I feel February 5, 2022 will go down in JJK0 film history as a very special day, the day the Rika Orimoto Drink Holder with Yuta Okkotsu Topper Figure Drink Set lined concession stands in Japan. Or maybe I’m the only one making a big fuss about this merch because I love it so much xD Whatever! Let’s take a closer look.
(English continued after Japanese)
これ、マジデッカイ!2022年2月5日発売初日、109シネマに行ってレジで渡されたとき、言葉を失うほど圧巻でした? 今までの劇場グッズの中、一番感動しましたよ。何度も撮影したくなる楽しい商品です。里香ちゃん、凄すぎます? 普通のワインボトルと缶ビールを隣に置いてサイズ感が伝わればと思います。本当に素敵なグッズですごく嬉しい☺️❤️✨
Large Rika Figure
This merch is simply incredible, jaw-droppingly huge. My eyes nearly popped off my head when it was handed to me at the concession stand inside 109 Cinema. I wasn’t even scheduled for a movie at 8 AM on a Saturday morning, but I went just the same simply for the sake of getting a hold of Rika’s drink holder.
I love it, Rika out in full force protecting her beloved Yuta. I’m going to have to take lots of pics because it’s just so WOW!
Yuta Okkotsu Topper Figure
Before I go on raving about Rika’s figure, let’s take a look at Yuta’s tiny topper figure first!
He’s adorable, with his goofy smile and droopy eyes. His finger says, come at me, if you dare xD This piece has a detachable stand so you can display it on its own without having to use it as a drink topper.
Here’s the back view. You can move the figure to face any which way. Okay, we’re done with Yuta. Now on to his fabulous sweetheart!
Rika and the Alien in Alien
The very first time I saw Rika’s monster version in the manga, my first thought was, “Oh, Akutami-sensei must have liked the Alien film as a kid.” I’m talking, of course, of the 1979 sci-fi horror extravaganza directed by Ridley Scott starring the amazing Sigourney Weaver. It’s since become a modern classic, an influential film and game-changer in the space horror genre. Even if the movie came out before I was born, it’s still one of those old, iconic films I’ve watched decades after it was made. I don’t consider myself a film aficionado or cinema connoisseur, not in the least bit, so the fact that I actually watched the Alien series speaks of its longstanding popularity.
The main alien in Alien looks quite grotesque, however, compared to Rika’s cute, small-ish version. Still, I feel they have similarities, not so much in head shape or gigantic teeth, but in terms of our memory of them. Scott’s alien’s most iconic moment, for me, was when it brought its face only inches from the heroine’s, and growled. That was a truly scary, unforgettable moment. In JJK0, the most memorable moment for me was when Yuta brought his head close to monster Rika’s, and kissed her.
For the former it was a moment of pure horror, for the latter, pure love. Yet while the emotions evoked were completely different, the screen structure or picture layout was similar. For me, that is!
A Rika for Everyone
It’s hard to have an idea of the size merely from still photographs, so I placed a standard wine bottle and beer can next to the figure. I hope this gives you a better feel of just how big it is: approximately H26cm x W16cm x D21cm.
Of all the movie-related merch I’ve purchased so far, this has got to be my ultimate fav.
I’m not the only one in love with this Rika figure. Japanese socialites known as the Kano Sisters – a pair of glamour girls famous for their surgical enhancements and nude photo shoots – became a trend on Japanese social media thanks to their fabulous post about Rika’s figure. Here it is:
Swipe to see how they dressed up their Rika in gorgeous, huge-ass jewellery, turning her into a jaw-dropping accessory stand. How ostentatious! How gaudy and extravagant! I LOVE it! I’d like to believe Rika enjoyed it as well, I mean, she died so young and probably didn’t have enough time to play with gems and pearls and jewels and other girly stuff.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day
Unlike the glamorous Kano sisters, I don’t have oversized bling to decorate Rika with. I’m quite poor compared to them, needless to say! But I *was* able to buy stuff within my meagre budget, and that stuff is… chocolate!
Look at all these lovely chocolates with a JJK theme! I love them, LOVE them!
Rika as a Candy Holder
Japan has a crazy ‘modern tradition’ where it’s the ladies who buy chocolates for the gentlemen (who are obliged to return the favour by gifting back cookies and such on March 14, aka ‘White Day’). I dunno what’s worse, this or the other way around in Western countries, where it’s the bloke who has to shell out big bucks for the lass.
To get rid of these gifting inequalities, the best way – obviously – is for everyone to give chocolate to everyone. Enough with outdated modes of giving, let’s just give each other nice stuff on Valentine’s Day, okay? Flowers, too, while we’re at it. I love a person who enjoys giving and receiving flowers!)
So this lovely Rika figure, surrounded with chocolates, can be seen whichever way: she bought a whole bunch of chocs for her beloved Yuta (Japanese-style), or Yuta has given her all these chocolates (Western-style), or they went to the supermarket together, bought a basketful of adorable sweets, and are now deciding who gets what. I prefer the last one. You?
Jujutsu Kaisen Chocolates
Since we’ve arrived at this point, let’s take a closer look at the junk food! The tubular tin can Rika holds in her hands is filled with heart-shaped chocolate rice krispies. There are three designs in all, though I forced myself to buy just one otherwise I’d go over budget.
To her right are mini furoshiki-wrapped truffles: furoshiki being a Japanese kerchief of sorts used to wrap and carry bundles. These were so adorable I simply had to buy all three designs, each featuring various iconic scenes in the anime.
Colourful boxes named ‘Design Chocolista’ are chocolate blocks printed with the characters’ names and faces.
As you can see, I opened the Satoru Gojo one (see below). It’s super cute but somewhat hard to eat… who wants to bite into Six Eyes? Not me!
I’ll have an even tougher time eating Nobara. I mean, I don’t even know whether she’s still alive in the manga, but already I’m gobbling her up? What kind of a mean Curse am I? C’mon, Akutami-sensei, bring her back already, cool eye-patch and all!
To end this rather nonsensical non-review, here’s a pic of Rika with my new Yuta figure.
I got it from the game centre, along with a Gojo version. Nice, eh? Better get around to reviewing these, too.
Love as it Should Be
Going back to Rika and Yuta, what I adore about their love story is how straightforward and honest it is. I’m sick of all those annoyingly half-baked, pseudo-tragic, frustrating ‘love story’ tropes where one person never says anything to the other, until it’s too late. For Rika and Yuta, they know they’re in love, they say it, admit it openly, put it in words and action. Give me simplicity and candour anytime over misconstrued subtlety and ill-timed coyness!
Central to the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film is the Rika-Yuta romance, a relationship that’s incredibly cathartic and uplifting, even if they now have to exist as a sort of inter-species couple. No wonder the film is beloved by fans!
Going back to the Rika figure, I’ve seen it transformed from a drink holder to hand sanitizer holder to iPhone holder to flower vase accessory and many more. It’s versatile and practical in a day-to-day decorative sense (Form and function! Sweet, eh?) which, I think, cannot be said for many a standard figure.
Purchasing the Rika Orimoto Drink Holder Set
I’m both amazed and disappointed at how jacked-up the prices are from resellers of this Rika figure. At the concession stands the drink set (Yuta topper figure and drink of choice included) sold anywhere from JPY 3,900 to 4,000 (around USD 35), depending on the movie theatre. However, resellers at the online fleamarket Mercari are raking it in at up to three times the original price (as of this writing)! So I’m not wholeheartedly recommending buying from resellers, though that’s the only option for those who can’t make it to the Japanese movie theatres.
Search keyphrase:
劇場版呪術廻戦0 折本里香 ドリンクホルダー
If you live overseas, one way to get a hold of these Japanese products is to use a proxy shopper that ships worldwide, such as From Japan. See my Shopper’s Guide for details.
Thank you so much for reading! Please take a moment to share a thought or two in the comment section below. Your comments give me life and are a real source of encouragement. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for daily manga/anime posts! xoxo – hana
The first time I’ve seen the Rika figure on twitter I was like WOW. It definitely added to my long list of must have merches ? I love how big it is because I could use it as a holder for many things, like what you had said in your blog (as an iphone holder, drink holder, etc.) I also love yuta’s small figure, it looks really cute >< I love how they made Rika so big and yuta so small and the way Rika holds and protects yuta <3
I love Rika and Yuta together but I also ship yuta and maki together xD,,, I am always a multi-shipper even in Haikyu hahah. Even with Gojo, I ship him with Suguru but at the same time I ship him with Utahime. I don't really understand why I'm like this hahah.
I haven't watched the Alien movie yet, but I might check it out because I got intrigued with how you compared the Alien from the Alien movie to Rika, especially with this line of yours "For the former it was a moment of pure horror, for the latter, pure love".
The chocolates are so cute. I also don't think I'd have the courage to eat the beautiful art on the chocolate hahah. When art is instilled in the food, I feel like I'm ruining the art by eating it ? But I know it's meant for eating and the art is just making you appreciate the food not only through your mouth but through your eyes also but I couldn't help still feeling bad about it TT
As a shy person, I don't think I'd have a courage giving something (a chocolate or some baked goodies) to the person I like xD. So I find shopping chocolates together more conforting than the first one and the second one hahah. Imagine buying chocolates together and at the same time you'd get to know more about each other like knowing what kind of chocolate the other person wants or what kind of flavor they like. That sounds more special to me hahah.
Going back to Rika's figure. It is really times like this when I feel insanely jealous of people in Japan hahah. On top of the Japan exclusive experiences (like the stage plays and the exhibitions), owning the exclusive must have merches and not having to worry about international shipping fees and proxy fees is like a dream of mine hahah. That's also one of my many reasons why I want to move to Japan one day hahah.
Thank you for this blog. Have a wonderful day! ?
I’m absolutely a multi-shipper myself! There are pairs I love in particular (Satoru & Suguru, for instance) but I do ship Satoru x Utahime, too. I also fantasise about Suguru x Shoko Ieri, I mean, there’s nothing in canon about them being special to each other but I enjoy dreaming up an ‘evil’ Shoko who actually didn’t want Suguru to die so she made a deal with Noritoshi Kamo (the ancient sorcerer, not the Kyoto student) to revive him… stuff like that! xD Same goes for Yuji & Megumi: I love them together and enjoy seeing the BL fanfic about them, but I would also ship either of them with Nobara 🙂
As much as I love Rika and Yuta together, Rika is a ghost, basically, so there’s a big part of me that hopes Yuta won’t just die soon and join her in the other dimension, but will somehow move on and find happiness on earth. He’s only 17-18! I don’t like young people dying, it’s such a waste. Some like to romanticise death but really, you can’t eat chocs when you’re dead:( A Yuta x Maki pairing would be wonderful – I actually think they fit each other, as in opposites attract: he’s skinny and sweet and accommodating and gentle, she’s all crabby and in your face and big muscles, with a will of steel. Perfect together, wouldn’t you say? 😀
Classic movies are the best! There are very old ones that have been burned into my mind, like the 1941 ‘Citizen Kane’, the 1963 ‘The Leopard’, the 1956 ‘Seven Samurai’, and many more. One of my favs is The Godfather (1972 – ) series, and also everything Alfred Hitchcock. I also liked the 1984 ‘Dune’ by David Lynch more than the Villenueve one that came out last year xD This love for old movies has perhaps something to do with my love of miniatures – there’s a universe of difference for me between a dazzling, high-tech green screen and clumsy but charming analog props. I somehow always prefer the latter, ahaha! Here’s hoping you can watch the first Alien film someday soon – it’s a classic in the sci-fi genre❤️
Speaking of food, I was texting a friend the other day about not being able to eat the JJK chocs with faces on them, and she was like, “Stupid girl, you should’ve bought two of each – one for eating and one for looking at.” Ahaha! She’s absolutely right! xD If I see the chocs on my next grocery run, I think I’ll buy another batch 🙂
Ahh, yes, I know so many international otaku who’d like to live in Japan, either temporarily or for good. Over here is a total paradise for anime/manga lovers. My problem is that I’m always short of money because there’s a never-ending stream of fun new stuff to buy and events to attend, all of them within easy arm’s reach. I used to love travel, concerts, clothes/fashion etc but then had to drastically cut back on all personal expenses so I could spend every available non-essential penny on my otaku habit xD While you and other fellow otaku are dreaming of living here, I’m here dreaming of winning the lottery so I can better fund my otaku habit, ahaha! xD
Wishing you the best of luck in your future immigration plans! And thank you so much for the lovely comment. You made my day! xoxo – hana
I love how Panda teases Maki with Yuta xD It always makes me cackle. Honestly I’d be doing the same as Panda if I was their classmate in the Jujutsu world ? I love Yuta and Maki’s interactions especially when Yuta told Maki that he wants to be like her and basically looks up to her <3 that was so sweet of him
I don't want to see my favorite characters dying anymore especially at a young age ? I remember watching Banana Fish in 2020 and it depressed the hell out of me ? I loved that story so much, but it sure took me a long time to get out of my Banana Fish depression. I remember tearing up all of a sudden while washing the dishes because I'd suddenly remember Ash and Eiji. I was aware that the story would have a sad ending but I didn't know it was THAT sad hahah.
I'll definitely checkout the classic films once I've got the time especially Alien ^^. I might watch them with my mom and have a sudden movie night hahah.
Your friend was right! XD Why feel guilty about ruining the art when you could just buy 2 and not ruin the other one hahah. Hope you can still find them in your next grocery run.
Hahah the otaku-life is winning xD I just know I'd have a hard time saving there because of all the merches I could finally have and not having to worry about fees anymore hahah. And being able to go to exclusive events, especially the exhibitions is such a dream. I would love to go on a Haikyu tour (going to the real life places that Haikyu's mangaka, Furudate-sensei, based on) someday. My otaku ass would be having a huge blast there xD.
Hahaha,, wishing to win the lottery for anime merches xD Honestly, same HAHAH.
Thank you so much! Hopefully someday, I'd be moving there ??.
You know, one of my fav things about the JJK0 film was how hot and pretty they made Maki! She’s incredible in it, and I absolutely loved her interactions with Yuta (adorable) and Panda (hilarious). She had a couple of amazing action scenes, which made me really happy as we sadly didn’t get to see her in her best form in S1 of the anime. Maki and Mai are supposed to be ravishing, but Akutami himself admits to having difficulty drawing females. I hope MAPPA does justice to them in the latter seasons. Oh, and I also pray from the bottom of my heart that Yuta heals her scars – I’m pretty sure that since he’s become so powerful by now he probably has more healing energy than Doc Shoko.
OMG Tal! I ADORE Ash and Eiji, they’re (one of) my fav couple forever and ever! You just reminded me, I went to a BANANA FISH event last month and bought some wonderful merch but totally forgot to post about it. Wait, no, I didn’t ‘forget’, I planned on writing a proper blog post but then all kinds of stuff came one after the other and my BANANA FISH writing plans kept getting pushed further and further down the list, until it was no longer visible to the naked eye… *SIGH*
Well, now that I know you loved the anime as well, I hope that gives me the impetus to get on with it. Better late than never, as the proverb goes xD I’ll try to write tonight and post tomorrow! Thank you so much for giving me the impetus! xoxo – hana