Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

Do you remember last month’s piece which chronicled single mom Kaori’s three-year character bento spree? On the surface the project seemed to be about harassing her kyaraben-hating teenage daughter, but we learned that in the end, it was an incredible (not to mention eye-catching!) feat of parental love and dedication.

In Part 2 of this series, we’re going to put the spotlight on more of Kaori’s entertaining creations in tandem with some of her thoughts. And next week in Part 3, we’ll wrap up with the mom’s reaction to her long-awaited book, her “Countdown to Graduation” bentos, and a surprise from her daughter. So, before we get to this devoted mom’s moving, seaweedy words of wisdom and love, let the drool-fest begin! And keep your eyes peeled, you may even find your favorite character!

As the project draws to a close, Kaori begins to reflect on the hardships: the early mornings, the sick days, the sheer motivation necessary to see through her vow to continue making kyaraben for the whole of her daughter’s high school life. It was enough to make her want to throw in the towel numerous times and indeed, she describes the venture as a battle with herself; but despite all of that, there was also joy. “After a while, it became so much fun imagining your face when you open your bento box at lunchtime,” she writes. “As I watched you grow up these past three years, I grew too, and through this whole experience you taught me so much about thanks and appreciation.”

Another thing mom learned about was Baymax.

▼ Jan. 15, 2015-Kaori: “I asked my daughter what that button thing I see in kyaraben nowadays is, and she laughed at me, ‘Hahaha! That’s Baymax!’ So embarrassing, I better try harder to stay on top of trends.”

Baymax Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

While we’re on the topic of Disney, here’s Olaf because no Japanese kyaraben repertoire is complete without a nod to Frozen. Side note: On the right is a cool doodle from the mom. Wouldn’t you love to see a Dragon Ball-Frozen crossover bento?

▼ May 9, 2014-Kaori: “I hear my older daughter singing that darn song at work whenever our shifts overlap. I can’t get it out of my head!”

Olaf Frozen, Goku Dragon Ball, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

▼ July 23, 2014-Well then, let’s make this a double feature. The Japanese lyrics to earworm “Let It Go” translate to “I’m not cold at all,” a perfect choice for a sweltering summer’s lunch.

frozen Elsa, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

▼ Sept. 27, 2012-Ghibli is a required category too, of course. Here’s an inarizushi-style Totoro with the soot sprites that appeared in both My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.

Ghibli Totoro, Susuwatari, Kurosuke, soot sprites, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

A couple of weeks later, Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service appears as a seaweed silhouette while her cat Jiji takes center stage.

▼ Oct. 11, 2012-Kaori: “Kiki popped into my head before I fell asleep last night. Why is Jiji stealing the spotlight here, you ask? Because a Kiki rice ball would be tougher to make!”

kiki's delivery service, Ghibli, Jiji, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

Kaori often writes that getting up early and making bento is especially difficult on rainy gray days. Here, a chipper Kermit busts through a screen of cheese and gleefully announces, “It’s the rainy season!”

▼ June 12, 2014-Kaori: “Gotta add some fun to this gloomy season!… What’s this guy’s name!?”

kermit the frog, muppets, sesame street, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

A couple of other beloved American icons made the cut as well. Who knew that fried eggs would match their complexion so flawlessly!

 ▼ Oct. 30, 2012-Kaori: “Apparently my daughter likes The Simpsons or something? But that’s not why I made them! To her, any kyaraben is a nightmare so this still counts as harassment!”

Simpsons, Homer Bart, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

True to form, Kaori remembers to annoy her teen in this next lunch, with the message “Give me back my Choco Monaka Jumbo!” On the right is an image of the actual package if you’re unfamiliar with this beloved ice cream.

▼ Jan. 16, 2015-Kaori: “That was my ice cream! ‘But it was in the freezer,’ you say? Of course it was, that’s where you’re supposed to keep ice cream!”

choco monaka jumbo, ice cream, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

▼ Oct. 3, 2014-“I’m on break.” Lastly, for the daughter that always hogs the TV remote on Fridays, she includes a reminder that Doraemon isn’t airing that day. Wow, does the lovable robot cat turn into a hard-boiled chain-smoker when he’s “off”? (The inset image is an official one from his first 3-D CG feature film, Stand by Me Doraemon.)

doraemon, Character bento three years of kyaraben, iyagarase bento blog mom

Once you’re through digesting all of that be sure to come back for Part 3, in which we’ll start off with a genuinely hard-boiled manga character before finishing up this series on Kaori’s delectable spree!

Sources: ttkk no Iyagarase no Tame Dake no Obento Blog via Grape
Images: ttkk no Iyagarase no Tame Dake no Obento Blog, Japan Now, Doraemon Wiki