This is going to be a big one, since I'm doing all three in one review.
I got these from Mattel Creations where they were briefly listed for $33 each. Jasmine said in stock. Snow and Ariel were preorders with "ship by" dates. One was late August, one early September. I can't remember which was which. I did a separate order for Jasmine, as I really wanted her, and then put Snow and Ariel together. It ended up not mattering, because Snow and Ariel shipped like the next day, followed by Jasmine a few hours later.
The boxes on these are adorable. I love all the art and the presentation. They were easy to open, too.
I didn't take pics of the backs, because they weren't as interesting. I think they were just details of the dolls, not more art. I would have photographed more art.
I hope there are more of these in the works. These are so cute, I can't stand it.
I do have quality and price issues though. My overall feeling for the line is that they make me smile because they're so cute and unique, but they are overpriced for the quality.
The sides of the boxes.
We'll start with my girl Jasmine.
Love the skintone.
Her eyes are so pretty.
I love the streaks in her hair and Snow's.
Each doll has a purse with a little charm that hooks on.
Now we'll get into some complaints.
The materials? Not great. Everything on her except that tiny ribbon detail feels cheap.
The scalloped edge of the...I dunno what you'd even call that bit over her pants...it's a neat idea, but it sticks to the cheap underside of the iridescent blue fabric. I gave up trying to coax it into its proper position.
The pants themselves remind me of the fabric used for the basic Hasbro princesses with their stiff dresses back in the day.
Normally, I hate flats turned into heels but for some reason, I'll allow it with this line.
Not the greatest styling on the hair.
For the hair fiber-obsessed, I honestly cannot tell you what this is. It doesn't feel like MH poly. It doesn't feel like saran. It's scraggly. Like the end of her hair is so many different length locks. There's something about it that almost reminds me of kanekalon from forever ago, but it's not that cottony. Y'all are on your own here, guys. Sorry!
These were after washing the gel out of the end of her hair.
It's a little better. I'm too lazy to take it down and fully redo it.
From the side. Love her jewelry.
And final shot!
She's my favorite because Jasmine is a big favorite, but I honestly think the best of the three is...
...Snow!
She just works really well with the manga style.
These first few pics are straight out of the box, gel still in.
Look at this face.
Look at this lovely skintone.
Gorgeous.
My fave of the three purses hands down.
Shoes and those little socks!
Why do ruffly socks under heels always make me think of Jem?
The helmet hair.
Here's the body mold.
These girls are little. I did not do a size comparison because I am forgetful, but they're quite petite dolls.
And after the gel wash out.
Still adorable.
And now I can touch her hair without cringing. (I haaaaaaaaaate gel.)
From the side.
Yeah, I definitely think Snow fits this aesthetic best. It helps that manga/anime aren't afraid of short hair on women like American media tends to be, so I think that's one of the reasons she really looks more like a manga character than the other two.
However, I do still hate the fabric. Her entire dress is a tiny step up from basic Hasbro. The only decent material is the white hem. And the socks.
Moving on, we're back to Ariel.
This is with the gel still in her bang swoop.
The Flounder charm got bent in the box and it's hard to keep on.
Each side of the purse is different.
I love love love that her feet aren't just sticking out under the tail.
After the gel rinse out.
You'd think I'd have a guess at the hair fiber with all this loose hair, but no, still nothing. It's still scraggly, too. It's not only Jasmine.
All of these girls have great skintones.
Adorable.
I have the least issues with her fabrics.
Agh, too cute! What a face!
And the last shot.
I should have done a size comparison with other dolls and taken a pic of all three together. Alas. I swear I'm still dealing with brain fog from moving. I'm working my usual schedule and when I'm home, I'm working on unpacking and arranging and all that stuff.
Anyway, there you go. The Mattel manga princesses. At $33, they're not exactly cheap and having just opened Shai, who's $3 cheaper, it's hard to see where the $33 is going. The fabrics are a disappointment for the price point, that's for sure. But will I buy any others they make? Eeyep. They're too damn cute.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mine.
