Square Enix Takes Us Behind the Scenes With Its ‘Epic Meal Time’ Collaboration

Food and cooking are “absolutely essential element” of the game.

Japanese video game company Square Enix posted a behind-the-scenes video of its collaboration with the gut-busting Canadian cooking web video series “Epic Meal Time” on Friday. The collaboration originally streamed in April, after the meat-loving cooks were flown to Japan by Square Enix to throw together a cheeseburger bentōbox for the company’s hungry staff.

In the new video, Tomohiro Hasegawa, the art director of Square Enix‘s upcoming Final Fantasy XV, explains that FFXV will incorporate food and cooking more into its plot and gameplay. Hajime Tabata, the game’s director, also shows off the “Epic Meal Time” version of the Special Hamburger, a towering hamburger that will appear inFFXV. Their version more closely resembles a stack of ham and cheese sandwiches. Finally, viewers are treated to footage of the upcoming game.

Final Fantasy XV is scheduled for a release date of September 30 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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One Piece and music lovers can now add Brook’s iconic Shark Guitar to their collections!

The new instrument is also perfect for confusing your bandmates when you tell them that your biggest musical influence is a skeleton.

Fans of One Piece‘s “Soul King” Brook should be pleased to know that the jammin’ skeleton’s very own Shark Guitar is now available for preorder!

This guitar is a welcome collaboration between Premium Bandai and Shimamura Music, and is made entirely in Japan with a body crafted from American basswood. In addition, the parts are produced by Gotoh, a Japanese guitar hardware and accessories company known for their top-notch quality. In other words, this isn’t just some cheap anime tie-in product, but a bona fide musical instrument fit for the pros.

Check out the Shark Guitar’s sleek design, faithfully replicated from the One Piece anime:

▼ Amusingly, the output jack is located right in the mouth area.

▼ This sweet official plate adorns the head.

▼ The Shark Guitar also comes with a hard case, a leather strap, and a certificate of authenticity acknowledging your own guitar’s unique serial number.

▼ Detail of the leather strap

▼ Guitar specifications

Both Premium Bandai and Shimamura Music are now taking preorders for the Shark Guitar, with an expected shipping date of September. Shoppers should be warned that the guitar will set them back 270,000 yen (US$2,640), tax included, but that’s a small price to pay for dedicated fans of Brook…right?

If not, Shimamura Music is also selling 27 collectible One Piece-themed guitar picks. A pack of two randomly selected picks goes for just 450 yen ($4.40), which should make your wallets just a teensy bit happier:

Enjoy jammin’ the Seven Seas on your very own quest to become the best guitarist there ever was!

Sources/Images: Premium Bandai, Shimamura Music

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These custom rings from Takayas based on Sailor Moon and Star Wars are absolutely stellar!

If you’re a fan of either franchise, these custom-made rings are sure to inspire!

It goes without saying that when tying the knot with the love of your life, there are a lot of important decisions which must be made. Will you have a big wedding? Will you buy a house? Will you have kids, and if so, how many will you have?

Before any of that, though, comes choosing a wedding ring. There is a lot of thought that must go into picking out such a small item, and as it is a symbol of your unity and will be with you throughout the remainder of your lives together, it needs to be special.

We’ve seen a lot of the magic that Takayas has worked before, creating custom, one-of-a-kind engagement and wedding rings for couples, working in aspects of their fandom to represent a part of who they are.

This time around, Takayas received a request to recreate the tiara of bride-to-be Joni’s favorite heroine, Sailor Saturn, in ring form. Instead of creating the band from one solid piece of metal, as the tiara is, Takayas went with a design using two thin metal strips parallel to each other to form the tiara’s shape, crossing in the back to make the ring more comfortable to wear.

After digitally experimenting with different purple-hued stones, Takayas went with moonstone to better accent the simple yet elegant design of the ring.

We’re sure Joni will never tire of seeing this gorgeous ring on her finger, and the couple’s wedding bands are nothing to be forgotten either, being inspired by Star Wars light sabers from the dark side.

So remember guys, the saying may go “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, but sometimes a moonstone is even better!

Source and images: TAKAYAS Custom Jewelry

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Live out Disney fantasies with the new “mermaid tour” experience in Japan

These gorgeous bikini-clad sirens reveal what’s in store for tourists, who can now dress and swim as mermaids in the pool this summer.

Ever since Ariel the mermaid sang about wanting to be a “part of that world” above sea, hundreds of Disney-loving fans dreamed of trading places with her for a day in her bright and colourful world below the ocean. Tapping into the market for mermaid enthusiasts, a Japanese tourist company called Rising Asia has been connecting local travellers to the Philippines with a “Mermaid Tour” service for visitors on beautiful Cebu Island, where tourists can live out their maritime fantasies and receive a beautiful photo memoir of their experience too.

The company is now reaching out to different shores, offering the popular activity plan to visitors travelling to the Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan and Guam in the Western Pacific and Okinawa in Japan. Each of the plans includes the opportunity to dress in a colourful mermaid tail fin, with a professional photographer on hand to capture some gorgeous images as keepsake mementos.

▼ Whether you’re travelling with a friend or in a group,
photos like these will make for a unique memory of the trip!

▼ Participants can bring their own favourite swimwear and accessories like necklaces and hair ornaments to complete the mermaid makeover.

The photoshoots take roughly an hour to complete, and the experience on Cebu Island takes place at a beautiful swimming pool on the grounds of a plush hotel. Participants here can also try swimming in the pool while wearing the mermaid tail under close supervision, making in-water action shots like this one below possible.

On the island of Saipan, the photographer will take photos on a sandy beach, with the opportunity for some atmospheric sunset shots or images of mermaids staring wistfully out to sea. The photographer is happy to accommodate requests for various poses and scenarios.

On Guam, photo shoots take place on the island’s most popular beach, Tumon Beach. And on Okinawa, in Japan, guests will head to one of the many gorgeous sandy beaches for their commemorative photo experience.

▼ Even if visitors take part in the activity as a group, everybody goes home with a solo photo of themselves to keep as a cherished memento.

The tours are being offered through travel website Tabi no Tatsujin, with the Okinawa experience taking approximately one hour, along with hotel transfers to the location, and costing 10,000 yen (US$98) per person. To see what’s available, stop by the website for more details!

Reference, Images: PR Times

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