Blind box figurines are the perfect addition to your space, says I, a very biased source.
“There really isn’t any other products out there like the concept of blind boxes,” toy influencer KiraKabuki says. “It’s something like you can hold and something that you can bring around you. It’s something that you can display in your office, in your home — it’s the perfect size.”
Although blind boxes are nowhere near as popular in the US as they are in East and Southeast Asia, the current boom of Smiskis and Sonny Angels reveals a growing interest in these pleasant surprises. For many Generation-Z maximalists (i.e. me), their personal spaces have become chaotic ecosystems of countless trinkets, especially blind box figurines. These designer toys range from impulsively bought Sonny Angels and Lucky Emmas from TESO LIFE to meticulously pondered purchases from a PopMart store. Some grocery stores, like 168 Market and 99 Ranch, have even dipped their toes into this endeavor, going back to old roots — gashapon machines.
For those unaware, gashapon machines are similar to vending machines, except they dispense capsules filled with a toy or a keychain that often features licensed Japanese anime, manga, or video game franchises. In fact, for many new collectors, the marketing, the association with a familiar IP, initially draws them into the hobby. Kira’s own collection is quite broad, but her favorites also come from beloved shows and media. As a big fan of anime, she particularly enjoyed Sanrio’s collaborations with “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
“I saw the Tokidoki Hello Kitty blind box at Hot Topic and I was like, ‘oh my gosh, these are so cute,’” she recalls. “I’d never opened blind boxes myself before, so I just recorded a video of it, and the rest was history.”
That video was filmed spring 2023 and kickstarted her journey to become a bonafide blind-box-opening connoisseur. Most of her videos are tantalizing sensory experiences, opening full sets of blind boxes. The tab is ripped off, plastic wrap crinkling lightly between her fingertips, and then she zooms in on the details of each figure, her calming voice appreciating its texture, style, and whatever catches her eye. Her opinions have deeply resonated with the toy community, as shown by her well over a million followers on TikTok.
Kabuki has worked with a wide range of companies such as smaller growing brands like 52Toys, which just opened its first U.S. location in 2024, and Bandai Namco, the second-largest toy company in the world by revenue. Even though Kira must keep two fingers on the pulse of the toy industry for the sake of her channel, she enjoys learning the ins and outs of these marketing strategies, especially considering the direct role she plays in sharing and popularizing these sets. But, above all, she loves the positive, emotional impact blind boxes have had on her and her fans.
“A big part of the blind box culture is how it taps into the emotions of everyone,” she says. “It’s an experience of a plethora of emotions. You have the joy of unboxing something, the
anticipation of seeing what you’re going to get, and maybe you’re happy with what you get or a little disappointed. But it keeps tying in that hope that you get the next one you’re looking for, which continues the journey.”
Aleya Samaniego, better known as toy creator pacothesalamander, also resonated with the toys’ emotional influence but also called the opening process something a bit more controversial: gambling. As a former Pokemon card pack opener, she finds the risk to be exciting and addicting. There’s typically about a one in 10 or 12 chance you’ll get the exact figure you want. Unless it’s a chaser. Most blind boxes have special versions of the product, and although you still have a chance of pulling it, the chances are very low. However, for some, the investment may be worth it, depending on what the collector wants.
“I’m guilty of keeping a Sonny Angel or a Smiski just because it’s desirable, not because it actually makes me happy,” Samaniego admits. “I’ll be like ‘Do I actually like this cat Sonny Angel or is it just because it’s worth like $200?’”
For Samaniego, and many collectors alike, the value of these toys is not solely derived from admiring their craftsmanship or displaying them around the house, or how much people were selling them for on eBay. It comes in the form of her lifetime friends. Her collecting journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Shinada global otters. However, as her interests expanded, they also became a way for her to feel less lonely and connect with others. Eventually, she hosted a Sonny Angel SWAP meet on her home turf of Northern California.
“It was really good to just come together and talk because we understand each other,” she says of her fellow collectors. “You can never recreate that feeling of opening a blind box with all the girls — with all the people who get it.”
Locally, there’s a similar event, known as Soul Real Market. The Fullerton-founded outdoor flea market started as a means to purchase homemade goods, curated clothes, and small artists’ works. On occasion, the organizers host themed markets, such as brat summers and Smiski Saturdays.
Although the day I visited wasn’t one of those days, it was clear that many of their booths had picked up the blind box bug, selling everything from handbags and shirts to buttons and keychains that touted Sonny Angels or Smiskis.
At one booth, Alice Sandoval was selling her curated brand of upcycled clothing, which included socks and tops with the Sonny Angel branding. However, her favorite character is Robby, the rabbit-like chaser in the series. She developed her interest very similarly to Kira, by reaching for the Sanrio brand. However, her interest in blind boxes isn’t limited to the figurines themselves.
“I love trinkets. I just love little things,” she said. “At these types of flea markets, there are those blind boxes of jewelry or little stuffy keychains that will be sold, and I just love the opportunity of finding what a local brand has for me.”
She thinks these figures have only become more popular because kawaii culture has had a growing influence, as best shown through the returning, rising popularity of Sanrio. But that may be biased in terms of personal preference; fellow seller Helene Vo personally does not see much connection to any specific aesthetic, especially for her favorite figurines, Smiskis.
Vo, also a self-declared trinket lover, the artist said her interests influenced the products she produced. She had a Smiski holding the “brat” album, and another was riding a green dolphin, singing the chorus of Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson’s “Symphony.”
“They’re pretty deadpan, like cats,” Vo said. “You know they just have a straight face and glow-in-the-dark. It’s pretty cute.”
The brain’s reward system is a strange, complicated mesh of nerves, especially considering how many people are able to share joy, especially if it’s derived from something as silly as a bald, featureless glow-in-the-dark form or a strange, small baby with smaller, stranger wings is as poignant as it is absurd. Having something so simple be a pickup at the end of a hard day’s of work is no different from how other people decide to relax.
Some people have a glass of wine, others smoke a joint, but many others, adore the rush of pulling a new tchotchke.
“The hobby has brought so much joy and happiness to me that I just want people to feel good after a long day,” Kabuki says. “If I can do that, I’m happy and my job is done.”
