Asian Ball-Jointed Dolls are a type of doll made from resin that have ball jointed articulation that allow them to pose. They are mostly produced in Japan, China, and South Korea, and there are many different companies that sell these dolls with a huge variety of sculpts and sizes available. The dolls are completely customizable and the possibilities are endless for how to make them look. I first found out about BJDs back in 2008 when I saw some photos that people had taken of their dolls. I was instantly intrigued by the amazing photos and I was impressed by how much creativity people put into the hobby. I thought that the dolls were beautiful and I also really liked how many of them had an anime look to them. I have always loved dolls, and as a fan of anime and manga, this hobby seemed like the perfect blend of those two hobbies.
I started looking around online for more information about BJDs, but I was initially very intimidated about getting one because of the prices of the dolls and the amount of customization that went into it. The dolls usually come naked and bald so that the owner can customize the doll to be whatever they want it to be. The face-up (makeup and eyebrows) are usually not even included in the price of the doll because many people like to do it themselves. As someone very new to the world of BJDs, the task of buying everything separately and hoping it would come together in the end was a very daunting thought. And that's not even mentioning the fact that I have never been very good at coming up with my own characters. However, after giving it some serious thought and doing a lot of research, I decided I wanted to get a doll and that I was going to model it after one of my favorite characters, Shuichi Shindou from the anime and manga series Gravitation.
I decided that I wanted to get a 60 cm doll because that size just seemed to appeal to me the most. After looking at countless doll molds, I decided to get an Abio Angel because they had really cute sculpts and I thought the price was reasonable. I was so excited when he arrived and to see him in person for the first time. He turned out to be exactly what I had been hoping for and I was relieved to see that the wig and clothes I had waiting for him fit him. Although I was very nervous about handling him at first, it didn't take long to get used to posing him and having photoshoots.
Since my first doll was made to be Shuichi, my second doll was of course, Yuki. I had actually started looking around at different sites for a possible Yuki even before Shuichi arrived so I could have some idea of what options were out there just in case I decided to get him. Since Shuichi was going to be about 60 cm tall, I had to find a doll that was about 70 cm so that the height difference between them would work. Eventually I came across the Buddy Doll line, and I was instantly drawn to the Mars mold. I thought that his overall look would work well for Yuki and even though he would look slightly more realistic than Shuichi, I thought their looks would balance each other out. Once he arrived I was really happy I had chosen Mars to be Yuki, because I think his expression really fits the character and that he and Shuichi make an adorable couple. Having another doll really made taking photos even more fun because the characters could interact with each other and I just love having dolls of these two characters.
After having Shuichi and Yuki for almost a year I started thinking it might be fun to add a third doll into the mix. I eventually decided that I wanted to see if I could find a doll that I could make work for the character of Caesar Silverberg from Suikoden III. I had played and loved the video game years ago and had recently read the manga and fallen in love with the character. I don't know why, but there was was just something about Caesar that really appealed to me. I also thought there would be fun to play with the character and his style since he only wore one outfit in the series. I eventually came across the Achernar mold from Doll in Mind and thought it looked exactly like what I had in mind. The mold was discontinued on the Doll in Mind website, but I was lucky enough to find one for sale on the Den of Angels marketplace. Buying secondhand was a great experience and also cut down on the usual long wait - I bought him from the seller on a Thursday evening and he arrived home on the following Monday afternoon!
I had absolutely no plans to get another doll after I had three that I was more than happy with, but I caved after admiring all of the adorable photos of Little Fees online. I had concerns about if the proportions would work with my 60-70 cm dolls, but decided if it didn't work I'd just sit him away from them and photograph them all separately. Once Sebby arrived home, it was love at first sight! When I opened the box I was in shock at just how cute and tiny he was, and I adored his sparkly face-up. When I put him in Shuichi's arms, the size difference didn't bother me one bit, and when they are all sitting it looks proportional enough for me. I love his size - he is so much easier to tote around than the three big guys, so he gets to come to conventions and other places with me. We came up with the name Pierre Sebastian Cole for him by picking names off of the list I came up. Sebby always wears a hat because he looks really cute in them (and it keeps his hair from falling off as it tends to do!).
I've always loved dolls but there is just something so special and unique about BJDs. I also really like it when my mom gets involved in the hobby and makes my boys clothes, or when Jen designs outfits or takes photos of them (most of the pictures of them were taken by her). Over the years I have been to several doll meet-ups at anime conventions and it is always fun to see the love that everyone has for their dolls and the joy that they bring them. I love seeing the creativity in the BJD community, seeing peoples collections grow and evolve, and fully enjoying my own doll family.
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