Saturday, July 29, 2023

Bibliotheca July Prompt: Dolls

 Long time, no post! I've been quite busy lately, moving across the country to a new area of Japan, starting a new job, and traveling to new places! But as always, this blog is never abandoned, and I am back again!


This post is for the July prompt of "Dolls" for Bibliotheca! I had to jump in a create a post about mori dolls as soon as I heard it! There haven't been many mori dolls over the years, but I still had fun researching and finding some adorable dolls to share with you all. So, let's get started!

Pullip 

Momori Doll (モモリ)



One of the most well-known mori dolls you might find online is the mori-inspired Pullip doll named "Momori". The doll was produced in 2019 and sold on the official Pullip website.  The doll featured a floral and lace dress, cream colored cardigan, a fur collar, brown leather boots and bag, and a large lace and floral headband.

Pullip dolls were originally created in South Korea but have been marketed in Japan and worldwide. You can find more images and information about her here, or watch an unboxing of the doll by my dear friend Miwako!

Blythe

Dear LeLe Girl (ディアレレガール)



Produced in 2010 by Blythe, Dear LeLe Girl was a doll directly inspired by the natural fashion trends of the time, mori being a clear inspiration. Although not officially marketed as a Mori Girl, her box description and clothes clearly resemble mori fashion trends.

The doll features long red hair, a green dress with lace trim and large sleeves, a floral, embroidered apron, pink leg warmers, and brown shoes. She also has a flower headband and accessories.

Blythe Dolls were originally created in America but saw their largest success when revamped and sold by the Takara company in Japan. 

Bonus!



A Blythe Mori Girl theme was also produced for Android phones, although it is unclear if the doll featured was officially sold, or not. 

The doll featured had long blond hair, a white asymmetrical dress, a brownish green cardigan with lace trim, and large fur boots. The theme itself had various nature motifs and animal images. 

Maniac Mary



Maniac Mary is not a specific doll, but rather a creator of clothing and doll designs for various Dollfie Models. These days they produce more Lolita-inspired clothing for their dolls, but you can still find many images of their creations online, as well as on their Twitter profile.

Maniac Mary created various outfit sets inspired by mori fashion until 2014, selling them at various conventions and on an online store. Their designs feature lots of lace, layers, and small details, and often seem to draw inspiration from Cawaii brand photos, Pink House dresses, and other natural fashion brands and trends.

Dollfie dolls (ドルフィー), created by the Japanese Volks company, are one of the most collected types of Ball Jointed Dolls. Maniac Mary seems to favor various Dolfie Dream models, in particular.

Honorable Mentions

Kurhn Toy Doll 

A mori girl doll was produced by Kurhn Toy, a Chinese doll company. The doll can be found occasionally on Chinese wholesale sites, such as Aliexpress. However, not much can be found in English about the doll company. 

The doll itself is small, resembling Barbie dolls or Licca dolls. It features a large, voluminous pinafore-style dress with lace trim and matching pair of boots, a cream-colored undershirt, a small headband, and a brown and lace bag. The doll also comes in four color schemes, red, pink, purple, and blue.

Mori Girl styling of a Licca Doll by きせかえごと


An adorable styling of a mori girl Licca Doll was created in 2016 by still active doll styling blog, Kisekaegoto (きせかえごと). The doll's long, wavy brown hair is tied with two white ribbons, and she wears a lace and gingham dress, a white cardigan, brown boots, and carries a straw handbag.

Licca Dolls, also known as Licca-Chan (リカちゃん), are a popular type of doll created by shoujo manga artist Miyako Maki in the late 1960s. They remain a popular doll to style in Japan to this day.

Mori Girl BJD styling by ベビベビニッキ


Another adorable doll styling of a mori girl doll was done by still Baby Baby Nikki (ベビベビニッキ). This time, the doll is another Dollfie doll, and was exhibited at a toy exhibition in Tokyo. It wears a layered and asymmetrical dress of brown, white, and various kinds of lace, as well as a pink lace cardigan, and a brown bow necklace. Her long, wavy blonde hair is also pulled back with a headband.

Envisage "Mori Girl" Outfit


Although not directly related, a BJD doll called Envisage, created by Danny Choo, was marketed recently as having a "mori girl" outfit upon its release. However, the outfit itself is only very loosely inspired by mori fashion. However, the mention of the style by the doll's creator is worth a brief mention here!

I hope enjoyed seeing these lovely mori dolls! I have always loved BJD dolls myself, and hope to someday have one. How about you? Do you enjoy dolls? Have you ever seen any other mori-inspired dolls that I missed here? Please comment them below! Until next time, my deers!