Those of you who read my articles know that I love finding new and interesting toys. While I was a Toys R Us last week I came across a new line called MI World. This line of miniature playsets from Jakks Pacific is perfect for 1/12th sized figures, and is based on real world stores like Dairy Queen, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Claire’s.
The playsets come in two sizes. The starter sets make up an eight inch by eight inch square, while the larger deluxe sets measure out to about eight by sixteen. Each set is designed to connect side by side, or even stack on top of each other to create a Shopping Mall-like display. Unfortunately my TRU only got in the Sprinkles Cupcakes so far, so you’ll have to wait until my next review of the playsets to see them in Mall form.
I really love the fact that Jakks actually got the licenses from real companies and stores to make these playsets. I’m always on the lookout for accessories for my 1/12th figures. While having cupcakes and smoothies are cool, it’s even better when they’ve got real world branding on them. It brings a nice sense of… well, realism to displays and pictures.
Each of the smaller Starter Sets is made up of a plastic floor and two plastic walls. The walls are pre-decorated with stickers. In the case of Sprinkles, the side wall displays various products on shelves, while the back wall shows off a counter with various coffee makers and cups and a menu above them. The floor is a plastic plate with a thin cardboard piece laid over it. The cardboard is only being held in place by the walls and could be easily changed out if you don’t like the color of it.
Aside from the real world branding, it’s the accessories that really sell these playsets. The content count of this set is thirty six pieces. Some of the larger accessories in the set include a long counter with a product display area and a checkout area.
There is also a chair and small table for those figures who want to eat in the store. Unfortunately the plastic used in the table is soft and waxy, so the top begins to tilt over time. Nothing a little superglue probably couldn’t fix though. Continue to page 2…
As a family that still plays with their toys, this is perfect. Thanks for making us aware with your excellent review.
Wow! Nifty idea! Not familiar with Sprinkles Cupcakes. (Must’ve been a development since 2006, when I was last in the States.) Were I to indulge, I would have to repaint a couple of the cupcakes. I saw Key Lime on the menu, there, and I loves me some Key Lime!
Bring on the Hooters set!
Oh. My. GAWD.
This is neat as it is HILARIOUS!
Gotta share this with a friend who has a cake store and is moving to larger (and safer!) environs!
Man, does this review take me back! I once had a 70’s Playskool McDonald’s which I got from a cousin. I would often have Cobra casing the joint or my off-duty Joes ordering burgers, fries, and sodas on little plastic trays not unlike the one pictured above. The McDonald’s was part of a line called Familiar Places which also featured sets such as a Holiday Inn.
I never thought that I’d see these kinds of toys again. Given the real world branding involved, the prices are also right. I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for these from now on.
This is AWESOME!! Might have to go and check it out!
Okay, I hope these may appear at other spots. Would easily buy for some fun displays. I want a taco bell for deadpool though. Chimichanga Katanarama baby. Uh sorry been playing some UMvC3 lately.
Also that last shot
Gigan: Wha thats my latte!
Batman: I’m Batman
Gigan:*buzzsaw noise and dropa tray and wicked chestbump* Aw dangit Ghidorah’s gonna kill. Middle’s fav is the only one ruined.
I have to get some of these. Shame they’re so hard to find.
Ha! I’m really liking these! The amount of detail on them is pretty staggering. Do you know if there’s a bar set planned, or would that not be family-friendly enough? I’d love to create Swerve’s Bar from the More Than Meets The Eye comic. If anything, I could certainly find a table for Prowl to flip in one of these sets…
Batman: What is the secret ingredient used on the cupcakes to make them taste this good !? Tell me now!
Gigan: And once again I tell you, the secret ingredient is LOVE…… dammit.
Saw these recently. Got me excited, but I’m just don’t have any figures that would feasibly hold all this stuff! The table and chair, though….hmmm….
Yet another excellent review, Vault! I think my Lupin III Revoltech figures need one of these. 🙂
Speaking of, because of the insane realistic attention to detail here, I suspect this line is originally from Japan, maybe Takara-Tomy, maybe WAVE, I dunno and of course I can’t find similar products at HLJ because I can’t suss out if they would be ‘fun goods’ or ‘figures’ or whatever my search-fu is WEAK! 🙂
*pant pant pant* anyway, I need to find the Dairy Queen sets…
(Drossel running the counter REALLY made me smile, just so you know)
What section of the store where these in?
They’re with the other dollhouse items.
You can also get these at Walmart. My wife & I saw the $15 sets there back closer to Christmas.
These are fantastic! Wish they’d do some geared to boys action figures, maybe a mad scientist lab, deep sea vessel, space station, etc.
This set looks so cool!
I suspect we won’t get in Australia — we don’t have Dairy Queen, Sprinkles etc over here — but I may pick a couple of thesw up online.
try to avoid Amazon. For some reason they have these at a $20 markup.
Why, don’t you know? they’re RARE!! COLLECTABLE!! EXCLUSIVE!!
🙂
Lupin wants cupcakes. Jigan wants donuts. Tekkaman Blade wants justice. Not sure how I’m gonna work this out… 🙂
I came to leave a funny comment on this, but noisy already has that covered by saying they are with the other dollhouse items.
I hate to do this because you guys are my favorite reviewers, but I have to call you out on saying these are 1/12 scale. They are most definitely not!! I went out on a hunt of the local walmarts on Noisy’s tip and found Sprinkles, Dairy Queen, and the Candy store. Bought ’em all! Once I got them home, I realized the scale is actually all over the place. I knew the food would be comically oversized, but was disapponted the counters and furniture are so tiny! They’re better suited to Joes or MU sized figures instead of 6″, but the food is gigantic for them. I can see it now in the pics. Had they been taken level, we could all see that the counter comes up to Batman’s knee or the predator’s shin. They’re made to go with the figures they come with and just don’t fit with my figs like I wanted. I’ll be returning them all tomorrow.
Anyway, sorry to be a spoilsport, I’m not mad or anything, but I wanted to let everyone know these sets might not be all you’re saying they are. Keep up the good work otherwise!
Hi Joe. Thanks for the reply! There’s definitely nothing wrong with calling us out. That’s why we have open comments, so we can all talk about stuff. 🙂
Sorry my pictures were misleading. Guess I was having a little too much fun taking pictures instead of taking some better comparisons. I’ve added in some more pictures at the end of the review so people will have a better idea as to what scale they’re getting.
A lot of Japanese imports like Figuarts, Figma, and Revoltech are considered 1/12th scale,and they usually range between four to just under six inches. A lot of those seem to work really well with the size of this playset, which is why I called it 1/12th. Marvel Universe and GI Joe just seem too small to me. But you’re definitely right, DC and MOTU Classics are a bit too big. But then, like you said, the scale gets even wonkier when you add in the larger accessories. A lot of it is just going to come down to personal taste.
Sorry again you weren’t happy with them, but you’re always welcome to mention stuff like that here. There are other readers who know these aren’t quite their thing now.
No one considers those lines 1/12. Those are generally referred to as non-scale.
Wow dude good call. So the table, chair, and the shelving are Figuarts scale while the counter itself is closest to being right for TMNT or Joes and Mattys stuff doesn’t fit at all. Nuts. Makes me wonder what freakish size the dolls are??
I have three of these so far, I haven’t opened the candy store yet, but it looks fantastic, the OPI one isn’t bad, and the DQ set is awesome.
If I can pimp my own pics, people can see they work great with Figma and SH Figuarts. They are a tad small for DCUCs, but the smaller Movie Masters and Star Wars 6″ figures work great too.
OPI set
DQ set
Must…find…Dairy Queen set…
If only Revoltech had made a Fujiko figure! Lupin and Jigan have agreed on ice cream. 🙂
Seems to me that the DCUC are goldilox for these sets.
Upon looking the dolls are 5″ size. Barely poseable. If Rattlor had a hollow mouth he would have a snack is best I can say.
I think it looks pretty good with 5-6 in figures.
Well was actually looking today and I spot the cashier girls at Walmart. Thought “Yeah see them and find nothing else” well I got foot in mouth as I found the DQ set. The one I wanted for a funny pic gonna make for facebook.
So, trip to Toys R Us, found the section, pretty much empty. I DID score a DQ refill pack, so Lupin and Jigan are enjoying some cool treats.
And Dark Knight Returns Batman has a strawberry soft-serve ice cream cone. OF JUSTICE. 🙂