In celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of Rumiko Takahashi’s most popular manga and anime series (also my personal favorite) Ranma 1/2, THE GUEST Café & Diner in Japan will be having a Ranma-themed event that will be happening in three key locations around major cities. The café is known for collaborating with other works such as Your Name, Hello Kitty and Pokémon before.
(Okay. To be honest I’m really envious at the people of Japan right now while writing this.)
For starters, you can order a regular ramen (priced at around $13) complete with fish cake toppings that the series is always known for. But that’s kind of a common thing in Japan right? Well you can order that AND you can add an additional $10 so your meal comes with a traditional renge spoon.
Of course it won’t be just any other spoon because as you can see in the image the utensil has a lovely Ranma ½ logo printed on the handle and Shampoo’s cat form at the end. I’m betting the spoon will be a collector’s piece for sure to those die-hard fans.
Speaking of Shampoo, for another $2 you can have the option of ordering a “pre meal VR topping,” which basically means you will have the pleasure of being served by Cat Café’s Feline Feminine Fatale – Shampoo herself, VR style! It is said that the VR experience is based on the 7th chapter of the manga titled Goal o Mezase (Aim for the Goal).
Aside from the ramen you can also order other Ranma themed items on the menu. Those who follow the series will instantly recognize the fluff associated with the food. Take a look:
There’s a Jusenkyo Cursed Spring soup.
This is probably the closest thing you’ll get to Ukyo’s signature Okonomiyaki.
A cotton-candy molding of Genma Saotome’s Panda head complete with his signature signage! The mini-kettle is a nice touch as well but I’m not sure if the item is included in the meal.
I’m not quite sure what this is but I’m guessing it’s some sort of bun in the form of P-Chan’s (Ryoga Hibiki) head.
There are also themed drinks as well!
Here’s a Shampoo smoothie:
And a drink served in a goldfish bowl! (As pictured with Teacher Hinako Ninomiya)
Of course Kodachi the Black Rose gets her special drink as well.
Adding to this, those who order the beverages will receive one of ten differently designed coasters…
…And those who order food on the other hand will get a special paper luncheon mat.
Lastly, the café will also sell limited-time merchandise that range from long-sleeved hoodies, towels, lunch tote bags, tin badges, key holders, masking tape, whiteboards, ribbon hair clips, plates and okonomiyaki spatulas (source: Comic Natalie).
You might want to grab hold of those spatulas, because they say that those items are limited to 100 per location. So if the math is correct, there will only be 300 of Ukyo’s signature weapon sold there.
The event will run in Shinsaibashi, Osaka from November 9 to December 19; in Nagoya Aichi from November 22 to December 25 and lastly in Ikebukuro, Tokyo in January next year.
Now… Can anyone do me a solid and get me that spoon and spatula? I will be forever in your debt.
Again, thank you to Comic Natalie for the images and info.