Doraemon Gummies

I feel like I've seen this character before on a snack. I'm not sure where, but I have. Or maybe I'm confusing him with the guy that's on every umaibo? Hard to tell with these kawaii mascots. These gummies come in the rare grape flavor that is so rarely seen among all the strawberry and cola gummies, but much appreciated. It's strange that this is a much more common flavor in the US, because I've heard good things about Japanese grapes.

These gummies, to my surprise, are more of the flat and sticky variety like the hand gummy I had last month. They were a struggle to get out of the package but here they are. They also are a little bit smaller than I was hoping for this package size - oh no! The smell is distinctly that of grape juice, very deep rich grape flavor, which bodes well.

My sniffer didn't like, as I get that wonderful grape taste, only a bit sweeter than I recognized before. The texture leaves a bit to be desired here, as the gummies are a little too flat to feel satisfying, I just plow through them and all their grape yumminess is gone too fast, which is not a great thing with the small amount of gummies here. Over all they need just a bit more bite to them. But the short moments of taste I do get from these are quite wonderful, again bringing back that rich grape juice smell, without the trouble of drinking it.

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Yaokin Apple Roll

While Japanese candy has introduced me to a lot of unique flavors in types of food, some of them can definitely be a little derivative. Take this one for instance, which seems to be the Japanese version of a fruit roll-up. Not that I'm complaining of course, as those can be plenty yummy with their soft-thin texture and vibrant flavor. Also this one is entirely apple, so it'll be interesting to see which route they take with the apple flavor, as there are a myriad of natural and artificial apple flavors out there.

At first glance, this seems to be much closer to Fruit by the Foot. It also is bright green just like the packaging and the strange looking apple character on the front. It could be color association but the smell seems similar to a green apple Jolly Rancher, so that's what I'm expecting, and 3-ish feet of that sounds quite fine to me!

The gummy is a bit tougher than I've expected and requires a bit of force to get off of the paper, but I guess that's how Fruit by the Foot is too, better than being a mess of gummy and paper in the packaging. The apple flavor is a bit more natural than the green apple flavor actually, which means it's not as much as an in-your-face flavor as a Jolly Rancher, but more subdued and refreshing. It's quite a welcome change. I do wish though that this had just a bit more flavor. As I go through the rest of the roll I'm always left a bit unsatisfied and wanting more, and that itch is never scratched even when it's gone. The roll also sticks to my teeth a bit more than I'd like it to. I like to keep these clean for hunts!

Rating: 6 - Aruff!

Boruto Hand Gummy

There are two Boruto snacks in this box and both are pineapple flavored. I assume that's not a coincidence here and pineapple is the designated Boruto flavor. I wonder if they assign flavors to every anime? That would be interesting. This one is supposed to be energy drink flavored, while not an actual energy drink, but I did already get that vibe a bit in the last Boruto snack. Hopefully this will add something a little different into the mix, and if not, it'll at least be a different texture and same refreshing pineapple taste.

The gummy certainly seems to resemble one of those stretchy hand toys. I think I've said this before about other gummies, but this one more than any of them seems to be inspired by that. The hand is very loose and curls up just like those. The flavor is also quite unique and very distinct from the pineapple jelly. Where that was more sweet, this adds a sour component as well, which is really nice, creating an interesting balanced flavor.

When I eat it I just get more of that and it's really nice, definitely like drinking a pineapple energy drink and feeling recharged after a nice romp, except it's slightly more solid. The gummy texture isn't the most satisfying around though, there's a weird consistency too it where it's lacks a little bit of the bite it needs so it melts in your mouth just a little too quickly. I say that though because the flavor is so nice that I want to experience it for longer, but alas it's all over too soon. Not even the tiny second helping of the star can prolong the sadness after that nice flavor left me. Of course I wouldn't be saying this if the flavor wasn't amazing, so it is. Just don't expect it to last too long.

Rating: 8 - Rowf!

Shin-Chan Gummy, Cola

 

Quite a simple little candy here, just a cola gummy. With a Shin-Chan character on it. I don't watch Shin-Chan though, so all I see here is a lady with very buggy eyes. Maybe that's her reaction after eating the gummy? Not sure if that's good or bad.

The packaging actually completely fooled me here and I thought it was the ramune variant because it appeared blue through the white filter so I assumed it was ramune. It's a little disappointing to have another cola gummy but they always bring a nice strong flavor. This one in particular seems to be no exception from the smell.

The gummy has a really nice texture, not chewy but quite soft actually, like slightly more solid jelly. The flavor I'm not enjoying quite as much as that texture. It's not as bold as the smell, and seems to lack sweetness as well to help bolster that. In fact, it doesn't taste like too much of anything. And with that tiny of a gummy it better be memorable. This was at least pleasant but definitely not any kind of taste experience that stands out.

Rating: 3 - Rrr

Splatoon Gummies

One little known thing about me is that I LOVE Splatoon. Like whenever I get the chance to play video games I'm addicted to this game. So seeing a Splatoon snack in this month's box was quite the delight, and just like the colors of the game it comes in unique melon and orange flavors. I'm not the biggest fan of melon but Japan seems to do it justice. Will this make me a woomy pup?

I unfortunately did not get the rare octopus gummy but still the assortment of colors here is quite nice (they appear yellow but are in fact orange). They have a more opaque appearance than I'd expect, but still some nice smells. I'm much more a fan of the melon one here smell-wise, it's quite vibrant with the added sweetness in a way that I wouldn't expect. The smell of the orange one on the other hand is just confusing to me.

But nevertheless I'll try the orange one first. I'm less confused upon tasting it, maybe the smell just blended with the lemon. These gummies are quite chewy, a little bit more than I like, and have a bit of a gritty consistency to them, but some nice flavor from the orange one. It is a little bit too on the sweet side for my liking, to the point where I think it clouds up the orange flavor, like overly sweet orange juice.

The melon one works much better, as melon on its own needs a bit of extra sweetness. Same situation though, the sweetness seems to cloud out a bit of the wonderful melon flavor that I've experienced from some other snacks. Overall these are not my favorite gummies out of the ones I've tried, but still nice flavors in their own right. No "booyah" or "woomy" from me but it's enough to ink my flavor turf.

Rating: 5 - Ruff!

Morinaga Healthy Snacking Squishy Lemon Gummies

Another Morinaga snack in this box! Everything they've made has been excellent so far like Hi-Chews so this will likely be no different. Though it is supposed to be healthy this time, so maybe it'll be a little less good... or even better due to being healthy.. These gummies are supposed to create a sense of being full with fiber and protein, and I am truly the test case for this as I'm never full... so if it works on me it should be golden!

At first glance and sniff, these gummies remind me of lemon bars. They're not purely the squishy clear lemon juice based gummies I've seen before but they have some bread or egg type element in them which makes sense given that they have protein and fiber. The smell is exactly like a lemon bar too. I get some egg in there and some of a shortbread smell.

The texture is slightly chewy but not as hard to chew as some other gummies. Just enough to be satisfying but not so much as to be difficult. And the taste still reminds me of a lemon bar. It's nice and pleasant, strikes a good balance of being light but fulfilling at the same time. Though I wish all the flavors had some more "oomph" to them. They're nice but they don't really pop. I'd get more out of eating a lemon bar than this, which is fair because this is healthier. But I would like just a little more lemon flavor. It also feels very "dry", I get very thirsty eating this, where some of the other gummies feel very juicy as they dissolve in my mouth. All that aside though, this is a really nice and unique flavor, and healthy to boot! A nice midday snack.

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Baby Bear Gummies

Gummy bears finally make their way into my grasp! For a while I'd think these aren't a thing in Japan, but they copy American snacks like the best of them. I do remember Haribo being mentioned in a manga, so clearly they have a presence in Japan. The question is whether they've elevated these to a whole level of flavor... they've at least elevated the cuteness level, that baby bear is so adorable!

There aren't many in here unfortunately (this is the whole package), but what's in here smells quite delightful. The sweetness makes its way all the way over to my nose from the package, and I can make out the individual flavors of strawberry, lemon, and orange quite clearly.

They're very chewy which is surprising, although actually a little less chewy than those. Nevertheless, the flavor lasts a long time and it's quite wonderful! The strawberry pops with so much vibrance and sweetness. It's really powerful for a tiny little gummy. The orange is very sweet and tangy and actually pretty natural tasting. And lastly, the lemon is a little sour and has a really nice, albeit artificial flavor. Why did this snack have to be the one with only 5 gummies, they're so good! I'll see if I can find a big bag of these, but for now these are bear-ly enough. Heh heh...

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Kracie Popin Cookin Bento

Alas, this is the final Kracie product that I ordered from a box on the internet... for now. I'm sure there will be more, but for now it's been a fun journey, wading through all the powders, generic fruit flavored chewy candy, triangle cups, weird utensils, bags, molds... they've really made something special with all of these, where anyone can play with their food and eat it too. And speaking of playing with your food, I've always had an appreciation for bento. It shares a lot of the same concepts, so in a way this is a meta-DIY kit of sorta, and even has some of the cuteness that bento is known for with that panda face!

This one, as expected from the large number of items on the picture, is quite heavy in components: a whopping 7 packets, a bag, fork, lots of molds, and some guides. Unfortunately the bowl shown on the box is looking a little flat and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

Puccho Gummy - Hoppe-Chan Cherry

Well, this is one cute snack! I love when companies include kawaii characters on the packaging, it's like little cute spirits luring me over to eat whatever they made... which could also be easily used against me but I'm a wolf so it's okay right?  Hoppe-Chan especially, not sure how she gets around being just a blob, but she seems to have made her way onto a gummy this time, and I guess we'll see if she was forced there or it actually got her stamp of approval.

There's a nice surprise hidden in this packaging: the cap is actually a toy! It's one of those ones where you invert the cap and then after a long while it pops up into the air from all the tension. I thought it didn't work at first, but I was wrong, it takes forever to pop up! I guess it could be used to surprise my packmates. Test their reflexes. The actual gummies are pretty tiny, making this a nice bite sized snack, and they have a nice cherry flavor that balances sweetness and richness. I've heard these are sweet and sour cherries, interested to see how that ends up working.

The gummy texture is a little hard which is a bit jarring. You have to let it sit for a little while before chewing it, which is hard for a pup like me with no patience. But eventually that patience pays off and it becomes chewier. There is definitely a bit of sourness in these gummies, and it seems to add some depth of flavor here which is good, it's more interesting than a plain sweet cherry. But I think the form factor plays against the gummies here, because it's a lot of chewiness and then I don't really get a chance to experience the cherry flavors, I'm left always wanting more. The little cherry I get is pleasant, but it's not quite enough to make the whole treat satisfying. I guess maybe it works better for Hoppe-Chan because she's tiny.

Rating: 6 - Aruff!

Puchao Ramune Flavor

This is one of the few examples of candy on this blog that was found at a local supermarket! So that means, either it's super mainstream or one of the best out there. Or... a lot of other things. But anyways, this gummy comes in quite a few flavors, but I picked out the ever-popular ramune flavor as my first go, and like the Hi-Chew I tried earlier, it comes with bubbles. It'll be quite interesting to see how these two compare.

Gumish Cola Flavor

A cola gummy. Hmm that seems familiar... maybe just because I had one in Japan Crate last month? Regardless, I can't blame this for happening since they're separate companies (though both should stop putting those bland milkshakes in their boxes...). And really, cola flavored anything from Japan never disappoints so I have high hopes for this one too. One thing cool about this is I got 5 of these packs! TokyoTreat does this for one snack every month so you can share them with your friends! Or just gobble them up on separate days...

The appearance is very different from the other cola gummy. There's a two-colored bottle shape, with some kind of powder on the outside. I've never known quite what this was with other gummies, is it sugar? I'll do a lick test either way. Though these are seen often on sour candies, so maybe this will be sour. Smell wise it's the same as every cola treat, a rich, strong cola flavor.

A lick test, reveals the powder on the outside to be not sweet, so this is indeed a sour gummy! I can see that working very well in combination with the cola flavor. Of course also being a curious pup I have to see if the top and bottom half taste different, and they in fact do! The bottom flavor is much heavier than the top one. They're both cola flavored nevertheless. The cola flavor itself is its usual bold self, although the sour coating adds another layer to it. I'm not sure if I like this or the other one better, both give a different experience. Though there are more of these, which definitely helps. Also texture-wise it's a bit chewier than your average gummy. Just practice for my puppy teeth!

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Maken Gummy Cola

When I first saw this in my Japan Crate I was pretty sure it was a candy version of one of those sticky hands found in gumball machines, suggested by the long spiral arm. Unfortunately this isn't that, instead it's a rock paper scissors shaped candy. Which seems kind of pointless. What are you supposed to do, pick your option before you flip it over and you get to... eat it if you win? I can't even make those shapes with my paws and mine was gummy side up, so I didn't get to have the chance to do that.

The gummy is cola flavored, and definitely has a nice cola smell to it. And like the stretchy hand toys it was quite sticky, I had a bit of difficulty removing it from the package. And upon eating it, that cola flavor still rings through. I do like the flavor when it's not accompanied by carbonation and it's nice to see it used so frequently in Japanese candy. It's very strong here, almost to the verge of overpowering but not quite. Texture is fine, a little bit less on the chewy side than most gummies. It's too bad (or maybe a good thing) that there aren't more, I'd be popping them into my mouth nonstop!

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Hapi Gummy Candies Mini Hot Dog

As an item part of Japan Crate, I'm not quite sure why they'd include this. It's... a hot dog gummy. Seems positively American. But nevertheless, it's a gummy and shaped like a hot dog, and as I write this it's giving off a tantalizingly sweet smell with some fruit flavors that my not-yet-fully-developed sniffer can't distinguish. What could go wrong?