Why do people dislike character dolls or dolls without backstories?

It all depends on why you buy/collect BJD's, I think.
There are those, like myself, that order dolls because they love to come up with original character designs, background stories, and create their own world and story with their own dolls as the main character.
But then there are also collectors that have Bjd's so they can go creative with their clothing, face up, posing, and for the beauty of the mod and sculpt.

So, in my case all my dolls have a background story, whether or not connected to each other.
But my mother for example, loves to makes clothes for my dolls and loves to pose them , but she doesn't bother about ' who or what they are and why they're here or where they came from '

For me thinking of a name, a background, a personality, is the first thing one does when ordering or buying a doll.
Most of the time I even have a story ready before I know which doll to order, and then search the companies to find a doll that fits the story I thought out the most.
My mom just orders a doll that she finds most pretty! So she can make the most gorgeous clothing for her!

 

I personally love to read backstories that people painstakingly make for their dolls--I'm an avid reader and a writer, and the stories interest me almost just as much (if not more) than the doll itself. It's the relationship of dolls-to-stories that drew me into the hobby in the first place. That said, I can easily see and appreciate doll owners/collectors who don't have stories behind their dolls, and just because they appreciate the hobby in a different way doesn't mean that I personally look "down" on it.

This hobby feels small, intimate, and personal, and it's just exciting to interact with another BJD enthusiast, and understand other ways of enjoying the dolls that may not be my own.

I personally am also turned off by additive/subtractive mods for my own dolls, but I love seeing what everyone else does with their mod jobs and custom projects. We're all artists in some way, if we're writers, painters, sculptors, photographers, or just pure hands-off collectors.

Hopefully if someone else says "I prefer dolls with backstories" or something like this, we can assume they just personally mean for their own enjoyment of the hobby and not that they are looking down on someone else's way of enjoying their dolls Though it is too bad when people don't learn to distinguish their own personal preference for "superiority" and fail to recognize their own kindred in collectors that enjoy their dolls in different ways.

 

I have never been interested in dolls that represent a celebrity or fictionnal character from a book/movie.
it kills my little creativity. I just feel so limited because I would want them to stay in character.... but notice how anime characters always have the same outfit??? it would get really boring for me! but I couldn't create outfits for them either, because it wouldn't really be them :/ and owning a doll representing a real person would just be...weird I can't really understand why someone would want a person they do not know to "live" in their house... I honestly just couldn't bond as much with this doll and it would feel weird to hug it when I'm feeling sad. "Robert D. jr, comfort me!!! ;__; " xD;;; would make me feel really awkward.

buuut I don't have anything against people who have dolls representing fictionnal character or without character at all it's just not for ME. don't really have anything against minimee and such either, but once in a while that thought (previously mentionned) cross my mind and I get like Ô__e;;

I tried having dolls without character. buy them just to be pretty and wear aaaaaaall the pretty outfits. but after a while, I can't help it and I create them a (incomplete) story and personnality

 

I have no idea why anyone would put so much effort into caring about someone else's choice in doll names and such...
I personally get a doll because I like something about it, then after I hold them and get to know them I'll name them and give them a character and gradually build a personality for them. Some of my dolls have grown to have a history/back story with the help of a little role playing with friends. My Boyfriend, on the other hand, will usually name his dolls after characters they remind him of and go from there.

 

I LOVE seeing character dolls! Now, I'm creating a theatre group (cosplayers first then graduating - got a whole little soap opera going on, I'm a writer) - so seeing someone who has turned a doll into a character (there is a Dante here, or the Big Sister, or one spectacular Sephiroth, who all instantly come to mind) just involves me. I could care LESS if that person has given that doll another character or whatever. The IMAGE is so incredible. I read about how the owner of the incredible Jared (Bowie MiM) plans to wipe that fantastic faceup & it made me sad (& very glad there are pics)...
I guess what I'm saying, is I cannot get into the heads of people who think - oh, they aren't doing what I'm doing so it must be inferior - no matter what it might be (unless there are ethical or moral issues, like the person talking about copying a mold etc)
Enjoy the difference for heaven's sake!!!!!!! I'm GLAD not everybody does the same thing - how BORING that would be!

 

I think that people dislike when people's dolls have no back story because of the lack of purpose. I personally do not care if your doll doesn't have a back story, but some people feel if a person doll doesn't have a back story it's just there for no reason.

 

The dolls I plan to have have personality too. I plan out their apperance like doll a should have red hair with green eyes or doll b will have black hair with dark eyes. But they lack a history or a background. 5 Iplehouse EID ladies, and I can' think of any back stories for them. I treat them as friends and I plan to make clothes inspired by different eras for them. They are like models to me.

 

I have dolls based on original characters I created, dolls based on media characters, and at least one doll who is neither but has her own personality and not much of a backstory at all. It all depends on what you're into, and I don't look down on or dislike anybody who doesn't give their dolls a detailed backstory. If I'm free to determine Chaeri's birthday, blood type, and favorite food*, I have to let somebody else not even think about it for their own dolls.

*May 3, Type O, and Chinese, respectively.

 

Out of the dolls that I own and WILL own, they are all my original characters that I made a specific story for. Yeah ,I fit into the category or having the doll before the character, because as an artist, I will admit that your ideas will often times come, 'backwards' from what they should! lol

My BFF and I created a whole story for them even though we have hundreds of other characters, and you know why? It was for the challenge and the love of creation. And the love of creation alone is the one thing ALL of these types share, no matter if it's an OC or if it's Johnny Depp, they still brought them
into creation as another form. So if we're all basically doing the same thing, why judge each other?

I think people are a little bit to nosy into other people's business nowadays and REALLY need to worry about their own, and not if someones doll is Sephiroth or not. I used to love FFVII Zell so much I tried to reconstruct his outfit out of capris and gym shoes! lol

Some people just have that much respect and love for another persons character, maybe even the same way you have for yours

 

I really have to agree with this post. If a person chooses to spend money on a BJD, I don't think anyone should have a right to care what someone does with it...and that includes the name and history. Though I completely understand it if someone finds dolls with backstories much more interesting than those without one.

I've tried before to make a doll a certain character, such as an O.C., and it never really works out for me. I find that it works best when you get a doll home and experiment a little. Does this doll look better with blond or red hair? Do blue or pink eyes suit the face-up better? What sort of clothing looks best on this body? Then you just keep going on from there. If your doll ends up with a backstory, great. If not, fine.

That is just my opinion, however, and I don't expect everyone to feel the same way.

 

'You' does not refer to anyone specific.

I personally don't care if doll has a back story, if it is an OC, anime character or if the person bought the doll simply because it's beautiful. As long as you love your doll and enjoy it, who am I to judge?

I personally never tried shelling an OC into a doll. It simply wouldn't work for me. I buy dolls because they are beautiful objects of art. I didn't buy my KDF with a character in mind. He still has his own personality and name, likes and dislikes. He has become a character- in a sense- just not part of my fantasy world.

TL;DR - I love all dollies, backstory or no, OC or no =)

 

Hmm, interesting topic.
For me, I see it like this.
I think it's nice to see others put a lot of time, energy and thought into creating stories and personalities for their dolls. But I also don't care if they do that.
Personally, I don't do this. I might look for clothing that I like to put on a doll or try and find a doll customized according to my preferences but I don't create a history for my doll. I don't say 'Oh hi, this is so-and-so and she comes from X country and is a descendant of the Y tribe/culture/group etc and lives in Z and...' so on and so forth. It's just not me.
Character dolls are nice and I couldn't care less if they weren't 'original'. You know what? I own it, that's all that matters.

 

For me a doll is a doll...no matter if it is nameless, has no personality or back-story, or has an elaborately detailed history. It's a doll and it is pretty and/or handsome. That's it for me. I don't feel that others should or shouldn't have to do anything with their dolls. Personally, if a person gets their panties/thong/boxers/briefs in a bunch over someone not having a back-story for their doll or because it isn't an original character I would think they need to keep it to themselves and move on. Stop spending so much time concerning yourself with what other people are doing with their dolls and focus on enjoying your own dolls.

 

When I first got into BJDs, I did try to think up of elaborate original backstories for them but then I sort of gave up on that as I kept seeing dolls that I really, really liked but couldn't really fit into my stories... Then I started RPing (mostly with anime characters and in multi-fandom RPs) and decided that I really wanted dolls that could represent the characters I like and characters from other series that they have close interactions with in these RPs.

I don't think having character dolls stifles creativity at all. It's kind of like RPing actually and everyone is free to interpret certain characters in different ways or think of alternate versions based on the same character. So I see no problem in putting character dolls in different outfits or even changing their wigs or eyes etc. as all kinds of things happen to them in RPs! I like seeing how different people interpret or visualize the same character. The process of creating that character doll can be great fun (though sometimes frustrating!) too as you try to look for that perfect wig or eye colour or look for outfits that suit their style etc.

 

I'm not sure about evenyone else, but backstory or not, either way is cool with me. What bugs me is when people bug me for not having the backstory for one of my dolls, or when they spend 20-minutes explaining their own doll's backstory. Even worse is when they get involved with my own doll and telling me about its personality, I just don't see eye to eye with most people's analysis (geez...I'm not a homophobe, but my doll just ain't into other guys, and he ain't fawning over your doll...).

 

Some people just have to feel special. You run into them everywhere, unfortunately. But I think it's silly to be condescending like that.

 

I have to agree there that some people also just have a superiority complex. SOME not all of the cases. But why humans have always had a habit of judging each other in EVERY aspect I will never know. >,<

 

I honestly thought I was kind of strange for buying dolls based on characters, or for creating backstories for my dolls. I was immensely relieved to find out that so many other people do the same thing. So I really didn't expect to meet other people who did, and I'm not surprised that there are people who don't. It doesn't bother me one way or the other. I've never seen anyone be condescending to someone that doesn't create characters; if anything I would expect the opposite. I figured people would think I'm juvenile for buying expensive dolls based on characters from role plays and stories I've written, when I'm a woman in my 30s.

 

Ryuutje got it on the head with this one I think.

I for one am in this hobby to create dolls of characters that will otherwise rot in my head and go unshared forever. Even if it's just for my own satisfaction I want to see these characters given solid form. Also in my case having a heavy back story helps me keep a leash on my budget. For example knowing a character would sooner shoot themselves in the head than wear anything pink takes away 99% of the temptation to buy some frilly ballgown just because "It would look cute!" or "/I/ always wanted one."

On the other hand had I the money to do so I might pick up a random doll I found 'pretty' or 'gritty' And see what idea the doll inspired rather than letting the Idea inspire the doll. Who knows I could end up with a pretty doll..or a gun weilding psycopath hellbent on world domination who looks damn fine in a pair of slingbacks.

Different strokes different folks
That said YOU try telling ME what MY doll is thinking or feeling I will be all too happy to introduce your shins to my sneakers!

 

I myself need some sort of backstory to give some direction to my collection. Ive got a magpies eye on dollstuff, and without any backstory i end up buying willy nilly pretty shiny things that dont add up to great outfits. I've learned this the hard way, i ve got a lot of stuff that doesnt match anyone or i wish i got in SD instead of MSD etc.

In the past i have advised newbies to get at least some sort of frame, albeit in a couple of words like "late victorian vampire" or "biker". No hard feelings if they dont, but i do find it helpfull.