ARTICLES
“Still Couldn’t Buy My Gungun Gurt Today.” A Baptism by Blizzards in a First Hokkaido Winter. Will the Day Ever Come?! An Unexpected, Shocking Twist!
ぐんぐんグルトは本日も買えませんでした。 pic.twitter.com/hdkzWiaTyi
— 606 (@bumWings) January 18, 2022
“Still couldn’t buy my Gungun Gurt today.”
A photo of something buried in snow, paired with this sorrowful tweet, has become a hot topic.From the end of last year into this year, many regions have been hit by blizzards and heavy snow due to an unusually strong cold wave. Hokkaido, where the tweeter 606 (@bumWings) lives, also experienced heavy snowfall.
As a result, something ended up in the state shown in the photo.
It all started with a single photo back on December 19th of last year.ぐんぐんグルトが買えん pic.twitter.com/fBgsLXm4cB
— 606 (@bumWings) December 19, 2021
606, who had moved to Hokkaido and was experiencing his first winter, was apparently on his way home from the supermarket after buying chives, fish balls, and king oyster mushrooms.
Even after that, he continued to visit the vending machine in search of Gungun Gurt.
今日もぐんぐんグルトは買えませんでしたが、買える兆しは見えてきました pic.twitter.com/7i2PgSwZYN
— 606 (@bumWings) December 28, 2021
A glimmer of hope appears, but...
ぐんぐんグルトは本日も買えなかった上に、状況がすこぶる悪化していました pic.twitter.com/Hbbk7YH0oQ
— 606 (@bumWings) January 4, 2022
But it's back to square one... Can't fight Mother Nature after all!?
僕はもう、二度とぐんぐんグルトを買えないのかもしれません。 pic.twitter.com/BhHcHXaedp
— 606 (@bumWings) January 12, 2022
Some days, he almost lost hope...
About 30 days have passed since the first “Still couldn’t buy my Gungun Gurt today” post.
As 606 documented his daily emotional rollercoaster in front of the vending machine, the replies section was soon flooded with messages of support from all over Japan.
“Don't give up!”
“This is Japan, it will eventually melt. I'm praying you can buy your Gungun Gurt.”
“Don't give up... - Miki Maya”
“This is just... lolololol. Seeing the timeline is too funny. Just to buy a Gungun Gurt... lol. You'll get it someday...!!!!!”
“Just charge through it.”
These are just some of the comments he received.“This is Japan, it will eventually melt. I'm praying you can buy your Gungun Gurt.”
“Don't give up... - Miki Maya”
“This is just... lolololol. Seeing the timeline is too funny. Just to buy a Gungun Gurt... lol. You'll get it someday...!!!!!”
“Just charge through it.”
This series of tweets became a huge topic, so we decided to talk to 606.
――What made you start taking these photos?
606: It's my first winter since moving to Hokkaido, and I was shocked that it snows enough here to bury a vending machine, so I took a picture.
――Do you go to this vending machine often?
606: It's the closest one to my house, so I pass by it every day.
――Initially, how many days did you think it would take before you could buy from it?
606: On December 28th (https://twitter.com/bumWings/status/1475753067417313280?s=20), I thought, “I'll be able to get it tomorrow.”
――Did you not consider buying it from another vending machine?
606: I had already bought a larger bottle at the nearest Seicomart, so I had it available to drink anytime.
And then, something happened that the Domingo editorial team never expected!606: It's my first winter since moving to Hokkaido, and I was shocked that it snows enough here to bury a vending machine, so I took a picture.
――Do you go to this vending machine often?
606: It's the closest one to my house, so I pass by it every day.
――Initially, how many days did you think it would take before you could buy from it?
606: On December 28th (https://twitter.com/bumWings/status/1475753067417313280?s=20), I thought, “I'll be able to get it tomorrow.”
――Did you not consider buying it from another vending machine?
606: I had already bought a larger bottle at the nearest Seicomart, so I had it available to drink anytime.
On January 19th, the very day we interviewed him, 606 went to the vending machine as usual and found...なんと
ぐんぐんグルトは買える状態になっていました。 pic.twitter.com/yHKTSJEHQf
— 606 (@bumWings) January 19, 2022
“The Gungun Gurt was in a buyable state.”
The vending machine was neatly cleared of snow!!! Did someone, knowing or not about the tweeter who came by every day only to leave disappointed, shovel it out...?He can finally buy it!! The long-awaited day has come!
（Photo courtesy of 606 @bumWings）
He finally bought it! Wait, what!? What's in his hand is... not... Gungun Gurt!?
It was “Dodekamin Strong.”
This shocking twist left the Twitter users who had been watching over and cheering for him for nearly a month in disarray.
“You're not gonna buy it?! lolololololololololololol”
“Gungun Gurt be like: ‘You bought... another guy in front of me...................’”
“To be fair, he never once said he came to *buy* Gungun Gurt...”
“Why...”
They seemed to be channeling the feelings of the Gungun Gurt, their hearts unsettled and their shock palpable.
So, on behalf of all Twitter users, the Domingo editorial team asked for the truth.
“Gungun Gurt be like: ‘You bought... another guy in front of me...................’”
“To be fair, he never once said he came to *buy* Gungun Gurt...”
“Why...”
――Why did you buy Dodekamin instead of Gungun Gurt?
606: Because Dodekamin is fizzy and very delicious.
What! The answer was that simple. True. Dodekamin is indeed very delicious. (We get it.)
606: Because Dodekamin is fizzy and very delicious.
――Will you continue to pass by it?
606: (Since it's near my house) I'll have no choice but to see it every day.
As 606 answered, as if a weight had been lifted, we felt a refreshing fizziness, much like a carbonated drink.606: (Since it's near my house) I'll have no choice but to see it every day.
Let's all continue to watch over him and see if the day will come when the tweeter finally gets his hands on a Gungun Gurt!
