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new volks tenshi no sato Yuki? (you tenshi)

Nov 19, 2004

    1. Yup. That's why Jesus looks as he does in art (which is not likely what he really looked like).

      And why Buddha looks Japanese in Japan... and Indian in India. :)

      </OT>
       
    2. Getting back to the original topic, I visited Tenshi no Sato this weekend just gone, and was able to see some YouTenshi in person myself. ^^ I was also incredibly lucky in that I was able to actually play with one and see just how wonderful they are, because they have a display one in the shop that customers are allowed to play with. (Provided they don the white gloves piled up neatly next to it!)

      YouTenshi are absolutely adorable! They also come with a variety of faces -- Yuki is just one of those, there are also faces with open, smiling mouths, and faces with mostly closed eyes like the Sweet Dreams type heads, and some other types. There are several body types -- both jointed torso types, and non-jointed torso types, and also there are suwarikko bodies (the sitting style bodies, like Yuni version 2) as well as ones that sit normally. They also come in both normal skintone and beauty white skintone. And the wings come in a couple of different shapes, and several different colours -- not only white, but also blue, pink, and yellow.

      The statue of Mary is in the main entrance hall of Tenshi no Sato, and yes, all those YouTenshi in the picture really are gathered around her, including the ones in the air. (They're hanging by thin thread of some sort.) It's the most adorable sight. ^o^

      The YouTenshi that I got to play with was a Yuki type, with the jointed torso and suwarikko legs. The poseability is just absolutely wonderful, and the sculpting is gorgeous, too. I love the little hands and feet on them! And the face is just so delicate and pretty and sweet!

      Also, as mentioned earlier, their wings attach with magnets. There are small magnets attached to the inside of the YouTenshi's back, and then also inside the wings. So they can be removed easily, and can also be attached at different angles to give a different look. ^^ They tend to stay on pretty well, but we did drop them a couple of times. (Very mortifying, but everyone must do it if the staff's reaction is anything to go by. ^_~)

      They're too heavy to stick to your fridge door, though. ^_~ (Yes, another customer asked if it was possible, and after much laughing by everyone, staff included, we tested it on a nearby metal cabinet. *grin*)

      We were also permitted to take pictures -- I'm just waiting for the CD with my copies to arrive and I'll be posting them. ^^ We took pics with our SDs to show the size comparison, because YouTenshi are quite small!

      All in all, I've totally fallen in love with the little buggers *_* and am rather disappointed that we aren't able to order them at the moment! (Though my bank account is relieved.)

      Anyway, I thought you'd all be interested to hear more about them!

      - Cassiel!
       
    3. eeek, I can feel my stomach drop from excitment hearing you talk about going! :D so much fun to get to "play" with them and see everything and I'm really glad that Volks is lightening up on the phototaking policy too it seems!

      did they make any noises about them being sold at a later date too?
       
    4. I know what you mean, I was so excited and happy when she said it was okay to take photos of the YouTenshi! And she also said it was okay to take pics of the Mary statue and all the YouTenshi gathered around it as well, so of course I took a whole lot. ^v^ That's the only place indoors where you can photograph the Volks SD, but it was so nice to be able to!

      They didn't say anything about when they would be available again. When we said things along the lines of "oh no, I'm starting to want to own one now!" she said that unfortunately, we weren't able to buy them or order them at the moment, and that was basically all she'd say about it. But to that I just cheerfully said, "I still want to own one eventually!" ^_^

      I'm hoping that they will become like the other Tenshi and become regularly available at Tenshi no Sato.
       
    5. An update to make my talk about the YouTenshi and such more interesting.. I just posted some pics in my livejournal for those of you who'd like to see Yuki up close and personal. There's also pics of Yuki with my SD13 boys, so you can get a better idea of just how big (or should I say small!) the YouTenshi really are! :grin:

      http://www.livejournal.com/users/kyashieru/263013.html

      Enjoy!

      - Cassiel!
       
    6. *squeal*
       
    7. Dangit, I'm not supposed to like babies! Normally baby-like dolls scare the hell out of me, but first I like the pocket fairies, now these... :cry: What's going on?

      Hmm... Maybe it's because these don't look like mini wrinkly old people, like so many baby dolls in the toy sections around me do...


      Cassiel: Those pictures are great! The one with Zafkiel and Yuki is so cute. They look happy together.:chibi
      Wow, they must of spent forever putting all those little guys up in all the different poses.
       
    8. In the 5th picture from the bottom, what type of face mold does the doll in the bottom right-hand corner with the white wig and pink wings have? That is just the cutest little face I have ever seen! :D

      Oh, and do you think it's possible to take a head from the body of a non-jointed torso doll and put it on the body that does have a jointed torso? Or are the heads different sizes? They look like the same size to me.
       
    9. For those wondering...the larger dolls are going to be called "SD16."

      There's information up on it in the Domuya Forums, though not much.
       
    10. I've read that, I'm dieing to know how big the SD16s will be. Is there anymore information on them? =^_^=

      I'm hope that They won't be much bigger then the SD13s .
       
    11. The Volks sd16 rumor has been around for at least 1 - 1 1/2 years, with prototype pics even :) I'm happy to see that it may actually materialize, since it will be awesome! I need to go read the Domuya thread!

      I really hope that Volks isn't implying that Anu/customhouse stole their idea for the petite size, as I would find that very hard to believe... especially this late in the game! A Brief History of the Petite AI
      The Petite AI original concept was suggested by Anu, according to her message on TSW group, around April 2003. The photos of the prototype Petite AI were leaked around June 2003. The first petite went on sale January 2004. I'm not saying that Volks didn't have some ideas of doing a smaller doll at some point, but I highly doubt that Anu had any insider info when she came up with her idea. I searched my databases, but couldn't find the email I remember reading by Anu when she described creating the petite to be similar proportions to one of her favorite dolls, Robert Tonner Anne Estelle 10". I believe that email may have been on DOA yahoo archives, and dang-it, wouldn't you know I just unsubbed from that old group a couple of days ago when I was cleaning up my yahoogroups! I did find many emails from Anu talking about her 'babies" and "angels" last December, and the email where she stated that other companies were trying to copy her idea, but that she had been working on it for 8 months at that time.
      Anyway :) Freebie history lesson on Petites! I wish we could have some great timelines of different companies and doll types! It would be so awesome! I loved going through all my old emails today *smiles fondly* If anyone has something to add to this, or can forward me any of the historical emails *wink* please do!

      As to Volks new doll... its super cute! I love that they have come up with different body styles and head styles already. That makes me wonder if there will be an FCS version!
      Mollie
       
    12. P-p-p-p-prototype?!

      XO I must see this!
       
    13. It was a veilled image that Volks released at one time... you could only see its shadowy form through the veil. I don't remember if it had a head or not, and I have no idea how to find the link now. Maybe someone else saved it! But like I said, that was at least a year ago, if not more!
      Mollie
       
    14. Hi, sorry for the late response to this.

      To clarify my previous comment, I wasn't trying to imply that Volks is accusing Anu of stealing the idea... I was just trying to point out that Volks claims that they have been planning the Youtenshi (infant angels) for some time. My personal suspicion is that this is their way of subtly saying "No, we didn't steal this idea from Customhouse. Really. We had this planned all along."
       
    15. Hee Hee
      This is what I suspect, too... though I don't believe a word of it :) (at least the part about having this concept for a 'long time')
      No, I didn't think that you were saying that, twotone! I understood that you were saying that the invitation may be implying that.

      and while I think that Volks really doesn't need to come out with a ball-jointed doll of every size imaginable, in order to compete... I don't deny that they are cute little guys with lots of innovations!

      Speaking of them, what ever happened to them? There were at least 30 of them flying around the Virgin Mary, don't tell me Volks can't offer a few internationally?! I think expanding their market even further to international buyers is a better idea than coming out with complete new doll sizes! I really wish they would get their international web FCS system running!
      ~__^
      Mollie
       
    16. Considering the amount of time and effort Volks puts towards creating and improving the posing of their bodies alone, I would be quite capable of believing that they've had the YouTenshi planned for some time, too. It's not unheard of for two companies to come up with the same idea completely independent of each other around the same time, and making smaller sized dolls is a natural chain of progression with these sort of dolls.

      Besides, the CustomHouse Petite Ai and the Volks YouTenshi are quite different to each other in terms of style, so are obviously based around quite different concepts. And as such each has its own draw for consumers; some people will prefer the more toddler-like style of the Petite Ai, others will prefer the more fantasy-style of the YouTenshi.

      And Volks don't need to do anything in order to 'compete'. ^_^ While in the international market, it may seem as though all of these companies might have to vie equally with each other in order to win us over, the international market is a very, very small part of the market for Volks, and they certainly didn't have the international market in mind when they made YouTenshi.
      In Japan, there is no competition for Volks. They don't need to compete. The number of Korean dolls here is so overwhelmingly small as to be almost insignificant in comparison to the number of Volks dolls. And Volks can hardly keep up with the demand for their dolls here. They are in no way being threatened of losing the market and having to resort to gimmicks to get it back.

      Like with everything else they do, I think they made the YouTenshi because they wanted to. The same reason that CustomHouse made the Petite Ai -- because they wanted to. ^_^

      And as for the YouTenshi, not even the Japanese owners have theirs yet, so I doubt we'll be seeing any in the international circles for awhile! ^_~ The unveiling of them last year was an event in which attendees were able to place orders for the YouTenshi if they wanted them, but if I remember correctly, the orders won't be ready until February.

      I'm really looking forward to seeing what people do with them when they get them. :grin:
       
    17. P.S. I could be wrong, but I believe the veiled, shadowy image that you're referring to, that everyone got so excited about because of the more mature-seeming body and all, turned out to be the release of the Dollfie Dreams. I don't have the pics from that Dolpa here on my laptop in Japan, but I do have them somewhere on my PC back home in Australia. If I can remember, I'll try and find them and check when I go back home. ^_^
       
    18. Yes, actually....that shadowy image we all saw was never stated to be the SD16. I always assumed it was DD because the shadow figure looks like one of their sculpts.
       
    19. Cassiel,
      This is very enlightening! You are right, as an international customer I look at things from that viewpoint. But to hear it from you, I can see exactly what you mean! This smaller doll was released only to Japanese customers, and is an answer to a demand of the Japanese market. *nods thoughtfully* It is very true that competition in Japan is almost non-existant. As an international customer, I am sometimes biased, but if I look at it from this perspective, the truth is obvious: Volks never really intended for this to be an international phenomena, but has always proven that their company is first and foremost intended for the people of their own country to love and enjoy. They really don't need to compete at all, they are an adoption facility, and will make each doll lovingly, one at a time, for those who will dilligently seek them out! What a fascinating idea! For so long I have only looked at this from a business standpoint, but I have an idea now that Volks does not, at all! If they get the web FCS going, it won't be to capture international money, but will be to share a child with someone who may not have been able to recieve that child otherwise.
      Hhmph! There you went and completely rewired my thinking after all these years, Cassiel!
      Now it makes sense why Volks doesn't care if their prices are slightly higher, or Blue Fairy doesn't care if people complain at the slightly higher shipping. They aren't providing this service for just anyone, but for those who really want a new baby!
      :)
      Thanks Cassiel!
      Mollie
       
    20. Hi Mollie,

      I'm glad I was able to give you a different perspective on how to think about things! ^_^

      Honestly, one thing my time here in Japan has taught me is this: Volks really love their SDs and they really care about their customers and what their customers think of their SDs. They go out of their way to make sure that their SDs are loved and their customers can be happy with them.

      The greeting ceremony is one example -- I've participated in one (and am doing another this weekend ^^) and it's a very special ceremony, and they actually close the shop and stop doing business while the ceremony is going on. The store manager is very serious and very sweet about the whole thing, and they even take a picture of you with your doll afterwards, and then send you a copy of it on a special 'memorial' card with your name and the name of your doll written on it. And what's more, this is an entirely free service that they offer that anyone with an SD can participate in.

      And then there's Tenshi no Sato -- its main purpose is for fans of SD to be able to gather, take beautiful photos of their SDs, talk to each other, and generally just have fun bonding about their SDs. The place is an absolute beautiful, peaceful, serene place, and it is somewhere of which there is nowhere like it anywhere else. And the staff there are absolutely wonderful too -- one of them even dropped everything she was doing and rushed to help me when I broke my shoe and needed to have it glued back together!

      And then there's just all the little things that impress me everytime I go to the Volks stores.. like when I picked up my friend's FCS, the care involved in opening the box for the first time, and allowing you to unwrap the FCS yourself, and waiting to find out your reaction. And the happiness they express when you are happy with how the FCS has turned out. ^^ And then the care they go to packaging the FCS up again so that you can get it home safely!
      Or when I went in to buy a Shou for a friend of mine, when I told the manager that I was sending him to my friend in America, he immediately went and got some bubblewrap and individually wrapped Shou's hands because he was worried about them breaking during shipping!

      And these are just a few examples. ^_^ All up, my appreciation for Volks (which was already quite high!) has increased tenfold during my stay here. Everything they do just shows me that they really do care about their dolls and the love that their customers have for them.

      Of course, they have to think about things from a business point of view as well, because if they didn't make money they would go broke. But they are in this business because of their love for it. :grin: