4 November 2011

Dollfie Dream Black Rock Shooter

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I know this may be a very profound contrast to what I have for my usual hobbies, but yes the one in my mosaicked teaser post is actually a doll. A Black Rock Shooter doll to be precise.

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Please note that this is not an official Black Rock Shooter doll as there is no such thing at the moment. The resin head, eyes, wig, and costume are available as a set made by a group called SQ-LAB. The main body has to be purchased separately, and in this case it's a Volks Dollfie Dream II body with small bust part.

Some items are only available on their Yahoo! Auction Japan page, and this is one of them, which means proxy service is the main way to get it.

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A blue flame part is available as well, which can be stuck on the eye with ordinary blu-tack.

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Lying down. There are metal wires in the coat down the zipper lines so the coat itself can be posed in a limited way.

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A full body shot

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A closer shot of previous picture. The eyes, despite being opaque, gives this illusion as if they glow when sufficient light is available.

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A different angle of the same pose.


So yes I have fallen for this Dollfie bandwagon too. 3 months ago actually as I have been putting it in the dark except for a couple of tweets on twitter. Put Black Rock Shooter together then it's one fad combined with another (if you want to put it negatively that is, and I know some will glare at me like so by now).

I have to admit that this is quite a stunt I've pulled off. Not everybody finds this kind of thing appealing; some will find them creepy too, especially with the eyes. Dolls or Volk's Dollfies are no action figures, which means they are not expected to do anything dramatic or dynamic; their restricted joints (especially those of Dollfies) will prohibit such poses anyway, so the main concern is more about how to pose like human beings, and how to take pictures of them. The latter has been a bit of a challenge for me since I have always been so casual on photography with a point-and-shoot, and taking pictures of dolls requires a lot of lighting setup or better equipments which I really don't have to make the pictures look particularly good. But with a little bit of workout I am happy with the results I have made so far, especially those taken on the bed.

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I actually almost decided to go for Dollfie Dream Fate T Harlaown almost exactly a year ago, but didn't do so at the end because of the face sculpt and the potential nightmare of staining from darker clothings, which is a well known problem for Dollfie Dreams. Then one day I bumped into an auction page of the BRS doll set via posted links in a local forum, and I fell for it. While I actually had little hope of winning it in the first place due to its ridiculous bidding prices, I won one eventually with a price that was within my budget, and so I have to claim it. I was actually quite worried how it would be like since this is no official stuff, and I have seen no pictures from other hobbyists despite a number of them have been sold. The end product actually looks pretty nice, and I am quite glad that things worked out at the end.

Despite all that, like military-related hobby I think I won't plan to talk very often about doll(s) here, as I worry I may lose track and head off in a very different direction for my blog. I have no plans or intentions to have this become my main hobby, or it to replace my other toys such as figma; they all have their own places in my opinion, though some people don't think so and I'd leave them as so.

Last but not least, I want to thank SQ-LAB on making the character set and their help on my inquiries, as well as friends and fellow hobbyists in the online community for the kind support! It's interesting to see it myself how it is like to own such big "toy" there as an outsider and in an attempt to understand it better (rather than to judge something downright ignorant without knowing much about it in the first place). This hobby is still a fairly niche one, and with its massive price tag this is no ordinary thing to jump into. Go in only if you have something that you really, really, really want.


Ack, with all that revealed out, I am actually pretty worried how the response will turn up. Well, I am just sharing things out afterall - that is what blogging is about, right?

23 comments:

  1. Yay! Revelation time! Man, we sure did pick around the same time to post our DDs, huh? Somehow this hobby sorta got put up front because of the people I hang out with, so it's a matter of who your friends are and where your focus is. Enjoy more hobby life! XD

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  2. I TRUSTED YOU, MAN!!!!! You have betrayed me!! *looks at the top of his PC* ...Yeah, how could you do this to me??

    Oh fine, I confess I did enter the lottery for Saber Lily but didn't win. Satisfied? Actually, I'm considering looking out for one if they don't mark it up too much (HA!!) cos it's the best one for an idea for a custom I have. But I have more pressing stuff to think about first. But at least I dodged the bullet with the recent Saber Alter ver 2. Very nearly went for one of those cos I liked the dress. The doll itself, not so much.

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  3. finally u did it, man!
    To me, DD is still an ultimate piece of "Action figure" of a particular character, so if I didn't like that character, I won't "purchase" (I use "purchase" more than "adopt") even if its sculpture is beautiful..... so well, everybody have one's own attitude to a particular hobby. There are no need to take too much care on what other might think, right?

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  4. I can see the love of the BRS is growing on you more and more each day.

    Now you are in Dollfie too! I foresee you will get more of such dolls in time to come.

    You have to make room for these big toys.

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  5. Owner of a Takamachi Nanoha DD here, going to do any outdoor shoots soon?

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  6. @ Lightning Sabre:
    Haha I really didn't know you have yours posted the same time as mine (or that you even have one until I've finished my post)! Sticking with people with same interest can influence you, just like those I have hung out with in the recent months. Well, we're both in it now, so all the best to our new hobby!

    @ gundamjehutykai:
    YOU MAD?

    Well we all have our confessions on what we have wanted to do while I took a step too far. Didn't know you also gave Saber Lily a shot too and that you were thinking for a custom build of some sort.

    So yes I am in the bandwagon too. As anticipated you would come out of this disappointed of me, but that's okay; we all have our little secrets. Nevertheless I most likely won't talk often about it, or else this may become a different blog in the future.

    @ Yui:
    It took a lot of guts to say it out here I gotta say, but it's good that I let it out finally.

    I agree that given the price and the nature of the hobby, if one is going for a character specific DD then one would normally like it a lot unless further customisation or modification is planned out beforehand. I too am a bit hesitant to use the term "adopt", and perhaps even "daughter" too though I use that colloquially in Chinese. I did worry a little how the response will turn up, especially when I have a couple of readers who are outspoken critics of the BRS franchise. But I guess as you've said there's no need to worry too much about how others think of my stuff; I am what I am afterall. Thanks for your support through all that time!

    @ LEon:
    I won't plan to have another one in a short period of time, but I won't say downright that this will be my one and only one as I don't want to look back and embarass myself at what I have said in the past.

    Big toy is indeed big, and finding space for it is no easy task, but I've managed somehow. Just hope they don't end up like my 1/144 tanks...

    @ zh3us:
    Hey there! I did do some outdoor shoots with a number of photography enthusiasts last weekend. Haven't put pictures of those yet, but I may post a couple of the better ones another day or possibly on twitter.

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  7. anonymous_object8 November 2011 at 08:23

    Hey, it's about time you posted about your BRS DD :P
    Nothing to be embarrassed about, I say. Especially if you already collect figures and such ;)
    She certainly is awesome though. I was tempted by her auctions as well. But I think 3 girls is enough for now ^^;

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  8. @Q: To be honest, My disdain for the fact that its a BRS is probably higher than that for the fact that you jumped on the Dollfie bandwagon. Volks have me by the balls anyway, thanks to their resin kits so they keep pulling me to the edge with their occasional dollfie news before I just wave to the abyss and then walk away.
    I would have jumped on the Fate bandwagon too but with a fate, I would then be compelled to get a nanoha and there was no way I was going to pay that much for both!

    Also, if you're talking secrets...

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/gundamjehutykai/random/IMG_0426.jpg

    Too much?

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  9. @Q: I had MEIKO planned around August, lol. Got the parts at the end of September and finished near the end of October. I like to keep secrets to make a grand surprise :D I posted that blurred/mosaic photo, but you've seen her before ^^ I knew you were going to post yours eventually, it's just funny that you did it around the same time I was going to XD

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  10. About time she got a spotlight on your blog. :3 Very valid points from an "outsider" of the hobby. It IS a very expensive hobby to maintain.I only managed to get serious into dolls in general only after my airsoft team disbanded. lol.

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  11. @ anonymous_object:
    I remember you tweeted to me saying why I haven't mention it on my blog yet. I guess it was really just a matter of time before I felt confident enough to post about it.

    I personally still feel that there is still quite a bit of gap between figures and dollfies. Not only in price difference but also how much of a niche market this hobby is compared to other kinds I am used to. Hence from an outsider's point of view, this would be regarded as something more of a specified and dedicated interest rather than something one would buy "off the shelf" without second thoughts.

    SQ-LAB's BRS is pretty well done. I was surprised that I actually won an auction within my budget after several tries, and I was very nervous about it knowing that I'm now in it. Admittedly I also want to have a custom WRS to complement my BRS, but that will be some ambitious wishful thinking to be considered another day.

    @ gundamjehutykai:
    Yea I figured that out since you have posted contemptuous comments on most of my BRS related posts.

    I was actually very close to getting Fate after a lot of hesitations from a local Yahoo Auction, but was too late for it so I had given up on it (bidding prices on YJA was too much).

    I am not so sure what you have there exactly, though the stripes remind me of a costume from an original DD character called Natsuki. My guess could be completely off, but since I am still not so familiar with the DDs (well it could be an Obitsu too) I won't put too much guesses in it.

    @ Lightning Sabre:
    Oh the mosaiked picture was back in last year, no wonder I couldn't remember on top of my head.

    So you had your Meiko planned out over a period of time. While mine isn't really "planned", full aquisition took some time. I won the auction in late February, and the parts arrived in Hong Kong in April. Got the body a week before Dollism Plus in July, so I just had enough time to prepare it for display in the event. Finally decided to get an S bust part in September as default M bust was too big.

    I hesitate a lot on when to post about this, but I thought I should let it off so I don't need to worry too much about it afterwards. Pretty funny how it coincides with your Meiko without me knowing it in the first place ^^;

    @ coffeebugg:
    The DD BRS is an unusual spotlight on my blog, though I am not sure how often I will talk about this hobby in the future.

    Dolls are definitely not one of the more 'ordinary' hobbies compared to models or even figures. I don't know how far I will get into it, but I would still like to keep up with my usual ones rather than letting this taking over the rest of mine, as is the case with some people we know on the Internet.

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  12. Yup, it was my first doll after all, so I was trying to surprise people with failure, lol.

    Oh wow, so she had a public display before you even blogged about her, eh? XD That's awesome! S-Bust is more appropriate for BRS after all :) I had a short time to plan MEIKO because well I was procrastinating and wanted to finish her before her birthday on November 5th. Good thing the people involved worked fast ^_^

    To be super honest though, I saw your post because I was hesitating whether to post her early or not. I was on the fence, but I was going to post her that day eventually. It was when I was fiddling around Blogger that I decided to kill some time and saw my dashboard with your BRS proudly shown off, I decided I should post mine right then and there! So your post was a calling :D

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  13. @Q: where would the fun be if I just gave the answer on a plate? The symbol on the ring would be the biggest clue in the pic.*hint* it's not a letter!

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  14. Not to be mean or anything, but dolls scare me.

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  15. @ Lightning Sabre:
    Yep you can see a few picture of BRS with M bust taken by those from figure.fm on Danny Choo's post.

    It's nice how you get to have your MEIKO planned and materialised so you get to have her debutted on her official birthday~ Big thumbs up for those who helped you making this to happen!

    You make me flattered that my post encouraged you to put up yours. At least we're not alone doing the confession (which I was very worried about at first), lol.

    @ gundamjehutykai:
    After a bit of extensive searching, I now know who it is that you have in the picture. So you are into some old ha-, I mean witch. You weren't completely lying there in your April Fool's post afterall! :P

    @ Nopy:
    Not everybody finds dolls attractive, but rather even scary (especially the eyes and the general uncanny appearance). I admit I was not very comfortable with dolls at first, even after I got the BRS in my hands, but it slowly grew on me after full assembly. I do appreciate your honesty and take the effort to say it out.

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  16. Whoa! First of all, I think her eyes are awesome, they're the first thing I notice in every picture. Nice acquisition! I had thought many times over about getting a dollfie, but I honestly doubt I'll ever end up buying one. I lost the desire quite some time ago, but I still admire them. There's no reason to feel ashamed with your purchase, it's what you wanted! People who can't accept it need to chill, it's not their life :P

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  17. @ Persocom:
    Thanks for your comment! I too was first drawn in by the eyes when I first saw the pictures, and I still find myself staring those of my BRS now and then ^^;

    Dollfies are no ordinary hobby stuff. I see a lot of people dedicate a lot of time, money, and effort into them. Because of that some tend to favour it over other hobbies, and perhaps even hold an elitist attitude over it.

    I personally am ok if people don't find dolls appealing as long as we respect each other. If we end up going negative against each other then there's no fun sharing things out anymore right?

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  18. I respect you more than ever before

    kevin

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  19. did you buy this and where did you get it!
    i been DYING to get one.
    if anyone knows where please tell me!
    PLEASE!!!!!!

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  20. OH,and if anyone knows where i can get a gunslinger girl DollfieDream,please tell me to!THANKS!

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  21. I always wanted a Medusa(she's from soul eater)
    Dollfie Dream Doll!If anyone knows how to make Dollfie Dream Dolls please make a Medusa one.Also take pictures of it post it online and make stop motion with it.If you already made a Dollfie Dream Doll Medusa and hadn't post it online or did stpo motion with it,do it know!!
    If you have no use for it sell it on etsy.com!Also if you made any other Soul Eater Dollfie Dream Doll characters post pictures of it online and make videos with it on youtube!!
    THANKS AGAIN!!!!!

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  22. ooops!!I MEAN STOP MOTION!

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  23. @ kevin:
    Hahaha I didn't expect you to leave a comment here ^^; I am not the one you should respect, it's my doll you should put the respect on lolz.

    @ Anonymous:
    As stated in the post, I got it on Yahoo Auction Japan. However I have not seen it been listed again in the past few months.

    I am very new to this particular hobby and I can't help you much regarding on your requests; it's better to ask someone else who has been longer and in greater depth into it than I have. The characters you have mentioned are not official ones, therefore you have to customise them yourself or find someone to make them for you.

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