Pepsi…Vader or pirates?

Once again, Pepsi Japan is offering special collectors’ edition bottles and cans.

Starting last October 23rd (2012), Pepsi Japan started selling 「エナジーコーラ」 (“Energy Cola”) for a limited time in cans with an image of fire and Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies.

Energy Cola contains five ingredients that are meant to boost energy:
Royal jelly, argenine, asian ginseng, guarana extract and caffeine.

And in late November (2012), they began offering their NEX cola in bottles with images from the Japanese マンガ (manga comics) called “One Piece“.

Which would you choose?

Pepsi manga bottles

In Japan, Pepsi-Cola often teams with the Japanese company Be@rbrick and give away cell-phone straps of bears modeled after famous characters with purchases of their “Pepsi-NEX Zero Cola”.

In the past they have offered Be@rbrick bears modeled after Paramount movie characters, and Star Wars characters.

Be@rbrick has also offered in Japan figures modeled after the rock band KISS and MOS Burger staff.  (MOS Burger is a Japanese fast-food chain).

Well, Pepsi Japan has currently teamed up with Be@rbrick again.
For a limited time, they are giving away cell-phone straps of Be@rbrick bears in the image of Gundam with purchases of Pepsi NEX Zero Cola.

(Since the 30th anniversary of Gundam in 2009, there have been a number of Gundam tie-ins…such as the Gundam cell-phone.)

Another limited time only campaign that Pepsi Japan is currently offering is specially designed bottles of Pepsi NEX Cola with the “One Piece” manga characters on the label.

This is to help promote the new One Piece 3-D animated movie titled 「麦わらチェイス」 (“Sugiwara Chase”).

There are five different labels available.

(There was a “One Piece” campaign in Japan about thirteen months ago for the previous “One Piece” movie titled “Strong World”).

Is Gundam popular in your country? How about “One Piece“?
Does Pepsi sell “NEX Zero” cola where you live? Do you like it?

One Piece Vol.0

Do you know the Japanese manga (comic book) and TV anime (cartoon) titled 「ワンピース」 (“One Piece“)?

Do they sell the manga or show the anime in your country?

One Piece is about a boy called 「ルフィ」 (Lufi (pronounced: “loofy”)) who grew up in a port town idolizing the pirates.

He decides the he wants to find the “One Piece” treasure that will make him the “King Of The Pirates”.

He also mistakenly eats a magical fruit that makes his body become elastic and rubbery.

The story revolves around the adventures that Lufi and his pirate crew have while they search for “One Piece”.

Anyways, a new One Piece movie titled “Strong World” has just been released in Japan a few days ago.

I have never watched any of the One Piece movies…but my kids like to watch the anime on TV on Sundays and they have a few of the manga.

So I started watching the anime with them sometimes, and I read a few of their manga…it’s a fun story.

Well, the “Strong World” movie has been released at the ten year anniversary of the release of the first One Piece movie.

So to celebrate, they’re giving away free Volume Zero One Piece comics and 「ワンピーベリーマッチダブル」 (“OPBMW“) game cards to people who buy tickets to the new movie.

A flyer telling about the Vol. 0 comic and "OPBMW" cards

One Piece vol. 0 comic

Some "One Piece" game cards

Do they show One Piece movies in your country? Have you ever watched any?

Do you like Japanese anime and / or manga?

Here’s a trailer for the new movie: