Well, actually… Takeo Mizutani of Fashion Royalty was released in 2008 but it would have made a clumsy title… and he’s East Asian to be exact… or is he really Eurasian? (still waiting for our South Asian and South-East Asian boys to appear…)
In the Mix Takeo Mizutani SKU# 82022
Takeo Mizutani
Takeo Mizutani... again
What do you think of his face sculpt and paint?
Commentary (including thoughts on the ninja part of Takeo’s bio hrmmppffft) to follow tomorrow… Good night for now!
Tags: east asian, fashion royalty, japanese, stereotypes, takeo mizutani
Love him! Here I go again, I have to save money to get this dude! I was wanted an Asian boy doll and here is here! SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!
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Therese Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I’d wanted Moscow Mission Takeo in his cool suit too but I didn’t have money when our local dealer had him… I wonder if Integrity Toys ships internationally…
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I think Integrity Toys would ship overseas.
I prefer the Mission Moscow doll, but this guy, In the Mix Takeo, is cute, too.
Do you recall the 1 Modern Circle Ken doll from 2003? His grandmother was supposed to be Asian … I don’t recall where I read that but I’ll check for it.
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Therese Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Yeah, I’ve heard that bit too… maybe it’s on a story card from the 1MC Director Ken? (I have the 1MC Evening Ken and there is nothing that says anything about him being part-Asian)… the doll doesn’t look very Asian to me but possibly Eurasian (but then a lot of people who aren’t Eurasian look Eurasian anyway… confusing much? lol)
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D7ana Reply:
September 18th, 2010 at 1:28 am
1MC Daywear Ken doesn’t look very Asian to me either but he has a slightly darker complexion and black hair (LOL, guess that’s how his “Asian” heritage appears?). What interests me is that I don’t recall any comment regarding his Asian heritage at the time he came out.
If I ever get a Takeo, I would go for the first one because I love the suit. He looks soo sharp in it.
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He looks a little like someone I know. I think the hair is promising and can be styled into those Asian hairstyles with a wispy layered look.
About the skin tone, well, like you said it’s quite confusing to determine the nationality based on physical features. I think he could use a hint of yellow for the skin, but I’m not sure.
Regarding his ninja accessories, maybe they’re trying to access the action figure fans as well. Hehehe.
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I think he looks like Bruce Lee. ;-D
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Therese Reply:
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm
well, that makes sense… Bruce Lee was Eurasian after all (part German)
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Awwww! He is so cute! As an African-American woman who loves dolls, I was waiting for them to make a male Asian Ken doll. Asian men can be just as handsome as Black men (my big brother looks like a Black Ken doll by the way ^_^), white men, Native American men and Latino men and Western society tends to portray Asian men in media as usually least desirable and asexual. I just wish Mattel would make a Asian male doll mold so young Asian girls could give their Kira doll a prince as well.
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Therese Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 8:29 am
You are so right, everyone is beautiful
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i think he’s ridiculous
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Takeo is Japanese, it was stated in the convention literature. The ninja part may be stereotyping for some people but others (like me) like it – we grew up with Bruce Lee so it holds a certain mystique for us (not like younger people raised with Teenage Ninja Mutant turtles, argh). I love the sword included with that doll and even have the extra accessories package from the convention (gloves, camera etc). I have both Takeo versions and they are excellent fashion dolls – Integrity never professed selling action figures.
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After looking at many photo of the two Takeos and really thinking about it! The first Takeo is better to me! I always love having an Asian doll around and now we have a asian male! I cool is that!
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Lovely doll~! And the call center guy thing made me laugh out loud!
However, Asian male fashion dolls aren’t that new. The Bratz, while racially/ethnically indeterminable, featured Eitan. Many identified him as East Asian, since he is nicknamed “the dragon,” and has smooth dark hair with slanted eyes.
Proof:
Etian facemold: http://www.webotop.net/images%20helen1/bratz%20funk%20out/eitan01.JPG
Eitan’s character art for the London Punkz series: http://www.thebratzboyz.com/images/eitanpunkzboxback.jpg
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Ahhh!! 8D he’s so hot. we need more asian kens! all I can find is Li Shang from Mulan.
And also we need more nerdy kens (maybe a nerdy boyfriend for skipper?). Not that all Asians are nerdy – I’m just attracted to both kinds of guys xD …I’m really excited about getting the computer engineer barbie!
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I got Takeo!! This gorgeous In the Mix one! He’s so cute eeeep! <3
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[...] Since September 2010, Mattel are now selling it’s first Asian Ken Doll. Must have been my one person protest… [...]
I’ve got an Asian doll that is ‘Barbie size’.
He is very South East Asian, or Southern Chinese looking.
Not a European face with ‘Asian eyes’ like Mattel’s Asian Ken doll.
The bone structure is definitely Asian.
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Force-Chinese-Squadron-Military/dp/B0006FUA2W
I found him one day at Target (Australia). I’ve got the Sniper version (can’t find an image online). Named him ‘David Lau’.
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Don’t forget about Disney’s Mulan; Captain Li Shang is Chinese (yes, he’s a little cartoony, but still handsome!)
I’ve ended up getting a number of dolls from the Japanese company Dragon to bolster my lack of Asian Kens. They make a really good-looking “Officer Chow”, unofficially modeled on Chow Yun Fat, for instance. I’ve gone to GI Joe shows in California & picked them up pretty inexpensively.
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