Anime is a worldwide phenomenon. In the last few years, we’ve seen anime grow from being a niche interest among a small group of weebs to becoming a central reason why some kids today form friendships. Oh, you love Jujutsu Kaisen? So does everyone you know.
To be fair, we must attribute much of this success to Jujutsu Kaisen. The anime has managed to break through the nerdy barriers and the thin line that kept anime oscillating between being considered weird and towing the boundaries of being cool. With more collaborations between anime titles and various brands, its popularity is only increasing, especially in terms of marketing. Rumor has it that Jujutsu Kaisen is next in line for a collaboration with McDonald’s, but is it coming in the form of a Happy Meal?
Is there a Jujutsu Kaisen McDonald’s menu?
No. Sadly, there will not be a Jujutsu Kaisen Happy Meal or menu. The collaboration teased on McDonald’s X account featured a picture of enigmatic blue flames. While this image meant nothing to many McDonald’s followers, Jujutsu Kaisen fans immediately recognized the cursed energy flames in the picture and associated it with the anime almost instantly. But instead of a special menu, JJK fans will be getting a new sauce instead.
That’s right, the collaboration is teasing nothing more and nothing less than a new sauce on the menu. The new special-grade sauce will be made with black garlic, a staple item in McDonald’s Japan. As the company finally brought it over to the U.S., the chance for a Jujutsu Kaisen collab seemed too good to pass up. According to the company, the sauce is described as tangy, sweet, and garlicky, with hints of soy sauce.
While there will only be one sauce, there will be eight unique lids available, each featuring a different character from Jujutsu Kaisen. You can collect lids with Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, Satoru Gojo, Kento Nanami, Suguru Geto, Mahito, or Sukuna. The lids also come in different colors. On top of that, McDonald’s announced that customers who purchase the sauce will receive a free 30-day trial on Crunchyroll. Quite a strategy.
While it seems like too good of an opportunity to pass on, the length of this collaboration can easily be attributed to the ongoing boycott due to the company’s perceived support of Israel. These boycotters are refusing to eat at the chain restaurant to avoid financing a company they allege supports Israel in its ongoing conflict with Palestine. We can’t be sure if this Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration is an attempt to attract more customers or if it is simply a normal partnership, similar to previous collaborations with Travis Scott and BTS.
All in all, though, this is not even the first time the chain restaurant has collaborated with an anime. Back in February, McDonald’s partnered with animation studio House Pierrot to produce their four-episode-long WcDonald’s anime. However, Jujutsu Kaisen will become the first actual anime to collaborate with McDonald’s since the company opened its doors in 1955.