku”? Shuddup.

There are many types of otaku: train otaku, anime otaku, game otaku, Brian Ashcraft otaku, you name it! But if you are looking at ways to i.d. otaku, here are ten — as voted on by Japan’s Goo Ranking:

1. He has an anime T-shirt
2. He has an anime shopping bag
3. He has a waist pouch (”fanny pack” / “bum bag”)
4. He wears a bandanna (hachimaki)
5. His bag is covered in anime badges
6. His hair is excessively long
7. He wears his rucksack over both shoulders
8. He has big, thick glasses
9. He tucks his shirt/T-shirt into his trousers
10. He wears chemical wash jeans

There are other ways to spot and stereotype otaku, but hey, these are the most popular ways Japan does it!

The ranking [Goo via Sankaku Complex NSFW] [Pic]

Otaku Cars Galore!

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend, the second annual ItaG Festival was held in Tokyo’s Odaiba. Something like 800 itasha were on display, sporting anime, manga and game characters.

Would You Prefer To Be Slapped Or Game With A Girl?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000

It’s your money — spent it the way you like. Newly opened Akihabara business “Cute Room” is offering otaku a bevy of girlfriend-like services that include playing video games, watching DVDs and playing board games with young female (paid) friends.

The girls available are pictured above.

Cute Room does not appear to be offering sexual services. Below is a list of activities that are offered with the girls, along with prices:

Play video games (Wii PS3 PSP XBOX DS) (30 minutes 1,000 yen)
Watch a DVD with the girl (30 minutes 1,000 yen)
Play board games or card games (20 minutes 800 yen)
Massage your hand (20 mins 1,200 yen)
Lie on her lap while she cleans your ear (20 mins 1,500 yen, 40 mins 3,000 yen)
Tsundere, dere dere slap (slapped both ways 1,000 yen)
Read a bedtime story (20 mins 1,000 yen)
Take a photo together (1,500 yen)
Handmade candy (2,000 yen)
Get a love letter (1,000 yen)
Get mobile phone email from her (photo + message 500 yen for one, 1,200 yen for three)
Looking at you (with email movie 1 time 1000 yen, 2,500 yen for 3 times)
Bromide (300 yen each)
Exchange presents (need to call in advance, 1,500 yen)

One thousand yen is rough US$11.

Patrons select a room to spend with their paid girlfriend. Rooms include a big sister room, a maid’s room, a classroom, a Japanese room or a Monster Hunter-style room. After selecting a room, customers pick out a costume for the girl. The price breakdown is ¥4,000 for 40 minutes, ¥5,500 for 60 minutes, ¥7,500 for 80 minutes and ¥2,000 for every 20 minutes after that.

秋葉原　CuteRoom 脳内エステ&リラクゼーション [Official Site via Digi Maga via Canned Dogs]

Foreign Otaku Results Hit Japanese Newsstands

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Just a heads up! This past Spring, paper mag Otaku USA surveyed foreign otaku for a Famitsu article.

Otaku USA’s otaku-in-chief Patrick Macias stated at the time, “We want all foreign otaku to rise forth and fill out our ‘Foreign Otaku’ survey below. The results will be published this summer in an issue of Weekly Famitsu, and (because we’re big-hearted and foolish) we’ll follow up on the Otaku USA website with appropriate post-game analysis.”

The idea was to help provide an insight into non-Japanese otaku.

Well…….. Said article is hitting this week’s Famitsu. If you answered the survey, that’s your raw data! Now in Japanese! In Famitsu!

Will be interesting to see if there is a difference between Japanese and non-Japanese otaku.

OTAKU USA x FAMITSU: “Otaku World Culture” explosion [An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla]

IDOLM@STER Toy Buying INS@NITY

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:00:00 +0000

The latest cute big-headed Nendoroid series is Namco pop idol sim franchise iDOLM@STER.

Earlier week the second entry in the Nendorid iDOLM@STER line went on sale earlier this week with a single set priced at ¥6,000. Here, someone bought 29 sets for a grand total of ¥174,000 (US$1,842).

Maybe this individual is planning on selling them off if they somehow appreciate in value. Or maybe, just maybe, he or she is going to leave them stacked and just stare.

1箱6000円のアイマス「ねんどろいどぷち」を29箱大人買いする信者 [はちま起稿]

This Is An Encyclopedia For Otaku

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Look what just arrived on my desk, today. This! Yes, this.

Written by the always insightful Patrick Galbraith, The Otaku Encyclopedia is just that, an otaku encyclopedia. From A-Z, the book covers everything Japanese nerd — an impressive feat. It also features interviews with maids, famous cosplayers, arts like Takashi Murakami, retro game idol Haruna Anno and otaku heroine Shoko Nakagawa.

The book is edited by Andrew Lee and published by Kodansha International, which put out my arcade book, Arcade Mania.

The Otaku Encyclopedia is out in Japan right this very second and will be available abroad this fall.

The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insiders Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan (Paperback) [Amazon]

Hey Foreigners! Tell Famitsu About Your Otaku-ness

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

The always delightful Otaku USA has hooked up with Japanese game mag Famitsu in hopes of finding out what is going on in your nerdy, foreigner head. Oh goodie.

Otaku USA bossman Patrick Macias blogs, “We want all foreign otaku to rise forth and fill out our ‘Foreign Otaku’ survey below. The results will be published this summer in an issue of Weekly Famitsu, and (because we’re big-hearted and foolish) we’ll follow up on the Otaku USA website with appropriate post-game analysis.”

Onward foreign geeks, onward!

OTAKU USA x FAMITSU – The 2009 ‘Foreign Otaku’ Survey [An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla]

PC Game + Webcam Makes In-Game Upskirts Now Possible

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

It was only a matter of time. Erotic game Tech48 is using face tracking technology to let players do things like look at in-game heroines from various angles — that, and up their skirts.

Developed by eroge maker Teatime, the game uses a webcam and face tracking software to locate players’ faces. So when players move left to right, the in-gamer character follows them with her eyes.

We’ve seen technology used in gaming before. The erotic game spin? When players crouch down, it’s possible for players to peek up the heroine’s dress.

There’s a YouTube clip which shows this groundbreaking technology in action. We’re pretty sure if these developers had put their minds to things beside upskirts, they could be curing cancer or something.

Tech48 [Official Site NSFW via Asiajin]

Nothing Says Cute 2D Fighter Like Maid Cafe Food

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Two dimensional PlayStation 2 fighter Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2 was released this month in Japan. What better what to mark the occasion than with a maid cafe?

Starting April 3, Akihabara’s Cure Maid Cafe will be hosting the “Arcana Heart Cafe @ Cure Maid Cafe”. It’ll feature food with hearts squirted on them or heart-shaped edibles as well as colourful fizzy drinks named after characters.

Released in arcades in 2006, Arcana Fighter is wall-to-wall cutesy female fighters. Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2 brought new cute-as-pie fighters to the fray.

「すっごい！アルカナハート2」、期間限定カフェがオープン [IT Media]