One might expect the U.S. Navy to use images of warships, military training, and patriotic speeches to recruit new sailors. But it seems someone in its publicity department is also a big anime fan. The U.S. Navy’s Great Lakes recruiting group posted a promotional video using the opening of Blend S, the comedy about girls working in a café that became one of the internet’s most recognizable memes.

The video was shared on November 6 via the recruitment unit’s official Instagram account. The first few seconds show the anime’s famous opening sequence, accompanied by the song Bon Appétit ♡ S and its famous sequence of English words starting with the letter S.

However, when the song’s continuation is due, the cute waitresses are replaced by massive warships. In particular, the Navy uses the meme to introduce the San Antonio-class amphibious transport ships, using the name as another S-word.

It’s not just a photo of the ships. The montage also includes images of military personnel, vehicles, and weapon exercises, all synced to the anime’s music. Finally, the video shows an invitation to join the U.S. Navy, along with contact info for its recruiters.

Blend S becomes a military ad

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Blend S is a comedy based on Miyuki Nakayama’s manga that received a 12-episode anime adaptation in October 2017, produced by A-1 Pictures. The story follows Maika Sakuranomiya, a student who gets a job at a café where employees must act different personalities to serve customers.

The problem is Maika has an expression that often looks intimidating, so she ends up playing the sadistic waitress role, despite being a kind girl. Her unique dynamic with co-workers made the series popular, but it was especially its opening that gained a second life as a meme.

The musical sequence became known for listing words like Smile, Sweet, Sister, Sadistic, Surprise, and Service—a formula internet users began modifying to introduce characters, situations, and references unrelated to the anime. And now, apparently, even the U.S. Navy decided to join the joke.

The post sparked reactions among Japanese fans, some of whom joked about how unexpected it is to see a café comedy used to promote a military career. Others wondered if the person who edited the video is a true Blend S fan.

That said, one question remains unanswered: it hasn’t been publicly confirmed if the Navy obtained permission to use the original images and music. At the time of reporting, neither the anime’s creators nor the military institution had explained the terms under which the montage was made.

Did you imagine the Blend S opening would end up being used to recruit sailors, or do you think someone in the Navy just had too much fun making their own meme?