Some of us may still remember the joy of getting a toy with a McDonald’s Happy Meal as kids. But now, there are adults (yes, really) going crazy for the latest Happy Meal toys in Japan.

Huge crowds turned up at McDonald’s outlets across Japan to get their hands on the limited-edition Chiikawa Happy Meal on May 16. 

The Chiikawa Happy Meal items such as a pen holder and pancake case are based on the popular Japanese manga and anime.

Since then, pictures and videos have surfaced online showing McDonalds’s outlets in complete disarray.

As people walk out of the outlets with entire bags of toys, there are also pictures of the food left behind, sometimes strewn on the floor.

McDonald’s Japan had supposedly placed a limit of four toys per person. Despite this, some people seem to have gotten around that rule.

Some netizens suspected people found a loophole by placing multiple orders via the online app.

Full sets of the Chiikawa toys are now being hawked by resellers for a whopping 3,000 yen (S$26.80), about five times the original prices from 510 yen (S$4.75) to 540 yen (S$4.84). 

Naturally, die-hard Chikawa fans are upset, with many blaming foreign resellers who are bulk-buying the toys to earn a quick buck. 

McDonald’s Japan has since issued an apology to disappointed fans but didn’t address the toy-hoarding or food-dumping behaviour.

Now, who said all those years ago that it was shameful that Singaporeans would queue for Hello Kitty plushies?

Photos Moretify, McDonalds Japan