The Anime News Network Holiday Gift Guide

Weird Stuff

My Hero Academia Waffle Iron

You know, if you locked me in a room for a year and asked me to come up with My Hero Academia merchandising ideas, I genuinely don't think that ‘My Hero Academia: The Waffle Iron’ would ever come to mind. On one hand, it seems like such a bold-faced cash-grab. On the other, I know plenty of young anime fans who would absolutely lose their crap at breakfast getting a Deku waffle on their plate. That pretty much makes this a gift for people with kids who love anime rather than a gift for people who love anime themselves. That said, it's kind of a safe gift even then. After all, if you like waffles, you're going to eat them whether they have an anime kid's face imprinted on them or not.

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Pokémon Suit

In my humble opinion, this suit is a visual abomination—an unrelenting assault destined to make blood flow like tears from the eyes of any who see it. However, I also know that there are hardcore Pokémon fans out there who would love to wear this—both ironically and unironically. The suit includes pants, a jacket, and a tie all sporting the faces of the three original Pokémon Red/Blue starting Pokémon—Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle—as well as Pokémon Yellow starter (and face of the franchise) Pikachu. Just be warned, if you're going to gift someone this suit, you're likely going to have to endure seeing them wearing it—a fate that I personally wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

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Dominator 10th Anniversary Edition

I'm not going to lie: If I had true FU money, this is the first thing I would buy. This is the ultimate reproduction of the Dominator gun from Psycho-Pass. Not only does it glow and transform between firing modes on the fly, but by using an app on your phone, you can scan people's Psycho-Pass score with it as well. It also has over 100 Sibyl System voice lines recorded by the original voice actress, Noriko Hidaka (though in Japanese only) for that extra bit of authenticity. If you have the money for it and have a hardcore Psycho-Pass fan in your life (especially one who's into cosplay), then this is a gift that will blow all others out of the water.

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Uzmaki Square Shot Glass

Uzumaki is one of those manga that lives rent-free in my head—especially when it comes to this specific image. I have legitimate nightmares about it. I can't imagine the horror of doing shots, slowly but surely losing control of my mental faculties while this abomination stares at me. At some point, I'd probably just run out of the room screaming, slurring about how the spirals are going to get us all. So I guess this makes this shot glass the perfect gift for anyone who loves anime, getting drunk, and watching their friends freak out as they get wasted.

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Clue: Dragon Ball Z Edition

When I first saw this, I had one burning question: 'Is Yamcha the murder victim?' What followed was a fleeting daydream about the hilarity of figuring out who killed him. Was it Bulma with the Power Pole in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? Or perhaps Goku with a Kamehameha on Namek? Then maybe reaching for the evidence envelope with the iconic image of him curled up dead printed on it to reveal the truth. But sadly, the reality is not quite so tongue-in-cheek. Rather than figuring out the murderer, murder weapon, and crime scene location, Dragon Ball Z Clue is about figuring out which villain is about to find a Dragon Ball, who has the best chance of stopping them, and where the big battle will take place. While that's a bit of a letdown (to me, anyway), it's still mechanically the same as normal Clue—and there is a reason the board game has been a popular family classic for decades.

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Jolyne Figure Pen

Is she a figure? Is she a pen? Better question: does she have to be one or the other? Best question: why not both? It's two gifts in one! The idea of a figure pen is weirdly innovative, and feels like something that more anime should embrace (and to clarify: this isn't the only JoJo's Bizarre Adventure one, Jolyne just seems to be the one that, as of time of writing, is still the most widely available). Indeed, one can only dream of the convenient world where all anime figures are able to wield dual purposes like this. But until we can reach this utopia, this Jolyne figure pen puts the ‘fun’ in 'functionality.

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Anime Tamagotchi

Great news for the anime fans who want to be running in the 90s: Tamagotchis transcend any and all time-related barriers. They're back, they still make for good gifts, and they now come in anime-branding flavor. For those unfamiliar, Tamagotchis are digital pets stored in a tiny electronic orb that you periodically feed/play with/take care of by way of simple button presses. They were pretty popular in the '90s, and have been seeing a resurgence in the past few years. It's in the midst of this resurgence that we've seen Bandai turn various anime characters into Tamagotchis; for example, there are Tamagotchis for characters from series like Spy×Family, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more. And the use of these modern characters adds a fun twist to the otherwise nostalgic toy, which I can't help but speculate would help these appeal to a much broader age demographic, making these Tamagotchis—even in the year 2024—feel like a cute gift for anime fans both young and old.

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Demon Slayer Lava Lamp

There is something really hilarious about anime merchandise that doesn't feel like it's anime merchandise, both on the front of being a nonconventional item and the logo being the only telltale sign it's definitely a piece of anime merchandise. Is it a real piece of Demon Slayer merchandise, or did someone just put a sticker of the Demon Slayer logo on a normal lava lamp? That's for you/the anime fan in your life to know and for all those who get lost in this lava lamp's hypnotic bubbles to puzzle about (to be clear, though: yes, it is a real piece of merchandise). But honestly, regardless of whether you're a Demon Slayer fan or not, this lava lamp just plain looks cool. For that reason, I could see this being a good gift for a more casual anime fan who wants some merchandise but doesn't particularly want to loudly announce their love of anime to all those who enter their space.

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Poptater Hatsune Miku

For the figure collector who thinks they have it all, I humbly pitch: the Poptaters Miku. There are a lot of gorgeous Miku statues out there, but anyone can get a statue of Miku as a human. But Miku as a potato—now there's something fresh and bold that's sure to grab the attention of anyone who looks at your/the anime fan in your life's figure collection. More specifically, if you know about Potato Head toys, that's what this is. And if you're not sure, it's simple and it works like it does in Toy Story: it's a plastic potato with holes, and that's where you put her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc. Everyone loves Miku, and anime fans love having cool and unique statues to decorate their spaces—there's no downside here.

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Pokémon Holiday Cookie Cutters

What has the power to turn the day around if not a delicious Pikachu-shaped cookie? Or a Snorlax? Or Teddiursa? If I walked into literally any function—no matter how much I didn't want to be there—and someone offered me a peanut butter cookie in the shape of a Slurpuff, I might shed a tear of joy. Pokémon routinely releases plenty of merchandise, especially around the holidays, and this year is no different. That's where these cookie cutters (which include stamps; you can see them in the image) are from—this year's holiday merchandise. They're fun for Poké-fans of all ages, they're festive, they're not too pricey, and cookies are just the start—they have a lot of crafting potential!

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Calcifer Frying Pan and Spatula

Has anything ever propagandized how delicious anime food tends to look more than the Ghibli movie catalog, in general? And yet, even among those movies, the bacon and eggs from Howl's Moving Castle is still an iconic piece of culinary art—plenty of people's number one choice as the animated food they yearn for the most. And although I'm not quite sure how well this frying pan and spatula would work for bacon and eggs specifically, it still might help you and/or the anime fan in your life to feel like they're still experiencing some of that Ghibli food magic, watching Calcifer dance around in the pan (and then, depending on what you're cooking, appear on the food at the end).

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Ultimagear Millennium Puzzle

Just in time for the upcoming 25th anniversary of the main TV series, I have great news for anyone who has either watched or played Yu-Gi-Oh! and wished they could put together a millennium puzzle of their own: you can, in fact, do that by way of this model kit. I can't guarantee you it'll come with an ancient spirit hellbent on playing card games, but that's beside the point. All the same, this is a potential gift that can cover a wide range of demographics. In particular, people who play any version of the trading card game, people who like model kits, and anime fans in their 30s. This would make it ideal for a Yankee swap/dirty Santa/whatever else your region calls the game where everyone brings a gift, and people can steal them.

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18K Gold Godzilla Figure

We've been trying to keep these shopping guides focused on items you can readily buy in North America, but if you can afford this statue—which stands at 49.5mm (nearly 2 inches) tall and is made of 18K gold—I'm going to go on a limb and assume you can afford to go to Japan and pick it up yourself, let alone cover any import fees. Somehow, I just don't think that's going to be much of an issue in this equation. Anyways, we ran a story about this figure earlier this year, but suffice it to say, Japanese jewelry brand U-Treasure announced an extremely limited run (only seven) of these statues back in March, as well as another version made of silver (of which 70 were being made). As of the time of writing, the site still indicates that they're available, although it's impossible to say to what extent. Why buy a house, pay off debt, donate to charity, or whatever else, when you could buy what's sure to eventually become your ultimate family heirloom?

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Jujutsu Kaisen Stickyle Portable Scissors

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't bring anime with you into whatever it is you're doing—including mundane, everyday tasks. As proof of this, behold: Jujutsu Kaisen stickyle scissors. These scissors are small and portable, and come with a cap so you can run without fear. Is not the holiday season—the season where envelopes and gift wrapping abound—arguably the season where one tends to find oneself the most in need of a pair of scissors to keep on hand? These could be a gift that helps you/the anime fan in your life access additional gifts, and that's cutting edge.

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One Piece Straw Hat Ceramic Bowl

They say it all the time on cooking competition shows: people eat with their eyes first. Plating is important. And bearing that in mind, let's just be honest: if the option were available, would you and/or your intended recipient of this item rather eat food out of a bowl that's made to look like Luffy's iconic straw hat, or literally any other bowl? The answer is obvious: this hat is the worthiest of vessels for soups, salads, and popcorn of all kinds. Sanji would surely buy these in bulk if only he could.

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Chainsaw Man Figural Plush Hat

Look, I can't possibly imagine why you'd want to walk around with a head-and-face-covering fluffy recreation of Denji's transformed demon form from the critically acclaimed anime Chainsaw Man—but that doesn't mean someone won't find a reason to. I mean, it looks like it should be rather warm in the winter months, if nothing else. So if you have yourself a Chainsaw Man fan who loves wearing their fandom on their sleeve—and doesn't mind the inconvenience of having a stuffed saw blade sticking out of their forehead—this might just be a hit.

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Cubic Zirconia Sand Village Belly Ring 14 Gauge

This is one of those items that makes me wonder if there really is a market out there for it. After all, you'd need to not only have your belly button pierced, but you'd need to be a Naruto fan who likes the Sand Village side characters enough to sport their symbol as well. However, if you do know someone who fits into this very specific group, this could be a fantastic gift. It's a great example of stealth otaku fashion. To a non-anime fan, it looks just like a normal belly ring. However, to another fan, it's a clear signal showing that you love Naruto, too.

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Honkai: Star Rail Lordly Trashcan Mug Set

Do you have a friend or family member obsessed with free-to-play gatcha games? If so, there's a good chance they've put some time into Honkai: Star Rail. One of that game's more ‘unique’ enemies is the Lordly Trashcan—a walking, talking trashcan that quizzes a player before fighting them. With this mug, you can now drink out of your own Lordly Trashcan complete with its own trash can lid and scepter-shaped spoon. It's also available in a crossed-arm pose—and both poses are for sale in both silver and gold.

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Various Anime Crocs and Jibbitz

If something is so unfashionable that it becomes fashionable, then is it really still unfashionable? Doesn't matter because crocs are comfy, customizable, and now they come in various anime flavors. Already have a pair of crocs? No worries, there's tons of officially licensed anime jibbitz (aka croc charms) as well. Crocs is definitely one of the more unexpected brands to recently start embracing anime, but however it happened, we're here, and the results are shoes/shoe charms that are very fun and stylish. Besides: can you imagine a better convention shoe? …Okay, fine, walking shoes are probably smarter—well, not “probably.” They are smarter. But sometimes fashion is pain, and I own a pair of these (the Itachi crocs) and I wore them to a convention not too long ago, and I can't begin to quantify all the smiles and laughter they generated from congoers who saw them. Plus, I got non-stop compliments all weekend long. And sometimes that's what it's all about.

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Death Note TRIPP Pants

Have you ever seen a pair of pants that took your breath away? Or maybe in this case, it'd be flavorful to say, a pair of pants that gave you a heart attack? Behold: the Death Note TRIPP pants. What I would give to have been able to be in the room when someone proposed a pair of Death Note TRIPP pants that consisted of nothing but jpegs from the anime. It's brilliant, it's bespoke, it's perhaps the most anime pair of pants to have ever been envisioned—let alone sold.

These aggressively 2000s pants would've been worn by everyone at your local anime convention if these had only come out ~15 years ago. But time is an illusion and it's never too late to wear them anyways. Or to be more specific: it's not just these pants. There's a whole TRIPP x Death Note line which consists of multiple shirts and pants (as well as a few other items), although these pants in particular are certainly the shining star of the line. For bonus points: I keep calling them “pants” but there's a part toward the bottom, a bit below the knee, where you can unzip them and turn them into shorts. So they're not just fashionable, but functional as well. Is there nothing these pants can't do, aside from make it past a metal detector on the first try?

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