What is the appeal of dolls with open mouths?

Why do some people like blue eyes? Why do some like freckles? Beards? Curly hair?

Its just one of those things that really doesn't have an explanation.

 

I find open-mouthed sculpts appealing because they add to the illusion of life and breath. When captured in photos, they can look as though they are on the verge of speaking or were caught unawares while lost in thought.
So many BJD owners are trying to realize their vision of a personality that has only existed in their mind, so anything that contributes to apparent vitality is often popular.

 

Well, I guess there are different tastes and dolls, just like everything else, are made different to appeal to everyone and every taste out there.... Wouldn't it be boring if all sculpts had the same looks?

 

While I'm not a fan of the wide open mouths, I do like slightly parted lips. They can look like the doll is curious, worried, scared, surprised, about to speak or maybe a slightly suggestive flirty look. This is quite fitting for some characters. There are also real people who have teeth showing slightly or keep their lips barely parted when relaxed, so people may like that in their dolls. If the doll is a vampire sculpt, it may help to show the teeth more realistically or appear ready to bite.

With the wide open mouths, I could see having a spare faceplate like that being useful for photo stories where the doll is yawning, screaming, very upset, shocked or maybe some of the 'sexy' photoshoots, but I wouldn't want one with only that face permanently. That's just my opinion though. Some people love having dolls with extreme or unique expressions.

I suppose asking why people like open mouths on dolls is similar to asking why they'd want sleeping heads, hands in specific sign poses or crying or angry sculpts.

 

It's just a matter of taste, really. I like it because I find it is a versatile sort of look for photos.

 

For me it's the added detail. A mouth that's open with teeth showing has more detail happening than a mouth with the lips closed... well, usually. I'm also particular about eyes having sculpted tear ducts, it's just an extra detail that greatly improves a sculpt!

 

Blah blah preferences blah blah everyone has their own.

I don't like open mouthed dolls either personally, but then I also don't see the appeal of dolls with closed eyes or extreme expressions.

 

Why not?

 

I think it just makes them look more realistic, and adds some character to them. And mostly, it's just about personal taste.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of dolls with open mouths, but in some cases they can appear cute. If they appear to be childish or a more happy doll in general I think a slightly parted mouth can fit the dolls personality. It just depends what you're going for.

 

I love the slightly parted lips, because I love pouty lipped dolls. It's just people's taste.

 

Why do some people like dolls with closed mouths? :P

I don't consider open or closed mouth to be a big issue for a face sculpt at all. I mean it's not even something I think about when choosing a doll. Sometimes a person's mouth is open. Sometimes it is closed. Such is life.

 

That isn't something I think about. Just a matter of taste. Personally I'm turned off by dolls with really big heads. They just creep me out. Lucky for me there are millions of dolls with heads in scale to their bodies. There also seems to be plenty of dolls with closed mouths. Something for everybody I think.

 

All depends on the taste of the person, and for me, I usually don't mind either or. I guess it's just whatever floats your boat.

 

I was about to say "What is the appeal of dolls with closed mouths? :P" too, with the :P face and everything!

To answer this seriously: like other people have said, I feel like a slightly opened mouth helps add more dimension and "life" to the sculpt. It's also something that you don't really see in fashion dolls, so I was immediately drawn to those sculpts because it was a really different thing to see on a doll. The removable tooth and tongue pieces for some sculpts with wide-open mouths seem fun to switch out, too.

Mostly, I just think teeth are super cute! I think dolls with opened mouths look more interesting and appealing, whether they're going :O or they just have the tiniest bit of teeth showing from a certain angle. Sometimes I'll actually be disappointed if a sculpt I like has their mouth totally closed - It's a pet peeve for me in the same way I imagine open-mouthed bjds are for some other people. :P

 

I feel that having dolls with open mouths just makes them seem more lifelike, especially if you are using that head for a little photo shoot! I kind of agree it seems a little strange to have a doll that always has it's mouth open, but I can see the appeal and it is more unique then your average face.

 

I have one doll with a wide open mouth, Pukifee Pong Pong. It's not just happy, it's caps lock HAPPY! It makes me laugh and smile and generally raises my spirits. An open mouth also allows for more dynamic poses and pictures. The doll could be getting ready to take a big bite out of something. They could be singing their heart out. They could be very sleepy and yawning.

 

I'm not a fan of open mouth sculpts either - I can appreciate them, but I don't see myself owning any of those sculpts. I do love slightly parted lips though. You know, the kind that can look different depending on the angle you look at the doll from. When done right, the doll can be very expressive in pictures; alive even.

If you have their teeth painted in, they could even look like they're smiling! And those are the cutest pictures in my opinion.

As an example - same doll, same faceup, slightly different smiles: (the differing skintones are due to lighting differences and post-editing)

Oh gosh I have seen a Pong Pong in person once and they are so friggin' adorable!
...Then they removed the faceplate to show me what it looks like inside. That tongue.

 

My April story anthony was just perfect for his character that's very smiley. I like teeth showing sometimes because I can get different expressions. It's just preference, really. ^^