Company: Cool Things
Release: 2009-2010
Size: 3~4 cm
Main distribution: Europe
This is a series of 3D figures danglers of Barbapapa. Distributed by Italian Gashapon toy maker Cool Things. 2 sets were made.
The 3D Danglers came in 2 sets. “Barbaciondolini” and “Barbalove”. Each dangler is a 3D representation of the Barbapapa family.
Barbaciondolini
Release: 2009
All have their own unique print, although they are the same prints as on the Mini Moshy set.
They feel a bit rubbery but aren’t bendable. More like a soft plastic. Their branding is on their bottom, although it’s hard to see. It reads in raised font © 2009 A. T. and has the CE mark.
Due to Barbapapa being shapeshifters, they could have easily made 1 version in different colours, but they actually made unique ones for each family member.
There are 9 figures in this set, and I got 2/9.
Barbamama
Barbamama is the black female family member and the mother. She has a large droplet shaped body. Her mouth is closed and in a smile. She looks down. She is holding a heart. She has pink eye shadow and a red flower hairband.
Barbabob
Barbabob is the black family member. He is very hairy and has a round, plump body. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks up. Due to his hairy nature, he has white stripes over his body portraying this.
Barbalove
Release: 2010
Barbalove is the second set in the 3D Danglers series. Each Barbapapa family member is in a romantic shape.
Like the first series, they feel a bit rubbery but aren’t bendable. More like a soft plastic. Their branding is on their bottom, although it’s hard to see. It reads in raised font © 2010 A. T. and has the CE mark.
Again there are 9 figures in this set, and I got 5/9.
Barbabenno
Barbabenno is the blue family member and a scientist. He is heart shaped. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks to the right. He has an arm on the front and back. He is the same as Barbaborre.
Barbabientje
Barbabientje is the orange family member and an intellectual as well as an activist. She is flower shaped. Her mouth is open and she is smiling. She is wearing her iconic glasses and is looking upward. She has a blue flower hairband. The glasses and hairband continue on the back.
Barbaborre
Barbaborre is the red family member and a sportsman. He is heart shaped. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks to the right. He has an arm on the front and back. He is the same as Barbabenno.
Barbabella
Barbabella is the purple family member and very pretty. She loves jewellery, dresses and make-up. She is heart shaped. Her mouth is open and she is happy. She is wearing an pearl bracelet. She looks to the right and has pink eye shadow. She has a yellow flower hairband. Her bun is on top of the heart. The hairband continues on the back.
Barbabee
Barbabee is the yellow family member and loves nature and animals. He is star shaped. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks to the right and upwards.
Barbapapa is a French anime that was broadcast a lot in the Netherlands in the ’80s and early ’90s. It’s very nostalgic to me, despite not remembering many details of the show. I remember reading the books more than the tv show as well.
Barbapapa comes from the French “barbe à papa“, which means cotton candy (literally the beard of daddy), which makes sense seeing he’s a giant pink blob.
Although created by a French student and American teacher, it was a Dutch publisher that made the first books in Dutch, French, English and American. The American publishers refused to make the second book as it contained a black mama!
Several years later the TV series was made. The first season consisted out of 45 5min episodes. The second season out of 48 5min episodes. A final third season got made in 2006 consisting out of 50 5min episodes.
I’m guessing the merchandise boom in the late 2000’s is related to this third season, which I never saw. I had plushies, Mini Moshy and these. I never found much merchandise for them, apart from some expensive bully? figures, so seeing them in a Gashapon machine was cool!
I tried to get them all, but never managed. I got some books and the old TV series on DVD as well, but my boyfriend doesn’t like it. Unable to share this with him, and finding it a shame these just sit in a box, I decided while downsizing to sell them. I love small figures but these can’t stand on their own. They are proper hanging ones! The shaped ones from series 2 are even less interesting to me. I have no emotional attachment to these danglers and they are incomplete sets so they can go from me.
I hope they find a lovely home though. And I still wanted to catalogue them here for people. Gashapon are great after all.
Got any more details / information? Did I get something wrong? Do you own the same danglers? Let me know in the comments below!