ramen

Fans of manga artist Rumiko Takahashi will be happy to know that a slightly unexpected new product featuring her work will soon be hitting stores—instant ramen!

If you’re a reader of Japanese manga, you’ll likely have heard of Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of numerous successful comic series including Inu Yasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, many of which have been adapted into anime as well.

Now, as a result of a collaboration with instant noodle and soup maker Acecook, characters from two of her most notable works, Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2, will be featured on instant ramen packages. And it’s not just the packaging that’s special—the noodles are based on the type of ramen popular in Niigata Prefecture, where Takahashi is originally from!

There are two types of noodles in the line-up, one soy-sauce based and the other miso based.

▼ This is the “Rumiko Takahashi’s Taste of Home: Urusei Yatsura Light-flavored Soy Sauce Ramen” (Urusei Yatsura Assari Shoyu Ramen Takahashi Rumiko Furusato no Ajiwai), in a red package featuring the lovely Lum.

ramen 1

The noodles used in this product are made with flour processed from Koshihikari rice grown in Niigata Prefecture, and the soy sauce flavored soup contains chicken stock, combined with fish sauce and stock from small dried sardines (niboshi) to add depth to the flavor. Toppings of pork, braised bamboo shoots (menma), onions and leeks complete the package.

▼ And here’s the other item, the “Rumiko Takahashi’s Taste of Home: Ranma 1/2 Rich Miso Flavored Ramen” (Ranma 1/2 Noko Miso Ramen Takahashi Rumiko Furusato no Ajiwai) in an orange container with both the boy and girl versions of Ranma prominently illustrated.

ramen 2

The noodles in this instant ramen are also made from Niigata-grown koshihikari rice flour, but are slightly wider than the noodles in the soy sauce ramen. The soup is made from pork stock, along with vegetables such as garlic and onion to enrich the aroma and flavor. Pieces of cabbage, sprouts, leeks and chili pepper have been added as toppings and add texture to the mix.

The two instant ramen products go on sale starting December 7 and will be available at convenience stores and supermarkets across Japan at a price at of 180 yen (US$1.46).

The noodles sound like they could be pretty good, at least from their descriptions, plus, they should be a source of nostalgia for the now grown-ups who grew up reading these Rumiko Takahashi comics years ago! We have a feeling that there are quite a few manga fans out there who spent their childhood/teenage years with a crush on Lum, or wishing they were as martial arts-saavy as Ranma (and perhaps more importantly, lucky enough to have a fiancée like Akane). If you have the chance to try the noodles, we hope you have fun choosing between the two flavors, or if that’s too difficult, you can always have them both!

Source and photos: Acecook Press Release
Reference: Acecook website