Easily the most sophisticated sashimi dandelion simulator to date.

It’s often been said that the one thing standing in the way of VR’s mass adoption is that one must-have killer app that’ll make everyone want to run out and get a headset of their own.

Well, this day may have finally arrived with the release of VR Sashimi Tanpopo (VR Sashimi Dandelion).

As you can see in the trailer, this game utilizes the Oculus Quest’s hand tracking feature amazingly well to make you feel as if you are right there in the sashimi dandelion assembly line, earning a single yen for every dandelion you place on a plate of sashimi. Touch controller support is also available.

Players can try to beat their personal best in the one-minute standard mode, or really put their tolerance of monotony to the test with the never-ending Infinite Tanpopo mode.

Speaking of which, the inspiration for this game is the Japanese Internet meme of working at a job putting dandelions on sashimi as a kind of metaphor for pointlessly monotonous and soul-crushing career. Of course, such a job doesn’t really exist. Putting flowers on sashimi is usually a task given to the person who arranges the rest of the plate as well.

In fact, it may surprise many to learn that those little flowers actually aren’t dandelions at all. Rather they’re a type of edible chrysanthemum called tsumagiku. According to Chinese holistic medicine, these flowers are able to kill parasites, making them a welcome accompaniment to slices of raw fish way back when food safety and preservation weren’t quite as developed as they are now.

But let’s not get so bogged down in facts that we lose sight of the zen-like enjoyment that VR Sashimi Tanpopo offers. Reaction to the game online has been positive, though it appears the theme hit a little too close to home for some.

“No! That’s hell! lol”
“This is a game for someone who has given up on life.”
“They need to include chrysanthemums as downloadable content.”
“I kind of want to try this.”
“This game is a perfect encapsulation of the real world.”
“I could handle about 10 seconds of that.”
“Three hours of this game should be a type of punishment.”

In order to reduce the “punishing” aspect of putting dandelions on sashimi forever, the game includes an upbeat soundtrack by YouTuber and BGM artist Korogi as well as vocal encouragement from the voice of VTuber Rina Komatsu.

Personally, I’d like to imagine that this game is like the one in The Last Starfighter, a secret recruitment exam that allows a worthy few to join an intergalactic federation of sashimi bento producers and earn about 750 yen (US$6.84) an hour without benefits.

Source: VR Sashimi Tanpopo, Otaku.com, MdN Design Interactive
Top image: PR Times
Insert image: Pakutaso
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