Bodies like Obitsu 48 that's not DDP?

Partner is fed up with their 3 Obitsus- they've had them for about 8 years, and all of them have had the torso and hip parts replaced multiple times, and they're tired of having to replace those parts every couple of years because they crumble to dust by sheer force of existence. Even though all they do is change their poses every few months while handling them gently. Out of the bodies we're aware of, DDP is the closest thing, but they don't like how short the arms look.

So, are there any non-DDP, non-Obitsu-manufactured (so no azone, no AP, no parabox) bodies, vinyl or otherwise, that would be a decent match to the O48?

Hmmm, not off the top of my head. I'd need to double check the compatibility but maybe you could buy DDS arms to put on the DDP?? Not sure if that'd look bizarre though. Also Obitsu is coming out with a brand new frame that has improved strength some time this year, but only for OB50. Hope that helps a little!

The problem here is the size. We've had some new vinyl makers make dolls in the 40 to 45 cm range, like Tinyfox ad Imomo, but nothing in the 48-50cm range. That "small 1/3" size is not very popular at all, in case you couldn't tell from the lack of clothing and part options for the DDP. Lack of demand, lack of production.

 

If the frame breakage is the only problem, you can either wait for the GGR body Obitsu's working on that claims to fix a lot of these issues, or you might want to consider looking into using a mixture of DD and Obitsu parts. Say, seeing if you can put Obitsu arms on a DDP, or the DDP chest and hip frame (and probably their legs too) on an Obitsu. It's a bit more advanced, but if you are familiar with modding basics like sanding and trimming parts, it's like building legos!

 

You might also want to look into reinforcing parts - I've seen people use zip ties to add an extra layer of sturdy plastic to the arm joints, since those break super easily. You can see a picture of thezip tie reinforcement on this topic:

Unfortunately I don't know of any way to reinforce or fix the hip joint, and I haven't seen anyone come up with one yet.

 

Another alternative, though possibly one that might lead to a grail hunt, is to try and find an Asachanchi frame intended for Parabox 40 or Obitsu 50 - that custom frame uses Jeton tubing for the spine (visible in the second pic on each of the Mandarake listings I linked to), so if you get ahold of one of those, you can add or remove Jeton pieces as needed and use it on your 48. It uses a much sturdier, DD-esque design for the hips and shoulders so it should be much less prone to breaking. Asachanchi is a Japanese maker of third party parts, and their shop opens infrequently, so you'd have to keep an eye on their social media for their next opening and be prepared to pay international shipping...and possibly use a proxy.

Hah, that's my picture in the preview for that link. I had a rough time initially, but after 1 set of replacements, mine have been free of issues despite re-posing my girls daily since I use them as drawing references in part.

The key to longevity is handling the arms (in particular) in a certain way when posing. What's important is understanding exactly how the joints can/can't bend, making adjustments one motion at a time and holding the upper arm / shoulder in place when making adjustments to the rest of the arm. That last bit is key to keeping the shoulders healthy.

Unfortunately, there are no readily available alternatives to the Obitsu frame besides the DDP, but the updated Obitsu skeleton is probably the thing to wait for if you want an official soution.

4 hours ago, bananaaether said:

maybe you could buy DDS arms to put on the DDP?? Not sure if that'd look bizarre though. 

It would look bizarre (too long). 

Maybe if you wanted the longer DDS arms for the DDP,you could mod it so they’re shorter in length? This would make them in between DDP and DDS. I saw a picture where someone modded their DDS (including the arms) to be shorter but I don’t have the post

24 minutes ago, chantelle said:

Maybe if you wanted the longer DDS arms for the DDP,you could mod it so they’re shorter in length? This would make them in between DDP and DDS. I saw a picture where someone modded their DDS (including the arms) to be shorter but I don’t have the post

What you could also do is what some Obitsu owners do, which is to hybridize it (48 upper arm + 45 lower arm), so the upper arm segment's from DDS and the lower one is from DDP. It's not as elegant as two equal segments, but it requires no modding for Obitsu, and it looks OK since most of the time, it's covered up by a sleeve.

The main rationale for doing this on Obitsu is to lengthen the arm just enough, so O48 clothes can be worn on a 45 model. The torso lengths are already the same, so it ends up looking pretty good.

Edited March 1, 2023 by chef_mai

I don't think using DDS parts on a DDP would work. The DDS body is thicker overall, including in the limbs. The DDP is as slender as an MDD, just taller. 

They've used zip ties with epoxy glue on the shoulders the last time they swapped them out, but they still cracked and chipped away, sadly. And they know these bodies very well, so it's not an issue coming from not knowing how the joints work or their limits.
Hybridizing DDP with Obitsu arms crossed their head- these dolls are old and very much yellowed by now though, so the colour difference would be jarring. And anything that involves cutting anything visible, shorter, is a no-go, especially since one of the dolls in case is always sleeveless or short-sleeved.
The GGR body looks really nice, but sadly the body shape is the wrong one for the characters these dolls shell. However, if Obitsu sells the new frame parts separately, that might also be an option.

Told them what it's been discussed here, and it seems like they probably will just be replacing the parts one last time to stop the dolls from flopping around short-term, and swap out all 3 bodies to something else when cost isn't an issue- even just one naked body is painful for the wallet when you gotta factor in import fees and stuff. :')

37 minutes ago, AndreZolwe said:

However, if Obitsu sells the new frame parts separately, that might also be an option.

I can't see why they wouldn't - from what I understand the new frame parts aren't exclusive to the GGR, they're just an upgrade in general.

 

That said on the topic of hybridizing, if the DDS arms are too thick and long for the DDP body, than so would the Obitsu 50 arms. The Obitsu arms are only slightly thinner and shorter than the DDS arms.

Here's a picture for reference: