Toynami is adding to several successful product lines in 2005, plus turning its talents to a 20th anniversary Voltron.
Inuyasha
Toynami will continue to release InuYasha action figures, in pairs, with a total of eleven SKUs planned for release by Christmas. The InuYasha Action Figures are generally retailed at $12.99 to $14.99. They'll now carry the ShoPro logo on the front of the packaging, instead of the back.
InuYasha Action Figures Series 3, consisting of Miroku and Sango, will ship in July; Series 4, with Naraku and InuYasha, will ship in August/September; and Series 5, with Koga and Kagura, will ship in October/November.
Two other types of InuYasha figures are planned for 2005. Smaller scale non-articulated PVC figures (3'-4') will release in June, blistercarded as the action figures are. They'll retail for around $5. And two 12' Action Dolls, with 32 points of articulation, fabric (silk, satin) kimonos, and swords and other accessories are also planned for this summer. They'll be released in limited, numbered editions of 5,000 each at $29.95. InuYasha will release in June/July; Sesshomaru will release in July/August.
Cartoon Network recently acquired the rights to air the remaining episodes of the InuYasha anime, which should ensure television exposure for this property for the foreseeable future (see 'Cartoon Network Acquires the Rest of the Inuyasha Anime'). Toynami is expecting 2005 to be its biggest year with the Inuyasha property, but also expects strong continuing sales into 2006.
Chobits
Toynami sees Chobits as a more core, adult property than InuYasha, appealing primarily to females 17 and up. After the release of the Chi and Yuzuki Chobits Action Figures in March, a second Chi figure will be released in August/September and a Sumomo figure before the end of the year (perhaps with a voice chip). A Chobits convention exclusive is also planned, although the specific character has not been decided.
Voltron
Toynami plans a 20th anniversary edition of the Voltron toy from 1985 this year; it will street in July or August. The 11' toy has been dramatically redesigned, with more points of articulation, but with the same die cast content and weight as the original. It will be packaged in book-style packaging, with a slide-out tray.
Zentraedi Battlepod
Robotech
The big news on the Robotech franchise is the individually numbered limited edition bookend set that can be used to display the Robotech Masterpiece Alpha volumes. It will retail for around $175, and will street in late April or early May. Collectors are going to have a hard time finding it; Toynami makes 15,000 of the Robotech volumes, but is only making 1,000 lf the bookends.
Emily the Strange
Emily the Strange is licensed from Cosmic Debris, which produces books for Chronicle. Toynami's first series of Emily the Strange Action Figures is sold out now, but a second run will be manufactured this spring. Patch Work Kitty Dolls are planned for later this year. These are the cats as imagined by Emily in her dreams. They have clever accessories; for example Change-of-Heart Kitty opens up so its heart can be changed from a cold heart to a broken heart, etc. The other characters are Miles, Mystery, and Skele-Kitty. MSRP will be approximately $10.00.
