We’ve heard some folks (we’re not naming names) disparagingly refer to netbooks as “toys” from time to time. Of course, when a manufacturer like Bandai cranks the cute factor up to eleven we can’t say that it’s an altogether bad thing. Like its predecessor , the Rilakkuma SX features 1Seg TV, webcam, Bluetooth, and WiFi. Putting the “next” in “next-gen,” this baby features an Atom Z520 processor, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD, DVD Super Multi, and an 8.9-inch (1280 x 768) touchscreen. Built by Kohjinsha, this one is reportedly coming to the Bandai Namco online store in June for

I don’t know how to make adorable sushi rolls for bento. If I did, I’d be munching on a super saiyan’s face right now. Bandai feels my pain, however, and has released this nori maki maker. Dishwasher safe, the set comes with all the necessary tools and instructions to recreate your favorite characters from Anpanman. Now while I’ve never watched the show, I’m pretty sure these rosy-cheeked characters aren’t tossing around Kamehamehas. And until they do, I’ll pass on the ticket to Japan to pick one of these up in Japan for about $55.

Popping bubblewrap , or opening beer cans just not your obsessive compulsive cup of tea? Here’s another toy for Bandai’s Mugen range: the Mugen Tokoroten, which simulates squeezing a sea algae snack. 630 Yen for our Japanese brethren. [ CNET Asia ]

You know we have arrived to The Future when Bandai manbirths a Tamagochi with a color LCD screen. Because the future is really like the 90s, but in color. Fortunately, the Tamagochi ID only exists in Japan for $56. [ Akihabara ]

Bandai’s Skin Expert is a device that you hold up to your face and it tells you how healthy your skin is. Finally, a gadget to make me feel bad about my appearance, automatically! Thanks, Japan! [ Hobby Blog via Engadget ]

This is the kind of gadget we’d assume was a joke — if we didn’t know that it wasn’t. Bandai — makers of such useful time wasters as the Tamagotchi and the little doohickey that helps women “understand” men — has just unveiled a new device which should make you feel even less comfortable inside your own skin. Partnering up with Japanese cosmetics company FANCL, Bandai’s Skin Expert is a tiny device which you apparently hold up to your face to receive detailed information on its ‘quality’ and health. Now, all of the information we can find about this little guy is in Japanese, so excuse us for our mystification on how the doodad works, but we’ll tell you this: we’re definitely buying it if it shows up on Sephora. The Bandai Skin Expert will be unleashed in Japan on November 30th for

Set to be bundled with the Easy Piano instructive game for the Nintendo DS is this Piano/Keyboard controller, which lets you go from punishing ears on a full-size piano, to punishing ears on your handheld. The game itself seems about as fun as reading theoretical physics when you’re drunk, but the controller seems like it would work nicely with more than a few games on the DS—namely the Korg DS-10 simulator, or future versions of Rock Band-type games—IF it had proper support and wasn’t Europe-only (for now). Even better, someone could always hack it, conjure up some home brew magic, and use it for some live, chiptune wizardry. Mmmmmmmm…chiptuuuune. [ Joystiq via Ubergizmo ]

It can be hard to tell the legions of identical netbooks apart, but this Bandai RilakKuma will never have that problem, because it’s the cutest Atom-based piece of hardware we’ve ever seen. RilakKuma, meaning “Relax Bear,” is the name of the character whose eyes and nozzle are seen on the back of the netbook. This model is packing a 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM, 160GB HDD and an 8.9-inch screen, so it’s totally anonymous except for that adorable case, which apparently costs a hefty amount. The limited-edition netbook (only 500 were made) costs over $850 USD, but nobody ever said cuteness came cheap. [ Akihabara News via Engadget ]

The RilakKuma is what’s known in the business as a money-printing device. It might have the same spec — Atom N270, 1GB memory and 160GB storage — as every netbook since the time of Moses, but its killer feature is a set of eyes and whiskers painted on the lid. Having once already cashed in on popular children’s characters, Bandai is clearly not shy about exploiting its intellectual assets in peddling outdated 8.9-inch 1024×600 displays to the undemanding youth. Only 500 units will be produced, making this a pretty exclusive item and the price is unsurprisingly steep:

Yakiniku or Korean BBQ restaurants are extremely popular in Japan, which is why Bandai has released a game that simulates the experience at home—minus the distractions of flavor, chewing and hunger satisfaction of course. Using a fake BBQ and fake food, players must be the first to successfully collect fully “grilled” plastic foodstuffs. So, it’s all the fun of grilling without the payoff. If only they would make a sweet dishwashing simulator followup.