Kotaku Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:20 AM  "Wicked" actress Cynthia Erivo clearly has a thing for playing characters who fly. In an interview at the National Board of Review Awards Gala, Erivo was asked what "dream role" she's manifesting for her future. And now, she said she's ready to tackle one of the most iconic superheroes in history. |
Kotaku Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:15 AM  Starbucks is looking to reignite consumer interest by teaming up with Disney for a limited-edition Minnie Mouse-themed collection. |
Kotaku Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:00 AM  When Daniel Craig stepped down as James Bond after the release of the 2021 film, "No Time to Die," fans everywhere have been searching for the next actor worthy to be 007. |
Kotaku Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:00 AM  This week, we took the opportunity to look ahead to what 2025 has in store, and reminded ourselves (and you!) of the many, many exciting games coming our way in the next 12 months. Also, the steady drumbeat of Switch 2 leaks seems to be speeding up, Assassin's Creed Shadows has been hit with another delay, and at CES,… |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 11, 2025 12:51 PM  Members of the Minecraft community are calling on Mojang to revert two recent bug fixes, because both are heavily used by the game's parkour and speedbridging communities. Mojang fixed these movement bugs in the most recent snapshot, but a new feedback post is petitioning the developer to consider reverting the changes as they're seen as features by some players. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:34 AM  Ark: Survival Evolved remains one of the biggest and best survival games around. Taking the touchstones of crafting and base building to an island infested with dinosaurs, it continues to dominate Steam all these years later. With concurrent players regularly over the 40,000 mark and a whopping 536,000 reviews at 84% positive since launch, the original Ark is still some of the best the survival genre has to offer. This formula came to mobile late last year in the form of Ark: Ultimate Mobile Edition, and this version keeps going from strength to strength. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ark 2 release date, Best survival games, The best Ark mods |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:00 AM  Imagine merging the raw power of a Lamborghini with the precision of a high-end gaming PC. That's what one intrepid father-and-son duo have tried to do with their very own Lamborghini gaming PC build. This incredible looking gold and black colored gaming PC is simply one of the most gorgeously crafted gaming PCs that I've ever seen. The best gaming PCs out there don't just impress with their specs, but with a build design that leaves you in awe. This gaming PC build has done just that, but thanks to some decent AMD powered specs behind it, including the gold spray-painted AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics card, there's plenty of power for 1440p gameplay here, too. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 11, 2025 12:56 PM  Marvel Rivals has very quickly skyrocketed to one of my most played games at the moment, and I'm not alone. The NetEase Games hero shooter is already proving to be a solid contender to Overwatch 2, and now with the arrival of Season 1 the game keeps growing. It's been a month, and Marvel Rivals just hit an entirely new player count peak on Steam, and I don't think it's going to be slowing down anytime soon. Continue reading Marvel Rivals hits new colossal Steam peak with start of Season 1 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 11, 2025 8:23 AM  The team behind an incredibly ambitious Counter-Strike: Global Offensive mod claims that Valve has blocked the project from coming to Steam. The team submitted the mod for release late last year, only to be met with silence, with the project now seemingly rejected by Valve. Called Classic Offensive, the mod has been in the works since 2016 and aims to bring back "the classic feeling" from between CS 1.6 all the way up to CSGO. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Counter-Strike 2 release date, Best multiplayer games |
Siliconera Saturday, January 11, 2025 12:00 PM
Honey Lemon Soda was a staple in Shueisha's Ribon, running in the manga magazine since December 2015. We've read about Uka Ishimori's growth and developing relationship with Kai Miura for years. We saw series that ran alongside it, like Tsubasa to Hotaru and Acro Trip, inspire animated series. Now Honey Lemon Soda finally gets its change with an anime streaming worldwide on Crunchyroll, and I feel like the J.C.Staff and TMS Entertainment adaptation might have been worth the wait.
Editor's Note: There are minor spoilers for the first episode of the Honey Lemon Soda anime below.
Honey Lemon Soda is one of those series in the vein of Fruits Basket or Kimi ni Todoke, where you have a downtrodden heroine who gets a chance to finally be accepted and find a place for herself. Uka Ishimori found herself bullied throughout school. One of the only exceptions was the lemon soda-loving Kai Miura, a stranger who was kind to her and there for her at a pivotal moment. As a result of their meeting, she ended up at Hachimitsu High School alongside him. And even in instances when people might hassle him for his popularity or blond hair, he doesn't let that get him down and handles it.
It's because of one of those interactions that Uka finds herself in Kai's life and circle again. When heading to Hachimitsu one day, some classmates attempted to bully Kai. He responded by shaking up the lemon soda he carried and opened it to dowse them. Uka ended up caught in the crossfire, which in turn brings her to his attention and helps her find actual friends in people like Ayumi Endo. It's the impetus for her to finally get a chance at the "cheerful and fun high school life" she wants.
Given the nature of the series, we aren't going to see major development in the first two episodes of the Honey Lemon Soda anime. But there are strides we already get to see in these initial moments. Kai recognizing Uka and her struggles and showing consideration, even though he's initially painted as a more quiet or stand off-ish individual, by wearing his gym uniform and helping her get the courage to greet people. Uka reaching out to Ayumi to help her after being helped a previous day. Accepting an invitation from potential friends. J.C.Staff and TMS Entertainment handle these initial moments really well, and the depiction of them ensures they feel poignant as they happen.
I also appreciated how the anime adaptation of Honey Lemon Soda never minimizes what Uka went through in the past either. We see how the trauma and stress from past bullying triggers a flashback to a past memory after getting soda splashed on her in the introduction. When others from her middle school spot her at Hachimitsu and use her nickname "Stony," Uka panics and runs even though she'd been invited. However, Kai, Ayumi, Satoru Seto, and Tomoya Takamine don't blame her for the altercation, instead identifying correctly the bullies as the issue, and Kai finds and encourages her to react and get help. The resolution of the first episode left me in satisfied tears as the group banded together.
For years, Ribon readers and people following the Honey Lemon Soda manga have gotten to gradually see Uka recover, find friends, and develop a relationship with Kai, and it feels like the new anime adaptation is going to do that story justice. After seeing how it's started, it seems like the pacing and development is taking the proper care to address the situations and bonds between characters. It feels like it could end up being quite heartfelt, and I hope more people get to appreciate this shojo classic as a result.
The Honey Lemon Soda anime is airing in Japan and streaming on Crunchyroll worldwide as part of the WInter 2025 season, and Yen Press handled the manga outside of Japan.
The post Honey Lemon Soda Anime Adaptation Was Worth the Wait appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:00 AM
The latest collaboration between McDonald's Japan and Neon Genesis Evangelion has certainly been an attention-grabber. From the amusing commercials to the freshly-designed original McDonald's-themed EVA Unit UNIT-M to the transforming toys, it has been hitting all the right notes. At the heart of this unusual mash-up lie the Evangelion burgers, three special limited-time menu items. You may have seen promotional pictures of them already, but what is the reality? And most importantly, how do they taste? There's only one thing for it: I had to try them out.
In order to keep my doctor and wife from getting too upset, I properly prepared for this potentially stomach-destroying effort. Okay, I just had a light brunch and drank a lot of water, but I'm telling myself that's good enough. After finishing work for the day, I hopped in the car and headed for the nearest Makku. While I considered taking the easy way out by going through the drive-through, I wanted to check out some of the in-store signage. So in I went. I placed my order for all three burgers, then checked things out while I waited.
After taking a few pictures, I grabbed my order and drove back to my office. In total, there are three Evangelion burgers at McDonald's, each with a particular character assigned to them. Representing Shinji Ikari, we have the Double Teriyaki Cheeseburger. The enigmatic Rei Ayanami adorns the wrapper for the Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo. Finally, the fiery Asuka Langley is paired with the Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger. I wouldn't think too hard about how those are supposed to line up. Well, let's dig in.
Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger
This was the one I was the most interested in trying. The special burgers from McDonald's Japan can be hit or miss at times, but they rarely miss when they try to go spicier. This isn't a particularly fancy sandwich, but on paper it seems like it would work. The usual chicken filet patty is placed in a special fluffier-than-usual bun and topped with a slice of processed cheddar cheese, a couple of pickles, taco meat, and a sweet lemon sauce. McDonald's Japan issues a warning that this sandwich is spicy, so if you don't like spicy food you should be careful. This typically doesn't mean much, but upon opening the wrapper there was a certain spiciness wafting off of the burger.
The Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger kicked off what turned out to be a theme with these Evangelion burgers. It was quite messy to eat and its contents were prone to spilling out. The first bite I took was quite delicious. I got a good bite of pickle and taco meat, and the result was a pleasantly spicy and flavorful taste. The sweet lemon sauce had a nice tang to it, too. The chicken filet patties at McDonald's Japan can be a little bland, so having these peppy ingredients in the mix really helped out.
Sadly, the ingredients weren't evenly distributed. Some bites had no pickles and very little taco meat, and when that happened it really demonstrated how important those two elements are to this burger. My hands were in an absolute state by the time I finished this one, but that's what soap and water is for. All in all, I rather enjoyed the Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger. It could have used a little more tsun in its tsundere, but overall it's one I would order again. Best burger for the best character? I guess we'll see as we continue on.
Score: Eight "ANTA BAKAs" Out of Ten
Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo
A real gap between the McDonald's Evangelion crossover marketing photo and the reality for this one, but we all know how that goes. The Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo comes off as the busiest of this bunch. You've got the same fancy bun we saw with the Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger, with a thicker-than-usual beef patty. From the bottom to the top, you get some tangy steak sauce, a slice of processed cheese, a hashbrown potato patty, the aforementioned beef patty, and some garlic mayonnaise sauce. Surprisingly, this is not the highest-calorie sandwich of the three. That would be the next one.
The scent of garlic hits you as soon as you open the wrapper. And that proved to be the case for the Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo as a whole. Biting into it, I found the garlic mayo overpowered every other flavor. The hashbrown pretty much melted into the rest of the burger. Since this burger is lacking any crunchy vegetables, I was hoping the hashbrown would add a bit of texture to the sandwhich. Unfortunately, it was quite soft. The hashbrown and beef patty took turns trying to fall out with each bite, too.
Ultimately, the Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo sees the rest of its flavors lost in the powerful taste of the garlic sauce. I like garlic as much as the next person, but I couldn't help but feel a little empty about this burger. For how much it appears to have going on, it's completely one-note. Those who hate garlic cannot love or trust this sandwich. Rei, you got robbed. Hopefully the last of the Evangelion burgers can bring this back around. Shinji, don't let us down!
Score: Four "Objects Living a Lie" Out of Ten
Double Teriyaki Cheeseburger
I'll say straight-up that I wasn't very excited by the Double Teriyaki Cheeseburger in the way I was for the other two. It's not that I was expecting it to taste bad or anything like that. The reason is that this is really just a Teriyaki McBurger with an extra pork patty and a slice of processed cheese. On top of that, McDonald's Japan has offered the Double Teriyaki Cheeseburger before without a Shinji endorsement. The only new thing here is the bun, which is the same special one used by the other two Evangelion burgers. The filling is two pork patties generously slathered in sweet teriyaki sauce, the aforementioned slice of processed cheese, some lettuce, and a large dollop of tangy mayonnaise.
If you've never had the Teriyaki McBurger before, there are a few things to know. First, it's very tasty. The sweetness of the teriyaki sauce and saltiness of the pork patty make for an enticing blend, and the mayo adds to the nasty decadence of it all. The lettuce is just there to make you feel better, as it will most likely be rendered fully limp by the time you start eating. Second, it's really messy. When you open the wrapper, it's like an explosion went off. You will get your hands dirty eating it, so plan ahead. Third, because it's such a saucy burger, the contents like to spill out of the bun. The more McDonald's tries to cram in there, the more it wants to spill out. Indeed, the second pork patty and slice of cheese in the Double Teriyaki Burger make it hard to keep a handle on.
The Double Teriyaki Cheeseburger is good, but it's just a bigger Teriyaki McBurger. The extra pork patty doesn't hurt the balance of the burger, and cheese is always welcome. Still, it feels like an opportunity was missed here. For such a big collaboration, having one of the burgers be a recycled one that wasn't very exciting to begin with is a bit of a disappointment. Surely the main character of the show deserves something a little cooler. Then again, it's Shinji. Maybe this is just what he deserves. Reliable, a little on the plain side, and if the others can't get it done then this might be your hero.
Score: Seven "Get in the Burger, Patties!" Out of Ten
Closing Thoughts on the McDonald's Evangelion Burgers
Overall, this isn't a bad batch of burgers. Sure, the Hashbrown & Beef Burger with Garlic Mayo comes off like an oily garlic ball, but McDonald's Japan has unleashed far worse before. With that said, I feel like McDonald's could have done more to lean into the theme. Despite the name, the Evangelion Burgers feel like they could have been slotted in during any number of McDonalds campaigns, and it feels like very little attempt was made to fit them to the Evangelion brand. Even so, I'll stop in and get the Mexican Cheese Chicken Burger once more before it's gone. If you happen to be visiting McDonald's Japan this month, that would be my recommendation. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go hit the treadmill for about six hours.
The Evangelion crossover is live at McDonald's stores in Japan now.
The post A Cruel Grimace's Thesis: Trying the Evangelion Burgers from McDonald's Japan appeared first on Siliconera. |
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