Mobility vs. Aesthetics

There is no doubt in my mind that I would choose aesthetics over mobility. I wouldn't want a body that is absolutely horrible at posing, but I would value looks for the most part. A nice balance of both would be optimal but mobility doesn't really mean much to me if I can't stand looking at the sculpt!

 

I don't really look twice at bodies I don't find appealing; however, I won't normally buy an appealing body if it can't pose well.

For me, there is no point in buying a doll with joints if the doll can't move anyway.

 

Team mobility here - even as a kid, I wanted dolls that posed well. An awkward joint can always be covered by clothing, but a doll that's kicky or stiff can't be worked around.

 

I used to put way more stock in mobility, but at the end of the day my dolls spend 90% of their lives standing/sitting. And my fave size is 65-70+ cm which means they are often too heavy to be strong posers ((IMO, 1/4 is the most fun size for posing))

I think my feeling now is way higher towards aesthetics. Like my only mobility dealbreaker is 1 piece torsos because a lot of my characters are slouchy grumpy types and sometimes the ability to bend the torso gets them more stable when sitting.

I have changed my mind about dolls just because I hate their nipples or like one small sculpted element so I'm definitely way pickier about aesthetics. I also have a "I hate it but I guess I gotta deal with it" relationship with how 90% of 70cm boys have six pack abs.

 

I definitely like a mix of both but I think I prefer mobility more

 

I will only buy dolls if the body options are double jointed, so team mobility all the way, for me! But I do really like aesthetically pleasing bodies, too.

 

Both are pretty important to me. I'm not likely to even look at the sculpts if their posing ability isn't good. At the same time just because the doll has excellent posing doesn't mean I will make a purchase if I don't really like the sculpt too. I guess you could say I am very picky.

 

For me aesthetic is more important than mobility, but it doesn't mean the mobility should be terrible. One of the reason why I sold my dz boy is because the mobility is just terrible, although the body is gorgeous.

 

Aesthetic all the way. I really like "art" bodies, and I don't really care if it poses well so long as it's distinctive. For example, one of my favorite bodies I've had is the Doll Chateau B Body 08/09, but it has a garbage range of motion and posability. The arms aren't even long enough to sit in the lap, chest part almost not substantial enough to support the head, can't even sit naturally on a flat surface half the time, feet are too small to balance on. The list of problems goes on and on, but I still love both my Elsia and Betty to death.

 

Aesthetic for me too. I don't think I've moved my first doll from initial pose.

 

I'm not really one for "natural" looking dolls, all of my favorites are weird creatures, so the joints blend in perfectly. I also think there is a lot of beauty in ball joints and these things that obviously make it a doll are endearing for me. However, sometimes I do dislike the look of a joints but they are only specific kinds on specific dolls, I think there's the right kind of joint for any doll. Since I like the look of a joints, I very much prefer dolls with more mobility and will only compromise on that when it's over all looks are very enticing, which doesn't have anything to do with joints.

 

When buying a doll, how much does movement/pose-ability influence your purchase?

To me, not much at all. It's nice to get a doll that can pose well, but if the sculpt fits a character I have in mind or is just really pretty, I don't care how they pose.

I feel like there are several different things you can do to increase your dolls pose-ability. And some of my dolls have multiple "enhancements". Hot glue sueding, wiring, restringing, and I'm going to try those little plastic discs that you put in their joints as soon as they arrive in the mail.

I consider it a labor of love. If I love the sculpt, I don't mind having to work a bit for better posing. But I know a lot of people are nervous or afraid of restringing, and I've even seen where people will not buy a doll if they've heard that it's not strung nicely.

So I was curious what other people thought about this.

 

I like a good balance. Outstandingly amazing posing means nothing to me if the body is blocky or has too many obvious joints, and a gorgeous body means nothing if it can't even stand or sit by itself or poses so stiffly that it looks very unnatural.

For me, the perfect body is aesthetically pleasing to me, and absolutely CANNOT have a low torso/hip joint! I love beautiful hips/stomach on a doll, and a joint cutting right across it just really ruins it for me. (I do have a few who have it, and even though I hate it, they're not usually bare enough for it to show.) I also prefer the torso joint to be right along the rib cage--it's useful, and minimally visible. I've recently learned that there is a huge difference in "poses well" and "poses naturally". I've had dolls people claimed could do any position, then been very disappointed because while they can stand on one foot, sit with their knees to their chest, touch their face, cross their legs, etc, they look very awkward and unnatural doing it--limbs with nothing between stick straight or 90 degree angle, "tube" arms and legs with no definition, back so straight they look like they'd be having spasms before long--to me, that isn't "good" posing at all. I want my dolls to look like they're hanging out in poses that are natural for human beings. And I want them to be pretty while doing it!

 

I think it very much depends on who the character will be for me. For example, with bodies for my main crew poseability is important to me so I have bodies planned that have good poseability although I have also looked at the aesthetics of the bodies as I want them to be right for the character. I would make an exception if a body was right aesthetically because I would be willing to work with it and make it pose better with sueding etc. Alternatively, for a little mouse bjd I am about to put on layaway I haven't research poseability at all because he will be used to shell a dear pet who has passed away so the look of the doll was more important to me than anything else.

 

For me, looks always come first! I almost don't even think about the poseability until after I have the doll. If I love the sculpt, I'll make it work

 

Ha ha, same with me.

 

I agree with @CloakedSchemer that a balance between looks and posability is ideal. Currently a lot of my dolls are single jointed, so they are limited in to poses they can hold. I find both the more stylized ones and more realistic ones aesthetically well sculpted. My DIM girl is one of the ones that is double jointed that I find less attractive in the way her joints are made. T'm super excited about the doll from Granado I'm waiting for right now because he's both super posable and realistically sculpted.

 

I think it's important to have both! I definitely want an aesthetically pleasing body but poseablility matters to me and it can be frustrating when a doll can't even stand well out of the box, because for me I feel like that's kind of the point of a BJD, to be able to pose and do stuff other dolls can't. But I'm willing to make it work even if they are not that easy to pose!

 

For me it's different. I wouldn't be able to love a doll which looks pretty, but doesn't pose too good. And my doll just must have the abdomen joint. I love beautifully scuplted bellies, but not when a doll isn't able to pose naturally.

 

BJD's are more "look don't touch" for me just because I love displaying my treasures and admiring from afar the grade of the body's posing I don't find to be a make or break factor. as long as they can do general posing without much fuss, i'm happy lol.