Classic Vinyl Beauty (or, for the love of the Obitsu-face)

I think we all have our own ideas of what the "quintessential" (or perhaps even stereotypical) BJD or HJD looks like - for old-guard BJD fans, it may be a big-eyed Luts or an ethereal Minifee, or even an original Super Dollfie sculpt. And I think many vinyl lovers see the anime-styled Dollfie Dream or Smart Doll as the gold standard.

But I would like to raise a glass to a vinyl phenotype that seems almost forgotten to time despite its odd beauty -- the classic Obitsu face.

Characterized by big almond-shaped eyes with a notable lack of animetic-ness, often thin natural-looking eyebrows, and small lips, I would personally place the peak of the Obitsu face at around 2008-2013. I call it the Obitsu face because it's primarily found on Obitsu's original 1/3 dolls. Almost all examples of this style from Obitsu seem to have been sculpted by artist Hirata Hideaki. 

While the style may seem quite dated to anime doll collectors of today, these heads photograph well due to their strong angles, defined nose bridge and relatively sharp jawline. Although out of print, many of these dolls can still be found for sale on secondhand sites like Mandarake. 

My second-favorite Angel Philia sculpt, Ran/Rin, looks a bit like a semi-real version:

 

So that's basically it: a thread to appreciate these old beauties, and show 'em off if you own any! I currently don't, but hopefully soon I'll be able to call one of these girls my own.

Edited May 2, 2023 by luckyk

I really love the old style obitsu faces, I think I saw one on mandarake the other day actually. Im at least hoping to finish my current projects first & pay off my current dolls before buying more....but id love to try getting one of these at some point.

I've only been in the hobby for roughly a year, so I completely missed out on 'ye olden days'. Still, even without any sort of nostalgia, I have to say that these sculpts have something rather special about them! 

I been sat here staring at those two classic Obitsu pics for about 20min now xD 

Gorgeous.  

yesss!!! there is something so charming to me about those sculpts, especially in the shape of the eyes paired with the tiny mouth... i've been sooo tempted by a few different mandarake listings of obitsu mikaduki and mizuki but have been satiated so far just by looking at their pictures for now..haha

3 hours ago, RetroKanojo said:

I've only been in the hobby for roughly a year, so I completely missed out on 'ye olden days'. Still, even without any sort of nostalgia, I have to say that these sculpts have something rather special about them! 

Im really new to vinyl dolls for the most part and honestly i completely understand. they really give me a classic anime vibe with the whole general face shape & eyes that makes them really beautiful

This sculpt is really very versatile, and I always thought she was especially striking with those glass eyes the'd use for her. Just something about that combination, it gives her a special intensity. I'm very fond of the older Obitsu models, it was such a delight to see pics of this girl. Thank you for giving her a well-deserved shoutout!