Funassyi Pretz / ふなっしー プリッツ

Glico's Pretz Collaborated With Funassyi

グリコのプリッツがふなっしーとコラボ

(Japanese follows. / 日本語は以下へ続く。)

Funassyi is an unofficial "Yuru-Kyara" (mascot or loose character) of Funabashi-city of Chiba prefecture.

Yuru-Kyara has been created for events, champagnes, booting the development of local/rural areas, introducing specialty of hometowns, and etc.

Funassyi is known for its weird and intense moves, especially his jumps and restless jiggly actions.

Also, most of the Yuru-Kyara doesn't talk and they have their own "translator" to talk, however, Funassyi talks on his own which is really rare for those mascots and he's very straightforward.

He has zipper on his back and he calls it "illusion" and in a TV show, he unzipped the illusion and ate some snacks. 

It's inconceivable any Yuru-Kyara does that, except Funassyi...

On January 21, 2014, Glico (a Japanese confectionery company) launched PRETZ collaborated with Funassyi for a limited quantity with 4 different packages.

PRETZ is a skinny shaped snack with a texture similar to a pretzel.

The product is called "PRETZ Nashi-jiru Bushaa Aji."

Literal translation is "PRETZ with splash of Japanese pear juice."

However, this 梨汁ブシャー (Nashi-jiru Bushaa) is of Funassyi's famous phrases.

When he gets hyper or has a lucky day, he screams that phrase with an action as if Japanese pear juice is coming out from his body.
* ブシャー(busha-) is a imitative word (擬音語 / gion-go) used for when you splash something swiftly.

My husband was in Japan so I asked him if he could find one of the packages, I'd be happy.

But as always, he went to various conbini to find the PRETZ and got all of the 4 packages for me!

This is the classic Funassyi.

Funassyi is cosplaying as station staff.

Funassyi is cosplaying as a Japanese high school girl.

Funassyi is copslaying as a Maiko (an apprentice geisha).

On the back side, there's a definition about "Nashi-jiru Bushaa-aji" (aji means flavor/taste in this case).

Pretz is baked after applying custard cream on, and finished with Japanese pear flavor over it.
You can enjoy harmony of refreshing taste and mild sweet custard cream.

According to the front package, however, it doesn't contain Japanese pear but uses Japanese pear fragrance and custard fragrance.

And Funassyi says that he had created this Pretz with his overwhelming "Busha-" thought.

When I opened the zippered pouch, sweet custard flavor came out.
I kept sniffing for a while and I smelled pear scent, which was very artificial.

The scent was so weird that I held back myself to try...
I had a bite. 
Well... it didn't taste good, not bad, but not good.
One more bite I had but needless to say, it still tasted pretty weird...

In general, I like custard flavor and this had pretty good custard taste in it, but they just don't go together well.
With vanilla ice cream, this wouldn't have been that bizarre though.
If the Pretz had pear flavor as same as the finishing scent, it might have tasted fine.


<Nutrition> --- per bag (40g)
Calories: 210kcal
Protein: 4.4g
Fat: 11.0g
Carbohydrate: 23.4g
Natrium: 137mg
(Sodium chloride equivalent: 0.3g)

今更ながら、「ふなっしー」とは千葉県船橋市の非公式キャラクター。

ふなっしーはその奇抜で落ち着きのない動きで有名。

多くのゆるキャラが「専属の通訳」を通して会話する中、

ふなっしーは自分で話し、しかも歯に衣着せぬ発言も。

ふなっしーの背中には「イリュージョン」と呼ばれるチャックがあり、

とあるテレビ番組ではこのイリュージョンを開けて、お菓子を食べていた。

ふなっしー以外にこんなことをするゆるキャラがいるだろうか。。。

2014年1月21日にグリコから「プリッツ 梨汁ブシャー味」が数量限定発売され、

パッケージは全4種類。

この「梨汁ブシャー」とは、ふなっしーのテンションが上がった時に発せられる言葉で、

体から梨汁が出てくるような動きと共に使われる場合が多い。

旦那が日本へ出張中だったので、どれか見つかったら買ってきてもらう約束をしていたが、

コンビニを巡って全4種類買ってきてくれた！

パケージは通常のふなっしーに加え、駅員コスプレ、女子高生コスプレ、舞妓コスプレ。

（上部写真参照。）
舞妓コスプレが、芸人のコウメ太夫に見える。（チッキショーッ！）

裏面には、「カスタードクリームをぬって焼き上げ、仕上げに梨の風味をきかせました。
さっぱりとした味わいとまろやかな甘さのカスタードのぜぶみょうなハーモニーを
楽します。」と梨汁ブシャー味について説明がある。

ただし、パッケージの表には梨は使用されておらず、梨香料とカスタード香料使用と
記載されている。

「『ブシャー』と溢れた思いでプリッツをつくったなっしー！」とふなっしーのコメントもあり。

ジッパー付きの袋を開けると、甘いカスタードの香りがした。
しばらく嗅いでいると、梨の香りがした。しかも、人工的な梨の香り。

食べるのを躊躇する香りだったが、妙な味がする。
う～ん、なんだろう。。。
もう一口食べてみたけれど、はやり何とも言えない人工的な味がする。

カスタードの味は好きだけれど、梨と調和していない気がする。
ただ、バニラアイスに添えられてたら、違和感なく食べられるような気がしなくもない。
最初からプリッツも梨味で、仕上げの梨風味と一緒だったら美味しかったかも。