Pocky
An extremely popular snack in East Asia. Basically a biscuit stick coated with some flavouring, such as chocolate, strawberry, milk, so on and so forth.
Since "Pocky" is a registered trademark of Glico, works of fiction which feature them usually have to resort to Bland-Name Product naming.
A variation is Pretz, a non-coated biscuit stick also made by Glico.
Due to their quite common fondness for anime, it also shows up rather often in Western Web Comics.
A party game often seen in anime is for two people (who may or may not be romantically-involved) to eat the same stick of Pocky from opposite ends, like a Spaghetti Kiss. Which is likely the entire point of that game.
Also sold as "Mikado" in parts of Europe and as "Rocky" in Malaysia (since "Pocky" sounded too similar to pork, and it's a Muslim country).
Anime
- In both the manga (Chapter 43) and animé (Episode 19) of Ah! My Goddess, Belldandy attempts a Spaghetti Kiss on Keiichi with a stick of Pocky... Because her older sister, Urd, secretly fed her a candy that juiced up her libido.
Belldandy: What are those?
Keiichi (with a Pocky already in his mouth): These? Sort of a stick-cookie, dipped in chocolate. They're good!
Belldandy: I'll think I'll have... A bit of yours.
- Please Teacher and Please Twins: the aliens really like them (rendered as "Pochy"), to the point of Trademark Favorite Food.
- It is also a minor plot point, especially in the end, where Kei keeps a box that Mizuho left behind.
- Kagami of Lucky Star likes these—although not to the degree of Trademark Favourite Food.
- Konata likes to Flanderize it to that degree, though.
- Yuzuriha from X 1999 often eats these.
- Private Tamama from Keroro Gunsou has been known to eat "Packy" from time to time.
- There's a scene in Ga-Rei Zero where Yomi and Kagura compete to eat the last Pocky... and end up kissing each other.
- The titular character from Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko eats Pocky.
- In Zatch Bell / Gash Bell / Konjiki no Gash Bell, Zatch/Gash has a toy "robot" made out of a Pocky box and some chopsticks.
- The official databooks of Naruto list Pocky as the favorite food of Itachi Uchiha. There is absolutely no evidence of this within the manga itself, but that hasn't stopped a large number of authors from flanderizing this to a ridiculous degree in Fan Fiction.
- Saying "ridiculous degree" is being soft. People, villages, ramen and universes have been destroyed as collateral damage in Itachi's eternal quest for Pocky.
- In truth, 3rd databook actually says his favorite foods are cabbage and onigiri with seaweed. None of the others mention Pocky either, so it's just Fanon Gone Wild.
- Azumanga Daioh (the anime) has it as Rocky, a box of it showing up among the snackage mess during the second-year trip to Chiyo's summer home.
- In Kämpfer, the 'pocky kiss game' is used at one point as an instigator of Les Yay.
- Ichigo Mashimaro (the manga), on the other hand, doesn't shy away from using its name. Nobue uses it as a substitute for cigarettes when she's trying to give up smoking.
- Wong Yunfat from G Gundam can be seen in several episodes with a brandy snifter of ice with sticks of Pocky placed inside.
- A manga example - the main character of Dramacon has an apparent addiction to Pawky.
- School Rumble's Eri thinks Tenma looks likes a squirrel whenever she eats this stuff. Harima, though, finds her sexy in the same situation.
- The second season turns this trope into a game of Spaghetti Kiss.
- Hiro and Shiuchi from Gravitation are eating pocky when Hiro hits on him.
- In the filler half of the final episode of Hayate the Combat Butler, Hayate is sent on a quest for 'Packy' in a clear parody of Pocky.
- In the 'magical girl' episode of Nyan Koi, the Junpet Kousaka is ship teased with Akari Kirishima, even giving him the 'opportunity' for the 'kiss game', which causes Akari to consider letting herself be defeated instead of admitting she likes the guy.
- A must-have whenever the twins are travelling by train. Played for Twincest in the last episode.
- Kyouko from Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a big fan of Pocky (and lots of other snack foods), and even plays DDR and fights while keeping a stick in her mouth. She even offers one to the local Dark Magical Girl to seal a bargain.
- Mizho from Karakuridouji Ultimo is always seen eating pocky... or using it as a weapon.
- Lelouch and Suzaku once play the pocky game on Code Geass.
Music
- Superchunk's 1991 album is named No Pocky for Kitty.
Video Games
- "Rocky" is eaten by characters in Shin Megami Tensei games.
- In Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Derek and Angie bring back some Pocky for Sybil after a trip to Japan.
- In Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden one of the pretentious save points waxes unpoetical about how pocky is clearly the best food for gaming.
Webcomics
- In Questionable Content, Hannelore chides Marigold for having a box of Pocky that was ten years old. When Marigold tries to write it off as "vintage," Hannelore shoots back about the rat turds in it.
- Marigold seems to really like Pocky; later when she gets all depressed that Angus doesn't like her that way, she lays in bed eating nothing but Pocky all day. Of course, that might just be a depression thing...
- In Emergency Exit, while traveling in another world the cast gets a pirate addicted to Pocky and even temporarily gives him a Pocky-sword.
- In one Full Frontal Nerdity strip, Lewis and Nelson catch a kid in an unidentified CCG (although the card Poison Draw Frog clearly points to Yu-Gi-Oh!) "doping" with Pocky [dead link] .
- Gabe from Penny Arcade is known to binge on them from time to time.
Web Original
- The Legion of Net.Heroes team Dvandom Force has member Kid Pocky, who's created a martial art around the weaponized use of Pocky.
Other
- Scott is shown eating Pocky in one FUNimation Update Quickie.
- This is one of the central themes, and many other Asian snacks, of the webseries "Depths of addiction".