Nostalgic Internet Meme "Ionanazun Interview" Makes Epic Return in McDonald's Dragon Quest CM

The nostalgic internet meme "Ionanazun Interview" has made a surprising comeback in the Reiwa era as an official commercial, generating significant buzz on social media. Released by McDonald's Japan to coincide with the launch of the "Dragon Quest Burger," the web commercial features a dream collaboration of star voice actors. Numerous comments like "too chaotic" and "too funny" have been posted, capturing the hearts of internet users.

The star of this commercial is the "Ionanazun Interview," which originated from ASCII art and was once popular online. This unique interaction, where an interviewer asks a candidate about their special skills and ultimately demands "Ionanazun," has been beloved by many. This time, legendary voice actress Masako Nozawa appears as the candidate in this iconic content. Yuko Miyamura and Natsuki Hanae take on the roles of interviewers, and as soon as this overly lavish casting was announced, social media erupted with cries of surprise and excitement.

Users who watched the posted commercial shared poignant comments like, "To me 20 years ago, the Ionanazun Interview is now a McDonald's web commercial with an all-star cast." Praises also poured in, such as, "Has there ever been an Ionanazun Interview with such smooth voices? No, there hasn't," and "Masako Nozawa's voice is the best! I want to eat a Dragon Quest Burger." Voices reflecting on internet history were also heard, like, "Who would have thought I'd hear the Ionanazun Interview fully voiced in the Reiwa era? It pays to live a long life," generating cross-generational empathy.

On the other hand, while there were humorous remarks like "the official company is too much of an 'internet boomer'" and some concerns about it appearing as "pure plagiarism," an overall mood of welcoming this unique collaboration predominated. McDonald's succeeded in bringing smiles to many users not just by collaborating with Dragon Quest, but also by delving deep into internet culture with a unique promotion.

This surprise project, celebrating the launch of the Dragon Quest Burger, has become a powerful catalyst, drawing many people to stores despite their bewilderment with comments like, "What's up with McDonald's?" and "Too much information, my brain can't keep up." This legendary interview will surely bring new topics and smiles to Reiwa-era dining tables.

The context

To fully appreciate this news, non-Japanese readers should be aware of a few key cultural elements:

  • Ionanazun Interview (イオナズン面接): This is an iconic Japanese internet meme that originated from ASCII art in the early 2000s. The meme depicts a bizarre job interview where the interviewer repeatedly asks a candidate about their special skills, escalating the absurdity until finally demanding that the candidate cast "Ionanazun," a powerful explosion spell from the Dragon Quest video game series. The humor comes from its unexpected and absurd premise.
  • Dragon Quest (ドラゴンクエスト): Often abbreviated as "DoraQue" in Japan, this is one of Japan's most beloved and longest-running role-playing game (RPG) franchises, comparable to the cultural impact of Final Fantasy. Its spells, characters, and music are deeply ingrained in Japanese pop culture.
  • Reiwa Era (令和時代): This is the current imperial era of Japan, which began in 2019. The article highlights the contrast between the meme's origins (often associated with the Heisei era or even earlier internet days) and its revival in the present day.
  • Japanese Voice Actors (Seiyuu): Japan has a highly respected and celebrated voice acting industry. The commercial features:
    • Masako Nozawa (野沢雅子): A legendary voice actress, most famous internationally for voicing Son Goku (and Gohan, Goten, Bardock, etc.) in the Dragon Ball series. Her presence adds immense star power and a sense of nostalgia.
    • Yuko Miyamura (宮村優子): Known for iconic roles such as Asuka Langley Soryu in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • Natsuki Hanae (花江夏樹): A highly popular contemporary voice actor, famous for roles like Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
    Their participation turns a simple meme recreation into a star-studded event.
  • "Internet Boomer" (インターネット老人): A humorous term in Japan, similar to "old school internet user," referring to someone who has been on the internet since its early days and has a deep knowledge of older memes and internet culture. The joke is that McDonald's is tapping into this niche, nostalgic humor.

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