campion wrote:Why should such things be a problem?
Hi Campion,
I hope it doesn't seem like siliconefun, harem, and I are ganging up on you here. That genuinely is not the intention. Perhaps I can explain a bit more to make things a little more clear regarding our responses.
The main problem is that you posted in the DS Doll forum section, and began to criticize DollSweet's work. The main point of these subforums is to give people a place to ask manufacturer-specific questions, questions about repair, and to share stories, photos, etc. If you wish to express a proper criticism of a doll manufacturer, or their products, this is usually best done under the "Dolls In General" subforum." Take Harem's recent topic of "What Chinese TPE makers need to do to fix their dolls" as a proper example of where and how to post such topics. Plus, you do want to be sure to leverage tact when posting criticisms about a doll manufacturer's work. Because of the nature of dolls, and how many here feel about their synthetic mates, there are a lot of feelings that can get stepped on as a result if one is not careful.
There is a bit of an aire of "RealDoll is the king of all dolls" attitude that some convey here on this forum, and that same attitude tends to convey that work by any other manufacturer cannot come anywhere near Abyss' or BT's quality. This attitude is unfounded, and "straw man" attitudes like this can ruin a forum.
For a different perspective, consider that I'm a hardcore GNU/Linux and BSD user. If I locate a Windows forum, and point out all of the flaws in Windows, and also point out that no such Windows-based flaws exist in Linux or BSD, this would be considered a troll. I'm not accusing you of trolling, mind you, and I do not believe this was your intent. I'm just saying that the wording and placement of your post might look this way to some.
The point is, many people here have a very strong emotional attachment to their dolls, and if you criticize without using a sufficient level of tact, it's possible that many might have an adverse reaction. I learned this myself when I was attempting to have a discussion about TPE, and the concerns which I had about it (deformation, lifetime, ruggedness, etc.). Unfortunately, at the time, I had used little tact in my criticisms, and as a result, I bruised a few people's emotions in the process. Plus, most importantly, I did not, and still do not own a TPE doll, so while I had a lot of academic research on the material under my belt, I had/have no real experience with TPE dolls.
It might be difficult for some to realize just how wonderful DollSweet's work is until they actually have one in their possession, and unfortunately, while there are many beautiful photographs of DollSweet's work out there, none of them can really convey just how beautiful and wonderful their dolls are. You just have to see one in person.
campion wrote:Of course there is compromise in every product, but that has not stopped me from buying dolls and it will not stop me in the future. If all we can do at TDF, however, is to sycophantically and uncritically praise these products then it becomes a useless and unhelpful place. These products are quite expensive and customers have a right to offer suggestions and to point out issues they see that might hopefully and reasonably be corrected.
It's fine to offer suggestions. However, your post seems more like you are levying a complaint about DS dolls, and, I ask you to pardon me for sounding a little abrasive here, but your criticisms about DS dolls are a bit pedantic in nature. Your post, perhaps unwittingly, seems to characterize DollSweet as just another two-bit Chinese doll cloning outfit (at least that's how I interpreted it). The very title in your post, "Plastic/Waxy", can easily be translated to "cheap junk" in the minds of others. It's important to bear in mind that DollSweet is a *Japanese* company, not a Chinese company. The Japanese are very serious about quality in their products. It's why they've been kicking the collective asses of American car manufacturers for decades, and continue to do so. For the Japanese, TQM is in their blood. If you don't believe me, drive a GM, or Ford truck. Then drive a Toyota or Nissan.
DollSweet *is* a high-end manufacturer, just as much as Abyss is a high-end manufacturer. Cheaper dolls does not mean less quality. It means smarter manufacturing. Their dolls are cheaper, because they have a streamlined the manufacturing process. One of their dolls takes about a month to complete, whereas, if I recall correctly, a RealDoll takes nearly three months. Plus, DollSweet's quality and ruggedness is second to none.
Comparing them to RealDoll isn't really fair or appropriate, since their approach is *very* different from RealDoll, and they are targeting a completely different market with a completely different set of tastes. A good example is this: compare a typical Japanese PlayStation game to a typical U.S. Playstation game. Look at Dead Or Alive vs. Mortal Kombat, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
In closing, I want to offer you this as a suggestion: if you've looked over all that DollSweet has to offer, and none of their offerings strikes you, or appeals to, you should consider going with a different manufacturer. More important than anything, a doll should speak to our desires. Frankly, it doesn't sound like DS dolls are "doing it" for you.
Anyway, I hope I don't sound too accusatory or abrasive in this post. I just wanted to help you understand where many (perhaps most) of us are coming from.
Annie: Shirley! We were just...
Abed: About to...
Troy: Eat garbage dip!... WHY DID I HAVE TO GO THIRD?!
-- from Community - Season 4 Episode 5