5 absurdly wonderful gachapon series (that actually exist)

There are pretty gachapon, anime gachapon, useful gachapon (well, no, there are no useful ones). And then there is the queen category: the series someone proposed half-jokingly in a design meeting and nobody stopped in time. These are our five favourites in the catalogue right now.

1. The coconut jelly fairies

Cubes of coconut jelly with little faces and hands, sitting as if life weighs on them. The original Japanese copy claims that "coconut jelly fairies exist in this world". One of the five is actually an infiltrated ice cube that is slowly melting. No further questions, your honour. It lives here.

2. The fried shrimp cat

The question posed by the maker, literally: "are you a shrimp? or are you a cat?". The breaded shrimp hood comes on and off, which turns this figure into two figures and one existential crisis. Here it is.

3. Geckos in pajamas

Even geckos want to look cute at bedtime. Colourful little pajamas, sleepy eyes, and the certainty that somewhere in Japan a designer got paid for this and would do it again. This way.

4. The failed diet cat

A cat keychain that, according to the original description, "failed at losing weight and managed to get fatter". It is round, it is proud, and it hangs from your backpack as a reminder that goals are merely indicative. Its page, here.

5. The cassette player that actually works

The only one on the list that does something: it records 30 seconds of audio and plays them back, with real buttons and a little chain to hang it. Nineties nostalgia the size of a walnut. Hear it here.

All these series work like any gachapon: the capsule arrives sealed and the exact figure you get is decided by chance. If none of these five seems necessary in your life, congratulations on your willpower. The full catalogue is worse (better).

See the full catalogue →