The Facebook debacle & other issues

4 hours ago, RetroKanojo said:

I'm a little confused about this as well. 
Anime Sugoi is a store based in Neustadt, Germany and they are "an official retailer of Smart Doll goodies". They don't seem to be marketing to children the way CJ does, but I don't actually see any age ratings/recommended age thingies either. I'm kind of tempted to shoot them a message posing as a parent, who wants to buy a SmD for their toddler, asking if they think it's good for children.  Would be interesting to see what they would have to say on the matter.

 

 

16 hours ago, Stupid_Hoomun said:

Where does this put Anime Sugoi? I'm sure that they are the official Smart Doll shop in the EU but I can't be sure which country they are actually operating from.

Good explanation of how it works. I remember having to add the CE mark to a lot of products back in the mid 1990's. Everything from packaging to plastic injection moulding tools.

I had to look up Anime Sugoi and they import Smartdoll as anime collectible goods instead of the category toys. The shop is targeting a different audience than Culture Japan itself. The handmade part is easily proven. 
 

Which means I made a mistake in my previous comment because Anime Sugoi can sell the Smartdoll as new product because of their audience. If Danny would open a shop targeting children it would be illegal. The same rule applies if a toy store want to sell Smartdoll.

Apologies for the wrong information in my previous post.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Rajke

On 12/2/2022 at 8:04 AM, mizya said:

He's gone through the trouble of mistranslating an announcement from Volks in order to damage their reputation. His whole "self-made businessman" image is more than questionable considering how much he went on about Cortex revolutionising the fashion doll market, the project then majorly flopping, and yet it seemingly had zero impact on his company. I doubt his company would have gotten where it has if his dad wasn't Jimmy Choo, and he's getting at least some funding from him. He's always putting a spin on things to make himself look good, and for the longest time he pretended he was the one doing everything. Only in recent years he's learned that highlighting his employees and artists he collabs with makes him look better in people's eyes, so naturally he moved on to do that instead.

Dude also goes through the trouble of stalking his customers on social media to know if they "mistreat" his products (like dress smartdoll clothes on non-smartdolls) or say something about him/his products that he doesn't like (despite saying he "doesn't want glowing reviews" so that's why he doesn't gift dolls to popular hobbyists, 'cause he wants people to be honest) to ban them from buying from his shop. He's a very busy man from what I've observed.

But in the end, everyone is free to believe what they want about this man. 🙂

This is the reason why I have nothing to do with Smart Dolls anymore and they have gotten way more popular than Dollfie Dream during these past years which I don't mind most of the time, but it still gets me when SmDs get more spotlight due to Influencers, Youtubers and SmD Instagram accounts. I remember a buyer that bought a Disney LE doll from me 2 years ago didn't like Smart Doll due to a poor experience from the D man himself at the time. DDs are way more niche and for the hardcore BJD collector/fan for sure. But, SmDs are like BJD for newcomers and mature children thanks to DC's marketing, and heavy consumer unfriendly disclaimers even though he doesn't you want to buy them. Also, his clothes, hands, body parts, and accessories cost way more than Volk's DD items!

The failed Cortex version of SmDs also damaged my outlook and view on his company which is why I switched to Volk's Dollfie Dream for good and never looked back.

My super huge regret to this day? Getting into Smart Dolls instead of Dollfie Dream Dolls, and should had gotten a BJD way earlier before the pandemic when my old local store I worked at was still open before closing for good several years ago. That way I could had gotten photos with my DD at my former local store when I had the huge chance and I should never had overlooked DDs & BJDs at the time.

Edited December 25, 2022 by ZandurFox

I try not to post in this topic too much, because I like Smart Dolls and don't wanna get banned from the store. Actually, I managed to get Dan-Banned from Instagram back during Peak Covid for a comment I posted. Kinda felt like a badge of honor in a way, because I received two PMs from Dan the Man before getting blocked. What made me sad was, what I had posted was not a criticism of Smart Doll in any way. It was an observation about the economics of Smart Doll ownership. Prior to that, I had had several pleasant conversations over the course of a couple of years with The Man himself both via comments and PMs.

But... the increasing level of nonsense in Smart Doll Land has pushed me to the point where I feel compelled to vent a little bit, and if it gets me "hammered," oh well. Hammering me would be counterproductive, because when I make purchases they're straightforward with no "extra requests" and a good credit card and a legit shipping address... but I digress.

First, the "Smart Dolls for kids" thing: I don't buy it. Not in the least. Sure, a few well-heeled parents are going to buy thousand dollar dolls for their kids, but seriously, is that the majority of Smart Doll purchases? Doll plus clothes plus shipping plus tax will easily set a buyer back a grand (in US money) for an initial purchase. Are people buying thousand dollar dolls for six-year olds? Yeah, probably a few, but the majority of purchases? I seriously doubt it. The "majority" of purchases, from what I see online, are adults with jobs who indulge their hobby interests and who own half a dozen or more Smart Dolls and regularly add to the collection.

So no, I'm not believing the "dolls for kids" thing; but I have no "insider" information to back up my doubts, just what I see and read online.

Next thing that bugs me: BEWBS! What the heck happened to the bust options? A long time ago "headlights" disappeared. Then the XXL and XL disappeared. For a while there were a couple of medium versions (regular medium and "push up"), and L and S and wasn't there briefly an XS? Now there's Medium Smooth and "Mastectomy scar" as the only options other than stock.

What was wrong with "L"? Seemed like that was an extremely popular option purchase, based on pix I see online. Once the "headlights" were removed, there really wasn't much there to "offend" the Corporate Overlords with whom CJ was trying to cultivate partnerships. I'm bummed that there are no longer "L" or "XL" or "headlights" options in busts.

And what about the really cool clothes? I wish he hadn't caved in to a few whiners on Instagram and cancelled the Galactic Patrol Officer or whatever it was called (Solar Marine, I guess it was). It wasn't a (WWII era bad guy) uniform, it looked like a cool anime sci-fi costume, and he shoulda just ignored those complaints, maybe deleted them if he felt it necessary, and forged ahead. Instead, he blocked comments from Instagram completely (more about that in a moment) and dropped the item. As well as dropping tons of other cool items, particularly the nicer shoes. Remember the really cool shoes, like the original Tall Boots? What happened to all that stuff? Remember when you could buy a reasonably priced (by Smart Doll standards) "starter pack" of clothes with an initial  Smart Doll purchase... and it included really cool stuff like denim jeans, a shirt or top, and not-plastic shoes? And don't even get me started on the "Beer Girl" dress that was discontinued before I could scrape up the hobby money to get one -- oh, that red version was sublime!

Way back in the long ago days (what, three years? Four?), one of the appealing aspects of the Smart Doll brand was that they said they would NOT limit production on items, and that items would not be discontinued without notice "like other companies do." That was one of the selling points that attracted me to the brand. Now it seems like EVERYTHING is a "limited edition." I'm sure it's an economic decision - the "scarcity factor" drives up prices while reducing overhead - no need to store backstock or discount unsold inventory. But it sucks, man! Something cool comes up, and if you don't have the dosh on hand when it goes live then likely as not you're out of luck.

Busts, shoes, clothes... oh! Wigs! All that fuss because a few people complained about the wigs! I dunno about DC's "claims" anymore. Did he really get an overwhelming number of complaints about wigs? Was that just an excuse to drop wigs because they were getting expensive? Or an excuse to drop wigs because he was selling more wigs than dolls -- because they were excellent wigs! I like the stock wigs, and I liked the alternative Smart Doll wigs, and I miss them. Eyes, too. What happened to the eye packs?

'Kay, the Instagram thing is just sad. Another appealing aspect of Smart Dolls was the "community," and that The Boss himself interacted with people. Things changed during COVID. DC became hyper-sensitive and started banning people left and right. The community became more toxic -- not just the Smart Doll community, but a LOT of online communities. Things haven't really gone back to being much nicer post-COVID, but... I wish DC would open up Insta to comments again, and try, really try, not to get baited in to responding to perceived criticism. I'm sure that if he were to open up the Smart Doll Instagram to comments the account would initially be OVERWHELMED by a TSUNAMI of snark, hate, and nasty criticism. He'd have to ride it out. Ignore them. Completely. Don't mess with banning anybody. Maybe not even bother to delete the negative comments. Just ignore them. It would take weeks, maybe months, but eventually the trolls would get bored and leave to find more productive hunting grounds, and the Smart Doll Insta could be fun again. I miss the community aspect of Smart Doll ownership online; and I miss there being some give-and-take, some open discussion, as opposed to being exclusively fawning sycophants who own twenty dolls and can't wait for the next release and who worship the hallowed ground over which St. Mirai ever so slightly levitates.

I don't mean for this next "gripe" to offend anyone or make them uncomfortable - if the mods need to cut this paragraph, feel free. But another thing that makes me somewhat uncomfortable about Smart Doll these days is the increasing emphasis on "medical situations." Okay, I get the inclusivity thing. Fine. But... they're dolls, they're not freakin' medical school teaching aids. Smart Doll started out as cute "anime style" dolls. These days, checking out the online store or the Instagram is likely to slap one in the face with a splash page of the Culture Japan Medical Trend of the Week: amputated limbs, burn scars, insulin pumps, hearing aids, friggin' ACNE -- I'm, like, way the heck beyond puberty (I won't bore you with how many decades -- now git offa my lawn) and I still have outbreaks of acne (forever young, lucky me), but I sure don't want my pretty fashion dolls to be thus plagued! That's a major "inclusivity failure" in my book. Sure, if DC or CJ or whatever the proper term is wants to offer prosthetics and scars and amputations and medical devices and ZITS, that's cool, but it's starting to seem like pushing the boundaries in to "freak show" territory; like, how much can he get away with before the customer base revolts... or is revolted?

(Aside: is it kids who are getting dolls with mastectomy scars? I... kinda don't see that being a particularly large market share, myself.)

My next-to-last little whiiiiine is about some of the Smart Doll customer base and their perceived needs. Like, what's the obsession over "spare parts?" Do Smart Dolls really break that often or that easily? I mean, they're vinyl. It's kinda flexible. My Smart Dolls have fallen off the deck, fallen over on gravel, got wet, got muddy, fallen off chairs on to hard floors, and none of them have broken yet. They're not even scratched. Even the "cocoa" which are supposedly susceptible to scuffing have held up well. What do people DO with these dolls that having a vast array of "spare parts" available (at, so I gather, a cost of "free") is so important? Was it a huge demand for free or low-priced "spare parts" that resulted in the once-responsive CJ Customer Service becoming... less responsive?

My last "observation" is based on nothing but what I read online and see on the Smart Doll store and is simply something I'm wondering about. Okay, so, Cortex was a failure. No surprise to me. I did NOT, from the moment it was announced, understand the appeal of a "hard plastic" Smart Doll with visible seams, even if it saved a few bucks. Even if they had cost half what a vinyl doll cost, which was a number initially bandied about, it didn't seem like a great idea to me. Basically, it sounded like a plastic model kit of a Smart Doll. The Cortex concept, with hard plastic, glue joints, and visible seams seemed antithetical to the Smart Doll aesthetic to me. The results of the Cortex experiment kind of illustrate what putting too much stock in what "the online community" (especially Facebook and Twitter) says about anything. People nattering online (including me, obviously) are just a bunch of noise, we're NOT a reliable overall market indicator. Anyway, I noticed a prior comment in this discussion about the failure of Cortex not appearing to significantly impact the bottom line at Smart Doll -- which for me raises a question: is Smart Doll failing?

The reasons I ask if Smart Doll as a company is falling on hard times are largely covered in my far-too-many preceding paragraphs:

Discontinuing busts, which were apparently good sellers, and other accessories

Discontinuing wigs and eyes

Significantly scaling back on clothing offerings... and offering "playline style" plastic shoes

The apparent discontinuation of "partnerships" -- what happened to the Super Hero releases, and why were they "limited" rather than becoming main line offerings?

Desperate attempts to cultivate "niche" markets with "specialty" offerings like medical needs

The attempt to lure in "rich parents" by implying that all the cool parents are buying thousand dollar doll sets for their kids and even toddlers

DC's apparently high stress levels, leading him to lash out at everyone, including some of his loyal customer base and fans

DC's recent "downsizing" of his personal apartment in Tokyo (as he mentioned on Instagram)

I gotta wonder if the Cortex experiment and the licensed property partnerships hit the company harder than DC would care to admit. Smart Doll cut back on a number of things to placate the Corporate Overlords -- removing "headlights" and then large busts, and scaling back on "sexy" clothing -- and I wonder if the attempt to become "family friendly" cost them more in "otaku" anime-fan revenue than they would care to mention. And then look what the "mainstream market" turned around and did: basically blasted DC off social media because of an anime-style uniform.

I hope Smart Doll continues to thrive, and that the company can bring back some of the sense of fun and community that it once had. I still consider myself a "fan" of the brand, but I am personally unhappy about some of the recent trends in both marketing approach and product offerings. I'm hoping if I "ride it out," things will get better.

51 minutes ago, davidd said:

snip (too long to quote)

Understandable. I actually like the Smartdoll too and I have nothing against Danny. I do have my opinion regarding his actions online and how he presents his dolls to the world. 
Advertising them as a product that not matches with reality. 

Some months ago I asked the question regarding how others see the doll that represents a disability or illness. With Smartdoll Pride I have my answer firsthand.

The reason I hate Pride (really hate) is that her face reminds me of ulticaries. Getting it in your face by the mouth or eyes means a trip to the hospital. I don’t want to own or look at a doll that reminds me of my own fear. 

I can not fill in how others who suffer from certain conditions think about using certain aesthetics in a doll design. Is it recognition or just someone who tries to earn his money over the backs of real illnesses and disabilities?

Also is it necessary? Ibuki, Anomaly are great examples of a good idea that  looks awesome.

I think Danny is not a bad person. I think that he doesn’t know how to handle critique (see his rants about claims) and to do proper marketing and market research.

I think that Smartdoll is a great product. It is all the drama, unnecessary posts, bad customer service and Danny’s rants that are in the way.

The biggest contradiction is how Smartdoll is received and viewed by the actual customers. Danny wants to target a much younger audience with a product that doesn’t suit with the audience. It will be much easier for everyone including Danny if he can accept what Smartdoll really is and who the buyers really are.

In other words: I hope that the Anomaly Smartdolls didn’t eat Danny’s brain during the production process. And that he accepts that Smartdoll isn’t a product for children. That his audience looks different at certain aspects of the doll than he wants, like nippels on the breasts. That medical issues should not be a selling point. That insults and rants through his website and social media makes him looks bad.

Smartdoll is not failing. The people working on them aren’t either. Danny as founder is not failing. The failing is caused by wrong marketing, communication errors and wrong vision. That is expected if you want to get involved in every part of your company. Danny’s focus should be on setting the course, leading the team and bringing in new projects. Let someone else do the marketing, customer service, claims and social media. It’s a win for Danny too because then he has more time to focus on what he actually wants to do. Developing more new interesting products like some working robotic parts for smartdoll, cool stuff like the motorcycle computer casing. I am just saying he is wasting his time on stuff he doesn’t want to do. 

7 hours ago, ZandurFox said:

they have gotten way more popular than Dollfie Dream during these past years which I don't mind most of the time

You can say Fords are more popular than Lamborghinis by volume of sales, but I'd rather have the Lamborghini. 

In what world is SmD more popular than DD? They've gained popularity in the west due to diversity, but they're nowhere near and never will have the reach that DD has had. It's like saying Tinyfox is more popular than MDD- while they aren't bad dolls by any means, they simply haven't been around as long 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

At the end of the day, Volks is focused on Japan with the west coming second, while Danny is focused on.... idk what at this point given his shenanigans. But definitely not Japan despite having home base there lmao.

1 hour ago, Emil said:

At the end of the day, Volks is focused on Japan with the west coming second, while Danny is focused on.... idk what at this point given his shenanigans.

I'll agree with this, and go as far as that Mr. DC doesn't even know what he's "focused" on, either. 

2 hours ago, battrastard said:

and go as far as that Mr. DC doesn't even know what he's "focused" on, either.

The wrong end of his system, that's for sure. 

37 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

The wrong end of his system

TBH, I do like his Kiddos.

Even more, I adored his OC's, Mirai, Kanata and Chitose, specifically. 

I was extremely put off when they were cancelled, After he stated he would "never" do that. (during a time of employment where I couldn't afford them)

His "Danhammering" of even the slightest criticism, legitimate or otherwise. 

The same "Danhammering" of folks here, for the same reasons. (I absolutely know, without a doubt, that I'm on his "S#!t-list", just due to what I've posted here!) 

But, watching others get the Hammer Treatment and not understanding why it happened just eats me up. 

Mr. C needs to step back, and let someone else handle the Media aspect of what "could/can" be an awesome company.

Do the Kiddo thing, Danny, and just that. 

Everyone has the chance to benefit from that, IF you let it happen... 

Trust me on this... 

Edited December 26, 2022 by battrastard
clarification

11 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

19 hours ago, ZandurFox said:

they have gotten way more popular than Dollfie Dream during these past years which I don't mind most of the time

You can say Fords are more popular than Lamborghinis by volume of sales, but I'd rather have the Lamborghini. 

An itch became too much not to scratch...

To quote Derek from Vice Grip Garage (All be it, on a Deboss Garage episode):

"Some people do the Ford thing ... We pray for them every now and then."

 

Although Id still say the popularity thing is skewed one way or another, since Volks does not do the influencer thing, and influencer ethics are also up to debate that how well do they disclose kickbacks for their efforts.

In my oppinion there is no contest between the two, one is a boutiqe shop somewhere in Tokyo, while the other has multiple product lines spanning a wide grade of hobby products, is the golden standard in one doll style, has multiple stores, also including a near shrine like flagship location for their golden standard stuff... So yeah... that does not quite say "unpopular" to me. There needs to be some returning customers to keep all of this going one way or another.

granted Volks has had a few dud character doll releases, but for the most part stuff has still sold out fairly well, even without excessive fear of missing out tactics.

Edit, added some explanatory stuff to an originally awkward statement.

Edited December 26, 2022 by finnleo

6 hours ago, finnleo said:

In my oppinion there is no contest between the two, one is a boutiqe shop somewhere in Tokyo, while the other has multiple product lines spanning a wide grade of hobby products, is the golden standard in one doll style, has multiple stores, also including a near shrine like flagship location for their golden standard stuff... So yeah... that does not quite say "unpopular" to me. There needs to be some returning customers to keep all of this going one way or another.

Not to mention, a desire to live up to Osaka's reputation of being home to the world's oldest businesses.

18 hours ago, davidd said:

My next-to-last little whiiiiine is about some of the Smart Doll customer base and their perceived needs. Like, what's the obsession over "spare parts?" Do Smart Dolls really break that often or that easily?

It happens.
The issue is that IF it were to happen, and you cannot get a spare part to replace the broken one, you have an expensive doll/"paperweight" that cannot stand/bend their arm/what-have-you. Isn't that upsetting?

18 hours ago, davidd said:

And then look what the "mainstream market" turned around and did: basically blasted DC off social media because of an anime-style uniform.

The issue was with more than just the uniform.

About the replacement parts- yes, sometimes it happens. It's usually an issue with the frame rather than the vinyl. Sometimes a newby doesn't understand the limitations of the range of motion, and a part of the frame breaks. Sometimes it turns out that over time tension rings like the ones in the shoulders and hips will crack, and then the ability to hold a pose is lost. Sometimes your doll makes it to an older age with no incidents, but then because they are older and therefore more brittle that little fall from the shelf onto the carpet breaks a frame part. 

I have accepted that even if I am careful with my Smart Dolls, eventually something in the frame will break, and because there are no replacement parts I will have to do the best that I can to repair it. But not everyone is handy, or has the physical ability to assemble/disassemble their doll to make repairs. And some breaks are so bad that you can't just glue the part back together and reinforce it. Since you can't get a replacement maybe if you're lucky you can design and 3D print a new part or commission someone to do it for you, but otherwise you might be left with a broken doll.

Now don't get me wrong, I also have this same attitude towards older Volks and Obitsu bodies. You can get replacement parts from them for their current gen bodies, but for any previous gen bodies you're also sol. And I'm not rich enough to replace every one of my doll's bodies every time there's an update, so there has to be a certain level of acceptance. But I still feel that even if DC doesn't have the means to make individual parts and store them, just having the option of buying a new body only, no head, would alleviate some of that problem. 

As for a huge demand for free or low-priced replacement parts, I've never heard of this. There were people that were miffed that they were expected to make a purchase of at least a certain amount in order to get replacement parts that they were supposed to be entitled to under the original warranty that had been offered for one year. I don't know of any other company that offers a warranty but then expects you to buy something new from them in order to be sent the parts. I also haven't paid attention to whether there is still a warranty at all or not since I knew I'd never try to redeem it, but if offering the parts is too taxing for the company then why have one in the first place.

I have a coworker who still kinda resents me when I sold my former Cortex Mirai to a new home in early 2022! I told him I've a new BJD and it's DD Kirika Towa Alma that I bought from a DD collector!

But, he had his chance when he could had bought the Cortex Mirai from me at the time for a more cheaper price. I did tell him to visit the Smart Doll store and buy a SmD Mirai directly from the store instead if he couldn't buy Mirai in person through PayPal...

At the end, he didn't want to since he said it was still too expensive.

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by ZandurFox

@davidd I agree with most of your points, but I do wanna correct the Solar Marine Commander thing, because that's a vast oversimplification of what happened.

A few people, a couple of them longtime fans of the brand, told Danny that the volcano uniform's color scheme with a red armband, combined with the arm-out pose he put his model in, and the story he included about "wiping out" the entitled, were all, combined, a little too similar to the uniform, salute, and language used by the Nazis for people's comfort. It was never just the uniform, the context it was presented in was not great.

The "blasting off social media" that happened afterwards only happened when he made a response to those criticisms that read like a backhanded non-apology, where he chose to equate people who liked his products and had genuine concerns over this one, with trolls he'd encountered, who were mad at him because he made too many black dolls and disability related gear. He then told everyone all about the long history of the "leadership armband" and what it meant in anime (glossing over that even the Haruhi Suzumiya series switched Haruhi's armband from red to orange to avoid uncomfortable associations), and did not acknowledge any other part of what made that one post with the uniform seem harmful to people. And that very same apology post actually said he wasn't going to take it off the market, but then it vanished anyway.

I do like the idea of a doll brand that interacts more with their fans, but the way Danny reacts to criticism, any criticism, regardless of whether it's made in good faith by a fan or just to cause trouble by a troll, is the source of most of the drama surrounding him. But people who don't hear the other half of the story, or can't because the people involved are muted, blocked, or banned, only hear how he was attacked by a crazy mob all the time. It's a shame.

15 hours ago, Emil said:

In what world is SmD more popular than DD? They've gained popularity in the west due to diversity, but they're nowhere near and never will have the reach that DD has had. It's like saying Tinyfox is more popular than MDD- while they aren't bad dolls by any means, they simply haven't been around as long 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

At the end of the day, Volks is focused on Japan with the west coming second, while Danny is focused on.... idk what at this point given his shenanigans. But definitely not Japan despite having home base there lmao.

Yes, I understand what you mean. Volks Inc started with the DD line much earlier than DC's Smart Doll line which make sense of why D man was heavily inspired from the Dollfie Dream dolls in order to create his Smart Dolls. As in current times in America, "Diversity" and "Inclusion" are still very popular marketing terms.

Obviously, Volks has an office in Gardena, California to serve western customers and they ship fast which I like about!

20 hours ago, davidd said:

Back in the long ago days (what, three years? Four?), one of the appealing aspects of the Smart Doll brand was that they said they would NOT limit production on items, and that items would not be discontinued without notice "like other companies do." That was one of the selling points that attracted me to the brand. Now it seems like EVERYTHING is a "limited edition." I'm sure it's an economic decision - the "scarcity factor" drives up prices while reducing overhead - no need to store backstock or discount unsold inventory. But it sucks, man! Something cool comes up, and if you don't have the dosh on hand when it goes live then likely as not you're out of luck.

I can understand why keeping everything you ever produced in-stock is practically not feasible, but damn.. I remember when Relentless (the 'kintsugi' doll) was released sometime earlier this year. I was really tempted by the Cinnamon version, but like literally a week later or so Danny announced that he would change the color of the 'kintsugi mark' from gold to purple - because, apparently she wasn't selling as well as the Tea & Cocoa versions, who had a higher contrast between their skin tones and the gold. 

Guess which version I prefer..  

15 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

You can say Fords are more popular than Lamborghinis by volume of sales, but I'd rather have the Lamborghini. 

I forgot to say that Smart Dolls are getting more popular in the West as well as some parts of Europe than Dollfie Dream. But, Volks Inc. DDs have always been popular since the beginning.

Because I have many friends and coworkers who have never even heard of Volks Inc. or Dollfie Dream or even Super Dollfie! As Anime-style BJDs are still niche and not for everyone compare to the well known Barbie dolls & Disney dolls, but they're not ball jointed dolls.

Edited December 26, 2022 by ZandurFox

DDs have been around longer but have always been settled neatly within the BJD hobby. But with Smart Doll, they're getting more exposure do to DC's "influencer" status and his engagement as well as the marketing to the West. So I don't think it's more popular than DD, just more visible. For many Smart Dolls are someone's first step into the BJD hobby as well as first vinyl doll. I mean, DC does (or at least used to) make it seem much more accessible to buy them. They have a more universal appeal (basic clothing, more skintones etc). 

 Yes, that is true. Which is the reason why I see so many SmD Instagram accounts and influencers than ever before. But at the same time both DDs and SmDs are popular with many doll collectors and BJD hobbyists. 

On 12/26/2022 at 9:23 AM, davidd said:

I don't mean for this next "gripe" to offend anyone or make them uncomfortable - if the mods need to cut this paragraph, feel free. But another thing that makes me somewhat uncomfortable about Smart Doll these days is the increasing emphasis on "medical situations." Okay, I get the inclusivity thing. Fine. But... they're dolls, they're not freakin' medical school teaching aids. Smart Doll started out as cute "anime style" dolls. These days, checking out the online store or the Instagram is likely to slap one in the face with a splash page of the Culture Japan Medical Trend of the Week: amputated limbs, burn scars, insulin pumps, hearing aids, friggin' ACNE -- I'm, like, way the heck beyond puberty (I won't bore you with how many decades -- now git offa my lawn) and I still have outbreaks of acne (forever young, lucky me), but I sure don't want my pretty fashion dolls to be thus plagued! That's a major "inclusivity failure" in my book. Sure, if DC or CJ or whatever the proper term is wants to offer prosthetics and scars and amputations and medical devices and ZITS, that's cool, but it's starting to seem like pushing the boundaries in to "freak show" territory; like, how much can he get away with before the customer base revolts... or is revolted?

 

I agree with practically everything you said. I started following SmD when they could actually come with clothes, and had more clothing options, wigs etc..
The main thing I wanted to just point out is inclusivity.

So, not something I mention often, but I am asthmatic, and a Type 1 Diabetic.
I think the insulin pump is awesome, as I was considering one myself. I don't think putting these on my dolls is a negative. I can choose to put it on or take it off, depending on how I am feeling.
I honestly felt the asthma pump was cute as hell as well.
I put diamantes on my own lmao.

 

When you never see yourself represented in things, it can make you feel.. abnormal, not as beautiful - because things that represent you aren't there.

If you don't like it yourself, cool, don't buy it.. but I don't consider it as a negative, and I don't think it should be.
 

As an aside, anyone with scars, including clinical issues with pimples (not the kind that come and go, hormonal, painful ones that require a ridiculous amount of treatment), should not feel like a freak-show, and you're not "plagued" for having medical issues.

 

On an edit, I actually want to say I think this is a bit rude, with alluding to people being revolted and plagued in regards to medical issues. People losing a limb, having scars or the like is not revolting, and is quite awful to allude to that.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Vampurrr

9 hours ago, Vampurrr said:

On an edit, I actually want to say I think this is a bit rude, with alluding to people being revolted and plagued in regards to medical issues. People losing a limb, having scars or the like is not revolting, and is quite awful to allude to that.

I don't think that's what he was saying. The comment seems to directed at the company's motivation behind all of the body options, and not at the medical conditions and / or the people who have them. Frankly, it doesn't help that frequent comments from the company owner, and some of the past bust related products they've offered, have often seemed to fetishize the dolls. I'm not criticizing anyone's preferences or kink here; it's just hard not to see current trends in the same context as past behaviors that really stood out. 

Influencers can do really flashy or obnoxious things in the name of drawing attention to themselves too.

7 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

I don't think that's what he was saying. The comment seems to directed at the company's motivation behind all of the body options, and not at the medical conditions and / or the people who have them. Frankly, it doesn't help that frequent comments from the company owner, and some of the past bust related products they've offered, have often seemed to fetishize the dolls. I'm not criticizing anyone's preferences or kink here; it's just hard not to see current trends in the same context as past behaviors that really stood out. 

Influencers can do really flashy or obnoxious things in the name of drawing attention to themselves too.

I would agree with that if they didn't say this "but I sure don't want my pretty fashion dolls to be thus plagued!"

" but it's starting to seem like pushing the boundaries in to "freak show" territory; like, how much can he get away with before the customer base revolts... or is revolted?"

 

If that's what they were getting at, they worded it badly, to the point it really reads as saying the dolls are disgusting for having disabilities, essentially.

The conversation of using disabilities being used for brownie points is a legitimate one, and I can see portions of where they were saying that, but some of what they said is also just rude as well.

If you don't want your doll to have a disability, cool, but why use the word plagued?

Poor choice of words on getting it across, I feel.

14 hours ago, Vampurrr said:

I would agree with that if they didn't say this "but I sure don't want my pretty fashion dolls to be thus plagued!"

This is in reference to his own acne condition, which I believe he's earned the right to think of however he likes. I also suffer from chronic fatigue, brought on by long term insomnia that's left me with an average of 3 - 4 hours of sleep every night for the last year. Frankly, it feels like I'm living under a curse placed on me by a divine power that wants my life to never be anything but broken. I've had insomnia for more than 40 years, and it's getting better lately, but now it's like someone on high said "Things finally looking up for you? Psyche! Have this BS in its place." 

Sorry, I don't mean to be grim or rude but that's a thought I often have lately. From my point of view I can see how chronic acne might well feel like a plague to its own sufferers, and imo they have the right to express it however they like. 
 

14 hours ago, Vampurrr said:

but it's starting to seem like pushing the boundaries in to "freak show" territory; like, how much can he get away with before the customer base revolts... or is revolted?

At least the way I read this, it's a supposition that SmartDoll Inc. might be pushing a boundary to see how far they can go before people cry "Enough! I can't take anymore." I don't read this as the characteristics themselves being revolting, but rather a behavior on the part of a company that might be intended to deliberately revolt the undesirable customers / evil entitled; kind of like the endless "umpteen million reasons not to buy a SmartDoll" lists.

For the record, I'm not sure I fully on-board with the supposition describing what's going on over there. People can be jerks in some ways, but still remain kind in others. To put it another way, a person can be both an entitled little jerk-wad and also someone who feels empathy for people with serious medical conditions, and who shows them kindness accordingly. In the end, it's all about your collected life experiences, and we don't necessarily know why CJ has this particular focus; it could be genuine compassion. 

43 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

This is in reference to his own acne condition, which I believe he's earned the right to think of however he likes. I also suffer from chronic fatigue, brought on by long term insomnia that's left me with an average of 3 - 4 hours of sleep every night for that last year. Frankly, it feels like I'm living under a curse placed on me by a divine power that wants my life to never be anything but broken. I've had insomnia for more than 40 years, and it's getting better lately, but now it's like someone on high said "Things finally looking up for you? Psyche! Have this BS in its place." 

Sorry, I don't mean to be grim or rude but that's a thought I often have lately. From my point of view I can see how chronic acne might well feel like a plague to its own sufferers, and imo they have the right to express it however they like. 
 

At least the way I read this, it's a supposition that SmartDoll Inc. might be pushing a boundary to see how far they can go before people cry "Enough! I can't take anymore." I don't read this as the characteristics themselves being revolting, but rather a behavior on the part of a company that might be intended to deliberately revolt the undesirable customers / evil entitled; kind of like the endless "umpteen million reasons not to buy a SmartDoll" lists.

For the record, I'm not sure I fully on-board with the supposition describing what's going on over there. People can be jerks in some ways, but still remain kind in others. To put it another way, a person can be both an entitled little jerk-wad and also someone who feels empathy for people with serious medical conditions, and who shows them kindness accordingly. In the end, it's all about your collected life experiences. 

Ditto on the insomnia. I've been suffering with that since a teenager off and on. I've tried multiple medications, sleep studies, and even now at 29 I still feel exhausted all of the time. It ruins my emotional regulation, and I have those micro-sleeps. I just hang out for those random nights when it's decent, so I get that.

 

I guess my issue here is the wording. If I saw someone who was missing a limb, I wouldn't talk about it like that around the person. I wouldn't want them to think that's how I felt about them in that position, but I understand more of what you mean now. I guess my wording would be more softer in not wanting to see something that feels like it harms me represented on something that I want to look unailed, and may even be a reminder of something that personally makes me feel bad. Just in case someone else on the forum suffered from what they did, I wouldn't use harsh words, but that's me. I do feel more understanding of what you and the other person mean now, so I appreciate it!

 

IMO though, I don't really see it as pushing boundaries, so much as a lot of fashion doll companies just don't tend to show much other than the "norm". A lot of Japanese companies barely have a line of dark skin, and most are more a lignt tan than anything. Other companies here in Australia are making dolls with wheelchairs and other disabilities, and even if it's just for money and not moral reasons, I don't really mind because there are plenty of people who are unrepresented in their hobbies. My MIL loves dolls, and personally loves the fact that SmD has ones with disabilities, as some of her own family members are reflected in it, such as her sister having breast cancer. To see a pretty doll with such can be empowering.

 

Of course we can never know what's going on in Danny's head, and why he's doing it, but I'm just glad that there's a vinyl company that is doing it.