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Studio Ghibli’s Soot Sprites Inspired a Pitch Black Hamburger

You’d be hard-pressed to find a situation in which I’d eat a charcoal black burger. And I’m not simply referring to a well done, burnt to a crisp patty—I could get behind that, I guess—I’m talking bun, toppings, the whole shebang. Put such a burger in front of my face and I’m liable to leave the table. Unless, of course, it’s the official hamburger of Studio Ghibli. In that case, yeah I’d dine.

Meet the Makkuro Burger, or “Pitch Black” Burger, a hamburger whose toppings are blackened by bamboo charcoal. The sandwich is named after the Makkuro Kurosuke (soot sprites) found in several Studio Ghibli films, most notably Miyazaki’s classic, My Neighbor Totoro.

From July 7 – September 11, Tokyo’s aptly named observation deck, Tokyo City View, will host a Studio Ghibli art exhibit, and the collaboration has inspired the venue’s restaurant to serve Ghibli appropriate fare. In addition to this questionable looking burger, the menu will also include the poached eggs on toast featured in Castle in the Sky—as Kotaku reports.

toast

The menu is just the latest effort aimed at fans of the beloved animation house. In May, Japan’s Studio Ghibli Museum announced the “Ride the Catbus to the Ghibli Woods” exhibit, offering would-be passengers of all sizes the opportunity to board that indelible Totoro feline. Additionally, there’s a VR Studio Ghibli experience, a forthcoming 2D Platformer, and a Castle in the Sky theme park.

The merger of our world and that of the magical Studio Ghibli is almost complete, and now you can even eat its food. But would you throw back one of these pitch black burgers? What if you were aboard the Catbus? Let us know in the comments below.

IMAGES: Natalie

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