Mei

Date of acquisition:

2014

Provenance:

Japan

Reason for choice:

Originally I was seeking a doll that used the Obitsu body which was my only experience in the doll hobby, found Mei on Ebay of all places and knew I wouldn't get another chance with such a rare doll so I jumped on the opportunity.

Best Points:

Some people dislike them but I adore the double-jointed knees. They work more similar to a human's kneecaps and can bend further than that other popular vinyl doll body.

Worst Points:

The neck is so much longer than it needs to be and taking photos in a way that hides it is difficult.

This doll started out as a combination of an Azone International head placed on an Obitsu 50cm body used under license and available in Japan only. Originally sold in 2013, my particular doll ended up in Sweden of all places before I bought her off Ebay circa 2014.

For a while she stayed as a simple Misaki Mei like any other, original eyes, factory bob-cut wig with ahoge, original school uniform and original 50cm body. Somewhere along the way I decided she'd be cuter as a Parabox 40cm body, which makes her look much closer to 10 years old than her original character's 15. While I was at it she borrowed a long, hime-cut wig from another doll and well she's had it ever since. I had to buy the donor doll a new wig because she wasn't getting Mei's back any time soon.

Eyes:

Character head original

Wig:

Azone International Akemi Homura Character wig

Fashion style(s):

Whatever I feel like making the poor thing wear. Including sometimes nothing idgaf

Key fashion accessory:

Her little teddy bear

Mei prefers to dress modestly, in the sorts of clothing her older sisters wear. She considers herself to be a "refined young lady" - but being 12 years old hasn't fully escaped her: she still likes to carry her childhood teddy bear around with her. Some girls her age become enamoured with "adultness" and attempt to cast off their "immature" attributes, but Mei steadfastly refuses to engage in such things and holds her childish femininity dear.

Name story:

Originally this doll was a character doll, so obviously she had the name of the character. I kept her factory-fresh for quite some time and eventually got so used to calling her Mei that when I started swapping her bits out the name stuck. But well it's a cute name so whatevs she can stay as my adorable little Mei.

Character age:

12

Character gender:

Female

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is not available for offsite roleplay.

Mei shares her position as youngest of the family, at 12 years old, with her fraternal twin brother, Makoto. She is a quiet and studious young girl, preferring quiet idle time over strenuous activity.

She is difficult to get excited and is prone to showing little in the way of emotion. This is not strictly because she is unemotional, but rather her introverted disposition keeps her from freely expressing herself. She is stubborn and head-strong, a trait that runs in the family, although unlike certain baka older sisters, her reasonably good intelligence keeps both those traits largely in line. With that said, if she believes herself correct very little short of cold hard fact will change her mind and, like a mule, she will dig her heels in and fight to defend her position. She carries the gift of a thousand-yard stare and intimidating aura, both tuned to perfection on her stupid big sister, Nadeshiko.

Mei prefers quiet hobbies and is an avid reader, indulging in books usually reserved for people twice her age. She enjoys crime, murder and mystery novels in particular.

Her sharp tongue, blunt,discourteous language and her seemingly aloof nature can occasionally estrange her from those around her and she has made little in the way of friendships; although her siblings - her brother in particular - know that underneath all that is a very sweet and caring girl.

Mei is utterly inseparable from both her oldest sister Kanojo and her twin, Makoto. She and Makoto share a bond that goes far beyond normal siblings, as is often the case for twins. If one did not know better they might assume them to be telepathically linked.

Mei has nothing short of the highest levels of trust and respect for her eldest sister, Kanojo. The matriarch has been tasked with caring for and raising the family, and Mei does her best to make her big sister proud of her. She has slightly less respect for the second oldest, Nadeshiko, whom she usually refers to as stupid sister. Nadeshiko's boisterous nature, seemingly endless energy and propensity to getting herself into trouble clash with Mei's desires for peace and quiet. What little pleasantries Mei has equipped herself with are dispensed with instantly whenever Nadeshiko enters the equation.

She has no such distaste for the third oldest, Hime. They both share their interest in reading, although Hime prefers romance and other traditionally female genres. She is also a girl's fashion enthusiast and has taken to using the semi-consenting Mei as a dress-up doll. Mei on her own prefers any clothing that fits, covers, and is warm. Most of her current wardrobe is creditable to Hime's choosing.

20160305_110235 by Fluffy Tank Fairy, on Flickr