Sanrio is no stranger to cute collectibles, with Hello Kitty and other popular mascots frequently receiving new artwork, global brand collaborations and of course, plenty of miscellaneous merchandise of all shapes and sizes. Now, along with Bandai, the company reminds fans that good things often come in small packages.
Bandai’s trademarked gashapon (sometimes gachapon) vending machine-dispensed capsule toys are a well-known part of the company, which regularly manufactures merchandise for Gundam, Demon Slayer, Pokémon, One Piece, Dragon Ball and many more. Located in various hobby stores throughout Japan, gashapon machines have even made it to America in recent years, with official stores now located in seven different states across the country. One of Japan’s newest gashapon releases is for Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and seven of her friends, with the latest toys taking fans on a trip back to the 1980s and ’90s for some retro fun.
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Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi & More Get New Gashapon Toy Releases
Cinnamoroll, Pochacco, Pompompurin, My Melody, Kuromi, Keroppi, Badtz-maru and of course, Hello Kitty herself, have now each received their own cassette tape charm toys in their signature colors. The miniature tapes are a true callback to the ’90s era, featuring a translucent look with sparkly clear glitter. Priced at 300 yen per gashapon pull (just over US$2), the new toys make for a good way for collectors to nab their favorite characters without (hopefully) breaking the bank when trying their luck. All charms come with a silver chain so that the merchandise can be attached to various items, bringing some unique yesteryear bling to the likes of keyrings, purses, handbags and suitcases, or else used as homeware accessories and decorations.
Bandai’s new Sanrio toys will be released in the second week of August 2024 in gashapon machines in Japan. There has been no official confirmation of overseas distribution as of writing, although Japan-exclusive merchandise from Bandai, Sanrio and other brands does frequently find its way onto international e-commerce websites like eBay, sometimes mere weeks or even days following its initial release.
Source: Gashapon Bandai