Pokka Sapporo Ribbon Jelly Grape Drink: This is another grape jelly drink I purchased from a vending machine. It comes in a plastic bottle as opposed to a can. I like this one less than the other as the jelly is not carbonated, so the overall taste is not as unique. It's essentially a grape juice for kids that contains jelly that you break up by shaking the bottle. One benefit the plastic bottle has over the can, though, is that you can reclose and shake the bottle some more in the case that the jelly doesn't break up evenly. 3.0/5.0
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Dydo Purush Jelly Sparkling Flavored Grape Soda: This is a very unique drink that you need to shake in advance of opening to break up its gelatinous filling. It contains a mix of "jelly," which has been carbonated so there's no risk of having overly-pressurized soda explode upon opening the can, as well as coconut jelly (Nata de Coco). It tastes like Fanta grape soda, so very sweet, but I really liked the mix of softer jelly and chewy coconut cubes, and the grape flavor is also quite nostalgic for me. Purchased from a vending machine. 4.0/5.0
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Kikkoman Banana Soy Milk: Kikkoman has a bunch of fruit-flavored soy milk juice boxes that come in similar packaging, but differently colored. I got the banana milk from 7-11 to try, but it was shockingly sweet, like drinking liquid banana runts. Would not again. 2.0/5.0
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Cheerio Melon Cream Soda: Got this bottle from a 100 ¥ vending machine in Tokyo. The flavor is sort of like a fruit-equivalent of Mountain Dew in that the sugar and flavor concentration is shocking, but I actually kind of like it. It strikes a really good balance of fruity and creamy and does taste like (an extremely sweet) version of a fruit soda float. In that way, it's exactly as advertised. But I can't drink much of it in a single sitting because it's so sweet. 3.5/5.0
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Hakkaisan Purple Amasake: This is a sweet drink made with fermented purple rice, giving it its distinctive color. I tried the regular version made from white rice rice previously in Brooklyn (by way of Japan), but without trying both side-by-side, it's hard for me to say if the flavors are different. I can say that this beverage has a nice acidity and natural sweetness that comes from the koji rice itself (no sugar is added), and it's a fresh refreshing drink. I don't know if most people would enjoy the acidity, b... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Chanmery Peach Soda: Chanmery is like the Japanese equivalent of Martinelli's, meant to be a celebratory champagne-equivalent drink for kids. Its main innovation is a "twist and pop cap" that's both threaded and depressed such that opening it leads the built-up pressure of the bottle to push the cap upward, emitting a satisfying pop sound not unliking uncorking a bottle of champagne. The bottle has just enough for about 2 servings, which is to say quite small. The peach soda has a strong fruit flavor that is ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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