Make Believe Bonus: Racing Into The Bite

A Review Of Ramen Produced By YOASOBI

Forget about ushering in a new era for J-pop altering the sound, mood and distribution of songs in the country. What about releasing a disorienting song emboldening the nation’s music industry to challenge foreign markets? Nope, that’s not it. Here’s how you know duo YOASOBI have truly made it — the opportunity to produce their own limited-edition cup-noodle product.

The duo of producer Ayase and vocalist Ikura (real name Lilas Ikuta) teamed up with easy-to-prepare-foods creator Acecook for a special edition of their Super Cup brand of instant noodles, featuring flavors and ingredients overseen by arguably the top J-pop creators in the country right now, available in all major supermarkets (have yet to see in a convenience store, and I check those daily).

An act as big as YOASOBI is used to tie-ups in the quick-consumable marketplace. Earlier this year, you could mosey on over to your local Lawson outpost to get a limited-time YOASOBI Honey Cafe Latte, offering a dash of sweetness in a special cup. Still, that was the lightest of brand crossovers, whereas this Super Cup special goes far further. As mentioned, both members of the group took part in producing their instant ramen, with Ayase serving up a garlic-heavy “addictively spicy” shoyu ramen, and Ikura imagining a “happy” sesame tonkotsu ramen. They even brought in the group’s primary artist (and Ayase’s current partner) Ai Nina to design it, lending even more cred to this snack.

Naturally, I had to eat it.