Rocobo, New Digital Pet is a Moody Transformer

Via TokyoMango:Takara Tomy's newest pet robot is this guy, Rocobo, who looks like a taxicab made of Lego but has a digital face that smiles, laughs, cries, complains, poops (yea, I don't know how the face poops, you'll have to buy one to find out), gets sick, sings karaoke, and tells you your fortune. There's even a secret mode that makes it transform. Comes out in August.

McDonalds in Japan: Mega Teriyaki

Via PlasticBamboo.com: Fans of the Mega Mac will rejoice at the announcement of the new Mega Teriyaki - 903 calories and 64.3 grams of fat in the form of two pork patties, teriyaki sauce and sweet lemon mayonnaise. McDonalds are even pitching it against the Mega Mac in the ultimate burger battle.

Limited Edition Hello Kitty Grand Pianist

Via PlasticBamboo.com: Following the success of Sega Toys’ Grand Pianist, the company has decided to create a limited edition run of the mini piano. Featuring the world’s most famous mouthless cat, Hello Kitty, the fully functioning piano will go on sale in October for 68,250 yen (£276/$554).

Wanna know more? Check out AP Community Blog

PC

PC

Mahou no Chocolate (Magical Chocolate)

I found this lovely anime on youtube just now. It's only 8 minutes and 25 seconds long, but it's like watching a complete school anime.
Time it took to make it: 5 months~! It contains 1700 cells.

Here's the official website:
http://sammena.sakura.ne.jp/anime/mahocho/mahocho.html

For translations of the website, you might wanna ask Kami-nii-chan... Sorry, there's no english version ^^;

Tsunami's 6 year run coming to an end??

小林尊 (Kobayashi Takeru) or The Tsunami, as he's been called, has been diagnosed with arthritis of the Jaw. He's currently undergoing treatment and hopes to be healed by the time of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

小林尊 isn't just known for his hotdog record, he also holds the record for Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating ChampioWinship since 2004.

In Hong Kong, 2005, he consumed 83 Veggie Dumplings in 8minutes and then next day ate 100 roasted pork buns in 12 minutes.

Winner of the 2005 Alka-Seltzer US Open of Competitive Eating and Glutton Bowl winner in 2002.

His recent victories include:
Aug. 5, 2006 at the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for eating 58 bratwurst sausages in 10 minutes, and in Sept. 23, 2006 set a record in the Phantom Food Festival in Boston, Massachusetts for eating 41 Summer Shack Lobster Rolls in 10 minutes.

His less noteable records for eating include 8kgs of Cow Brains in 15 minutes, and 9kgs of rice balls in 30mins.

The Tsunami suffered his only loss in 2003 to a 495kg Kodiak bear.
小林尊 managed to eat 31 bunless hot dogs in 2 minutes 36 seconds compared the the bears 50.


Mainichi Daily's Article on The Tsunami's jaw can be found here.

New Japanese Pitcher Technic!

Striiiiike! :D

Japanese TV: Treadmill of Death Sprint Game

(Via TVinJapan.com):
The object of the game is to try to get the cookie and eat it from the 4 stations that are located next to this huge treadmill. In order to get to the stations you must run on this floor length treadmill after you get the cookie from the station the treadmill’s speed is increased. Can they keep up with it?

Don't forget about the voice center!

Its loads of fun! Even if you don't want to record one, you can still listen to all the old ones. The latest one is from Lucy! Have a listen now! I think its quite good. :P

Don't be shy now, you can record your own mini podcast or just record music for others to hear! Sharing is caring! -Pocky

Japanese TV: World's Fastest Drinker...

... of bottled water!! Sugoi!!!!

Romeo x Juliet Part 2

As said before, Romeo x Juliet is based on William Shakespear's Romeo & Juliet.

Similar to Shakespear's play the story is about a young and tragic love, expect this time the story takes place in a city called Neo Verona. In Neo Verona, a tyranny rules the island in the sky after the Montague family took control 14 years prior to the present state. Disparity is apparent between the wealthy and poor, the earth dries and water stagnates. The sky has also wrapped itself in a deep dense fog.

Romeo and Juliet both come from lineages that are of the present and past ruling families of Neo Verona. Romeo is the son of the current dictator, Montague, where as Juliet (who is a beautiful woman) masquerades as the man named Odin, is the last descendent of Capulet who were the previous rulers that were killed by an assasin's dagger 14 years ago. Juliet's background is not to be revealed to her until her 16th brithday while being raised by her sister. Through the cruel hands of fate, two people are introduced who will end up becoming "Star Crossed Lovers".

The mp3's can be found here:
Gendou. com - You Raise Me Up (Japanese)
Gendou.com - You Raise Me Up (Tv Size)
Rapid Share - You Raise Me Up (English)

Romeo x Juliet Part 1

While surfing the web, once again I came across an anime called Romeo x Juliet. The anime is produced by Gonzo the same people that produced the anime Kiddy Grade. It is based on Shakespear's Romeo & Juliet. Did I mention, that William Shakespear is even in the anime commenting on his plays, lol. Anyhoo, below is the opening and the amv containing the full version of the opening song.

Opening:


Full Version/AMV:

Bonus: Online Manga added

Manga has just been integrated with Ani-Pock! Over 40 titles! Among them... Naruto, Bleach, Ichigo 100%, Initial D, Hunter X Hunter, Pretty Face and more! Check it out!
-Pocky

Site News: YouTube and iSketch integration

Whatya guys think? For the YouTube button, you have the choice of US or JP versions, so click the right one! iSketch should work like it has been.

There is room to add more sites in the nav bar (I can reorganize). What else should I add? Please let me know what websites you visit on a daily basis and I'll stick it right in the navbar! For example, I use Digg.com a lot. So that might be something I want to integrate into Ani-Pock. What's your pick? I'll be reading the comments!

-Pocky

Bandai's Virtual bubblewrap

(Via Engadget.com) :
Bandai Asovision has taken possibly the most enjoyable side benefit of having a gadget obsessed life and made it 100% legitimate with the PuchiPuchi, a gadget that emulates the joy of popping bubble wrap. The PuchiPuchi simply features eight buttons that each make a popping sound when you press them: for extra enjoyment, the creators have sought to include bonus popping sounds like "door chime" and "sexy voice" every 100 pops, and there's also a one-in-a-thousand chance that your PuchiPuchi will be a super special "puchi lucky" toy with a heart shaped bubble. Frankly, the concept is so absurd -- and, well, Japanese -- that it might just work. Still, we've got to admit to hoping that each PuchiPuchi includes a healthy portion of real bubble wrap on the side.

Read more about it here (Japanese).

ピアノの上でポップコーンを食べるハムスター

ピアノの上でポップコーンを食べるハムスター : (The hamster which eats the popcorn on the piano)

BREAKING: Dramatic Chipmunk - From Japanese TV Show Hello! Morning

(Via TvinJapan.com):

You know that 5 second clip of that dramatic chipmunk...? Well now watch!



What you might not know, is that the clip is from the Japanese TV show Hello! Morning which is a morning talk show full of girls that chatter like chipmunks. Also, what you might not know, is that the chipmunk in question is actually a prairie dog.

What’s really surprising to me is the simple fact that the ‘dramatic’ part of the video really elicts no real reaction from either the producers or the show’s hosts. I would’ve expected there to be some awesome on screen graphics or some sound effect to go with it. As it is, it almost stands out more now.

A Ball Thrown Back 100 km/h From A Truck Moving 100 km/h

What will happen?

Vector physics in real life. From "Trivia no Izumi" (Fountain of Trivia), the same Japanese show that figured out how heavy a fish Dora cat can carry.

Strange Japanese claw catching arcade machines (UFO Catcher)

This one is for catching ramen... xD

Here's a goldfish one too:

A lunch one... (this one I saw in Japan)

and finally a normal one!!

Japanese Festival Man vs. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake

Via Japanprobe.com:
A Japanese TV show recently sent comedian/festival-lover Daisuke “Festival Man’” Miyagawa to the famously bizarre/dangerous Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake in the UK. Never heard of it? Here’s what Wikipedia says:

The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake is an annual event held in May at Cooper’s Hill, near Cheltenham and Gloucester in the Cotswolds region of England. The event takes its name from the hill it occurs on, a name shared by the village on the hill. Competitors race down the hill after a Double Gloucester cheese, and the first person over the line wins the cheese. In theory, competitors are aiming to catch the cheese, but since it has a one second head start and can reach speeds up to 70 mph (enough to knock over and injure a spectator as it did in 1997), this rarely occurs.

Continued...


HE tries it out in this clip!!! :

Super Mario Bros. Theme By Tesla Coils

Via Kotaku.com:

"Who knew that Tesla coils could produce music? Answer: not me. This two man electrical band is capable of regurgitating blippy NES era music not only from Super Mario Bros. but Tetris and Gargoyle's Quest as well. While some may charge The Geek Group with overstaying their YouTube welcome with a shocking number of videos of similar tunes, I found the whole thing very en-lightning."

YouTube Japan is out!

Go check it out!

If you find any good videos, please leave them in the comments of this post and one us will get around to posting it later!

Polysics sign to MySpace Records

(Via Plasticbamboo.com): "The incredible Polysics have signed to MySpace Records in the US. MySpace Records is, according to Wikipedia, “a record label started in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation.”

The label intends to release the Polysics best of album “Polysics or Die!!!!” later this year. TOISU!!!!"

Pika Pika Yukai

Hey all, I think an entire month has passed since some variant of the Hare Hare song has been posted... so allow me to relieve your lack of hareness with this! Hare Hare Yukai Pokemon version. ピカピカユカイ (Thanks Danning!)

Worlds Oldest Man has no plans to Die soon.

田鍋友時 (Tanabe Tomoji, born Sept 18, 1895) on June 18th received "World's Oldest Man" certificate from Guinness World Records during a ceremony in southern Japan, while telling reporters "I don't want to die."
He thanked his children and grandchildren for caring for him over the years and described the event as "nothing special."

At the age of 111, he still has a bit to go to catch up the "World's Oldest Person", 皆川 ヨ子 (Minagawa Yone, born January 4, 1893) who is 114.

"I don't drink alcohol -- that is the biggest reason for my good health," Tomoji Tanabe told reporters. He also told media he does not smoke and likes a glass of milk a day.

Interestingly enough, 泉 重千代 (Izumi Shigechiyo, June 29, 1865 – February 21, 1986) 120 years old, attributed his long life opposite that of 田鍋友時, with 焼酎, (shouchuu) used in part of his daily dietary regimen. Even against the words of his doctors, 泉 重千代 went on to say "Without shouchuu there would be no pleasure in life. I would rather die than give up drinking."

Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, at 81.25 years of age as of 2006 with with 28,395 people aged 100 or above in Japan at the end of September last year (according to the Health Ministry). Even though some personal reasons may be different, experts often attribute the longevity to a Japanese diet rich in vegetables and fish and tight-knit communities.

Reports of 田鍋友時's new title can be found on Yahoo and Mainichi Daily

I know things aren't as exciting without pictures... so here you go...
A sample of the popular Japanese Diet

Some 酎ハイ (Chu-Hi) which name comes from "shouchuu highball".

The great Tokyo pyramid?

Via Japundit.com:

Johnny Depp in Japan

These little kids are really talented! Especially at that keyboard looking thing!

JNews: Bullet Train Accident Kills One, Injures One

June 15 (Bloomberg) -- One person was killed after he was hit by a Central Japan Railway Co. bullet at a station near Tokyo, Yokohama city fire department spokesman Yoshifumi Isobe said by phone. Another person was injured in the incident.

Trains restarted running after the incident at New-Yokohama and services are delayed, Taro Yoshikawa, a spokesman for JR Central, said. The company's Web site said trains are delayed for up to one hour.

Central Japan, the country's main operator of high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains, delayed services in October when a train hit and killed a person as it passed through Shizuoka station.

The company's shares rose 2.5 percent to 123,000 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The accident happened around 4 p.m., according to the fire department, after the stock market closed.

Japanese Human Tetris

This is awesome! Via TVinJapan.com: "Now this is how you take Tetris to the next level. Instead of moving blocks into the right position you now have 1 big block that comes toward you and you must position your body to go thru the block. I would so love to try it out and see if i could do it."

~Rin's AMV Pick of the Week~

This was made by PunkChick, but I can't get over it. It's fantastic! *.*

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society... The Review.

Any movie with a ten word title has to be good, and GITS: SAC: SSS is no exception.
The movie takes place a few years after the television series of which the movie is based on (gee, I hope I don't have to explain what the Ghost in the Shell series is to you, loyal otaku!).

The movie has a slightly different feel about it. The Major has left Section 9, there are a bit more members in the organization, and Togusa has lost most of his flowing mess of hair (I wonder if comes with going fully prosthetic) as he steps in as Motoko's replacement. Although Motoko is not a part of Sec 9 anymore, that doesn't still mean she won't play a big part in this movie. In fact, word on the street is she may be even the feared "Puppeteer" the latest bad guy the Cyber Terrorism group is after.

The movie is out for purchase on R1 DVD now in several stores.
I love the fight scenes as much as I love the dialogue I can never follow. My brother (THC) and I always have such deep conversations covering so many of the underlying concepts the GitS scriptwriters provide. Plenty of plot twists throughout; the movie feels like it climaxes three or more times throughout and the ends just as quickly. Also, look for the return of some old "friends" towards the end of the movie. The whole movie is almost reminiscent of the first GitS movie. I recommend it highly!

Yuki Saito - Singer & Songwriter

(斉藤 由貴, Saitō Yuki) is a singer songwriter, actor born in Minami-ku, Japan. Her married name is Yuki Isarai (小井 由貴, Isarai Yuki), though she continues to work under her maiden name. Saitō is well-known in Japan for being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . She drew some attention to that fact when she first began her career because she refused to work on Sunday. Her hobbies include songwriting, illustrating and reading.

In 1984, while attending high school, Saitō won the third annual "Miss Magazine" Grand Prix contest run by Kodansha. She made her singing debut in 1985 with her release Sotsugyō, and the telephone cards used to promote the single began selling for over ¥100,000 each (despite not being printed by NTT), setting the stage for her goods going for a premium whenever they appeared. She became one of the most popular idols in the 1980s.
That same year, Saitō took the leading role in Sukeban Deka, a TV series following the exploits of Saki Asamiya, a high school delinquent who is pressed into service as a yo-yo-wielding undercover police officer sent to a high school known for its vicious gangs. The outrageous plots in each episode earned Saitō overnight success, and the scenes where she used the yo-yo were the most popular.
Saitō was selected to play the heroine in the NHK morning TV novel series Hane Konma in 1986. This series garnered a rating of over 40% for its timeslot, and made Saitō a household name throughout Japan. At the end of the year, she was the captain of the Red Team on Kōhaku Uta Gassen, where she debuted her song, Kanashimi yo Konnichi wa, the first opening theme for the anime TV series Maison Ikkoku. This song became one of the most popular anime theme songs of all time[1]. She would later, in 2007, perform both the opening and ending theme songs for another anime series, Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette, an adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel and Nippon Animation's latest continuation to their famed World Masterpiece Theater series. Interestingly, Saitō had earlier played the title character, Cosette, in its 1987 musical version.
She wrote a commentary on Yasutaka Tsutsui's work Kyakusō Gijitsu in 1989. In 1994, Saitō married Nobuyasu Isarai, and they currently (2006) have one son and two daughters. While she still occasionally takes acting roles, she spends most of her time with her family. During the 1990s, Saitō began moving from the role of idol star to doing more acting in movies, television, and on stage. She also began writing poetry and doing voice-over narration. Saitō is known for being a songwriter and lyricist, often compared to contemporaries such as Noriko Sakai and Minako Honda.
Saitō has a wide range of roles, from serious to comedic. Throughout the 1992, most of her roles on stage, TV, and film were serious, dramatic roles. In 2006, she returned to her comedy roots with a role in Wagahai wa Shufu Dearu, reestablishing herself as able to handle many different roles.
Along with Mitsuhiro Oikawa, she formed a duo called "Yanake" in 2006 and released Kateinai Date (家庭内デート, Kateinai Date?), and made her first singing appearance in seven years on June 8, 2006. This year also marked the 17th year since her appearance on the Takaaki Ishibashi owarai show Tonwarazu no Mina-san no Okage Desu.
In the 2006 movie, Sukeban Deka, Saitō plays Saki's mother.


sources: see LDSFilms.com

Out of the office until 6/18

Hey all~ I'll be leaving Ani-Pock San Diego HQ for Europe Friday! I'll be in the Netherlands visiting Purly, and then I'll hop over to Belgium and Switzerland (Yes, very big bunny hops! Rin taught me well!).

I won't be taking my lil blue laptop so I'll only have a little bit of Internet access at cafes. Watch for my Europe report in the Community Blog when I get back! Please be nice to each other in my absence. And have an awesome start of your summer all!!

~Pocky

Anime North: Ever been to a Con?

:D Who is that cute thing on the left? Hmm?

Many of you went to a anime convention once in your life. If not, shame on you(Hurry up and go to one). It's fun and yet scary place. In a anime conventions there are panels, where we anime freaks watch or talk about anime/japanese related topics, sometimes you can find some American made cartoons. BUT! The one thing that everyone comes for is the: Dealer's Room. This is where us anime fans go to buy anime crap, yes, crap. From cheap manga to those damn 5 inch lolita shoes(so expensive*cry*) to plushies. Aside from all that there is the people. The people of this conventions dress up in cosplays! Even I had some random outfits on. When I went there so many people were wearing costumes, they were half done, crappy looking or amazing good. I have come across some nice looking cosplays. Some are quite...scary and disturbing. Seriously, why would a old fat man be wearing nothing but spandex underwear cosplaying as a westler. Though there was this cool Zabuza(Naruto) who had his sword. It was HUUUGE! Amazing really, some ninjas stole it from him. (Heh) This picture below I thought was kickass, when though my father took the picture and I wasn't even there to see it. xD But I did see them at the con a few times.

Now. Enjoy a very very crappy verison of Haruhi Dance. Atleast they tryed right?

Fishkids Invasion!!

Here's a cute/creepy video for you! I was looking for the Algorythm Taiso and suddenly this popped up! This is the promotional song for A brand of tappuri (as far as I can tell, it's a sort of noodle sauce. Obviously, this one contains lots of cod eggs XP) Personally I find the two girls just too adorable! But the song's lyrics are just so wierd!

By the way, this is not the original version. It's the christmas version. I liked it better because of the background singers and the used instruments.

Find the lyrics and translation here

DESU DES DESUUU~

Hey, Pockers! TL here with a fabulous AMV-desu! For fans of Rozen Maiden, you know her as Suisei Seki, everyone else knows her as "the girl who uses desu too much". I lurves this-desu!

And for Death Note fans as well~
Desu Note-desu!

Desu Note by *JohnSu on deviantART

Anime North 2007 Slideshow

Okay, since Ichigo hasn't posted her Anime North report (she went), I'm posting this slideshow I found on Youtube. What is Anime North you ask?

Anime North is a non-profit, fan-run anime convention, held every year in Toronto, Ontario. Its major events include a Masquerade, Dealer's Room, Artist Alley, Guest of Honor presentations, Gaming (Video and RPG), Panel Discussions, Video Presentation, Contests, and Dances. The convention is hosted at both the Toronto Congress Centre and the adjacent Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, near the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Anime North 2006, which was the 10th Anime North, took place on May 26-28, 2006 and was the largest yet, with an estimated 12,500 attendees.

Japanese Piggy bank eats your money!

From Banpresto, Japan. It loves to eat coins and it recognizes it right away by a object-sensitive censor.
Now on preorder at Strapya World and Strapya Stores.

Let's Play in English Japanese Kids' Show

Via TVinJapan.com: "This is how you teach Japanese children English. By importing some of the most frightening people around. To scream at them English words. While the play the guitar. To hide the fact that they’re screaming. On TV. In Japan."

Every episode of Bleach online?

Sure looks like it! Eps 1-127 at least! All online and powered by Veoh (the one Chikyuu mentioned a while back!)

Armageddon 2007 Kamehameha Contest

(I like to call it the Streetfighter hadoken contest). Christchurch, New Zealand Armageddon pulp culture expo April 2007. The semi-final of the Dragon Ball Z Kamehameha imitating contest.

Finalists:


Semifinalists:

Pocky Movement #5: "Pocky of the End of the Dream"

Almond pocky:
Hmm. There’s a flavor in here I can’t quite place. The almond chunks over chocolate is nice. Definitely a pronounced nutty flavor. I can eat this. A lot. XD
In fact, I'm eating one right now! XD

Retails: US 4.00

To learn more about the Pocky store I visit occasionally and the flavors they stock, click here.

You can still win them in the forum posting game of course...

No one's even broken the required 250 200 posts to participate.

Note: The moment just before I posted this, I have found the forums have been closed. Sorry.

Aya Matsuura - TROPICAL Koishiteru

TROPICAL Koishiteru PV

Wood Gundam!

Via DannyChoo.com: "If you've got 54,000 yen lying about then you may (or may not) be interested in this 30CM tall wooden Gundam. Could come in handy when you are out of firewood I guess ^^;
Found on IT Media and Gunota."

Pocky: Part Six..

By popular demand!

Strawberry Pocky:

Bleh. Strawberry-flavored Japanese snacks always turn me off. Why did I get this?
Almost slightly reminds me of white chocolate… if you like that sort of thing. xP

Retails: US 3.50.

I'm afraid to try the tsubu-tsubu strawberry. You know, chunky strawberry. ==>
There are some Pockers that do want to review it. Be sure to check the comments for reviews if you are interested.

Members Page!

Hello and welcome to a new month within the year of 2007!

Today, yesyes, is June 1st, and that means we have a new area in the members page for you to leave a quote, sentence, word, action, of anything in writing form!



Feel free to clickclickclicktyppppppppeclick, and post!


We want to hear what you have to say, we do.