Do you consider Dollfie Dream to be a BJD?

I'm wondering why everyone keeps saying they have ball joints.
I was under the impression that they have a skeleton with ball-shaped joints that didn't work like ball-and-socket, but more like a hinge joint.
Can someone please clarify this for me?

 

Well, they aren't RESIN BJDs...

I think they are dolls, and bjds, and quite nice as dolls go. No judgment values, here!

I don't really think they match with most dolls on DoA, but that doesn't mean anything, really.

 

Yes your impression is correct, they do. ^^

But it still is a ball joint, it just doesn't work the same way, like you said

 

The Dollfie Dream I body did have ball-joints which worked in the same way as resin ball-joints, the body was strung with elastic and used tension to pose and stand. Dollfie Dream II, Mini Dollfie Dream and Dollfie Dream Dynamite bodies all have an internal skeleton and what appear to be ball-joints at the wrist, elbow and shoulder are actually hinge-and-pin joints made to look like ball-joints so that the aesthetic of the body matches that of the earlier Dollfie Dream I body. A Dollfie Dream body now poses because of the internal skeleton rather than string tension.

If they (and Obitsu vinyl dolls) were released now, Dollfie Dreams wouldn't be on-topic for DoA, but the earlier Dollfie Dream I body was used to make hybrids with resin heads back in the early days of the hobby when there weren't so many mature female bodies around. Dollfie Dream II, Mini Dollfie Dream and Dollfie Dream Dynamite were grandfathered in, so that the hybrids made with these bodies would still be on-topic for DoA.

I consider them a type of ball-jointed doll and I love my own Dollfie Dream to bits, I just don't think they're the same as resin BJDs and I tend to keep my DD and my resins seperate.

 

I actually find the skeleton really cool..

But yes, technically, they ARE ball-jointed dolls...

 

Well, in my opinion... my first Dolls I started off with were Volks EB-A series, and then I made an MDD. I knew they had an internal skeleton... and thought they were still ball jointed dolls, because they did have ball joints! For me, they are a cheaper alternative to a resin Doll, but also good for me because I doubt i could string one up with my form of autism. (I have Asperger's Syndrome, and can get a load of anxiety at times if things are not JUST right. Uneven stringing or getting confused while stringing a Doll might drive me nuts) I consider them like a beginner's version of a ball jointed doll... like a small step before someone feels ready to move up to the next one and learn about stringing. But I still consider them ball jointed dolls, because they do have the ball joints. <.< If that makes sense to anyone.

 

While my opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the technical aspect of this debate, I feel that "good" Dollfie Dreams are more worthy to be posted here than "poor" actual ball-jointed dolls. Where "good" stands for having a beautiful faceup, wig and clothes that compliment their features, and an owner that knows how to take photos from the right angles, and "bad" stands for the contrary. I also feel that they fit in the general bjd aesthetic. Despite the latest trends favoring more realistic headmolds, some of the early superdollfies were quite anime-ish.

 

I will have to agree with you, there... a "good" Dollfie Dream Doll has to have a good face up, a nice wig, an outfit to compliment the wig and face up, and some good photos. But as I said before, I consider Dollfie Dreams to be like a stepping stone to moving up to more BJD's in the future. Making a DD is a great way to learn face-ups, techniques, etc.

They are just like a beginer's BJD, but a BJD none the less... and personally, I love the anime like faces, since I have always been a fan of anime. To me, SD's have a more European flare to them, despite the fact they are mostly made in Asia, now. But a DD feels like it has more Japanese Culture to it, especially since the outfits are made for the Otaku culture! I just think it all depends on a person's tatse. Do they enjoy anime/otaku culture, or do they wish for something more refined?

 

true, the're got ball joints, but for me they're not bjd as dollzone newborns aren't. Dollfie Dream looks more like action figure than dollfie =.=

 

BJD is an acronym for ball-jointed doll. As such, I would consider any doll with some semblance of a ball-joint to be a ball-jointed doll irregardless of medium, size or manufacturing processes. Den of Angels is a great forum that celebrates a particular range of BJDs. It doesn't define what a BJD is but rather defines what dolls are on-topic for this forum. To be honest, it would be impossible to have a forum dedicated to all types of BJDs since this would include such a vast array of doll types it would be very difficult to manage.

So, to respond to the question posed, yes. I think a DD is a type of BJD.

 

Well, I send Volks an email asking them if DD are considered BJD, this is what they said:

Dear Elaine,

Thank you for your email.

Our Dollfie Dream line are actually not ball-jointed dolls (BJD).
A doll is not considered a BJD for its material as much as it is
for its internal mechanism.

Specifically, the internal mechanism of our Super Dollfie line is
comprised of elastics that are conected by hooks through ball
joints that are connected to the jointed body parts of the doll.

where as the Dollfie Dream internal mechanism is comprised of a hard,
articulated skeleton in which the vinyl parts of the doll slip on to it like
a skin.

We hope this information was helpful and clear to you. Please let us
know if you have any other questions. Thank you.


Sincerely,

VOLKS USA Web Service Center
VOLKS USA, INC.
TEL 310)782-8324
FAX 310)782-8394
URL: www.volksusa.com
E-mail: [email protected]

Also, check our our fun blog for the latest news,
tutorials, Customer Gallery, and more!
http://sumikatimes.volksusa.com

 

Well, that settles that for me. Since this is coming from those who started (arguably by some standards, but let's not get into that debate here) the ABJD hobby and Dollfie Dream's, then that's what I'll consider. I used to think of them as ABJDs' because of their grandfather relationship, but the explanation VolksUSA gives makes a lot of sense.

 

I would consider the original DD1 to be a ball joint, since it was strung, but not necessarily the subsequent versions (DD2, Dynamite, and Mini). However, that doesn't mean I don't think they should be on this forum, as they are often hybrid'd with resin heads and what not.

Also do note that both the Volks Chi and Volks Shinsha/Miisha are very "anime" in style. Also, the criteria isn't that it needs to be realistic, honestly who actually is ball jointed in real life, but that it needs to be Asian in style. Is anime Asian? Yes. So I would say it fits, better then actually some other dolls on this forum even in that sense.

I mean they're obviously still dolls, just a different type.

 

I think that looks fairly cool, and don't see why it wouldn't be considered a ball jointed doll really... plus it must also be Asian considering the sign next to it ^w^\ so as far as I'm concerned it fits all the criteria to be called an Asian ball jointed doll... All the criteria is in the name, is it Asian? if the sign is any give away then yes. Does it have ball like joints? Clearly yes. Is it a doll? Ah, dur... what else would it be? a puppy? LOL ^w^\

 

If that's the case then since they were still created by an ABJD company there should be a special section just for those types of dolls on here ^w^\ that way the people that want to show them off on the site can do so without getting anybody saying they don't belong here... also the letter there clears up the minor question I had in my head as to what acted as the skin of the doll... though those dolls seem to be like a step to being more like a person... 'cause people are held together with a skeletal structure so why not a doll?

 

Hmm... the other day I came up with what I thought was a perfect analogy. ^^
Dollfie Dreams are like Macs. They're like PCs, but they're still different at the same time. *computer geek*
If that makes any sense. ^^;

 

All the complaining about the anime-like faces for Dollfie Dream reminds me why I don't post here much anymore. And Volks' answer scares me a bit with the mention of hooks. The old resin dolls have their hands and feet tied on, not hooked.

Do Nono and the like (or any old resin doll) no longer qualify as having the correct aesthetic for this forum, if that's the case?

 

That is a great question and whoever answered that e-mail either didn't work for the company when the first DDs were released or forgot how their own dolls were manufactured! Knowledge FAIL!

I can tell anyone here, for a fact, that my DD is strung 'like a REAL ABJD'.

 

I hope the error is simply on the part of the person at the answer desk and that Volks as a whole really didn't forget how their early dolls were made without the newfangled hooks.

My DD is tied and strung like my old SDs, so she should qualify as long as they do.

 

I remember when we used to put the hooks in our early Volks SDs long before they introduced them with the pureskin girls anyway.
But anyway, critia changes.
I feel while DD1 had strung ball joint, they are technically BJDs, but they are just plain different than other BJD, and it is NOT just because they are more anime like. They are their own thing, and while Volks' reply may spark debate, they made it loud and clear. Super Dollfie and Dollfie Dream are two different brands, two different types of dolls! This is fact.
Now, how anyone feels and incorperates them into their own collections are their opinions and views.