Loot Anime Subscription Box Review + Coupon – January 2016

Note from Liz: I'm SO excited to introduce Nancy, our newest reviewer on the MSA team! Welcome, Nancy! 

Loot Anime, part of the Loot Crate family, is a "monthly mystery bundle of figures, collectibles, manga, apparel, accessories and more from some of your favorite anime and manga series with a new theme every month."

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Loot Anime

The Cost: $24.95 per month + $5 shipping. More savings on longer subscription plans.

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off any length subscription, or $3 off month-to-month
CODE: ADDICTION or SAVE3

The Products: themed t-shirt, accessories, snacks and collectibles.

Ships to: Select list of countries, with different shipping costs for each country.

Check out all of our Loot Anime reviews and the Geeky Subscription Box Directory!

Let us first take a moment to appreciate the breathtaking design of just the box. I can flip the cardboard inside out and use it as a storage or gift box.

This month's theme is "Equip." I'm impressed that the full-color poster doubles as the info sheet on the back.

EXCLUSIVE Kill La Kill T-Shirt - $12?

This 100% cotton t-shirt is super soft! I first thought the print was of a broken pair of scissors. Then I realized it was a funky looking sword. Kill la Kill is an action "dramedy" anime set in a high school, and it follows the adventures of a scissor-blade wielding transfer student, Ryuko, as she tries to track down her father's murderer. The school's school uniforms also give students superpowers and lends a certain uniqueness to the series, to say the least. I was not familiar with the anime prior to receiving this t-shirt. However, the genre and art quality piques my interest, so I will give it a shot!

EXCLUSIVE Akame Ga Kill Tote Bag - $15?

Another exclusive to the box, the tote bag is lightweight and has a simple black and white colorblock design. The tote is on the smaller side and doesn't seem like it can handle heavy things. I would probably be able to carry a small laptop and some notebooks at the most.

The things printed on the tote are from Akame Ga Kill, a manga and anime series about a group of assassins trying to overthrow a corrupt political structure. Magic and fantasy are involved. As you may have guessed, so are huge scissors.

Dragonball Z Scouter - $10

Thanks to this little gadget and a huge Dragonball Z fanbase, there is a proliferation of "It's over 9000!!" memes around the internet. The scouter comes in separate pieces, but assembly is very simple. The headband part only barely fits on my head which makes me wonder if this is meant for children.

Subscribers receive either the red or green version.

Steins;Gate Volume 1 - $13

This is my favorite item of the box. I enjoy reading manga (Japanese graphic novels) and it's always great to be introduced to new titles. Steins;Gate started out as a Japanese sci-fi and mystery game that later expanded to include a manga and anime series. The anime currently has an IMDB score of 8.9/10, so I may give that a try too.

Subscribers receive a Loot Crate exclusive version of the first volume (the cover art is different from what you would find elsewhere).

Hi-Chew Candy Pack - $1.50

I have eaten Hi-Chews before and they are delicious. They taste like Starbursts but with chewier and gummier texture. I admit I ate the whole pack in a day. These candies are commonly found in Asian grocery stores, so if you have a store near you I suggest trying ALL the flavors.

According to the info sheet, subscribers receive one of five flavors.

EXCLUSIVE Equip Phone Charm - $2?

Phone charms are originally meant for phones that have a little hole on the corner so you can carry it around as an accessory. Unfortunately phones these days rarely have that hole anymore. Another way to play with this can be seen below.

Here is an example of using the phone charm as an audio/headphone jack plug. Trinkets like these are popular in East Asia so I'm happy that Loot Anime is keeping up with overseas trends. If this isn't your style, however, you can also repurpose it into a magnet or put it on keychains.

Monster Hunter Sword Pen - $15?

Monster Hunter is a video game set in a fantasy world where the player tries to hunt down different monsters. While this may not be a pen I would use daily, it sure is fancy. The designs are intricate, detailed, and very pretty. It also comes in a gift-ready box.

Verdict: I was wowed by the contents of my first Loot Anime box. The dual-purpose poster and info sheet is clever and possibly first of its kind. The curation around the "Equip" theme was great, and I'm so happy to be introduced to Steins;Gate and Kill la Kill. Even if I wasn't familiar with every anime or manga title I could still appreciate the products. This month's estimated value is about $68, but it's difficult to estimate overall since half the items were exclusive and other prices could not be determined online.

What's your favorite Loot Anime item this month? Are you a fan of scissors as swords?