So, what are these things? If you've been watching the new Digimon reboot anime, you'll know it includes a new Digivice design. What better way to promote the show than light up vending machine merch?! Today, I'm going to do a short review, so read on and let's see how these hold up! When you get them, they arrive packaged like this with a sheet that lists all the combinations, the original release date, and how to change the battery (battery? Might be just the LED, I'm not too sure.) I think this is a neat feature. Used to be when you got tiny toys like this the battery died and you were just screwed after that. I like that it's changeable; unfortunately when I attempted to open mine, it just kept damaging the lightweight plastic and I felt I would break it if I kept on. I think you're better off just enjoying them as-is than risk the damage to switch it if the LED dies. There are 9 total in the set, one for each child and the basic version. They are gashapon (vending machine) merchandise and obtained randomly. However, once obtained from the machine, you can see what you have. If you're buying them, it will be easy to get the one you want and often you can find resellers listing them in sets! Once it's out of the packaging a few things stand out. First of all, each emblem/crest design must be added via sticker. I recommend using tweezers if you're not too confident in aligning it. Unlike my previous review of the Johto World Market Set, this is a much easier application. My wife applied Jou's Reliability crest with four tries, so there is some wiggle room if this isn't your forte. It only took me two tries, but I'm used to these. The second odd thing you'll see is the little cap on the back. I thought this was a button or a clip at first, but it's just a covering to protect the on/off switch. I'm not sure how well this would stay if you were traveling or say, if it would loosen over time. If you look at the device itself, each one is colored to match the crest. The colors are really vibrant! The detail on the Digi-Code around the center looks amazing for something so tiny, too! I really like this touch. The device also has some sculpting to it instead of just being flat. They measure about 2 inches across, so they won't work for cosplay, but they are an easy way to show your love for the Digimon reboot! Now, for the gimmick. When you move the switch to ON, the device lights up and stays lit.
Sadly, this is the worst part of this line of toys. It's just an orange LED. While it probably looks amazing on Taichi's, I really wish the others had LEDs to match. I know that would probably cost more in the long run, though. Also, depending on the lighting and if you have flash on or not, the color varies a lot! Keep this in mind if you wanna do a photo shoot. They're much cheaper now than when they initially released. You can find them on Japanese second-hand shopping sites like Mercari JP or Yahoo! Japan Auctions. I've seen some individual ones on Mercari US for around $15 USD each and after fees/shipping you would probably pay more than that. My recent group buy for these ended up totaling around $25 each after cost, fees, domestic shipping, international shipping, and local shipping. If you combine these with another order, you can definitely save some money. Of course, keep in mind that this is while the US is still forced to use DHL/FedEx, which raised the cost, too. Overall, they are cute little toys. Great to collect or hang on your purse / bag. If you find them when conventions open up or combine them with an order you have going, you could probably find them relatively cheap. I'd say they are worth it for any Digimon collector! Did you purchase these gashapon? Have you purchased any similar gashapon? Is there an item you'd like to see us review? Let us know in the comments!
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Author: ShindoW
I am a anime and video game enthusiast living in Texas. I have been collecting since 2005. During that time I've collected a variety of merchandise and knowledge to help other collectors. Archives
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