User blog comment:The Forgotten Beast/Toys: What do you think?/@comment-4899461-20130330190502

The real test of if they're living or not is whether or not the toys can use Haki. As Rayleigh says, Haki is something present in all living things, so if they can use Haki, then the toys are "alive". (The same goes for objects that "eat" Devil Fruits too)