is the ShiftUp aesthetic the next wave?

{looks bemused} I'm afraid I don't recognize anyting you mentioned except BJDs and the company name Fairyland.

Teddy

 

Whatever floats your boat. I don't hope so... but I'm good at ignoring trends and waves anyway

 

Oh, I know a few more of the words so I'll try to help fill the gaps, because I didn't know this connection until just now and it's somewhat interesting.

CP is Cerberus Project, a team of artists who sculpt figurines and dolls. They were the team behind the original Fairyland and Delf sculpts.

ShiftUp is a video game company, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade are two of their games. Both games are known (controversially) for their idealized female character designs and the cosplay-like costumes you can dress them in.

Apparently CP has sculpted figurines for both franchises (among others). So since both Fairyland dolls and ShiftUp characters are known for their elaborate costume designs and pretty faces, I think OP is suggesting that CP might be a crossover point leading to a trend in BJDs designed in the style of ShiftUp characters.

~explanation end~

Personally I doubt it, because imo the ShiftUp style is not really that groundbreaking.

Some costumes are creative or striking, sure, but at the end of the day it's just sexy anime/idol girls. That niche already exists within the BJD hobby. I'm sure there will be (probably already are) people who make dolls based on some of those characters, but i doubt it'll be a major trend.

Besides, the styles and details that make the costumes cool are the same things that will make them impractical to replicate in doll form (embedded LEDs, skintight latex, lots of tiny detail, implausible physics, etc).

 

I had to look up what they did for Nikke and I thiiink I agree? I do adore FL fantasy fullsets, but they do typically lean 'historical' fantasy. I would like to see their take on a futuristic/tech fantasy fullset

 

Fairyland occasionally does collabs with companies like this. A couple years back they released two nekopara characters as dolls, and cp shrapnel (one of their sculptors) also sculpts figurines. I don’t think that fairyland is going to shift their style or anything. Their branding is really strong and deeply rooted in the bjd community. If anything they might do a collab but it’s hard to say.
If you’re looking for dolls in this style, I suggest maybe checking out what Dolk has. They’re an authorized dealer that has both vinyl and resin dolls. They also sell really cool characters dolls occasionally. They might have something in the style you’re looking for but I can’t say for sure.
The really cool thing about bjds is that the longer the hobby continues, the more pockets and niches begin to form and bloom. Even if the mainstream dolls start to shift one way or another, it’s still pretty easy to find a small group of people dedicated to whatever you’re interested in.

 

Fairyland has been sculpting figures for a very very long time. So it's not new. If anything there might be a collab, but I doubt it. It isn't realistic to think Fairyland would change that drastically, especially not when they've been sculpting for a while and have been a community staple for many many years. Not only that, but people still love and buy their whimsy aesthetic and the more "realistic" or darker historical fantasy dolls generally don't do as well.

 

Fingers crossed for you (and the other ShiftUp fans) then

Teddy