This is our first year covering Mattel, as we don't traditionally cover superhero figures. But this year Mattel has a bunch of great Japanese and related properties, so we thought we would take a look:
Naruto
Mattel continues the Naruto line with Battling Basic Figures, 8 inch figures, 12 inch figures, Role play accessories and a Chakra Challenge game. The line looked really good.
One Piece
I don't know if One Piece ever found its audience in the US, but Mattel has the toys for it, including Action Attack Figures, Pi-Ripz Figures, and the Super Elastic Luffy. They even have a cool Luffy hand that extends.
Yu-Gi-Oh GX
I find Yu-Gi-Oh to be probably the most annoying show on television. It drives me insane. But even I have to admit that the monster figures that Mattel puts out for this line are very cool.
The highlight of the show for me was the toys from Avatar: the Last Airbender. I love this show so much, and I am very excited to see toys of it. Action figures came in two types, regular and deluxe 'œBattle Benders'. There was also a great Appa toy that launches Ang off of his back. Also included in the line were other vehicles and even Ang's glider stick. Many characters from the show were noticeably absent, such as Katara, Momo and Uncle Iroh. Let's hope these figures get released in future waves.
NYTF06: Mattel