Alternate Universe: A Different Doll As Your First

I was reading a thread on Den of Angels earlier where people recounted the stories of how they got their first doll, and that got me thinking. I'd never actually planned for Agatha to be my first girl--I thought such an involved custom project was intimidating to say the least, and so wanted to get a more mild M bust girl for my first instead. Actually nearly got a nude Fate, but a bit of confusion between my bank and my proxy prevented it from actually happening. Couple months later, I lucked out on Den of Angels, started my "perpetual project" as I now think of her, and the rest is history.

 

Remembering that raised the question: What if your first doll had been different? Who do you think that would likely have been? Would any of the rest of your family/collection been different as well?

 

In my case, it's pretty clear that my first very well could have been that nude Fate, and if I had been able to bring her home that day, the rest of just about everything I've got relating to this hobby would have been different. She'd have been easier to shop for, so it may have taken me longer to pick up a needle and start sewing. The clothes I did make or buy would probably have been much froofier than what I have for either of my current girls, as I expect Fate would look great in lolita and likely would have a character amenable to wearing it. My props collection would probably also differ somewhat--while I'd still have food erasers, for instance, I doubt I'd have a teeny death ray, a steampunk bug bot, or a microscope with inexplicable dinosaurs on the slides.

 

And any other dolls I got down the line would without a doubt be different. One of my big adoption criteria has been "How well would this character be able to stand up to Agatha when she's on one of her worst mad science kicks?", and if the answer is "poorly", then that doll doesn't come home. With Fate as my first, that criteria wouldn't even exist, so there's a chance more mild girls like Mariko or Mikuru could actually have been adopted at some point or another. Even if I had eventually put Agatha together, she wouldn't be the head of the roost like she is now.

 

So, I'm curious now if anyone else can picture an "alternate universe" where someone else was their first, and how different it would have been!

The first DD that I actually ever ordered was Rina when they were doing the White Album pre-order. I ended up canceling her due to her changing during the process to a look that I didn't like as much.

 

Zoe was my actual first DD and quite honestly, the one that's the most consistent fun to write when I'm doing stories. It's funny to look back at her intro and see how she came out mostly formed already. I had a blast doing the stories with her and expanded my family from there.

 

If I had started with Rina, I doubt I would've done the same personality. So, would I have had as much fun and kept with it? Would I have made the same decisions on other girls..or at least their personalities? Don't know. By this point, I've got a range of personalities, so may not have mattered in the end.

When I got my first DD, I hadn't yet found this forum and I was going purely based on what VolksUSA had in their store pictures and blog. So my first was Ayano, a custom 03 head on a DDdy body, because that's what I decided I liked. She turned into a girl who's a bit shy and introverted, and a bit embarrassed about her curves.

 

Later by about 8 or 9 months, I saw a photo of a prepainted 06 girl on VolksUSA and fell in love. When the head was released as a blank there, I got one and painted her myself. I didn't like how the first faceup came out, so I redid it. The new faceup gave her a look of, instead of being really sweet like the prepainted version, of being more of a sporty tomboy. So that's how Kotone was born. Soon after I found and registered to this forum.

 

In an alternate universe where I had discovered this forum sooner, and therefore had information sooner, I probably would have ordered a prepainted 06 and put her on the DDdy body as my first. So I would have had a girl much more like Innocentsake's Momoko. I would likely also have gotten an 03 head girl at some point, but she may have been on a different body, probably a DDII M bust. She would still have a similar personality, but without the complex about her body type.

 

So I would have both girls, but they would have been in a different order, and Kotone's personality would be drastically different. The rest of my girls would likely be the same. I guess it wouldn't change much in the household dynamics, except that Kotone would be oldest and in charge instead of Ayano.

My original plan with DDs was to stick to a theme. I was only going to have dark hair colors and they were only going to dress in black and white. Then (in theory) I would buy less clothes and wigs.

 

Back in those days, there were lots of non-Volks things in dark colors that don't stain. Even Volks designed things that were amazingly safe for them despite their more modern killer black staining reputation.

 

(Osaka 3 - 3/18/07) For example, this outfit hardly stains at all even with years of wear and never washing it despite the pitch black fitted bodice. Even the socks (and Haruhi's from that same event) don't stain.

 

I was also trying to recreate looks Volks came up with that I liked:

 

 

Black and white outfits

 

 

Maid outfits

 

 

Miko outfits

 

 

The possibilities are endless if I consider different routes/themes. I could have 30 of Mirai/Candy or 10 of Kanu.

 

Or I could have gotten into the hobby later and I might have a ton of MDDs now that the MDDIII is less of a nightmare compared to regular MDD. Or I could have gone for only semi white girls. Or only Type Moon. Would I have still gravitated to more goth themes or would I be afraid of dark things and keep them only in pastels? Chaos theory. The wonders of the Butterfly Effect.

Hmmm, if Iris (Lucy) wasn't my first DD, my collection might otherwise be the same, since I had Shia and Mila planned before Iris arrived by accident. But I probably wouldn't have become a Lucy-holic! And I might not have found DDs quite as interesting without Iris... She sooo lovely, I'm so glad I have her. She inspired my creativity too, since she demanded some exotic outfits to complete her look.

What if your first doll had been different? Who do you think that would likely have been? Would any of the rest of your family/collection been different as well?

 

That's a really good question because I'd never thought of it before.

 

Manami was my first girl and since she was a DDdy, she HAD to be in tune with being sexy and outgoing.

 

If she hadn't been my first, I'm not sure who would have been really. I had gotten her in June of 2010 and in September of that year, I went to Japan and brought home Rei and Yoko. My guess is that since I had always liked Rei's character and was actively seeking her out while in Japan, she probably would have been my first girl. But I seriously doubt her character would be any different from what it is now. She might have a little more attitude since SHE would be my first girl officially but I don't think it would go to her head.

 

Now not having Manami around to be my sexy girl would probably mean that Yoko would have taken that place. Yoko was my second DD purchased in Japan and even tho she is also a DDdy girl, due to Manami being overly sexy, Yoko has always downplayed her curves and been the more quiet and sweet girl. So I would think that without Manami having already been here, Yoko would have taken her place as my outgoing sexy girl.

 

As for any of the others being different, that all depends on whether or not Manami was EVER adopted. Had she not been, I don't think I'd have some of the girls I do now. For instance, Mamimi was built from the ground up to be Manami's little sister. Minako was also built with this in mind. So those two probably wouldn't even be here if not for Manami. And my obsession with 01 head girls might also not be as strong as it is now without Manami's influence so I may not have gotten Kino or Sprout either.

 

I also don't think half the craziness that goes on here would have gone on without her. Even tho Yoko would have probably been similar to Manami, I seriously doubt she would be as over the top and outgoing as Manami is. There's just something about my number one that no one else can duplicate. And I'm glad for that.

 

 

 

Billy

It's easy for me to imagine my alternate universe, as if I'd never noticed (or won) Tohsaka Rin-chan as my first doll. In that instance, I wouldn't have any dolls of any type right now or be on the forums at all. That means my family would be as drastically different as it's possible to be.

 

Because the original order of interest was "see online picture of Rin -> learn about what she is" and NOT "like DDs -> pick Rin to get", it was only by sheer happenstance that I started to learn what Volks dolls were.

Since I started with resin BJDs, I won't go into their characters or inspirations, but I do compare every new doll to my first (who is still my favorite) from 2005, and I specifically choose them all to look compatible with him in style and size. However, I did recently realize that a newer 2-year old favorite could easily have also been my first, and that my BJD family would be drastically different today if he had been. He is the only other BJD I have who COULD have been first, and he rivals my first VERY closely. I could not have based my resin family on any other of my BJDs. These two are not "in charge", but they are foundational, if that makes any sense. I base all my other characters on them.

 

Right now, I am in the early stages with my DD obsession, and I'm in a similar position of starting a "family" group again. For years I wanted a Yukino or an 03 head with a medium bust, and I wanted her to be sweet and shy. Now that I have her... she seems a bit too withdrawn, and it's difficult for me to make the character I envisioned for her come out. And the custom 07 boy seems content to do nothing at the moment. His feelngs seem ambivalent toward the 03 girl. Maybe a little protective, but nothing more than mildly brotherly or friendly. (I wanted them to start as acquaintances and become friends.) In comparison, my new 06 girl is outgoing, free spirited and happy, and wants to socialize with my resin BJDs! I think that if she had been first, the other two DDs would have followed her lead and been more open. (I might have even chosen their faceups to go along more with hers.) I suppose it's possible they will still be inspired by her character even though they arrived first, since their personalities aren't as distinctly formed as hers -- but I am just not sure yet. I do wonder if my original character ideas for the first two will still develop, or if they will go in a different direction. I have yet to put the new 06 girl together with the first two, and I am sure she will like them because she likes everyone... but what will they think of her?

 

I see that parts of my experience are similar to Jezrah's and baldylox's. Jezrah, is Ayano in charge just because she arrived first? baldylox, the dynamics of my resin family sound a lot like those of your DD family. And SakuraSylph, if I hadn't gotten my first BJD, I also might not have any at all. That's definitely true about my DDs, too. I thought about just getting one girl, but apparently things have changed.

 

Linda S.

galatia9

Jezrah, is Ayano in charge just because she arrived first?

Yes and no. Ayano, being a DDdy, is the oldest and most mature appearance-wise as well (I list her age as 20). And Kotone on a DDIII body ended up looking about 16 to me. The others are all no older than 17 as well. So that's also part of the reasoning.

 

In the alternate universe where Kotone was first and on a DDdy body, she'd probably be the 20 year old. I'm not actually sure how old Ayano would appear on a different body. She may still look like a young adult regardless. But Kotone would still likely be in charge due to seniority.

Initially, I had only planned to get one girl, and that was Rise. That completely changed though when I had suddenly adopted my Saber Alter 'Luna'

 

I don't think there'd be a change really in terms of adoption; regardless if I got Rise first or not, Luna (and mana ) would have followed suit anyway, though probably in a different order perhaps? But regardless, my basis for getting a doll relies heavily on their faceup + their character itself, so even if I had rise, Luna is bound to come in on my life sooner or later

 

In terms of my girl's personality however...maybe there will be changes.

 

Since Luna is the first girl to actually arrive home instead of Rise (who I had actually purchased on layaway before Luna ), she comes off as the somehow loud, bossy kind of girl who wants things the way she wants it to, and likes to think of herself as the actual 'older' sister . Had rise arrived first, she might have had a different personality, she probably would have toned down in bossiness and loudness, and probably would have other quirks about her that isn't present in the current 'Luna'.

Well, if I jumped on the Dollfie bandwagon earlier through the hype itself I wouldn't have Varakitsu. I would instead have original blue Saber from Mandarake or similar through curiosity and uncontrolled window shopping habit. Saber was my Waifu back when foxies didn't reign supreme in Fate series so now I have Varakitsu. If I jumped on the hype, the dream, and the figure.fm helpfulness I would have had Saber and possibly no foxes.

 

- Saber - What ifs:

I would assume I would have taken her to Doll meets far earlier, been happier, obtained better advice and obtaining things Saber or Fate oriented. I may have even copied Yunamon with his Caster fox. All speculation now. I would have no Pureneemo Caster, lacking interest in Busou Shinkis and no awkward drama because everything would have been provided by Saber packaged from Mandarake or some similar site. If I kept with my Saber waifu love I may have even went with Lily and Nero outfits, even the new Sakura outfit.

 

- -

 

I find it more fun and thrilling customizing my own Dollfie because Varakitsu is my own. Building her from near-beginning I know what I want to do with her but the stress of finding the closest things of what I want is actually rewarding when I do find it, just extremely hard to come by. I know I vent a lot and whine but when I do obtain what I want it feels highly rewarding. Do want to apologies if I ticked any off along the way.

 

Though, I do have to wonder how my other self is doing with Saber and you folks from here, figure.fm, and Ottawa in that alternate realm of ours (science says it even exist, or in theory at least). Hope he is having fun heh.

Pretty sure if I'd started with DDs, I doubt I'd have more than one or two resin dolls at all outside of my two tinies. But, if it wasn't for my resin boys, I'd probably have never found DDs in the first place. XD

 

I gotta wonder how many DDs my AU self has. .. probably the inverse of my collection. so 20+ DDs and 3 resins xD

My 1st DD was Saber Extra... but i'd loved to have a Yuki Morikawa as my 1st DD, because of her i got my interest into the DD collecting :3

If I hadn't first had resin bjd's, my first would have been Ms. Mariko or student Mariko. When I had BJD's I realized that I was uncomfortable with the "SD" sized dolls. I love looking at them, even holding them at meet ups. As soon as I had one at home though I never enjoyed them as much as the mini size.

 

So when I finally got into Dollfies I knew to get a MDD. Plus they're so dang cute

 

But it sucks because I LOVE Marikos face. Every time I see one I kick myself internally for not getting her, before reminding myself she's most likely be unloved as soon as she got home.

I looked through the DD release history for girls that interested me. If I had skipped Feena & Estel, I think I would've gone with original Saber.