If you've stumbled across the Twitter account for Nature Valley granola bars lately, you might have noticed something very, very weird about it: It's full of anime.
This whole weird thing started in April, when a teenager made a joke about eating granola bars and watching anime.
Going to buy some @NatureValley Granola bars before I go to school to discuss anime with my friends who don't exist.
That's when Jess Wangsness, the 36-year-old senior community engagement specialist for Nature Valley, decided to tweet back at the young anime fan.
@SuperRoyalLand @galacticpixie @Elkasaurus We've met lots of #anime friends who do exist right here in the Twitter-sphere. Befriend them!
Other anime fans apparently thought it was pretty amazing that a granola bar would tweet at them about anime, so they kept it going.
@NatureValley Who's your favourite Love Live?
"I ended up mentioning an anime director by the name of Hayao Miyazaki," Wangsness told Buzzfeed. "I thought, well, if Nature Valley were to like any kind of anime, I think Nature Valley would really like his films."
@ER_nut That's a toughie. We love Honoka's spirit - but we also love Hanayo's origami skills. Who's your favorite?
She said mentioning Miyazaki seemed to give her street cred in the anime Twitter community.
.@NatureValley did you get a haircut? Take off your glasses? Get new packaging? You look different. Consider yourself noticed. Love, Senpai
.@FUNimation None of the above. But we did emerge from a long winter of #polarvortexes and #icecaves. Thank you for noticing us, Senpai.
And then at the end of April, the Nature Valley Anime Art Fest began. Teenagers are putting granola bars in anime screencaps and the Twitter account is retweeting them out to people.
Let the #NatureValley + #anime art fest begin. RT @KokoroAkechi: @NatureValley
Wangsness says that if anything has swears in it or looks strange or suggestive, though, she doesn't respond.
You guys. We're in #anime now. RT @mini_cake_: .@NatureValley
And if you're wondering if high level executives at General Mills know what's going, the answer is yes.
Spread the #granolabar love. RT @ThatNoStar: Everyone needs to know about @NatureValley
"I've had explain to what anime was to a lot of people [at General Mills]," Wangsness says. "But everybody's been really excited about it."
Two-fisting #granolabar fans. We like it. RT @Doijma: @NatureValley TIME HAS STOPPED
She's also been careful to keep it genuine and not get too pushy with users. She says she never pretends to know what the anime fans are talking about.
Yes, yes and yes. RT @Tentacuddles: Are you an anime protagonist? Are you late for school? Grab a #NatureValley Bar.
But she's not totally out of the loop either. She says her husband thankfully is a pretty big anime fan and she's actually seen a good amount of it.
Bad angels beware. RT @ryanpbroderick: .@NatureValley You can't fight angels in your EVA unit on an empty stomach!
Though there has been some chatter at Nature Valley maybe trying to do an outdoor anime convention.
#Granolabar slingshot. RT @kawaiibesu: @NatureValley gives you the strength to fight witches of every timeline.
"The link to anime and Nature Valley and granola bars is, for us, always kind of rooted in the kind of anime that's also rooted in nature," Wangsness says.
Uh oh. RT @BryanDisagrees: "My cover is blown. Please transfer funds — I'm nearly out of #NatureValley granola bars"
But as for right now, Nature Valley doesn't have any huge plans to cash in on this incredibly bizarre thing. But Wangsness thinks it's pretty cool.
Can #granolabars make one eye work like two? RT @dc_resistance: @NatureValley Rikka loves Nature Valley
"I never anticipated they would start creating granola bar nature valley anime art," she says. "that was completely, wildly, never something I saw coming but it's been really fun."
#Granolabar or future diary? You decide. RT @0n31r0n4u7: Who needs a future diary when you have granola?
So here's your social media tip of the day: When it gets weird, you should probably roll with it.
Ah, nature. RT @conductor609: feeling lonely? Take a bite of a #naturevalley #granolabar + let your worries wash away