Favourite dolls of 2025

They were late 2024, but didn't start shipping until early 2025, so I'm counting them--Xagadoll's conjoined girls, Boye & Sila! Fastest I've ever impulse bought a doll. I think it was about an hour from first seeing them to ordering them, and that was only to be sure I had the budget to manage it and choose the resin color.

 

Like @lully.lullers I was encouraged to see Asleep Eidolon's suite of "soft" female bodies -- 1/4 Mian Mian and 1/3 Ruan Mian were released late last year, and 70cm Rou Mian were released this year. My favourite big girl body is 2DDoll's 68cm girl, and ever since I'd been looking for 1/3 females that are similarly fuller-fleshed in a realistic way, who have thickness in the waist and notable subcutaneous fat around the hips and thighs. 70 Rou Mian is the most realistic one that I've seen since 2D68 girl. I'm hoping that she catches on and there will be more clothing service for these tall curvy girls, and if I ever get another tall girl, 70 Rou Mian is a strong candidate for hybriding.

I have all the dolls I want so not much tempts me anymore, but Bardo Research's Engineer caught my eye. I adore Oxana Geets' handiwork - I once owned one of her dolls and it was exquisite - but she sculpts in a scale that I don't enjoy, and she makes exclusively female dolls while I generally prefer male dolls. The Engineer is her first male BJD, and man, he is terribly cute. I've made peace with enjoying Bardo Research dolls from afar, but if Oxana continues to sculpt males, my resolve may erode...

Of the dolls I did buy this year, I was most excited over Whale Tower's two snakes. I'd wanted to get an animal/creature BJD for a while, and their snakes were totally up my alley! So the Little Snake was the first pet doll I ordered! That kinda opened the gate, because I've bought a second pet BJD and it's already arrived. Little Snake will arrive next year, and I'm very very keen to receive it.

There was another doll body that I was waiting the whole year to see and was glad when it was finally released, but it's not verified on-topic for DoA.

 

My favorite new release this year, and the only new release, I bought is Aishavoya Wren, who was first available at NYC Doll Convention, where I got mine. She's got such a lovely face and body and poses so well.

Dollpamm's goblin girls are super cool, too, and Dream Valley keeps coming out with creative dolls.

 

My favorite this year is probably my first ever resin ball jointed doll, that is not a pet doll, the fox version of gem of doll's Orion! Loved the fullset, the outfit, how good and intricate and fancy he looked, even if his legs and ears are little odd (especially the legs) but at least they look cool? Holds poses well too.

Second favorite has to be the dearmine bean Lupy (white and lavender) and the honor is shared with the new-to-me dream valley young dragon griffin.

There were also dolls I liked that I didn't buy, the Ringdoll Joker mentioned earlier with the red hair and cat ears, and the Bardo Research Engineer. The Joker has such a cool and striking expression it was hard to miss, and the Engineer had such a unique and for me likeable design style. I have reasons for passing on both of them but I think they both look cool!

I'm not considered any dolls are I ordered but haven't arrived yet, like the perfectly classic dream valley blank werewolf. Those will be for next year!

 

My favourite dolls this year are Dream Valley Sonata - a stunning sculptural beauty, and the aforementioned Dollpamm Goblin girls, seeing the progress from nothing to fully fledged dolls on the creators instagram was incredible and Dr Mes has such clear consistent stylisation that is quite appealing to look at.

 

Coral Reef's Jellyfish Daya is so beautiful. I'm sad I missed out, I wasn't checking out new BJD stuff at all while she was being sold.

 

The doll releases that stood out to me this year were SartoriaJ's elves and Ringdoll's Pestilence and Famine. Very cool lines from both companies with incredible sculpts and outfits.