Reviewing 10 Anime Themed Cafes Across Japan: Part 6
Emirichu
Summary:
This video, the sixth in a series, reviews 10 anime-themed collaboration cafes across Japan, evaluating their atmosphere, food presentation, taste, and merchandise.
- Frieren at Vox Cafe in Space: Praised for beautiful decoration and presentation, but food taste was hit-or-miss, earning a 4/5.
- Alien Stage at Animate Cafe: Atmosphere was minimal but presentation cute, with food being unsatisfactory, rated 2.8/5.
- Yuyu Hakusho at Knots Live Cafe: Despite an empty atmosphere, the food was surprisingly creative and very enjoyable, receiving a 4.6/5.
- Card Captor Sakura at Cafe and Dining: Good presentation and taste, but not highly memorable, rated 4/5.
- Jujutsu Kaisen at Vox Cafe in Space: Cozy atmosphere, great presentation, and very tasty food, scoring a 4.6/5.
- Apothecary Diaries at Cafe and Dining: Highly immersive with surprisingly healthy-tasting and creative dishes, earning a 4.8/5.
- Shugo Chara at Box Cafe & Space: A nostalgic visit with forgettable food, mostly neutral feedback, rated 2.8/5.
- Hazbin Hotel at Animate Cafe: Creative menu, decent taste, and great atmosphere, receiving a 4.8/5.
- Ghibli Films at Corn Barley in Kit Joi: An exceptional immersive experience with delicious food directly from Ghibli films, earning a perfect 5/5.
- Sea Dog VA and Iron Mouse at Honey Toast Cafe: Cute presentation, mostly good food, and great personal touches, earning a 4/5 (then bumped to 5/5 by the host).
Introduction to Anime Cafe Adventures [00:00:00]
1. Frieren at Vox Cafe in Space [00:02:00]
This cafe featured a flower garden theme, with stunning promo art and anime visuals decorating the walls.
- Atmosphere and Presentation [00:02:11]
- The cafe was beautifully decorated with illustrations and visuals from the anime.
- Cardboard standees of characters in elaborate floral formal wear were displayed.
- Adorable chibi characters adorned the tables.
- A thank you note and doodle from the mangaka, Tugasa Abbe, was on display.
- Freebies [00:02:35]
- Each person received a letter-shaped postcard of a random character (Emirichu got Stark and Fern).
- Drinks
- Blue Moonflower Drink [00:02:49]: An iced tea with cream and flowers, served with a magical smoky effect.
- Aura's Drink [00:02:57]: A cassis and grape soda float resembling Aura's head.
- Magic of Levitating Objects [00:03:06]: Lemonade with pumpkin-shaped gummies suspended in jelly. The concept was cute, but the lemonade jelly was tasteless and the pumpkin jellies were inedible and rubbery.
- Savory Dishes
- Salad Pasta [00:03:23]: Inspired by a scene where Fern creates a field of flowers, it glowed with a light underneath the plate.
- Cream Doria with Meat Sauce [00:03:37]: Inspired by the winter mountain trekking scene, staff grated cheese over it to simulate snow. It consisted of rice, meat, cheese, and cream sauce.
- Walts for Travel Money (Maple Chicken Sandwich) [00:03:53]: Inspired by Stark and Fern's dance. It was the most delicious dish, a clear winner among the three.
- Desserts
- Half-Century Meteor [00:04:12]: A melon and kiwi jelly dessert recreating a meteor shower. It was sentimental and adorably presented, but the taste was just fine.
- Lord Orton's Hospitality (Donuts) [00:04:32]: A pile of donuts referencing a scene where Frieren and Fern ate donuts. It came with berry sauce, cream cheese sauce, and a pot of tea. The donuts were awful, and the savory cream cheese did not pair well, making it the worst dessert.
- Mini Pastry Mimic Chest [00:05:06]: Depicting Frieren stuck in a mimic chest. Cute presentation, but the bread was dry and lacked flavor.
- Merchandise [00:05:34]
- Included file folders, acrylic stands, and keychains. Emirichu bought a file folder due to the beautiful promo art.
- Rating [00:05:43]
- The cafe received a strong 4 out of 5, primarily carried by presentation and creativity, with taste being hit-or-miss.
2. Alien Stage at Animate Cafe [00:05:57]
Emirichu visited with friends who were big fans of the Alien Stage series. Entry was via a lottery system.
- Atmosphere and Fan Culture [00:06:13]
- Minimal decor, but standees were cute.
- Friends brought extensive merch to decorate the table, showcasing dedicated fan culture.
- A friend displayed custom nail art themed after the character Misu.
- Savory Dishes
- Anact Garden Plate [00:06:38]: Designed to look like "cafeteria slop" from the series, with rice, chicken breast, white sauce, green pea paste, tomato sauce, and orange jelly. Despite being canonically gross, the price was high, and it tasted like baby food.
- Ketchup Omurice [00:07:28]: A classic omurice with vegetables and a small pando mochi. Designs on the omurice were random (Sua, Miji, Tills). Taste was just okay, slightly worse than regular cafe omurice.
- Desserts
- Till and Yvon Sweet and Bitter Dessert Plate [00:07:53]: Included coffee jelly, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, a rich, gooey chocolate cake, and mixed berries. This was the best dessert.
- Miji and Sua Yogurt Strawberry Parfait [00:08:11]: Topped with shiatamadango, mixed berries, and a heart-shaped cookie. Cute presentation, but the strawberry ice cream tasted artificial.
- Hana and Luca Misty Caramel Orange Crepe [00:08:29]: Featured a character trapped in a smoky jar. The crepes were bland and tasteless, making it the worst dessert.
- Drinks
- Miy Pink Litechy Drink [00:08:44]: Tasted good but had tasteless wab mochi.
- Other drinks included Sua Blue Ramen Drink, Yvon Berry Jelly Cola, and Luca Ginger Butterfly PT, which received neutral to negative reactions from friends.
- Freebies and Merch [00:09:07]
- Each menu item came with a random coaster.
- A wholesome interaction involved Sam gifting exclusive Hana and Luca merch to another fan.
- Rating [00:10:19]
- The cafe received a 2.8 out of 5 due to unsatisfactory food, despite the wholesome fan interaction.
3. Yuyu Hakusho at Knots Live Cafe [00:10:30]
A surprising throwback collaboration cafe that Emirichu visited with her friend Ditus.
- Atmosphere [00:10:45]
- The cafe was empty during their visit, which was unexpected given the quality of the food.
- Savory Dishes
- Spirit Sword Chicken Sauté [00:10:52]: Grilled chicken served with a sword-shaped puff pastry (representing Kuwabara's sword) and tomato demiglace sauce. It was delicious, flaky, and buttery.
- Rosethorn Whip Blade Naan Curry [00:11:14]: A coconut milk-based chicken curry colored pink with beet powder, with spinach sauce drizzle and a rose-shaped beet cookie. Savory and the naan was fluffy.
- Drinks
- Kurama's Rose Darjeeling Tea [00:11:38]: Darjeeling tea with rose syrup, topped with rose-flavored berry cream.
- Kiwi Syrup Soda [00:11:47]: Made to resemble Yukina's hair color. Both drinks were very good.
- Desserts
- Spirit Gun Mousse Cake [00:11:58]: Peach and passion fruit flavored mousse cake with lemon glaze and a hand-shaped sugar cookie (Yusuke's spirit gun). Deliciously tart, not too sweet, and Emirichu's absolute favorite.
- Dragon of the Darkness Flame Attack Brownie [00:12:25]: A dense dark chocolate brownie with orange flavoring, shaped like a dragon, and decorated with black currant sauce. Emirichu found it too dense, but Ditus enjoyed it.
- Freebies and Merch [00:12:46]
- Received a free sticker for each food item and a card for each drink.
- Merch section had typical acrylic stands, badges, and coasters.
- Rating [00:13:01]
- Received a very strong 4.6 out of 5 for its creative and impressive presentation and taste, with the atmosphere being the weakest part.
4. Card Captor Sakura at Cafe and Dining [00:13:14]
Another Card Captor Sakura themed afternoon tea, Emirichu's recurring experience with the series' collaborations.
- Atmosphere and Presentation [00:13:24]
- The cafe was the same venue as a previous Dungeon Meshi collab.
- Sam brought framed photo cards for pictures.
- Freebies [00:13:44]
- Received paper tea party invitation tickets with promo art.
- Food & Drinks
- Sakura and Tomoyo's Always Together Royal Afternoon Tea Set [00:13:51]: A two-person tea set with assorted sweets, savory items, and two tea flavors. It came with a Card Captor stirring stick. Everything tasted fine but wasn't particularly memorable.
- Sakura and Akiho's Homemade Croquettes and Beef Stew Plate [00:14:20]: Came with a side salad and bread. This was the best-tasting item.
- Sakura's Key to Dreams Parfait [00:14:30]: Inspired by Sakura's clear card dress, filled with cream cheese ice cream, sweet custard cream, and star-shaped milk pudding.
- Tomoyo's Blueberry Yogurt Drink [00:14:43]: Topped with crunchy granola. Tasted good, and was considered better than the parfait.
- Merchandise [00:14:54]
- Sam bought blind bag acrylic stands and stickers. Emirichu added a Card Captor Sakura glass to her collection.
- Rating [00:15:05]
- The cafe received a 4 out of 5. It was cute and tasted good for the most part, but didn't surpass previous Sakura collaborations.
5. Jujutsu Kaisen at Vox Cafe in Space [00:15:25]
A Jujutsu Kaisen cafe related to the Shibuya Incident arc, visited with friend Manu.
- Freebies [00:15:40]
- Each person received a random file folder (Emirichu got Nobara, Manu got Megumi).
- Also received two random coasters (Emirichu got Yuji, Manu got Gojo).
- Savory Dishes
- Black Flash Ramen [00:15:53]: Chicken soup ramen with black fried onions and spicy red dandan sauce, representing Yuji's Black Flash.
- Nanami's Seafood Gathering Tomato Stew Pasta [00:16:05]: Inspired by the Dagon realm's seven seas. Emirichu was pleasantly surprised by its taste.
- Nobara's Resonance Tortilla [00:16:12]: Pastrami beef and ham tortilla with pickled carrots shaped like rose petals.
- Dessert
- Nanami's Necktie Motif Chiffon Cake [00:16:42]: Caramel-flavored chiffon cake with caramelized bananas, vanilla ice cream, and cookie crumbles. This was the best item ordered; fluffy, not too sweet, with a nice crunch.
- Drink
- Yuji's Mango Drink [00:16:21]: A simple mango-flavored soda.
- Merchandise [00:17:04]
- Standard acrylic goods and badges. Emirichu bought a sticker set of chibi art.
- Rating [00:17:12]
- The cafe was rated 4.6 out of 5 (Manu's 4.5 bumped up), praised for its tasty food and cozy atmosphere with screen animations and music.
6. Apothecary Diaries at Cafe and Dining [00:17:26]
This cafe, at the same venue as Card Captor Sakura, focused on aromas and spices.
- Atmosphere and Theme [00:17:34]
- The theme was "aromas and spices to stimulate your five senses".
- Freebies [00:17:43]
- Each person received a random file folder (Emirichu got Maomao).
- Drinks
- Pots of jasmine tea and carnation tea, each with a character sugar cookie (both Jinshi).
- Gaoshan's Black Sesame Latte [00:18:00]: Came with a sachet of cinnamon.
- Jinshi's Blueberry Soda [00:18:05]: Came with a sachet of chamomile.
- Food Course: Maomao's Medicinal and Mixed Food Course [00:18:11]
- This extensive course cost 6,000 yen and included:
- Chinese soup with seaweed, carrots, and wood ear mushrooms.
- Small plates of pickled veggies and simmered vegetables.
- Rice porridge with anchovies and salted seaweed.
- Braced pork belly.
- Yuzu tea with ginger.
- Soy milk dessert bowl with taro, mango, red and green beans, mini mochi, peanuts, and pistachios.
- Everything tasted good, but was considered expensive for Chinese food, typical of collab cafe pricing.
- Additional Savory Dishes
- Porridge and Dim Sum Set [00:19:07]: Shared, came with pickled veggies and Sichuan pepper flakes.
- Meat, Fish, and Vegetable Plate filled with Wild Vegetables Picked by Maomao [00:19:17]: Included rice balls, white fish, braced pork belly, and vegetables, served with a manual spice grinder.
- A manual spice grinder was provided to grind spices.
- Dessert
- Sweet Moments Aphrodisiac Chocolate Plate [00:19:41]: Included chocolate ice cream, chocolate tarts, and chocolate nuts (a reference to the anime). Also came with Japanese pepper and clove, which were not used with the chocolate.
- Coasters and Merch [00:19:58]
- Received many sturdy coasters.
- Small selection of merch; the most interesting was a soy sauce dish engraved with "This is poison."
- Rating [00:20:34]
- The cafe received a 4.8 out of 5 for its immersive and surprisingly healthy-tasting menu, with the added touch of optional spices.
7. Shugo Chara at Box Cafe & Space [00:20:46]
A nostalgic anime throwback for Emirichu and her friend Christine.
- Atmosphere [00:21:06]
- They were the only customers.
- Tables were decorated to look like playing cards.
- Freebies [00:21:14]
- Received two random paper card freebies (got Amu and Utau).
- Drinks
- Utau's Grape Soda and Ikuto's Blue Ram Soda [00:21:23]: Both were straightforward.
- Savory Dishes
- Utau's Ramen [00:21:29]: Small portion with side salad, topped with chashu pork and red cabbage. It was good, with firm noodles and hearty broth.
- Amu Omelette Rice [00:21:35]: Came with a side salad and a radish shaped like Amu's hair clip. Christine liked it.
- Mini Desserts (with set lunches)
- Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia Mini Parfait [00:21:57]: Ice cream parfait with cream and jelly layers.
- Yoru and Ikuto Mini Parfait [00:22:03]: Two scoops of fruit sorbet over cream and granola. Both mini parfaits were deemed neutral.
- Main Dessert
- Heart's Egg Mousse Cake [00:22:15]: Meant to resemble the heart egg from the anime. Milk-flavored mousse cake on custard cream and cake. The cake was dry, and the mousse tasted like diluted milk, making it the least favorite dessert.
- Merchandise [00:22:36]
- Very small selection, mostly the same promo art on different items.
- Rating [00:22:43]
- A 2.8 out of 5. The cafe was largely forgettable, though they appreciated its existence for nostalgia.
8. Hazbin Hotel at Animate Cafe [00:23:04]
A highly requested and popular collaboration, entry was via a competitive lottery.
- Atmosphere and Presentation [00:23:56]
- Impressive promo art featured many characters in unique maid and butler uniforms.
- Standees took up an entire section of the room, some signed. Signed Shikishi boards were also on display.
- Freebies [00:24:24]
- Received a large paper bag with both on-model and chibi versions of the character art – a "crazy freebie."
- Drinks
- Loser Baby Neon Fruit Jelly Punch [00:24:40]: Fruit cocktail topped with jellies, cream, and granola. Pretty good, with a decent ingredient ratio.
- Charlie and Vaggie's Date Night Pink Grapefruit Drink [00:24:55]: Grape syrup with mixed berries, served with two heart-shaped straws. Super cute.
- Vox's Stayed Gone Crackling Lychee Drink [00:25:06]: Cider with blue lychee syrup and pop rock candy for a crackling effect. One of June's favorites.
- The Future of Hell Belongs to the V's Cola Drink [00:25:21]: Cola with jelly and a cloud of cotton candy. Looked cute but excessively sweet.
- Cherry Bomb's Bubble Drink [00:25:32]: Staff piped a smoke bubble over the drink, which could be popped to reveal a fruity, smoky cherry drink. Emirichu's favorite for its creativity.
- Savory Dishes
- Nifty's Stab Stab Stab Ketchup Omurice [00:25:47]: Omurice in a pool of tomato sauce, representing Nifty's love for stabbing. Served with a ketchup bottle for drawing. Tastewise, nothing special, similar to other omurices.
- Dessert: Hell's Special Afternoon Tea [00:26:43]
- Top Tier: Prosciutto and tomato bruschetta, potato salad tartlet, and a mini granola berry sponge cake parfait with charcoal whipped cream resembling the hotel. The parfait was surprisingly tasty and Emirichu's favorite from this plate.
- Bottom Tier: Berry cream roll cake, blue Hawaii ice cream, and mint whipped cream with berries, representing the V's. Flavors were good.
- Coasters and Merch [00:27:20]
- Received a coaster for every menu item.
- Walls displayed large tapestries of characters in maid and butler uniforms, available for pre-order.
- Extensive merch selection due to 17 different characters, making blind bag items challenging.
- Rating [00:28:30]
- Received a 4.8 out of 5 for its creative menu, decent taste, and nicely decorated atmosphere with background music.
9. Ghibli Films at Corn Barley in Kit Joi [00:28:47]
A permanent restaurant offering a full course meal of dishes from Studio Ghibli films.
- Atmosphere [00:29:10]
- Exceptional atmosphere: Every corner filled with Ghibli memorabilia.
- Cozy dining space with a record player playing Ghibli music (can request specific movie soundtracks). Emirichu requested Princess Mononoke.
- Food Course (Seven Dishes)
- Mousashino Forest Salad [00:29:37]: Simple salad with broccoli and citrus dressing, inspired by My Neighbor Totoro. Good, standard salad.
- Magic Bacon and Eggs [00:29:50]: Iconic dish from Howl's Moving Castle, made with Hokkaido bacon and Mitaka eggs, served with bread from a local bakery. Delicious and served with matching table decorations.
- Baked Pie Shaped Like a Fish [00:30:26]: From Kiki's Delivery Service, the filling was chicken and pumpkin (instead of herring) to appeal to customers. Flaky, buttery crust with a hearty filling, Emirichu's personal favorite dish. Served with Kiki headbands.
- Mysterious Spirit Food [00:30:58]: From Spirited Away, recreated with Taiwanese dumpling dough and meat filling for a jiggly texture. Also included kamaboko fishcake and stuffed tofu skin "money bags." Ditus' favorite.
- Sky Pirate Roast Pork [00:31:31]: The same roast pork Dola eats in Castle in the Sky, made with Yonazawa pork. Served with a knife stuck in it and optional desert salt. Very meaty and hearty, delicious but filling.
- Special Ham Ramen [00:32:05]: Iconic ramen scene from Ponyo, made with Hokkaido ham and noodles from a 100-year-old shop. Served in movie-accurate bowls. Delicious, with firm noodles and flavorful, light broth. Emirichu's second favorite.
- Dessert [00:32:43]: Lemon sorbet with dark chocolate truffles (resembling soot sprites from My Neighbor Totoro). Truffles were rich and dense, while the sorbet was enjoyed by Emirichu.
- Additional Drink: Witch's Secret Potion [00:33:10]
- A smoky, color-changing magical drink with a butterfly pea tea base and citrus liquid. Ordered separately.
- Rating [00:33:53]
- A perfect 5 out of 5, both from Emirichu and Ditus, for an absolutely fantastic, immersive, and delicious experience. Recommended for Ghibli fans visiting Mitaka.
10. ConnorVA and Iron Mouse at Honey Toast Cafe [00:34:11]
A pop-up collaboration cafe by YouTubers ConnorVA and Iron Mouse.
- Atmosphere [00:34:43]
- Adorably decorated with cafe promo art, standees, and Mouse's music videos playing.
- Drinks
- Demon's Latte [00:34:58]: Iced coffee with strawberry milk, chocolate whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and wafer bat wings. Emirichu's favorite.
- Devil Plasma [00:35:09]: Probiotic water with blueberry syrup, grapefruit jelly, and blueberries, with a character wafer on the straw. Tart, fruity, and a crowd favorite.
- Chalky Milk [00:35:23]: Strawberry milk with cocoa, chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, and white chocolate. Nostalgic and simple chocolate milk.
- Monkey Mix [00:35:38]: Milk with banana syrup and mango juice, topped with whipped cream and a mini rose (Connor's profile picture). Emirichu's least favorite, tasted like diluted milk.
- Gamer Brew [00:35:55]: Iced coffee with chocolate sauce and coffee powder on the rim. Simple iced coffee.
- Desserts
- Monkey Split [00:36:10]: Sliced banana with whipped cream, banana ice cream, chocolate sauce, and a mini monkey Connor. Cute, simple, and tasty.
- Honey Toast [00:36:23]: The cafe's signature dish. A large, hollowed-out toast filled with mini toast, whipped cream, mixed berries, strawberry and banana ice cream, and blueberry condensed milk. Crunchy, delicious, and the group's favorite.
- Demon's Jelly [00:36:54]: Coffee jelly, strawberry condensed milk, whipped cream, strawberry ice cream, fruit, marshmallows, and chocolate. Least favorite due to redundant and artificial strawberry flavors.
- Savory Dishes
- Monkey Jungle [00:37:19]: British Sunday roast-inspired dish with beef, gravy, saffron rice, potatoes, and veggies. Least tasty item for the group.
- Demon Queen's Feast [00:37:26]: Classic cafe omurice with broccoli, carrots, and pink beetroot-dyed cream sauce. Tasted better than many other omurice dishes at collab cafes.
- Freebies and Merch [00:38:01]
- Received 10 random coasters.
- Could take home a four-piece set of sugar cookies with chibi designs.
- Special cafe Polaroid card freebie for each person.
- Not much merch available.
- Rating [00:38:36]
- Initially rated 4 out of 5 by the group, but Emirichu declared it a 5 out of 5 for being the best collab cafe she'd ever been to, praising the personal touch and creativity.