Is your doll's character a doll or a person?

A lot of people create dolls to look like original characters - their own, or from another canon, like a TV show, movie, or book. I haven't done so, myself, but I know a lot of people get a lot of excitement about getting everything right, and keeping the doll looking in-character. They love the idea of finding the perfect sculpt, eyes, wig, to fit as well as sewing or commissioning outfits to fit that character's general wardrobe.

Don't feel guilty about creating a doll that's supposed to be from a TV show; you're definitely not alone in doing it.

My dolls are my own characters that I created since having my first doll. My characters are people, in worlds just like ours.

My rule of thumb, however is this: In the photostory, it's a person; on my shelf (or anywhere else), it's a doll.

 

A TON of people create 'character dolls', (there are actually quite a few threads already about it ), myself included, although I do have original character dolls as well.

If you're worried about growing tired of the character, just remembering that BJD are fully customizable and changeable might help I don't know that I would ever do this to one of my OC dolls, (unless they were getting 'reshelled), but I've given some of my character dolls new face ups over the years-my L is now playing my Sebastian for instance, but if I want him to be L again, he can always change back!

 

As said, a TON of people do that. Hell, I've gotten a doll simply because I thought it resembled a pokemon and thus needed to be one.

Since he'd be your doll, if you don't want him to be that character anymore then he doesn't have to be. A few people buy like multiple wigs and eyes for one doll and change them out every so often. Some people have multiple "characters" with just one doll, just by changing those easily changed features. Plenty of people have also changed the character of their doll just by a change of clothes and name. The great thing about these dolls is that they are whatever you want them to be at any given moment.

 

Thanks everyone for your opinions!
I definitely agree, And that's one of my favourite thing about how customizable they are! The important thing is that I /adore/ the doll itself: Who he is may develop and change, and I think I'm okay with that. :] Honestly, when it comes to my own incoming doll, I think a little bit of it might be nerves! The general: Will I love him as much as I thought I would? What if another model would have been better? Oh gosh I just spent a ton of money on this doll! Oh boy, Haha. But The more I think about it, the more I think I'm just /excited/! I can't wait for him to get here, and I know we'll have lots of fun together.

I'm glad that lots of people do this, though! And I already know that when I nail a feature, I'm going to be BEYOND Extatic with my little Dean!

Ezekely-- A pokemon! Really? You should spam a picture or two for me, I'd love to see that! Which pokemon did they remind you of?

 

I don't believe that you'd be restricting him per-sey but maybe yourself and your own creativity. He doesn't have to be Dean all the time (who's a total cutie by the way!). Your concerns make me think that you should picture his Dean cosplay as just another extension of his hopefully ever extending wardrobe! This is what I would do if I had a doll lke you but it's all up to you really!

 

Pffft don't feel guilty about that~ all sorts of people make character dolls all the time. I don't have one yet mainly because I only plan to only make one and I haven't quite found the perfect sculpt for my little Cirno just yet, but I'm definitely in the same boat. I don't think it's restricting; it's just a whole different aspect to the whole customizing thing. (I'd love to see who you picked for Sam and Castiel by the way, rrttyyo xD; )

 

Most of us do something along these lines. I myself cosplay so of course all MY dolls are cosplayers - therefore they can be multiple characters LOL This involves owning tons of wigs, eyes, feet & hand parts, clothes, shoes....
Kind of like my own closet ROFLMAO

 

Like everyone ahead of me has said, there are lots of people who have dolls based on characters; either someone else's characters, or their own original characters. There are even some dolls made specifically to look like characters/people such as the Minimee dolls.

Two of my dolls - Michael and Andromeda - are "shells" of my original characters. All my dolls have their own "personality" (I call it "resinality" lol)

Like Ezekely said, if you decide you don't want your doll to be that character any more, you can change him around and make him into a whole new character. That's the beauty of BJD and the human imagination together.

 

Some of my dolls will be characters. I like creating worlds and civilizations. They won't be interacting with me at all. I don't really feel the connection as much when I am not the one who made the doll. In this case, I fill the shell not shell an existing character.
I will have dolls that I will be playing with a lot though. *u* Banji is just too adorable.

 

I that, for many of us, our dolls are just 3-dimensional objects that bring our characters to life / physical representation.

So to answer your question, No, my dolls don't know they're dolls. They think they are the characters I assigned.

 

All of my dolls are original characters, separate from my own life and not "aware" that I exist. They have their own stories and backgrounds and everything.

That being said, while I don't own a "character doll", I DO have doll based off of tv characters. For example, take Jayson, my MNM Zack Fair head/AoD body. His character is somewhat based on Tommy from the olllld Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. :P He's NOT Tommy, but he is supposed to look similar and has some common interests.

 

My dolls are not aware of the fact that they are dolls (thanks DanceCat for the explanation) I treat them as "persons" and they all have their own way of responding and acting. But for that matter I'm not really doing a good job in the background story department. Only one of them is based on a complete OC of mine. Another is also an OC, but he hasn't got a complete background. The rest just happened.

 

The dolls I have realize that they are in doll form. Their doll bodies house their souls...they were once human (or something else...like a fairy, for instance) and had human lives but it all ended tragically for them, and the doll bodies are just vessels that the souls stay in until it is time for them to move on. Basically, I'm the caretaker of souls, and my job is to keep them happy...

 

They know they're not human, but don't want to feel any less so. They like to play around the house, watch tv or watch me play video games, sit/lay with me, and go around the house with me~

 

I bought my first doll with the intention of having her just be a "doll" with a name. But, as time goes on, she is developing quite the personality, and we're really starting to bond. It seems like the more I play with her, or the more outfits I make, I realize what her style and personality are. She's been a bit of a mystery to me, but I'm still having oodles of fun discovering what she likes and who she is.