No matter which of the possibilities are inside, there’s no way fans of Pokémon, or donuts, will be walking away disappointed.
Japan’s fukubukuro, also called “lucky bags,” are, by their very nature, a bit of a gamble. The way they work is that stores, at New Year’s, put a selection of their merchandise and/or coupons into a bag, seal it up, and offer the mystery bundle to customers, with usually the only implied promise being that the cost of the bag is less than the total of the original, pre-discount prices for the items inside.
When things go well, you’re getting a great bargain, but when they go badly, you’re getting stuck with a bunch of junk the store couldn’t sell for full price even if it tried. This year, though, there’s at least one fukubukuro that’s practically risk-free, and that’s the one from donut chain Mister Donut (a.k.a. “Misdo”) that’s a tie-up with the Pokémon franchise!
The Misdo Pokémon lucky bags come in three versions, priced at 1,100, 2,200, and 3,300 yen (US$10.20, US$20.40, and US$30.60). But in a generous display of fukubukuro transparency, Mister Donut is letting us know, upfront, what’s in each:
● 1,100-yen bag: 10 donut coupons (exchangeable for donuts priced 160 yen or less), Pokémon blanket and calendar
● 2,200-yen bag: 20 donut coupons (exchangeable for donuts priced 160 yen or less), Pokémon blanket, calendar, reusable eco shopping bag, and masking tape
● 3,300-yen bag: 20 donut coupons (exchangeable for donuts priced 160 yen or less), Pokémon blanket, calendar, shopping bag, masking tape, day planner book, and clear file
There’s still a little bit of mystery, though, in that there are two different designs for the blanket, eco bag, clear file, and masking tape. However, each design is adorable, featuring Pikachu and Pokémon Sword and Shield starters Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Original-gen starter trio Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle also show up on both blanket, shopping bag, and clear file patterns, plus the inner pages of the calendar.
▼ Calendar cover and monthly pages
▼ The yellow masking tape looks to be the only item that doesn’t feature the original starters.
▼ The day planner sports a reversible cover.
Honestly, the fact that the exact designs you get are randomized might be a blessing, because we’re not sure we’d ever be able to pick between the super-cute possibilities. Meanwhile, those of you who think with not just your heart but your head too have no doubt already noticed that each fukubukuro is priced considerably below the total value of the free donut coupons it comes with. In other words, Mister Donut is essentially paying you to accept some exclusive Pokémon merch, which is just about the sweetest economic deal you could every hope for. Granted 30 donuts is kind of a lot, but the coupons are good until the end of May, and you can use the Pokémon day planner to chart out your sweets schedule.
The Misdo Pokémon fukubukuro are being offered as pre-sales now, with a list of Mister Donut branches accepting orders here (pick-up dates vary by location).
Sources: Mister Donut, PR Times
Top image: Mister Donut
Insert images: PR Times, Mister Donut
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