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Analysis / Merchandise-Driven

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In Merchandise-Driven shows, the manufacturers of the product the show is based on, often control the show in many ways possible in order to sell more, here are some tropes associated with this effect.

  • Gotta Catch Them All: Perfect for a merchandise line focused on collecting.
  • Minimalist Cast and Economy Cast: Sometimes, stories will be focused only on the few characters who have toys.
  • The Worf Effect and Badass Decay: In order to make the new character seem very cool, they first appear defeating strong foes, but when their toys are no longer being sold, they became easily defeated.
  • So Last Season: This isn't limited to characters, once a weapon or powerup item is no longer being sold, it will cease to be effective in the show. In turn, focus will shift to the new weapon or powerup that just hit the market.
  • Sixth Ranger: A great way to add another character to the toyline.
  • Kid-Appeal Character: The character is in the story to make money off the kids.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Characters whose toys need to be promoted are given more prominence in the story.
  • Cut Short: When the toyline is discontinued, so is the show.
  • Screwed by the Merchandise: The show can be cancelled thanks to low sales of the toys, even if the show itself is doing well on ratings.
  • Plot Armor: Characters who sell lots of toys and currently have toys in stores aren't allowed to die.
  • Red Shirt: Characters whose toys were discontinued, or never had toys to begin with, are prone to this.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Toys of the character are no longer in production, so this character is swiftly removed from the show.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome and Demoted to Extra: In order to keep characters who don't have toys anymore away instead of killing them.
  • First Law of Resurrection: Killing a character in such media is not always meant as a way to sell toys, but if his toy goes back into production, he will come back from the dead no matter what.
  • Continuity Snarl: It can happen thanks to frequent demands for the story to be focused on toy sales instead of being coherent.


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