Closer Examination

The Akko x Gudetama 5108S is a full-size keyboard with 108 keys that adopts a modified take on the otherwise standard US ANSI layout, courtesy the four extra keys above the number pad. This means that the keyboard is compatible with the vast majority of replacement keycaps, but then again why would you even purchase this keyboard if not to use the stock keycaps that pair well with the Gudetama theme going throughout! Indeed, we see a white and yellow color scheme for a visual representation of an egg even before the various small touches and designs of the cartoon character, including with some modifiers adopting a different script using artistic license. This is still a keyboard that the international audience can easily use, given the English characters where it matters, with Akko having chosen to place the keycap legends towards the top left corner for the alphabets but centrally so elsewhere. Indeed, this is a weird move given even secondary legends end up located in the middle but above the primary ones wherever applicable. There is some further discrepancy with some keycaps being fully spelled out (Insert, Delete etc) whereas others are not (Ctrl, Fn etc), despite there being enough room. There is subtle Akko branding on the front side at the bottom facing the user and the company has retained indicator LEDs at the top right corner too with small and even bezels all around.


Turning the keyboard around reveals continuation of the dark yellow color scheme used for the plastic pieces that make up the keyboard chassis. There is a badge with further branding and confirmation of the Gudetama IP used here and we see built-in elevation towards the top with two additional sets of keyboard feet for a total of three elevation options. There are rubber pads on the feet to go with five long rubber pads at the top and bottom for added friction against the resting surface.


The expected Type-C port is inset deep into the keyboard case with guide lines around the plastic enclosure to where only the provided Akko cable (or perhaps a low profile aftermarket solution) fits in. The added benefit of going this route is a cleaner looking connection on the bottom that is also quite stable in use. Akko has provided three cable routing channels here to allow you to route the 6' long cable in the most convenient manner and directed away from, say, a mouse cable. It requires an available USB Type-C connection on your PC where USB 2.0 will suffice for power and data alike. There is no wireless connectivity on offer here so the cable is a must!


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium profile without the keyboard feet used. At 41 mm in height here, I was expecting to see a shorter keycap profile such as Cherry and was greeted by Akko's expensive-to-manufacture JDA profile instead. I recommend going through this article for more information about the JDA profile, which is slightly shorter than the common OEM profile and is sculpted while also adopting a spherical nature as with SA/MT3 etc. It works out well on this keyboard to both support your fingers and naturally guide them towards the center of the concave top surfaces for easier typing, while also making for a manageable typing height to not necessitate a wrist/palm rest either. The provided keycap puller can be useful to help remove the keycaps for closer examination without risking scratching their sides as with a cheaper plastic ring-style puller, and the non-floating nature of the keycaps makes it hard to pull them out with just your fingers in the first place. These keycaps are also made the exact same way as the replacement ones we saw before, with thick PBT plastic and dye-sublimed legends making for long-lasting and nice-feeling keycaps. The lighter colors used for the base plastic mean they end up translucent as opposed to wholly opaque so there is scope for the north-facing RGB LEDs to make their presence felt here, except the legends themselves don't light up and so the lighting still ends up being more for aesthetics.


The Akko x Gudetama 5108S keyboard gets Akko's own CS Crystal switches which happen to be the company's first fully polycarbonate switches made. These are clear in more ways than one and happen to be the only switch option available on the keyboard. The larger keycaps get plate mounted stabilizers that are factory lubed to a decent standard. It helps cut down the potential mushy feedback on the space bar key in particular but ultimately the pricing of the keyboard will dictate whether these will be good enough for the money.


The provided switch remover tool allows for easier removal of the switches to take a closer look at both the fully clear Akko CS Crystal switch as well as the 5-pin switch socket that allows for customers to go with their own Cherry MX-style switches here should these not be to their desire. I would still suggest trying them out, especially given these are deliberately chosen by Akko to be used in this keyboard. The CS Crystal, not to be confused with other recently announced CS Crystal switches in various colors, is a 3-pin linear switch with Akko branding on the top, and provides a neat look at the working mechanism of the switch courtesy the polished polycarbonate housing.