Would you find it less personal if...

This is a really hard thing for me to answer as someone who write original stories as well as fanfiction.
I guess I'm still on the fence, though.
I have characters that are BASED off of third party characters, such as ones from Death Note. I love the characters, but when I write them, I do feel a creavtive block and a less personal connection to them because they aren't 'mine'. With my characters based off of them, though, I would feel a lot better about casting them in resin.
For me, I'll probably never own 'character doll'. I love them for the most part, whenever I see a Final Fastasty doll or something I'm always reminded of my love for the series. But, that's just it, it's love for the series and not the doll itself.

To eaches own, though. There's NOTHING wrong with a character doll. Who knows, maybe I'll even warm up to them and make me own one day

 

I see it as personal because even though the doll is based of a character, it's based of your personal view of the character. Sure there's a ton of dolls that look like cloud from final fantasy 7, but each one is different and in their own way, sort of focuses on what the owner of the doll likes best about that character. Be it their shoes, clothes, hair, eyes, makeup, you name it. To me each one still has a uniqueness all it's own. And I personally squee when I see a character I know done as a doll. Like,.. "OMG look there's a yuna doll, and a sephiroth doll!" Gotta love ff.... hehe. It sort of brings something familiar into the strange world of dolls, and it's sure to catch the eye of any one else who knows and loves that said character, weather they even know about and like dolls or not. Great way to convert people! So it even comes with benefits, if you wish to attract that sort of attention.

So say your dollie goal is to create every character from death note, or final fantasy 10, etc, it will still be personal because you had to find what looked right to you to make them, and it was probably harder than buying a limited outfit, or mold, or face up. In the end, that would seem less personal to me. A fullset doll with it's faceup, clothes, and wig. Because they look good right out of the box. Compared to someone who got a blank and took out all the time to make it the character they had in mind, be it their own, or one that's off anime, etc. Sure, other people can make this their same goal, and make the same characters, but I think there's still bound to be some differences.

 

I don't think it's less personal at all. I have friends in the doll community who have Kingdom Hearts characters as dolls, but they couldn't be more different. They take on a personality of their own, which may or may not be like the character they were made after. I'm quite a fan of them, actually.

Personally, I some day would like to create a human/gijinka version of Amaterasu from the game Okami. Her human character design is mine, but Ammy the wolf/goddess belongs to Clover Studio/Capcom. I also really love this character, and that's what I think matters. If there's a pre-existing character that you love and would like to have in doll-form, by all means go for it!

 

I say if that's how you want your doll to look and it makes you happy then it's fine. Because obviously this character means a lot to you, so I think to you it is personal. Does that make sense?

 

Just found this thread

No I don't think it's less personal at all! Usually people get minimees and such because that person/character means something to them. In a way it's even more personal than just a made up character because those are usually just characters instead of something symbolic. But then again they actually usually are symbolic even if its unintentional because they come from the mind of the creator...

 

I think it depends. If you are rather attached to the character, then maybe a doll based off of them wouldn't be less personal. : )

But if you feel that you wouldn't become attached to the doll as you normally would, maybe you should just have a doll that you could have cosplay [Ciel] occasionally, when you feel like playing with him.

That's what I plan on doing, anyway. * U*

 

I don't think so. I am deciding between creating an L Lawliet doll for my first doll, or an OC, and though I'm trying to get myself excited about creating my own character, I have to say that the idea of recreating L is much more meaningful to me. Probably because I never have strong character ideas in my head, only general ideas that take me a long, long time to flesh out. I feel very connected to the character L, moreso than many other characters I've created in the past, so it would not be less personal to me at all. Besides- aren't all dolls based off of /something?/ Inspiration has to come from /somewhere,/ and you combine ideas to make an OC. The only way I would say it could be less personal is if the person who created the character doll didn't put much thought into it and only had them as something pretty to display. But I know that if I did create L, well...it would be extremely personal to me. He would be my interpretation of the character. That is pretty personal, in my opinion, because characters can be so complex and everyone views them differently, causing them to be just as unique as an OC.

That's just in my opinion, though ^^;

 

I never really thought about it like that, but now I do understand where you're coming from!
I generally do like cosplay BJDs, I think if they're well made and look nice, they can be striking and look very professional.
I own a total of 1 doll, but the next doll I get, I actually did plan using as a cosplay doll for most of the time.
So, in the long run, I think it's O.K. for BJD owners to do whatever they want with their dolls, but now, I TOTALLY understand what you mean, I may rethink my plans! n u n

 

Gwaaah, not at all. I have two character dolls and a horrifying amount of original character dolls, and I love them just as much. I recently got a Luts Cherry to be my Vivi Orunitia from FFIX, and even though he's no where near the finished doll I envisioned him, he's still one of my personal favorites. I'm actually about to order his villainous counterpart Black Waltz Three, and I think I'm gonna love the crap out of him, lol. Both of these characters have been a HUGE part of my life since I discovered FFIX, however, so I guess it would depend on how much you love the character to begin with. You can love someone else just as much as you love yourself, so why can't you love someone elses character as much as you love your own? XDD

But , on the other side of the spectrum, I have a puki Issun from Okami, as well who... actually hasn't seen the light of day in a while. >.>; But that's because he's sharing a body with a character of my own, who I put a ton of work into making into a doll.... I'm not sure it counts, lol. Gene has an unfair advantage 'cuz I slaved over him for like, a week straight in an effort to make him look as badass as he does! XD

I guess when it comes down to it, it's a matter of how much a person loves that character. I'm all for character dolls, as long as you have the vision and drive to buy and complete them in that image. This hobby is done for our satisfaction and pleasure, so why not re-create a 2D character into something 3D if it makes us happy? ^^ 'Cuz I know my Vivi makes me happy!

 

I honestly think it all depends on the person looking to aquire said character dolls. If it is what they really wish to have, then go for it! You can bond with pre-exsisting charcters and although I would find it challenging for myself to acomplish, more power to the people who can. For me, it would be less personal. That's why I've fixed my dilema and have created my own charcter that will be cosplaying (Alois from Kuroshitsuji (: ) This way he still has all his original characteristics that I've created, he gets to keep his backstory, and I get a doll that can occasionally be one of my favorite characters. Problem solved for me (:

 

It's based on personal opinion really...

Originally I wanted to buy a BJD to have one of Ciel from Kuroshitsuji since I collect Ciel stuff (and make Ciel figures) but then I didn't think it was really a good idea. I mean...in my opinion it is a bit unoriginal. ^^; Not sure if I would say less personal, but I don't think it's original. Especially since a ton of other people make character BJDs. ((Plus what happens when you don't like the character anymore? That was honestly my biggest turnoff. ))

 

I think it makes them less personal simply because it's not your own design. I have nothing against dolls modeled after pre-existing characters; I just feel that the original concept and design is a huge part in determining how personal the doll is. If you came up with it yourself, it's very personal, but if you didn't, it's less so, no matter how much you love the character in question.

 

I think so. Because ultimately you didn't come up with the character yourself. But I think that it is different for individuals. If you are a fan of a certain character, and love him/her to bits. You base a doll off him/her. In the end, the doll is your very own character doll of the character you like. Doesn't make it less personal in my opinion. But for my case, I havn't really idolised any character from anywhere to be able to motivate me into making a mini version of him/her xD If I ever were to customise a doll, I would make one from a character I design myself, I think I feel more motivated to finish it because it is my creation from scratch x3

 

if it's a character you really like then i'd find it more personal.
You'll doll will still be the only one that looks exactly the way it does~

 

i do think it's a lot less personal and a lot less creative. it isn't so hard to create an original character (at least i don't think so... i have so many that it can't be hard), and they mean a lot more to you that way. it's easier to get attached to a character that you created 100% of instead of a doll of a character you don't control. you have to always think, 'would this character do this? wear this?' things like that. with your own character you can make them do or wear whatever you want them to without it being out of character.

that isn't to say i don't like making my dolls cosplay. i dressed up my Elias, a Luo, as Nathan Explosion for Halloween because i couldn't do anything for the holiday, and all the items i needed for the costume i needed for Elias anyway. Halloween and conventions and just for fun are cool, it can be a challenge to make the costume for the doll. i like seeing cosplayers with matching/complimentary dolls (like if you dressed the doll as Ciel and you went as Sebastian), but personally i find original characters a lot more interesting.

 

Hey whatever makes the person happy. To me when I see people base their dolls personality and look off of character, i think they did it for a reason because I think the character spoke to a side of the doll owner that the owner wants to release his/her creativity on. So in a way it is original and is there own doll but still has the same vibe of the character so I dont think anything wrong with it at all.

 

Except that people with fan dolls usually don't feel that way -- you can't tell me that X doll of mine is less personal to me because he happens to be a fan doll, that's ridiculous. Now when it comes to your own dolls, you might feel that way and that's fair. However, don't make assumptions about how other people feel about their dolls. I am attached to my OCs, I am attached to my fan dolls. Some of my OCs where hard to put together in doll form and get right, and I find fan dolls to always be a (welcome) challenge. BTW, wondering if such and such a character would wear this or do that plays in just as much with my OC characters -- their preferences and attitudes are what makes those characters who they are no matter if I created them or someone else did.

Loving a character enough to take the time and effort to make a fan doll of it is a very personal thing, and putting together a fan doll is not always easy. Plus, a fan doll is that fans own take on the character. This reminds me of some people's attitudes towards fan fic that I've come across -- that it's taking an easy way out or isn't creative. Yet well written fan fic isn't easy to do at all (I've tried and never been good at it, though I can write about my own original characters). Doing what you want with the story while keeping the characters' voices and believability intact is no easy task. Fan dolls are like that too. The built in restrictions that are there present their own challenge -- and it's a challenge that very much involves creativity and problem solving to keep the fan doll looking recognizable, playing with the character while keeping true to it's personality, and finding a space within that character's world to fit in your own unique (that's right -- you heard me, unique) vision. Though I really do appreciate well done cosplays, I actually prefer seeing actual fan dolls, because I want to see how other people interpret that particular character. I don't cosplay with my OCs, because that would really and truly be out of character for them, and it would bug me to no end (I did it once with my first doll and have no desire to do it again) even though no one else would be the wiser.

Just because you might personally prefer working with OCs, doesn't mean that other people don't find fan dolls a very meaningful and creative outlet.

 

i feel the same as you. there are two characters from an anime that i LOVE, and would love to turn into dolls, but i know it would seem less personal to me. so, the 2 dolls i have in mind for them, i will just create to be "regular" guys, and then have them cosplay as those characters from time to time.

 

I feel the same way as you do. :/
I think, "Wow it would be cool to have a doll that looks just like _____." But... I think if I did get a doll like that... it would probably just sit as a trophy. I'd likely never play with it (unless I took it to a con I guess).

That's not to say that I have a prejudice against them. I mean, if people want them-- Go for it! But personally, I don't know how "mine" they would be if I did a cosplay doll.

 

I think, if that is what interests you and makes you happy then you should do it! However, I have never done so with any of my dolls. I just don't see the appeal.