There are cute gachapons, anime gachapons, useful gachapons (well, no, none are useful). And then there's the reigning category: the series where someone jokingly proposed them in a design meeting and no one stopped them in time. These are our five current favorites from the catalog.
1. Nata de Coco Sprites
Cubes of nata de coco with little faces and hands, sitting as if life weighs them down. The original Japanese text states that "in this world, nata de coco fairies exist." One of the five is actually an infiltrated ice cube that is melting. No further questions, your honor. It's here.
2. The Fried Shrimp Cat
The question posed by the manufacturer, literally: "Are you a shrimp? Or are you a cat?" The breaded shrimp hood can be removed and put back on, turning this figure into two figures and an existential crisis. Here it is.
3. Geckos in Pajamas
Even geckos want to look cute for bed. Colorful 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 trying to lose weight and managed to get fat." It's round, proud, and hangs from your backpack as a reminder that goals are guidelines. Its product page, here.
5. The Working Boombox
The only one on the list that actually does something: it records 30 seconds of audio and plays it back, with real buttons and a little chain to hang it. Nineties nostalgia the size of a walnut. Listen to it here.
All these series work like any gachapon: the capsule arrives sealed, and the specific figure you get is decided by chance. If none of these five seem necessary in your life, congratulations on your willpower — but the entire catalog is worse (better).