Forum - View topicNew Barbie, anime inspired or just trendy?
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Emerje
 Posts: 7548 Location: Maine |
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I was just reading the piece in the news (recaped from The Globe and Mail) here at ANN and don't quite agree with it. Maybe it's because I don't like the use of "anime" and "manga" as buzz words when it comes to a look or style. While this is a canadian based article, these have been advertised quite frequently on Cartoon Network. Have to say, anime was the last thing that crossed my mind. As the article suggests, these figures were created to go up against current trendy figures like Bratz, seening as how only consultants were interviewed I'm not so sure anime crossed Mattel's minds either.
Now, before I go any furth I suggest actually going to the My Scene website and seeing these for yourself: http://www.myscene.com/home.asp I realize that "oversized eyes" are often scene as a characteristic of anime and manga (even though people forget that it's been around in US animation longer), but this is the first time I've ever heard of "extra-pouty lips" being used as a characteristic. Most anime girls really don't have many features for their lips, almost to the point that they're non-existant, even lipstick doesn't seem to be a common item in most anime. I just fail to see the anime influence in these, maybe it's the hair? Nope, just black, brown, and blond. Where's the pink? The purple? The green? These are supposed to be both anime based (according to the "experts") and real trends, but they totally skipped a golden opertunity to use colored hair, even though it's been featured in several other Barbie dolls. Something just isn't clicking here. I guess it's the clothe then... nope, somehow I doubt a 7 year old is going to know or even care what the current fashion tends are in japan. However I do think I've seen a few girls on COPS dressed like that out on the corners, but that's a whole different debate. So where IS the anime look? In my oppinion there isn't one. Like I said before, "anime" and "manga" have become reduced to simple buzz words. That's my whole point to this post, the matter that the media will take something as simple as "big eyes" and instantly associate it to an "anime look" when in reality it's simply a look and only a look. I somehow doubt that the people who were interviewd, along with the person who wrote the article, really had a strong grasp on just what anime really means. To me saying "anime look" should be reserved in it's use and only used when it's ment, not when you're at a loss of descriptive words. Has this been boiling inside of me for a while? You betcha, this just felt like the right time to vent, thanks for reading. Emerje |
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Hotaru
Posts: 481 Location: NY |
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Yeah, Mattel is just trying to gain more buyers, but whoring up Barbie. As it is, my five year olf soon-to-be-brat of a step-sister bumps and grinds and makes make out noises to me. Of course, she just loves Brittany Spears, and plays with dolls. Oh, excuse me, her sisters. She hasn't played with Barbie's recently, but the big, made-up eyes and lipsticked lips will just make her want to wear make up.
Like you said, I can't see the anime influence. Sure, anime characters have big eyes, but some have small eyes too. Mattel is just about da moneys |
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LordByronius
ANN Columnist
 Posts: 861 Location: Philippe for America! He is five. |
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Personally I see this, as Hotaru said, less of an anime Barbie and more of a Skank Barbie.
Uh. They're turning our precious youth into whores, bla bla bla, training our nation's youngest children to wear revealing clothes without warning them of the consequences, yadda yadda, Britney Spears is to blame, whatever, I'm off to see Harry Potter. Bye! |
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Case
Posts: 1016 |
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You know that pale, gangly, fashion-centric style of charicaturing that all of the teen mags use? (Like this?)
The My Scene Barbies strike me as being more like that than any anime I can name of the top of my head. But maybe that art style is supposed to be "anime inspired" also. I don't keep up on artistic trends, so I really wouldn't know. 
For what it's worth, I don't think this new line is all that different from the other Barbie incarnations. 
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Hotaru
Posts: 481 Location: NY |
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Thanks, Sailor Mech. Not only did the site not load, hm...about twenty pop ups bombarded my computer!!!!
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ashram12
Posts: 86 |
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I completely agree with your assessment of the supposedly anime inspired Barbie. A lot of non japanese cartoon characters have large eyes. I may consider the style anime inspired if their eyes have that bit of white in the pupil (for reflection). Generally speaking, anime eyes have a lot more detail. Unless of course we're talking about DBZ...and other shows.
Anywoo, slightly OT, but that "new" barbie makes me feel worse than the old one. She's dressed just like Jessica Aguilera, and as far as I can tell, all she does is shop, talk, and shop some more. I'm really starting to think that corporate America is trying to raise people into being brainless consumers. Actually, it reminds of "The Simpsons" episode where Lisa discovers how sexist the Malibu Stacy doll is... |
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LordByronius
ANN Columnist
Posts: 861 Location: Philippe for America! He is five. |
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"My spidey-senses are TINGLING!!! Anybody call for a web-slinger?!?" |
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cookie
Former ANN Editor in Chief
 Posts: 2460 Location: Do not contact me for support. |
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Yeah, the popups are irritating. There are solutions (http://www.mozilla.com) ya know. At any rate, I mirrored a few. *sigh* I seem to do this a lot. I'm gonna hate it when I have to actually graduate and *lose* that webspace. :p Big breasts, skimpy clothing, bare midriff, huge eyes, totally unbelievably preportioned body... when i look at them, it reminds me of some 13 year old girl's website... you know, one that's all pink and "LOLOLOLO!@#@!#!@11!11!! I *glomp* Harry! He's so hotttttt!"-esque (Harry, as in Harry Potter)... They also kinda remind me of the random livejournal's i seem to invariably encounter. (according to someone's stats, like 70% of LJ users are under 18 years old.. which makes sense if you load up a few random journals..) |
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Hotaru
Posts: 481 Location: NY |
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bah, with the solutions. i say that we ban children from dressing like slut-whores and from having cell phones when they're 10. but today's parents would much rather plop their kids on front of a tv for hours instead of entertaining them other ways. like making owls with paper plates and briwn paper bags! ah, childhood crafts.
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10539 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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And that is different from previous generations' parents in what way? |
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Akuen
Posts: 6 |
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Yeah, this is pure stereotyping... like me a year ago, thinking "god, those Japanese cartoons are so stupid"... and then i went and read my bad fantasy books. Anyway, this is especially bad considering that the whole big-eyes thing started to represent a westerner.... Sorry about the bad punctuation, i'm half dead from studying.
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