Gangnam Style? No, it's "LINE Style"

NHN Japan's messaging application "LINE" is very popular. It's popular now in not only Japan but also East Asia, North America, Middle East and Spain. Therefore they perform various tie-ups abroad.

 
This is tie-up PV with Korean singer PSY. Dancing characters are so cute! The stamps of PSY are sold in the LINE stamp shop.

In addition, hip-hop group Far East Movement let LINE come up in PV.

And LINE train runs now in Taiwan.

I made "Nameko" figure

I wrote articles about Japanese popular smartphone game apps "Nameko Saibai(Mushroom Garden　a.k.a. Funghi Gardening Kit)" several times until now.


Japan is filled with the goods of Nameko now. However, we must make the thing which we want with oneself heartily. Therefore I made figure of Nameko.

Named "Miso soup of Nameko". The wooden bowl is genuine. Nameko is made by epoxy pate, and the miso soup is made by epoxy resin. The tofu which is in the miso soup are made by paper clay.

The articles of all making are placed in my blog media "vsmedia".

No.1
http://vsmedia.info/2012/10/02/nameko_figure1/
No.2
http://vsmedia.info/2012/10/08/nameko_figure2/
No.3
http://vsmedia.info/2012/12/11/nameko_figure3/

All of they are written in Japanese, but you may understand a process if you watch photos.
Here is the photos of all processes. Here is the photos of all processes(The thing which I did not use for articles are included).
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.497018096994212.125632.195197613842930&type=1&l=e28897ed22

Which do you like? JP style vs. North America localization

Voltage is a developer of Japanese representative dating sim application for women. Now, they release various dating sim application for not only Japan but also the global market.

 See also:
Localization for North America of Japanese dating sim for women

Their U.S. subsidiary released new iOS application for North America markets recently. This is North America localization title of the Japanese style. Let's compare both!

This is an original Japanese version "怪盗X恋の予告状".

When this comes to the North America, it becomes in this way...

My Lover’s a Thief

The basic design is based on a Japanese version. However, it becomes completely "real". Which do you like?

Fitness application "Burn your fat with me!!" was translated into English by users

Japanese fitness support iOS application "Nenshou!" began global expansion as "Burn your fat with me!!".

This is the application that dating sim and fitness fused. This applies Japanese "Moe"  in the motivation improvement of users, and we can train while it is watched by a beautiful girl. This became the topic in Japan. However, developer CreativeFreaks thought that there was a limit only in Japan to get profit. Therefore they were going to release this application for a global market.

At first, they opened an English site by themself. Then a message arrived from an unknown American. He said, "Because this never sells in your English, I revise it." So, they made the him an overseas edition director. As a result, its translation and localization became perfect.

However, a problem was left one more. It's a "voice actor". They held an audition for the Japanese who could speak English and had lived abroad in the past. However, they were insufficient. Because they must be familiar with "Moe" to play character of this application. Therefore they held an audition in a recruitment of American voice actors site. Then the 60 American who love Japanese culture applied.

In this way, English edition of "Nenshou! "  "Burn your fat with me!!" was released. now, it’s popular among people of the Anime Otaku which Japan loves. Furthermore, the message from Mexicans reached them recently. The contents were "I do Spanish translation."

"Burn fat with me!!" performs global expansion by the power of users steadily.

Burn fat with me!! official site



via http://www.kotaku.jp/2012/11/moe_fitness_nenshou.html

iOS Apps "Boyfriend Maker" mentions territorial problem of Japan and China

iOS application called "Boyfriend Maker(理想の彼氏メーカー)" became the topic last week in Japan.

We can make an ideal boyfriend and have a virtual chat on this apps.

The type of the boyfriend changes by changing clothes and a hairstyle.

This became the topic at first because it was too abundant about knowledge of Otaku such as Manga, Anime and Game. Besides, the chat was very natural. This was scattered explosively in Twitter and the people did Tweet in this way "Is it a person not AI?" "This is not the ideal boyfriend  but a Otaku boyfriend! :D".

However, a user discovered it.

User: Senkaku Islands
Ideal boyfriend: Territory of China
User: Senkaku Islands
Ideal boyfriend: Territory of China
User: Senkaku Islands
Ideal boyfriend: There is a territory of China, and the fuckin' Jap pig and dog should not enter there!

This spread explosively more in Twitter. Many users who watched this tweeted that they uninstalled the apps. However, ironically, this apps became the topic more in Japan.

And the developer 36you's work was fast.

User: Senkaku Islands

Ideal boyfriend: You already watched it in RT a lot?  You would also install this apps to watch the affair of the Senkaku Islands in Twitter? 

Ideal boyfriend: SHUT UP! Too much Senkaku Islands!  Why you put in the word that such an atmosphere worsens? 

I tried this, and it become like this now.

I: Senkaku Islands
Ideal boyfriend: I want to go!

36you is updating this apps quite briskly. It worked, and this apps became No.1 in Japan's App Store free apps ranking.
via http://www.36you.com/boyfriend-maker-scores-critical-hits-everywhere-especially-in-japan/

By the way, the site of 36you does not have notation about their nationality.  After all will they be Chinese developers?

via アプリ「理想の彼氏メーカー」のチャットがやばいと話題（随時更新）