Realistic-Idealized & Mature Vs. Stylized Youthful-Dolls: Which Do You Prefer?

Well I'm excited about the more realistic looking dolls. I like being able to take and picture and a person not knowing if it's human or not. And I feel that the more realistic looking faces add more of an emotion to pictures. I also like the more in proportion eyes, they feel less cartoony to me. And detailed hands show a real dedication to this craft.

My only complaint is about the female dolls. I wish they had more of a variety in the bodies. All the dolls that I like the faces of have a really busty chest. And it would be nice if they offered an option of a smaller breast doll. But I guess for now they can always be sanded down. I just wish there wasn't that extra step.

 

I personally am 20 years old and ADORE the realistic ones. I find the less mature ones to look like ordinary dolls (no offense to anyone) and I think the realistic ones are more rare looking. Plus ... I don't know, I just like them better, haha

 

Hmm i'm pretty okay with both actually.

But i do admit that some realistic ones kinda of scare me a bit at times and sometimes i don't find them 'appealing' XD;;

 

It's an interesting observation that does raise some intriguing questions. I am not going to attempt to speculate about the reason for the changes (I still consider myself relatively new to the hobby so can't make any claim to know about the historical development of styles). However, for what it is worth, these are my personal thoughts.

I have never been interested in Barbies, baby dolls or, in fact, any sort of doll and I don't do cute. Therefore, the more traditional anime-styled BJDs just don't suit my aesthetic. However, the mature and realistic sculpts are more like the action figures that I used to love as a child and the marionettes that have been my long term interest.

Both my current dolls and the ones I am planning all fall within this category of mature and realistic sculpt. I don't think it is age-related (I am in my 40s but had the same taste in "dolls" since I was a child). However, I was looking at my Lawrence Owen the other day and thinking that, actually, he has gone so far in the direction of mature and realistic that he now looks little like what one would consider to be a ABJD. I wonder how far one can go in this direction before we have an entirely new category of figure? Just a thought.

Incidentally, I agree with other posters in that I can't wait for a new breed of less idealised, Barbie-like female sculpts. Something with a bit of character, please, and I might start buying more girls!

 

I have to weigh in on the side of older-aged collector here. I haven't been into bjds that long compared to some folks. I'm into both writing and I always liked more representational art. I have a lifelong preference for more "finished", convincingly realistic, sculpts when the dolls are photographed as characters. I always preferred the early GIJoes to Barbies, and not just because Joe could ride the Breyer horses! While I always liked the possibilities of articulation, the abstraction of many dolls wasn't to my taste, until I saw some of the more realistic ones online in the last six or seven years, saw those owned by friends, and handled them. Then I woke up!

However, I acknowledge that people have vastly different preferences on the scale of realism. Vive la difference! I like seeing all the different sub-genres from other people!
Some of my family find my bjds both too human and not human enough.
In psychology there's something called 'the uncanny valley'. This is where a human-looking object, like a doll or toy or mask or marionette, falls into a stylization range which strikes the observer as creepy. For a particular person, that range may fall anywhere from very stylized to very realistic. From surveys, they found range is extremely individual and personal.
No, I have no idea if this was funded by horror movie designers or not!
For instance, a very stylized doll (say, an antique, faceless rag doll) might be reassuring to me, and instantly bother somebody else. Or I might prefer something that is more recognizably humanoid and less symbolic, like the Minimee head sculpts.
This preference has no relation to age and doesn't appear to change with age, either, which is *really* interesting. You would think younger people might prefer fewer details, more stylization, but no. It's personal, and mysterious. I'm sure a lot of folks would love to know why!
I should add that "fantasy" is not excluded by realism. For example, I would call the SOOM fantasy creatures realistic, because they work very hard to make fantastic creatures look convincing. Some of the faceup artists do really great vampires by making them look closer to the details noted for vampires in literature.
I did read the early comment that there aren't many realistic sculpts posted on DOA, and I disagree that there aren't many around.
IMHO, there's a couple of reasons for this perception. One might be which size of dolls you tend to look for. I see nearly all the very large dolls (65 cm+ tall) as aiming for the more realistic end, while things smaller than MSD are often more abstract.
I second the point that the Minimee heads are new enough that many people haven't got them completed enough to upload pictures, as yet. They really demand good faceup skills or they look bad, and if you're doing it yourself, learning takes time. There's a strong incentive to improve camera skills when you have the realistic aesthetic going in props and stories, too. Some folks don't feel a need to tell stories with pictures once they have the doll, and some folks don't feel like risking the comments about their work if they post.
Of those who do post, there's an adult themes problem. A really grownup-looking doll demands a reasonably convincing back-story. I love the subtleties in the great photoshoots on DOA, but some things that folks will post elsewhere have no business on DOA with an underage audience. Sexually explicit material is the least of it. For instance, a shoot that gets up your nose about politics--and personal relevance--is something we really could do in horrifying detail, if we chose.
I'm not sure if there's an expanded number of fans is coming from other areas like fashion dolls, but I know a lot of the bjd folks who do come from that background are making demands for better-made, more realistic props and clothing.
With more companies coming in from China trying to make a living, I'm sure we'll see more changes, more searches for niche markets within the bjd fan base. I notice many of those companies begin with pretty stylized dolls. I think we'll continue to see changes and expansion if there's enough people coming in. It's just a question whether some other hot new thing will come along for the next fad, and make bjds seem quaint.
It'll have to be something quite special to drag most of us away from the current types of dolls, IMHO.

 

Back in the day (2003 was around the time I first discovered BJDs) it seemed like Volks was *the* company. There were a couple others, but most people seemed to have Volks dolls. And Volks dolls have always seemed to look like sculpted anime characters. Early doll artists probably would have wanted to created a doll that was similar in style to the leading brand, but of course with their own variations. Realism offers many more options for a unique looking doll than an anime style, so I think it was a progression that exploded as more and more companies gained footing.
I have always preferred dolls that look a little more realistic. I love all the detail that can go into these dolls to make them look just like little people... but perfect.

 

I preffer my dolls to be a little stylized. They're based on stylized characters, after all, not real people. That said, while I find some of the realistic sculpts beautiful, they're not something I would personally want to own. I wouldn't mind seeing a few in person, though.

I'm primarly a collector of anime/jpop-influenced merchandise, so my taste in BJDs seems to be somewhat in the same area. (I have a few revoltech, pvc figures, resin figures, pinky st figures and capsule toys around the house. Along with 2 pullips and 2 taeyangs).

I like the variation though. It allows for more characters, more concepts and more stories to be told.

When I first saw bjds a few years ago, I thought they were pretty, but really not my thing. ("WHY would you spend that much on a DOLL!?") I wasn't into dolls at the time.

This past year has been a VERY slippery slope for me, so when I fell into the BJD fandom, I started with what I knew best.

 

Honestly, I can't vouch much for a change in the marketplace. I honestly just don't know--I haven't been around long enough to tell! However, I do recall coming across some ABJDs years and years ago, and I specifically remember that almost the only site I could find with them was Volks. Uninterested with Volks molds (many of which seem/seemed a little less realistic) at the time, even though fascinated by the dolls, I dropped the subject and went about by business.
However, I think that society itself is changing A LOT. When I logged onto the internet 7 years ago, within two years I, as a 10 year old, probably could have made a living as a web designer with the basic HTML skills I had picked up doing my own websites. Now, web design is nearly it's own degree (in fact, I think it is)! People are looking to see just how far we can take it!!! IT seems that the world really wants to know just how far we can push it, how realistic and complex we can make it. And so far, we haven't found any barriers! We keep taking it farther and farther.
I think the same thing has happened with the abjd community. People want to see just -how- realistic we can make these dolls--how close to real humans can we get them? (And, in many ways, it's a pretty important question because some day, when the question of humanoid robots arises, we WILL need to know.)

Personally, I am 16 and have found that my favorite dolls so far include DoT's Shall, Dollmore's Sleep Eyes Bella Auden, and a body/head hybrid from a website I can't remember (the doll would have looked to be around 14-15 though). I love Shall because I just do--I saw her and fell instantly in love with her. Bella Auden, however, I love because of her maturity--she has a sort of elegant, older looks about her, rather than Shall who, to me, as a sort of youthful innocence.
So what it all comes down to is that, for me, I have no preference! I don't necessarily like a doll because it looks older or younger, I like it because it looks beautiful to me. I think it has a lot to do with how I was raised--to understand that big and small can be beautiful alike, as can children and adults. *shrugs* My image of beauty isn't restricted to '60 cm, teenage, large-busted dolls' nor is it restricted to any opposite. ^__^ It's a lot more complicated than that!

And that's my $25. (I would have said my two cents, but, well, I got to rambling a little. XD I do this when I think, so please ignore any typos that may have slipped in!)

 

May I first say that I am so impressed at the level of thought given to the responses to this question. And, to the question itself. I feel a bit humbled to respond when so many have spoken so well and so cogently about a subject that is very new to me.

I don't know if my comments will be interesting, or even valid, but they are coming.

I have never been shy of having opinions or of expressing them. I also have no wish to offend anyone, and hope that it will be noted that these are my personal preferences. And I will acknowledge that I have STRONG preferences since childhood (as someone, forgive me for not writing that down... , so interestingly remarked .. "left coast" is all I remember ...) and they have changed very little. They can be modified, tempted, and sometimes just downright thrown out the window though.

Has the BJ market changed?
I would say that is most definitely has. I would also say that it had to to stay viable in today's marketplace.
I spent the bulk of my life in the performing arts
, however, for the last 6 years, I worked in the world of dolls. So I have seen how the market has changed, and how a company must change to remain viable in that market.

Mature or youthful?
Well, if you mean me, unless I plan to live to be well over 100, I think we can say that I have reached "middle-age".
I don't think that has an influence on my doll preference, however. From childhood, I have liked adult dolls. I was never a 'baby doll' fan, nor am I now. Nor was I taken with Barbie. I wanted a doll that was, in some way, a representation of what I might become. A perfectly beautiful adult female. I honestly believe that was what was in my mind. So I liked adult looking dolls ... my favorite was a Mme. Alexander Cissy which I got for Christmas when I was 12. I still have her, and she has many, many "Cissters"! I didn't collect dolls until I saw a doll named "Gene" (fashion doll designed by Mel Odom and first produced in 1995). Eventually I bought one, and the fun of creating a world for my dolls began. I have been a fashion doll collector for years. And still am.

I used to drive my good friends who were BJD fans mad by saying, "My fashion dolls can do that."... and for the most part they could! What they 'could' do, was pose well, and be characters for my imaginary movie studio.

For me, dolls are toys. I PLAY with them. Just as I did when I was a little girl. So I'm not buying art ( I really don't play with the "art" that I own), I am buying a 'big girl toy'. With that said, I like very realistic, mature, human proportioned dolls. I waited a long time to get a BJ because I was not attracted to the animé style. I did not like the oversized eyes, hands and feet. When I began to see that the BJ market was opening up to a more realistic (if you will ... maybe better to say 'human') looking doll. I figured they would find my 'niche' eventually. And they did.
I just bought a Soom Dia, Rose Queen.
I'd even love a doll that looked like her Mother!

In males... I want my dolls to look masculine. Not into the androgenic look at all. Sorry.

Why did the market change?
I agree with those who've stated that these dolls are terribly expensive, and that most who are not successful wage earners could not buy one unless they were blessed with very 'giving' parents. When you have a payroll, that is simply not a good base to count on. You have to look at collectors who have "disposable income". Any luxury good does.

This does not limit the fantasy realm at all. I agree with the poster who spoke so well of the amazing job Soom is doing of proving that.

Not being, or ever having been a fan of anime, I am just unable to address the characters from that genre. That 'look' is one that just does not resonate with me.

Thank you for letting me express my thoughts.

 

Like Flamingomoon, I come from the Fashion Doll collector side of the hobby--Gene Marshall, in particular. I'm also one of the "older" collectors--52 years old. One of the things that attracts me to the BJDs is their realism. There are some that look like real people, and that appeals to me both as a collector and a (very) amateur photographer. I'm particularly drawn to male dolls, and that's been one of the frustrating features of the vinyl male fashion dolls--either you get good articulation or a good body sculpt.

I'm looking at the BJD dolls--while most have a juvenile/androgenous look that doesn't appeal to me, I find some mature looking males that do. I'm just trying to decide which will be my first..

Taylor in Austin

 

In your opinion, has the BJD market changed, is there now more demand for "mature-realistic looking dolls"?
I've just joined so I wouldn't know about previously, but I have seen a lot of realistic dolls in my search for my own, some a little scarily realistic. X3

If yes, what do you believe brought about this change?
Perhaps it is a new group coming in that's seen these dolls and it's the sometimes realistic nature of these dolls that caught their eye in the first place. I know it's somewhat what caught my eye. I could tell it wasn't just any ordinary barbie. I mean, they come with nips and bits so realism must be a little bit of what people are going for.

In your opinion, has the BJD "world" matured, are older (long-time) bjd-followers now seeking more mature-realistic looking dolls?
Well... I'm new and I'm older, and all the more long time doll collectors are probably getting older now... so... yeah. ^ ^;

If you agree, why do you believe this is so?
The base is getting older, and older people from outside the community are seeing all these older people collecting the dolls and those of the same age that are interested think "Oh... maybe it's okay for me to get one too." That's how it happened for me. Then, a good portion of them, myself included, in not wanting to seem TOO silly by their doll-less peers for getting a li'l fluffy dollie (which there's nothing wrong with, mind you. Li'l fluffy dollies are awesome in my own opinion) they try to get something that's the most grown up they can get.

Do younger (10?-18-years-old) BJD-owners prefer the younger, "less-realistic" looking dolls? Why, why not?
I have a feeling I'd still have picked the same BJD if I were younger. Like I said, part of the draw for me was that they looked like little people.


Do older BJD-owners (19-100?-years-old) prefer the more 'realistic,' more adult-looking dolls? Why, why not?
Possibly. It is more a matter of what your peers will think at this point as well I figure. I would have gotten what I wanted to get with my own money regardless (though mine isn't as realistic as some I've seen, it was what I was shooting for), but I can imagine others would feel somewhat pressured or like they'd be ridiculed for getting something idealistic looking (not that idealistic is bad, it's just a lot of people, including people I know, would feel compelled to ridicule it for some reason or another).

Regardless of age, do you have a preference (realistic/and/or/mature vs youthful/and/or/stylized)?
I like mature and realistic.

Other less specific, but related questions:
Is it just a fad, in a constantly changing hobby?
Well, seeing as they're dedicating complete lines to making dolls realistic I don't think it will be going away any time soon. There is a sort of draw to dolls that could pass for human, yet still have obvious marks indicating that they're a doll (like their joints). Adds a bit of the macabre to their fun. ^ ^

Is it due to the joining of a completely new audience?
I'm thinking that's a large part of it.

Is it just because BJD companies are growing, maturing themselves, and they want to make more 'real' looking dolls?
I think they're now able to do what a lot of people ave longed for in a doll, and they're now able to reach a slightly new base that wants more realistic looking dolls.

Does it have anything to do with age-group, or is it related to culture, region or other?
I think it has to do with a lot of factors, and age is a part of it, but another one being the dolls ARE reaching overseas where people (such as our own country) might be a little weirded out by the Japan-idealized features. Other cultures have very different notions of what "idealistic" means.

*As a side note, it is pretty amazing I think when someone takes a picture of their doll doing something and I feel compelled to grab it for a desktop image. ^ ^;; Also, at some point, a while in the future, I hope to find a chubbier BJD... nothing amazingly large, just something with a little more gut and muscle to it. XD Once I get a handle on how everything works I plan on making a very customized, though somewhat realistic-looking BJD.

 

In your opinion, has the BJD market changed, is there now more demand for "mature-realistic looking dolls"?

Everything on the market changes with demand, but I can't tell you if the molds now are more realistic and mature... I have little time on this ... Sorry... I've only noticed that there is a lot of molds anthros...


In your opinion, has the BJD "world" matured, are older (long-time) bjd-followers now seeking more mature-realistic looking dolls?


The truth is that I'm new .. I do not know how it was before so I can not compare with the past ... Personally I can tell you I'm looking for all types of moulds, realistic or not ...

If you agree, why do you believe this is so?

Although I suppose that as people matures, they will want their dolls to mature with them ... Although there will be those who find the opposite ...


Do younger (10?-18-years-old) BJD-owners prefer the younger, "less-realistic" looking dolls? Why, why not? Do older BJD-owners (19-100?-years-old) prefer the more 'realistic,' more adult-looking dolls? Why, why not?

A child of 11 years will not look the same as one of 16 ... a child choose a doll like him, child. A teen will want to have a mature mold beacause is what they want to be.

Once our personality is actually made up .. is no longer a matter of age... It's your personality, your tastes, your feelings those who choose a mold...

Regardless of age, do you have a preference (realistic/and/or/mature vs youthful/and/or/stylized)?

It depends of the character as I want to characterize ... I do not really like one or another ...


Is it just a fad, in a constantly changing hobby?
everything changes in the world, and the market for bjd is no different ... Is it a fashion? Very possibly yes.

Is it do to the joining of a completely new audience?
Perhaps .. I do not know

Is it just because BJD companies are growing, maturing themselves, and they want to make more 'real' looking dolls?
If so far have sold molds immature, it is logical to think that people is going to look for something that is different to what have always had ... but that I can only speculate

Does it have anything to do with age-group, or is it related to culture, region or other?

as I said, is more psychological than age ... But if it is true that until a certain age do not have sufficient capacity to make a psychological reasons and we are guided by our age and culture.

 

as far as myself, i fit into your "younger" category yet I prefer more mature looking dolls.
My mom, however, likes the younger non-realistic looking dolls.

 

Personally I don't really like very realistic heads. I much prefer the stylized sculpts. The same generally goes for bodies. If it's too real, it sort of creeps me out. Like... If dolls started getting body hair or something, that's just... Too much. > >

But. I like more real hands and feet. Hahah. Just because... They look nicer that way.

Generally though, I prefer a slightly more stylized look.

 

My boy is kind of a mix of both, to me. He's proportionate in the face and he doesn't have the pointier "manga-ish" nose or larger "manga-ish" eyes, not to mention his faceup is minimal and modest, but he's still kind of androgynous. I like both styles about equally, so I tried my best to find one that captured the parts I liked of each.
I think as new generations of doll owners appear, the look of dolls will inevitably change. Much like a music scene, the latest and greatest can only last so long before it is phased out and replaced with the next. I think that everybody has a preference for their dolls regardless of age. As said before, some if not most BJD owners most likely get dolls to mimic what they wanted to be or want to be in the future. Every since I was young, I've always wanted things older than me, and I've always wanted them to be strong and protecting. My first major crush was a wonderful, brilliant 29 year old soldier while I was a 17 year old high school student. Maybe it's due to the lack of a supportive father figure, or maybe it's just how I am naturally, but to this day all of my little "familiars" are older. On the other hand, my best friend only likes weaker younger things, hence all her little familiars are younger and weaker than her. We are both the same age, but we prefer the opposites.
I haven't been in the doll community for long, but this hobby is not unlike any other hobby out there. I have yet to find a hobby that will never change with the tides. Even if I did, that just takes the fun out of it, I think.

 

I prefer more realistic sculpts. I've been an Anime and Manga fan for over 10 years, but I would never buy a doll with traditional anime characteristics.

I'm not much interested in feminine males either. To me I think I associate the more stylized sculpts with the western baby and kid dolls which I would never buy either.

It's interesting that my teenage daughter prefers more realistic BJDs as well.

 

I personally enjoy more realistic looking dolls. However, Karo (my Ani Boy), is a bit more stylized in the sense that he has very large eyes and a tiny button nose. I've given him a more realistic hair color and style, as well as a very mature, realistic looking faceup, so that he fits in with my other mature, realistic looking dolls.

 

In your opinion, has the BJD market changed, is there now more demand for "mature-realistic looking dolls"?
I think so... but I'm not sure why. Maybe because dolls generally HAVE been stylized versions of the human form - but now more and more people use BJDs to represent characters they've had floating around in their minds, and are looking for the best way to bring them to life - realism. This is how it is for me, at least.

In your opinion, has the BJD "world" matured, are older ( long-time) bjd-followers now seeking more mature-realistic looking dolls?
I wouldn't know! I fall under the younger category as well as only having discovered BJDs very recently.

Do younger ( 10?-18-years-old) BJD-owners prefer the younger, "less-realistic" looking dolls? Why, why not?
Falling under this category myself, I would say no, not necessarily! I am more attracted to realistic-looking dolls than more stylized ones. Perhaps I'm generalizing here, but I think that, being younger, I tend to prefer older-looking dolls, but after a certain point I think people may begin to prefer younger-looking dolls. The same way youths look forward to birthdays, while I always hear older adults lamenting their age, wishing they were twenty again.
But I guess that also the BJD preference is, more often, simply based on... well... preference, not age or maturity. I doubt that at age thirty I'll be more attracted to the childlike, anime-inspired dolls than I am now (although I do have a bit of a soft spot for Puki-Pukis. )

Regardless of age, do you have a preference (realistic/and/or/mature vs youthful/and/or/stylized)?
Yep - like I said, I prefer the more realistic/mature looking dolls. When you think about it, though, these are still very young-looking, very idealistic and VERY stylized representations of the human form. I sound snobbish saying this, but I wouldn't want a doll to look much older or realistic than the current standard for "mature" dolls.

Other less specific, but related questions:

Is it just a fad, in a constantly changing hobby?
I really wouldn't know... as I said before, I have only been interested in BJDs for a short amount of time.

Is it do to the joining of a completely new audience?
Maybe, yes - the ones who want dolls so that they can hold their very own mini-versions of their characters, who they've spent so long fine-tuning in their minds.

 

I think I'm a mix of both. I don't want a very stylized doll but I don't want a really realistic one either. The anime-ish dolls by Volks aren't my fancy at all. I want the doll to look like a real person, just with a couple of unnatural twists (such as larger eyes) :'D