In Japan, Hokto is to mushrooms what Chiquita is to bananas: a household name that people know but aren’t overly excited by – until now!
The mushroom growers have been releasing an increasingly sexy line of commercials that seem to get pulled from the airwaves soon after debuting. The latest one, titled “Splendid Mushroom Kinkatsu,” depicts a love affair between actors Jun Kaname in the role of the spirit of mushrooms and Sawa Suzuki as the middle-aged woman he continuously haunts and seductively whispers about mushrooms to. As far as mushrooms go, this is pretty hot.
In this commercial, Suzuki is perusing the produce section of her local supermarket. Suddenly, the spirit of mushroom appears behind her and whispers to her as he presses his mushroom-decorated body behind hers.
He whispers the ways of mushrooms to her, and asks if she truly wants a “regular mushroom” or his “splendid mushroom.”
Suzuki begins to feel lightheaded at Kaname’s forceful yet delicate mushroom lecturing. Overwhelmed, she desperately tries to escape and plunges her hand into the bin of regular mushrooms. The spirit of mushrooms passionately reaches for her arm and pulls it towards his own bulging package…
…of mushrooms.
He then vanishes, leaving Suzuki to do the rest of her shopping all in a tizzy, and some poor schmoe to mop up after these two fungal themed love-birds.
It’s said but unconfirmed that these commercials were quickly taken off the air after receiving complaints from viewers. However, it’s entirely possible this was all a clever viral marketing campaign to build hype.
Knowing how crafty those mushroom farmers can be I wouldn’t put it past them. My brother used to run an investment banking firm out in the countryside. Then one day a consortium of fungi cultivators bought out his company replaced his once-majestic office complex with a bleak mushroom house.
Source: Livedoor News via My Game News Flash (Japanese)
Hokto: Official Website (Japanese)
Videos: YouTube: autoxp038, douga sukiyo
▼ All installments of the Suzuki/Kaname mushroom romance to date.
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