Event Report: Nijisanji EN at Animate Cafe (August 2022)

Part of NewsDrop’s activities is to feature various VTuber-related events across the globe, starting of course, in Japan, where the trend blew up. Slime alien VTuber and Kawa colleague PiaPi UFO shares her experience at the recent Nijisanji EN Animate Cafe collaboration.

This cafe collab features Nijisanji EN livers Pomu Rainpuff (LazuLight), Selen Tatsuki (Obsydia), Reimu Endou (Ethyria), Ike Eveland, Shu Yamino and Luca Kaneshiro (Luxiem).

Pia was there to help a friend, Pomu-obsessed cosplayer @RoReRuRu, get lucky in scoring some randomized Pomu merch.

The Animate Collab Cafe serves drinks, desserts, and meals based on the VTubers of Nijisanji EN. Though some collabs put on by the Animate Cafe feature a dish each per character, this time around they opted to group the trio of girls and boys into two separate lunch plates and dessert plates. However, each was featured in a drink based on them, so you could grab the taste of your oshi to wash it down!

Inside the cafe were 21 tables, each reserved for a pair. Seats are filled through an online reservation system, so you have to reserve your time slot in advance (There are walk-ins, but only become available if a pair doesn’t show). Doing so will also help you, especially if there are pre-order items only, as they will ask for your shipping address for future delivery.

One of Ruru’s goals was to add more items to her Pomu Rainpuff shrine, but was she able to secure the items? Unfortunately, the group came up dry in their random coaster drawings, pulling 3 Ike coasters, 2 Selen, 2 Reimu, and 1 Luca. No Pomu makes for a sad Ruru!

However, fret not because this particular Animate Cafe is located at Ikebukuro, also known as Otome Road, or the Akihabara for women/fujoshi! As such, coaster trades were plentiful with other guests! “Most people around us had brought the men’s plate and men’s dessert and various male talents’ drinks. They were more than happy to surrender the Pomu goods to us in exchange for a chap or two!”

Did we forget to mention that the Ninisani gag is made canon here?

During a one-hour stay inside the collab cafe, food is served within a speedy 15 minutes, but orders are accepted until the 40-minute mark. Also, for every JPY 2000 spent inside the cafe, you get a sticker—they sure did get a lot!

The Nijisanji EN Animate Cafe collaboration was offered at Animate Cafe’s Ikebukuro No. 3 and Nagoya no. 2 branches until August 30.