I remember action figures. Walking through endless Toys R Us aisles as a child, looking up at all the icons of Saturday morning cartoons emblemized in plastic. Like with other boys my age, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all the rage, and their purchase consumed every spare penny I managed to wrangle.

A Toys R Us kid through and through, years later, I gained the esteemed position of a teenage Toys R Us employee. Believe me, it was nowhere near as glamorous as it sounds. Those back store aisles lose their charm real fast when you’re called to clean up spilt soda several times a day. Other days, someone’s child had been denied a figurine and decided to throw a tantrum and trash the place. You’d never guess who had to clean that up. Needless to say, those kinds of experiences pretty much kill the magic.

Playtime in Japan

In Japan, however, it seems some have managed to keep the dream alive. Just check out Kotobukiya or any other figurine shop in Akihabara, where adult fans buy detailed anime figures at fantastic prices. Even nationwide retailer Don Quijote has some whimsical knick-knacks and eye-popping "playthings" to discover.

YouTuber おもしろ雑貨コレクター, “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector,” is clearly acquainted with venues like these. The vlogger showcases hundreds of his unique figurine finds while incorporating quirky action motion. He features trippy toys like radio control spiders and skeleton Jenga and quirky everyday items like sushi boxers. For me, his most interesting videos feature anime icons from the like of Studio Ghibli.

My Neighbor Totoro Matryoshka Dolls

It seems “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” has just dropped by the Ghibli store. After showcasing the toy in a stop motion bit, its time for the unpackaging. The box design is pretty straightforward and simple, and the inner packaging is a simple plastic casing. All told, the set features the large, medium, and small Totoro, as well as a camphor tree seed and a soot sprite. Gotta have a soot sprite.

“Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” sets up the toys individually and shows them off with a little more stop motion. Each item seems to be sturdy, made from a thick plastic detailed true to form. They fit easily inside one another or make for useful holders individually.

Hanging Out with No Face

In case you’ve forgotten, カオナシ ("No Face") is one of the antagonists from Spirited Away. A quasi-translucent shape-shifter of sorts, he tempts patrons with gold and causes trouble at the Bathhouse of the Gods, the venue featured in the film.

“Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” is clearly a fan, which makes sense. Just like with “No Face,” the vlogger never shows his face on camera. Nevertheless, he’s got quite the collection.

The YouTuber begins by showing off his Spirited Away matryoshka set. Yet, the main attraction in this video is his “No Face” piggybank. The item comes in an artistically desinged box and simple plastic casing. The piggybank itself appears to well-designed, made again from sturdy, yet intricately designed, plastic.

Just like the movie, “No Face” is insatiable. “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” gets out his change and the cartoon character eats it up, only struggling a bit with a larger payload. Finally, the vlogger, a bit peckish, has some of his own gold coin snack.

We’ve just scratched the surface of “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector’s” collection. In all actuality, he has enough “No Face” memorabilia to have a 7-course meal. Pretty amazing.

There’s so much going on here, it’s hard to know where to start. There are 杓文字, rice spoons, toothpick holders, and eating utensils galore. Suffice it to say, “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” certainly shows he’s young at heart.

Although it pains me to admit, there’s more to life than Ghibli movies and Ghibli figures. For example, there’s a parallel universe of TV Asahi cartoons and Doraemon toys. Right on!

Of course, “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” is well aware of this. He breaks out his Doraemon plastic model. Doraemon, of course, being the internationally famous robot-cat from the future with a magical pouch. Pretty freshmen stuff.

First off, “Interesting Knick-Knack Collector” snaps together the involved inner workings of the robot, then the iconic blue and white facade. Can’t forget the tongue. Naturally, next its stop motion time.

With model intact, The YouTuber has a few more items to show. He brings out a peculiarly shaped dish and fills it with rice, and adds some opportunely placed veggies. Add some tasty Doraemon curry and it's almost too beautiful to eat. Finally, the vlogger finishes off the rice with some fried food and ketchup applied via a patented sauce gun.