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Japanese condoms now have their own anime: Condom Battler Goro!

Oona McGee Jun 18, 2020
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Superhero characters promote safe sex in new anime series.

When you want to get people’s attention in Japan — or pretty much anywhere, really — all you have to do is spruce up your message with some eye-catching anime characters. It’s a marketing ploy we’ve seen on a number of occasions, used to promote everything from chocolate to Apple products and even the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Now, Japan’s leading condom manufacturer, Okamoto Industries, is using the power of anime to help educate the masses on the importance of safe sex. And they’re going balls-to-the-wall with their campaign, as they’ve released four episodes of a 56-part series starring new anime superhero Condom Battler Goro.

▼ 24-year-old Goro was separated from his father when he was young and raised by his mother and grandfather in a small village town. His condom of preference is the 0.01.

Joining Condom Battler Goro on his epic adventure to educate people on the importance of wearing condoms and how to use them, is a cast of characters who share his passion for rubbers.

Goro’s childhood friend Miku, also 24, is a popular girl who once had a crush on Goro but gave up on him after he failed to realise she was interested. She was initially against Goro becoming a Condom Battler, due to the fact that her older brother, once a Condom Battler himself, was forced to retire after suffering an injury. Her weak point is her speed at equipping condoms, which she’s able to cover up by using ribbon-pull-style condoms.

24-year-old Hayato is Goro’s best pal. He tends to get carried away easily but he’s good at taking care of people. When Goro had just become a Condom Battler, Hayato was happy in his position as a battle commentary character, but after being inspired by Goro’s efforts, he decided to get his “condom license” as well. Hayato uses a very thick type of condom, but no one needs to guess why because it’s a Big Boy condom.

While Okamoto Industries describes Condom Battler Goro as a 56-episode series, they say they’re only releasing episodes 1, 19, 45, and 56 for now. The very first episode, “The Birth of Condom Battler Goro“, introduces us to the cast while also revealing the origin story behind our superhero. His first magical transformation into Condom Battler Goro comes when he touches a condom for the first time, after finding Okamoto’s 0.01 variety by the side of the footpath.

Our superhero then encounters a ‘Condom Hunter‘, whose rubber sheath is torn due to the fact that he’s put two condoms on at once. Hayato explains that this is the wrong way to use them, and after Goro intervenes, victory is claimed over a potentially dangerous incident.

Take a look at the first episode below:

The story hilariously ends with “To Be Condom” instead of “To Be Continued“, as the threat of another foe looms in the darkness.

Fast forward to Episode 19, and we have our trio sitting for the ‘professional condom license test’ in “The Survival Test Commences“. The foe in this episode is No-Condom Leo, who criticises Goro for being so fast to put his sheath on straight away. However, after entering the ‘Forest of Sexually Transmitted Diseases‘, Leo meets his demise, with the moral of the story being: Don’t leave it too late to put on a condom as you can contract an STD even upon contact.

In Episode 45 (“Condom Championship Tournament Opening“), Goro steps up to the plate after Miku is defeated by ‘Moisturising Demon‘ Shittori Hattori (Moist Hattori). Goro breaks out a special move called ‘Dream Emission‘ to defeat the enemy, which is moisturised hands, as the oil from hand moisturiser can damage condoms.

The final episode available is “Farewell, Beloved Goro“, where our hero comes up against the last boss, Condom Master, who turns out to be…(spoiler alert!)…Goro’s father! This Star Wars-esque turn of fate comes with a twist, as Goro’s father, long thought to be dead, tells his son that he always used a condom during ‘condom battles’, except during an ‘important moment’ one day, 25 years prior, when Goro was created.

▼ The epic climax to Condom Battler Goro ends with our hero reaching a new understanding that one day he too will part with the condom, but only when that important moment comes.

The final episode signs off with the text ‘Skin‘ instead of ‘Fin‘ on the screen, bringing to a close one of the fastest climaxes to a 56-part anime series we’ve ever witnessed. While Okamoto is yet to reveal whether or not they’ll be adding more episodes in the future, Goro and his friends have certainly brought our attention to condoms in a way that’s sparked our interest.

Now all we need is for the Japanese government to distribute free Condom Battler sheaths, like they did with their Sailor Moon condom handouts late last year.

Source: PR Times
Featured image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, YouTube/オカモトコンドームズ
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