about
Me & Rabbit
I’m born in Japan, came to the U.S. in 1994, and I have been living/moving around in the state of New York since then.
I went to an art school in NYC but, just like 95% of the art students, ended up working a non-art related job.
Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. I used to be a full-time translator for anime shows, and for some strange reason, I have recently become a full-time GM for an online card game called Alteil. I wasn’t hired because I was a good card game player or anything. I do translation for the game. Beating me in the game means nothing! (So please try not to murder me mercilessly if you happen to duel me :P)
I still love creating stuff with my hands in my free time and I enjoy sewing, cooking, and drawing. I’ve made tons of plushes, but I always had a problem finding a place to display them, and I would usually just give them away.
I guess I get more excited while making them and when I finished making them, but not so much after that.
But recently, I’ve discovered a love for making bento (lunchbox in Japanese)!
In Japan, a lots of moms wake up early to make bento for their kids and their husbands. And often, they make cute animals or characters from anime shows out of food, so that kids will enjoy eating healthy food. Those bento are called “Kyaraben” or “Charaben”. (character bento)
It’s so much more challenging than making a plush, and takes only about a couple of hours. But no, I don’t spend the couple of hours straight to make bento. I get up 6 in the morning, and we try to leave the house around 9:15-9:30. And most time, I prepare the food the night before, sometime while I cook dinner. (EDIT: I changed “takes only about 5 hours” to “a couple of hours” because, usually 1 hour for doing a sketch for bento, 1 hour for preparation the night before, and a couple of hours in the morning)
The best part is, your work will be eaten and gone by the end of the day!
So, I’m going to write about bento, plush, food and anything I create in my blog. Nothing serious, just for fun.
I hope my creations make you go “ooh, neat”.
All anime & video game characters are copyright of their respective owners.
Q: Where are the other bento I’ve seen on Kickintheheadcomic’s flickr page or some sites on internet?
A: I made my first “kyaraben-ish” bento for kickinthehead (my boyfriend) on 9/11/2008. He took some pictures and posted on his flickr, and that’s how it began.
I’m pretty lazy by nature. That’s why my boyfriend is the one who takes pictures of my bento, edits them, uploads them to flickr, and put notes on them. But everyone’s comment on my pictures made me decided to start this blog.
I started my first bento blog on 11/11/2008, and I have been blogging every other day since then, but my blog still hasn’t caught up with my current bento. Also, my flickr page is for this bento blog, so it doesn’t show my latest bento on there either.
So if you want to just see my latest bento, please check out kickintheheadcomic on flickr!
If you’d like to contact me, please email me at annathered[at]gmail.com
Click the image to go to Bento collection on my flickr!
What I do for a living.
AnnaTheRed's bento factory 
‘Oh neat’ would be a mild version of the jaw-agape wonder of those bentos! You are an amazing artist!
it makes me go OMG!!!! seriously you should write a book or do something more than that.. you can maybe open a restaurant or something like Japanese fast food or something like that. Trust me its much much more than “ooh neat”!!!!!
These obento are just wonderful, and so inspiring! What an incredibly fun thing to do–your boyfriend is so, so lucky. My brother’s boyfriend sent me the link to the photos, and I sent them to a friend who posted the link on Facebook–they are just so excellent.
I especially love your Miyazaki ones ^_^
Oops–actually, I meant my brother’s girlfriend!
your creations are fantastic.. I am looking at your blog in secret. If my 4 and 2-yr old kids see this they will go nuts! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank You for showing me the next level of the Bento making world. Love your creations and “WOW… so neat” 🙂
I’m grateful you started the bento blog. Don’t get bored please – keep going! I say “Ooh…neat!” a lot.
All I can say is WOW. I’ve seen some good bento examples around, but I’m quite amazed by these. Don’t get bored of blogging; I’ll be following this blog as long as it exists!
I gotta say, you got some skills. You could charge an arm and a leg to cater for folks, ha.
My husband sent me the link to your boyfriends’ flickr website and your blog. I’m so amazed and impressed by your bento-creativity!
OMG! “Oh, neat!” is an understatement! I followed a link to your website from Lunch in a Box. I’m glad I did. Your bentos are out of this world. I look forward to seeing and reading about your new creations.
Truly amazing. Makes me happy for the rest of the day!
The Disney Blog http://thedisneyblog.com/ linked to your site, and am I glad I looked! Amazing works of art, the only drawback being that I’d never get to eat any of it because I’d hate to destroy a thing of beauty…
Your blog is really cool. I’m impressed!
Wowwie! Lucky boyfriend!!
You are amazing! And I can’t believe that someone dares to eat those bento’s. xD Greetings!
You are amazing.
I am sure your kids would be very happy to have you as a mom.
I am looking forward to copy some of your creations.
Thanks!
You must look into producing a book–it would be perfect for a coffee-table or for someone interested in reproducing your amazing designs. Great site!
Your boyfriend is lucky to have you. I can tell that the main ingredient in your dishes is LOVE. Thanks for sharing! P
Very Cool! Your boyfriend is a lucky man 🙂 I especialy like the katamari damacy Prince. Keep it up!
this website is amazing!!
My little sister is crazy about Sesame Street, do you have any bento version for little girls like her??
You are amazing! Thanks for taking the time to post. You should definitely consider converting these to a book at some point. 🙂
this is incredible 🙂 awesome. definitely publish a book!
Your art work is incredible! I love the direction you have taken with the food. And it really makes good sense to get children to eat healthy by turning the food into things they recognize. I would definitely buy a book if you ever published one. I think it’s great and cannot wait to see what you come up with next. I hope you keep having fun doing this. 🙂
Wow that’s amazing! I’m so impressed. I have seen some incredible “kazari makizushi” before. Your work is also an art.
You are a genius.
Please, be my girlfriend !
These are great!!! you should either put ads on here or get your own blog and stick google ads on there then you can do this full time!!
I’ve never felt the need to post anything on anyone’s blog before this. You’re cool.
I love this woman.
I would willingly go gay for you. But I know you have a bf. Can we be friends? You make wonderful bentos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just wanna say I’m a HUGE fan of bento-making people like you! I hope I can actually learn the tips you made! すごすぎです、がんばってください！お弁との作り方ありがとうございました！
It’s just great Anna ! Keep on the good work !
Art industry or not, you have a phenomenal artistic and culinary prowess. You have inspired me to try and create my own rudimentary Bento in the future.
These are amazing 🙂 You should make some out of Sculpey – I bet they would sell, for a lot, like hotcakes at places like Monkey King, myplasticheart and the like. Just wonderful stuff!
You are great!
Hey Anne,
Your work is just amazing. Congratulations.
Also this is the ultimate art. You can see it, you can smell it and you can eat it.
Keep doing this great work.
BOOK!
you totally rule anna the red!
and
much more that “oo neat”
“oo incredible & inspiring & wow what talent & a myriad of other compliments!”
Thank you for providing instructions and photos! I’ve always wanted to do this!
cool!
You should make characters like Charlie Brown!
These are beautiful and thoughtful. Your boyfriend should marry you based on the perfection of his lunches! (kidding, of course) but keep up the amazing work.
Make a book.
Make people happy.
Make money.
And all from just what you do everyday! ^_^
Or…. a television show… *gasp*
I’m already hooked.
Don’t underestimate your creativity and skill – I know you say moms in Japan do this, but no one is doing it here. Pleeeeeeease help spread the joy!
Your bf is awesome for putting up the pics on flickr!
i love you so much!
thank you for posting instructions on how to make egg sheets and everything else!
keep up the good work!
Oh man, please tell me you are single. I will marry you right now.
you should open up a store in NYC!
Open a bento store!!!
Open a store and publish a book!!!
This is amazing. I just discovered bento, and I am in awe. Thanks!
Thanks for all your post. I like all of them. I will love cooking after reading your post. Once again thank so much.
Hello. Hope you don’t mind, but I made a post about you on DannyChoo. These are really great. I hope my knife skills will eventually reach the level of accuracy that you have.
You are avery talented artist Anna!! amazing. thanks for sharing your art with us =)
I’m so glad you have a blog now! I’ve been following your bentos since your boyfriend started posting them on Flickr. It’s great to see your blog now and see more info about how you create them! I love the how-to section! Great work!
what you do is really great!! as japanese, im so glad to know that someone from japan are doing great outside japan.
my girlfriend is a huge fan of Studio Gibli, so i will tell her to check this site. she will love your art.
Hello, Anna! I read about your work in a spanish’s website and I’am very glad to see you work with the vegetables, rice and other meals.
I live in south america.
You are and artist! Congratulations.
P.S: Could you please write the process to prepare a “bento” into spanish? Thanks
Hi Marisol
Sorry about a late reply.
Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish… =/ (feeling embarrassed since I’ve lived in NY for 14 years now)
Maybe you can Google translate the page into Spanish? Google has language tools, and all you have to do is to put url link on “translate a web page.” Hope that helps.
\o/ lol \o/
lol
very cool
lol \o/
Sinceramente, você é de mais!
Parabéns!
criatividade a mil!!!
muito lindooo
=]
my boyfriend showed me this site, and i love it!! you’re so good at this~ it makes me feel hungry looking at your bento.
the studio ghibli ones are my favorite!
Wow, your work is amazing! All of it is so Kawaii and gorgeous! I wouldn’t dare to eat it. XD You’re a genius! : )
I would not have the heart to eat any of your bentos.. I’d much prefer to hang them up. They’re beautiful! ^^
I’ve just gotten into japanese cooking as often it can be a lot healthier than British food and I want food I can carry with me to labs without it having to be a boring salad or sandwich, and I’ve been very lucky because your site is the first I’ve found! It’s given me things to learn about while I’ve been in hospital so thanks for that. I look forward to making bento myself as soon as I’m back home.
Best wishes,
Lizzie
P.s. seriously, you should make this into a book when you have a bigger amount of bento.
I love your site.. You have inspired me to try to make bento for MY boyfriend 🙂 I found your step by step guides helpful… Time to put them to use!
You should make a book, your bentos look fantastic!
You’re incredible! Love your bento and blog! Keep up the good work!
Very amazing! I don’t think I could eat any of those because they’re so incredible to look at.
Hey! Just stumbled onto your blog! Your creations are like those from the books! Will be following your blog!
I was from the art school too but always never end up working in that line! And like you, I love to do stuff with my hands… I have a cupcake e-shoppe (www.i-love-cupcakes.com) and now I’m into Bento-ing!
Thank you so much Anna-san for these so many cutedelicious bentos!… they really make my days happier, even though I just only watch at them ^___^
Some day I’ll try to do it myself =)
Today I found a picture of your Zelda and Yoshi/Pikachu Bento in a german nintendo magazine and i decided to visit your website! your bentos are awsome! Really great work! And i love your rabbit cookies! I think I make my own bunny-cutter and make some cookies for my next Wii Party! I hope I can do this cutter… 😉
Go on with this website! I love your stuff!
Greetings from germany!
My kids and I are in awe of these creations! We are HUGE Wall-e fans and were looking up flickr pics when we came across your wall-e cheese sandwich, and then we kept looking at the pics. WOW wow WOW! We are now huge fans of your work. You should totally sell prints of the pics. I am sure they would be huge hits. Just saying… 😉
Hi Anna, Your bentos is so great! I work for chool of Visual Arts and wonder if you went to college here? If so I’d love to be in touch with you. -Carrie
A really cool work!! How creative are your bentos!! As an anime and videogame characters fan I have to say that it was a good surprise seeing Yoshi and Zelda made bento.
Greetings.
anata no obento wa totemo kawaii desu!!!!
watashiwa arugentin desu.
watashi no blog wa : http://gachimaia.blogspot.com/
C’est incroyable ce que vous faîtes! (comment peut-on faire mario ?)
you are my idol!!!! those little stuff are neat!!
omg!
i wish i had half of ur skills!!
those meringue shrooms are neat, after failing to make macarons i’ve quited baking momentarily. haha~
Fan-freaking-tastic! You are one very talented lady! I have to admit i an uber jealous of your mad skills with the bento. I made the cute little meringue mushrooms today, so much fun! I can’t wait to copy more stuff that you do, lol! Thank you for starting this blog, hope you are having a great week!
Hey Anna. Love your work! It’s our current favourite. Can you do a Mt Fuji?
Will you marry me?
Just joking! You’re awesome and I will try to make such charaben (I call them bentotoro) once in a while.
Godspeed.
PS: Seriously, please marry me! >;3
Hello from Germany,
your blog is really great and fun to visit.
Many love greetings
Rico
アンナちゃん♪
お久しぶりです。優だよ(o^∇^o)ﾉ
こないだこーちゃんに聞いて遊びに来ました♪
アンナちゃんの作ったお弁当、すごいね！
ビックリしたよ(*’▽’*)♪
みーにも教えとくね(*￣∇￣*)
また遊びに来ます。
Please write a book! I’d love to be able to attempt (and I do use the word ATTEMPT) to recreate these for my kids in the future!
Oh my god, you’re the perfect wife, marry me !
Where can I order your book? I would like to get a copy. Please email me.
I love your obentous! it makes me happy when I see them!! I was born is Japan living in us also! I would like to do a post on your bento if you dont mind to share with my readers about you n your bento~
They are great!!! Very nice and fantastic! How to learn to make such bento??
love your bentos , they are very cute 🙂
Uh….I think it’s pretty much already been covered here already, judging the the previous comments…
So, at the risk of reiterating the obvious, you rule the school.
また遊びに来ちゃいました(*´∇｀*)
こないだはコメ残してくれてありがとぉ♪
トトロのお弁当カワイイ！！！
真っ黒くろすけまでいるし♪
ホントすごくカワイイお弁当ばっかりで、びっくりです(*’▽’*)
優も作ってみたいけどお料理はどーも・・・。。。(A；´･ω･)ﾌｷﾌｷ
さっき、灯台長さんのブログ見てきたんだけど、お腹が痛くなるほど笑わせてもらいました（爆）(o_ _)ノ彡 ﾊﾞﾝﾊﾞﾝ!!
おもしろかったぁ（笑）
Everytime I pop by, this sites never fails to impress me!
**clap clap clap!
I love cooking but I don´t think I could be good in bento. You´re fantastic!
Hello ! Your bentos are fantastic ! I would love to eat it ..or maybe i wouldn eat ..just staring it…Congratulation! I pick some photos to my blog and i hope you dont mind. I wrote your credits. bye
oh wow, this makes me sad…
i want a mom like u (¶_¶)
Love this site! Can I please give a bento suggestion? How about the Iron Giant?
Oh my goodness!! You are AMAZING. I stumbled across this blog looking for a steamed bun recipe without yeast and just wow. I am so… in awe of all of your creativity and creations. I think it is really extraordinary how you can put so much of yourself making these creations all the time and how creative you are in making tools (the bottle cutter) while still having a job and boy on the side! I sit around knitting a lot of the day (currently unemployed) and I can barely find time to do all the crafts and things I’d like to do.
You’re most definitely an inspiration!
I think your website is probably the best thing on the entire internet. Your taste is great! Katamari Damacy and Calvin and Hobbes? It’s like you make an edible version of everything I love.
I really love your website. I have been doing “normal” bentos for some time, but now I will try to make those nice ones like you did! Thanks for those great tips!
Nadine from Germany
i like your blog so much …
Thank yyou for sharing 😀
Oh your stuff is so . . . how should I put this? Kawaii! ^__^ so keep posting good stuff.
P.S. I also went to an art school but I suck at everything else so I have no choice but to suck it up and kick ass down the road.
dope
I am pleased to be the 100th person to write here that your work is awesome, and very cute! I look forward to more of it.
Hi Anna!
I have read an article about you and your masterpieces *-*
i’m without words!*O*
you are fantastic and your bentos too *W*
❤
Just found your blog. I’m a gigantic fan!
Hi, I just came across your blog and bento pics. They’re amazing and I can’t wait to try out your tips! Can’t wait for your future posts! :]
you are an inspiration! i fell in love with bento making when i was researching for valentine’s day idea. now i’m addicted. lol
Your art is increadible, keep it up!
amazing! i myself am from Korea and love to cook.i was also wondering if you could do a bento of an anime called higurashi. please email me and tell me! you can find it on youtube but the episodes are so long that they have to be cutt into three parts. just to tell you, one chapter is made into more than 8 epiesodes. please email me soon. i hate waiting
i love reading your blog. Problem is that it makes me really hungry. Thanks and keep it up.
Wow, i love your stuff ♥
You should open a restaurant. I would come and visit you every day :D!
I am just discovering “bento Stuff” and I am so glad and grateful that I found your website…You are “Marvelous Darling” I love all of your stuff and thanks for posting them…you “inspire me” I just love your “creativeness”
Take Care and God Bless
omg! i totalli impressed by your bento making skill!
Love them ❤ inspired me to make bento for my boyfriends too!
Thanks for the motivation 😀
ps: hmm. consider making cinnamoroll bento too (: ? would realli love to see it!
Featured in Nintendo Power!? How much geek cred can one attain? I stumbled upon a photo of your bento while fooling around on flickr… amazed by your work. Keep it up! 🙂
Anna!
You’re amazing!!! We love you! Here is our posting on you for Plaztik Mag’s Blog site:
http://plaztikmag.com/blog/2009/08/15/domo-yum-yums/
YUM!!
xoxo,
Mimzy
PLAZTIK MAG
http://www.plaztikmag.com
http://www.plaztikmag.com/blog
アンナさんへ
初めまして、私はシンです。
シンガポールから
OMG. You are totally amazing to the MAX!
You really are an artist.
I love your creation.
It makes my eyes grow BIG and my mouth go WOW.
まじ凄い！！
全部可愛い〜
本当に
I admire your skills.
And I’m going to learn from you.
ありがとう！
よろしくね！
シンより
oh wow. u r amazing. u r my idol now. and wow.wow.wow ..i wanna learn too ..oh wow
I just discovered your site from linking through your bf’s photostream on Flickr, and I’m completely bowled over by the super cuteness of everything you do. Your bf is one lucky lucky man! It makes me want to find a gf like you even though I’m a girl! Am absolutely loving your Studio Gbili bentos, esp. Totoro!! I blogged about it via the blogit function on Flickr.
Keep up the aweinspiring work Anna! You truly rock! And I’d absolutely add my voice to the chorus of your fans here to ask you to publish a book and open a bento shop so that I have another must-go place when I visit NYC.
What a wonderful job you do! I found your blog at a brazilian’s magazine site and since I adore kyaraben but don’t have any ideas how to do them, I fall in love with your work. Thank you so much for share your ideas and know-how about kyaraben. Btw, your plushies are AMAZING *-* great job too!