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

You're killing me with that Liz! I love her. But sitting a Liz next to Yugiri really demonstrates the variety. Although I agree with your earlier post that Volks dolls do have similarities. They have a unifying style that keeps them in the same family. I think the same is true for most companies. Soom, Dollstown, Doll Chateau....all of them have a consistent style. I think it helps them build brand loyalty and maintain a following.

 

I don´t think they look the same at all! Of course, companies have their own style, and often in the case of smaller companies, there´s only one sculptor in the company so of course the dolls will look like they were made by the same person-they are! That's why customization is so awesome though, because you can make them look completely different, however you want to. But to say that all dolls from all companies look alike..I don't see that! Get a Souldoll next to a Fairyland doll, a Volks next to a Soom, ány of those next to a European doll like Cerisedolls, a Narae next to a Minifee, a Zaoll next to a Switch..even when they're the same size, they can look as if they're from a different universe. There's plenty of variety, if you ask me!

 

This is a really fascinating thread. I'm enjoying everyone's perspective on this. I agree with what Alewife said about it being a matter of just getting out of your box. The dolls I don't care about DO all start to look the same to me. But, when one stands out to me, I can spot it right away. And, all my non doll friends and family look at my collection and say the same "They all look alike to me". Well, I'm not a baby person and BABIES all look alike to me! They all look like Eisenhower. And, I also agree with what someone else said about face-blindness or recognition being a factor. We can all notice differences, minute or otherwise, in things we love or have studied. Your brain has a limited amount of capacity to sort things before it starts grouping things into broader categories. There are a LOT of dolls out there. If you're looking online for a while and don't see anything that really grabs you, they all do seem to start to look alike.

 

Interesting thread. Being new to all of this, I have to agree with the original post. As I try to learn about this hobby, it is a little bit tough because they all do sort of look alike to me. I'm sure that with more time into, I will begin to see the differences that all enthusiasts here see. Right now, the only one that I can distinguish is Doll Chateau, but even it's facial aesthetics sort of look similar to others to my untrained eye. Now, Popovy Sisters--that is so completely different from anything else in its category. Maybe because I am such a fan of their work, that their dolls are instantly recognizable to me!

 

I see what you mean. I've noticed it a lot too.
Especially with the bigger companies. Most of the Volks dolls look the same or very similar to me.

One I saw recently that is very unique is Aimerai Dolls' Scraps.
Not only is her face on the different side, but she's got the stitches molded on.

 

well...i would just say please try to grasp the idea that humans all have 2 eyes and a nose and a mouth and a pair of ears....

All the companies you mentioned have very very distinctive features...that most people (obviously not including OP) can tell apart....

and if by uniqueness you meant like weird stuff
allow me to point you to the beautifully weird doll chataeu and dollzone

the similarity you found within a company is probably their established style.the faces most likely comes from the same sculptor/team with a fixed style......

and trust me they are very very different
even the volks
they are very different

 

At First When I Started In The Hobby A Lot Of Dolls Looked The Same To Me But The More I Got Into It The More I Noticed That What You Really Look At Is Owner Pictures. People Do Some Amazing Things With The Dolls They Get. Same Sculpts From Different Owners Can Look So Different. They You Have Unique Sculpts That Are Just So Amazingly Different.

My Boy Benji Is A Unoa Chibi Roar Faceplate With A Buff Headback On A Doll Chateau Body.



ThenYou Have My Boy Oscar, A Ringdoll Mona Head I Am Working On.

 

If you look at the heads without a faceup then they can look pretty similar but I have yet to see any two dolls (particularly owner pics) that look identical. Even companies like fairyland where the minifees for example all have a similar look/style to them but each doll is different in some way. To be honest I'm pretty amazed at the variety of dolls out there, there are so many and each individual sculpt has it's own look but even when 2 people have the same doll the faceups. clothes wigs etc make those 2 sculpts look like completely different dolls. I'm surprised by what a difference clothes and wigs can make to a doll and how it looks, using my own doll as an example here she is with the same faceup, the same eyes but different clothes/wigs

Atsuko 1

Atsuko 2

See how different she looks? Only when you really really stare at her face do you notice that oh same faceup..oh same eyes...oh it's the same doll, well that's how I see it anyway.

 

If I was gonna read all these comments I doubt today will happen... But I digress. I've been here a year and... about 8 months now? and I can only recognize sculpts I am familiar with / really like, same with brands, I love DOD (admittedly I only wish to own their Ducan sculpts at the moment) so I can tell a DOD sculpt fairly easily now. However, even within DOD I can see the differences, hence why to me a Ducan is more aesthetically pleasing. For companies like VOLKS or maybe FairlyLand, I cant distinguish them quite as well, if at all, because I havent got the same passion towards them, though I can see why they are appealing and what is good about them. I can only imagine how difficult it is for the sculptors of these doll so create a new face, when I come up with new characters it's ridiculously hard! but then to try and sculpt that afterwards? No thank you! I love how many different styles of company there are and how much their sculpts can speak to people even if it's only in the slightest change in facial feature. I dont particularly like DZ or DC, I am mostly indifferent to FairyLand, I love DOD and I find Resinsoul to have a very charming style in their own way, hence why I own two and like other sculpts. I think its undermining the creators of the dolls to say that they're all starting to look similar, it's not something everyone can do!

 

I have experienced the same. When I started in this hobby way back in 2006, I had a hard time telling molds apart. (I couldn't tell manga characters apart, either. I was like: "Why is this boy changing his hairstyle and clothes all the time?") And there weren't as many companies around then as today. So it must be quite hard to even know where to start.

I do acknowledge similarities in sculpts as an expression of the artist's style. There is also a benefit in sculpts that look similar: It's great when looking for siblings and family resemblances and also if the doll you actually wanted is sold out, you can look for a similar mold.
In fact, I think variety has increased over the years. There are highly realistic sculpts, old school Asian sculpts, fantasy sculpts and even weird, alien looking sculpts. A lot of sculpts have become more sophisticated and detailed and I guess, there's still room for further developments.

 

I have found that the more I look at and learn about bjds the more I notice the subtle differences in sculpts. I often find now that when I see a doll I don't know I can pick the company as it's more their aesthetic. The more you look around the more variety you will find. If you are looking for something different you can also go down the minimee road and have a sculpt made. The dolls with the less common features are out there though you just have to look.

 

chiwoo-shiwoo-chloe by vicemage, on Flickr
This is an image I tossed together a while back when I was doing some doll shopping. It's three FairyLand LittleFee faceplates, chosen because of similarity, and lined up to show the differences, particularly between the outer two (the inner one is a bit more distinct, and was the plate I was comparing against).

Yes, there are distinct similarities between the three plates. That's why they're in this image. I wanted to choose one of the outer ones as the brother to the middle one, and those two looked the best because of their similarities. Either one could be the sibling, and I liked that about both of them (but could only choose one). But they're definitely not the same. The jaw-line and eyes are distinctly different. The lips have small differences. Both have different features from the central plate.

No. They don't all look the same. But seeing the differences can require some effort on the part of the viewer, as others have discussed, and I felt like this image was a fairly nice way to visualize this.

 

a lot of people say the fairyland chloe and celiene look the same but if you look at chloe and mirwen blank they look similar not the same but similar

 

I haven't really noticed this, but I'm fairly new to the hobby so that could be why. I only have 3 dolls (Resinsoul Ya, Doll Family Zi Luo and Doll Family Ella), and they're all distinctly different to me. I love how Faith, my Ya, really seems like she's looking right at me. She's so lifelike sometimes. Mr. Handsome (Zi Luo, who currently doesn't have a name) has this wonderfully dreamy expression. His eyes are half-closed and he has this little smile...It's nice. And Ella (who also doesn't have a name yet) has these wide doe-eyes (that I'm not in love with, honestly) and the most luscious lips I think I've ever seen on a doll. I'm working on her faceup now, and even though I wanted something natural and fairly neutral, I had to dig out the brightest red I could find for those lips. I can't wait to see how she turns out.

So I don't really have a problem with my dolls' faces looking the same. They're all radically different sculpts from different companies. But I still love this hobby.

 

Isenn said: "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."

I think that actually reading WHY someone doesn't like a company will give one a clue about their reasoning. Myself, I have run across several doll companies that for one reason or another are hard to order from. However, since I'm not that interested in those dolls, I don't care too much. I care about Volks & their ridiculous marketing (which occurs in OTHER Japanese firms - I'm an anime/manga otaku so I've dealt w/stupid Japanese marketing garbage for years) - anyway, I moan about it because I LIKE some of their dolls. Funny how that works. If you make up excuses for Volks it just shows me that you don't have a lot of experience trying to get Japanese anything....from Japan anyway.
BTW my biggest moan & groan w/Japan right now isn't Volks by a long shot - it's films - as in live action manga - RUROUNI KENSHIN!!! MUST SEE IN THEATRE....

Also, command of the English language - well, the phrase 'getting your panties in a twist' is a perfectly good idiom to use in a forum like this - informal English. A true level 5 English speaker can use the language at ALL levels. So I also find somebody excusing themselves for using it because they don't know the language well - a strange comment. Own it - good advice.

My personal feeling about dolls from companies looking similiar - basically a good idea in a lot of ways, for the company. Product recognition, et al. Some do a better job at creating a common aesthetic that incorporates individual differences than do others.

Anyone thinking that they can give me a good bashing, BTW, well have a try LOL Always refreshing....

 

I'm responding because in your post you added my quote and you seem to be responding to me? If you say you know more about Japan's shipping and marketing I'm not likely to challenge you on that. I don't really hang my hat in knowing very much about Japanese culture. I never lived there and their culture is far different (higher contextual culture) than America. I can't find examples of "excuses" for Volks sales/marketing anywhere in this thread. I think some of us own them and like them. To keep this on point with the OP, those of us who own them see enough variety to satisfy. Although I agree that they all have a similar "brand" style.

I think I might be missing your point here. When someone quotes me I want to attemp a decent response and I know forums aren't always the best for total understanding. I hope that was on point.

 

Soom IS famous for pretty boys,but I hardly think they look alike. Have you seen hyperon and dia? I don't think those two look alike.

 

When I only look at the dolls available at the big companies, they tend to have a familial similarity. I mainly like to see the BJDs on deviantart, tumbler, and flickr because the old and new artists post their work there. You really see a lot of different faces and types of dolls at those places.

 

Isenn I'm a big anime fan so I found out about the Japanese attitude about marketing w/that, in the 90s. Volks just reflects that. But their DOLLS are fabulous So I guess my point was that most people who rant about Volks aren't actually talking about the dolls but rather the difficulty in getting them. So much easier to deal w/ Seoul than Tokyo.... LOL
If you want a good perspective on the whole Japan market thing, the guy who runs J-List (an American ex-pat who started an on-line store so foreigners could buy Japanese otaku stuff easily) talks about it a lot - very interesting.

 

I could understand if it seems like they're all the same to people... I know my family wouldn't really see differences either!
To me though, different companies' dolls don't usually look similar... as people said before a certain similarity is normal just like with humans... some companies do more realistic sculpts, some go for the idealized images of pretty men and women and so on...
The more time one spends in the hobby, or other areas where one can school their eye for facial features and such, the easier it is to tell them all apart...