Japan's 7-11 recently teamed up with the Mobile Suit Gundam series for a nationwide campaign! Starting May 8th, fans hitting up any 7-11 can snag exclusive original merch by purchasing select items, sending many into a buying frenzy.
But here's the kicker: a collaboration between Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury and Japanese instant noodle giant Toyo Suisan has dropped some seriously surprising art. The product illustrations for protagonists Suletta and Miorine depict them as a "tanuki" and a "fox" respectively! Gundam fans are absolutely floored that the official merch is leaning into these popular fan-given nicknames.
If you're clued into Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, you'll know that fans, both in Taiwan and Japan, affectionately call Suletta a "tanuki." While it's been a beloved fan moniker, the official channels have never actually presented Suletta in this form... until now!
Who would've thought this collab would bring such an adorable transformation? The red instant noodles are famously known as "Kitsune Udon" (Fox Udon), while the green ones are "Tanuki Udon" (Tanuki Udon). The artists cleverly swapped the roles, depicting Miorine as the fox and Suletta as the tanuki, matching the noodle types perfectly. Fans are praising the official team for such a thoughtful touch! (Though some eagle-eyed netizens have pointed out that Suletta's tail in the collab art looks more like a raccoon's.)
While there's no shortage of fan-made art featuring Suletta as a tanuki, seeing this concept officially embraced for a collaboration product has many collectors convinced it's a must-have.
Of course, it's a delightful coincidence that these designs perfectly align with Toyo Suisan's two iconic noodle names. Now, fans are buzzing with excitement, wondering if this could lead to a long-term partnership!