Today, in Japan, convenience store chain Lawson launched Final Fantasy XIV chicken. What flavor is it? The Crystal of Light and Darkness, as the box states.
Or, as noted in the parentheses, “Pepper and Tartar Sauce Flavor.” The light part must be the tartar sauce, while the dark park must be the pepper.
The Japanese-style fried chicken is known as karaage and differs from American fried chicken in that it’s made with potato starch. Karaage is a popular snack at convenience stores across Japan.
One of the best things about Japan is its convenience stores. And one of the best things about them is their karaage. While different flavors are common, this particular version is not your standard.
According to Game Watch Impress, this original flavor was created under the direction of the composer Masayoshi Soken, who also oversaw a previous FFXIV collab with convenience store fried chicken. That’s right, this is the second time this has happened. Back in 2019, a garlic flavored “Limit Break” version was released.
How does this later iteration taste? “It’s delicious,” says YouTuber Captain Torajiro. This isn’t that surprising, considering how much Soken loves karaage. He’s a Japanese fried chicken expert! He’s a talented composer, but if he ever tires of music, he can always go into the food business.
This is also not the first time that Square Enix has teamed up with Lawson. A few years back, a limited number of Lawson stores were dressed up in Dragon Quest decor, complete with iconic DQ sound effects when customers entered.
Even before that, Square Enix teamed up with drinks group Suntory for Final Fantasy VII potion-themed energy drinks, which were released in Japanese convenience stores.
Expect Square Enix to continue to do two things: make Final Fantasy games, and release stuff in convenience stores. Both are inevitable.