Summary
Pokemon’s Saiko Soda plushes - also referred to as Soda Pop plushes - is one of its most popular soft toy lines. Having only launched in 2018, it’s still a somewhat exclusive club with fewer than 30 Soda Pop designs currently available in the US. There are quite a few more available in Japan, including the five new designs added to Pokemon’s Soda Pop line in the series' home country over the weekend.
Soda Pop plushes are unique from other Pokemon plush types due to their retro style and, more importantly, because they’re designed with the help of artist F*Kaori. Their signature style is present in all of the Pokemon to have been turned into Soda Pop plushes so far.
It’s the design of the eyes that gives away whether a Pokemon plush is from the Soda Pop range, and unlike Togepi which was included in a prior Pop drop, all five of the latest designs have the signature Soda Pop look in their eyes. Some more prominently than others, such asVulpix and Alolan Vulpix, both of which are available now via the Japanese Pokemon Center following their release on February 15.
You have to look a little closer at Munchlax’s eyes to see the triangles and straight lines that make a plush Saiko Soda in its eyes.The baby Snorlax is the third of the five Soda Pop plushesto have been released last weekend. Joining it and the two Vulpix areCubchoo and Gothita. I believe that brings the total number of Pokemon to have a Soda Pop plush up to 43. Like I said, still a very exclusive club.
Pokemon Has Added Five More Plushes To Its Soda Pop Collection
Welcome Munchlax, Vulpix, And Three More Pokemon To The Soda Pop Family
They’re also relatively affordable in the grand scheme of things.At $19.99 each, they’re certainly a lot cheaper thanthe $450 life-size Gardevoir plushreleased earlier this month. Granted, these Pop plushes aren’t five feet tall, but honestly, I think I prefer it that way.
The big drawback with these five new additions, of course, is that for now, they are only available in Japan. While they will almost certainly jointhe Saiko Soda plushes currently available in the USand elsewhere, it seems like it might be a while before that happens. Six months on from the prior Soda Pop drop in Japan,which was headlined by Bidoof, we’re still waiting for them to be made available in the US.
There’s a chance that Pokemon’s approach moving forward is a six-month gap between Japan and worldwide releases. If that ends up being the case, we could see the Bidoof batch made available in the US any day now, and then the new plushes six months from now with five more Soda Pop Pokemon revealed later this year. We’ll have to wait and see.
