It’s also for rice now! I bought this FRESH PRECURE! (フレッシュ プリキュア) furikake to spice up my plain rice at the grocery store down the street. Furikake is basically just a condiment for your rice. Made from various Japanesey ingredients it can send your rice from bland to fishy / eggy / seaweedy in no time! Video , dancing, and another pic after the Jump.

Fresh Precure! ～You make me happy！～ ED

Don’t ask me why Hatsune Miku is in the first vid.

Cute Overload:

And these videos arent just limited to cute children. Search around and you can find both teenagers and and adults busting the dances out. I guess every major anime needs a dance these days (Haruhi and Lucky Star anyone?)

Anyway, this was actually a multi-pack of furikake, and if anybody asks, that’s why I bought it. It comes with three different flavors and since I’m new to furikake I didn’t want to buy a whole giant jar of a certain kind and decide I hated it. This way if I don’t like a certain kind, I’m only out a few yen. I swear my purchase had nothing to do with the sailor moon like magical school girls or the bizarre cute animals they carry around with them.

Or the sheet of stickers that came with it…

]]> http://www.gamerinjapan.com/2010/02/fresh-pretty-cure-its-not-just-for-dancing/feed/ 21 http://www.gamerinjapan.com/2010/02/foxs-tv-hit-glee-comes-to-japan/ http://www.gamerinjapan.com/2010/02/foxs-tv-hit-glee-comes-to-japan/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:40:02 +0000 rikaisuru http://www.gamerinjapan.com/?p=304

Fox recently brought their hit musical TV show Glee over from America to Japan. I’m not sure how a show like Glee will perform in Japan, but if High School Musical is anything to go by this show is going to be a smash hit. I

“Glee” may be on hiatus in the U.S. until April, but the series will started airing for the first time in Japan on February 7. t appears Fox Japan is also going all out in the promotion of the new show by hiring retired Sumo star Akebono Taro.

Man that pic on the right is really long. It’s going to make this post formatting look UGLY.

Video Promos after the jump.

グリー プロモ glee Promo Japan

グリー 曙　大熱唱！ Japan Glee with AKEBONO Office “Don’t Stop Believin”

グリー　曙　大熱唱！相撲 Japan Glee with Akebono Sumo “Don’t Stop Believin”

Source: http://tv.foxjapan.com/fox/lineup/prgmtop/index/prgm_cd/888

Monoke may be one of the most beautiful animes you’ve never heard of. It has a visual style that I haven’t seen in Anime before. Imagine a Japanese wall scroll, that has come to life. A spin-off of from the horror series Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, Mononoke follows the mysterious medicine man and his encounters with supernatural. Check out the opening after the jump.

I love this opening theme. It grabs my attention every time it comes on. Mononoke means vengeful spirit. Most people might know the word from the popular movie Princess Mononoke, but the true meaning is a bit darker than the movie implies. I caught this series every night at 1:30 AM which also added to the creepy factor. Mononoke follows a nameless character known only as the medicine seller. The series is broken up into multiple seperate stories, each of which are two episodes long.

Each episode follows the same basic pattern. Unfazed by the Mononokes’ bizzare and disturbing attacks, he endeavors throughout each chapter to discover the monoke’s shape (Katachi), truth (Makoto) and reasoning (Kotowari).  Once he knows these, he is able to draw his sword and vanquish the spirit.

If you’re looking for a new show to watch, Mononoke would not be a waste of your time. Its worth it for the visual style alone.

Lightstick? Check. School girl outfit and kimono? Check. Abundance of Haruka Amami’s face? Check, check, holy lord check!

There really is not to much to say other than Playstation Home has found a new way to keep people away. These photos were taken  from an Idolm@ster event/concert that took place in Playstation Home. Needless to say all of you will have nightmares for weeks staring Haruka Amami and her giant fake plastic skin mold head. Enjoy!

A lot of people have a hard time identifying art, but with something as meticulously crafted as this stop motion animation it is easy to identify the time and skill involved.

The below video has an interesting history. It is apparently based on a Video Game titled “Tohou”. This game is a very popular independent Shoot em Up game in Japan built by only one man. The original video was created using all 3D models but someone took it upon themselves to recreate said video using print-out sheets of each frame of the video and splicing them all together to create the video below. The music seems to be just a remix of one of the themes from the original game. No matter what your thoughts on anime this is truly a sight to behold.

Crazy Japan

For when 70 ports just isn’t enough. Oh Japan, you slay me.

I’m love this google translated quote from the sales page:

Surely guaranteed to surprise everyone!  This is a whopping 80 Chajabodo’m also a USB port with built-in ports. Mobile phones, digital cameras and audio players. If you have a lot of digital devices such may be good news!  Am I surprised to digital devices charged up to 80, do you really like a dream come true?  USB terminal 80 is something that when viewed from the side of the port in line, you feel powerful and somewhat like a soldier in the army.

Yes, its true. You too can feel like you’re in the army with a plethora of USB charging power. Click the sales link for even more pics of the monstrosity. Just another example of how much more advanced the gamers are in Japan. You could like… plug 10 keyboards into that and a USB lava lamp AND STILL have enough room to plug in your entire collection of sushi USB memory sticks.

Also, I’m not sure what google thinks a Chajabodo is either. Cauase there’s no way that could be “charge board”.

Good fan-made music remixes are usually hard to come by in this here internet age. Luckily we have the NicoNico King Hyadain’s work to keep us entertained.

Hyadain seems to be a one of a kind artist. He’s done everything from over the top orchestral arrangements to full-on J-pop style vocal mixes, but nothing quiet compares to this latest remix…

Beautiful no? Not only has he been able to create this song possibly more beautiful than the original, he has done it many times before.

Not quiet your style? How about something more upbeat and happy!

How about something serious yet goofy.

Still not feeling it? Then how about my personal favorite.

With a portfolio as vast and varied as Hyadain there is bound to be a number of songs you will get attatched to.

Please check out Hyadain youtube page for more information and even more videos.

I love Japanese Cleaning Product commercials. Fun fact, my nickname when I studied in Tokyo was Mr. Sparkle! In making this post I also learned how to deeplink in an embedded video to skip the first chunk of the clip. Check it out.

I have been sitting here for nearly 15 minutes trying to think of some way to get you excited for this video. In all honesty I’ve come up with nothing. If you can honestly read the title and look at the image above and tell me that you are not at all interested in what the heck is going on then God, please help this earth. For the rest of you prepare to be glad that you are part of the glory that is the human race.

No matter what troubles you face in your own life, this dog can make them better.

The image above is no mere photoshop. Behold people of Earth! Behold Chii and her glorious smile!