Is it just me, or do iconic deaths happen in threes?

Just as pop culture mavens recover from the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, news hits that the world’s most beloved big-headed doll is facing an untimely demise as well. It all started when the proprietor of an online store dealing in Blythes announced that her Japanese supplier would be cutting the amount of dolls it dispensed to her. She then relayed a rumour that Takara-Tomy is planning on reducing the number of Blythes it produces, partly in response to the (yawn) Global Financial Crisis.

The Blythe community has responded by freaking out a bit. Understandable, really. Who wouldn’t want this golden era of dolly production to continue indefinitely?

This is just a rumour, though. Blythe is a sought-after commodity, and it the companies associated with her production and trade are struggling, then there is a strong likelihood that there will be others waiting to pick up the slack.

In related news, Jun Planning, the Japanese company that markets Pullips and Dals, has announced its bankrupcy. Again, given the popularity of some of JP’s dolls, there is a chance that some of its interests will be handed over to another company. The future of Pullips and Dals remains unknown at this stage.

Still, even if the worst happens and Japan becomes a dolly wasteland, at least we got a lot of great years out of this Neo Blythe thing. And hey, the dolls we already have can only increase in value … right?

This year’s anniversary Blythe has been announced to a resounding ‘meh’ from the non-Japanese Blythe community.

There’s no denying that she’s pretty, and that I could swear that bag she’s carrying is a little Hermes Birkin, but the general mood seems to be that of quiet disappointment. She just doesn’t seem special enough and, with a new face mould having just been released, I don’t think I’m the only person who was surprised to see that the anniversary has a ‘radience’ face. I’m a big fan of the RBL, but don’t we already have three RBL blondes?

Her background story seems kind of dull too. Last year we had a beautiful fairy story unravel over the months before Christina and Eleanor were released. This year’s tale is more than a tad prosaic in comparison. She’s a girl who works at a fashion magazine. *stifles yawn* Perhaps the problem is simply that, while this girl is pretty, fashionable and could have been styled by Rachel Zoe, Blythe fans are more likely to admire quirkier retro looks? That might explain why so many more of us are excited about a certain new prima:

That’s a look I can get on board with