News Sweet Duffy 2010

[DuffyDaisuki]

1/22~3/14, from Funderful Disney newsletter. Duffy is also the solo featured character for February in the 2010 Funderful calendar.

Expect goods, sweets, souvenir cup/plate and Cape Cod Cook-Off area theming. I also imagine there will be a new costume. Perhaps the heartful red sailor from last year that wasn't officially released?:love:

http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blo...0080119_01.gif http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blo...1B0E381812.gif[http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blo...9_02-b7c5d.gif

By the by: I noticed a lot of people posing and photographing Duffys in TDS yesterday. Go Duffy!^^

[JoeInJpn]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Also, Duffy (wearing a jack-o-lantern theme outfit) is the featured character for October in the 2010 TDR Calendar for Cast Members.

[DreamSweetsLove]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Omg DuffyDad!! Did you make the little moving duffy pictures!?

[Olivier]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

That's very cute!!! Thanks!

[DuffyGuardian]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

That is really cute. Thanks for posting.

[gurgi]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Yay! Especially since I missed out on last year's Sweet Duffy stuff.

[DuffyDaisuki]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

The official site says (in Japanese^^):

Grand Opening Announcement from Duffy:

2010/1/22 (Friday)-3/14 (Sunday)
"Sweet Duffy" opens at Cape Cod Cook-off for 2010.

Duffy has even bigger plans this year...

And here are some translations of the first two parts of the Sweet Duffy 2010 story. Sounds like there's gonna be a new character. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet...:unsure:











Well, that's all for now. Still no photos of goods or the new costume that I assume will be available, but the site says 「Lots more fun coming your way! Be sure to check back!」

[DuffyDaisuki]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Omg DuffyDad!! Did you make the little moving duffy pictures!?

No, I just linked to them. I don't have skills like that.^^

[JoeInJpn]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

In a subject related to the Duffy-dom (Duffy's Kingdom) that is Cape Cod, "Donald's Boat Builders" final performance is this coming Monday, January 11th.

[DuffyGuardian]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Very exciting! Thanks for posting, DuffyDad.

[jedimaster7313]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Thanks for the info DuffyDad- Now we all know by now what your & Gurgi's opinion on moving Duffy anywhere outside of Cape Cod area or TDS in general.

How are you taking the "New Friend" aspect? Do you think the new friend will be a smaller version of Duffy, for Duffy to carry around- or is there some competition looming that it may be finally giving Duffy a specific gender- distinguishing between a male and female version of Duffy? And would this new "friend" give Duffy any competition?

I hope it doesn't, but it sounds to me like Duffy may be in for some competition.

[jedimaster7313]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Ok, I know I should get back to work (since I am there physically, but mentally somewhere in Disney Sea right now)-

This is slightly off topic on Sweet Duffy- but one thing I don't even recall seeing before. On my other post in the Christmas thread, I mentioned I had been reviewing past photos on deepdisney.com.

One thing I don't recall is seeing the St Patricks outfit on Duffy. What seemed even stranger to me is that most of the photos were taken in October of 2006. Now I assume it may have been a part of his Halloween outfit that year- but did seem odd to me that they were pushing St Patricks Day in October- and I was there a few days after & don't ever recall seeing them while I was there.

Anyway- one random thought I figured I'd throw out there if anyone knows more.

I'm sure I'll discover much more during my journey on deepdisney.

[Malin]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

In a subject related to the Duffy-dom (Duffy's Kingdom) that is Cape Cod, "Donald's Boat Builders" final performance is this coming Monday, January 11th.

Lets hope there are ready this time for the possible crowds who may turn up to catch the last performance. We don't want another Mickey Mouse Revue incident where hundreds were turn away to the last performance in tears.

[gurgi]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Ok, I know I should get back to work (since I am there physically, but mentally somewhere in Disney Sea right now)-

This is slightly off topic on Sweet Duffy- but one thing I don't even recall seeing before. On my other post in the Christmas thread, I mentioned I had been reviewing past photos on deepdisney.com.

One thing I don't recall is seeing the St Patricks outfit on Duffy. What seemed even stranger to me is that most of the photos were taken in October of 2006. Now I assume it may have been a part of his Halloween outfit that year- but did seem odd to me that they were pushing St Patricks Day in October- and I was there a few days after & don't ever recall seeing them while I was there.

Anyway- one random thought I figured I'd throw out there if anyone knows more.

I'm sure I'll discover much more during my journey on deepdisney.

Yeah, seeing DuffyDad's translations mentioning the new character kind of makes me nervous. The fact that Minnie is "making" a friend for Duffy is ominous. I would not be surprised if it indeed was a "girl" version, another kind of bear. I think it will be different from the "Cuddly Bear" concept that's available everywhere outside the parks. Not sure I like it, but what can I do? It does not good to lament this, because it's going to happen regardless. It might just mean I lose interest, but if that happens, at least I'll save money, LOL!

As for that St. Patrick's costume, yeah, I have also seen pictures of Duffy actually wearing that in the park. I also found it odd that it was a fall release. I'm not sure of the significance of that, but there must have been a reason. I know it was in the "early days" where the costume designs were more simple and basically involved a hat & shirt/vest/sweater. I think the shamrock design is very cute, and I would love to have it for St. Patrick's day, but it's long gone...

[DuffyDaisuki]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

One thing I don't recall is seeing the St Patricks outfit on Duffy. What seemed even stranger to me is that most of the photos were taken in October of 2006. Now I assume it may have been a part of his Halloween outfit that year- but did seem odd to me that they were pushing St Patricks Day in October- and I was there a few days after & don't ever recall seeing them while I was there...

This is Duffy's "Oktoberfest" costume from 2007. Why it's Irish and not German, I don't know...It has always looked like St. Patrick's Day to me, too, though.^^

Yeah, seeing DuffyDad's translations mentioning the new character kind of makes me nervous. The fact that Minnie is "making" a friend for Duffy is ominous. I would not be surprised if it indeed was a "girl" version, another kind of bear. I think it will be different from the "Cuddly Bear" concept that's available everywhere outside the parks. Not sure I like it, but what can I do? It does not good to lament this, because it's going to happen regardless. It might just mean I lose interest, but if that happens, at least I'll save money, LOL!

Yeah, this has me worried, too. If I don't like the new character, Duffy's show costume in March will probably be the end for me. Might be a good time to stop spending money on a silly teddy bear anyway. I didn't get nearly as far as I intended with any of my photo/story projects and ultimately ended up just being a consumer. Nicely done, Disney and OLC!:blush:

I do have a sinking feeling that it will be a female version, and that Duffy will start being marketed as part of a hetero-pair. When this happens, one of the things that I like about Duffy - that he is an icon of innocent childhood love-of-all (unburdened by limitations on love that come with romantic attachment and growing up) - will be gone. No matter how much you love Mickey or think he loves you, we all know that he loves Minnie more.) I hope if it is a female version, that she is like a sister or clearly just a pal, with no romantic overtones. If Duffy has his own "girlfriend" and a story that emphasizes this direction, the bond with an owner is less relevant: Your Duffy still belongs to you, but Duffy belongs to her. Even if they're just best friends, though; if they're marketed together, there's the feeling that you now need a "set." I don't doubt this is part of the plan. Some rabid fans, of course, will enjoy just having more Duffy goods to buy. For all the people who won't have heard of Duffy before the new mainstream version, there will be no sense of change or loss; this will simply be who Duffy is. If I understand at all why Duffy has been such a hit, though, this direction really will have a big (negative?) impact on some existing fans, myself included. It may - likely will - generate lots of revenue, but the charm will begin to fade.

Duffy will no longer have the mystique of childhood and collector teddy bears: the "best friend" of a child-mind, keeper of its secrets, sharer in its creativity, given life only by the holder's imagination. As long as fans could decide if Duffy was male or female, dress their bear how they want and see all interpretations as equally valid; Duffy was teddy bear first, and by extension the teddy bear for Disney fans.

Behaviorally, nothing really has to change, but with too much story, the possibility opens that some fans' characterizations of Duffy are "wrong." Especially as this new direction seems headed for the mass market, there will be in the popular culture, a "right" image of Duffy. Duffy's main appeal vs. every other character is that he has always belonged to fans. For me, Duffy is more the embodiment of the concept of teddy bear than the embodiment of the Disney brand. With too much development, though, he can no longer be the "essence" of teddy bear; he will be one specific bear, with one specific story and cast of supporting characters. The more characters he interacts with, the less he seems like an actual teddy bear. And once this happens, one fan's plush doll is no longer Duffy himself, but an image of Duffy, like plush dolls of Goofy or Daisy. Eventually, even children will limit the ways they play with Duffy, as they do with other well established characters. Batman can't fly and Superman is not a detective. Then again...Mickey was not always the happy-go-lucky nice guy we usually see today, and Donald - even now - isn't always angry.^^

Still, as some of us have always said, overexposure and too limited definition destroy Duffy's "magic." He will lose the quality that makes him transcendent, and be just another Disney marketing character - just another thing to buy. And once that happens, the whole thing just ceases to be worth it to me. I know that it's not actually different now, but when it starts to feel "crass," one can no longer be charmed by the illusion. Wow, it's really funny that I actually think all this and can put it into words...I wonder sometimes if I really am crazy... My own Duffy will still remind me of my "year of Disney and the indulgent childhood I never had," but I won't be boarding the "mainstream Duffy" train if it goes where I suspect it's going. What it takes to design that is far less impressive to me.

Still, it hadn't even occurred to me that the new friend could be Duffy's own plush, like Scrump from Lilo & Stitch or something. This would work for me, as it's still built on the power of plush, which is fundamentally about the power of the material/superficial to emotionally connect. This is both the essence of teddy bear and the essence of Disney, which is what makes Duffy work, at least for me.

The female counterpart concept seems, beyond being far more mundane, fairly redundant to me in light of Cuddly Bear. If there is a female Duffy, not only does she steal Duffy's spotlight, she will be in direct competition with Cuddly Bear. This seems like a misguided marketing move to me, since Cuddly has just now started to really become mainstream and yet to become fully adored as a "fan thing" and not just a "kid thing." This fact gives me hope that perhaps it will not be a female Duffy, but something more surprising, creative and interesting. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.:unsure: I admit to still hoping that I am pleasantly surprised at just how good an idea this new friend is once it all plays out. It would make me quite happy, and I don't think it's entirely unlikely. The Duffy designers are my favorite team at OLC/Disney, hands down.^^

[gurgi]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

This is Duffy's "Oktoberfest" costume from 2007. Why it's Irish and not German, I don't know...It has always looked like St. Patrick's Day to me, too, though.^^

I don't quite get that either...it's not remotely German in design. It's adorable, but not really thematic...just odd.

Yeah, this has me worried, too. If I don't like the new character, Duffy's show costume in March will probably be the end for me. Might be a good time to stop spending money on a silly teddy bear anyway. I didn't get nearly as far as I intended with any of my photo/story projects and ultimately ended up just being a consumer. Nicely done, Disney and OLC!:blush:

Well, one good thing if you decide to stop in March. You can then regroup and focus on the things you do have and then pick up with your photo/story projects without distraction of buying new Duffy things.

I do have a sinking feeling that it will be a female version, and that Duffy will start being marketed as part of a hetero-pair. When this happens, one of the things that I like about Duffy - that he is an icon of innocent childhood love-of-all (unburdened by limitations on love that come with romantic attachment and growing up) - will be gone. No matter how much you love Mickey or think he loves you, we all know that he loves Minnie more.) I hope if it is a female version, that she is like a sister or clearly just a pal, with no romantic overtones. If Duffy has his own "girlfriend" and a story that emphasizes this direction, the bond with an owner is less relevant: Your Duffy still belongs to you, but Duffy belongs to her. Even if they're just best friends, though; if they're marketed together, there's the feeling that you now need a "set." I don't doubt this is part of the plan. Some rabid fans, of course, will enjoy just having more Duffy goods to buy. For all the people who won't have heard of Duffy before the new mainstream version, there will be no sense of change or loss; this will simply be who Duffy is. If I understand at all why Duffy has been such a hit, though, this direction really will have a big (negative?) impact on some existing fans, myself included. It may - likely will - generate lots of revenue, but the charm will begin to fade.

Personally, I find the addition of a "girlfriend" horribly cliche. But then, Disney is often capable of that... You're right though, that something will change with Duffy if that happens. Right now he's loosely male. But, it's more like he's androgynous, or just the hint of a boy. Ok, he doesn't wear dresses (officially), but he's never really done anything overly masculine either. If he ends up with a girl partner, then that does change his story, and just lumps him in with all the other Disney couples out there. I can see it from the marketing angle though, and a "set" sounds like a great idea for more money. Still, it does force you to put Duffy into a relationship mindset, and he's always paired with his mate. I really do hope it's not a girl version, but then the fact that this is happening over Valentines & White Day, it does make me wary.

Duffy will no longer have the mystique of childhood and collector teddy bears: the "best friend" of a child-mind, keeper of its secrets, sharer in its creativity, given life only by the holder's imagination. As long as fans could decide if Duffy was male or female, dress their bear how they want and see all interpretations as equally valid; Duffy was teddy bear first, and by extension the teddy bear for Disney fans.

Yeah, defining him as strictly male, and giving him a female partner just makes him "grow up" a little more. No longer will he be the innocent, childlike plaything. He's got a responsibility to maintain a relationship. It will make the fans who create dresses for Duffy move over to the girl version only and finally define Duffy as only being able to wear boy clothes.

Behaviorally, nothing really has to change, but with too much story, the possibility opens that some fans' characterizations of Duffy are "wrong." Especially as this new direction seems headed for the mass market, there will be in the popular culture, a "right" image of Duffy. Duffy's main appeal vs. every other character is that he has always belonged to fans. For me, Duffy is more the embodiment of the concept of teddy bear than the embodiment of the Disney brand. With too much development, though, he can no longer be the "essence" of teddy bear; he will be one specific bear, with one specific story and cast of supporting characters. The more characters he interacts with, the less he seems like an actual teddy bear. And once this happens, one fan's plush doll is no longer Duffy himself, but an image of Duffy, like plush dolls of Goofy or Daisy. Eventually, even children will limit the ways they play with Duffy, as they do with other well established characters. Batman can't fly and Superman is not a detective. Then again...Mickey was not always the happy-go-lucky nice guy we usually see today, and Donald - even now - isn't always angry.^^

Yeah, I think too much story can be a bad thing for such a generic character. They got the Cape Cod foundation so right, it seems like just adding more and more will only pigeon-hole Duffy into being like the watered down Mickey we see today. I know Disney is going to try to bring the classic Mickey back this year, but it's going to take quite a shift to make the public view Mickey as the scrappy, mischievous mouse he used to be so long ago. Once Duffy goes down the path of mediocrity, it will take a lot to get people to really care again.

Also, in Japan, is it common to have such a malleable character as Duffy? I mean, I get the impression that it's the norm in Japan to have a character's identity spelled out so that you do play with them "correctly".

Still, as some of us have always said, overexposure and too limited definition destroy Duffy's "magic." He will lose the quality that makes him transcendent, and be just another Disney marketing character - just another thing to buy. And once that happens, the whole thing just ceases to be worth it to me. I know that it's not actually different now, but when it starts to feel "crass," one can no longer be charmed by the illusion. Wow, it's really funny that I actually think all this and can put it into words...I wonder sometimes if I really am crazy... My own Duffy will still remind me of my "year of Disney and the indulgent childhood I never had," but I won't be boarding the "mainstream Duffy" train if it goes where I suspect it's going. What it takes to design that is far less impressive to me.

I think at that point, he'll kind of revert back to his "Disney Bear" origins. Only this time with WAY more story...but just as boring, LOL. I mean, if they end up giving him a whole cast of characters to interact with, a house to live in, a job, a social life...where is the time for adventure? He's pinned down to domestic life...that's why Mickey got so bland.

Still, it hadn't even occurred to me that the new friend could be Duffy's own plush, like Scrump from Lilo & Stitch or something. This would work for me, as it's still built on the power of plush, which is fundamentally about the power of the material/superficial to emotionally connect. This is both the essence of teddy bear and the essence of Disney, which is what makes Duffy work, at least for me.

That's just weird, LOL! Not saying that you are, but the image of another plush come to life is like those never ending pictures that go into infinity. Minnie makes a bear that comes to life, that then needs it's own plush that comes to life, and then that plush will need a friend, etc. It's just kind of a funny concept. Although, if they do it right, it could work, but I find it kind of ironic.

The female counterpart concept seems, beyond being far more mundane, fairly redundant to me in light of Cuddly Bear. If there is a female Duffy, not only does she steal Duffy's spotlight, she will be in direct competition with Cuddly Bear. This seems like a misguided marketing move to me, since Cuddly has just now started to really become mainstream and yet to become fully adored as a "fan thing" and not just a "kid thing." This fact gives me hope that perhaps it will not be a female Duffy, but something more surprising, creative and interesting. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.:unsure: I admit to still hoping that I am pleasantly surprised at just how good an idea this new friend is once it all plays out. It would make me quite happy, and I don't think it's entirely unlikely. The Duffy designers are my favorite team at OLC/Disney, hands down.^^

Yeah, I'm excited to see who/what it is on one hand, and disappointed on the other. I can see the competition with Cuddly Bear. But, then that kind of thing happens with Disney all the time. One division doesn't know what the other is doing and they end up competing with themselves. I'm sure Disney Consumer Products saw how successful Duffy was and created their own (Cuddly Bear), and now, OLC could step on DCP's toes with this new friend. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time.

[gurgi]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Oh, Duffydad, guess what? Your prediction was right on! Guess what the Sweet Duffy costume is?



Terrible picture, I know, but if you look, it's the heartful red sailor costume you wanted them to release. It's very cute, in my opinion.

Oh, and what, exactly, is this thing?

[DuffyDaisuki]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Oh, Duffydad, guess what? Your prediction was right on! Guess what the Sweet Duffy costume is?



Terrible picture, I know, but if you look, it's the heartful red sailor costume you wanted them to release. It's very cute, in my opinion.

Oh, and what, exactly, is this thing?

Well, I'm VERY happy about that! Where are these photos from? I was in the Disney Store today and forgot to pick up that parks newsletter they have there. Is it from that? I didn't see these in the February DisneyFAN. That second thing looks like either a popcorn bucket or the special lunchbox you can get. There was a Donald one, so perhaps this is replacing it after the last showing of Boat Builders? Or do we have to wait til March? Please tell us the source. Nice find!^^

PS - Just notice it actually says "ポップコーン" (popcorn), but I can't tell for sure if that text goes with that item from the photo.

[DuffyGuardian]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Thanks for posting the photo gurgi. So has Duffy warn this costume in the parks before? It is cute. How do you guys ever keep that much white clean in the parks? lol Maybe you don't let Duffy ware that into the park.

I do think that if Duffy has a female counterpart that will change things. I really wish they wouldn't do this, if that is what they are doing. I think Duffy should have a Disney plush doll that is for his size. For me I picked up a Pluto plush that has a strap and a zipper in the back. Not really sure what its called. Anyhow, my Duffy plays with him, so he has a Disney Plush Doll. Its a little big for Duffy, but Duffy is just a kid and "will grow into it" I know that is silly.

Not every character needs a counterpart! Goofy is just fine womenless. lol I was going to also add Pluto in the womenless category but then I remembered Tokyo has Fifi. You don't see her much state side. I didn't even know she existed till I was in Tokyo.

I think it is good that there are Disney characters that are in couples, little girls dream of their prince all the time and it is wonderful. Well until they realize life isn't a fair-tale, but really childhood is about dreaming of the impossible and everyone should have that time in their lives. Which out dreaming we would never get anywhere. If no one dreamed of going to the moon, no one would have gone. If Walt didn't have his dream, we wouldn't be here chatting today.

I think Duffy is a great character that takes on so many hats. He is, like we have all said, what ever you want him to be and that is what makes him priceless(yes Im quoting the silly credit card commercials). I think creating more costumes for Duffy is great. That way if you want fireman Duffy you can have fireman Duffy. I can see OLC not just doing a normal fireman costume. Duffy would be dressed as a child would with a little fire truck. Because Duffy too is a child who dreams.

I don't know, I just hope the new character is a plush toy doll and not a female Duffy. They have female bears they could develop, look at Bear Jamboree. If they do a female Duffy, then next we will see invites to Goofy wedding. lol

[DuffyDaisuki]

Re: Sweet Duffy 2010

Also, in Japan, is it common to have such a malleable character as Duffy? I mean, I get the impression that it's the norm in Japan to have a character's identity spelled out so that you do play with them "correctly".

I think at that point, he'll kind of revert back to his "Disney Bear" origins. Only this time with WAY more story...but just as boring, LOL. I mean, if they end up giving him a whole cast of characters to interact with, a house to live in, a job, a social life...where is the time for adventure? He's pinned down to domestic life...that's why Mickey got so bland.

That's just weird, LOL! Not saying that you are, but the image of another plush come to life is like those never ending pictures that go into infinity. Minnie makes a bear that comes to life, that then needs it's own plush that comes to life, and then that plush will need a friend, etc. It's just kind of a funny concept. Although, if they do it right, it could work, but I find it kind of ironic.

Yeah, I'm excited to see who/what it is on one hand, and disappointed on the other.

I'm too tired/lazy to separate quotes, so I'll just do four paragraphs. I should be asleep!^^ Hm...characters always have some kind of basic stats, I guess. But I've always seen Duffy, as you know, as a Japanese character design rather than a traditional Disney character. I see him more like Rilakkuma, Gloomy, Hello Kitty or other greeting-style characters. These characters all exist primarily for the purpose of selling related merchandise like dolls, cellphone straps, and stationery. They tend to have clearly - but not narrowly - defined characters. It is important that they have enough specific story or detail to not be generic (a la Disney Bear), but not so much that they fail to accept whatever emotional attachment fans put into them. They are not blank slates, but they are not much more than a mold, either. Templates, I guess.

Thanks to your post I realized that's what really makes me uncomfortable about this direction - the move away from a Japanese character design style towards a Disney one. And, yeah, the irony is that while naming Duffy and giving him a simple, charming backstory made him far more a/effective; adding too much could break that same spell, at least for me. It won't mean as much for Duffy to appear in a show (even his own) if he's always accompanied now by a significant other. But since I haven't even seen it yet, I guess I should postpone judgment. Still, you hit the nail on the head with the word that encapsulates my apprehension: "bland."

No, I am weird.) I just like that option better than the girlfriend that I just can't see myself liking at all. But now that you wrote it out like that and I really think about it, no, I'm not loving that idea so much, either. Hm... Let's hope the creative team behind this is just way better than me and it ends up being awesome beyond my imagination! I do actually think that's absolutely possible. So far, they always manage to impress me.^^

Nothing we can do but wait and see, I guess. If nothing else, it's something to chat about.