Thursday, January 24, 2013

Disney's Peter Pan Pullip Doll Review

As I shared in an earlier post, I had the amazing opportunity to get a Pullip doll at Tuesday Morning for just $39.99! :D

WARNING:  As part of this review, I will include photos of the Pullip doll undressed to show her points of articulation.  If this is offensive to you, please skip this post.

I'd seen a few Pullip dolls online and thought they were cute, but figured that they wouldn't be a line of dolls I'd be adding to my collection anytime soon because of their expensive price (they range from $100-$200 each).  So you can imagine my excitement when I saw the Disney's Peter Pan Pullip dolls at my local Tuesday morning for such a phenomenal deal!  And thanks to some gift cards I received for Christmas, Pullip was within the budget. :D

As I mentioned before, the dolls at my local store were Pullip as Peter Pan, Taeyang as Captain Hook, and Dal as Tinkerbell.  I didn't care for Tinkerbell's grouchy-looking face, and Captain Hook was okay, but "Peter" was really cute.  

The Pullip dolls are manufactured in Korea and have large heads and bodies that are mostly compatible with Barbie-sized dolls.

Here she is in her unopened box.  And yes, I said she...it was a female doll dressed as Peter Pan.  Which works, I guess, considering that the role of Peter Pan on stage was traditionally played by a woman.  I was actually really relieved that she was a girl doll since I planned to make her into my own female character. :}

Pullip's pretty face.

A few box details:

And a picture of the crazy price, just because I still can't believe it!! :}

Side of the box

Other side

Back of the box

A closer look at the instructions.

The Pullip dolls are recommended for ages 15 and up, and I would definitely abide by this recommendation. More on that later, though. :)

Inside the box were instructions for working the Pullip doll's eye mechanism...

...and instructions for putting together her stand.

Pullip's face again.  I love her sweet expression! :)

Her cape.  I found this an interesting addition since the original Disney Peter Pan didn't have one.

Peter's feathered cap

Her dagger

A closer look at her detailed shirt, belt, and sheath

Green leggings and brown booties

Her stand base...

...and stand top.

She also came with a collector's card.

Another face shot :)

The packaging was not overly complicated, which is always a blessing. :)

Her hat was stuffed with tissue on the inside to help it keep its shape.

Deboxed, but still with her plastic hair piece in place.

A view of the back.  I love the way her hair has the ability to flip up or curl under.

Here she is without the plastic on her hair.  I love the pretty red shade of her hair and her innocent expression.

Back view

Details on her cape.  The ribbon loop goes around the front of her neck and connects to the button on the other side.

Unfortunately, the loop on her dagger sheath came loose when I barely touched it.  Everything else seemed well-made, though.

The plastic dagger is cute and looks movie accurate. :)

The dagger in its sheath.

She is able to hold it.

This is about as close as she can come to holding it "correctly".  Her fingers won't spread apart any farther, and if you try to tilt her hand any more than this, the dagger falls out.

Her hat has a clip on the bottom, making for easy attachment to her head. 

I don't know, though...somehow this says "Pied Piper of Hamlin" more than "Peter Pan" to me. ;)

Her leggings are actually thick tights that completely cover her foot.  Her shoes are really cute and detailed.

The front of her collector's card...

...and the back view.

And now we'll take a look at her articulation.  

Front view.  As you can see from the photo, she has several points of articulation.  My Pullip doll has what is known as the Type 4 body.  I am by no means an expert on these dolls, so I'm not going to show my ignorance by trying to go into a lot of detail on the different Pullip bodies. ;)  However, if you want to know more, I did find some helpful information about them (and Pullip dolls in general) on this site.

Back view

A closer look at her body.

So, for starters, her chest moves from side to side.

Her arms have 4 points of articulation:  the shoulder, the upper arm, the elbow, and the wrist.

A closer look at her upper arm joint.  It turns completely around.

Her elbow and wrist joints.

I found her arms pleasantly poseable, especially compared to the Disney Store Princess dolls.  It was fun to have so many posing options.  Here are just a couple of examples:

The only thing I didn't like about her wrists and hands was the fact that her hands are a slightly different color.  It was hard to capture on film...this was the best I could do.

Her wrists are extremely flexible.

Ouch!!  That just looks painful! :{

Pullip can almost do full splits, but not quite. ;)

Her legs move very nicely...

...and are also able to hold a realistic sitting position.

Her ankles are also poseable:

I know that a lot of Pullip collectors prefer to buy Obitsu bodies because they are much more poseable (wanring:  if you Google "Obitsu" bodies, please be aware that they are VERY developed...just wanted to let you know ahead of time).  I'm fairly pleased with this doll the way she is, though.  The only complaint I have is that she's extremely top-heavy with her over sized head, so it's very difficult to pose her without her doll stand.

And speaking of her head, let's take a closer look:

 
First off, here's a look at one of her cute little ears. :)


The manufacturing information on the back of her head.

Those of you unfamiliar with these dolls may be wondering what on earth the weird knobs on her head are. ;)  One of the things that drew me to these dolls in the first place was the fact that their eyes are movable.  The cylindrical knobs on either side control the blink/wink mechanism, and the rectangular knob in the middle controls the direction her eyes are looking.

So, instead of having a doll that looks in the same place all the time, you have this:

And instead of a doll with stationary eyes or sleep eyes, you have this:
As you can imagine, having these sorts of options make photography really fun. :)  

And now for clothing.  At some point in my research, I had heard that these dolls could wear Barbie clothing.  I was thrilled to hear this since I have extra Barbie dresses around.

And overall, it works.

But the Type 4 bodies are considerably slimmer than Barbie bodies, especially in the bust line.  I think it's the Pullips with the Obitsu bodies, or perhaps some of the older body types, that fit better into Barbie clothing.

Here I've pulled the dress out as far as it will go in front.  As you can see, she has a lot of growing room in this dress. ;)

So, since the first Barbie dress was created for the older-style Barbies with the bigger busts, I thought I'd try a newer Mattel dress.

This one definitely fits better, but is still a bit loose on top.

As you can see, the dress has a tendency to slip off of the Pullip's shoulder.  Still, it looks a little more natural than the other dress.

I also tried Barbie shoes on her.  Some traditional Mattel shoes worked nicely.

The Disney Store princess shoes, on the other hand, were too shallow...I couldn't even get her foot in.

This dress looked okay on her, but I felt that this particular shade of pink wasn't the best color for her.

Then I tried this Mattel Rapunzel dress on her, and it just seemed to fit her.  The purple complemented her red hair nicely, and it looked cute on her. :)

Her hair still seemed kind of like an 80s boy cut, though.

When I tried flipping up the ends, her personality suddenly came through. ;)

And remember what I said about how fun photography is with these dolls?  Here are just a few examples of some of the poses you can do:

Even though I really liked my doll in her Rapunzel dress, I wanted to see what other doll clothing lines would fit her.  

When I found this Bratzillaz outfit on a great clearance at Target, I thought I'd give it a try.  Now, I'll be the first to say that I'm not a Bratz, Bratzillaz, or Monster High fan, but I thought the clothing looked everyday enough that it should work, and it looked like it might be the right size.  Plus, I knew it would be nice to have a fairly inexpensive clothing line available now to use for Pullips.


I got it on her, and it technically fit, but the shirt just barely Velcroed closed, and the jacket was so tight I almost couldn't get it over her shoulders.

The skirt was also a little bit shorter than I was hoping for.

So then I tried adding some LIV doll stretch pants to make it a little more modest.  I also added the purse that came with the Bratzillaz outfit.  Better...

I'm really loving this purse...I think it was worth it just for that. ;)

Here she is without the jacket.

And another closer look at her cute purse.

So overall, the Bratzillaz outfit worked, and it looked really cute, but it wasn't the best option because it was so tight.

Around that same time, my mom happened to find a Rapunzel Moxie Girlz doll at Goodwill, so I thought I'd try that outfit on my Pullip.

The dress fit her like it was made for her. :)  

Back view.

I personally prefer the length of the Mattel Rapunzel dress, but my mom and I are both going to keep on the lookout for dressed Moxie Girlz dolls at Goodwill from now on.  Their clothes fit my Pullip perfectly. :)

While I was at it, I tried the LIV shirt that came with the stretch pants I used under the Bratzillaz outfit.  It looks pretty cute, too!

Back view.  The dress was a bit loose on her, but it works.  

Final thoughts:  I'm very happy with my doll.  She's got fun poseability, a sweet, innocent expression, and several doable options for inexpensive clothing.  Her movable eyes are lots of fun for photo shoots, and she's very unique from my other dolls.

However, I don't know that I'd pay regular price for her.  She feels very fragile and delicate, and her joints loosened up fairly quickly.  Her eye mechanisms take a while to get used to.  At first, it feels like you're going to break them when you try to move them.  The other cause for frustration is the fact that she can't stand on her own.  And honestly, I have a hard time getting her to sit on her own because of how large her head is compared to the rest of her body.  The most success I've had is to pose her on the edge of a shelf where her legs can drape over the side, but I'm too paranoid to keep her there just in case she tips over and falls.

And along that same line, as I mentioned earlier, I would definitely stick to the recommended age range.  There is absolutely no way I would let even my oldest careful daughter play with one of these, especially if I had paid full price.  They are so delicately made that it wouldn't take much for them to break.

Still, if one of these is within your budget and you enjoy doll photography, I would recommend them for their uniqueness and for the hours of photo fun they provide, especially if you can find one for the price I found mine. :)

Do any of you have Pullip dolls?  I'd love to hear what you think of them. :)


P.S.  Just in case you're wondering, I haven't come up with a name for her yet.  I keep referring to her as "my Pullip doll" instead of by name. :}  I'll let you know when I decide on something. :)




23 comments:

Anonymous said...

i've always wanted a Pullip doll, But i couldn't see paying the price for her. But now that i see she could wear some Barbie and some other clothes from other dolls. i might just have to see if i can get my hands on one for a price i'd be willing to pay. i really like the posabilty of the Pullip dolls, plus she's just so adorable!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

I would definitely start with Tuesday Morning if you have any locally. It's possible you might still find one there...

I hope you are able to find one for a price that works for you. :)

Anonymous said...

Can you please do a post comparing the posability of Pullip dolls, LIV, and Moxie teenz?


P.S
I think she looks like an Amber

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

That's a great idea! I'll see what I can do. :)

Thanks for the name suggestion, too. Amber is a pretty name. :) I'll think about it!

Lys said...

She's such a cutie! And fits right into that Moxie Girlz dress! I may check out my Tuesday Morning and see if they have any... I have the female pirate Moxie Girl because I love the outfit but I'm not a huge fan of the doll herself. Maybe a Pullip would a good step in. Especially at that deal!

jordan sky said...

My friend used to be in love with Peter Pan and then she found out that in most plays/movies Peter is played by a girl and got over him. Now she likes Captain America from Avengers. LOL! That doll is so cute! THE EYES ARE SO BIG! I LOVE IT

jordan sky said...

Ooh and I have a name suggestion- Rue

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks for the comments, gals. Alice, I hope you find one at Tuesday Morning! :)

Thanks for the name suggestion, Jordy. :)

Anonymous said...

Cute pullip doll at a great price! You are always finding such great deals.

Anonymous said...

I have a name suggestion-Wendy since she is a Peter Pan doll

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Anonymous #1. I think a lot of it is just being in the right place at the right time. It happens to all of us eventually. :)

Thanks for the name suggestion, Anonymous #2. Wendy would be cute. :)

Miranda said...

I have a Pullip, Taeyang, and a Dal, and I love them all very dearly. I bought an obitsu for my Pullip (Yumie) and Taeyang (Arashi) because the pose-ability wasn't that great on their stock ones. I overall think they're wonderful dolls!

Your Pullip is very pretty, and I'm surprised you found her at Tuesday Morning for such a low price! I'll have to check it out sometime. :)

~Miranda

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Miranda, thanks for commenting. :) I've heard that a lot of collectors switch over to Obitsu bodies because they have better poseability. I don't know that I'm brave enough to take my doll's face apart, so I don't know that I'll be doing that anytime soon. ;)

I would check Tuesday Morning soon...their stock tends to move pretty quickly.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks! :) Hope you get your doll soon. :)

Anonymous said...

Well I got my first pullip at 12 because my dad dident read the age range and because I had been asking for her all year and I still have her today her name is princess byul but I have 2 others now nyanty and maru by the way there usauly only 50$ at a place in califoria called frank and sons

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Anonymous. :) The Pullips would be okay for careful 12 year olds...you must have been one! ;) In the review I just meant that they were so fragile, I wouldn't be comfortable recommending them for most younger collectors.

I've never heard of Frank and Sons, but it sounds like a great store! :)

TotallyAndCompletelyGentle said...

Um...what if you were an extremely careful 12 year old that has never broken a doll in her life? I'm looking into J-Dolls, because there's only so much disproportionate giant head one girl can take! I have five EAH dolls (funny story, I have two Hunters but one Ashlynn {my first Hunter had a defect, so Mattel sent me a new two pack and I gave the Ashlynn to my BFFL) Anyway, do you think I could handle one? I had two porcelain dolls for YEARS and they never broke! I already have three Jdolls on a Wishlist.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

I think as long as you're really careful, you should be fine. I still wouldn't recommend buying one at full price, but if you find one for a good price and are very cautious when posing them, you should be fine. :)

unicornz12345 said...

I just bought her on amazon for only $50. It was all thanks to u that i decided to by her. Thank u so much

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Congrats! So glad I could help! :)

Unknown said...

Ooh, I love her! I also recently got a pullip peter pan off of amazon for a fairly decent price, but then after buying a new wig for her (a lovely long brunette color, with cute little bows!) She ended up costing around ninety dollars, but I think she was definitely worth it, she looks so much cuter now, especially with her school uniform I borrowed from a Magical Doremi doll. :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Cure May! :) Congrats on getting your own Peter Pan Pullip. I think she has the sweetest face! :)

I've been tempted to try rewigging my doll, but haven't worked up the courage quite yet. I'm sure she'd be darling with longer hair, though. :)

Anonymous said...

I really want one, a few years ago i wantded hatsune miku. P.s i was 8 one day a teacher told me they were 's3x' dolls. Now im not allowed one. :(