“Mysterious Spring”
Hello everyone, hope you’re all doing good!
With international shipping methods beginning to return to normal, postal restrictions have started to be lifted. So instead of waiting another year to receive a bunch of backdated subscription boxes – I have instead received this years’ March box from Nihon Box! Even though I am still waiting on January and February boxes to arrive, let’s just get this review started!
Much like SoKawaii, Nihon Box is a Japanese monthly subscription service that handpicks at least 6 items each month that are almost exclusive to Japan and ships them straight to your door. Their items are a mixture of Otaku Anime related merchandise and figures, as well as traditional Japanese items, from sweets to tableware. All of this is available to subscribe to for what I find a very affordable price each month.
Like SoKawaii, the more months you pay upfront the cheaper the price for individual boxes will be. https://www.nihonbox.com/en
Monthly is €29.99 plus shipping costs
3 Months is a single payment of €86.97, making each box €28.99, plus shipping costs.
6 Months is a single payment of €170.94, making each box €28.49, plus shipping costs.
Here is a link to their FAQ page, just in case you’re wondering if they ship to your country: https://www.nihonbox.com/en/nihonbox/faq
So let’s begin with our first item – which is a ‘Beastars’ shoulder bag. From the hit Netflix series that got everyone discussing ‘furries’ all over again, it was adapted from a manga series of the same name and animated by CG studio Orange. With a second season not far off in the horizon, now is the perfect time to start wearing this bag around the town as Netflix continues their advertising campaign for the show.
This cross shoulder bag isn’t massive by any means, but is perfect for those that only plan on carrying just their phone and wallet as they travel about. It’s handsfree, strong built and I say it would hold up rather well in the rain with its hard plastic coating that covers the design on the front of the bag. Although the picture is a tad unusual, it will make complete sense to fans of the show. For others that are unaware of its existence – it may need a slight explanation. As it features our lead wolf – Legoshi clutching our white rabbit Haru. It’s a useful product, but the design may just be hitting a specific fanbase for this one. Kind of wish they were able to acquire a different image for the print.
Next up is our Japanese snack – which this month is a Sakura flavored Dorayaki. Now this product was absolutely delicious and did not last very long in my home.
“Dorayaki is a type of Japanese confection. It consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet azuki bean paste.”
Or in this case, Sakura flavored filling. Each of these treats came individually wrapped, so they remained super fresh. Perfect to have with a cup of Green Tea or as a small reward to yourself to help you keep motivated throughout the day. The flavor wasn’t overpowering in the slightest, it was very pleasant and had a sweet taste to it. Well worth checking out this line of Japanese confectionery if you ever get the chance. The sakura filling also symbolized the start of the very short lived Sakura/Cherry Blossom season in Japan.
Next up we have two more anime related merch, beginning with a retractable keychain from Detective Conan. This rather large rubber keychain has a clip at the top so you can attach it to your bag or pants loop, whilst the bottom has a ring hoop for your keys. This clever and stylish looking item was available in four characters including Conan Edogawa, Shúichi Akai, Tooru Amuro and Kaitó kid which is pictured above.
The second item in this picture is of the recently released Evangelion Coo’nuts, which have become very popular amongst convenience stores in Japan. These small little objects always have perfect balance and will not fall down when you push them. They are a quirky little toy that always seems to be coming out with new anime collaborations, with Evangelion becoming the latest. This series features 16 characters from EVA, of which I got Asuka Langley!
Our next item this month is *another* set of chopsticks – which isn’t too bad when you see that it is in fact a Sakura designed chopstick and spoon set. Which is a lovely addition to the cutlery drawer when you discover that these were in fact made in Japan – and not China for once! Would love to see some bowls or plates with similar styles being included in future boxes. Perhaps one day it may add up to a set!
Next up is this rather adorable Rem plush from Re: Zero. I have yet to get into this franchise, but it must be a very popular one as there is new merch constantly being released every month! This character plush is quite large and very well detailed, it definitely has that cute ‘moe’ factor about her. For me the eyes on it are very striking and have such a cute plush on the cheeks. I’m very particular about plushies and figures, but this one here is exactly what I would be looking for in merch. It has a perfect resemblance to the anime character. This is the ideal companion for any Re: Zero fan I believe.
And finally we are down to our last item, which is this Pokémon ReMent figure from the new Stained Glass Collection. These sets are always a joy to get and I can never fault the ReMent brand. The designs have always been so creative and flawless, with a story to tell and picture perfect scenes. This collection had 6 designs, including Ho-Oh, Lugia, Mew, Gardevoir, Umbreon and the above Pikachu.
Nihon Box always does their best to follow the latest anime trends as well as finding items from fan favorite shows in order to always appeal to their customer base. With items from classic shows such as InuYasha, GTO and Detective Conan, to the newer franchises including The Promised Neverland, Demon Slayer and Re: Zero. They not only source out some decent quality figures and plushies, but also to make sure that each month their box represents another unique aspect of Japan – from its food, to its culture, art, history and beliefs. It’s a well rounded box, for both anime fans and cultural fans. This box’s theme was “Mysterious Spring”, and each pamphlet in every box also includes a detailed section called “Discover Japan”. This month’s topic was about Sakura and why it is the symbol of Spring in Japan. It’s details such as these that make this subscription box so unique and talked about.
For more information on how you can order your own box, look to the top of this review and head over to the link below so you can sign up today!
https://www.nihonbox.com/en
