How Dandadan Turned a Terrifying Yokai into a Lucky Cat

Turbo Baba Maneki Neko Dandadan Soft Vinyl Mascot Keychain

Meet Turbo Baba and the World of Dandadan

Dandadan is a manga series by Tatsu Yukinobu that launched on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ web platform in April 2021, blending occult phenomena — UFOs, ghosts, and yokai — with romantic comedy and supernatural battle action. The anime adaptation, produced by Science SARU, began airing in October 2024 and quickly attracted attention both inside Japan and internationally, with a second season following in 2025. The “occult” in this item’s name is a direct nod to that defining theme.

Among the supernatural entities that populate Dandadan, Turbo Baba stands out as one of the most indelible presences introduced early in the story. She is a yokai-like being — an elderly woman who pursues the protagonists at impossible speed. That name, Turbo Baba, comes directly from her terrifying ability to move at superhuman velocity. The combination of an unsettling appearance and outright absurd athleticism made her an immediate fan favorite, and she has since become a recurring reference in English-language fan communities, crossing from memorable character into something close to a meme.

A Lucky Cat Design with a Supernatural Twist

What makes this keychain particularly interesting is the concept driving its design. Turbo Baba has been reimagined as a maneki neko — the iconic Japanese lucky cat figurine that has symbolized good fortune and commercial prosperity since the Edo period. The maneki neko brings its own distinct visual vocabulary to the figure: a white cat with a red-and-green collar, a small bell at the neck, and a raised paw beckoning wealth. The charm hanging from this piece is inscribed with the phrase “senman-ryo,” a classic lucky cat inscription invoking a fortune of ten million ryo.

Layered onto that familiar silhouette are Turbo Baba’s own design markers — her red-rimmed ears, the distinctive patterns on her head, her characteristic eyes and lashes, and the three lines on her cheeks. The result is a deliberate collision of two very different ideas: a supernatural creature known for inspiring dread, rendered as a talisman meant to invite good luck. This kind of gap between a character’s established role and the cheerful register of the maneki neko format is a well-established device in Japanese character merchandise, and it tends to resonate strongly with fans who already understand both references.

Sofubi: Japan’s Soft Vinyl Collectible Tradition

The material itself carries its own history. Sofubi — short for soft vinyl — has its roots in Japanese toy production from the 1960s and 70s, when it was the standard medium for kaiju and tokusatsu monster figures. That heritage has given sofubi a distinct identity among collectors: the material has a characteristic texture and flexibility that sets it apart from hard plastic or PVC, and a dedicated international collector community pursues Japanese sofubi items specifically for that tactile quality.

In the modern character goods market, small sofubi mascots occupy a comfortable niche between casual souvenir and serious collectible. The keychain format adds everyday usability without taking anything away from the display appeal. For overseas fans of Dandadan who encounter these goods through an international seller, the appeal is layered: a franchise with genuine global momentum, one of its most recognizable characters, and a traditional Japanese cultural symbol — all compressed into a single palm-sized object made from a material with its own collector legacy.