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Rin Tohsaka Dollfie Dream

Fri 08/14/2009 21:15 UTC | Dollfie | comments (4) | 1,277 Views

So recently I decided to enter the world of ball-joint dolls (BJD), namely Volks’ Dollfie Dream.  And to be honest the decision was influenced largely by Danny Choo’s coverage of his Saber Dollfie.  Being the Saber fanboy that I am, obviously tried to locate one but soon realized that I was too late and my only options would be after market listings on auction sites like Yahoo! Japan.

I had heard of BJDs before, but never really found anything interesting about them.  But the Dollfie Dream (DD) is different because they are more “anime-looking” than Volks Super Dollfie line or some of the other BJDs out there.  And it was that aspect about the DD that really appealed to me.

So after missing my chance to get Saber, when I heard news that DD Rin Tohsaka was being released I had to try to get her.  Mainly because  I am huge Fate / Stay Night fan and Rin is pretty cute.  Now Rin, like Saber, was part of a special event called Doll Party (or Dolpa) and you could only purchase her by winning a lottery draw.  Rin came with her iconic red top, miniskirt, stockings, underwear, and loafers.  You had to also enter for her academy uniform as well; so I entered for both items.

So I was notified that I won and informed that I could expect Rin about the end of June.  And now here she is (yeah, I know…its the middle of August…so why did I wait so long to introduce her ^^:)  Part of the reason was I didn’t want to mess her up.  Though it doesn’t do any good having her if I keep her cooped up in a box ^^;

But just as Danny got me interested in dollfies, he also motivated me to show off my darling Rin thanks to the Miss Dollfie Summer 2009 contest he was hosting at figure.fm!  Seemed like a good opportunity to show off Rin, plus who knows…possibility of winning ^^;  The contest is stuff going until August 17th, so we’ll see how it fares.  I win regardless because after spending three days playing with Rin, I don’t regret acquiring her or freeing her from her confinement.

And while on the subject of the contest, which you can read about by following the link above, the outdoor photo portion of the contest was probably the most difficult for me.  Not only was the weather against me, having rained for days with more forecasted; but finding the right place to do it.  I chose a location that I knew would be provide some good shots; but what I didn’t expect was the number of people that would be around.  Nothing quite like getting stares from onlookers as I carry about a 24 inch dollfie and a camera bag.  ^^;  But I was on a mission and I think that I got some good photos thanks to that location.

One of the other criteria was you had to do a swimsuit / lingerie.  If you were without either, you could do nudes as long as “their hands should be stylishly covering their v-zone and pupils.”  I played with a couple of different things, including using an handkerchief  like a towel like above.

I even used a pillow set from my To Heart 2: Nanako-Chan.  I think this little pillow made for the perfect prop…

…when it came to shots like this.  In fact, it was this little pillow that inspired me to go in that direction with my shots ^^;  I debated on posting the “buff photos” because I thought they may push the envelop a little too much.  But after thinking about it, I decided to go ahead because I felt that they were done in good taste.

And I also felt that I was abiding by the stipulations of the contest as Rin was stylishly covering her pupils and angle of the shot was covering her v-zone ^^;

So yeah, the contest was a good reason for me to get to know Rin better.  Since then I found her a place on my workspace.  I had to hunt for a stand for her, because I didn’t have one at the time of the photo shoots.  And while she can stand on her own, she falls over a lot without the support ^^;  (Clumsy Rin =P)

So Rin is my first dollfie, but certainly not my last.  I have a Yoko ordered which should arrive next month (a birthday present to myself ^o^).  And I continue to check the various auction sites for a Dollfie Saber.  Since I don’t know any Japanese, having to wing it with the translation programs when searching for her on Yahoo! Japan.  But it seems that no matter what she will cost me at least $1000+ @.@.  Had a few bad experiences with online auctions, coupled with it being in a language I can’t understand and relying on a third party to act as my proxy makes me a bit hesitate.

I even found a Saber Dollfie head for sale…for like $500 US.  I love the face of Saber Dollfie, but its not the same without Excalibur and at least her gauntlets and boots.  I would probably do without the dress due to the staining factor and after seeing the Saber Lily costume, I love that variation over the blue Saber dress.  I will have her one day though, that’s my dream anyway.  But I have Rin (and soon Yoko) to keep me company until that day ^^.

They do require plenty of love and care, which is why they are considered musumes (or daughters) by their owners.  But they are certainly a lot of fun and I can see why so many people adore dollfies now.  Certainly a decision I am glad I made.

Expect more Dollfie related coverage in the future =3

Also, check out my Flickr for more photos from this photo session and my Miss Dollfie entry!