A discontinued Barbie line doll, Kira was one of several dolls in the line that attempted to capture Asian representation. Kira was introduced in the late 1980s, replacing a previous Asian character Miko. The two dolls used the same face mold. In Europe, Kira was called Marina. Kira's exact nationality has been debated.
Kira was discontinued in the early 2000s. A new Asian doll, Lea, took her place. Lea was phased out in 2006, leaving the line without any Asian characters, but was reintroduced in 2014.
See Kira's history in this video:
4 comments:
Another mystery to me!
At least they're trying. As I live in an area with a high Asian population, I can see how there would be a demand for these kinds of dolls.
I haven't seen this one before.
Ronel visiting for K: My Languishing TBR: K
Two-Faced Kishi
Kira doesn't really look strongly Asian to me, but it's fun seeing all these dolls that have come and gone. Have you checked out what's available now for Barbies? I'm going to go look because I'm curious.
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