Bandai

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

The Japanese toy company Bandai was formed in 1950, and is now the 3rd biggest toy manufacturer in the World.  It’s first product was a ball with a bell inside marketed as the Rhythm Ball, and it soon followed this up with a line of tin cars and planes. In 1963 it launched into the ‘character toys’ market which has been the cornerstone of it’s success throughout it’s subsequent history. It’s first forays into this field were with Astroboy and Ultraman, who continue to be popular to this day.

It’s history has also been characterised throughout the decades by the deals it has made with other companies, in order to increase it’s product range and geographical reach  - from Tonka, Imperial Thai, Disney, Apple and Mattel.

Throughout the 70s and 80s Bandai had success with Ultraman, Gundam, Godzilla and Dragonball products, but it’s biggest success came in the 90s with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers line.

Bandai also had some disastrous failures too. It’s Gobots toys lost out to the direct competition of the very similar Transformers range. And in 1994 it developed a games console in partnership with Apple called the Pippen. This proved to be unpopular and more expensive than other consoles on the market, and ended up losing Bandai an estmated $200 million.

It’s fortunes were revived, however, by the success of the Tamagotchi, and it’s 1999 deal with Mattel, which strengthened it’s International profile.

Throughout the 2000s Bandai has continued to grow by making inroads into other entertainment fields, notably video and online games, and satellite TV.

Tags: astroboy, bandai, godzilla, japan, toys, ultraman
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Takara Jenny

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

This popular Japanese fashion doll was originally a Barbie. In 1981 Mattel licensed Takara to sell a fashion doll under the Barbie brand. However, she was redesigned for the Asian market - slightly younger looking than Barbie - Jenny is a schoolgirl, slightly smaller, and with a big eyes ‘manga’ style face-paint.

The deal with Mattel only lasted for 5 years. When the arrangement broke down, Takara relaunched the doll as Jenny.

Jenny also has lots of friends that appear in the series with different hair colours and skin tones and back stories depicting them as coming from different countries.

Clothes and accesories are also available, of course, including typically Japanese costumes such as sailor-blouse school uniforms and kimonos.

Like Barbie, Jenny comes in a wide variety of price ranges, from simple play dolls for little girls, to much more expensive collectors items in more lavish costumes.

Tags: barbie, Dolls, fashion dolls, jenny, takara
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