Burger King’s Controversial Anime Viewing Burger: Rip-Off or Work of Art?

Word has been swirling in the weeks leading up to the release of Burger King’s “anime viewing hamburger” which, as its name suggests, is a burger designed to be enjoyed while watching anime. Watching anime certainly would be an ideal snacking time, so the concept seems solid, but how is it really?

Our fast food specialist Kuzo went to investigate. Here is his report.

The official name of this hamburger is Anime Viewing Exclusive Hamburger: Shiwo Whopper. A mouthful to say the least, but considering this must be the first time a fast food chain tried something like this, we’ll let them be a little grandiose. I went to try one myself, and I have to say at first glance it was troubling in a few major ways.

I mean, sure it’s really big. Even before opening the wrapper I could tell this was a sizable hamburger. And yet after opening it up I was surprised again by how big it was. Whoppers are known for their size, but I wonder if this is enough sustenance for an entire anime feature.

Although the burger was sizable it looked a little flat – as if it had no toppings. I pulled away the bun and sure enough nothing was there. After field-stripping the entire sandwich there was not a shred of vegetable nor a drop condiment anywhere on this burger.

At first I thought a careless cook had forgotten to add the toppings, but this is what the Shiwo Whopper is meant to be: a beef patty and two buns. The taste was a simple mix of the bun’s sweetness and the beef’s saltiness. It was alright, though, and went pretty well with cola.

Then it all dawned on me. While watching anime cheese, ketchup, sauces, and lettuce would all serve to distract you from your viewing pleasure! There’s elegance in the simplicity of just meat and bread relieving the viewer/diner of the mental burden of getting their hands or shirt dirty from errant fixings. This burger proudly accepts its humble role as food support for the main attraction of the anime and does the job.

That said, a McDonald’s hamburger would be almost as simple.

In summary, the Anime Viewing Exclusive Hamburger: Shiwo Whopper is truly a hamburger designed to watch anime with. It’s big enough that while your eyes are engaged with your favorite anime your mouth shan’t go lonely. While deeply immersed in your anime toppings will never spill on you, and your hands will not get dirty.

You might say that this is just a marketing ruse to sell plain hamburgers or that this is a case of genius minimalist burgerology, and in both cases you might be right. Nevertheless, I got one more to take home and watch some anime with.

Original Article by Kuzo

Burger Data
Name: Anime Viewing Exclusive Hamburger: Shiwo Whopper
Locations: Akihabara (Tokyo), Namba and Amerika Mura (Osaka) Burger Kings
Time: Limited from April First to Seventh, 2013

▼ I came to the Burger King in Akihabara, Tokyo.