McDonald’s Brings Fictional Restaurant to Life

For years, anime fans have made McDonald’s-inspired “WcDonald’s” restaurants a part of anime’s movies and shows. In collaboration with some of the biggest names in anime, WcDonald’s will move from fiction to real life. Beginning Feb. 26 in more than 30 markets around the globe, the WcDonald’s universe will become a reality in restaurants and beyond, with a new sauce, manga-inspired packaging, episodic shorts and more. 

“Anime is a huge part of today’s culture, and we love that our fans have been inviting us into the conversation for years,” says Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer, McDonald’s USA. “The WcDonald’s universe is a reflection of what fans have created. It honors their vision and celebrates their creativity while authentically bringing it to life in our restaurants for the first time ever.” 

A new Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce features a combination of ginger, garlic and soy with a slight heat from chili flakes. Japanese manga artist/illustrator, Acky Bright, has designed custom WcDonald’s packaging, and for a limited time, fans will receive manga-inspired packaging featuring Crew characters, sketched by Bright. 

“I had a great time partnering with McDonald’s to help make WcDonald’s a reality for manga fans who have a genuine love for the brand,” says Bright.  

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McDonald’s has also partnered with animation studio, pierrot, to produce the first WcDonald’s anime. Four shorts will take fans into the world of WcDonald’s, where a story about the WcDonald’s Sauce and WcNuggets unfolds each week. 

Every Monday, Feb. 26 to March 18, a new short will drop along with new manga on WcDonalds.com or by scanning the code on the WcDonald’s bag. The shorts will honor four of anime’s biggest subgenres – action, romance, mecha and fantasy. 

Inspired by the isekai anime subgenre, McDonald’s will transport fans to the first IRL WcDonald’s March 9-10 in Los Angeles, Calif. Fans can reserve their spot on OpenTable starting Feb. 28 by searching “WcDonald’s Immersive Dining Experience” on the OpenTable app or website.