New Japan Pro Wrestling‘s Bullet Club has come a long way since they started in 2013, to the point where it seems like they can do just about anything but get along with each other. They’re known for having very strong t-shirt game, and have moved far beyond the original skull-and-guns shirt to other types of merch including mechanical pencils and polo shirts, modeled below by an extremely tired-looking Kenny Omega.
But I know what you’re thinking, wrestling fans, and so does whoever came up with this latest merch idea. It’s this: “I can show I’m a Good Brother via shirts sold by multiple wrestling organizations, and also by two out of the three shoe designs sold by Pro Wrestling Tees, and also by using branded writing implements, but I’m so frustrated that I can’t express my dedication to this faction in a way people can pick up with another one of the five senses.” Well, no need to be frustrated about that extremely specific problem any longer, because today New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that a Bullet Club fragrance is available for purchase.
「新日本プロレス・フレグランス（香水）」に第3弾「BULLET CLUB」が新登場！
メーカー直販サイトと闘魂SHOP水道橋店で明日8月4日（土）より発売開始!!https://t.co/VBAHy9hsGp#njpwshop pic.twitter.com/eBIXxuL8HH— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) August 3, 2018
It’s like the Bushi beauty mask we covered back in March, but with the exact opposite energy!
The Bullet Club eau de toilette is actually the third fragrance released by NJPW in collaboration with novelty perfume and cosmetics company Human Clutch as part of their Amatias Premium Collection. The first two, Fighting Spirit (stylized “Fighting SPIRIT”) and King of King, are described as decidedly babyface products.
According to Human Clutch, King of King is “a fragrance dedicated to men who are strongly positive and always have strong feelings” and “puts the style, strength, and charisma of the champion in a golden bottle.” Fighting Spirit is also technically “pour homme,” but the product description says the “refreshing and fragrant fragrance can be used regardless of gender,” and comes in a cerulean blue bottle “reminiscent of the Matsu of New Japan Wrestling.” Both of these wholesome-sounding scents also have “fragrance mildness and duration greatly” as selling points.
But the Bullet Club fragrance is little different. You see, Bullet Club is a heel faction, so their fragrance obviously has to be a heel fragrance. Here’s what Human Clutch tells us about this product (translation by Google Translate) (emphasis mine):
The ‘Barrett Club’ logo drawn on packages and bottle tells everything.
The overwhelming strong, overwhelmingly charismatic, overwhelmingly self-assertive, and overwhelmingly cool, the fragrance of this Barrett club is packed with overwhelmingly powerfulness… A fascinating scent that fascinates others overwhelming individuality is the fragrance of men full of confidence.”
I know if I was at a wrestling show and smelled someone wearing overwhelmingly strong cologne, I would be fascinated and think, “This person is full of confidence. I am overwhelmed by how charismatic, self-assertive, and cool they are.”
That being said, the top notes for this fragrance are citrus, lemon, and mandarin, with a middle of nutmeg and cardamom, and a base of sandalwood and patchouli, so it probably smells pretty good! And like the others in this collection (NJPW or otherwise), it’s very reasonably priced. But please, if you buy this, check with a friend to see how good/strongly you smell before wearing this cologne to a wrestling show, especially one where people are packed really close together.
