What style of dolls do you prefer?

I would say semi-realistic. I'm not into the anime look (they can be adorable, but not my thing) or the hyper realistic look (again, gorgeous when done right, not my thing.) All of mine fall somewhere in the middle, some being closer to one end of the spectrum or other. I also find that makes it easier for me to just fall in love with a doll and get it, without worrying if it'll be the right look next to the others.

 

Like most people here, I definitely prefer semi-realistic dolls. I don’t think I have ever liked the more anime-style dolls although I love anime lol

 

It’s definitely semi-realistic for me. I love the slightly stylized looks from companies like Luts, Volks and Peakswoods. And in tinies, I can swing toward a more anime look if it fits my character. But I can never swing towards the more realistic style (although I love seeing it in other people’s dolls.) I’m building a fairytale world here, and I don’t want any of that pesky reality sneaking in!

 

Semi-realistic for sure. I had a Dollfie Dream once, and didn't end up liking her even though it was one of my favorite anime characters. Love figures, but didn't like as a doll. Have also had Minimees and Iplehouse, which I think are usually pretty realistic but also didn't work out.

 

The cartoonier the better. I'm talking about dolls so cartoony they don't have nostrils.

Dolls that are too realistic tend to fall into the uncanny valley a bit too much for me. I've always preferred hyper-stylized comic and illustration styles too, so it's not a surprise to me that I vastly prefer stylized dolls.

 

I prefer semi realistic

 

it would depend on what you consider "realistic".

If we're talking old Bishonen house, Granado, etc; then no. My Drahgondoll Cheng, and Impldoll Erica are about as realistic sculps as I generally go. I have a lot of Pukis, -fees, elves, and anthro dolls, so... maybe semi-to-not?

 

My tastes go from Volks, Luts, Dollmore etc, to VERY cartoony and stylized! I LOVE weird proportions, and I have dolls from Nefer Kane and Lillycat, all the way to 2D and the Dollzone anime dolls! I realized pretty quickly that realistic and even semi-realistic if it was too close to realistic, just wasn't for me.

 

Finding clothes is a REAL challenge! And some will never have shoes!

 

Realistic or semi realistic! I seem to experience the opposite of uncanny valley where realistic dolls seem normal to me but anime style dolls make me uncomfortable.

 

I love realistic sculpts! They feel convincingly alive

 

I'm pretty easygoing with my doll style preferences. I think anime ones are cute, enjoy the variety of cartoony and semi-realistic ones, and realistic ones wow me with how lifelike they can look. I've been tempted to get dolls of pretty much every style at some point or another. If I had the space, budget, and perhaps less willpower, there would definitely be at least one anime and one outright cartoony doll in my collection. Kind of hope I can add them to my collection some day, though they may not be part of my main "crew."

As it is, mine tend to sit in the semi-realistic spot. Though, depending on your definitions of things, one may lean more towards the realistic and one may be more cartoony or... artistically exaggerated? Not sure how to best describe her. And once non-human features enter the mix (a couple of mine have distinctly non-human ears and one of my OT dolls is straight up monstrous), that adds its own fun spin to what is and is not realism.

Semi-real is such a fascinatingly broad category to work with. Is that doll on the MP who reminds me of Commander Shepard stylized enough to be cartoony, even though she has more natural proportions than my Wol? Would those proportions count her as realistic, or does sitting on that boundary make her semi-real? Is my Zeri close enough to realistic proportions that she falls into the realistic bucket? I feel like most semi-realistic dolls, they have bigger eyes and she certainly does not, but is she still too far from real in some way? Beyond the face, we've got bodies like those super exaggerated tiny chest, huge hips and thighs ones, and I'd feel safe saying they're more in the cartoony realm than even semi-realistic most of the time. Does that mean other bodies like the super skinny or long Doll Chateau ones are cartoony, or semi-real, or what? Then again, what about those shrinkwrapped muscular as all get out bodies so common in the bigger guys? Do they count as realistic on detail alone, or is their musculature a far enough departure from a realistic (or at least healthy) body that it loops around from realistic into something else?

Oh I could spend far too much time thinking about this.

 

Semi to hyper realistic for me. The only time I've been fine with cartoonier dolls has been with Pullip/Taeyang/etc. Anime/cartoony BJD do nothing for me, and honestly are off-putting.

It's the same way for me. I'm perfectly fine with hyper realism in bjds, but find the the rounded circles for eyes and lack of detail in the other features of the face on an otherwise human proportioned/detailed bjd to be unnerving. It's like all the fine details of a human face have been melted off, and the little that remains in the aftermath is much more of an experience in the uncanny valley for me than anything veering towards realistic.

When it comes to creature dolls though—I'm perfectly fine with realistic or stylized. It's just the large-eyed anime-esque ones that unnerve me.