U.S. Barbie maker Mattel unveiled a new Barbie line based on the main characters from the Netflix animated series "K-pop Demon Hunters."
On the 27th (local time), Mattel revealed a new collection inspired by KDH at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany. The products unveiled that day are dolls of the protagonists Lumi, Zoe, and Mira, and a life-like figure of the male lead, Jinwoo. The Lumi, Zoe, and Mira dolls will be released in two concepts each: the "GOLDEN performance" version and the "HOW IT'S DONE performance" version.
Among the collection, the 18-inch (about 46 cm) dolls are priced at $165 (about 240,000 won) per character. The Lumi and Jinwoo characters are set as Barbie's friends within the Barbie universe.
Mattel said, "Each doll faithfully reflects the character's on-screen appearance and individuality." Nick Karamanos, senior vice president of Mattel's action figure and entertainment partnerships institutional sector, said, "K-pop Demon Hunters is a truly global phenomenon built on a rapidly growing worldwide fandom," adding, "Through our close partnership with Netflix, we were able to introduce products at a pace that meets fan demand."
However, contrary to Mattel's explanation, the products will not be released immediately and are scheduled to roll out sequentially starting this summer. The "American Girl K-pop Demon Hunters" collection can be preordered on Mattel's official sales site, AmericanGirl.com.
According to Reuters, Mattel said, "The KDH brand and franchise have long-term, sustainable potential," noting it plans to introduce various collections and products throughout the year.
Meanwhile, since its first release in 1959, the Barbie series has sold more than 1 billion units over 67 years, and cases featuring Korean characters have been rare.
The first Korean character was the "Korean Barbie Doll," released in 1987 as part of the "Dolls of the World" series. While the symbolism of a Korean Barbie was significant, there was also disappointment over its Western features and simplified hanbok design. The box introduced Korean culture with farming life, taekwondo, and kimchi.
That same year in Korea, Young Toys, under contract with Mattel, released "Korean Style Barbie." However, it was not a Korean character but a Western Barbie dressed in hanbok, sold exclusively in Korea. In 2004, "Princess of the Korean Court Barbie Doll" was released and was evaluated as relatively faithfully realizing court attire such as a tremori and dangui.
The most recent Korea-related collaboration was a BTS figure series in partnership with HYBE. Although not a Barbie line, it produced 11-inch figures of the seven BTS members and sold them for $19.99 each.
The newly unveiled KDH figure series is also configured as a collection separate from Barbie dolls. It is a different line from the 18-inch KDH dolls currently sold by American Girl.