Instant Japanese Candy and Toy: Popin' Cookin'

Popin' Cookin' is a popular Japanese candy making kit. The kits comes in a colorful boxes and includes the materials and directions on how to make the candies. There are two main types of Popin' Cookin', an edible kind and a non-edible kind. Both kinds involve mixing different ingredients (usually powders or liquids) that slowly forms into the candy. The non-edible however, will decompose after a period of time.

This creative toy kit was developed in 1978 and has slowly been changing and improving. The first product that came out was called Neruneru-nerune. The product was fairly simple to make, by simply mixing the ingredients together the candy will change its consistency and color. After a couple of minutes, the treat was ready for your enjoyment. Today the kits have branched off to many different products. This includes the pizza, ice cream, and sushi making kits. In these kits the given materials are designed to form the candy into the dishes indicated on the box. The dishes that come out are rather small, but still tastes very good (or so I've heard). The candies and ingredients are also health conscious, as they are made from natural food coloring. These kits are sold mostly in Japan, but are also available online and in several other countries.

Pictures:

This is a popular Popin' Cookin' kit. You can mold the candy into different types of sushi. (I'm personally impressed with the rice! It looks very real.)

These are some of the materials that are included in the sushi making kit. The other kits provide similar materials, but it depends on what type of candy you're making.

The possible product of the kit. Very realistic and appetizing don't you think?

Here are some pictures of the non-edible kits:

                                                Can't believe I can't eat you...*sniff sniff*

There are also videos on YouTube of users making the candy!










Author's Note: 
Hey guys! It's been a while since I've written on the blog. I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately with homework and other problems. So I was a bit lazy and unmotivated about writing on the blog. I want to take this chance to apologize. I also want to thank Iris and you guys (readers) for continuing to supporting the blog despite my absence. This post was really fun to write and has really gotten me back on my feet. I was infatuated with these kits when I first found out about them. I remember just clicking on an endless chain of videos wanting to see more. I've never tried them before, but would love to.

Fan Video Spotlight: Ruco Chan & Tavia Yeung

While watching TVB related videos on YouTube, I came across these two fan videos of Ruco Chan and Tavia Yeung, which were both made by the same person, TracyYang89.  I have to say, I'm utterly impressed!  There is plot and the video editing skills are near seamless and flawless.  The scenes are chosen perfectly and fit together so well despite being taken from different series.  They are both completely different and offer something unique.  One is a lighthearted and cute love story while the other is a tragic one.



"Love Story Between Ah Bin and Tsui Siu Lai"
A cute and short video that will definitely make you smile, the first fan video is a sweet love story between Tsui Siu Lai (from "Mysteries of Love) and Ah Bin (from "Burning Flame 3").  As much as I hated these two series, the scenes of the two characters fit together very well to make this sweet love story.  Although Siu Lai was an idiot and Ah Bin was a jerk, the video makes Siu Lai simply seem like a sweet girl and Ah Bin a charming guy.  The dialogue between the two is just too darn adorable.  My favorite part?  When Siu Lai declines to kiss him and Ah Bin reacts with disappointment.  His reaction is too cute.  The ending where they say "I love you too" to each other made the Ruco and Tavia shipper in me made me smile like a crazy person.  The background music was very lighthearted and fitting too.  How the user came up with the idea of creating a love story between these two originally annoying characters is beyond me, but it worked, and it worked spectacularly.



"Tears in His Eyes"
If the first video impressed me, this one blew me away.  While the first was a short and cute love story, this is an extended tragic love story between Ruco and Tavia.  Unlike the first one, the creator took scenes of the two from numerous series.  The color tone fits the sad tone of the video.  The song choice was also superb.  This has the most plot I've ever seen in a fan video, and it is executed very well.  It is emotional, tragic, yet beautiful.    While I loved the first one, I loved this even more because there is so much more complexity, emotion, and angst.  I never thought a fan video would evoke so much emotion in me and make me almost tear up!

TracyYung89 did an amazing job with these two fan videos and managed to once again revive my love for Ruco and Tavia as an onscreen couple.  Bias for the two aside, the videos themselves had such wonderful editing you could barely tell they were actually put together.  Even more respect for creating fan videos with plot.  Kudos to you!

Hello Kitty's World Domination

There is no doubt that Hello Kitty is a familiar face to everyone. Today you can easily find Hello Kitty's picture in just about any store you walk into. This simple yet cute little kitty continues to captures the hearts of people across the world.

Hello Kitty was developed in Japan in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio. It is said that she resembles the Maneki Neko, who stands for fortune and good luck. She made her first appearance on a vinyl coin purse. She was soon introduced to the U.S. market in 1976, a short 2 years after being produced. Originally she was supposed to be the target of children and pre-adolescence, but she was able to captivate teens and even adults. 

Background/Profile:

Even though she is a cartoon, Hello Kitty has a detailed as well as realistic profile. Which includes her height, weight, family, background, and personality. Surprisingly Hello Kitty was not born in Asia, but was born in London, England on November, 1. Her real name is Kitty White, she has a big family who carries the same last name (White). Her family includes: her mom Margaret, dad George, grandpa Anthony, grandma Mary, twin sister Mimmy,and her pet Charmmy Kitty (I personally think it's weird how she has a pet cat, when she is a cat). She is said to weigh three apples and is as tall as five stacked apples. She has a sweet, bright, and kind personality. She enjoys cooking and collecting all things cute!

Endorsement:

Throughout the years, Hello Kitty has gone to endorse a wide range of products. She's appeared on clothing, jewelry, electronic products, food/snacks, and even on airplanes. There's also been a lot of Hello Kitty-themed establishments being opened. Such as Hello Kitty cafes/restaurants, theme parks, houses, and even maternity hospitals.

Below are Pictures and Examples of such establishments:

Hello Kitty Cafe

Hello Kitty Cafes can be found spread out through Asia. Inside you can find sweet dishes inspired by Hello Kitty, they usually come in the form of her face or they have her face printed on. Everything from the walls, seats, decorations, to employee uniforms are pink and girly.

Hello Kitty House

The Hello Kitty house in Shanghai, where every room is your pinkest dream come true.

Hello Kitty Maternity Hospital

The world's first and only Hello Kitty-themed hospital was opened in 2008 in Taiwan. This hospital can brighten your mood, no matter how painful the experience is. After the baby is delivered he/she is wrapped securely in a warm blue/pink Hello Kitty blanket by kind nurses dressed in pink uniforms and hello kitty inspired aprons. You will also receive a birth certificate with a hello kitty stamp on it. Don't you wish you can brag about being born in such a happy place?

Hello Kitty Dental Office

Is your tooth hurting from all those sweets at the Hello Kitty cafe? Have no fear, you can always go to the Hello Kitty dental office to get it fixed. All the pretty decorations should get you distracted from all the drilling.

Some other products below:


A Hello Kitty toaster and Kitty imprinted toast is just what you need to make you mornings a little less groggy. So start your day the right way and go buy yourself a Hello Kitty toaster! ;D


Sanrio came out with the Hello Kitty wine collection in 2009 with the tagline "Our favorite little girl is all grown up." The collection include four bottles: Angel & Devil Pinot Neros, Bubbly Brut Rose, and Sweet Pink. Proving that Hello Kitty isn't just for kids anymore. (How does she drink without a mouth?)


Besides wine, our feline friend also has her own luxury bottled water. Each bottle is cutely decorated and has its own special theme. Red (friendship), Pink (cute), yellow (heartful), green (wish) and lavender (sweet). But alas, cute doesn't come cheap, because the bottles costs $100 each!

Overall:
Throughout the years Hello Kitty has managed to become a popular icon that surpasses any restrictions, It is clear to say that Hello Kitty is making her way to world domination. Hoping to make the world a cuter, pinker, and more wonderful place!

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Author's Note:
For the first Creative Commons place I was inspired by an article on the new Hello Kitty Dental office, to write this post. I thought it'd be a good idea to start out this page with a post on one of the most popular and successful Asian products on the market today. Growing up, I've always been a fan of Hello Kitty and is both delighted and surprised to see how much she's grown!