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From Pokémon to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, when manga and anime reach a certain level of popularity, real-world merchandise collaboration becomes a measure of that success. Toys, trading cards, housewares, clothing, and accessories are just some of the most common collaborations fans may encounter. Some clothing brands, such as the popular Japanese brand SuperGroupies, are known for their anime- and video game-inspired fashion collaborations, including franchises such as Sailor Moon and Kingdom Hearts.
One real-world anime- or manga-inspired collaboration that is quite common in Japan is cafes. These cafes serve food and drinks, housewares, and even clothing and accessories inspired by the various franchises. Here are 10 cafes where fans immerse themselves in the worlds of beloved series.
10 Pokémon Cafe – Sweets And More
The original Pokémon Cafe (there is now an Osaka location as well) is located inside the Tokyo Pokémon Center in the Nihombashi neighborhood of Tokyo. From decor to snacks to plates, everything within the cafe is particularly Pokémon-inspired. Unsurprisingly, many Pikachu-inspired items, like the Pikachu Souffle Pancake, can be found on the cafe menu.
Scorbunny, Grookey, and Sobble inspiration can also be found in the drinks menu. Each Pokémon Sword and Shield starter is represented in their own Vanilla Cream Soda drinks, which follow each Pokémon’s color scheme. Both Pokémon Cafe locations had a temporary decor change to mimic the cafe featured in Pokémon Cafe Mix last year.
9 Puella Magi Madoka Magica X Good Smile Cafe – Magic, Witches And Delicious Drinks
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is rare as far as magical girl series are concerned. Unlike most series, which typically begin as a manga before getting the anime treatment, it is an original anime series. This unique circumstance has made the series no less popular among its fans.
The series inspired not one but two cafe pop-ups from 2011-2012 with Good Smile Cafe, whose parent company is known for making Japanese figures. The foods available primarily highlighted beverages. The first cafe featured a Madoka-inspired drink called “That Sounds Wonderful” and a chocolate dessert inspired by the witch Charlotte from episode three of the series. The second collaboration included several Kyubey themed items, including curry. Merchandise had things like coasters and tote bags.
8 Cardcaptor Sakura X Animate Cafe -Desserts and Coasters
With the tremendous popularity of Cardcaptor Sakura and its sequel Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, the classic magical girl series has had no shortage of pop-up cafes, including one dedicated to Sakura’s loyal companion Kero-chan. One such collaboration occurred in the Spring of 2018 with Animate, a well-known Japanese anime, manga, and video game retailer.
Menu items in the cafe included a Sakura-inspired dessert and a Kero or Cerberus-themed hamburger. Attendees also received a free, randomly selected coaster. Sakura can be seen sporting some of her most iconic outfits on the coasters.
7 The Promised Neverland X Grace Field Cafe- Themed Parfaits and Lattes
December 2020, The Promised Neverland held a pop-up cafe as part of an exhibition in Tokyo celebrating the series’ success. The cafe was aptly named Grace Field Cafe after the orphanage where the trio of protagonists, Emma, Norman, and Ray, are raised and attempt to escape a grizzly fate.
Even the decor of the cafe was unique. The cafe’s walls were decorated with over a dozen manga panels. Foods included a curry dish inspired by the ever-resourceful Norman. For the cheery redhead Emma, there was an omurice dish that even captured her iconic hair spiral. Ray, Norman, and Emma were honored in the tri-colored parfait containing the characters’ ID numbers. There were also lattes with prints of each character.
6 Demon Slayer X Sweets Paradise Cafe – Place Mats And Much More
Tanjiro, Nezuko, and their friends from Demon Slayer were featured in a Sweets Paradise Cafe collaboration back in early 2020. Sweets Paradise Cafe is particularly unique because it’s an all-you-can-eat sweets cafe. The Demon Slayer Kimetsu Cafe appeared in ten locations, including Tokyo and Kyoto. The foods included a Tanjiro-inspired beef dish as well a Nezuko-themed mochi dessert. Free novelty merchandise included placemats with original cafe-themed artwork and chibi character artwork coasters. Some of the items available for purchase were t-shirts, acrylic standees, and buttons.
5 Fruits Basket X Princess Cafes – The Zodiac Sohmas Are On Display
The revival of one of Japan’s most beloved shojo manga, Fruits Basket, is primarily due to the success of the anime remake that concluded its third season this Spring. This renewed interest in the series naturally inspired some brand collaborations, including one with Princess Cafes, known for anime collaborations.
The special cafe began in August of 2020 and featured dishes such as omurice and pasta inspired by protagonists Tohru and Yuki. Other zodiac members, such as Shigure, the dog, got their homage in cake form. Tohru and her best friends were even part of the drink menu. Merchandise ranged from coasters to a vast array of acrylic stands.
4 Studio Ghibli Cafe – A Cafe & Museum
With such beloved films as Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and the academy award-winning Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli is an animation studio recognized worldwide.
The cafe is located inside the Studio Ghibli Museum, which opened several years ago. Called the Straw Hat Cafe, the straw hat motif can be found throughout the cafe, including straw hat latte art. Some of the dishes recreated in the cafe from the films include a bacon and egg breakfast just like Calcifer would make in Howl’s Moving Castle, and a Kiki-inspired chocolate cake much like the one featured in Kiki’s Delivery Service.
3 Nakayoshi Magical Girl Cafe X Treevillage – Magical Girl Nostalgia
Shojo magazine Nakayoshi might be best known for its serialization of Sailor Moon, but it is far from the only magical girl series the magazine has published. To honor some of their other amazing magical girl series, Nakayoshi teamed up with Treevillage to present the magical girl cafe.
The celebrated series were Shugo Chara, Tokyo Mew Mew, Saint Tail, and Mermaid Melody Pichi Pitch. Foods included an egg-centric hamburger inspired by Amu of Shugo Chara and an array of Tokyo Mew Mew-inspired cakes. Exclusive merchandise included Key chains, mugs, clear file pouches, and a host of other trinkets from the various beloved series.
2 Arina Tanemura X Animate Cafe – Celebrating The Creator’s Best Works
Arina Tanemura is a well-known mangaka whose famous works include The Gentleman’s Alliance Cross, Full Moon Wo Sagashite, and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. What makes the Arina Tanemura Animate Cafe unique is that instead of focusing on one particular franchise such as Full Moon Wo Sagashite, the first of her works to receive an anime adaption, it highlights seven of her most popular series.
Menu items include a Negi Ramen or Onion Ramen lunch named after the Shinigami duo in Full Moon Wo Sagashite. There is even a Sakura Hime soda from one of her most recent series, The Legend of Princess Sakura. Exclusive merchandise includes acrylic plate keyrings and a ribboned pouch. The cafe is currently ongoing until the end of August.
1 Sailor Moon X Q Pot Cafe – Magical Candy Inspired Jewelry
Sailor Moon is perhaps one of the most recognizable magical girl franchises in the world. As such, it suffers from no shortage of brand collaborations, including pop-up cafes. One particular cafe collaboration with Q Pot Cafe is so popular that it has been ongoing every summer for the past seven years and typically begins on June 30th, Usagi’s birthday.
Over the years, the dessert and drink menu has included things like Crisis Moon cake and Kaleido Soda inspired by Sailor Moon’s weapons and transformation brooch. Many fans clamor to the cafe for the Sailor Moon jewelry pieces that Q Pot releases. Q pot is known for its candy-inspired jewelry pieces, including the Princess Serenity cupcake necklace and macaroon-shaped necklaces inspired by the inner senshi. Sailor Moon’s feline companions even inspire necklaces, charms and umbrellas.
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