Why do you think there are so many frowning dolls?

When looking for dolls I wanted one with a happy expression, and didn't find many. They weren't really frowning though, they just looked sad, or pensive, or angsty. I wondered the same thing. But I guess it's just a neutral face, the face up is really what defines their expression.

I personally prefer smiling dolls.

 

I prefer the pensive looking sculpts to innatly happy ones, though my faveorite is deffinatly in having a good smirk plastered to their face!

 

1. Tsunderes
2. They be aloof and cool xD

That's why we're attracted to them, I think. And obviously, if we didn't like them, they wouldn't be made right?

 

I prefer neutral expressions for my doll sculpts, the type that if you photograph them from different angles, it can look like they're smiling or frowning. It makes them more fun to photograph, sometimes you don't know just what kind of expression you'll capture!

That said, just because a person/doll's lips are downturned at the edges, doesn't make them necessarily sad or angry. My 'neutral' facial expression tends to look either a little upset, suffering, pissed off, or bored... when I'm not. I actually find it rather awkward when asked to smile for the camera, because often when I do give a soft smile, it ends up looking more like | :

 

Nthing the comment about most dolls being fairly neutral in expression. Most of the dolls I owned had no real expression, it all had to be added with face-up and such.

As for the actually sad vs. happy... I think that perpetual "sad" looks a lot more natural than perpetual happy. I dunno, I live in a pretty relaxed city, but even here I RARELY if ever see someone with a smile plastered all over their face for long periods of time. It's usually a quick smile, and then back to neutral face. (And okay, okay, if I DO see someone with an everlasting smile, I'll admit, it sort of actually creeps me out) On the other hand, I'm sure we've all seen people who sit there with a mournful expression on their face for a LONG while. I recently bought a Mr. Pouty, and to be honest I can't imagine him without it. It just has so much character, and it doesn't really have to be "sad" either. It can be bratty, or pensive, or bored, or relaxed.

 

I actually haven't seen that many that have a definite frown. Most dolls I've seen have a sort of... neutral expression- where they could be smiling or frowning depending on the angle from which one is looking. Seems to me that that sort of expression would be the best for a BJD since it leaves interpretation up to the owner, it allows the doll to be painted to have a multitude of various expressions, from angry to sad, to coy etc. That'd be my favourite expression as well- just because it's so versatile.

 

Statictically there aren't that many frowning dolls, but because it's such a powerful emotion we notice it more -- an angry doll really stands out. Since BJDs are art, in my opinion, they should be able to express the range of human emotion, though obviously some will be more commercially successful than others.

Another point is that the doll world is still overwhelming female, and women and girls are not supposed to get angry. Nice girls put up with everything and smile, or no one will love them. Anger is for men.

We often use our dolls to express something missing in our real lives. I like angry dolls because as a child I was not allowed to be angry.

 

To give them that mysterious look. hehehehe..they're not Barbies after all...hehehehe..:

 

I just have to say that it's a huge misconception that you can't get other expressions out of angry/sad dolls. I own one, I would know. He's an HZ Wang-Ye, possibly the most angry, scornful looking sculpt out there. Just as neutral/happy dolls, by playing with different angles, even lighting will give him some diverse expressions: Confused, thoughtful, relaxed, disappointed, intrigued, optimistic, and more. So don't knock it until you try it I say!

 

So they can look at you pitifully like "Please spend all your money on me and take me hooome~! All I want is to love you..." and you're all like HNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG COME TO ME YOU POOR LITTLE BABY AND I SHALL MAKE YOU HAPPY BY SPOILING YOU!!!

 

I myself prefer a neutral-happy smile myself. Most neutral faces seem just a little bit irked in my opinion and I have a neutral face myself and people don't like it much :/ I prefer a slight smile, so you can tell its neutral but just enough smile to make sure they don't seem sad.

 

I don't think that there are too many frowning dolls. Even if there are, I personally have no problem with with them. I own a Soom Arkose, and even though he doesn't look completely grumpy or sad in the company's pictures, he does look sad in real life. I post many of his pictures on my DA account, and people have been saying that he looks very sad and melancholic. lol However, I think it just adds up to his character. You can see his emotions, adding a little bitter-sweetness and mysterious air around him.

 

I haven't noticed a lot of frowning, they all look pretty neutral to me. It's part of why I like BJDs, that they don't usually come with a grin plastered on their faces...

But I guess some people do call what I recognize to be neutral "sad"...
My neutral facial expression usually gets people asking me what's wrong, or why I'm angry...
When I'm not. It's just my face.

So I suppose it could go the same for dolls aswell.

 

Both of my dolls I suppose could be considered to be "frowning", they just looked a bit troubled when I found them, which I think goes with their personality, and it made me feel like I could in a strange way..Cheer them up and make them happier...? I find myself more drawn to the more 'sad' looking dolls for this reason, I suppose? I'm not sure if I could get one that looks completely content, then it would feel like I wouldn't have much else to make them happy if they're already happy. It's a bit fake too, since most people have a sad bit of their life and I like how the more 'frowning' ones, tell their story just with the shape of their eyes and the contour of their lips..

 

I myself love the melancholy look of a doll, but I am currently looking for a more happier expression for my next. I guess it keeps them more dainty, and for my imagination, it reminds me of how sad they must be to be trapped into a body they cannot move themselves. But that's just my own outlook on how dolls must think sometimes.

 

There are more frowning dolls (although, I haven't really paid attention to that) because a frown makes someone look harsh or stronger and probably, people want their characters like that...with a strong personality...that's what I think, but I could be wrong.

As for me, smiling dolls just make me smile they make my day brighter! smiles are magic!! if you have them and if you give them you can help a lot of people and yourself! that's why I love Puki pongpong he's so happy you can't help but feeling the same way. I love them! followed by neutral expressions since they can look mad, sad or just pensive. Then I also love dolls with very noticeable frowning expressions...actually I love every kind of expression because they are a representation of the character. For me, a smiling doll doesn't mean the doll is always smiling, for me is more about the personality, I see smiling dolls as friendly, happy go lucky characters. Neutral dolls are more like myself since I'm serious and quiet and not very good with people... sad faces could be that the doll is very sensitive etc etc. If you look at my siggy, you'll see that I have about everything because in real life, I know people with very different personalities and we still get a long so, even though a smiling doll is not a representation of myself, they are a representation of the people I love.

 

When I first started shopping for dolls my husband had made the observation that most of the dolls looked "sad". I personally think most of them are neutral or "posing" model faces(The face you make at cameras when you want to look good) I love dolls that have a sad or frowning face personally because they are so dark and broody looking.