Company: Cool Things
Release: 2009
Size: 6 cm
Main distribution: Europe
This is a set of soft, squeezable “plush” danglers of Barbapapa. Distributed by Italian Gashapon toy maker Cool Things.
Moshy is I guess a mix of the Japanese Mocchi Mocchi (a craze of super soft squishable plush) and mush softness. They kind of act like anti-stress balls or beanies. Inside them are little polystyrene balls, while their body is made of elastic polyester.
That said they are quite firm in my opinion. Barbapapa is the only one that feels somewhat nice to me, perhaps because he is bigger?
They all got a little tush tag with the branding on it. The front has the Barbapapa logo and © 2009 A. T. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The back has the materials, website and legal stuff on it. It seems this was produced as one long ribbon, then cut and attached to the danglers.
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. Although they use the same prints as the 3D Danglers set.
There are 9 plush in this set, and I got 7/9.
Barbabee
Barbabee is the yellow family member and loves nature and animals. He has a round, plump body. His mouth is slightly open.
Barbaborre
Barbaborre is the red family member and a sportsman. He has a round, plump body. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks off to the left.
Barbabenno
Barbabenno is the blue family member and a scientist. He has a round, plump body. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks forward.
Barbapapa
Barbapapa is the pink family member and the father. He has a big round, plump body. His mouth is closed and in a smile. He looks forward. He is holding a flower. Barbapapa was born like a flower.
Barbalala
Barbalala is the green family member and loves music. She has a slim, pear shaped body. Her mouth is closed and in a smile. She looks forward and has pink eye shadow. She has a pink flower hairband.
Barbabientje
Barbabientje is the orange family member and an intellectual as well as an activist. She has a slim, pear shaped body. Her mouth is open and she is giggling. She is wearing her iconic glasses and has her eyes closed from laughter. She also has pink eye shadow. She has a blue flower hairband.
Barbabella
Barbabella is the purple family member and very pretty. She loves jewellery, dresses and make-up. She has a slim, pear shaped body. Her mouth is open and she is happy. She is wearing her iconic pearl necklace. She looks forward and has pink eye shadow. She has a yellow flower hairband.
The plush is more dark pink than purple though sadly.
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, these and another set of Gashapon 3D Danglers. 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 have no emotional attachment to these danglers and it’s an incomplete set 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!