Introduction

Yuu Buys a Cookie is a meme originating from the anime Wataten!: An Angel Flew Down to Me, featuring a scene where Yuu Matsumoto buys a cookie from Hana Shirosaki.

Background

The meme revolves around a moment from the anime series Wataten!: An Angel Flew Down to Me, aired in 2019. In this scene, Yuu Matsumoto purchases a cookie from Hana Shirosaki during a school play. This three-panel image has gained traction, particularly within the anime community, as an exploitable meme format.

How It Began

The twelfth episode, titled 'Angel's Gaze', of Wataten!: An Angel Flew Down to Me premiered on March 26, 2019. This episode, which is based on the manga of the same name from 2016, features a memorable scene where Yuu Matsumoto buys a cookie from Hana Shirosaki, becoming the foundation of the meme.

Internet Reaction

The meme first appeared on March 31, 2019, when the Facebook page Ken's Meme Shop shared it, garnering over 1,000 reactions and 2,900 shares in three weeks. Shortly after, on April 3, Reddit user JagerLongShot posted it on the /r/animemes subreddit. The format quickly gained traction, especially among Spanish-speaking audiences, leading to popular versions on pages like Paradise Anime and Thunder Geeks. Coverage of its spread was featured by Mundo ALV and Eldeforma. An English version posted on Funnyjunk on April 11 received over 2,000 likes, while a unique adaptation featuring Thanos shared on April 13 amassed over 6,000 upvotes on Reddit. In the days that followed, numerous variations of the meme emerged across various platforms.