"Those Anime Dolls"- Does the connection bother you?

2012 - I still don't like realistic sculpts. I do have a few that lean more towards it, but that's it. Even though my characters in my head don't look like the dolls, it's close enough for me. (I can't draw, and if I did, I'd lean towards manga style, like Sailor Moon in the manga....gods...the art is stunning! I love manga artwork!)

But none of my dolls came from me watching anime. I forget how I found them, but I know it was on Ebay while looking for something else. My first find was a DES from Luts, painted by an artist who no longer even paints that way. She's gone gothic but the DES looked natural, normal. Elfish!

 

Wow! such a large thread. hmm, I'm sure someone might have said this already but here goes my opinion.

A majority of the BJD companies seem to come from Asia (Japan, Korea, and China). Perhaps it's more of a mental association that if someone has a unique hobby invested in rare goods from Asia then perhaps they might be interested in another unique, yet familiar and shared, hobby also stemming from Asia; and consequently, perhaps the most familiar yet unique hobby to the observer's knowledge may be Anime. Thus combining these two ideas together they articulate, "hey! you like anime?" I don't think they all meant badly by it - some may be trying to find common ground to connect on, or some may be excited that they might have found someone else with coinciding interests. You get much of the same in Japanese language courses - not everyone who tries to learn japanese (at least I would hope not) are doing it for the sake of "anime." Perhaps they're interested in international business or the like.

In a similar fashion, before anime became as well known to the western hemisphere the big thing to ask, when topics of Asian origin were brought up, was "hey! do you know kung-fu/karate?" Fortunately, that tendency has somewhat shifted as people began to learn that not all Asians or those interested in Asian culture delved into martial arts (though you might still occasionally hear that asked at a sushi restaurant or the like).

End Point - I feel that, as the BJD and anime communities continue to grow and diversify in interests - people will learn that there is not necessarily an association between the two; however, people will not stop asking the question since they might be trying to make a new friend who shares their similar interests - and there's nothing wrong with that, I think. For those that just ask it to be mean though, well hopefully they'll grow out of it with time.

 

I know BJD thanks to anime and I love anime soooo there's no point in getting mad at someone just because they think you're an anime fan if you like BJDs..or vice-versa. However, I noticed that many people here tend to think that BIG EYES = anime, which is really not true. In anime, the older the character, the smaller the eyes(most of the time) which is almost the same in BJDs. Many SDs or 70cm dolls have realistic sculpts and the same goes for some animes.

 

Honestly, it only bothers me for one reason: because my dolls are not at all based on anime. I feel my dolls (especially an upcoming doll I am making) are VERY far from Japanese or even ASIAN culture. I believe that "those anime dolls" really came from Volks and their style that does replicate the anime style. However, I do not think they should be lumped into a category like that because they just aren't really related.

 

This summarizes how I feel as well. For the first time ever, someone just said "Hey, that looks like it's from anime" about one of my dolls. I was kind of shocked, since I just don't see it. I wasn't upset, but it "irked" me a little.

 

It makes sense that if owners make the effort to create their own characters/personas for their BJDs, assuming that all BJDs are based on anime is very insulting. However, it might be wise to note that some of the people who make that assumption are 'uninformed' and lack a detailed perspective on the difference between BJDs and anime.

Personally, I have no problems with any of my BJDs being seen as an 'anime doll', partly because I am an avid manga reader and anime-watcher, and I did get to know about BJDs though anime/fellow anime fans. But I have no doubt that I would all get annoyed if someone keeps calling my BJDs 'anime dolls' when they are well-aware that this is not the case (or worse 'barbie'! It drives me nuts when that happens!)

 

Perhaps, in some cases where whoever is making the connection is comparing your doll to an anime character when they have nothing in common, but this bothers me very little. People connect what they think are similar, and it comes from their own opinion. I don't have reason to get upset over another's perspective.

 

I found BJD's through cosplay and found cosplay from anime so for me it's a trail of things. I don't like it if people make that connection but that is not something I can control so I try my best not to go off on them. I tell them that yes, cosplay, anime, and BJD's are related in a way but yet not in the same "family".

 

Oh, it isn't just Volks. Most popular dollmakers hereabouts have a markedly Asian aesthetic which people can spot, even the uninitiated. Note that 'Asian aesthetic' isn't the same as 'having Asian features' or 'dressed Asian' or 'resembling an Asian cartoon'. It's a sort of je-ne-sais-quois (most folks just say "i know it when i see it"). Which is why the uninitiated may say "Hey, that looks like an anime" even though they can't name a single character that the doll actually looks like. They can spot the influence, even if they can't articulate it.

Your doll doesn't have to have the bubble-eyes-and-nonexistent-nose look to be mistaken for 'anime'. I've gotten the same reactions for my dolls from Dollmore, Iplehouse, Volks, Soom, DD-Anne... pretty much everybody except my Limhwa Mano (he has lots of crags) and my Iplehouse Luo (he looks like Brad Pitt). Also: not all Volks sculpts even have the bubble-eyes-and-nonexistent-nose look, either. Many of my Volks dolls are mature sculpts with cheekbones & smaller eyes. Doesn't stop them being associated with anime, though.

But I don't mind/care-- if a Muggle pegs my doll as something with an Asian influence, I'm always pleasantly surprised that their worldview is broad enough to recognize it at all. ^^ And if that's the connection that makes my doll make sense in their minds, then that's OK by me. Most people are so ignorant, & I hate bothering with long patient explanations that use only small words.

 

I am much too familiar with these types of generalizations... I draw fantasy and much too often, I am asked if what I'm drawing is from Pokemon or Digimon... -_- So really I couldn't be bothered if my doll was referred to as an "anime doll"... at least they could recognize a certain aesthetic...

 

I'm an anime fan, so no it doesn't bother me in the least, but I have never come across anyone in real life, who have said that. Online sure, but I care very little for what total strangers on the internet think. But it bothers me a little when people ask "are they like those sex dolls?"
Maybe because I don't think of my dolls in sexual ways much. I could maybe take tasteful nude pictures, but that's the most sexual I would ever go and only with my SDs.

 

I'm not bothered if people make a conection to Anime, because I am anime fan myself.
But whatever i have them with me in plain clothes or in cosplay, i tell people that it is because I have photography as a hobby first and foremost, and nothing to do whit animes.

 

It doesn't bother me. Without Rozen Maiden and Anime conventions (to actually see the dolls) I wouldn't be into this hobby. Plus, anime is usually a bonding experience when I see Doll Meetup at conventions on top of the love for the dolls.

 

It doesn't bother me partly because I like both, and partly because if it wasn't for anime, I would never have found BJDs

 

It bothers me a little, not specifically anime, but any generalizing/stereotyping. I do like anime (and yes, I would consider myself a fangirl) but none of my dolls have anything to do with that aspect of my interests, nor do I see any similarities personally. I guess maybe it's because I found BJDs through general doll collecting instead of through anime or some other part of Asian culture. But the one that really gets my goat is when people compare BJDs to Barbies or porcelain dolls. I have those too, and they are not the same. Not even remotely.

 

It just annoys me when people say "that anime doll you're getting," and I usually correct them by saying, "No, it is a ball-jointed doll. It has nothing to do with anime. 'Anime dolls' are figurines/action figures. Please get it right." That actually was to my roommate who was already bothering me...since we were thrust together into the same room.

I used to like anime a lot, but now I'm sort of out of it, so it does slightly bother me when someone brings it up and lumps my doll together with. Of course, my doll isn't here yet, but it gets brought up a bit and so far my parents haven't said anything about anime. It sort of depends on the person, though, too. If my parents asked if they were based off of anime characters or something about anime, I would politely tell them no. If it were either of my two roommates who asked, I would snap back at them slightly rudely because they're obnoxious anyway.

But everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you don't like it, that's fine. If you don't care, that's fine too. I'm just slightly annoyed by it when it's certain people bringing it up.

 

I don't think it would bother me--although I've never received a comment like his--especially if I brought my doll to a Japanese market (where many anime fans linger, I've noticed) or a convention. I do like anime, but I realize some people aren't quite as knowledgeable when it comes to BJDs, so their assumption is understandable.

 

It's because of the "curious appeal" of anime that got me into dolls.

 

Only when they are making fun of anime and dolls... which is pretty much the only time my interests are mentioned... Sadly.

 

I probably won't, but I would try to correct them, i guess?