Don't They ALL Look The SAME? (Face Wise)

Isn't it a good thing to have a lively discussion? Sometimes when things get censored too much it ends up being boring. I am not saying negativity is a good thing but discussing civilly different aspects I think makes it lively. Honestly I am a big fan of volks, but there are some fcs heads that are hard to decipher without make up accentuating the features. Such as the new msds that are available at the moment. I wish they gave more make up examples for each head sculpt. Without angel den I would have a hard time figuring out the character design. Whether something is new or not to a person, if someone feels the other party is ignorant, why not educate them with references in a friendly manner? Is being confrontational a bad thing? I know in japan it is, but not so much in USA. We are critiquing art styles after all. In art school there is many different spectrums.


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Oh by the way does anyone have a bit of difficulty deciphering between to you Sara and mari? From limhwa.


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Just looking at the dolls in the signature of galatia9 and it's obvious the dolls don't look remotely alike. Sometimes, the same sculpt can look drastically different from the hands of different people even when they have strong features. Yes, I agree some companies have similar sculpts but that's due to the aesthetic tastes of the artists that work there.

I can understand how some people think they all look alike since I've had people say that to my face about my blank dolls. Of course, I didn't retort back by saying that she and her fellow friends look very similar to me because they all wear the same clothes and have the same hairstyle. I blame myself for that, since the onus is up to ME to differentiate them. If I think they look alike, they will. But I'm sure if I look harder, I'll be able to tell the difference. Same thing with dolls. I think all female VOLKS molds look similar. Why? Coz I've never paid any attention to them so I can make a general crass remark like that. But I wouldn't say that for the male molds. Why? Coz I actually like them and have made an effort to try to differentiate them. Believe me, when you like something enough, you will make an EFFORT to try to tell them apart.

 

I'd say it depends on what you are looking for in terms of 'uniqueness'.

The thread opener mentioned for example 'changes in shift of eye' or a different chin...
To me, that can already make the difference wether a doll is attractive to me or not.

e.g. I like slender eyes with the eye corner point tip up. It's unlikely you'll find a lot if any head in my collection where the eyecorners go down. I also don't really have a fondness for big eyes. I can appreciate it, but it's unlikely to find it's way into my collection. The 'exception' would perhaps be my Luts Ani - and even there I have the Romantic Ani version.

If it's expression-wise, now that's an entirely different approach. In my case I'm glad if the sculpts are somewhat 'neutral' looking, as you can make the expression YOU want with a face-up.


Otherwise, I wouldn't be that surprised that a lot company scuplts look similara.
The majority is from the asian room and they have a certain androgynos beauty ideal (well, they had that at least, not sure if that is still there now). A Crobidoll Yeon-ho for example represents that very well. If you want to look for similarities, I'm certain you'll find a head like his in nearly every other big producer. Similar, but not the same in the end.


Also 'unique' is a relative term. Some think that releasing a centaur/naga/pegasus/insert fantasy creature of your choice in BJD is unique, but if you go down to it... Is it really? It's based on some pre-existing idea and then twisted into something that appeals to as many people as possible for money :3
I have seen some artist dolls, that certainly ARE unique - they don't fit any of the mythological creatures I know anyway and that already covers quite a lot. Wether they are dolls I'd want to own for myself is a whole different matter thought.

So in the end, I'll close my post and the circle in pointing back to my first post. In the end it depends on what you are looking for in terms of 'uniqueness'.

 

No??

I never did find dolls from Volks/ Luts look the same. Especially when it comes to Luts, I'm actually surprised how they can come up with such different sculpts over all these years and still doesn't seem to repeat itself.

I guess your problem with Volks was due to face shape. But again, that is one of the [cross-race-effect] another post had mentioned about.
They might look similar at first glance, but after knowing them, they actually can be really different.
I hugely doubt Volks Coco and Volks Kurumi would have the same eyes/ face shape. (Well, actually I don't find them similar at all)

Thing is, it's good for a company's dolls to have similar features. It's branding.
Changing it drastically will make it feel like it isn't from that company.

Also, there aren't many beautiful combinations of the human face. I wouldn't go for one with a big nose at all. Big mouths? Nope.

 

Well, I must admit my first thoughts were....wow, that pesron is so lucky!! Think of all the money saved!! All you'd have to do is buy one doll and you are set, as they all look the same.

 

Yea that would be a money saver XD


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I find that each company has a unifying aesthetic. Either you like it or you don't. You seem to enjoy more unrealistic dolls with almost inhuman features. Cool. That doesn't make them a more "creative" choice. I see dolls like that being more of a challenge for many people because its the extreme opposite of the "uncanny valley". They border on grotesque for many collectors because their features are so inhuman and as a result they're likely to appeal to a smaller audience. Also, dolls with extreme features aren't as flexible to customize because there is so much already carved into the sculp. Meaning, I can make a Masha look evil or sweet. I think your Rosemary would always have so much mystery in her eyes that you would struggle to revamp her into a sweet innocent girl. Like actors, dolls have more range when they don't have overly dominating features like gray skin or hyper elongated eyes (thinking of Gary Oldman who can transform into anyone). I just ordered a Lillycat Cerise Millie Choupie because I want to work on a more inhuman sculp too. I love her sculp but I do think she has a limited range because her look out of the box is so specific. I'll add that I don't think owning her makes me somehow more "creative" than other people and their dolls ya know?

Chamillia and BBR, I love Volks dolls and never understood the need people feel to single them out for a good bashing. Posts like that read to me as someone needing approval for choosing not to go with a wildly popular and well established company. If you fancy your self a rebel than just be one and buy whatever rebel dolls you like.

Finally, if you want a true debate that's awesome. It would be great to see you start this thread without inflammatory remarks like "Some are just more content going the casual monotone route..." That's leading and insulting. If you're posting on a forum you'll be held accountable for your words. In my estimation you have a very good command of the English language and if you post comments like "don't get your panties into a twist" you should be prepared to stand by your words and not hide behind the "English as a second language" excuse. If you post it you own it - full stop.

 

I've benefited from the debate on here. I like the points people have made about expressions and being mod-ready.
I'd still love to see more companies come out with some wildly different sculpts - maybe as limited editions or just taking the risk and adding one sculpt that is far from their usual aesthetic. Just like I'd love to see more leekeworld art-body shaped dolls and more fantasy bodies. I really want the market to continue expanding with innovation.

 

There was a time I would think "something is missing" when I'd go looking for a specific style of face or body I had in mind. Now? Not so much. I can make anything, literally ANYTHING now. I can make a zombie(Thank you DC), a centaur(Thank you Soom, Luts and others) and the list goes on. Dolls have a lot more options now. I can actually afford to be picky, because what I want is actually out there now. From the help of DoA, I've been introduced to sculpts that I didn't think would ever even be made, given they were too far from the "ideal" standard of doll faces, but someone out there still made them. There is a doll out there for EVERYONE, no matter how "unique" your dream is. Someone out there has created it, or at least close enough that your dream is actually possible with a little modding. This wouldn't even be possible if all doll faces were truly the same.

My point is, there is more diversity in dolls than ever before, and it only gets better from here.

 

That brings Blythe collectors to mind. I feel like the challenge there is to take the same doll and change it so much that it becomes supremely your creation. I find their customizations pretty amazing and I deeply respect their creativity.

 

Nope. I just had a long, hard laugh at it.

Artists develop a certain personal style, so of course sculptors are going to have similarities in the faces they create, and the more faces they sculpt over the time, the more you're going to see trends within their work.

I can't tell Iplehouse sculpts apart because I am not a fan of their faces so they all look the same to me. Same with Soom. But I am sure Soom fans and Iplehouse fans can point out the differences between all of them with ease, the way I can easily tell apart Volks and Bluefairy sculpts. They're the faces I like best and thus, the ones I look at the most.

 

I knew this thread would contain Volks-bashing the second I saw the title. So many others have said it better than I can, but of course, companies generally have a cohesive style within their own dolls, and of course if you don't pay attention to that company, they might all look same-y to you. I used to think that way about Volks in particular when I was new to the hobby, many years ago, but what I've learned ever since I started owning their dolls, then moved to owning primarily their dolls, is that yes, they have a definite aesthetic, but they also have a huge VARIETY in their 100+ unique sculpts, as well as VERSATILITY. After all, many, many of the "What doll is this?" threads end up being a customized Volks doll that looks wildly different from its default, simply from having a different style faceup.

Best reply.

 

As someone pretty new to the hobby I'm actually kind of relieved that a lot of the companies have their own look or style and that their dolls share some similarities.

There are so many companies to choose from that when you look at their sites it's really easy to rule out the ones that aren't your taste. It's kind of annoying when companies have a lot of really different styles because you have to keep going back to check you haven't missed something or they haven't released something you like. I also agree with someone above who said that you're more likely to find the perfect doll if companies release similar sculpts but with small changes.

You have to be able to narrow it down somehow! I think I've got It down to about half a dozen companies I'm interested in and every time I come across a new one I can usually tell pretty quickly if I'm going to like any of their dolls.

 

The first comment is the only one that seems to not be getting angry. Its just an opinion and I'm sure she didn't mean to offend anyone so calm down. We arent here to start a brawl just have discussion. Some things are monotone I think people can agree but everyones taste are different. Dont attack just talk.

 

I understand how someone could think that way, specially if you're new to the hobby. When I was new to dolls, I thought most of them looked the same and I would have never been able to identify different molds. Over the years, I've gotten used to the different dolls released by different companies and have noticed each one has their own style. Many dolls I have learned to identify not only by company, but by sculpt. To my mother, all the dolls still do look exactly the same, even when seeing them in person. I recently bought and doll and showed it to my mother, the first thing she said is "...How is this one different to the one you already have?" and I said, "It's a new, completely different doll that was just released. " to which she replied, "Are you sure? It looks just exactly like the one you already have!"

I frustrate my brother with that sort of thing, too. He is a car fanatic and knows every car model that has ever been made, literally since the beginning of the invention of the car. He knows all the demo models, all the mergers, etc. However, I know next to nothing about cars and to me, many cars look alike. I can only tell the basic differences like, "This is a truck, this is a car, this is a van." :P Obviously, each car model IS very different, I simply lack the trained eye to spot the differences that he can so easily cite. It is that way with dolls, too. The more time you spend with them, researching, studying and handling them, the more you will spot the differences.

 

Well said. I can 100% relate to the car scenerio and my boyfriend can 100% relate to the OP when it comes to dolls.

A well trained eye in any hobby is likely to spot differences rather than similarities.

 

That was more of a sarcastic smile, it's just an emoticon. And no, that would make me a troll, which I'm not. I was simply stating my opinion about Volks dolls, and because it was very different from other people's, here I am trying to defend myself

In what manner? I never cursed at them and bashed them. I still like and respect the company, some dolls appeal to me, though a minority. I only stated my opinion because this issue has been nagging at me for quite some time. If you find that attacking, then I'm sorry about that. And yes, I had made a mistake, I did not do enough research, and I owned up to it, no need to rub it in my face any longer. My opinion is still left unchanged, because there are a lot of sculpts I find similar, that's just up to me!

And wait, what? So using capitalised, bold letters in a huge font means that I've attacked the company? That's not how I see it o_o I was using it to make my point clear, I meant it as: "Volks is the biggest example for me in terms of similarities between sculpts". Enough trying to make me out as the bad guy.

And you're kind of contradicting yourself. By you I mean the general Volks fandom. First you claim they're not 'The Elite Company', and dislike being referred to as the elite fans, and then you get upset because I used bold, huge letters to call out the company, because it was my personal preference Don't get me wrong, but I can see why they would think that. I never said I hated them, I never spoke badly of them, I only said I dislike their similarity in sculpts, thats it!! For the record, I knew this was going to stir up trouble because it was about Volks and it was an unpopular opinion. I was right.

Again, I did not insult them. I singled them out based on MY opinion. I also do not find 'similarity in dolls' to be offensive in any way.

I don't know if you've read some of the replies, but I would consider them a bit harsh. The ones that simply corrected me were fine, I thank them for that.

Thank you for making it clear for me, I appreciate it! I'm sorry it was insulting to you! You were not nasty at all, I actually meant the iffy tone of some of the responds here, not necessarily the ones directed at me.

As for the last part, I replied above about the impression other people have of Volks. You can see why, right?

In what world is this not disrespectful to the OP?

Calm down A rebel because I don't like some of the sculpts a company has to offer? Is Volks the government or something? Does this mean my Fairyland doll is a 'rebel doll'?!?

Debate doesn't have to be extremely aggressive or in a 'casual monotone' like you said. There is such thing as respectful difference in opinions. You see, I never said anything negative about Volks, and yet I am seen as 'a rebel' who just wants to stir trouble, which is exactly what I meant about discussions on some threads here. I only wanted to try addressing the problem, because I find it really sad the OP had to state his intentions in red almost three times to avoid being attacked, which eventually he/she was, but alas, no more.

And yes, my English is pretty good if I do say so myself, but that still doesn't mean that I will not have misunderstandings here and there. I did own up to it. I said something that wasn't taken too kindly of, and I apologised. The expression "panties in a twist" was just a joke. I hear a lot of people saying it and I didn't think it was insulting. If it is, then again, I apologise. I wasn't directing it at anyone in particular.

This is about as far as I'm going addressing my own post on this matter.

 

I used to think that Volks dolls all looked the same because I had only seen the standards with default faceups. Then I started looking at the limiteds and ones that people had repainted and I realized that no, they're not all the same. Most of them look like they belong to the same family but that's to be expected because they're sculpted by the same few people and that's the style the company wants.
I've found that the more I like a company the easier it is for me to notice the differences, probably because I look at them all the time. For instance, I can tell most Dollzones apart, same with Limhwa and Resinsoul. Why? Because I like them. I look at them all the time, I seek out pictures of them in the gallery here and I read the discussions about those dolls. Someone earlier mentioned how similar Limhwa Mari and Sara are which is funny because I have both. My mom thinks they're the same doll with different skin tones but I can see the subtle differences.

Then there's Soom and Bluefairy. I think they're cute but I don't usually love them and I can't tell most of them apart. Unless they have a really cool custom face up they all kind of blend together for me. Because I'm not overly interested in having any in my own collection I don't spend much time looking at them.
But even I can see the differences between companies. Usually I can guess which company a doll came from even if I don't know what sculpt it is because each company has their own style.

 

I have found that I've noticed similarities among dolls when I find a truly unique one. Souldoll for instance - I'm browsing (when I first started w/BJDs), when all of a sudden RYUCINE jumped out at me from the photos. His being soooo different did make me realize there was an aesthetic for most of the others.