Anime News Network's Holiday 2017 Gift Guide

Tech & Gadgets

It's time for the final page in our gift guide, Tech & Gadgets! This category largely covers electronic games, toys and peripherals, the kind of thing that's perfect for stocking stuffers, a conversation piece that livens up any Christmas morning.

Fate/Grand Order Saber Altria Pendragon Excalibur Flash Drive

Everyone needs a USB drive from time to time – this one might not have that much storage space, but who cares when it's shaped just like Saber's Excalibur itself?

Retail Price: $18.98
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Wait – what's that? You're telling me you'd much rather have the real thing? Lucky for you, they make that too. WARNING: servant summon not included.

Retail Price: $279.98
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Kamoji-kun Speakers

Kamoji are commonly-used emoji in Japan – you've probably seen them referenced in dozens of anime and all over the internet. What you probably never considered, though, was that some day you'd be given the opportunity to listen to music and podcasts emanating from the top of one of them. These are good for simple amplification of cellphone audio – so they're perfect for strategic kitchen or bathroom positioning, places you might not keep a sound system otherwise.

Retail Price: $22.99
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Sound Gadget Series: Analog Synthesizer SX-150 MARK II

This is very cool – it's a pocket synthesizer, capable of making a pretty wide array of electronic sounds that you create by fiddling with the knobs and sliders on this thing. Sure, it actually functions as a musical instrument that you could conceivably create samples with for real electronic music, but it's probably much more fun to just annoy your family with your improvised compositions on Christmas morning.

Retail Price: $75.99
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Mr. Knocky

Remember Otamatone? The adorable little electronic musical instrument shaped like a living musical note? Well, the clever folks behind that toy came up with another one – this time it's a drummer you control with handheld triggers, like a puppet. Tap the triggers and your little drummer bot comes to life. Get two of them and have a duel!

Retail Price: $57.97
Retail Link: Amazon

EVA Lightning Cables

Okay, picture this: your self-aggrandizing, wildly abusive father is forcing you to climb into an enormous robot in order to trigger the end of the world so he can see your mother again, and your phone just ran out of battery.

Retail Price: $25.64
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Tape Music Manga Box

Thread the “music tape” through the slot on the box, then turn the crank. As the music plays, the tape slowly reveals a story that follows along with the tune. This is tiny, and adorable, and basically a perfect stocking stuffer for pretty much anyone with a softer side. Tokyo Otaku Mode has a wide variety of different tapes, each with a charming little story.

Retail Price: $5.99 (tape only – kits including a music box start at around $40)
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode

Kirby Puzzle Figure

Oh no, someone broke Kirby into a bunch of different pieces! What sort of monster would do that? We need someone to come in and clean this mess up – do you think you can handle that for us?

Retail Price: $15.89
Retail Link: Amazon

Mouse Cushion: Grey Kitten Nyaan

I don't know about you, but when I tire of resting my wrist on the protruding silicon butt of an anime character, I find this charming, happy kitty cushion to be maybe the best possible replacement.

Retail Price: $16.95
Retail Link: JList

White Pomeranian Mimicry Pet

This little electronic Pomeranian will record whatever you say and repeat it. The possibilities are endless.

Retail Price: $45
Retail Link: Japan Trend Shop

Pikachu Itazura Bank

You're already giving a substantial part of your yearly income to The Pokémon Company. Why not cut out the middle man, empty out your bank account, have it converted to change and feed it, piece by piece, directly to Pikachu himself?

Retail Price: $48
Retail Link: Japan Trend Shop

Studio Ghibli Spirited Away Papercraft Kit

They make a wide variety of these extremely cute little Studio Ghibli papercraft kits, but this one stood out . Not only is the price right, but you get to recreate one of the best moments from Spirited Away, on both sides of the train car – you can spin this thing around and create entirely new angles for a scene everyone remembers. This is truly charming.

Retail Price: $23
Retail Link: Amazon

Fake Money Shredder Piggy Bank

Step 1: Invite all your friends over for a party
Step 2: Set this out on the table and produce an enormous stack of 10000 yen bills
Step 3: Laugh maniacally while feeding each bill into the machine, each time declaring yourself liberated from capitalism
Step 4: Ignore all of your friends’ questions about all of this

Retail Price: $35
Retail Link: Japan Trend Shop

Metallic Nano Puzzle: MS-06 Zaku II

They make these metal Nano Puzzles for pretty much everything – national monuments, Disneyland attractions, famous people, animals, and just about anything else you can think of, so why not a Zaku here and there?

Retail Price: $17.53
Retail Link: Amazon

The Claw: Grabber Machine

Did you know they make tiny motorized claw machines that you can fill up with your own tiny capsule toys? They do. It's real. This is one. You know what you need to do.

Retail Price: $39.98
Retail Link: Amazon

EVA Shinkansen Stapler

Okay, picture this: your egomaniacal father forces you to crush the entry plug of your colleague and friend after it goes berserk, which is not only deeply traumatic, but it also requires that you fill out an enormous amount of HR paperwork.  Just as you're about to file the last two sheets of your report, you realize you forgot to staple them together.

Retail Price: Around $10
Retail Link: EVA Store Tokyo

White Cyberpunk Mask

Tokyo Otaku Mode has an entire line of these incredibly elaborate Cyberpunk accessories in stock, and frankly, they're pretty incredible. The price is high, but these look practically real – like props from an amazing movie you've never seen. Live out your dystopian fantasies or add the perfect accessory to your Shadowrun cosplay – either way you're going to look incredibly sharp doing it.

Retail Price:  $2418.99
Retail Link: Tokyo Otaku Mode