Hanakago Tsubasa Reveals Fukuoka Trip, Ranks McDonald’s New Chicken Burgers

NIJISANJI — Hanakago Tsubasa of Nijisanji’s 26Splare confirmed Sunday that the group’s four members had spent a three-day break in Fukuoka, ending days of guesses by viewers. He said the trip, from the 22nd to the 24th, was a private vacation, not a shoot or a location job, and that the group’s official announcement of the time off had set off speculation about overseas filming.

He then turned to the evening’s main event, a taste test of McDonald’s three new chicken burgers, along with Shaka Shaka-style seasoned fries in black pepper. He called the first, the Zakuzaku Juicy Chicken Mac, a reborn version of the Chicken Fillet-O he used to eat often. The chicken now uses thigh meat, he said, which made the patty softer and blended it with the bun. He rated it the easiest to eat and told viewers to order it first.

“So that’s where you were. My Chicken Fillet-O.” — Hanakago Tsubasa, on the first new burger

The teriyaki version, he said, was moister and carried a stronger sauce flavor, with less of the crisp bite; he suggested it for anyone who simply wanted a teriyaki chicken burger. The spicy version, topped with a chili sauce, left a lingering heat that he said could be a lot for people who avoid spicy food. In his ranking, the teriyaki burger placed second and the spicy one third, and the black-pepper fries earned a mention of their own.

Between bites he talked about the trip: a ramen meal every day, motsunabe, a drive to Dazaifu in which he nodded off and reached airport check-in with about four minutes to spare, and two regrets, a missed hotel breakfast and a tempura restaurant with too long a line. He said the other members would tell their own stories on their channels. The chat opened with a flood of welcome-backs, and viewers sent 28 Super Chats.

Tsubasa said he might take Monday off but would announce it in advance, and that he planned an early-morning stream at around 6:30 a.m. as an apology for the break. He also said a radio program was set for the 28th at 11 p.m.