Betteridge’s law of headlines says that any question in the headlines of an article is answered with a no. Well, a while ago, I asked, “Can anime help save Toys R Us?”
Well, Betteridge was right — the answer is no.
As you no doubt have heard by now, Toys R Us is going to liquidate the vast majority of its stores, if not all.
That means no more Toys R Us kids.
I’m not going to rehash much of what’s been plastered around every news site across the Internet. Toys R Us, at best, may continue with 200 of its best-performing stores, perhaps under its Canadian division, which they’re hoping to sell. And we could all play our favorite “who’s to blame” game and point figures at everything from Amazon to Toys R Us’ timing for their bankruptcy. Regardless, any future Toys R Us will be so different, it will feel like Geoffrey the Giraffe became Geoffrey the Zebra.
For modern anime fans who cling to simulcasting and online-only specialty stores, Toys R Us’ disappearance may be nothing but a blip on the radar. After all, anime-related merchandise is minimal, and most fans discover new series through streaming or general Internet hype.
However, for me, it’s another soon-to-be closed chapter of my personal anime history. Years ago, I saw an advertisement for an unusual-looking show airing on Cartoon Network: Sailor Moon. Then, I found a VHS tape of it at a Blockbuster near where I was staying at the time. I fell in love with the show, and although I wanted to own it, it was too much for me. But then, I stumbled across tapes of the series at the nearby Toys R Us. These were half the price (and, I learned later, half the episodes), but I excitedly bought one after another, as it’s easier to save up $10 instead of $20. Those were my first pieces of anime merchandise, a decision that brought a lot of fun and empty wallets.
While I still have those VHS tapes, afternoon Toonami is no more. Blockbuster is no more. And now most of Toys R Us will be no more — or in a form that will hardly recognize.
For the anime and manga industry, Toys R Us’ bankruptcy is hardly Borders-level devastation. But it’s also more than just having to go elsewhere to find a Pikachu plush. Think of all the Kingdom Hearts blindboxes that are going to be clearanced out at a fraction of the price. Exclusives like the Sailor Moon Queen Beryl Funko POP that may be even harder to find. Hello Kitty playsets that will have to compete for aisle space against Barbie and Disney Princess at smaller stores. Orders of figures that will now be cancelled. And that’s not to mention many of those 30,000 employees who will put off buying an anime Blu-ray set in order to save up money for their forced unemployment.
Of course, I never expected that just stocking some Bandai Figuarts and Proplica collectibles would suddenly let Toys R Us pay all of its past debts in one lump sum. But considering Hasbro ended up dumping a whole bunch of Yo-kai Watch toys at dollar stores, I’m sure other toy companies will think twice about signing on to be the official merchandiser of a foreign, non-movie-oriented franchise. I remember VIZ Media trying to shop around Kirari Revolution, and ADV Films started dubbing Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch but couldn’t release the series due to a lack of merchandise and TV sponsors.
Being a toy store, Toys R Us had the space and ability to market such items. But now, the number of little girl or boys whose anime journeys started by stumbling across a cute Cardcaptors wand or a large karate-chopping Naruto figure will soon be limited even more without the largest toy chain in the world.