How Dandadan’s Turbo Granny Became a Sleeping Lucky Cat

Turbo Granny Maneki Neko Onemutan Gashapon Figure from Dandadan

What’s in the Capsule: Design and Format

This is a small collectible figure from a gashapon series — the capsule-toy vending machines found across Japan in shopping malls, train stations, and convenience stores. The specific series it belongs to is called Onemutan, a recurring gashapon format that presents anime and game characters in a relaxed, sleeping pose rather than a dynamic action stance. Each Onemutan release pairs that consistent format with a different licensed franchise.

This particular piece reimagines Turbo Granny — a ghost character from the manga and anime series Dandadan — as a maneki neko, or lucky cat. The design follows the classic maneki neko template: white cat body, red bib, bell, and floral patterning in a pale cream palette. What marks it as an Onemutan figure is the pose: rather than sitting upright with a raised paw, the cat lies face-down in a drowsy, curled position. This sleeping lucky cat concept has become its own recognizable sub-type within the gashapon market over recent years.

Dandadan, Turbo Granny, and the Anime Boom Behind This Figure

Dandadan is a manga series by Yukinobu Tatsu, serialized in Shonen Jump+ (Shueisha) since August 2021. The story follows two high school students caught between competing paranormal claims — one believes in aliens, the other in ghosts — and the chaos that unfolds when both turn out to be real. The series blends supernatural action, comedy, and romance in a way that built a fast-growing readership in Japan before drawing wider international attention.

An anime adaptation produced by Science SARU began broadcasting in October 2024 and was made available globally through platforms including Netflix. That wider distribution accelerated international awareness considerably, and the volume of licensed merchandise — including gashapon figures — expanded noticeably in the period around and following the anime launch. The timing of this figure’s release aligns with that wave.

Turbo Granny is one of the series’ more distinctive recurring characters: a ghost who takes the form of an elderly woman and is defined by her extraordinary running speed, which is where the name comes from. She initially appears as an antagonist before her relationship with the main characters becomes more layered. Her striking appearance and the mix of comedy and menace she carries have made her one of the franchise’s most recognized figures among fans.

Two Cultural References, One Small Figure

The appeal of this design lies in how directly it plays two things off each other. The maneki neko is one of Japan’s most widely recognized folk symbols — associated with good fortune and protection, traditionally placed in shops and homes. Taking a ghost character defined by terrifying speed and casting her in the quietly drowsy posture of a napping lucky cat is a deliberate tonal contrast, and it’s exactly the kind of design logic that tends to land with collectors who follow both anime and Japanese folk iconography.

For fans outside Japan, gashapon figures are often difficult to obtain through normal channels, since the primary format — physical vending machines — is not available internationally. The Onemutan series, with its signature relaxed-pose approach applied across multiple franchises, has drawn interest from collectors engaged with both anime merchandise and Japanese toy culture more broadly.