Cute retro style soft "purin" badges

Retro Cafe Plush Badge

Brand: Bandai

Price: 400 yen

Place of purchase: Gashacoco

Rating:

This mini badge series is especially charming because it transforms classic jun‑kissa menu items into six soft, squeezable plush badges that you can pin onto your bag, pouch, or jacket. Each design captures a different piece of retro café culture: cream soda, omelet rice, pudding, shortcake, egg sandwich, and a cozy cup of coffee. I like the soft polyester fabric, fluffy stuffing and rounded shapes - it gives them a gentle, comforting feel. 400 yen is not a bad price all things considered, especially relative to other capsules at the same price.

I would have loved to have given this capsule toy five stars, but I deducted a star because it is a pin type badge that doesn't seem to be very secure - I would have preferred something sturdier like a chain. The biggest downside, like with all gashapon / gachapon / capsule toys - you can’t choose which badge you’ll get. Because they’re sold in blind packaging, you’re completely at the mercy of chance, which can be frustrating if you’re hoping for a specific design like the cream soda or the pudding. Even after multiple purchases, there’s no guarantee you won’t end up with duplicates, and that makes completing the full set more difficult than it should be. For some that adds to the fun, for others I imagine it might be stressful. Personally, I like the small thrill of capsule toys!