I got the Eva-01 sunshade and while there is a reflective silver back, the picture side - which is really the side you want to show off - is basically solid black. After leaving it out for one day it was extremely hot to the touch and felt a little "melty" when I folded it back up. I suspect if I left it out all the time it would be completely damaged - though I have heard that a black sunshade like this can help keep your windows from getting frosted in the winter, so I guess I can give that a try. Beyond that, it's also not particularly heavy duty, but it looks amazing for sure (when you aren't worrying about it melting).

As a lover of APFTTU it pains me to say that this is not as amazing as it could be. First, it comes with a TON of accessories...like, so many, which really makes this a worthwhile purchase on its own and a total 5 star. That having been said, the pieces feel a bit fragile compared to typical Good Smile. For example, the base arms barely stay in - if you even slightly bump the figurine and they fall out. Overall the various pieces and the main body just didn't feel as high quality in its construction as I'm used to or would have liked.

Ripple Junction has quality anime shirts (this is my second from them) - the material is thin but not cheap, and the design is not only aesthetically great (had a random person compliment me on how awesome it looked when they didn't even know the show) but also stands up in the wash. Definitely worth it as an anime shirt.

For what is basically a prize figurine, this thing is amazing. Yes, the paint job is a little flat, but it has a crazy amount of details on the sculpt. Would highly recommend it for any Sakura fan.

I was initially skeptical that this could work, but with so man 5 star reviews I thought I would give it a try for my daughter who can sometimes find it difficult to fall asleep much like myself. She loved it, and at 5 years old she felt it really did work (whether placebo or not, I'll take it). Definitely worth the money for it.

Most of the items included in this round of Lucky Bags appear to be items that have a very high TOM Point cash back percentage - mostly in the 25-50%+ range. So, when I got my two items, I decided to calculate out how much value I actually got. While accurate to the Bags description, my two items were at cash value listed as being more than $250, so in that sense I definitely saved money, but when I calculated in the cash back that the two items would have given me if I had just purchased them directly (and included the TOM Points I got from the Bag itself when comparing) I actually spent $15 MORE on this Bag than if I had bought the two figurines directly. In that sense, this item was defin...Read moreClose

I can't say too much stood out with these - the orange flavor does taste slightly more "natural" than your usual orange candy flavor and the consistency was a ever so slightly tougher than a typical gummy (I'd almost describe it as hardened jello rather than a gummy).

The texture is a lot like a mentos - slightly (read: barely) hard candy coating with a chewy interior. As for the flavor, I enjoyed it a lot as it was a fairly unique flavor that was both rich and sweet at the same time. Even though the flavor "yogurt" may not conjure up the most pleasant taste of all things considered, I would instead think of the best tasting yogurt you may have had - think the more sweetly, almost candy flavored varieties like Gogurt.

I always prefer my drinks cold so I chilled this in the fridge for 24 hours then tried a taste - it was definitely not my bottle of tea. The flavor is very rich, which usually means it has a slightly burnt flavor to it, or similar to what you would have if you left in the tea bag for longer than recommended. Although at first the flavor was very off-putting, I did find that it wasn't as bad the more I tried. Personally, I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone as I didn't find anything great about it.

I really wanted to like these as I've really enjoyed other matcha-flavored type cookie/crackers but these just had a really weird flavor them - they almost tingled in their aftertaste. It may just be that I don't like a strong matcha flavor as my preferences for tea do run more towards the mild end. The outside cookie is fairly plain, but good, and the inside is more like a smooth paste (you could actually smear it) rather than like the cream filling of an Oreo cookie.

These type of puffy candy sticks are a common fair in Japan, so even if not particularly unique it is still rather tasty. They are very airy and crunchy, have a dribbled milk chocolate coating, and are gone in about two bites.

These are almost identical to sweet tarts in terms of their texture - a hard candy with a slightly smooth outside coating. As for the taste, its very accurate to the fruit as it has a nice sweet taste but also a noticeably tart aftertaste. If you really like lemons these are definitely worth checking out, though the tartness might but some off as these are not your usually candy lemon flavor.

I can't really say I noticed much of a difference between these and original pocky. Although you can see the salt crystals bulge slightly under the chocolate coating, I can't really say it did much to enhance the flavor beyond the usual milk chocolate. Same goes for the cookie sticks - basically just the same as the original. For me nothing really stood out about them and so they are just "okay."

Personally I'm not much of a fan of coffee but, wow, I was surprised by these. I've always liked the smell of coffee but could never stand the taste, but these candies are the perfectly sweet encapsulation of what a coffee shop smells like. As others have noted, these are not chocolate candy coffee beans (like I thought at first they would be) but rather chocolate bites that have a fantastic coffee flavor. You will not be disappointed to pick these up.

These definitely do a good job of capturing the ramune flavor, and the texture is a lot like Smarties wafer candies - kind of granular or chalky as it dissolves but a hard candy initially.

The dark chocolate of these make them very savory - combine them with a cola and some salty chips and you have a delicious snack combo. Umaru would approve.

Although these indicate that they have a seaweed (nori) flavor to them in addition to the salt I can't say that flavor is too terribly distinct even though you can definitely tell these are not just plain potato chips. They aren't bad, but nothing hugely unique about them. However, the bag size is quite generous - definitely bigger than a typical snack-sized bag of potato chips in the U.S. so that helps increase their value.

Whenever purchasing a lucky bag you should always be mindful of what it is you may POTENTIALLY get - always think worst case scenario and evaluate whether you would still be satisfied with what you receive. Although its easy to see what other people get and how they "luck out" you should never assume you will receive the similar. This was billed as receiving $150 worth of Shonen figurines for only $100 - and that's basically what it was. I got three of the items pictured (Eren figma, Yu-gi-oh figma, and the Venom Snake nendo), which currently on TOM would be worth about $115 dollars (though retail would certainly put it over $150). I was happy to get the Eren figma (which is a...Read moreClose

The lowdown on these are that they are Pikachu-shaped, bite-sized sweet milk-flavored corn puffs. The flavor is, all things considered, a fairly common one that tastes more like cream than a glass of 2% milk, and so in that regard these are not particularly unique. As for the texture, they are your typical corn puffs, only Pikachu-shaped, and they are coated every so slightly with a milk frosting, which for me at least made them feel slightly soggy. As a snack, these are not really stand out, but the bonus really comes in the packaging:

The design of the box for how it opens on the side is made to look like a Pokeball, while the inside of the box has some kind of follow-the-lines ga...Read moreClose

As mints, these are quite impressive in that even though they are super small (no larger then a pen cap in diameter), they actually last a really long time and leave a very strong minty flavor. Other positives include: they are sugar-free, they include a LOT in each box (50 mints total), and the box is a small, hard plastic container that slides open just enough to only let one or two mints out at a time.

Having said all that, however, there isn't really much that makes these truly stand out. I've definitely had mints that are just as powerful and come in similarly constructed cases, so nothing about these are particularly unique, which is why I rate these as just "ok...Read moreClose

While the shape and texture of these reminded me of cheese puffs, the flavor of these were actually a robust apple - it almost tasted like they had been soaked in apple juice the flavor was so strong (not sure why its has the added designation of "pie," however). When it comes to the texture it should be noted that even though these are described as being "caramel corn" they are not all like traditional caramel corn, that is, having a slightly hard and sticky coating on the outside as instead they were just like usual corn puffs, only apple flavored. The bag size is quite generous, and its a fairly unique flavor/texture combination, so I would definitely say they are wort...Read moreClose

I wasn't sure what to expect with this being milk flavored but it was actually pretty good. It tasted more like sweetened milk rather than your usual 2%, which to me made this more appealing as a treat, but given the size I probably would want to take a break before finishing the whole thing. As for the texture, it is your pretty standard light and airy crispy bar with a very slight sprinkling of milk frosting. All in all it was pretty tasty even if this would not be my go-to treat.

One of my favorite parts of Japanese food is there obsession with sweet potatoes. When it comes to that flavor, these sweet potato bites are absolutely perfect - they have all of the mouth-watery goodness of a freshly baked sweet potato but without any of the work or wait. As for the texture, they are very much like a cookie as they softly crumble in your mouth with each bite. There isn't much else to say about them, but if you like sweet potato treats these are definitely worth checking out.

At first glance I thought these were going to be little pizza crackers but instead they are actually almond-flavored hard cookies. Each cookie is individually wrapped and they all come in a nice resealable display box. The flavor is pretty good but nothing that particularly stands out - they are sweet without being overly so, and the almond taste is subtle but distinguishable. As for the cookie itself, these are rather hard, and the crystallized almond center is a lot like a hard candy as well. If you have sensitive teeth these are definitely not the cookie for you.

In conclusion, these cookies are just "okay" - nothing really great about them, and so I probably won'...Read moreClose

Being direct - I didn't feel anything about these really stood out, so they were just "okay." Their texture is a biscuit cookie a lot like Pocky; however, instead of the there being a chocolate coating on the outside, the chocolate is on the inside. Additionally, these were described as being "bitter" or "dark" chocolate, but I felt that designation was only slightly correct. Although there was an ever-so-slight bitter taste to confirm them as being dark chocolate, I found that they mostly just tasted like regular milk chocolate to me. My personal recommendation on these are to skip them and just go for Pocky.

These snacks are a perfect illustration of why corn potage (or cream-of-corn) is such a staple Japanese flavor. The simple fact of the matter is it's addictive – the flavor is both savory and comforting, and that combination will urge you keep eating more and more of it. If you like the corn potage flavor, these will not disappoint. As for the texture, these are basically giant triangle Chex, though not quite as dry nor hard and crunchy. Instead, the melt in your mouth quality fits nicely with the creamy flavor of the corn potage. Do yourself a favor - if you are going to buy these, buy them in bulk as one bag is hardly enough to satisfy the desire it will inflame.

You wouldn't think a soft drink with "fish oil" listed as an ingredient would be tasty but surprisingly this is. Although its billed as "brain building" drink (hence the mascot) because of the DHA (which is a necessary nutrient for healthy brain function), I'm usually fairly skeptical of such claims. Regardless, the drink was very tasty. I always prefer my drinks cold, and in this case that really enhanced the citrus (lemon/lime?) flavor of this drink. Additionally, I didn't find this overly carbonated either - nice and smooth taste.

All in all this was a pleasant and refreshing drink that I would definitely have on a regular basis.

The title says it all - they are a delicious mochi-based tangerine gummy. Instead of gelatin as the usual base, these are instead made out of mochi, which gives them a very nice, soft chewy texture. While the outside is coated in sugar, there isn't really much flavor to these until you bite into them. Once you start chewing, though, you are rewarded with a delightful tangerine flavor with a nice tang to it. These are going to be hard to pass up, and very hard to share.

These things are pretty addicting. The interior texture of them is a lot like a waffle crisp - crunchy and airy, only a bit more substantial than what you would usually get as a candy filling (meaning not quite as airy, but still not as solid as a typical cookie would be). They are then topped with a thin layer of milk chocolate that is more splattered on that coated on but which nevertheless gives more of a chocolate candy bar feel to each bite-sized portion.

The booklet for the snack subscription box described these as being butterscotch flavored while the website says they are chocolate, but as I ate them I felt they tasted a bit more like caramel than anything else. Since butter...Read moreClose

Each of these chewy candies is individually wrapped in an aluminum foil that is decorated with various kawaii figures (there seem to be a lot of them - I didn't see any doubles on my 12 pieces) together with Japanese lettering (which sadly I cannot read). Just looking at the candies themselves, these look a lot like they are mango yogurt that was turned into candy as they are basically all-white with random bits of orange mango in them (and looking at the ingredients list confirms much of this).

As for the candies themselves, these are a lot like starbursts both in terms of their texture and flavor. For the texture this means they have a bit more chewing resistance than a gum...Read moreClose

When I ordered these I expected them to be a lot like the Fettuccine Gummy snack but they are actually quite different. Instead of being gummy strips, these are more like candied lemon peels, which means the expected taste and texture are much different. Instead of tasting purely sweet like a lemon flavored candy, these are much more like actual lemons - tart but with a hint of sweetness. With the sugar crystals liberally sprinkled on top of a dehydrated lemon peel you have a taste that makes both the sweet and the sour more sharp than a fresh lemon would be. As for the texture, these tilt towards being chewy but as they are the rinds there is a little more hardness to them - not like a hard...Read moreClose

The exterior is a light wafer shell with a fish print on both sides (though the obverse is upside down relative to whichever side you are looking at so it’s not like how a real fish would be). The interior is a milk chocolate filling full of little air pockets that give it a nice airy texture while also helping to make the chocolate a little less rich and thick than if it would have been if it were a paste or cream. The end result is a very light, ever-so-slightly-sweet chocolate cookie that reminds me of the really cheap wafer cookies from Keebler that I used to have growing up, which made the whole experience of eating these very nostalgic. Ultimately these are definitely the kind o...Read moreClose

Although I cannot read Japanese it seems as though these cookies are part of a company promotion to benefit the Australian Koala Foundation (savethekoala.com as per the side of the box), and hence the design. Each cookie has an image of a koala in different kinds of poses or activities such as knitting, wearing a kimono, eating ramen, etc., and there seemed to be a lot of them as I did not get any duplicate designs. The box itself also seems to have been built to open in a particular fashion – there was a tiny cardboard cutout of a koala and, looking at the pictures on the sides, it seems it was supposed to open sort of like a can of soda, though I ended up destroying mine in the proce...Read moreClose

My preference for chocolate leads me more towards milk chocolate with peanuts, so at first I was excited to see that the coating had peanuts in it. However, once I tried a bite, I struggled to find a peanut flavor anywhere. Instead, the crispy popcorn-flavored center was the overwhelming taste for this bar. That having been said, I did find the crisp flavor to be rather unique even if it was very similar to other rice crisp-type chocolate bars. For those that like rice crisps in their chocolate, this chocolate bar would be a "must have" as the inside had a nice airy texture to it and really made it the focus of the flavor as the chocolate instead became the after note.

Ove...Read moreClose

I typically like my drinks chilled so I popped this in the refrigerator before trying it out. Given other people's comments about this being fairly plain, I was expecting a very smooth and subtle green tea flavor (read: barely flavored water). Instead I got a pretty potent taste - true to its description of being "rich," I found there to be a strong burnt-barley undertone to the taste, sort of like when you leave a tea bag in for too long, which for me at least made it unpleasant. Now I could certainly see some people liking this taste so I don't mean to claim it was truly horrendous, but it was definitely not my cup of tea (pun intended).

If you like strong, alm...Read moreClose

These tomato gummies are exactly what I look for when trying out new Japanese snacks – bold and unexpected flavor choices done to perfection. Although many people forget that tomatoes are technically fruits, these tomato fruit gummies do a great job of bringing out the unique flavor of tomato in a sweetened form. Although all things consider I found the flavor on these are fairly subdued – think eating a slice of vine ripened tomato rather than ketchup or tomato sauce – I did find that the sugary coating on them gave a pleasant depth to the flavor. All in all, the best that tomatoes have to offer is showcased in these candy delights.

As for the texture, those that ...Read moreClose

Xylish Crystal Mint Gum is a chiclet (hard exterior) gum similar in many ways to Dentyne Ice. The flavor is described as “crystal mint,” but by my reckoning it is closer to spearmint, although it did taste slightly different probably due to differences in the ingredients that are usually used in American gum. The one thing I really liked about this gum was that the flavor lasted a really long time – typically over several hours of chewing, and even long after then it still tasted fine for chewing. The only thing that was slightly off-putting was the packaging as the interior box slides out with the gum loosely stacked inside, which if you opened it quickly c...Read moreClose

As a hard candy the exterior flavor is very subtle, but the real experience of these candies is when you bite into it. The inside is a slightly powdery substance that produces a huge burst of extremely tart lemon flavor – arguably one of the strongest sour lemon flavor I’ve ever tasted in a candy. However, the gum’s flavor very rapidly decreases with the strongest flavor dissipating after just a few seconds while the gum completely loses all flavor after about 15 minutes. At that point this is pretty much just an unexceptional, flavorless piece of chewy bubblegum (although I found the size kind of small for blowing bubbles, so it didn’t even have that going for it)...Read moreClose

I did not care for these. The flavor was basically the same as plain potato chips, although slightly more like a French Fry than a potato chip, and they were particularly greasy to eat (the interior of the bag glistens with grease). The texture was much the same as eating a French Fry except sliced thin and cooked to be crispy instead of chewy. I would liken the experience of eating these to eating the scraps of potato left over in a grease catch. So, if you are obsessed with plain potato chips you might find these appealing, but otherwise there is nothing unique, special, or worthwhile about them.

I give this item two stars instead of one as I at least did not find the flavor repul...Read moreClose

This keychain was the bonus mystery item for the November 2016 Dekabox (which I got as a part of the Megabox subscription) and I liked it so much I immediately put it on my otherwise spartan keychain. The size of the coin is a good amount bigger than a real 5 yen coin, which is a bit under 1 inch in diameter while this keychain is listed as 1.3 inches across, and the coin part has a decent weight to it as well - comparable to a larger key. Additionally, the coin part of the item is very well constructed being made of diecast alloy (you won't be breaking this thing), although the chain part is made of a slightly weaker material (but it still seems very durable, I only wish it might have ...Read moreClose

In many ways these gummies are just like eating dried or dehydrated pineapple as the uneven coloring on these make it clear that this is real pineapple chunks and not some reconstituted material. That having been said, these are also a lot smoother than real pineapple as whatever processing they went through make them a lot more like gummies rather than like real fruit in terms of the chewing texture and flavor. What I liked best is that they really took out the tartness and some of the grainy texture typical of pineapple while still keeping true to the pineapple flavor - nice and mellow.

Overall these were quite the tasty and for such a small bag there were a decent number of them ...Read moreClose

This tiny (:sadface:) bag of deliciously baked cheese crackers was quite the treat. I deeply enjoyed the texture - an airy crisp exterior with an ever so slightly chewy center. My only disappointment was that I did not find these spicy at all, and even as I ate several back to back I never felt even the slightest tinge of spiciness. Perhaps my bag was a weak batch - I do often find that the spiciness of snacks can vary in the same product over time - but these simply had no heat to them. Nevertheless, the spices that they did put in made these little crackers quite delectable.

Overall, I like these a lot, even if they weren't spicy. I wish the bag was bigger, but if they ever g...Read moreClose

These potato rings are a bit thicker than traditional potato chips and as rings they have a bit harder of a bite to them (by that I mean if you have very sensitive teeth you might find these chips uncomfortable to bite through but otherwise they are similar to Fritos). The texture is otherwise fairly plain, but a nice feature is that they are not particularly greasy to hold in your hand.

As for the taste, there isn't really much to them at first as they have about as much flavor as a white potato, but there is a distinctive aftertaste of butter that to me tastes fairly artificial and so is less than savory. The one advantage to these, however, is that the bag size is fairly g...Read moreClose