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Article: Making toys for the bigger kids ; Japanese manufacturers found a niche for high-end action figures among young adults. Now they're targeting US buyers.
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- December 17, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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TOKYO - When 25-year-old Nadia Hemady visited Japan this summer,
she spent $600 on two ball-jointed dolls by Volks Inc. with anime-
inspired features like large eyes, pointed noses, and small mouths.
At an event hosted by the Japanese manufacturer in Los Angeles
last month, the Brandeis graduate student bought another for her
collection. This one, Hemady says, is a 2-foot-tall doll that looks
like a drag queen playing Tina Turner. It cost $900.
As the American appetite for anime grows and shows like "Power
Rangers" celebrate their 15th year in the United States, the market
for high-end toys targeted at young adults is ripe. This segment
exploded in Japan in recent years as toy manufacturers ...