Food and drinks offer the same mix of romance and physical pain as the hit anime, exclusive merch to also be offered for sale online.
Anime-themed cafes in Japan tend to fall into one of two categories. Some are meant to ramp up the excitement for a new series, while others exist to stir warm feelings of nostalgia for a classic with a long-lasting fanbase.
And then there’s the upcoming Urusei Yatsura Cafe, which fits both descriptions. Creator Rumiko Takahashi’s manga ran from 1978 to 1987, becoming a smash hit almost immediately with its first TV anime adaptation debuting in 1981. This fall, Urusei Yatsura returned to Japanese TV 36 years after the original anime finished airing with a modernly stylish remake (though it keeps its original early ‘80s setting).
So with alien princess/oni Lum and her darling/hapless lech Ataru Moroboshi on the minds of anime fans young and old, the Urusei Yatsura Cafe is set to open next month, and similar to the interplanetary scale of the series hijinks, the cafe will be traveling across Japan to four different cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Sendai, starting in Tokyo on December 8.
The menu is full of clever nods to the cast of characters, starting with the Stop Your Wandering Eye Set, which gives you a hamburger steak and a rice omelet. These are usually eaten separately in Japan, but just like Ataru can’t help appreciating the myriad unique, individual charms of the lovely young ladies that populate our universe, so too does the cafe realize that it’s hard to pick just one option when there are so many appealing ones out there.
Meanwhile, the Oni Gratin Toast Full of Lum’s Love features a cheese and spinach topping evocative of Lum’s iconic tiger-striped bikini. It also comes with a side of hot sauce, which you can add to your taste, because being the object of Lum’s affection also includes being the occasional target of the painful electric shocks she has the power to generate.
There’s even more heat to be found with Ten’s Fire Curry, inspired by Lum’s little cousin Ten, who’s precocious and violent in equal measure. Ten’s spaceship serves as the visual model for the saffron rice scoop, and his flame-breathing abilities are where the “Fire” part comes from (this one comes with a side of hot sauce too).
Moving on to desserts, the Electric Shock Pancakes let you taste the sweetness of Lum and Ataru’s relationship while leaving him the sole recipient of the pain.
Actually, Ataru being the recipient of physical agony is a recurring theme with the desserts, as there’s also the Maiden’s Monstrous Strength Parfait. Here we have Ataru’s human classmate Shinobu, who was his sort-of-kind-of girlfriend before Lum showed up on Earth, hefting a gigantic slice of cake above her head in preparation of hurling it at a fleeing Ataru. And yes, the cafe staff recommends plopping the cake down directly on top of him before you start eating it.
Getting a little deeper into the Urusei Yatsura lore, the dessert options also include the Jiggling Octopus Pudding, a reference to the preferred pets of Ataru’s classmate and rival Shutaro Mendo.
As is always the case with themed cafes in Japan, there’s also a whole bunch of exclusive merch. To start with, customers who reserve their seats ahead of time (which carries a 600-yen [US$4.30] service fee) will receive one of seven clear files. In addition, every drink order gets you one of six character art coasters.
Speaking of drinks, the selection includes the Lum Tiger-Striped Soda (with herb jelly and passionfruit)…
…Ten’s Cotton Candy Soda, which resembles his cherubic physique…
…and bottle drinks with random attached charms.
Getting back to the merch, the cafe’s attached shop, which will also be offering items for sale online, has a full array of key holders…
…coasters…
…mugs, bags, pouches, and T-shirts…
…hand towels…
…magnets, and pin badges.
And while it won’t be for sale, the cafe will also be displaying a life-size figure of Lum and Ten, which is yet to be revealed to the public.
The dates/locations for the Urusei Yatsura Cafe will be:
● Tokyo: December 8-February 5
Box Cafe & Space (Harajuku Alta branch):
● Osaka: February 9-March 12
Abeno Contact
● Nagoya: March 16-April 9
Box Cafe & Space (Nagoya Lachic Building 1 branch):
● Sendai: June 1-June 25
Baller:S Aeon Mall Shinrifu South Building
Online merch orders open on December 8, and seat reservations can be made through the cafe’s official website here. Considering the massive fan turnout for the Ranma 1/2 Cafe, based on another Rumiko Takahashi hit, booking a table ahead of time would probably be a very smart move.
Related: Urusei Yatsura Cafe official website
Source, images: PR Times
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