SORA NEWS



 

Gari Gari kun now comes in a special Pikachu variety for a limited time.
Hot on the heels of the latest Pokémon movie, where Pikachu and fellow Pocket Monsters made their controversial furry-body debuts, the world is now gearing up to see what Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution has in store for us, as the first Japan-made feature-length Pokémon film created entirely in computer graphics.
 

 

 

This CG reboot of the very first Pokémon theatrical feature is due to premiere in cinemas around Japan on 12 July, which means now is the time for promotional collaborations to start appearing in stores. And here to kick things off is Japan’s top-selling brand of popsicles, Gari Gari kun.

▼ “Gari gari” is Japanese onomatopoeia for “hard and crunchy”, and it’s also the name of the brand’s mascot Gari Gari kun, a middle schooler with short hair and big teeth.

 

This beloved brand is known for creating some bizarre flavours like “spaghetti” and “cream puff“, but this summer they’re sticking to a classic flavour and dressing up their packaging design instead for the Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution collaboration. 

There will be two different designs to choose from, as part of the “Otona no Gari Gari kun” (“Adult Gari Gari kun“) range, which appeals to more mature palates with less sweetness and more refined flavours.

 

And the star ingredient chosen for the special Pokémon edition is lemon, which reflects the colour of crowd favourite Pikachu, with Mew taking a backseat for the design.

While the packaging is adorable, the popsicle itself also promises to impress us, as it contains 11 percent real fruit juice and pulp, using lemons sourced from Italy. The addition of lemon peel provides us with a zing of tartness, which is a fun way to honour the electric Pokémon.

 

Adding to the fun is the chance to win an exclusive “Gari-Poké Pouch”. If your popsicle stick has a winning message on it, then you’ve won!

The new frozen sweets will be sold in multipack boxes containing six popsicles each. Available at stores around the country from 27 May, the multipacks retail for 350 yen (US$3.19).