Keeping the Company Character?

I did ever considering getting Soom's 2009 MDs, keeping their characters and turning it into a high school AU, but, alas, funds and space constraints doesn't allow for that. Also, my mind is usually overflowing with strange ideas, and they tend to overflow onto my dollies, so usually, I find that I can't really keep the original backstory without getting rather bored and backed-up. Finally, I need to make sure that everyone fits into my current loose continuity, so it's not very practical to try to shoehorn the existing characterisations in most of the time.

 

I read some of those backstories on Dollmore's site.
So far none of my dolls have backstories created by their company.
And if they had one I probably never would've kept hem. I like to create my own characters.

 

Did any of your dolls have backstories created by the company?
Actual written backstories? No. I think that how they are shown (clothes, eyes, wig and also face-up) makes up for that, though. Or the version they come in. For example I have a doll that was pictured with leather clothes, scars and red eyes and hair. That's telling me enough for the intended theme/story, so they don't need to have a written backstory. There are also dolls coming in different versions, telling people "yeah, first version is a goth girl but she'd also be a cute schoolgirl. Hinthint"
Did you decide to use that backstory/theme with your doll, even when you originally didn't intend to?
Well, this is what I saw and this is what got me to buy them, the look that is. Since it also reflects their theme and story, I think that got me to use that for some dolls, even if it's only partially. sb.
Did you ever partially incorporate the company's backstory/theme into your doll? Why partially?
One was pictured as a vampire. He stayed a vampire. Not the romantic goth type vampire as he was pictured, though.
Another one was pictured as a little male looking devil/demon. He stayed a demon, but since he is genderless, he became a she, also not dressing in leather/black like in the pictures.
One was an outgoing schoolgirl but also a punk girl in the pictures, stayed a schoolgirl, but a timid and shy one.
I think they just worked best for me and for their group the way they became. I took what I thought was good but also changed a little for myself.

 

1) Did any of your dolls have backstories created by the company?
I don't think any of them did, that I can remember off hand. None of my current ones, anyway.

2) Did you decide to use that backstory/theme with your doll, even when you originally didn't intend to?
If I did buy any with a backstory, I guess it would depend. Like, if I bought a Dollfie Dream she'd probably stay as her character, since I couldn't see her as anything else (dreaming of a Nia, right over here...) But for a Soom MD or something, I'd like to make up my own story.

3) Did you ever partially incorporate the company's backstory/theme into your doll? Why partially?
Partially, sure. I have a couple Bambicrony Emily's, who were presented in their default/fullset form as lolita-dressed cuties. One has that theme. The other's a werewolf. So...partially~! ^^

 

I have still have one LE doll that came with a backstory and a very beautiful outfit and wig. The only way this doll could be obtained is to buy the fullset and as I wanted only the doll itself, I sold the outfit to someone who loves it (I did not), and discarded the story. I sometimes read the backstories doll companies write, because they're often very odd and funny, probably because of translation differences, but it's more fun to invent one of my own.

 

1) Did any of your dolls have backstories created by the company?

Yes, just my Soom LEs.

2) Did you decide to use that backstory/theme with your doll, even when you originally didn't intend to?

With Soom Amber, yes. But it was intentional since I loved her default clothes and her "Pure Spirit" theme. I kept the sculpt name since I'd been calling her "Amber" forever, so that's just what she was to me. She has a custom face-up and fantasy parts blushing however, which I like more than the original. I haven't created much of a backstory for her, but besides her being a faun/human that's about all I will keep. The rest will come to me.

3) Did you ever partially incorporate the company's backstory/theme into your doll? Why partially?

A little bit with Heliot. I have a wig and eyes that are similar to the default, but overall I feel that the face-up can be improved. I didn't keep his story nor do I have any of his fantasy parts (but I have both heads). I liked some aspects, but felt that he has more potential.

 

1) Did any of your dolls have backstories created by the company?
I actually think the company backstories are really neat sometimes but I've never kept one for any of my dolls. If I had excessive amounts of money to spare I might actually do that occasionally.

2) Did you decide to use that backstory/theme with your doll, even when you originally didn't intend to?
On occasion the company backstory does influence how I view the mold and I may get one I wasn't originally considering for a character I already have just because they have a similar feel.

3) Did you ever partially incorporate the company's backstory/theme into your doll? Why partially?
With my first dolls, I really didn't know what I wanted to do with them. I just knew that I wanted them. I would get used to thinking of them as their sculpt name, and with my first I actually kept that as his real name and incorporated some of his company backstory into his character. With the next couple I chose names starting with the same letter as their sculpt.

 

My LE Limited Edition didn't have a "back story" but the company, in their photos, portrayed him in very regal-like manner. The editting portrayd him almost "god-like" and inhuman. His 'character' came off warrior god-like, and it really struck me as interesting. Upon receiving him, eve when picking out new clothes, I still try to maintain the feel the company portrayed his character to be. I avoid modern or simple clothing and often look at putting him in a lot of pretty jewelry and regal clothing to maintain the 'god-like' aurora to his character.

 

The closest I'm getting is Ringdoll Kirin - he's got a character to fill from my little cosplay group in their little town, but he's COSPLAYING the character Ringdoll (or the sculptor) designed him for - so in that sense I will keep the look (I don't believe the company actually wrote a backstory)

 

Hm... As much as I enjoy reading the backstories that come with each doll, none of my boys have 'kept' them - simply because none of my crew have backstories. I've never had much interest in creating elaborate (or otherwise) worlds for my guys to exist in.

That said, I do find that if the company portrays Doll A as having a more sulky 'personality' with a flair for old Victorian clothing, I would then picture that doll as just so when he got home. I may tweak the image here and there, but to me he would still be that sulky gentleman. After all, that was likely what attracted me to the mold in the first place. ^^

 

So far both my girls are "character dolls", one custom and one licensed by the manufacturer. They both got back stories via their source material. However, with the custom I bestowed it on her myself, and is quite a different identity than she had with her previous owner.

The second, Nanoha, on the other hand, was licensed from an anime title I'm fond of, so in a way she came with all the story the anime series had given her. I wasn't sure I was going to keep to the story of the anime, since I've heard so many cases of dolls bucking their predetermined stories, but when I opened that box, Nanoha very clearly wasn't going to be anyone but Nanoha. XD However, she did turn out a little differently than I had expected, even with all that story behind her. She still fits with it, so I'm not sure if the differences are my re-interpretation of her, or if maybe having her in my house is bringing out facets of her that just didn't get screen time in the show. Most likely, it's a combination of both.

However, just because I kept Nanoha's story doesn't mean I'd keep the backstory of all dolls coming in my door. There are several on my wishlist that either I don't know some or any of the story to, and maybe one or two that were never given much of a story from the manufacturer to begin with. In those cases, were I ever to adopt them, I'd probably either turn them into another character outright, or just let them tell me once they got in the door.

 

Well, I got Fairyland's Dragon Knight, Roke. And it's hard for me to think of a way to address him without thinking of him as a dragon knight. I also got so used to calling him 'Roke' that I just kept the name, as well. If I've altered anything, I think of him as a sea dragon, since his ears are blue and remind me of a merman.

 

I tend to pay absolutely no attention to the little back stories that companies have on the website, and therefore didn't keep the back story of my doll at all. I don't think I ever would, to be honest.