Cartoons based on toys / merchandise

E

Ess 94

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For quite awhile the Anime kid shows since Pokemon at least, are based on toys, video games, trading cards, etc.

The state of Anime kid tv is very much like the 1980's in america. There was a big merchandise cartoon revolution in the 80's. Weather it was the Smurfs, My Little Pony, the Care Bears, or stuff like Transformers, GI Joe.

I don't what point I am trying to make, just point out the state of young Anime is very retro.

I notice in the new Anime shows, there are always a bunch of kids that co star with these characters based on merchandise, and most cases the characters from the toy line are supporting characters. In the 80's, most of the time the characters got to have their cartoon shows to themselfs. A couple of exepctions such as My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, there was kid or two that was the main character along with the merchandise characters.
 
If this conversation is only going to be about anime shouldn't it be in the anime forum?

And if we're talking about American shows I only have one hyphenated word: He-Man
 
some of the best cartoons of the 80's were based of toys transformers and g.i joe) now it's comics and trading card games basically because they create a whole universe around them some of the best storylines and deep charter devolpment I seen in animation have come from these so called commercail shows say make more of them:D
 
Yes, but the show was produced after plush toys started to pop up on the US market. So, while it was based on a comic book, the real motive behind it was for toy making. Same exact thing with the Ninja Turtles. It was a comic book, but Playmates wanted to make a cartoon series to further a toy line.
 
I've noticed that children's anime in the U.S. has dwindled down from previous years. Dinosaur King, Bakugan, and Blue Dragon are the only relatively new kids anime that I can think of at the moment.

Kids' WB doesn't do anime anymore, and of course 4Kids (and now it looks like Cartoon Network, as well) will only air children's anime if it has substantial marketing appeal. But I don't view that as a negative thing, since a good amount of the "thirty-minute toy commercials" are pretty entertaining for what they are.
 
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