A recent commercial of the instant noodles brand Maruchan has generated a strong debate in Japan about the representation of women in the media, the controversy has led to comparisons with a scene from the anime KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!). In this scene, a similar situation is reflected, so users on social networks have highlighted the parallelism, generating more discussion about the perception of gender in Japanese animation and advertising. Here we tell you the details of both cases and how they have been intertwined in this controversy.
Users compare scene from KonoSuba! to controversial Maruchan commercial
Recently, a commercial in Japan has been making waves along with a scene from KonoSuba! It started when Maruchan launched two versions of a commercial for its instant noodles in Japan: one with a female character for its Akai Kitsune Udon product and a male one for its Soba. Both were intended to reach a young audience with an anime-style animation, something that happens very often in Japan with commercials for this type of food brands.
Slight differences could be observed in the commercials, as in the female version, a young woman is seen as she gets emotional watching a drama on TV and finds comfort in her food, while enjoying some delicious instant noodles. This caused her to show a blush on her cheeks and express her delight with soft whispers. In contrast, the male commercial featured a worker eating his Maruchan alone and with a much more neutral expression, without as much detail in his blush.
This contrast has generated debate in Japan, with some arguing that the female commercial is designed for the male gaze, while others consider it even somewhat “whimsical.” Consultant Rika Holden Nakamura, through her Twitter/X account, analyzed the ad, highlighting that the representation of women is unrealistic and exaggerated compared to the male version, this discussion has led to a broader reflection on the standards of female representation in Japanese media.
Following this discussion, a user on Twitter/X shared a fragment of the anime KonoSuba!, more precisely from episode 9 of the first season, to highlight that similar situations exist in this series. And is that in this scene of KonoSuba!, the characters enjoy a dinner of crabs sent by Darkness‘ family, drinking champagne and blushing intensely while eating, curiously, those who react the most are Aqua, Megumin and Darkness, while Kazuma barely shows a slight blush.
The user accompanied his post with the comment, “The Akai Kitsune got into controversy, but in that sense, KonoSuba! is less controversial,” which generated a wave of reactions on networks. While some defended the anime as a product that has always handled these humorous tones, others pointed out that the comparison highlights how certain feminine expressions are deeply rooted in anime. There was also talk about the damage it could generate, especially in a context where anime has a strong global influence.
This KonoSuba! scene reflected a similar pattern to the Maruchan commercial, and this comparison has led to questions about why expressions of pleasure or enjoyment are depicted so differently between male and female characters, both in advertising and in anime.
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