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McDonald's Japan Streams Opening for Tsukimi Burger Anime You Never Knew Existed

McDonald's Japan is no stranger to partnering with anime shows for promotions. However, once in a blue moon (or an autumn moon), the fast food chain will surprise fans with its own original anime project. For its annual Tsukimi (Moon-Viewing) Burger campaign, McDonald's Japan went all out by sponsoring its own anime series Motto! Imadaketsukimi Ttabemi!! (More! Tabemi Imadaketsukimi ) … or at least, an opening sequence for this hypothetical anime series.

McDonald's Japan revealed the “anime series” opening on September 9. The opening features the title character Tabemi Imadaketsukimi (a name pun that roughly means "Try Eating the Limited-Time-Only Tsukimi Burger"), her apparent rival, Mochiko Tsukimipie (based on the annual Tsukimi Pie menu item with rice mochi filling), and several other unnamed characters based on McDonald's Japan's Tsukimi menu items. The opening even includes the “Sponsored by” screen seen in many anime series.

McDonald's Japan said after posting the video, “Since Tabemi and Mochiko were satisfied with the opening being made, the series will not go into production!” Singer, lyricist, and radio personality Miko voiced Tabemi Imadaketsukimi. and voice actor Kiara Saitō played Mochiko Tsukimipie and provided vocals for the opening theme song.

McDonald's Japan began the "Motto! Imadaketsukimi Tabemi!!" promotion on September 1 with a hypothetical "episode preview" by Tabemi Imadaketsukimi. The episode preview features clips of the opening with Tabemi introducing herself and teasing an appearance from Mochiko. The previewed first “episode” is titled “Tsukimi Burger Hatsubai!” (Tsukimi Burger on Sale!)

The promotion continued with a series of dance videos featuring Tabemi and Mochiko:

The Tsukimi Burger is an annual autumn menu item by McDonald's Japan, based on the custom of autumn tsukimi (moon viewing) in Japan. The burger features a beef patty with an McMuffin-style egg, bacon, and tomato sauce. (The egg is supposed to invoke the image of the moon in the autumn skies.)

This year, McDonald's Japan released nine Tsukimi menu items: the regular Tsukimi Burger itself, Cheese Tsukimi Burger, Cheese Cheese Bai Tsukimi (Cheese Cheese Times-Two Tsukimi), Tsukimi Muffin, Aburi Gyu Sukiyakifū Tsukimi (Seared Beef Sukiyaki-style Tsukimi), Hokkaido-san Jaga Pepper Tsukimi (Hokkaido-Grown Potato Pepper Tsukimi), Hokkaido-san Butter to Anko to Mochi no Tsukimi Pie (Hokkaido-Churned Butter, Red Bean Paste, and Mochi Tsukimi Pie), the Tsukimi McShake Nagano-san Shine Muscat (Tsukimi McShake Nagano-Grown Shine Muscat Grape), and Ōgon no Tamago Tarter Sauce (Golden Egg Tarter Sauce). Single item prices range from 50 yen to 670 yen (about US$0.30 to US$4.30).

Sources: McDonald's Japan's X/Twitter account (link 2, link 3, link 4, link 5, link 6), McDonald's Japan's website, via Otakomu