Taiyaki is the Japanese original, shaped like a tai (sea bream) fish and traditionally filled with sweet azuki red bean paste. Bungeoppang is the Korean counterpart, shaped after a crucian carp, introduced to Korea during the Japanese colonial period. While both share a very similar batter and a fish mold construction, bungeoppang developed its own cultural life in Korea over the decades. Today it is especially popular as a winter street food, with vendors cooking batches fresh on sidewalks in cold weather. Regional fillings have also diverged: Korean bungeoppang is frequently filled with custard cream or sweet potato alongside the classic red bean, while Japanese taiyaki has expanded into savory options including cheese, sausage, and matcha. Both are beloved comfort foods with strong nostalgic associations in their home countries.

Taiyaki has been part of Japanese everyday life for over a hundred years, so anime writers use it as a natural shorthand for warmth, nostalgia, and the simple pleasures of ordinary life. A character buying taiyaki at a festival or sharing one after school communicates something deeply familiar to a Japanese audience. The treat has appeared in series including Cardcaptor Sakura, My Hero Academia, and A Silent Voice, usually tied to moments of emotional connection or childhood memory. The cultural weight goes even deeper thanks to the 1975 children's song "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun," which became one of the best-selling singles in Japanese music history and made the fish-shaped snack a symbol of innocence and joy for an entire generation. For international anime fans, spotting taiyaki on screen became part of the joy of discovering Japanese culture through the medium.

The traditional and most classic filling for taiyaki is anko, a thick sweetened paste made from azuki red beans that is fundamental to Japanese sweets culture. Over the decades the lineup expanded to custard cream, chocolate, matcha paste, and sweet potato. In recent years specialty shops in Japan, Korea, and cities globally with strong Asian food scenes have pushed the concept much further. The "ice taiyaki" trend that began in New York City around 2016 turned the fish cake into a soft-serve ice cream cone and became a massive social media moment. Today trending flavors include ube cream, black sesame, tiramisu, red velvet, and seasonal limited edition fillings that are designed specifically to be photographed and shared. The evolution of taiyaki fillings reflects how the snack has grown from a traditional Japanese treat into a global food culture phenomenon.

The global rise of taiyaki and bungeoppang is closely tied to the worldwide explosion of anime, K-drama, and East Asian food culture over the past decade. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram gave street food vendors and specialty bakeries a global audience, with taiyaki and bungeoppang preparation videos regularly going viral for their satisfying process and adorable fish shapes. The ice taiyaki moment in New York City was a turning point, drawing lines around the block and generating enormous press coverage that introduced the treat to a mainstream Western audience. Since then, taiyaki and bungeoppang shops have opened across North America, Europe, and Australia. The snack also benefits from the growing global interest in "comfort food aesthetics" and the kawaii cultural movement, both of which have made anything fish-shaped, pastel, and nostalgic extremely popular across food, fashion, and collectibles.

Taiyaki is often described in English as a "fish-shaped waffle" because it is cooked in a mold using a batter similar to waffle or pancake batter. However, the texture is closer to that of a soft cake or castella sponge rather than a crispy Belgian waffle. The batter is typically made from flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, and milk, producing a slightly golden exterior with a tender, fluffy interior. The fish shape specifically references the tai, or sea bream, which carries deep symbolic meaning in Japanese culture as a sign of good luck and celebration. The word "tai" also appears in "medetai," meaning auspicious or joyful, making taiyaki not just a snack but a small cultural gesture of good fortune. That layered meaning is part of what gives the shape such lasting appeal, and why a Japanese snack plush in this exact form resonates so deeply with fans of Japanese culture worldwide.