Pixiv to release modeling software that lets you easily create gorgeous 3D anime characters【Vid】

16:39 cherishe 0 Comments

Design stunning characters and show them off to the world. Best of all, it’s absolutely free!

Ever wanted to make your own unique 3D anime character but stopped because it’d take countless hours to create one that resembles a virtual YouTuber? Such was the case in the past, but times have changed.

Pixiv Inc., the company behind Japanese artist community Pixiv, has just announced their free streamlined modeling software called VRoid Studio, allowing both aspiring artists and veterans alike to swiftly design characters as they see fit.

▼ Creating your original 3D anime character has never been so easy.

VRoid Studio is packed with features to take the hassle out of character creation, so let’s take a closer look at some of them.

With the “Procedural Hair Design” feature, artists can use the stylus to create 3D objects like hair and tweak a ton of customization options via slider bars to adjust thickness, direction, or even the way hair tips curve.

▼ Draw a few strokes, modifying each lock of hair…

▼ …and tailor your character’s look effortlessly.

VRoid Studio also comes with “Texture Painting”, a powerful tool offering users the ability to directly paint onto 3D objects in the program. Conventional texture mapping techniques require pre-made textures to be wrapped around 3D models, a monumental task for those who aren’t tech-savvy. But VRoid Studio streamlines the experience and lets artists fully concentrate on drawing instead of grappling with 3D modeling concepts they aren’t familiar with.

Brush pressure sensitivity is a must for software like these, and VRoid Studio is no different, allowing artists to express their creativity with bold and light strokes of the stylus.

▼ Not satisfied with the stock eyes? Add as much detail as you want.

▼ A real-time preview on the side helps users focus on their work.

There’s a wealth of customization options for hair and eyes, but Pixiv Inc. hopes to push the boundaries and provide more tools for other body parts to give artists a true sense of drawing on a 3D model.

The recent rise in virtual YouTubers, virtual reality, and augmented reality-based communication has in turn resulted in a steady demand for quality 3D character models. However, existing software are often complicated to operate and require a huge time investment to learn their techniques. Pixiv Inc. hopes to fill this void with the easily accessible VRoid Studio.

▼ This Twitter user went for a
warrior look on his character

Available to Windows and Mac users, VRoid Studio will undergo closed beta testing starting late July, and signing up is as easy as heading to the official website here and plugging in your e-mail address.

Development of a platform called VR Project is also underway, which lets people use their created anime characters as avatars to communicate in an online world, all done using virtual reality or augmented reality. That doesn’t mean its use is limited to only social purposes though, as utilizing it for 3D animation or game development is just as feasible too.

As a company that encourages and supports artists, Pixiv Inc. envisions both VRoid Studio and VR Project to pave the way for even greater 3D content. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, why not give the program a whirl? It’s good to be prepared for when you can enjoy a date at a cafe with your virtual crush!

Source: Pixiv VRoid, YouTube/Pixiv via Panora
Images: YouTube/Pixiv



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My Mom Is Stalking Me

10:50 cherishe 0 Comments

Raph's creepy stalker was taking pictures of him 9 months before he was even BORN.

My Mom Is Stalking Me


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Japan’s World Cup match-predicting octopus gutted after loss to Poland… literally

06:14 cherishe 0 Comments

That’s probably one result he didn’t see coming.

It’s FIFA World Cup time again, which means its time for people all over Japan to see if animals have the supernatural ability to predict the outcomes of games.

I hear there’s some kind of tournament too, but who can think about that with all this paranormal activity afoot!

▼ These jellyfish predicted Poland’s victory over Japan

One rising star in the psychic animal friends network was Rabiot, a Giant Pacific Octopus caught in the town of Obira, Hokkaido and presumably named after the French midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Rabiot’s selection method involved being placed in a two-meter (6.6-foot) wide kiddie pool divided into three sectors: win (Japan), lose (opponent country), and draw. Rabiot’s “prediction” would be determined by what part of the pool he would take refuge in.

Rabiot became nationally known during the first stage of the 2018 World Cup, being one of the few animals to have beaten the odds (one in 27 to be exact) and predicted Japan’s win against Colombia, tie with Senegal, and loss to Poland.

Despite Japan’s moving on to the next round of the tournament, Rabiot’s rise to fame came to an abrupt end. Apparently, Kimio Abe, the 51-year-old fisherman who caught Rabiot, felt it was more important to maintain his business than continue indulging the belief that his octopus was the reincarnation of Lefty Rosenthal.

So, he promptly had Rabiot “shipped,” which is a polite term for having the octopus gutted and cleaned before sending him off to market.

Rabiot-watchers were saddened by the news, but many understood that this was the way of life in the octopus fishing business.

“Rabiot…”
“Sayonara.”
“I hope you end up in something really delicious.”
“He was ‘shipped’ and there ain’t nothing we can do about it.”
“That fisherman really doesn’t play around.”

Indeed he doesn’t, but showing his appreciation, Abe told media he was happy that Rabiot could hit all three games correctly and that Japan could advance to the next round. He then added, “I hope that the second Rabiot will also give all the outcomes correctly and that Japan will go all the way.”

Japan, who barely squeezed by and got into the next round due to a technicality, is set to face third-ranked Belgium in the next round. So, you might say that getting slaughtered was perhaps Rabiot’s way of making one final correct prediction….

Source: Mainichi Shimbun, Hachima Kiko
Featured image: Twitter/@mizuhara_kai



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Legendary anime Evangelion’s creator and mecha appear in ad for Sapporo Beer【Video】

22:14 cherishe 0 Comments

Hideaki Anno explains his philosophy of personal improvement while the giant robot from his signature series makes a cameo.

Sapporo Beer’s Black Label line has a long-running ad campaign called the “Adult Elevator” series. In each installment, the main character steps off an elevator and has a philosophical conversation with a well-known figure whose age matches the number of the floor.

In the 31st episode, actor Satoshi Tsumabuki gets off on the 58th floor, where his eyes are greeted by a view of an isolated house on a savanna heated by a shimmering sunset. Inside, he finds “a man who’s having fun creating visual images,” whom anime fans will recognize as 58-year-old Hideaki Anno, creator and director of Evangelion.

Tsumabuki takes a seat in the eclectically decorated rustic home, and asks Anno to share some of the wisdom he’s acquired in the course of his life that’s included dropping out of college, helping to found one of Japan’s most influential anime studios, and being simultaneously one of the most lauded and derided directors to ever work in the anime industry. “What is money?” Tsumabuki ponders, to which Anno responds:

“Even if you have money, it doesn’t matter unless you change it into something. When you change money into something else, that’s when value is created.”

At this point, the video cuts to an outside shot, where what appears to be an Evangelion Unit, backlight by the lingering flames of the late afternoon sun, takes a step so heavy it jostles a pail of Sapporo Beer cans chilling in ice.

▼ The robot’s cameo

“What is challenging yourself?” Tsumabuki asks next, and this time Anno’s answer is:

“It’s standing tall. I don’t think it’s challenging yourself to try to reach something that’s beyond your grasp. It’s when you say, ‘As long as I have this much, I’ll be OK.’”

The two then sip their beers, and the ad comes to a close.

For fans who’ve followed Anno’s career, in which his works have been regularly colored by his bouts with depression and self-doubt, there’s something heartwarming in seeing the director looking so relaxed and content. The image of the famously frustrated Anno seemingly at peace with himself, and the world he lives in, is as refreshing as any chilled brew, and while some anime fans will no doubt shake their fists at the ad and shout for Anno to get back to work on the long-delayed fourth Rebuild of Evangelion movie, it’s nice to see him calmly enjoying a quiet moment in his adult life.

Source: Sapporo Beer, Comic Natalie via Otakomu
Top image: Sapporo Beer



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Original SoftBank dog Kai-kun passes away at 16

18:19 cherishe 0 Comments

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the life and times of a very good boy.

On 28 June, SoftBank announced that their beloved long-time spokesdog, Kai-kun, had passed away due to complications of old age. He was 16, according to the announcement.

Although often confused for a Shiba or Akita dog, Kai-kun was actually a Hokkaido dog, also known as an Ainu Dog, a breed named after the northernmost prefecture and its native people respectively. And it was in the small coastal town of Mukawa, Hokkaido that Kai-kun was born in a litter along with his sister Nene and brother Polo.

Kai-kun, who’s name literally means “sea” in Japanese, spent his early years in comfort, enjoying his favorite foods of salmon, sausages and cucumbers. However, it didn’t take long for his bold personality and healthy coat to draw him towards the glitz and glamour of show business.

In 2004, he got his first break in the NHK drama Tenka playing a dog. Later in 2006, Kai-kun landed another role, this time as a dog who fathered eight superhuman warriors in the TBS version of the classic Japanese epic Tale of Eight Dogs, adapted for television.

▼ Kai-kun appears right away and very briefly at the five-second mark, so don’t blink!

However, it was in 2007 that Kai-kun earned the role of his career as the father of the Shirato Family in the long-running series of ads for telecom giant SoftBank. As a member of the eclectic family, alongside his wife played by Kanako Higuchi and children played by Aya Ueto and Dante Carver, he quickly won the hearts of Japanese viewers and became an icon of the smartphone age.

His popularity soared through the turn of the decade, but as with many rises to fame, the small-town Kai-kun had trouble adjusting to the pressures of stardom. In February of 2014, the star caused a stir when during a press conference with noted regional mascot Funasshi, he began acting unruly.

In front of a shocked mass media, Kai-kun brazenly urinated on stage several times and attempted to hump a few people. He had to be removed from the conference about halfway through.

The fallout was immense, with many questioning why a dog of his stature wasn’t properly house trained. Shortly after, Kai-kun announced his retirement in April of that same year, citing old age as the reason.

▼ One of Kai-kun’s last appearances was as the illegitimate father of once-in-a-millennium idol Kanna Hashimoto

However, the role of father of the Shirato Family was passed down to his two sons Kaito-kun and Kaiki-kun who have been successfully carrying the torch alongside guest-stars such as Justin Bieber and Piko Taro.

They say that every dog has its day, but some dogs have everyday, and despite his ups and downs Kai-kun was one such canine. For that we would like to pay our respects and wish him well in that big farm in the sky with lots of room to run around in.

Source: SoftBank, My Game News Flash
Top image: YouTube/TheSEXmachineX
Insert image: SoftBank



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Mobile release of Pokémon Quest celebrated with “Real Pokémon Quest” events and Twitter campaign

10:49 cherishe 0 Comments

The Pokémon Company is all about celebrating their releases!

Pokémon Quest has been out for a while now on the Nintendo Switch, but for those of us who don’t have one yet, we’ve been patiently awaiting its smartphone release. To our delight, the game dropped on the iTunes App Store and Google Play yesterday, and Pokémon fans who haven’t had the chance to try it yet will want to check it out!

If you aren’t familiar, in this new free-to-play game, cube-shaped Pokémon, called Pokécels, go on quests to explore Tumblecube Island in order to find treasure. With each quest you complete, your Pokémon level up and evolve, and you gain power up stones that make them even stronger.

You can build your team and collect Pokémon by cooking different meals using ingredients you find on your quests. The type and number of ingredients used determine what kind of meal is made, and each meal attracts different kinds of Pokémon. While not your standard method of filling your Pokédex, not knowing exactly which Pokémon will come is a fun change to this standard Pokémon objective.

While it’s a simple concept with a very basic objective, fans of Pokémon seem to be enjoying the game. And now, since it’s now available on mobile phones and thus to a larger audience, fans can enjoy a whole host of promotional events to celebrate the new(ish) game!

First, if you hit up one of the Real Pokémon Quest events happening in the next couple of weeks, you might actually be able to meet a real Pokécel! The information is being kept tightly under wraps, but it seems like some mystery Pokécels will be showing up in Shibuya Mark City in Tokyo on June 30, Laforet Harajuku in Tokyo on July 1, Sunshine Sakae in Nagoya on July 7, and Shinsaibashi Opa in Osaka on July 8.

▼ Hmmmm…could these be the mystery Pokémon? Who’s that Pokémon?!

The @poke_times Twitter account has also released a smartphone background featuring the cute new Pokécels. There’s no official download link, so if you want to show off your Pokémon love, you can screenshot the image from the tweet that matches your screen size best.

The same Twitter account will also be having a Follow and Retweet Campaign starting on June 29 and continuing until July 12. On the 29th, the account will post a series of Pokémon Quest videos, and they want you to pick the one you like the most and retweet it. The company will then choose ten retweeters at random from the most popular video and gift them a free Pokémon Quest original cushion! You must be a follower to win, so make sure you hit that “Follow” button!

▼ Maybe there will be gameplay videos like this one.

If you want even more Pokémon Quest fun, there are already Pokémon Quest goods available at Pokémon Centers around Japan, and you can also buy Pokémon Quest Nintendo Prepaid Cards wherever they are sold. These can be used on any Nintendo device for purchasing in the Nintendo Store.

▼ The left card can only be purchased at participating 7-Elevens.

It’s a good time to be a Pokémon fan, since we’ve had had a lot of exciting developments this year: a huge Pokémon Mega Store, the first ever permanent Pokémon Cafe, Pokémon plushie vending machines, trading with friends in Pokémon Go, and, of course, this dual-platform, unique, free-to-play game. Now we can only wait with bated breath for the upcoming Let’s Go! Pikachu and Let’s Go! Eevee games, and whatever else might be coming next!

Source: Twitter/@poke_times via Otacom
Featured image: YouTube/The Official Pokémon Youtube Channel
Insert Images: YouTube/The Official Pokémon Youtube Channel, Pokemon Quest Official Page 



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Tokyo Legoland Discovery Center apologizes for blocking deaf patrons from theme park

08:09 cherishe 0 Comments

Tokyo Legoland Discovery Center bricked themselves into an uncomfortable corner when it comes to disability rights, and has issued a formal apology.

With eight flagship parks worldwide, Legoland is one of the top pit stops on any budding architect’s childhood wish list. Japan sports its own main Legoland in Nagoya, but there are also indoor editions of the park: “Discovery Centers”, which you can visit in Tokyo or Osaka. The park is studded with architectural attractions: there’s multiple rides, visitors can design, build and race their own Lego cars, and even leap and bound through ninja-tastic Lego backdrops.

▼　Get right up close to miniature recreations of sumo wrestlers!

For Niigata-based teacher Tsuyoshi Abe, who is deaf, it was the perfect place to take his son and daughter for a day out. However, he reached an unexpected blockade when he, his two children and a family friend tried to enter the park on April 21 of this year. The employee staffing the entrance called the four of them back, demanding to know if any of them could hear. Mr. Abe was then informed in writing that theme park policy requires any disabled guests to have at least one accompanying, able-bodied support guest. As all four of Mr. Abe’s party couldn’t hear, the staff explained, they were unable to grant them access to the park.

According to the policy written on Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo’s website, the reason they don’t permit entry is because without an accompanying guest and all-deaf party wouldn’t be able to hear the disaster alarms and so the park would not be able to guarantee their safety.

While this would be upsetting enough for anyone in this situation (the man’s children reportedly asked why all the other children could play inside when they couldn’t) Mr. Abe was very qualified to tackle this injustice directly. As a teacher for the deaf, and a representative for children’s support groups at his school, he took it upon himself to reach out to the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, who took the issue straight to the government.

Thankfully this story has a happy ending: the courts found that refusing a disabled customer access to a store, park or service without a helper violates the Act for Eliminating Discrimination Against People with Disabilities. June 13 saw the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry formally request the company to “work hard to better understand the law and implement changes accordingly”. A formal apology from Merlin Japan Entertainment representative Peter Lee followed, so hopefully from here on out parents and children will be able to attend the park without any issues.

This issue has become a hot topic on the net, with users wondering “why couldn’t a member of staff just accompany the family?” and pointing out “surely you don’t need to be able to hear to notice a disaster: if everyone around you is running, then you run too – it’s not like the park is even that big.” Many users noted that as the party were able to come to the park in the first place, there should have been no problem with them navigating the park alone.

Of course, as with any controversial topic there were people arguing the opposite as well: “Why should the company have to apologize just for guaranteeing people’s safety? This is just a modern day witch hunt.” Multiple users considered the issue of responsibility – “if something bad were to be happen, would the family take responsibility or would they push blame onto the people who permitted them, I wonder?”

Considering the rough and rocky start to business the main Legoland park has endured, you would think that the park would be eager to get as many guests through the doors as possible.

Source: JIN, Asahi Shimbun, Legoland Japan
Featured image: Flickr/Tzuhsun Hsu
Insert image: Flickr/Tzusun Hsu



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Japan’s most popular anime series for little girls inspires sexy lingerie line for grown-up fans

06:24 cherishe 0 Comments

Pretty Cure is here to cure monotony in lingerie design with bra and pantie sets for Cure Black and Cure White.

In recent months, Pretty Cure, the most consistently popular anime in Japan for elementary school-age girls, has found itself in the spotlight as it examines whether boys can be princesses and if girls can fall in love with other girls. Today, though, PreCure (as the franchise is also known) has gone from mature questions about societal norms to mature apparel.

Anime fashion label Super Groupies has just unveiled two sets of PreCure lingerie, one inspired by sporty Cure Black and the other by intellectual Cure White, the magical girl alter egos of schoolgirls Nagisa and Honoka.

▼ Cure Black (center) and Cure White (right)

First up is the Cure Black set, which maintains the character’s image colors of black and pink. The front of the panties feature a unique crossover frill, much like the one on the skirt from the character’s costume.

Also recreated is the heart-shaped crest on Cure Black’s belt, and for just a bit more flash, there’s a detachable charm that dangles from the waistband near the front of the wearer’s right hip.

Moving on to the Cure White set, many of the styling cues are similar, but there are a number of differences that become apparent upon a second look.

For starters, the frills on the Cure White bra are longer and more flowing than on Cure Black’s, and also provide more shoulder coverage.

The Cure White panties also feature a longer skirt section with a straight hem, though they, like the Cure Black panties, come with a detachable charm.

While it might seem a little jarring to see such adult fashion items being based on a kids’ anime, it’s worth noting that Cures Black and White hail from the very first arc of the franchise, Futari wa Pretty Cure, which aired all the way back in 2005. That means that many members of its original fanbase are now full-grown women, and as the extremely successful Sailor Moon lingerie line showed us, there’s plenty of demand for nostalgia-based anime intimate apparel.

Both sets are identically priced at 9,800 yen (US$90) and can be ordered directly from Super Groupies (Cure Black here, Cure White here) between now and July 16, with shipping scheduled for November.

Source: Super Groupies via IT Media
Top image: Super Groupies
Insert images: Super Groupies (1, 2)



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