Shibajuku Girls Are Back!
It's been a while, but Hunter Products Shibajuku Girls are making their grand return now at Walmart!
Back in 2016, Australian toy maker Hunter Products launched their doll brand Shibajuku Girls. Similar to the popular, but expensive Pullip dolls, Shibajuku Girls were known for their unique proportions, with large heads and slim bodies, as well as their Harajuku inspired fashions. The original line debuted with 5 girls: Yoko, Namika, Koe, Suki and Shizuka. Each doll was 13” tall and was fully articulated with anime inspired faces, cool fashions and colorful eye chips.
The dolls eventually found their way outside of Australia, being sold worldwide and in the United States, were launched exclusively at Toys R Us. Over the next two years, Hunter Products would release 3 waves of Shibajuku Girls, with Miki replacing Namika for waves 2 and 3, making a full collection of fifteen dolls to collect. As a doll collector running around Toys R Us with my mom back when these were on shelves, I don’t remember wave 3 hitting our stores, which is a shame, as I think Shizuka’s pig tails are adorable!
Hunter Products also successfully launched 2 waves (twelve dolls total) of the characters in the form of their more petite Shiba Cuties, who stood at 6” tall. The brand was active on social media until May of 2018, when the line went dark. My mom and I reviewed these dolls back in the day: The Reluctant Reviewer and Shibajuku Girls; Shibajuku Girls Koe; Shibajuku Girls Suki. Check out the reviews if you’re new to the doll line!
Well, color me shocked to see that at New York Toy Fair this year, Hunter Products was back with a new wave of Shibajuku Girls, this time dubbed Shibajuku Anime. Promotional art shows boxes with characters Sakura, Yumi, Kiki, Miki and Akira. Currently, only two of the five dolls are available: Akira and Kiki, exclusive to Walmart, on sale now.
I’m excited to see these dolls in person, as I was a fan of the originals “eclectic street style and playful charm”, as the press material puts it. I love Kiki’s Sailor Moon-esc outfit. It looks like she’s ready to hit the convention hall! And Akira’s seafoam green hair looks great with her lolita inspired dress. Both Kiki and Akira have eyes that look like they came right out of an anime and differ slightly from the eyes on the Shibajuku Girls line. I like them and am excited to see what this new era of Shibajuku Girls brings us!
Are you looking forward to the return of Shibajuku Girls with Shibajuku Anime? Share your thoughts in the comment section!