I’ve said this before, everybody needs a little loving. In this custom level of Super MarioWorld, fellow geek Brad Smith proposed to his sweetie Lisa. I don’t know him, but I gotta say he has some stones. As someone who is married, the question I am always asked is “How did you propose?” It’s nerdy yes, but awesome as well.

[Geekologie]

We know no one does robots as well as Japan but Taiwan is not that much behind, except they make them ten times as creepy. Case in point, Thomas and Janet, two robot ‘actors’ designed to kiss. It apparently took three years to design both robots with autonomous hand-eye coordination and self-balance. Three years and all we get is the creepiest uncanny valley kiss ever performed.

Don’t get me wrong, the technology is outstanding, but in the end, it looks like two sedated drunks falling on each other’s faces.

This level of achievement is still not enough for Taiwan, though. Taiwan Tech, the university behind this project, wants to:

“form a group composed of autonomous robots, which are like well-trained versatile performers. They can not only perform different plays, sing songs, or broadcast news, but also interact with real persons appropriately”

Obviously with the intent of having them perform an orgy on stage and creeping the rest of humanity out of procreation. Beware, the uprising of the robots wont be violent, it will be creepy and messy and very, very awkward.

[IEEE / Via Tokyomango ]

Desirai and John met while playing Halo online, so it was only natural that their wedding be Halo themed. Yet she wanted something classy, a white dress, maids of honor arranged in order of weight, the whole shebang. So an all out Halo wedding was off the table, a subtle approach seemed much more agreeable.

Halo emblems on her gown and on the groom’s tie? Subtle! Halo music on the ceremony, subtle too! Having Master Chief perform the ceremony? Not subtle, not smooth and definitely not cool once Master Chief, in true Halo online spirit, kills them all only to teabag them repeatedly… for 5 minutes.

[GP]

Happy valentine’s day dear readers! All of us here at DDN HQ are either about to party, some with friends, some with a special someone, or about to engage in some ritual of self pity involving lots of alcohol and/or comfort foods. Which of those are you doing? Tell us how you’re spending (or spent!) your Vday in the comments!

Again, happy Vday, and remember, at the very least… we love you.

While the complete history of DDN goes back to 1999, It was one year ago that Velcor and I started Dark Diamond as the site it is today. Tired of only consuming entertainment and news from the Internet we decided to start our own site, and oh boy its just been more awesome as every day passed. Click the jump for some words on our first anniversary!

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Densha Otoko, the Japanese TV drama based on the story of a Japanese Otaku who saves an upper class girl from a drunk in the train and later falls in love with her, changed Japan and the Otaku image forever. Suddenly Otaku weren’t just awkward and geeky but also kind, caring and innocent lovers; some women actually started seeking Otaku for relationships! But really, how many Otaku would go out of their way to save a girl in distress from a drunk?

Japanese TV show Trivia Seed asked just that and set out to test 100 Otaku in a set-up situation. Watch as waves of Otaku face this challenge, including a crossplaying one, the results will surprise you!

Notice how the cool looking guy runs like a girl and the crossplayer is actually quite tough!

Near 70% of Otaku would risk their necks (and all the goodies they are carrying) to save a girl in distress. How about that? Seems bravery isn’t lost among our kind, what would you do in a situation like this?

What you see is a short machinima film by Australian artist Thuyen Nguyen. He calls it a love letter to video games and it is just that. This is why we game, these are the emotions we feel and some of the great moments we remember. In a world where gaming can be considered a stigma a film like this serves to remind us gamers that what we do is not only not bad, its artistic, creative, human.

Lets all take a moment to remember why we love video games, and while we are at it show some love to those who go out of their way to set us back in track.

[Game Set Watch / Via Kotaku]

Stop that train! This is a public service announcement. The Viz Media edition of the movie Densha Otoko: Train Man comes out next Thursday and while this might not mean much to those who downloaded the movie way back when it was subbed, you should be excited, there are spiffy extras inside. Patrick Macias doing the commentary track being the best of these.

Patrick, the otaku about otaku, comments the film along with a couple of other field experts (read: higher echelon otaku) discuss many delicious topics as he tells on his website:

We talk about Akihabara and the usual otaku poisons, how the whole Densha Otoko phenomenon could merely be a massive conspiracy on the part of the eeeevil Dentsu ad agecy, and even reveal the shocking truth about the Adult Video-only sequel to the film: The Kissing and Sex of Densha Otoko!

Oh lord, have mercy on us, awkward live action otaku porn, a must see!

While the movie has nothing on the Densha Otoko TV series, this would see me shelling out my cash before any other DVD this season. Kita!~

[Patrick Macias]

I was recommended this hentai OVA because it had a lot of exciting, well done, and protundent “love” scenes. I was ok with that. Then I realized what was really going on, on 40x speed!!!

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