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When first-try character bentos go wrong 【Photos】

Casey Baseel Oct 20, 2014
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The culinary custom of bento, boxed lunches, goes back for generation in Japan. What’s a little less clear, though, is how long people have been dressing up their bentos to look like cute characters.

We’re sure some creative people with both artistic and culinary talents have been making character bentos, or chara-bens, for a long time. But recently, media coverage of chara-bens has gotten intense, and it’s inspiring a wave of newcomers to try their hand at making one for the first time.

But you know the saying, “The third time’s the charm?” People say that because you’re likely to screw things up the first two times, as this collection of first-try bentos shows.

Beginner’s luck can apply to chara-bens too, of course, and some cooks turn in a pretty respectable effort for their first time, like this Yo-Kai Watch bento.

初めてキャラ弁を作ってみた！ pic.twitter.com/OPpa5z13zp

— ノア (@noah_amnos) October 16, 2014

Likewise, Anpanman and Hello Kitty aren’t looking too bad, even if the sweet bean bread-headed hero’s expression isn’t bursting with his usual confidence.

https://twitter.com/ldh_moexile/status/522509462829936640

Making characters out of food is a tricky endeavor though, and sometimes thing don’t go so smoothly, as in the case of this misshapen Pikachu.

▼ We’re not sure anyone’s choosing you for lunch, Pikachu.

https://twitter.com/renon_917/status/271607233769533441

At least you can tell what the intent is with the above chara-ben. On the other hand, if it wasn’t for the chef telling us herself, we wouldn’t have been able to guess that clump of rice with…something on it is supposed to be Hello Kitty.

今日の翔也の手作り弁当
キティーちゃんのキャラ弁って♡
初めてキャラ弁作ったってヽ(* 'ー')ﾉ pic.twitter.com/iOr8TYhA1H

— ちろぽんず (@chiropon612) October 3, 2014

The next one is even subtler. Those two pieces of half-moon shaped pickles are supposed to be the eyes of…an alien? Bigfoot?

https://twitter.com/Kmwamh/status/494652950862508032

Thankfully, there’s one tactic that’ll bail you out if you find yourself halfway through your chara-ben and realize you’re not going to get the body shapes right: just use dried seaweed to make faces.

▼ Ah! It’s a cat enjoying a sand bath…right?

初めてのキャラ弁(震え声) pic.twitter.com/Tlhn9ioAZA

— suzy (@suzy20051115) October 12, 2014

▼ The sand bath seems to be a popular motif with beginners.

キャラ弁ネタまだ引っ張ってるけどハイヒールモモコさんのキャラ弁があまりにすごすぎるからカミュの作った初めてのキャラ弁もこれぐらいでいいと思う pic.twitter.com/E5HIjbTiQD

— ちぐさ:新刊通販中 (@kano_runo) October 14, 2014

Also, it’s important to know your limitations. Don’t push yourself by trying to get too fancy, like with the nose flourish here.

▼ In all fairness, though, we can’t imagine anything termed a “nose flourish” leading to an aesthetically pleasing ending.

https://twitter.com/canaepyon/status/486713512295538688

Keep things as simple as possible, and you’ll run into fewer points where you can screw up.

▼ While you can’t call this chara-ben complex, you also can’t argue with the fact that it’s pretty cute.

https://twitter.com/ront6/status/478122103548284928

And if you need to knock the degree of difficulty down just one more notch, we recommend picking a model that already looks like food. For example, remember Kirimi, the Sanrio character shaped like a salmon fillet?

That’s a chara-ben that practically makes itself.

▼ A few flecks of seaweed, a tiny piece of ham, and you’re done!

https://twitter.com/atkinson306/status/461725572167528449

And if even that’s too challenging for you? Then maybe it’s time to change mediums, and try grated radish art instead.

Source: Naver Matome
Kirimi image: Sanrio