To wrap up 2025 in true AUTOMATON WEST fashion, we decided to look back on five of the most bizarre and funny news we had the pleasure of covering this year (in no particular order). We would like to thank all our readers for keeping up with AUTOMATON WEST in 2025, and we promise to deliver more interesting (and bizarre) stories in 2026 as well.
1. Nintendo of America did actually consider giving Pikachu large feminine breasts at one point – the design proposal was “like those girls who do cosplays at Anime cons ”
There may have been an alternate timeline were American kids grew up with big breasted Pikachu – or so claimed a (now defunct) viral Reddit post from July this year. And even though many users pointed out that the story was likely based on a mistranslation – Japanese media outlet Game*Spark suggested otherwise.
Apparently, an old interview with The Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara revealed that Nintendo of America suggested their own designs for the first localization of Pokemon, on the account of the now world-famous characters being “too cute” for the Western market. Ishihara was in for a shock when he saw the design proposals Nintendo of America came up with – describing them as “tabby cats with huge breasts.” Though it’s not exactly clear whether the Japanese mune (胸) in this context refers to pronounced pecs or feminine breasts, Ishihara clears up that the proposed design was “like those girls who do Pikachu cosplays at anime conventions.” And while Game*Spark notes that Staoru Iwata’s story about the Pokemon localization was slightly different (mentioning a more “muscular” Pikachu), there’s a possibility that the design featured both muscles and large feminine breasts, or that there were perhaps two different designs. Whatever the case, it seems like the American designs were too traumatizing for GameFreak and Nintendo, so it is almost certain that those illustrations will never be seeing the light of day.
2. Fate/Grand Order caused unprecedented sales of the European 13th century classic Divine Comedy
Fate/Grand Order is known for many things (like poor gacha rates and its endless number of Saberfaces), but 2025 saw it adding “Divine Comedy advertisement” to its repertoire.
Back in June, Japanese book publisher Kawade Shobo Shinsha announced that copies of Dante’s Divine Comedy were selling out. Coincidentally, Fate/Grand Order was running a limited banner for Dante Alighieri at around the same time, alongside the recently completed Ordeal Call IV: Tribunal of Humanity – Trinity Metatronius storyline (which features many elements similar to those in the classic poem).
According to Kawade Shobo Shinsha, sales for Divine Comedy: The Complete Edition soared by 130% compared to the previous year, with the publisher pointing to the so-called “Fate/ Grand Order effect” (a phenomenon wherein demand for real-world things related to elements featured in the mobile game increases exponentially) as the likely cause. Given that this particular version of the Divine Comedy features illustrations similar to those in Fate/ Grand Order, it’s no wonder that copies sold well despite their rather pricey 5,900 JPY ($37 USD) tag.
3. Atelier Ryza’s famous thick thighs were influenced by Japan’s economic recession, series’ producer Junzo Hosoi revealed
Reisalin “Ryza” Stout is the face, or should we say, the thighs of Koei Tecmo’s successful Atelier Ryza trilogy. Created by artist Toridamono, the design attracted a lot of attention to the series, especially because it parted ways with the franchises’ tendency for petite body types in favor of a more curvaceous figure. In March this year, Atelier series producer Junzo Hosoi commented that he often uses his character designs to reflect real-life trends, and that Ryza’s thick thighs were in fact inspired by Japan’s economic recession.
“This is just my perception, but I think that the economy has an influence on what kind of designs become popular. There are certain types of characters that are needed in times of recession, and there are types of characters that are embraced only when the economy is booming,” he said in a nod to the theory that people start to favor voluptuous body types and motherly characteristics in women during times of economic recession. According to Hosoi, these kinds of considerations influenced certain aspects of Ryza’s design.
4. Chef Kawasaki “micro bikini” ride deleted from Kirby Air Riders Machine Market, immediately replaced by succubus Chef Kawasaki
Kirby Air Riders once again proves that when players are given free rein to create things in a video game, “questionable” content is sure to follow.
Soon after a usable fan-made ride featuring Chef Kawasaki in a micro bikini (which was already bizarre enough in itself) was taken down from the in-game Machine Market, November 2025 saw several lightly-clothed creations from different users pop up to take its place. While not based on a longtime meme like its predecessor, one of the more notable rides features a Chef Kawasaki succubus, complete with matching wings, tail, and shoes. Considering the Kawasaki succubus’ risqué nature and the strange in-game demand for suggestive (and funny) content, it’s no wonder the ride costs a whopping 571,883 Miles.
5. Erotic gay web novel gets suspended for allegedly basing protagonist on pro League of Legends player Faker
To wrap things up with a homoerotic twist, November 2025 saw the South Korean BL (boys love) web novel titled a Mad Dog Catches the Tiger get suspended from its digital publishing platform due to some rather unusual circumstances. Namely, the 19+ rated novel got embroiled in controversy soon after it was published this October, due to one of its protagonists “closely resembling” famous League of Legends esports champion Lee Sang-hyeok, known as Faker.
The character in question, “Tiger,” is described as a legendary player who has won five championship victories – and the storyline follows the timeline of Faker’s career almost to-a-T. Apparently, in the largely-criticized story, the protagonist succeeds in achieving two consecutive championship victories but flunks on the third one; only to come back after 10 years to win three championships back-to-back. This drew comparisons to Fakers repeat victory in 2015 and 2016, followed by a failed three-peat in 2017, and a successful back-to-back triple victory in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Due to these, and many more similarities, combined with the fact that the web novel contains many rather spicy scenes, A Mad Dog Catches the Tiger ended up causing an outrage and was subsequently delisted.
What a year.
