With Black Friday here and Thanksgiving officially behind us, it’s time to dive into the holiday season with a splash! What better way to get in the spirit than with super adorable Christmas plush from Pusheen and Sanrio? We’ve also got plenty of new and trending anime and video game merch that we can break down to help you find the perfect gift. We’ll be getting into all of it live, Friday, November 25 at 8 PM EST in the Kawaii Gifts app, so don’t miss it! Plus, you’ll get 20% off any order of $50 or more until the end of November, so it’s the perfect time to join us!

Personally, I’m not one to wait around when it comes to getting in the holiday spirit. To me, anything post-Halloween is fair game for lights, decorations, themed desserts, music and most importantly, holiday shopping for friends and family. Sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect gift to hit the mark, but other times, it’s a no-brainer. Some gifts that I think never miss would be anything holiday themed, especially of a favorite character or franchise. Themed gifts are fun, have a special, almost limited edition, feel to them, and you know they can be used at least once a year. Plus, they’re great for building memories to carry into future holidays, perhaps becoming part of a new tradition.

My favorite holiday collection is of course the Pusheen Christmas plush. There are a variety of poses and props Pusheen has to help you get in the holiday spirit with her. New this year is the hot cocoa plush, with an extra dollop of whipped cream on top! Yum! Don’t you just want to warm up with a mug yourself? (Good thing we have the Pusheen Christmas mug!) Santa Claus may not be here for a few more weeks yet, but in the meantime, Santa Paws can make her arrival with a bag full of (probably cat) toys and treats! Who can go through winter without a classic peppermint candy cane? Not Pusheen! My personal favorite plush, though, is the most relatable to any cat owner…the Pusheen light up Christmas plush. Pusheen isn’t exactly in the mood for helping put up the Christmas lights. But, never fear! Even as she gnaws away at them, they still light up! Finally, one of the best parts of Christmas is the countdown! Anticipate and celebrate with Pusheen using the 12 Day Advent Calendar! Each day features a surprise seasonal plush!

Nothing makes the holidays more kawaii than Sanrio! We have the perfect plush to celebrate the season. Keroppi fans, rejoice! Your favorite character is available in one of our larger plush sizes, and he’s dressed up as Santa! Although, I’m not too sure how comfortable his hat is. He’s one of five characters featured in Santa costumes, each with a beautiful gold bow adorned on their heads or necks. Kuromi is getting into the spirit, too! Her best friend, My Melody, is wearing her classic red to get festive! Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll are both decked out to deck the halls as well! We also have different sizes available for a gorgeous Hello Kitty plush. She’s wearing a sparkly red dress, perfect for the holidays, and has a cape with white trim to match to keep her warm. Finally, dress up your gifts with an extra dose of cuteness with Sanrio character gift bags!

We have a real treat in store for anyone who happens to be doing their holiday shopping in Shadyside. You’re also welcome to order online, but personally, I think the full experience is best in-person. We have not one, but two Ichiban Kuji Japanese lottery games in stock! Both are of anime we’ve carried in the past, but the prizes are all new. So, if you missed our first My Hero Academia lottery or either of the Jujutsu Kaisen lotteries, you’re in luck! The prizes this time around for My Hero Academia include figures of everyone’s favorite students, plus the hero teacher, “Eraser Head” Aizawa. Iida and Kirishima are in the lineup as well as Todoroki, Uraraka, Asui, Bakugo and of course, our main hero, “Deku” Midoriya. The other prizes span surprise box keychains, canvas boards and towels. 

For Jujustu Kaisen, it’s all about plush! The top prizes are super sweet plushies of the main characters, and the rest include surprise box keychains, towels, and acrylic stands. The last ticket prize in this case is a pillow featuring the main characters, perfect for settling in to binge the series or watch the JJK0 movie! The best part about Ichiban Kuji is the last ticket prize, which is guaranteed only to the person who purchases the final ticket. The idea is to keep the momentum going, even if the top prizes have all already been won. The lucky customer who gets the last ticket prize gets their corresponding prize for the ticket, such as a plush or figure, plus the special edition prize. It’s two prizes for the price of one! It’s a really fun activity and you’re guaranteed to walk out with a prize when you purchase— no waiting around for a raffle drawing, no walking away empty handed. While it may be more fun to play in-store, it’s certainly not exclusive. Ordering a ticket online or in our app would be more like getting a giant surprise box!

Anyone who collects knows that it can get pricey and time-consuming trying to hunt down the character you want in the style you want. Getting a cute or classic figure as a gift lets you expand your collection with a simple addition and takes away the disappointment that comes with yet another email about your figure being on backorder. Being a fan of anime and showing it off is also a great way to connect with other fans. Sporting a keychain or t-shirt of your favorite series opens yourself up to compliments from fellow fans, and potentially new friendships, making these great gifts for anyone who’s a fan of anime. 

With a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Spy x Family is one of the most popular anime of 2022 and it’s easy to see why it became such a hit off the bat! Just look at how adorable little Anya is! To make her ever cuter, we have the QPosket figure available. In addition to figures, one of my favorite ways to show off my love for my favorite series is with accessories like keychains. For Spy x Family, we have a surprise box acrylic charm of the main characters in an adorable chibi style! The acrylic charms are my personal favorite because of the high quality look and feel, and the excitement of opening a surprise box is just an added bonus!

A classic that you can almost never go wrong with (but that’s just my personal opinion) is Naruto. Naruto and Naruto Shippuden just recently got an upgrade to the animation to celebrate 20 years of the anime, which originally began airing Oct 3, 2022, just a week before the title character’s birthday! We have a few different figures in stock of fan favorites, including two of Naruto Uzumaki in the Shippuden years, one of Shikamaru Nara, and a new figure that everyone will be after of the one and only Kakashi Hatake. This figure in particular depicts Kakashi in his days as a member of the Anbu as a young adult, before becoming the beloved sensei to Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. 

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet just recently released for Nintendo Switch, and we’ve got plenty of classic Pokemon plush that any trainer will love! Kirby has also been having an amazing year with game releases in his franchise on the Switch as well. We certainly have no shortage of cute Kirby plush, apparel and more! These hoodies are perfect for staying warm and cozy indoors this winter while adventuring in Kirby and the Forgotten Land or binging on the Dream Buffet. Although the initial hype is over for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, that doesn’t stop loyal fans. We have a few super soft mochi character plush, perfect for snuggling up with while decorating your island. What better way to stay warm this winter than getting comfy with some soothing video games? Giving a gaming gift like this is sure to spark passion for playing and show that you understand and care about your loved one’s interests and pastimes. 

This is just a preview of all we have in store, so come check out our live streams in the Kawaii Gifts app to see even more merch featured! Ask us your questions in the chat or let us know what you’re looking for, and we’re happy to help! You can shop our past streams even if you missed us live in the app, too!