Toyo Suisan's animated ad for its "Maruchan" cup noodles recently stirred up a storm on X (formerly Twitter). The 34-second clip, seemingly innocent, simply shows a young woman enjoying a "Maruchan Akai Kitsune Udon" (Red Fox Udon) in her room. But some netizens found it "too suggestive" and "super gross," igniting a heated debate that even sent the food anime "Food Wars!" trending on X. What's the deal?
▼ The controversy unexpectedly sent "Food Wars!" trending on X.
In the ad, a young woman in a dimly lit room is seen slurping down "Akai Kitsune" cup noodles while watching TV. Apparently moved by the drama on screen, she sheds a tear while eating, then happily slurps her noodles, takes a big bite of the fried tofu, whispers "So delicious," lets out a long sigh, and her cheeks flush slightly.
▼ The "Maruchan" cup noodle animated ad
What seemed like a harmless scene, however, sparked surprisingly polarized reactions. Some viewers gave positive feedback, like "This video makes me crave Akai Kitsune! Haven't had it in ages, I'm buying some tomorrow!"
But a significant number of netizens (many seemingly women) sharply criticized it: "So gross!" "Too suggestive, it's uncomfortable," "What's with the blushing, shy, squirming ad?" "Who eats cup noodles like that in real life?" "Why does it have to be so sexualized?" Many felt the video was laden with a strong male gaze, making it unsettling. Some even categorized the ad as "otaku-oriented," arguing that such a style isn't generally appealing to a broader audience.
However, plenty of others pushed back against the criticism, suggesting the outrage was overblown: "I just thought she was enjoying her meal? Where's the suggestive part?" "Totally don't get what the fuss is about." "Isn't it normal to get flushed cheeks eating hot noodles in winter?" "There are absolutely no suggestive elements." "The ad clearly has no obscene visuals."
Even more netizens pointed out that if *this* is considered suggestive, then the over-the-top food reactions in "Food Wars!" anime must have sent these critics into a frenzy. They questioned what kind of "colored filters" one must be wearing to find suggestive elements in a cup noodle commercial.
Of course, perceptions can vary, but this ad certainly ignited a sudden firestorm and became a hot topic on social media. What's your take on the "Maruchan" cup noodle ad controversy?