YumeTwins Summertime Kawaii Box Review

It’s been over 3 years since we last reviewed a YumeTwins kawaii subscription box so I was happy to get the chance to receive the July 2021 box with a Summertime Kawaii theme.

The box arrived in just 3 days from Japan (using DHL) and there were no customs fees. The design is just as cute as ever with a patterned box and colourful magazine that includes details on all the items, plus tips, giveaway and photo contest. I love that the cover has a stylised illustration of what you’ll find in the box!

There were 6 items in this box, all with a summertime theme: Do-Re-Mi Pikachu, Rilakkuma diorama, Sanrio cooling cloth, Sanrio/San-X washing net, Sanrio/San-X foldable beach tote and summer wonderland drink holder. Most of the items were available in multiple characters, so you have to keep your fingers crossed for your favourite. I was quite happy to get Sumikko Gurashi’s Neko and Cinnamoroll, though it would have been nice to get 3 different characters instead. Let’s open it all up and have a closer look.

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Do-Re-Mi Pikachu

This was the first item I opened as I was so excited. We featured the original musical cat toys back in 2016 and I got to play with some on a later Japan trip. This is obviously a special Pikachu edition and the whole musical scale is available, each with a different cute expression. Basically you press Pikachu’s back and he makes a pi-KAAAAAA sound – mine is Re/D. That’s not a lot of use without the rest of the set but if you switch to song mode, you can play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by pressing repeatedly (I’ll share a video on Instagram later).This is a completely pointless product but also the sort of thing I love to get in a subscription box. I probably wouldn’t have bought this myself but I’m very happy to add him to my collection of talking Pikachus!

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Sumikko Gurasho foldable beach tote

I did roll my eyes a little at yet another eco bag but I was pleasantly surprised when I unfolded it. This is a much bigger size than most eco bags with a square shape and a gusset for extra space. I especially like how the pouch turns into a little pocket inside – so clever. You could definitely fit all your beach stuff in here and it would be great for lots of other situations too. It’s easy to fold back up too so I think my regular eco bag is getting replaced.

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Cinnamoroll cooling cloth

According to the instructions, you soak this cloth in cold water, wring it out and then it will become noticeably colder for hot humid days. I was very dubious and it initially didn’t feel any more refreshing than a random wash cloth but I left it hanging and tried again after exercising (Ring Fit Adventure of course) and was very impressed. It did feel very cold and really helped cool me down, especially on my arms and neck. The Cinnamoroll design is extremely cute and it’s lightweight so good for taking to the gym or on holiday.

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Sumikko Gurashi washing net

I recently bought one of these in a smaller style and think they’re a great invention. Obviously laundry bags have been around forever but a kawaii version is always better. It’s made of a mesh material with a zip so you can pop your small and delicate items inside and they won’t get tangled up or lost inside bigger clothes. I also find it’s great for holidays where you can use it to keep dirty clothes separate in your luggage and then empty it straight into the washing machine. I’m definitely glad I got one of the San-X designs as they’re a cool round shape with tons of space inside.

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Summer Wonderland drink holder

The only item without a big-name character theme but it’s still a cute design. This is a plastic holder that you can slot a drink cup into so it’s easier to carry around. Testing this required me to go to a cafe and order a drink (plus lunch and cake – such sacrifices I make!) and it does work fairly well. It felt a bit unstable when the cup was full but by the time I got home it made it much easier to unlock my door. It does seem a little small – this is a small size drink and you can see that the holder is quite low down on the cup. It’s probably only useful if you regularly order small drinks on the go or have a reusable cup that fits well.

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Rilakkuma diorama

Blind boxes are always a fun thing to get in a subscription box and this has a choice of dioramas or standees. You get a printed plastic design and that slots into a rubber bear-shaped base. I was hoping for Rilakkuma in a deckchair but this travel design is cute too. It’s not an especially exciting item but always nice to have a few more kawaii things to display.

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Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a really cute box with high quality items featuring some of my favourite kawaii characters. The laundry bag, beach tote, drink holder and cooling cloth are all very useful for summer, and can still be used all year round at home or when traveling. The Pikachu is a fun novelty that I was delighted with and the Rilakkuma blind box makes for an extra surprise. I love that all the items are fully licensed and feel very Japanese, rather than things you could pick up anywhere.

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Pricing & Subscriptions

YumeTwins costs $35 (or as low as $31.50 if you buy a longer subscription) + shipping (from $10.50) for 5-7 Japanese character and lifestyle items. Subscriptions are open now for the August 2021 box which has a Poké-Dream theme that promises all you need to stay ahead of Team Rocket! You can click through to see previews of some of the items you’ll receive. SCK readers can also get $5 off your subscription with the code CUTEKAWAII

If there was something you liked from this box, you can usually buy extra items through their Japan Haul shop but sadly this month’s are all sold out now. Keep it in mind for future boxes though.

(Box was provided by YumeTwins for review but all words and photographs are my own)