The Facebook debacle & other issues

3 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

I still get the impression that what he has a difficult time with is self-examination as opposed to being an inherently bad person. Not saying that doesn't make him do things he shouldn't.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I don't think Danny has matured enough to be able to take valid criticism and concerns as anything but a personal attack. I used to be the same way, back when I was being bullied by my peers, and it took several years and a lot of personal growth to be able to recognize that issue and make the necessary changes to not think and behave that way. It shows a stunning lack of self awareness and inability to take personal responsibility for your words and actions.

I just don't see how he hasn't had the self-realization of it yet, though. He's grown tremendously over the years and has been wildly successful with CJ and now SmD, so how come he still feels the need to put down his own devoted customers for pointing out quality control goofs and social faux pas? Buddy, you did it. You made it. You built a life on nerd culture and niche interests the likes of which most people only dream of. Time to stop treating the whole world like it's out to get you.

11 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

I recommend checking Nine9Style, and TTYA too. Of all the clothing makers I bought from, other than SmD or Volks, I think those are my two favorites.

http://nine9style.com/

http://ttyadoll.com/main.html

TTYA's stuff seems to be designed for SmD, and it also fits DD. It looks awesome on DDS. You'll find that a lot of TTYA's stuff looks just like Danny's clothing.

The dress, hats, and pantyhose in in the below thread are Nine9Style. I haven't tried them on SmD, but I am happy to if you want to know how the fit is. The dress would be SmD S bust and is going to look shorter on SmD.

The top Ami is wearing is DollHeart, and the jeans skirt is TTYA.

Ami's boots are from Leekeworld, but they barely fit DDS lengthwise, so they won't work on SmD.

Rei's shoes are Volks, and probably do fit SmD. Some Volks SD sized shoes should have no issue on your SmD. I think the ones that are mostly open except the toes should be fine, or shoes that have a zipper in back.

 

Thanks  I have bought tons from TTYA, they are my go to actually! I do believe they made clothes for CJ in the beginning, I could be wrong on that. Their clothing is top notch!  I have a bunch of websites bookmarked along with all my etsy favorite shops. I wanted to get some medium smooth boobs for my girl, however that will not be happening now...but she informed me she is ok with what she came with lol

8 hours ago, Monty said:

[...]

I’ve long found a lot of his ‘diversity’ to be very performative myself - aside from the cocoa skin which I think is a really great thing for a company to do. But he will make a tragic backstory for a port wine birthmark character and preach that bullying for atypical body features is wrong...and then we get an April fools joke that boiled down to ‘women with body hair?! That’s not sexy! Gross, lol!’ I’m not sure he saw the irony there but I wish he could be more consistent with which bodily differences are ok to laugh at and turn into ‘gross jokes’ and which should be championed and turned into sexy dolls. Seems hypocritical, and sends mixed messages to the kids he always talks about marketing to.

I think he don't really cares. He had study what DD fans wanted (more skin diversity, boys, teaser about green skin when Volks released Icons...) and extended it because he thought to hold a niche. With that he could stand out from Volks. But he is not sincere. The worst, Valiant seems to be heavily based on a english woman, whom had share her story online back in 2015, she made the buzz and was featured in several online papers. Birthmark, eyes and hair color, even her story is the same. I'm so done with Danny Choo, he crosses ALL the lines he can!

 

Copyright: Lexxie Harford

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The Telegraph: Told she was too ugly for love - this inspiring woman is fighting back

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Huffpost: Lexxie Harford has had the purple mark since she was born, but first realised she was "different" at nine years old. As a result, she says, she spent her teenage years covering her birthmark with make-up.

 

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Danny Choo:
"Born with a birthmark on the right side of her face, Valiant was constantly teased as a child and as a teenager"

"No more does she spend time trying to cover up the mark with make up each morning"

"The sun was about to set as Valiant looked across the River Thames" 

https://shop.smartdoll.jp/products/smart-doll-valiant

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Nyx Whitestar

Back when Valiant was first introduced, I actually asked Danny if she was based on Lexxie Harford. He claimed that she was based on Zhong Wu Yan.

Thanks, that's interesting! For my part, with all what happened, I don't trust him anymore, he lies all the time 😕 There are so much similarities with Lexxie Harford. And he doesn't even say Valiant is not based on Lexxie Harford or Zhong Wu Yan xD It is just laughable. It makes it worst for me.

1 hour ago, Nyx Whitestar said:

Thanks, that's interesting! For my part, with all what happened, I don't trust him anymore, he lies all the time 😕 There are so much similarities with Lexxie Harford. And he doesn't even say Valiant is not based on Lexxie Harford or Zhong Wu Yan xD It is just laughable. It makes it worst for me.

actually that's a good point. if she is based on Zhong Wu Yan, the folklore should be credited.

I only came to terms with my gender identity recently and for some reason that makes me feel like my opinion is less valid but here it is... 

I'm absolutely done with SmD. I was okay with personally buying CJ stuff second hand because I like the products, but I just left the SDL group and muted/blocked DC's social media accounts. While I don't think I can bring myself to sell my two SmD, I don't want to interact with Danny's hardcore supporters anymore or even see them. A lot of comments regarding his "apology" on the use of a slur are mostly fans praising him and/or saying people get offended over "everything" nowadays. These people most likely never have had to live being denied, mocked, persecuted for an identity that is not a choice. Not that it makes a person "better," but at least acknowledge and have some empathy for those who have experienced gender identity discrimination. If he truly cared for the LGBTQ+ community he would not have steered the topic of his apology to "culture." The way his supporters gather up to defend him almost feels like a hate group to me. Yes, I'm taking this too personally and don't care anymore. 

Maybe there were comments that are critical about the apology and I didn't see them, or maybe they were deleted. I could never be angry at other nonbinary/genderqueer and transgender individuals who remain fans because I have no desire or right to gatekeep their feelings. Either way, his apology was not sincere to me. I'm pretty disappointed with myself as well for looking past his superficial inclusivity in regards to race. 

32 minutes ago, SakuraRose said:

A lot of comments regarding his "apology" on the use of a slur are mostly fans praising him and/or saying people get offended over "everything" nowadays.

 

34 minutes ago, SakuraRose said:

The way his supporters gather up to defend him almost feels like a hate group to me.

This is going to get off the topic of Danny, and onto pop culture politics.

What you're describing is not all that uncommon with celebrity fandoms. Without naming names, an American voice actor got Me Too'd awhile back. Not only did said celebrity weaponize his own fan club to harass his accusers online, but one of his supporters built an online hate factory for the sole purpose of harassing them. The supporter in question is a lawyer, and his behavior in this regard was the subject of an article in a law magazine, and was commented on by the American Bar Association.

You aren't alone in feeling like fandoms can act like hate groups, and the reality is they can be weaponized with brutal efficiency using private chat rooms like Discord. A few key supporters are used to setup a narrative, and the faithful fall for it hook line and sinker.

Danny took another jab at users with his ripped jeans post.
 

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Yes I do feel silly writing all that but i’ve been told that our weathered shoes are not weathered evenly

Kinda gross that he brought it up and still missed the point. The two shoes didnt look like they weathered at the same time like shoes you wear. One looked brand new and the other had scratches on it.
Anyways......
Full quote as i dont know how to insert it better.
 

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According to Google-sensei, “Ripped Jeans,” “Distressed Jeans,” “Torn Jeans” are the types of names given to this type of garment but we decided to call them Tokyo Jeans because they are stitched in Tokyo. They are however also sent to Okayama where they are then laser etched for the whiskers, manually ripped and then stone and bio washed, dyed once more to give them a brown/yellowish worn look and then all topped off with color fixing agent. The jeans are then sent back to our studio in Tokyo where we do QC before packing them.
They were originally going to be called “Tokyo Okayama Jeans” but we thought that would be a mouthful so opted just for “Tokyo Jeans.”
For many years I didn’t fancy making ripped jeans as I knew there would be quite a number of folks moaning that the rips were not even/didn’t have the same amount of laddering etc. But I really wanted some for my girls so we started to prototype for quite a few moons - the results look great! The next thing to do is to set expectations for folks who may want them too.

• The rips in the jeans are done by humans - no two pairs will look alike.

These photos are sampled from the actual product.
• There are two large rips - one on the left and one on the right - folks should do not expect the holes to look exactly the same with the exact number of threads fraying at the exact same height across jeans.
• While we have tried to leave some laddering in the rips, as the jeans are given a stone wash after, the laddering may fray away and leave a gaping hole by the time we receive and pack them.
• The more your Smart Doll wears these jeans, the laddering may rip until they eventually leave a gaping hole.
• Holes in the jeans without laddering are not considered faulty - folks who do not agree should go to YouTube and search for “never gonna give you up.”
• Loose threads hanging off the rips won’t all be of uniform length - the ones on the right hole may be longer than the left hole.

Yes I do feel silly writing all that but i’ve been told that our weathered shoes are not weathered evenly.... #smartdoll @ Mirai Store Tokyo

 

2 hours ago, ultrapandachan said:

The two shoes didnt look like they weathered at the same time like shoes you wear. One looked brand new and the other had scratches on it.

I think what is over the top is the weathered bikini. I mean how many ladies go to the beach in a bikini that looks like it's worn out?

On 3/31/2020 at 2:08 AM, BeyondTime said:

I think what is over the top is the weathered bikini. I mean how many ladies go to the beach in a bikini that looks like it's worn out?

I remember him saying in one of his essays that he wants to create doll clothing that people wont be afraid to use out and about. This would make sense, if not for the fact that going out of your way to make your shit look grimey and weathered actually makes your end product cost more to produce.

On a semi related note, Dolfun just announced a replacement leg part for smart dolls that allows their knees to bend close to 180 degrees. Danny is/was really adamant about the knees on his dolls not pushing over 90. Most doll companies really wouldn't care about aftermarket parts altering the way their dolls pose, but with Danny, and the way he seems to passively discourage people from modifying his dolls, I'm really curious. Will he end up making a 3am instapost to his following about the evil black magic knee device? Only time will tell I guess.

 

@IgelFullmetal Cool, where can we find the parts, and do you know if they work for the boys too?

5 hours ago, Jezrah said:

@IgelFullmetal Cool, where can we find the parts, and do you know if they work for the boys too?

Their Instagram is here.

1 hour ago, IgelFullmetal said:

Their Instagram is here.

Awesome, thank you.

On 4/3/2020 at 2:08 PM, IgelFullmetal said:

 Will he end up making a 3am instapost to his following about the evil black magic knee device? Only time will tell I guess.

I may have mentioned this earlier in this thread, or in another thread, but there was an incident a while back where a JP hobbyist mentioned wanting to put a 3rd party frame into a smartdoll to increase the poseability to the level he wanted, and Danny quote-retweeted him basically telling him that if he thought the posing wasn't good enough he should refrain from buying his dolls. It left a really bad taste in my mouth cos the tweet in question was some guys random standalone tweet just thinking aloud - not a reply to any tweet of Danny's. The guy also put 3rd party frames in all of his dolls so didn't think anything odd or malicious of it, and since customising dolls to ones preference is such a big part of this hobby, wouldnt have reason to expect anyone would take offense. To me this seemed like the equivalent of someone saying something like 'oh I like [DD name]'s sculpt a lot, but not the default faceup so much so I'll get her repainted if I get her' and Volks quote-retweet them for all their followers to see saying 'if the faceup isnt good enough for you please dont buy our dolls.' Doesn't mean you think the doll or company is bad if you want to change a faceup or install third party parts, it just means you paid (a -lot-) for something and have the right to make it exactly how you want it. (Obviously you dont have the right to complain to the original company if your mod doesnt work out, but that goes without saying)

So yeah, anything about the frame seems to be a sore spot for him. If he was to address that knee device at all, it would hopefully just be to say that any breakages as a result of a third party device arent covered by warranty.

WOW! I just stumbled on this thread today, and I have to say, there is drama in every hobby! I have mixed feelings about this Danny character, straight from the start. I respect his opinions, I like his dolls, but I have to say, even without knowing about all this drama I am hesitant to support his business. 

14 hours ago, Monty said:

Doesn't mean you think the doll or company is bad if you want to change a faceup or install third party parts, it just means you paid (a -lot-) for something and have the right to make it exactly how you want it.

If he was to address that knee device at all, it would hopefully just be to say that any breakages as a result of a third party device arent covered by warranty.

Which is about the only thing he (publicly/officially) should have a say on..!

I just think it's such a weird view to have... People alter cars/vehicles/computers to improve where they personally need them to improve. Companies don't go around saying "don't buy our stuff if you do not like the default RAM size". Not everyone needs more RAM, but depending on what they plan to use the computer for, some do!
Some "need" better posing in their dolls legs, so what?? Is he that afraid that people will come crying/demanding free replacement parts if the dolls breaks?
Anything to paint himself/his business as a victim it seems...

Getting tired (and bitter) of that attitude...

5 hours ago, Yumeiro said:

Which is about the only thing he (publicly/officially) should have a say on..!

I just think it's such a weird view to have... People alter cars/vehicles/computers to improve where they personally need them to improve. Companies don't go around saying "don't buy our stuff if you do not like the default RAM size". Not everyone needs more RAM, but depending on what they plan to use the computer for, some do!
Some "need" better posing in their dolls legs, so what?? Is he that afraid that people will come crying/demanding free replacement parts if the dolls breaks?
Anything to paint himself/his business as a victim it seems...

Getting tired (and bitter) of that attitude...

I get the feeling it's more of an ego thing. It's like he thinks his dolls are the epitome of perfection (hence his disdain for all dolls that are not Smd) and therefore no one should be modding or changing anything about them, and just adore them the way they are. Deciding to change anything about his dolls would therefore be an insult to his perfect creations.

In a way it's really sad because most doll collections consist of dolls from different companies, and hybriding and having different dolls is part of the fun. But Danny seems to passively discourage this by making his clothing super tight such that even his own dolls have to squeeze into some of them. So you can either be Smd all the way, or don't buy from him.

I can't remember exactly which companies but I know I have seen some BJD companies provide a list of compatible head or body types with other companies, and others will provide similar info if asked. But can you imagine the nuclear meltdown should anyone ask Danny himself if his dolls can fit DD heads or bodies?

What I find hypocritical right now is that a while back some of his fans were discussing the need to mod Smartdolls, and started talking about how "disgusting" and "hideous" the DD seers were (those really beautiful ones by Koala Krash). Now that Danny has released Trident or whichever doll has that 3rd eye, they're saying she's beautiful -.-

The main problem with Danny and his fanbase is that they feel the need to "control" opinions about his products. I have never seen a creator join his own fanclub which expressly forbade differing opinions. Neither have I seen any other creators tracking down people who joined particular FB groups and then ban them from buying their products. And the scariest thing is that his fanbase doesn't see anything wrong with this need for control, and instead views it as normal because to them, it provides them with a "happy" place to share their dolls.

On 4/3/2020 at 11:04 PM, IgelFullmetal said:

Their Instagram is here.

 

On 4/4/2020 at 12:44 AM, Jezrah said:

Awesome, thank you.

I second that, thank you!

7 hours ago, bbotss said:

I get the feeling it's more of an ego thing. It's like he thinks his dolls are the epitome of perfection (hence his disdain for all dolls that are not Smd) and therefore no one should be modding or changing anything about them, and just adore them the way they are. Deciding to change anything about his dolls would therefore be an insult to his perfect creations.

 

I can't remember exactly which companies but I know I have seen some BJD companies provide a list of compatible head or body types with other companies, and others will provide similar info if asked. But can you imagine the nuclear meltdown should anyone ask Danny himself if his dolls can fit DD heads or bodies?

 

For the first quote above, that's how I see it too.  And to prove that, just check his newest post on Instagram about his newest move to completely control what you buy....  he calls it "Fortuitous".  Basically, he's offering a 10% discount on a brand new Smartdoll….. that he and his staff choose FOR YOU.  Read that again.  You pay for a brand new Smartdoll ( minus 10% ) that you have NO SAY IN. 

Granted, this is a brilliant move on his part to get rid of slower selling girls.  He even mentioned that you *might* get an older discontinued girl as well.  But it's all left up to him.  You get what you get and have no say in it.  That, to me, is just crazy talk.  MAYBE if the doll was 20 or 30 percent off then I'd say it would be a fun thing to do.  But only 10%?  No thank you.  Sure, you might get an older release girl or even a brand new one that hasn't been released yet but that's an expensive lottery to go for if you ask me.

 

As for the second quote above, I've got a project that should be completed very, very soon that will see just how well SmD and DD things work together.  😉  Hee hee hee….

 

 

 

Billy

1 hour ago, baldylox said:

he calls it "Fortuitous".  Basically, he's offering a 10% discount on a brand new Smartdoll….. that he and his staff choose FOR YOU.  Read that again.  You pay for a brand new Smartdoll ( minus 10% ) that you have NO SAY IN. 

Granted, this is a brilliant move on his part to get rid of slower selling girls.  He even mentioned that you *might* get an older discontinued girl as well.  But it's all left up to him.  You get what you get and have no say in it.  That, to me, is just crazy talk. 

This is madness.

This whole Fortuitous thing sounds stupid.  Cheap blind box figures are fine, but these are $500 dolls.  I, personally, won't spend that kind of money, not knowing if I'll get a rare SmD, or end up with another Kizuna.  I'm sure his fanbase will eat this up, though.   

4 hours ago, Testament said:

This is madness.

Careful, if he sees that critical comment he might declare that all dolls will be sold this way in the future...

 

- See, I can be snarky too when I want to.

This whole thing is bull imho. If I buy anything as expensive as a smart doll I should have the right to modify or repair it in any way I please.

Also, the fear that doll modders will demand free replacement parts is also bunk, because basically any modding community knows that they are voiding their warrenties right off the bat

(Although, basically every other doll company offers replacement parts for sale. If you want to get a replacement part for your smart doll, you have to contact Danny directly and tell them why the part broke. Hmm... 🤔)

The attraction of Fortuitous is that Danny hinted there is a CHANCE of getting ooak, discontinued or prototype sculpts. But would Danny really sell a prototype at 10% off standard price when he can sell them for $2k (Moment prototype) in the garage? It might make sense for one of his more active fans to actually receive a prototype and help him hype up the whole concept of Fortuitous, but otherwise, it just doesn't seem rational.

I love the blind box concept, and if Volks offered it I would get one in a heartbeat, because I think the DD sculpts all have so much potential. But the only Smd sculpts I actually like are the Moonlight and Majesty heads, and even Majesty's head looks too "flat" to me from certain angles. Throw in the additional chances of getting Mirai or one of the semi-real sculpts, and it's an absolute no for me haha.