
We’ve been impressed by Nissin’s clever ads for Cup Noodles more than once. With previous ads featuring breakdancing samurai, battlefield language barriers, and fanatic idol fans, we’ve usually come away with chuckles or goose bumps, and sometimes even both.
Now Nissin is back again with a skewed look at another piece of pop culture: romantic leads in girls’ manga that pound on the walls.
Anime and manga for adolescent and teenage boys gets plenty of flak for reusing the same stock situations, whether it’s the male protagonist accidentally falling face-first into a girl’s chest or more frequently seen clichés such as…no, that’s pretty much the most common one.
This isn’t to say that series primarily made for girls don’t have a tendency to go to the same well over and over again either, though. For example, hundreds of girls’ manga feature a sequence called kabe don, or the wall pound, where the female lead finds herself cornered by a hunky dude who slaps the wall behind her, fencing her in so she won’t run away from his declaration of love.
Kabe don is so ubiquitous it even showed up in the marriage proposal simulator/snark generator that was launched last month.
Nissin’s new ad draws attention to this common scene, and the effect it has on many earnest female readers.
And for one young woman, it looks like her manga fantasies are about to come true!
Or are they?
Like the narrator tells us, manga and the real world are just a little bit different. Still, we can’t blame fans for dreaming, and at least when their hopes come crashing down, Nissin will be there with a quick, hot meal for them.
Source: Jin
Top image: YouTube
Insert images: Imetore Propose, YouTube







10 girls, 10 wall-pounds – Female kabe-don is here!
Fending off unwanted Kabe-don: A guide
In the mood for love and pizza? Domino’s will deliver your pie with romantic kabe-don wall pound
Anime girls will keep you company as you eat your instant ramen with new AR promotion
5 romantic scenarios from Japanese media that are maybe kinda gross
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Tochigi man shares his family’s process for creating 16 years worth of rice paddy art
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
Yoshinoya and Dragon Quest slaying scalpers with shift to made-to-order collaboration merch
Climbing season officially opens for Japan’s Mt. Hiyoriyama, the shortest mountain in the country
Raw chicken dishes to be regulated by Japanese government
Tokyo revises accommodation tax amidst tourism boom, Airbnb rentals now included
7-Eleven Japan now has Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Foreign tourists injured in Nissan GT-R crash near Tokyo’s Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
A visit to Sri Lanka’s knockoff knockoff Uniqlo (no, we didn’t stutter) to see its rare “Pikachus”
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
The quest for Dragon Quest Yoshinoya figure sets: Worth taking for fans, tricky for scalpers[Pics]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
A beautiful, bittersweet interspecies anime romance that’s also an instant noodle commercial【Vid】
Cup Noodle maker apologizes for pale-skinned depiction of Naomi Osaka in anime ad【Video】
Gorgeous anime shorts reimagine One Piece’s Straw Hat Pirates as high school teens【Videos】
What if One Piece was a girls’ comic? Shojo manga artist produces character redesign【Pics】
Heidi’s back! Girl of the Alps stars in breathtaking short anime from Kiki reimagining team【Vid】
Domino’s Japan offering discounts to customers who pound the wall, show mementos from old flames
Anime ninja girl butt tissue covers to mount on your wall on sale soon in Japan【Photo】
Naomi Osaka responds to controversial Nissin anime ad that portrayed her with pale skin【Video】
Kiki’s back! Famous Studio Ghibli anime witch returns in jaw-dropping short animation【Video】
Series of steamy shojo manga illustrations takes on the sizzling topic of IT security
Cup Noodle hamster wheel is the new adorable pet toy animal lovers in Japan want[Video]
Amazing One Piece high school anime video shows Nami as hungry, hard-working teen with big dream
Final episode of Cup Noodle commercial Hungry Days featuring One Piece finally shows Luffy’s face