Why do you think there are so many frowning dolls?

I love happy dolls XD Most of my dolls have at least a bit of a smirk, and the ones that are sculpted to be rather neutral are painted into a slight smile.

Actually, I think it has to do with the sculpting - I think neutral or pouty dolls are a bit easier to sculpt than smiling/happy dolls since the mouth has to blend with the cheeks. I also think, character-wise, people tend to have deep/painful/sad/etc. back stories for characters that make the frowning/neutral dolls more popular. I would love to see more smiling dolls, though. (Not creepy smiling, though, more cutesy smiling )

 

I think most of them are actually neutral and it often just depends where you put those little lines in the corner of their mouths . But while a smiley doll can definitely charm me, it feels somewhat more frozen in time. A doll with a more serious expression sculpted in seems more versatile to me. Actually, I do have some pretty happy looking resin here: my MSD F-09 and YoSD Colin are both pretty chipper-looking. Well, the MSD is mostly smirking, but y'know. :wink

The sense of personality and character plays into it, too. Stories about a happy person doing happy things and ending up happy don't really grab people.

 

I really don't like frowning dolls. Especially ones that look like they're about to cry x_x I prefer neutral/innocent/happy faced dolls.

 

I didn't think there were that many frowny dolls, or like unchangably frowny, at least.

I like the neutral expression. Easier to get expression out of them by playing with the angles and lighting. Though Saif seems to like having a diabolical grin the most. Some dolls make me think of those Noh masks, where they have different expressions based on angles.


I thought the frowny-ness was partly to make the boy dolls more boyish. I once read this psychology article that said when presented with gender-neutral faces, participants were more likely to call the happy faces female and the angry faces male.

 

I think they appeal to people who want am edgier, less "cute" look to their dolls. They also seem to be a way to make boy dolls look more masculine.

 

I've seen happy expressions, serious expressions - and even downright sad/angry. I find those dolls just kind of depressing, and unattractive to me, which is why I doubt I'd buy one. And it's not a cute pout - like the ones you tend to see on immature MSD kids.

Personally, I like serious expressions, that can sometimes be seen as smiling or frowning. I think that expression is why owners think their dolls change expressions. It's a neutral expression.

 

I haven't really seen many frowny or sad looking dolls.
To me they all either look Happy or neutral.
I imagine most molds are intended to be neutral so they can look both sad or happy depending on the face up and such.

 

I like dolls more straightfaced. I mean, I have only seen ONE frowny doll I have ever liked. [DZ Annie].
My favorite expression on a doll though is usually done by faceup. No matter what it is. I like versatile dolls. ^^

 

I don't care for the frowny "someone woke on the wrong side of the bed" or the sad "lost my best friend" expressions. I appreciate the sculpts of really extreme expressions, like Unidoll's Ark, but I'd never own one. I tend to like the more neutral expressions; they seem more open to a wider range of emotional interpretation. That said, I think the dolls that make me smile are the ones that seem to be laughing, like Doll Leaves' Ding Ding and Dang Dang. I have to get those two simply because I almost chuckle whenever I look at them.

 

Is it a trend, a cultural thing, or are the frowny ones simply more popular?
I don't think they are more popular, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place.

Why do you think so?
I see more guys with smirks than dolls that frown.

Bonus question! What's your favorite expression to have on a doll? I like sulky the best. Not overly sulky, but a bit vulnerable and sad.

 

I haven’t seen a lot of frowning sculpts or frown-face ups around, I have seen a lot of extremely arched eyebrows though,
and those does help in making a face look “angry” or seem like it’s “frowning.’ Personally I love angry/p*ssed-off
looking sculpts. Especially if they are realistic, but I like ones that have smirks as well, either the hidden kind or
the twisted type – they make the irked face look a lot more sinister, which I truly like in dolls (because in real life
I am not a fan of any facial expressions – as I’m terrified of wrinkles).


- Enzyme ^ ^

 

I don't think there are that many true frowners out there. Most dolls are actually pretty neutral, and there are probably more dolls that smirk than ones that frown.

I don't really have a favorite facial expression. I love my grump dearly, but then I also have a Lusis which is kind of like a permasmiler, and then I'm thinking about getting my own pet Shiwoo...

I guess I don't have any specific likes, but I'm not drawn to neutral faces.

 

Like most others have said, I think most dolls actually have a neutral face.
For instance my girl is a minifee Eliyah. She is painted to be frowning, but if you look at the sales pictures over at Fairyland, her expression seems to change based on the angle you view her on. And when I sent my girl to have her face up done, the artist forgot I had asked for a frown and gave her a beautiful serene expression first.
I have also noticed just from my own face in the mirror, that when I'm not making any face, I appear to be unhappy... Even though I am not actively frowning.
Maybe the absence of a smile simply comes off as a sad? But the neutral sculpt gives the owner the ability to give the doll many different expressions.
There's also the fact that most models often have brooding or serious looking expressions. I guess a lot of people find that sexy?

 

Yeah, the majority of faces out there are pretty neutral. You can 'fake' a slight smile or slight pout on the very same face, just by painting the mouth & eyebrows differently.

I myself don't like actual sad-faced dolls; I at least like them to look like they're content to be here, even if they look distant or sullen or fierce. I prefer a little more sauce and spice, an expression that has the option to look happy/mischievous/sultry/sullen. Those Sad Eyebrow Faceups make me get all teary. (Volks SD13 Okita Souji v.1, I'm looking at you, baby, you and whoever kicked your puppy!)

I even had the eyebrows changed on my Iplehouse Luo, because he originally looked so soulful I couldn't stand it-- here's me, OK, big strong cavegirl, a huge fan of mafia stories and gore comedies and splatter films, brought to her knees by a sad-eyed strongman. It's pathetic. ;;

 

Maybe people like emo dolls? I like the sad ones.

 

Looking at heads without face-ups I usually interpret the "neutral" expression as a frown as well. Some of the default face-ups and eye shapes also lend to the seemingly down cast or 'srs' face.

I think the Doll Leaves 16cm laughers are my favorite expressions. And that little :O expression one is just darling too. I definitely prefer ones that are obviously smiling a bit more and you can tell even in their un-face-up head sculpt.

 

Aesthetic preference maybe? Most doll are kinda angsty-looking... Perhaps they sell better?

Personally I like sculpts with a neutral face that can look happy or sad depending on how you do the face up. Smiley faces are even better though particularly those with a wide menacing grin/smirk! (Heheh even better for scaring the folks with)

 

I like how frowning dolls seem to have such attitude. Its the same with smiling dolls as they can look smirky. XD

I think I like frowning dolls because they break the "im a happy and perfect little doll" mold. Which I just find so refreshing and appealing. I'm just weak for them. X3

 

Well, to be frank, Angst sells, especially to teens. *dodges hurled vegetables*

 

Interesting since a large majority of BJD collectors aren't teens.