Interest

Power Up with Baki the Grappler Energy Drinks

Alpron Group, a producer of sports supplements, is releasing energy drinks based on the fighting manga and anime Baki The Grappler. The cans come in two different sizes (250 mL and 350 mL, or 8.5 and 11.8 fluid ounces) and two different varieties — one depicting Baki and one showing his father Yūjirō.

The drink claims to contain "history's highest level" of caffeine, although the actual level is about 16 milligrams per fluid ounce — about halfway between K-Cup coffee (15 mg/fl oz) and Peet's brewed coffee (16.7 mg/fl oz). More bizarrely, it claims to contain the extract or powder of ants, sea snakes, horse hearts, guarana, scorpions, leeches, soft-shelled turtles, mamushi, seahorses, garlic, citrulline, pfaffia, maca extract, and chili. The beverage is meant to boost exercise ability and concentration and reduce exhaustion.

The energy drink's slogan is "Drink it before you burn up!" This plays off the slogan of a previous brand of Alpron Baki The Grappler-themed chocolate-flavored whey protein, "Drink it after you burn up!" The drink is available at Don Quijote stores in Japan and online at Village Vanguard and costs 248 yen ($2.13) for the 250 mL version and 270 yen ($2.32) for the 350 mL version.

This particular drink is not the first energy drink with Baki branding; this earlier offering also used strange ingredients.

[Via Netlab, Alpron Group and Caffeine Informer]