ThinkGeek is jumping on the subscription box train with the ThinkGeek Capsule, a box chock full of nerdy goods from one of the top companies for nerd swag. It’s seems like a no brainer for anyone that likes collectibles, but there’s also the chance that ThinkGeek just stuffs their clearance items in a box to get rid of it all once and for all. How does the Capsule stack up?

Before getting into the items in the box, let’s talk about how the Capsule works. Each Capsule is $24.99, with $5 shipping, so it rounds out to right under $30. The Capsule isn’t quite a monthly box–you can order a Capsule until it sells out (even after all the items are revealed). Also, ThinkGeek doesn’t do an automatic subscription like most subscription box sites do, so you don’t have to worry about cancelling.

The box I’m reviewing today is simply the Capsule #3, which was billed to include an item from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. There was originally a delay in getting the box due to ThinkGeek having to wait on one of the items. ThinkGeek was really good at communicating the delay, though.

Now, let’s get into the items themselves:

Justice League Funko Pop!

Funko Pops are quite the popular figurine line, so it’s a no-brainer that ThinkGeek would have one in the Capsule! This Capsule featured the Justice League Pops for the upcoming movie, and you had a chance of getting one of the six. I ended up getting The Flash, which is cool, he’s one of the Justice League members I like more! The other figures are Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, and Cyborg.

Fantastic Beasts Journal

The Fantastic Beasts item for this Capsule is a nice journal! I’m always one for more journals and stationary, and I really like how this cover looks. There were two different covers to get–the one I got is the Obliviate cover, which is in reference to the magic spell that makes people forget things. Fitting for a journal to write stuff down in so you don’t forget!

Collectible Pinz: Cats in Cosplay

These are adorable. A Capsule exclusive, you get… well, a cat in cosplay! There’s a trick, though–the pins are randomly chosen, and you have a chance to get a rare pin. I got one of the more common pins (1 in 5 chance), but there were pins that had a 3 in 100 chance and a super rare pin that doesn’t even have a percentage chance. Regardless, though, the pin is super cute, and has some weight to it.

Retro Travel Tag

This may not be for everyone, but it’s perfect for me! It’s a simple travel tag to stick on some luggage in case it gets lost. I love that it’s in the shape of a floppy disk… of course, I also have a floppy disk pillow so maybe I’m a bit biased. I needed a travel tag too for my suitcase, so now I have one less thing I have to buy. The tag is a nice size and the ‘string’ is made out of plastic, so it’s unlikely to fall off easily.

ThinkGeek Promo Credit

ThinkGeek doesn’t want you to not shop at their online store, after all. This card has a code for promotional credit to use at ThinkGeek, and the value can be anywhere from $5 to $100. My code was only $5, as I’m not exactly the luckiest person around, but free money is free money!

Tardis T-Shirt

The Capsule has a shirt that comes with every box, and this month is a Doctor Who themed shirt. I really like the box that it came in, it’s a nice touch. I’m not the biggest Doctor Who fan, but I do like the design on the shirt.

Overall, I really like what the Capsule provides. It’s a pretty good deal for $30, and while some might complain that the Capsule only covers more ‘popular’ series and whatnot, it’s the best way to please most people that would like to buy a subscription box like this in the first place. It’s well worth it for any swag seeking nerd.

Order the third ThinkGeek Capsule here!

ThinkGeek Capsule Subscription Box Review

There are subscription boxes for practically everything you want these days.  It can be fun to get a bunch of new stuff every month, but considering the nature of these boxes you may not be happy with your results.  Of course, that’s mitigated with the fact that most boxes are themed… so if you don’t like Legos for example, investing in a Lego subscription box isn’t going to be the best of ideas.

The Doki Doki Crate is a monthly box with a simple, but vague concept–cute things, shipped straight from Japan.  But what exactly does the cuteness entail, and is it worth it?

Before we get into the contents of the box I’ve received, let’s do a quick overview of how the process works.  Doki Doki is $30 a month (less if you buy multiple boxes at once), and you’ll get shipped five to seven items straight from Japan to your door, including one ‘wearable’ item each month.

This is important to remember, as since the box is actually shipped from Japan there’s some things to keep in mind with all of JapanCrate’s boxes.  First, it’ll take a while to get to you:  After I got the shipping email, the box took a little over a month to get to me, as it was stopped and opened by customs.  Second, you will not have a shipping number or any way to track the package due to the international shipping.  If something goes wrong with your box, you’ll have to contact JapanCrate after six weeks to see what’s up.

Poor box, ravaged and heartlessly re-taped by US Customs

Are these marks against the Doki Doki box?  No, not really, considering there’s nothing the company can really do to help the process without it costing an arm and leg in shipping.  I did eventually become worried for my package as I needed to review the box, but to a normal subscriber the wait shouldn’t be an issue.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff.  The theme for May’s Doki Doki box is Kawaii Kritters, and here’s what’s inside:

Antler Beret

This beret is the Doki Doki wearable this month, and it’s… interesting.  It’s definitely not my style, but then again I probably wouldn’t wear a normal beret out in public, let alone a bright pink one with little antlers on it.  Since I got the box a little later I was able to see others with the hat on and it seemed more fitting for them, but alas it’s all up to personal taste.  For me, this is a dud, but for plenty of others it’s a super cute accessory to wear.

Aggressive Retsuko Sticker Sheet

These little stickers, on the other hand, I adore.  Apparently Aggressive Retsuko is the newest Sanrio (aka Hello Kitty creator) character–a driven female office worker that has a bunch of annoying co-workers to deal with.  It’s so cute!  And accurate!  Since I keep a daily planner/journal the stickers come in handy as decorations, but so some people the stickers might be a bit too small to adorn some larger items.

Doraemon Shampoo/Soap Bottle

First, let’s get this out of the way… this bottle is huge.  So huge that I couldn’t get it in my shower caddy or sit on any of the lips of my bathtub properly.  This can of course be a good thing if you like having big, cute bottles of shampoo or soap around, but it makes it unusable in my case.  Otherwise, I like it–it’s a giant cat (I… think…) after all!  It’ll make a good gift to someone with a bit more shower space, for sure.

Cat Change Purse

I think that this change purse looks super cute… but ultimately I’m not sure how useful it is for most people that are going to get this box.  Change purses make a lot more sense in Japan than here in America, as larger currency dominations are coins in Japan rather than the mostly paper currency of the U.S.A.. Also, since the change purse is mostly white, it’ll show dirt and the like really easily, making it a bit hard to justify as an accessory or to put on your keychain.  It is definitely a ‘kawaii kritter’, but this poor kitty isn’t going to see the time of day.

Eclair Petit Lapin Plush

Anyone that knows me knows that I love plushies, and this little éclair bunny is way too cute!  Then again, I also proudly have a bean dog on my desk in my office, so I just might be weird and like the combination of animals and food.  It’s a bit smaller than the average plushie (the size of an actual small éclair), but it’s still quite adorable and easy to place nearly anywhere.

Children’s Day Hoppe-chan

Hoppe-chan is a recurring item that started recently with the Doki Doki box and is supposed to be featured for any other boxes in the near future.  Hoppe-chan is a very popular character amongst little girls (and older folks as well!) in Japan, but it’s hard to import the little slime-looking drop, so having them featured in the Doki Doki box is a great way for foreigners that like the character to get the collectibles.  This month’s Hoppe-chan is one created for Children’s Day, a Japanese holiday that celebrates… well, children.  It’s meant to be a cell phone charm, but considering most popular Western phones don’t have a place to loop the strap, it’s a bit more of a decorative piece.  It looks good next to my suspiciously similar looking Dragon Quest slime keychain.

While I did find the majority of the Doki Doki box items cute, I find myself having trouble fully recommending this as a subscription box.  There’s a wide variety of items that came in the box, but because of that I got a few ‘dud’ items that I’m not sure what to do with.  Also I’m unable to really tell the true value of the items and if the box is worth the asking price… considering the shipping method and how difficult it would be to import the items separately, it’s understandable, but I’m left with a feeling that I didn’t quite get my money’s worth out of this box.

But, if you like what you see, and you enjoy getting random, neat, cute things from Japan, this box is worth a shot!  Otherwise, you might want to look into Japan Crate’s other offerings instead.

Doki Doki Box Review

Are you a fan of the Japanese culture?  Whether you enjoy their food, their entertainment, or anything else from the Land of the Rising Sun, you can be assured that anything from Japan is a unique treat.  But, importing stuff from Japan can be a bit pricey, and it’s not exactly possible for everyone to hop on a plane and head over to the Asian country.  Thankfully, for those looking for a slice of Japan at home without breaking the bank, the wide world of subscription boxes has you covered.  Here are five Japanese-themed subscription boxes you can look forward to ordering!

JapanCrate

If you’re looking for one of the most popular Japanese subscription boxes, look no further than the JapanCrate.  JapanCrate is a snack box, and the selection of foods come straight from Japan, if you couldn’t guess by the name.  There are also a variety of box sizes available, so that buyers can try out a box even on the cheap.

Doki Doki Box

Doki Doki Box is by the same people that made the JapanCrate.  Instead of snacks, though, the Doki Doki Box is a collectibles box, shipping five to seven items a month to your doorstep.  The items range from tiny statuettes to stationary and everything in between, and the Doki Doki Box guarantees at least one wearable item, and one plushie per month.  If you like cute things, this is the box for you.

LootAnime

If you’re an anime fan, you know the best anime swag comes from Japan, but that also makes it a bit hard to get a hold of.  Thankfully, LootAnime has you covered with monthly boxes of anime-themed goodies.  Made by the same people that bring you the geeky LootCrate every month, you’ll know that you’ll be getting some fun, high-quality good.

Kawaii Box

The Kawaii Box is much like the Doki Doki box, with a focus on cute Japanese gear to adorn your house with.  However, the Kawaii Box tends to have more items (ten to twelve) at a cheaper price.  There are no items guarantees, though, and the items skew a bit more towards the stationary related (washi tape, stickers, and writing utensils), so deciding which cute swag box to get will depend on your preferences.

Skoshbox

Skoshbox is very similar to the Japan Crate.  It’s a subscription box service that offers to send you a slew of Japanese snacks to your door, and they offer a variety of box sizes to help you customize you snacking fix.  The larger box options also include an exclusive non-edible item, which is a nice touch.  And if you want, you can order both the JapanCrate and the Skoshbox to get an overload of tasty Japanese treats every month!

Are there any Japanese item subscription boxes you’d like to see?  Let us know in the comments!

5 Japanese-themed Subscription Boxes: Perfect For Otakus

There are a fair amount of pet related subscription boxes out there on the market.  These boxes tend to focus on treats and toys for your cat or dog, and it’s a nice monthly surprise for your pet.  But what about you, the pet owner?  As the person that cares and provides for their pets, don’t you deserve a reward for your undying love of your furry friends?

That’s where the Cat Lady Box comes in.  The Cat Lady Box provides a sampling of items for the cat lover, and sometimes even some toys for your feline friend, depending on what version of the box you buy.  But, is the cat themed swag worth the price of entry?

He knows there’s something in there for him…

Before getting into the items, let’s talk a little about the Cat Lady Box itself.  There are two versions of this box to choose from:  The Cat Lady Box, which costs $35 a month and gets you the two or three cat themed items of the month; and the Crazy Cat Lady box, which at $40 a month also nabs you two cat toys on top of the themed items.  The full Crazy Cat Lady box was purchased for this review.

Now, the box is billed monthly automatically, and money will be taken out of your account on the 6th of every month.  This leads to my largest gripe with the Cat Lady Box… the box of the month doesn’t ship until either the very end of the previous month, or the beginning of the month, and oftentimes you don’t get your box before you’re charged for the next one.  It’s frustrating on a timing level, because if you want to wait to see what kind of items you get from a box before deciding to continue the subscription, you might end up getting charged when you don’t want to be.  On the flip side, though, it’s immensely easy to cancel and reinstate a subscription, so the problem can be avoided with some attention to billing dates.

The theme for February 2017 is Meowlentine’s Day, the perfect holiday to celebrate with your feline friends.  The total retail value of the box (according to the information card, as these are all exclusive items) comes out to around $80, which is double the price I paid for the box.  A pretty good deal!  Let’s look at the items:

Links of Kitty Love Necklace

What a cute little piece of jewelry!  I’m always worried with pet related stuff that it might be too gaudy, but these little cat-shaped links are adorable!  It’s perfect for showing your love of cats without being too… blunt about it.  I didn’t take it out of the package, as I’m thinking of giving to someone else as a nice gift.  It even comes in a easy to wrap box!

Kitty Cat Backup Charger

Honestly, I think this looks a bit more like an owl than a cat, but I’m really not complaining.  I’ve needed a power brick for when the power randomly gives out, so it does the job nicely for me, and it’s neat looking to boot!  The information card says it’ll “charge an iPhone almost two full charges”, so while it’s not the most heavy duty backup charger you could get on the market, it’s perfect for an emergency charge or just if you’re out all day.  This item also makes a great gift if you already have a power brick lying around.

Teddy Bear Rug

Dinosaur added for size comparison because the cats didn’t feel like modeling.

This is essentially a cat bed that’s shaped like a bear skin rug.  How adorable and perfect for the romantic holiday!  It’s pretty much normal sized for a cat bed, and one cat can sleep on it comfortably.  Or, I assume they could, as my cats didn’t want to sleep on the bed.  They’d rather sleep in the box the bed and other items came on… like any self respecting cat would.  But, it’s quite soft, and it does look pretty neat sitting around.

Choco-Nip Strawberry with Catnip

Okay, there’s no actual chocolate in this, that would be silly, it’s a catnip toy shaped like a chocolate covered strawberry.  That’s another nice Valentine’s Day themed item, and this is one of the two cat toys that came in the Crazy Cat lady box.  Fun fact, I had to take this picture really fast because….

…then my cat Sissel stole it right from the dresser top and proceeded to play with it non stop for at least an hour.  Needless to say this toy is a hit with the cats; the small size makes it easy for them to play fetch with, and there’s catnip inside, so obviously they love it.

Purrfect Play Love Dice

Here’s the second cat toy for the Crazy Cat Lady Box.  It’s a playful rendition of love dice, with more cats oriented things to do should you “roll” one up.  But really, it’s just more of a catnip toy.

I got Reila to play with it a bit while she pouted over not being the first one to grab the strawberry, but the former toy was still the clear winner amongst the cats–the dice is simply too big for their tastes, although it’s a fine toy in and of itself.  My cats just weren’t interested in it for long.

I’m personally very pleased with the Cat Lady Box!  There’s a nice spread of cute and unique cat themed items, and definitely a bunch of things you normally wouldn’t see in a typical pet store.  I also like how closely most of the items stuck to the theme of the month… the backup charger might be an odd fit for a Valentine’s Day box, but the other four items invoked the spirit of the holiday well.  The early billing date for the box is a bit of a downer, but considering the quality and value of the first box I got, I can’t be too upset about getting another one.

If you’re a cat owner, or have a cat lover in your life, this box is well worth it.

Order the Cat Lady Box here!

Is it Purrfect? Our ‘Cat Lady Box’ Subscription Review

Opening up a way to subscribe to Amazon Prime on a month-to-month basis, Amazon has launched a subscription plan option that charges customer $10.99 per month for all the benefits of Prime. Of course, this is significantly more than the yearly fee of $99 (which breaks down to $8.25 a month). If someone subscribed to Prime at the $10.99 price for an entire year, that would total up to $131.88.

In addition to the new monthly plan, Amazon is also offering a plan that will provide access to Amazon Instant Video for $8.99 per month. Very similar to Netflix in price, Amazon wants people to subscribe for original programming as well as the licenced content being streaming by the online retailer. Alternatively, Netflix charges $9.99 per month while Hulu charges $7.99 per month for access.

Of course, Amazon doesn’t have an original content library that’s as extensive as Netflix. While Netflix offers mulitple hit shows like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Marvel’s Daredevil, Amazon’s library is smaller with hits like Transparent.

However, Amazon does currently have rights to stream older HBO shows like The Wire and The Sopranos as well as BBC content like Downton Abbey and Orphan Black. Interestingly, Amazon is planning to offer 4K content at the same $8.99 price point. On the flip side, Netflix charges consumers $11.99 per month for access to 4K Ultra HD video streams.

If you are curious if Amazon Prime is worth the yearly fee, check out our breakdown of the service here.

Amazon to offer Prime for $11 each month, just video for $9