Enchantimals

Enchantimals
Logo for Enchantimals
Type Figures
Company Mattel
Country United States
Availability June 2017–present
Materials Plastic
Slogan "Caring Is Our Everything"
Official website

Enchantimals is a toy franchise created by Mattel in 2017. The line consists of human-animal hybrids and their woodland creature pets who live in Everwilde. It was released as a companion and spin-off line to Monster High and Ever After High. It has spawned a web series, two chapter books, and a television special for Nick Jr., an American pay television channel that is run by the Nickelodeon Group, a unit of the Viacom Media Networks division of Viacom, the channel's ultimate owner headquartered in New York City (which, unrelated to Enchantimals, voting control of Viacom is held by National Amusements, Inc., a privately owned theater company controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone, who also holds a controlling stake in CBS Corporation.). Development began in late 2015 after new Ever After High dolls stopped production. It was announced on October 12, 2016 and toys were first released in June of 2017. It met with lukewarm reception.[1]


Characters

Enchantimals

The Enchantimals are humanoids with animal characteristics that mainly consists of girls. Male Enchantimals will be introduced later on.

  • Bree Bunny - inventor (voiced by Maryke Hendrikse, Rachel Butera)
  • Bren Bear
  • Cameo Crab
  • Cherish Cheetah
  • Clarita Clownfish
  • Danessa Deer - fastest runner and vet of the Enchantimals (voiced by Diana Kaarina, Tara Sands)
  • Dolce Dolphin
  • Ekaterina Elephant
  • Fanci Flamingo
  • Felicity Fox - (voiced by Kazumi Evans, Kate Higgins)
  • Fluffy Bunny - only known Enchantimal to share the same species with another
  • Gillian Giraffe
  • Hixby Hedgehog - only Enchantimal to have been confirmed to be male
  • Jessa Jellyfish
  • Karina Koala
  • Lorna Lamb - (voiced by Patty Mattson)
  • Merit Monkey - (voiced by Salli Saffiotti)
  • Ohana Owl
  • Patter Peacock - A jungle Enchantimal who was from Junglewood, as confirmed in Finding Home. She has the inability to sing, unless she duets with Flap (voiced by Sabrina Pitre, Jonquil Goode)
  • Peeki Parrot
  • Petya Pig
  • Preena Penguin - A polar Enchantimal who was from Frozenwood, as confirmed in Finding Home. She runs an ice cream shop. Her appearance is based on Snow White. She speaks with a British drawl, similar to that of the Penguin from Batman: The Animated Series fame. (voiced by Rebecca Shoichet, Larissa Gallagher)
  • Prue Panda
  • Raelin Racoon
  • Saffi Swan
  • Sage Skunk - (voiced by Rebecca Shoichet, Rachel Butera)
  • Sancha Squirrel - (voiced by Kimberly Woods)
  • Sandella Seahorse
  • Starling Starfish
  • Taylee Turtle
  • Winsley Wolf (voiced by Polly Eachus)
  • Zelena Zebra

Pets

The pets that the Enchantimals own consist of forest animals. The Enchantimals either have one or two pets.

  • Twist, owned by Bree.
  • Snore and Zia, owned by Bren.
  • Chela, owned by Cameo.
  • Quick-Quick, owned by Cherish.
  • Cackle, owned by Clarita.
  • Sprint, owned by Danessa.
  • Largo, owned by Dolce.
  • Antic, owned by Ekaterina.
  • Swash, owned by Fanci
  • Flick, owned by Felicity.
  • Mop, owned by Fluffy.
  • Pawl, owned by Gillian.
  • Pointer, owned by Hixby.
  • Marisa, owned by Jessa.
  • Dab, owned by Karina.
  • Flag, owned by Lorna.
  • Compass, owned by Merit.
  • Yawn and Kani, owned by Ohana.
  • Flap, owned by Patter.
  • Sheeny, owned by Peeki.
  • Streusel and Nisha, owned by Petya.
  • Jayla, owned by Prenna.
  • Nari, owned by Prue.
  • Pester and Romy, owned by Raelin.
  • Caper, owned by Sage.
  • Stumper, owned by Sancha.
  • Idyl, owned by Starling.
  • Bounder, owned by Taylee.
  • Trooper, owned by Winsley.
  • Hoofette, owned by Zelena Zebra.

Development and release

The franchise originally began as part of the Ever After High franchise with the characters as smaller, animal-themed pixies.[2] Trademarks are filled on January 14, 2016 for a line called "Pixie World", which was to be a pixie-centric arc that was to follow the introductions of two groups of pixies in Mid December, 2015 and Early June, 2016.

Following the discontinuation of the EAH toy line, the "Pixie World" line was scrapped, but it does serve as the basis for Enchantimals. However, its heritage speaks only from its core concepts and is thus farther removed from its predecessors than Ever After High was from Monster High.

Enchantimals has not received similar marketing, being only recognizable as part of the greater whole due to similarities. It is unknown it this is intentional as a means for Mattel to start afresh, which is suggested by the avoiding of the high school setting, or a consequence of the cancellation and rebooting of the older two franchises. Like its predecessors with Bratz and Disney Princess, Enchantimals takes a cue or two from competing doll franchises.

My Little Pony's 2010 incarnation and its spin-off Equestria Girls, as well as the 2012 Littlest Pet Shop toy line, all done by Mattel's long-time main rival Hasbro, is the inspiration of Enchantimals' themes of nature and group-based friendship. Mattel looked on into them as Hasbro made a deal with Disney to produce newer licensed toys and games. Mattel itself has pointed at the "popular animal aesthetic [as seen in] social media filters" as a direct inspiration for the franchise, though whether this means the earlier pixies were based on the filters or if the filters account for the design difference between the pixies and the Enchantimals is not specified. The choice for the small size of the Enchantimals dolls has been ascribed to the market influence of the 2014 franchise Shopkins with emphasis on its 2015 doll spinoff Shoppies.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Inc., Mattel,. "Mattel Launches New Franchise Enchantimals™". www.prnewswire.com.
  2. ↑ "Mattel, Inc. - Investors & Media - Events & Presentations". investor.shareholder.com.
  3. ↑ "Mattel, Inc. - Investors & Media - Events & Presentations". investor.shareholder.com.
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