Inspiration for Japanese customizations

[Richard]

Hello, Timmy ... 

I'll catch Porco Rossi.

BTW ... It's "Rosso" (he's Italian)... most of the folks named "Rossi" come from Sicily!

And no ninjas!  No rickshaws!  Miyazaki avoids them too.

If my memory serves me correctly, most of the "Asian things" that you seem to find so objectionable, originated with the British colonization of Hong Kong! And, the subsequent European interpretation of Asia through American films. It's what the public seemed to want, so Hollywood gave it to them. (Along with cowboys and Indians, Tarzan, Amos and Andy, gangsters, the Mounties, the French Foreign Legion, Custer and all of the other stereotypes that many of us grew up with.)

I actually loved all those old movies and still watch them today! It makes life very simple to organize things in a "predictable stereotypical" model. Fortunately (or some might think unfortunately), in reality ... life is usually fairly unpredictable.

All the best,
Richard

Edit: Added the missing "r" to "Fench" ... didn't want offend any Francophiles ...

[Timotheos]

I actually loved all those old movies and still watch them today! It makes life very simple to organize things in a "predictable stereotypical" model. Fortunately (or some might think unfortunately), in reality life is usually fairly unpredictable.

Hi Richard!

Actually, my beef is less against "Asian stereotyping" than against our limited exposure to the full range of Japanese / Chinese pop culture.

Example: American wants a lot of ninjas and a few samurais with big swords.

But if you read the Japanese comics (like Lone Wolf and Cub--admittedly ninja heavy, but the ninjas don't even dress like American ninjas) there's a lot more cooler stuff. 

PM seems to do a little research into their themes, anyway, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it. 

-Tim

[Richard]

Hello, Timmy ...

PM seems to do a little research into their themes, anyway, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it. 

If we can think about Playmobil as only a "suggestion," then it seems to make it all a bit easier to understand.

The little smiling Klicky is only a suggestion of a person. It has no nose or ears. The body is completely out of proportion. Etc. But, we all appear to love it anyway.

The Klicky's many costumes are also only suggestions. And the combination of suggestions seem to take on almost an iconic role.

If we look at the attached illustration as a group of easily recognized "icons," then it becomes easier to understand why Playmobil is successful in quickly capturing the imagination of most adults and children.

Almost any marketing guru will tell you that you only have a brief moment to grab the attention of a potential buyer. So, Playmobil creates toys that are easily recognizable icons.

Looking at the first two Klickys in the attached illustration we see a cowboy and an Indian. Most of us probably know that ALL cowboys and amerindians did not look like that. Yet, they are easily recognizable icons.

The next two Klickys are easily recognized as a Viking and a Pirate. Again, most of us here at Playmofriends probably know that Vikings and Pirates in reality looked a bit different. However, they are easily recognized icons.

The last two Klickys in the attached illustration are easily recognized as Chinese and Japanese. Need I say more? ...

All the best,
Richard

[Gepetto]

There are a lot of Porco Rosso clips on YouTube.com, very nice story. I especially like that period in time and the steam ships and seaplanes and clothes, etc.


Gepetto