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Is Jun Planning still around? They're the ones I would suggest contacting for a Japan-exclusive item. (Originally Japan exclusive I mean.) They made repro MLP items in the 90s (G2 era), like keychains of the TAF babies and Baby Rainbow ponies. visitors can't see pics , please register or loginvisitors can't see pics , please register or loginThey've never done any repro Takaras, but since they're located in Japan, and have done G1 MLP repros in the past, they seem like the best candidate. Although they would have to have a licensing agreement with Takara . . . Takara is definitely still around, they have a close but complicated relationship with Hasbro due to the past and present of Transformers.Edit: Looks like Jun Planning "underwent changes" in 2008, became a company named Groove, and are now located in South Korea.
I'd say no, unmade mainstream ponies and regional exclusives are totally different.I've said it before, but I think if you genuinely want these to be rereleased, you do need to talk to the Japanese mothership Takara about it. But I am also going to say this again.Japanese people do not widely remember Takara MLP. Western MLP is better known and more available in Japan's second hand market (and the Jun merchandise is indicative of that, they chose to represent western ideas not the Japanese Takara line). I have spoken to Japanese people about Takara MLP. They have no idea what that is. So basically they're probably not nostalgic to the Japanese (Japan don't even sell G4 now except for Pez and plushies, because I was there last year and trust me, not a single one in any toy store, not even TRU). Sylvanian families have taken the equivalent slot and are still really successful there...as are lots of other toys which are not dissimilar to the Takara ponies in terms of a small character with several detailed accessories to go with. Basically, the only people who might be interested in seeing Takara ponies come out are collectors of Takara ponies and you might do better trying to canvas people who do collect them to get behind your campaign. Of course, if Takara ponies were to be rereleased, you might also see a drop or a rise in the value of the originals. The only reason they are that price is because of western collectors trying to get hold of them. They used to sell on yahoo auctions for about $30 each. Now they're listed with a price of 280,000yen start bid because the sellers over there know that westerners want them. Even so, at the same time, you'll scroll through several pages of second hand cheaper G1-4 ponies which families picked up when overseas.I feel like it's not that you want Takara to be released as a nostalgia toy...you want to be able to buy Takara ponies at a reasonable price. Even speaking Japanese doesn't afford you that option any more, unfortunately (I really wish I'd bought them up when they were cheap ). Unless you happen to be in Japan and fluke find one at a second hand store, the chances are pretty low.The fact that so much money is spent on them proves there is a demand for them, but also that a lot of people are fighting over a small number of original ponies. Now whether there's more justification for the Celestials than the Takara, that's another matter entirely. Personally I think it's more important to get ponies we know will sell well to be released first so they are more open to us making suggestions. It makes more sense if collectors are telling a company, these are well loved, and the company sells them and makes a lot of money...that THEN they will listen to collectors. So I personally (though I am supporting it) think the celestial campaign is jumping the gun. In any case, you need to talk to Takara in Japan. If they don't reply to you, probably you need to find someone to contact them in Japanese. And send them pictures of the toy you are talking about, too. But I suspect that it's probably a dead end. Because I think Takara are very much a niche thing still and not popular enough to generate enough support for a release of any kind.(And imagine if they only did a release in Japan? Would you be happy with that or would that be just as irritating?)
The reason I think a Japanese or Korean release might sell better than a western release is that I feel like Hello Kitty already dominates that niche in western stores. To my eye, Takaras basically look like horsey Sanrio characters. But in Japan this still seems to be a quite a widespread style, where Sanrio can exist next to Rillakuma (and others in that general style) and there's a market for all of them.
Well, Takara has always had a close relationship with Hasbro thanks to their Transformers connection. (Takara originally made the Diaclone and MicroChange toys, which Hasbro brought over to the US, created a backstory for, and named Transformers. Takara still does a lot of Transformers producing / engineering for Hasbro.)So, perhaps Hasbro willingly offered them the MLP license for a song in the 80s and Takara was like "Eh, sure, why not." Maybe Hasbro was even kind of pushing it on them, hoping that MLP would be successful in Japan? For being in the 80s (when it was harder to arrange international deals due to no internet, fewer people being bilingual, etc), Hasbro produced ponies in / for a loooot of countries. So perhaps they were aggressive about trying to open new pony markets.
Does anyone here believe it to be possible to get the Takaras re-released, in light of the franchise's 35th anniversary, if prototype ponies have rallies behind them (fingers crossed that they both succeed)?
but on the other hand, I feel like the celestial ponies that are prototypes don't, either- having never been released, and only appearing in a catalogue.