https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIa5keiKoLs
Holy wowza, you guys!
Okay, let's take a second to get this out of the way.
Yes, they've got a MH vibe in the individual characters and color scheme.
NO, they are not Monster High. Stop trying to bring Monster High and Ever After High back at the cost of ignoring and putting down new lines. Things will always end and others come in to be something new. Appreciate these for what they are and stop living in the past.
And yes, they also have Bratz, My Scene and Jem vibes, too, but IN A VERY GOOD WAY.
They have amazing hair.
Cute clothes that aren't stereotypically girly.
They're articulated.
Multiple body types.
Different heights.
Different skintones.
Different faces.
Affordable prices (supposedly).
Jacy's outfit is adorable and I love that the curviest girl is the most athletic on her roller skates. When I first saw "skater" under her name, of course I thought skateboarding, so I'm thrilled she's actually a roller skater. Much better!
Kenna might be my second fave after Rallee. She's just stunning! I love her outfit. The shoes are just kinda okay. I've never liked that style, but I guess they're a thing. Some Converse would have been better for me, but normal fashion isn't exactly my forte. I adore her face and hair.
Rallee! Yes, I knew this girl would have good shoes. The fanny pack has got to go, but I love every bit of the rest. Great sassy expression, perfect hair. Shoes that I would wear. I adore her so!
Charlie's the most all over the place outfit-wise for me, but somehow it works for her.
And gods, Cori is SPECTACULAR. I think she has the most put together outfit of the bunch, even if it isn't my favorite. Amazing hair and absolutely beautiful face, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxg9Bsknc60/
I don't normally link to Instagram, but this is the only place I've seen the two fashion pack shots, so there you go.
I'm so, SO EXCITED for these! It's refreshing to finally see a fashion doll line again that isn't based on a movie or TV show or superheroes. Not that those things are bad, of course, but they're not the same.
I'm also very excited and a bit frustrated with people immediately jumping on this line for the slightest imperfections. Like, I don't want to silence criticisms but some of them are just... silly.
ReplyDeleteI've mostly seen good comments, but then there are the others...
DeleteThe Jem comparisons are the least annoying. I immediately thought of Shana when I saw Cori and Kenna's a little Ajaish, but the others? Not really. I do remember from decades ago that Jem fans think anything with unnaturally-colored hair is Jem-inspired. Guess they're still doing that.
And speaking of people still doing that, I've had one person say they're not going to do well because Mattel is trying to copy MGAE. Now could someone remind me when Bratz had a line with multiple body types, heights, head molds and detailed clothing at affordable prices? Oh, wait, you can't, because it never effin' happened. It's good to know even this many years later that the Bratz stans are still as delusional as they used to be.
Then there are the Monster High stans, who are almost as annoying. Monster High is over. LET IT GO. Let new things come in and love them for the awesomeness they are. Or don't. I don't care. But STFU about MH. It's over.
And a friend told me she saw a comment where someone complained that they "missed skinny dolls." Yeah, I'm not even going to bother with the choice words I would have had for that fool.
Overall though, I see excitement and want!
I'm glad to hear that. I probably need to expand my doll horizons a bit more. That said, I really want this line to succeed. Been a while since there was a line catering to my aesthetic so hard. (Did you see the Cat Earphones? I want the Cat Earphones!)
DeleteOh, yeah, the cat earphones are adorable! A lot of the pieces seem really nice.
DeleteIf I took a shot for each time MH was invoked during that very short video, I'd be in trouble. It's somehow a lot easier for me to take the mentions when I don't have to literally hear them. So I'm going to back to agreeing with the idea that these characters would've grown up with MH/EAH and that'd be kind of baked into their personalities the way a lot of 80's/90's properties were for a lot of us. So yes, Rallee can be out there rocking the skulletes the same way I wear my Daria shirts with pride.
ReplyDeleteI kinda get the Bratz vibe but it's more the presentation of the initial shot (the super busy background with the very busy clothes) but it's not something I'd be screaming rip-off either.
But mostly I'm just happy that Mattel is taking some of the better things from other lines and creating something new. Nods to other properties is great so long as the finished product can stand on its own and it looks like WHC should be able to do that. But I might be biased because I want them all and I want them noooooooowwwwwwww.
OMG, I know. I actually turned her on mute after a while. Safety pin earrings were around a hell of a long time before Ghoulia existed. Yeesh. I like the actual nods to the line, like the skullette and even Charlie's earrings, which I'm pretty sure were on some Frankie or another. I love the idea of them being fans, as long as it's kept subtle. The constant whining of BRING BACK MH is what I dislike.
DeleteHow long has it been since we've had something new that was purely a fashion doll line? It feels like forever!
I am now drawing a complete blank on the answer to the fashion doll line question. So it's either been awhile or it's been awhile since we had one that snagged my interest and screamed, "Buy me, dammit!"
DeleteI worried that if I muted her I'd miss something important. I needn't have worried other than now I will spend the rest of my days wondering why you'd want to have prototype dolls at your kid's party.
Yeah, Charlie's earrings popped up on a couple of Frankie's, like I<3Fashion.
While I miss MH, I miss being excited by MH even more. And WHC looks like it might scratch a similar itch but I'm probably never going to be able to listen to a review or anything without wanting to roll my eyes out of my head because it's gonna be a lot of reaching.
The MH comparison's aren't exactly unwarranted though, given key members of the design team were previously heads of the MH team, the MH Skullettes appearing on their outfits numerous times, and that all of their earrings (and I believe, a few other pieces) are directly reused from MH.
ReplyDeleteNo, they aren't MH, but they are intrinsically connected, whether you like it or not, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to these girls immensely, even though they seem to be US-exclusive at the moment.
They're not comparisons. They're people whining because these are something new and not Mattel bringing MH back. I like the nods to MH. I do. I said that above. What I don't like are the people who are dismissing these because they're not MH and they apparently can't accept the fact that Mattel is going to move on.
DeleteI love these dolls and can't wait to purchase them! I think it's really unfortunate that some people aren't going to be purchasing them just because they are upset that Mattel isn't bringing back Monster High and Ever After High. I personally really miss Ever After High. Would I rather have Ever After High back than have this doll line? Absolutely! But I realize that EAH making a comeback is very unlikely not going to happen. Having a new doll line, such as this one, helps me move past the loss of Ever After High, Monster High, and the original DC Superhero Girls dolls (I'm not a fan of the DCSHG reboot). Also, even if those three lines were still being produced I would still be buying these. Unfortunately, part of being a doll collector is having a lot of your favorite doll lines eventually be discontinued.
ReplyDeleteHa! That person can retire from being a doll collector then, I guess.
ReplyDelete