However, why does Playmobil have to be so politically correct? Is it only because they are a German company? If our little Klickys had originated in some other country, would we have some different themes?
Hmmm ... Different themes without any fear of having to be politically correct?! Now that would open up some interesting possibilities. But, do we even dare discuss (here at Playmofriends) what those themes might be?
Be careful! Pandora's box might be filled with a giant "can of worms" ... 
Hi Richard
Whenever I'm in China I scour the toy shelves hoping to find high-quality toys of local history. I don't even find low-quality ones. South Korea makes a Lego knock-off set in modern military themes (mostly American weapons). I haven't been to Japan since 2001, but its exports that hit China are mostly science fiction or Hello Kitty cute toys.
So, to take your idea into serious speculation:
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If Playmobil were a Japanese company:
Themes would go heavy on modern life. There might be a western theme (Asians, as Europeans, seem to be intrigued by our wild west). There might be a Sci-Fi theme, or a stronger space theme. I bet Japanese Geobra would avoid WWII also. I doubt they would release a samurai theme. Kids there don't seem to be interested in the past, though a few popular mangas prove me wrong. In the 1970s, Samurai was pretty popular, but I think that faded out.
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A Korean company:
We'd see modern life and probably a modern army theme. Period soap operas are very hip right now. Maybe we'd see a cool Korean theme, like about the Admiral Sun who beat the Japanese (he had an immensely popular two year mini-series a few years back). On the other hand, toymakers don't seem to invest heavily in the past, so a medieval Korean theme is still doubtful to me--but I haven't been back since 2002, and all I know is what I see in Chinese up-market stores).
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Chinese company:
Chinese toy labels don't have the sophistication yet to produce high quality toys like PM or equivalent from Japan. (I think the problem is that only the export market supports expensive toys, though this is changing)
But, let's pretend they did:
I think we'd see modern life for certain. China also would not shy away from modern military. Chinese are more "into the past" and proud of their history, so I'd put money on there being a monkey king theme or a gung-fu theme (what we call Kung-Fu here is in China a genre, that includes Taoist sorcerers, demons, and a wild-west like environ of wandering freelancers). I say this about gung-fu and Monkey King, yet looking through the toy stores I don't even find hints--TV does the past, but not toys.
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If the USA had done Playmobil, I think we'd see modern life, modern military, and possibly a knight's theme and pirate theme. ACW and Westerns aren't terribly popular here. I think the American company would not be as experimental or risk-taking as the Germans.
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In conclusion:
I think Germany was the ideal breeding ground for Playmobil. There is something about the Northern European imagination that you don't find anywhere else in the world except Japan. It isn't a coincidence that Schleich, Playmobil, and Lego all come from Northern Europe. I bristle like Richard at PM's apparent drift toward Political Correctness, but the risk-taking that inspired it to create controversial toys in the first place might be unique to Germany (or at least Hans Beck).
