Monday, April 8, 2013

2013 Doll Primer -- Part 2

After what was a bit of an extended break, Voicething is back to take a closer look at the rest of the dolls coming this year! I covered the core 6 characters, plus the bulk of the multi-doll ones, in Part One. Today's blog will cover who's left. Let's get started!

First up is Rochelle Goyle. She got off to a strong start in 2013 with her Scaris doll. Wearing a pillbox hat and simple slip dress, she was smart and sophisticated. Her next doll, from Ghoul's Night Out, is mixing things up a bit. She has a much younger look, with barrettes in her hair and wearing a fun cocktail dress. This doll's face still looks a bit "off" to me, but she's pretty nonetheless. Rochelle will also be featured in the Dance Class exclusive pack, the only way you'll be able to get your hands on this doll. Her dance style appears to be ballet. I really like this Rochelle's face. Her eyes look more "eager" here, rather than the dreamy, faraway expression Rochelle usually has.





Meowlady & Purrsephone are featured in the Toys R Us Fearleading exclusive pack with Toralei. I love M&P and am glad to see them returning, even if they're basically just their basic dolls in different clothes. If nothing else, this set gives fans who couldn't get ahold of their initial release the chance to own these two.



Robecca Steam made her 2013 debut in Dance Class form. That line hasn't been especially popular, but to me Robecca is arguably the best of that bunch. At the very least she's loaded with personality! We'll also be getting a Dead Tired Robecca. I've already discussed that line in an earlier post. My feelings haven't really changed on her. I think she's great!




After swimming it up in early 2013, Venus McFlytrap will also be making an appearance at her local Music Festival. She may be representing the most stupidly named musical subgenre in history, but the doll looks rather amazing! With her magenta hair and bold faceup, she's the most unique Venus we've seen yet. We're also getting an exclusive multi-pack Ghouls Night Out venus, this time with considerably shorter hair and what appears to be upward glancing eyes. I'm still not completely sold on her outfit, but those eyes definitely have me hooked!





Jinafire Long is one of our new Scaris characters. She's gone over extremely well; she's probably the most popular of the Scaris characters among fans. And who am I to disagree? Doll perfection has a name and it is Jinafire.



Skelita Calaveras is yet another new character brought to us by Scaris. She's also proven to be quite a hit with fans. Her unique skeletal body is a marvel of doll design, effectively making her a toy that just as closely reflects action figure as she does doll.



Catrine DeMew is the final new Scaris character. Relegated to being a Walmart exclusive, she hasn't gone over quite as well as the other two new Scaris ladies. Part of that is surely because she simply isn't as unique as the other two. But what she lacks in innovation she makes up for in astounding beauty.



Coming soon is 13 Wishes, a line that seems to mirror Scaris in that we're getting two new wide release character dolls as part of the fun. Gigi Grant is a genie who can, well, grant wishes. Initial response to Gigi was lukewarm but people seem to be slowly but surely warming up to her.



With her pastel color scheme and button nose, Twyla, our other new 13 Wishes character, looks like she could be the daughter of the Easter bunny. But no, she's the brethren of the Boogeyman. I don't really see it either, but she's pretty and has big eyes that remind me of Rochelle, so she's okay in my book. She'll be a shorter doll, like Howleen.



Headless Headmistress Bloodgood isn't a new character, but in 2013 we'll be getting her first doll. I love Nefera's size and am glad there's another doll of larger stature on the way. She comes with Nightmare, her shiny blue horse with red glowing eyes. I'm really digging how they've manufactured Nightmare! I think I'm as excited for the horse as I am the doll! My only complaint with this doll is that the headless effect isn't very interesting or impressive. When the head is removed, she looks like any other doll you've taken the head off of. She has a simple knob poking out above her shoulders. Couldn't they have given the knob a more stylized look of some kind? Head over to Monster High Insider to see hi-res pics of Bloodgood and Nightmare.



We'll finish our look at individual characters on a high note: Scarah Screams, coming to us in I Love Fashion form. This another release I've already discussed on the blog. My feelings haven't changed: I love this character in general and feel the upcoming doll does her justice (and then some). Her Mod look is authentic and she comes with plenty of extra clothes and accessories. What's not to love? Honestly, I'm more excited for this doll than I am either of the new 13 Wishes character dolls.



After posting Part One of this overview, there were a few more reveals of new dolls. Dead Tired Wave 3 has already been discussed (Spectra for the win!), but two dolls I haven't covered are I Love Shoes Cleo and Draculaura. I'll go ahead and get the shoe talk out of the way. Would it have been nice to have all new shoes with these dolls? Of course! But that's simply not realistic. I will concede that having them all painted one solid color is disappointing; Mattel could've rather easily painted in a few details. But hey, I love shoes and always seem to be running short, so getting so many with these two dolls is pretty great!

Cleo's face is stunning. It reminds me of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, when she's not wearing the Catwoman suit. Which is to say, this Cleo's face is amazing! Take a look...





As for her outfit... meh. It seems under thought and a bit overly simplistic. I wasn't digging her hair at first but it's really grown on me! I'm glad to see Mattel continuing to ditch the tinsel on Cleo, and I love how they've done her teal streaks. It may just be me but the shade of teal looks a bit lighter than usual.

As for Draculaura, I think this is a strong contender for best Draculaura of 2013! We shall see, but I'm beyond impressed with this doll!



That does it for my 2013 doll overview. I'll be honest: I had to do today's post in a rush (busy busy busy!), so if I've missed anything please let me know! Til next time!

39 comments:

  1. 2013 looks to be a good year, eh?
    I don't even know what I'm most excited for (Scarah Screams is a strong contender).
    Is it just me, or does Gigi look like a splice between Cleo & Lagoona? As in, Cleo's sultry-ness and Lagoona's cute, wide-eyed face. Either way, I really like her.
    As for the I <3 shoes doll, I like the selection of shoes they gave Cleo, although I would have preferred her Scaris shoes over her basic wave 1 shoes. Yay for no tinsel, but her outfit could be better. Draculaura, on the other hand, doesn't even need the extras for me to love her. Her capelet & pencil skirt are so mature and pretty & I love the touches of black with her shades, hatbox and shoes. Also no signature straight cut bangs/fringe. :)

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    1. I've heard people say Gigi reminded them of Deuce in the eyes, and I can kinda see that. I hadn't thought about Lagoona but I can see that, too! For me the big resemblance is Twyla to Rochelle. Twyla's eyes have that huge, innocent thing going on, like Rochelle's eyes.

      I love ILS Cleo's faceup, it's very adult-looking. The rest I'm still torn on lol. Her Scaris shoes really are amazing, aren't they? I love how the wings wrap her ankles! Draculaura is pretty mindblowing -- it's great to see her in a more sophisticated outfit. Love the faceup, too!

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    2. I can definitely see the resemblance between Rochelle & Twyla. I also see a bit of Spectra in her, too. I think she's toned down & cutesy because she's supposed to be the polar opposite of her dad.
      I like how she's dressed to blend in, she kind of has elements of a child's bedroom; a shirt that looks like wallpaper, shoes that look like furniture, a tutu, and, unless I'm mistaken, her bracelet has a rattle hanging from it. She also looks kind of dreamy & ethereal, with her purple skin & wispy grey limbs. I've got a pretty clear picture in my mind as to how she'll be depicted in the 13 Wishes special.

      According to Wikipedia, the Bogey Man 'has no specific appearance', so really, they could have gone anywhere with her.

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    3. Just one more thing about ILS... This is what Draculaura should have worn to Scaris. So mature and chic.

      Edit: Apparently I was wrong about Twyla's bracelet. It's not a rattle, it's a skullette-shaped dream-catcher.
      Herp derp.

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    4. Yeah, I can see those qualities in her. Unfortunately, the cynic in me is looking at this doll as a "soft" character meant to appeal to younger kids. She's even of the shorter stature indicating her younger age. But that's just me being cynical most likely lol. FWIW I do love her outfit, and the color of her hair is really nice.

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    5. BTW agreed about Draculaura! Surely that outfit would've gone over better in Scaris than what she did wear. Tres chic!

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    6. Actually, now that I think about it, ILS Draculaura looks very much like a vintage Barbie in that outfit.
      Bravo, Mattel. *claps enthusiastically*

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    7. Definitely! I've noticed that Mattel occasionally pays homage to vintage Barbie in MH fashion, but MH fans in general never seem too pleased about it lol. In any case, I agree with you and this Draculaura is one of my most anticipated 2013 dolls. *joins Felicity's enthusiastic clapping* :D

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    8. I can sort of see what you mean about ILS Cleo looking like Michelle. Cleo looks much more refreshed, though.
      Michelle looks like an insomniac, but that's probably because she's in a Tim Burton movie there. lol
      I think ILS Cleo reminds me of her dead tired doll (who, in turn, reminds me of Mila Kunis), in that her faceup is very simple. Also love how her hair is a cross between SO & SS. :)

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    9. Well, to be fair I kinda chose crappy pictures of Michelle from that movie. In the film she looks gorgeous, much more than the pics convey. I can see what you mean about ILS Cleo looking similar to her DT doll. Her DT doll is one of my faves, and though I love me some Mila, I've always gotten more of a Megan Fox vibe from that Cleo. But I can see where you're coming from. :)

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    10. This is what did it for me;
      Scaris & DT Cleo together
      She just looks like a dead ringer for Mila Kunis to me (aside from the eye colour difference).
      I can see why she reminds you of Megan Fox.

      Looking at both of those pictures & DT Cleo, it seems like we both have a point. :)

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    11. Going back to ILS Draculaura, if & when you do buy & review her, you should totally take a few pics of her posing on the hood of her roadster. I just think that outfit is so vintage & sexy, she'd look wicked.
      A bit like this;
      What a babe!
      Ooh lala!

      Or at least, do some extras like that, for me? *bats eyelashes*

      0;-)

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    12. I love that picture of the Cleo dolls together. I see they have Scaris Cleo in Scaris Lagoona's tank dress. That dress is so simple yet so versatile. It's a real favorite of mine. I hadn't even thought to put it on Cleo, what a great idea! I still have it on my PD Lagoona, looking as fab as ever :) I'm a huge fan of Mila, I've loved her since That 70's Show. And I thought she was fantastic in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Black Swan. In both those films she oozed charisma, not to mention she's genuinely talented and beautiful. I love her personality in interviews, she always comes across so down to earth and chill. I'm not so much into Megan as an actress, but I do think she's very pretty.

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    13. Shoot, ILS Draculaura was practically made for the Roadster! Perfect match of eras! I can definitely photo her on and in it -- it'd be fun!

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  2. I'd like to say something else about the shoes...
    I have no qualms with shoe molds being reused, because for a play-line doll brand like Monster High, I don't think they can afford to make every pair unique.
    We have enough variety as it is, probably like over 150 unique molds. And as a 90's girl, I remember Barbie having pretty much the same style of shoes, only in different shades of pink (or other colours, if you're lucky).

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    1. I know, right! We're so spoiled by MH! This many different shoe molds for one line was unheard of just 15 years ago! But we always want something to complain about, don't we? I'm guilty of it, too :-/

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  3. Hahaha! Look at us, we're like a house on fire with our commentary.

    I feel like a Swedish girl yodeling at the top of a mountain about dolls. lol

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    1. Lol! Never heard that one before! Love it! (And it's funny because it's true ;) )

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  4. Hmm... I curious about Scarah's white gogo boots now.
    The last ILF dolls all had reused shoe molds, so I wonder if Scarah's boots are a repeat? They look similar to Ghoulia's basic knee-high sneakers, or her scooter boots, but it's hard to tell because they're white & the picture quality isn't very high. Her other pairs are her SDCC (& bee girl's) shoe in silver & Ula's Scaris shoe in black or dark green, so I'm curious about the boots. I recognise Clawdeen's shoes.
    BTW, what do you think about the wolf print on Clawdeen's sweater dress? I think it's pretty clever & subtle.

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    1. Yeah it's hard to tell what mold her boots are. I couldn't even guess really. They have a pretty slim heel, so that would fit your Ghoulia theory. I'm having trouble even making out what Clawdeen's dress print is. It looks kind of abstract to me but that could be the low quality of the pic. It looks good, though.

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    2. Wait a minute. I might be wrong about her boots. From what I can see, they have what appears to be a zipper on the inside, Ghoulia's basic boots do not (and Ghoulia's also have laces which seem to be non-existent on Scarah's).
      MH doll shoes reference
      Actually, I can't think of any other pairs of knee-high boots that have so few bells & whistles like ILF Scarah's, so maybe they are a new mold? Maybe Mattel is making up for her SDCC doll not having original shoes?
      In any case, I still love them, & I can't wait for a HQ or official promo picture.

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    3. Hmm, could be. They owe us after making her basic doll a freaking SDCC exclusive! Then again, I think the ILF doll is leagues above the SDCC one. Plus her additional dress is a close enough facsimile to the original basic dress that we can still dress ILF Scarah to look like her basic.

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    4. Oh, I agree. She's *way* better than the SDCC doll.
      And I'm not just saying that.

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    5. Now that I've seen your pics of HH Bloodgood, perhaps ILF Scarah's boots are a modified version of those?
      They're certainly very plain, and they have the zipper on the inside.
      (by modified, I mean smaller & a different colour.)

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    6. Yeah that definitely could be! It seems most likely, at least compared to the other boots, doesn't it?

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  5. Lol, I was talking about the shirt/dress with sleeves.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/notacatnac/8531647236/
    Here's a pic, hopefully you can see it better here.
    The other dress seems to be random stripes w/ animal print in them.

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    1. Yeah, I can make out the other dress pretty well, but the one with the sleeves? I can't tell what that print is! Hmm...

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    2. That's what I'm trying to get at, the print on that is clearly supposed to be the face of a wolf.
      Here's a picture I uploaded to help you see what I can see...
      ILF Clawdeen
      Now do you see it? :)

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    3. Ohhh! Yep, I totally see it now! Love it! It's like an ironically trashy hipster look. Love it! It also reminds me of the artwork Goldfrapp was using for their Black Cherry album and singles back in '03. Thanks for pointing it out to me. I preferred the other outfit before but the ironic wolf print has won me over.

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    4. Yay! You got there in the end!
      It's a bit tacky, but it's pretty cool, IMO.
      Do you mean you preferred the outfit she's wearing? :)

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    5. Well, of all three outfits, the one she comes wearing is my favorite (the ILF dolls always come wearing the best outfit imo), but of the other two I preferred the dress before. Now I like the tacky wolf shirt and shorts better!

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  6. I was half right about Scarah having dark green shoes. :D
    ILF Scarah & Clawdeen recoloured
    Still not sure about those boots. It's hard to tell whether they're a heel or a wedge.
    I'm also interested in her stockings or leggings. Are they black with silver stripes or are they black with clear holes in them (like laddering)?
    But now I *know* that Clawdeen's sweater-dress is definitely a wolf's face. She also seems to be wearing her DotD belt again. Woo-hoo!

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    1. Wow, that's a much better picture! The boots look like they have a heel to me. I hope they do, anyway. Heels would fit the mod theme better than wedges. The tights looks to me like they have metallic stripes instead of holes, but i could be wrong. The wolf shirt is just too cool, and the DOTD belt matches that outfit soo perfectly.

      And, again, I just have to say -- HOLY CRAP SCARAH LOOKS AMAZING! Seeing her in even better quality has gotten me even more excited for her, something I didn't think was even possible. She's *definitely* my most anticipated 2013 doll!

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    2. Yeah, it's hard to tell with the boots & leggings.
      Darn that pale background!
      I was thinking if you paired the metallic green dress with the silver heels & black tights (if they've got metallic stripes) you'd have a pretty awesome party themed Scarah! Like DotD-awesome! Squee!
      I haven't even mentioned how much I love the white trenchcoat, sunglasses & square braclelets. So much win!
      *happy dance*
      2013 - FUCK YEAH!
      Bring it on, Mattel!

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    3. Lol love it! Totally happy dancing with you!

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  7. I'd say ILF Scarah, ILS Draculaura, and GNO Ghoulia are my most anticipated dolls of 2013. So excited for them!

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  8. We're both looking forward to the same dolls, Felicity! Those 3 are at the top of my anticipation list. Oh, and the new Venus dolls, too – Music Festival and GNO. Cannot wait!

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    1. Oh, yes. I really want MF Venus too! :)
      She's absolutely gorgeous!

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    2. P.S. You have great taste, Eric. ;D

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