Welcome to Marwen

I'm looking forward to the movie "Welcome to Marwen." Here's the trailer.

I'm happy that there are people who can use dolls not just as a feel-good  hobby but to make statements about what's wrong with our society.

Because being silent helps the oppressor.

Movable Joint African Doll from China

They came in ordinary plastic bags with no labels aside from randomly placed stickers, one for warning against choking and another for something like a product code that made no sense to a common person. 

Simple packaging

They came from China but the dolls exhibited African features. While the body is noticeably a copy of an older (but better) playline doll from Mattel (except for the neck peg), the face is unfamiliar. Both dolls I got have the same skin tone and face mold. The perceived difference in color is due to the different lighting conditions.

Faces and body

If you try to search for "movable joint African doll", you'll find out that there are a lot of variants. The opened-mouth variant (another copy of a Mattel doll) seemed to have a lighter skin tone than the closed-mouth variant. The former is similar to Momppy Mpoppy dolls from South Africa. An IG user commented that the doll had the same skin tone as Nikki from the earlier Barbie Fashionista line.

Closed-mouth variants

Sporty variants

Opened-mouth variants

I am not a fan of the face sculpt so one doll has become a body donor to my Asha doll, below. I'm still thinking of keeping the one with the Afro. The curls on the Afro doesn't easily become loose like some dolls from Mattel.

Before repaint

After repaint

The skin tone is different compared to most dolls I have, so I have little intention to buy again.

Left to right: Fashionista body (Nikki), I Can Be Tennis Player, 

Barbie Basics (yellow swimsuit), Dynamite girl head, movable joint African doll

Fake Wonder Woman Doll

I have been struggling on whether or not I should post a review of a fake Wonder Woman doll. On one side, a review is a publicity for the product. Whether it is a good or bad publicity, it still is publicity. I have personal reasons not to promote this product. On the other hand, this might be useful to underprivileged people who have limited resources to access the original doll. Also, this can inform buyers on how to spot a fake, especially if it has been turned to something irresistible by an OOAK artist. But then again, everything we do is both good and bad.

I decided to go ahead and publish this. With this I can reflect on how big companies like Mattel seem to be complicit with what's happening to the world. Big companies brought their businesses to China, a major source of counterfeit items, a country who takes over territories of other countries, and a country with questionable data privacy (even for Apple tech). Big companies go to China because it is cheaper even if they risk their trademarked products to be counterfeited. If big companies use the low price as an excuse to patronize a dangerous country, what more can regular people like us do? Only the privileged would feel entitled to blame the consumers of cheap counterfeits.

We bought Chinese made products (fake or not). We contributed to the income of the Chinese government and indirectly supported their endeavors. That's the reality. We took part in making China that way.

Back to the doll...

From the first look, one can tell the difference from the original Mattel Wonder Woman doll. For starters, the doll is loosely packed inside the box, making the doll inside have a different pose with each box. The harness is missing along with the lasso. The hair is messy. The elbow joints are different and there is no shoulder cut. There is also a "3+" printed on the upper right corner of the box.

One of the first thing to be noticed after taking the doll out of the box is the smell. It smells like burnt rubber or wiring. It mostly comes from the body. I have washed the doll and it has been days since I washed it but the smell is still there. For this reason, I will not let a child handle this toy. We don't know the danger it could bring.

The doll has a beautiful face and seems to look like the original. I can't be sure as I don't have the original. The body looks like a fashionista clone with molded underwear. The neck peg is also different. All the gear can be removed with some force. The bustier/armor is attached to the body using hot glue. It is a little difficult to remove the glue as it is sticky even if it has partially hardened.

The hair is only partially rooted like most clone dolls. The hair is not locked on the head and can be easily pulled out. The headband/tiara is a attached to the head using hot glue so some hair will be pulled out by removing the headband. 

The head has no marking. If the doll has been repainted and rerooted, one can try looking for the Mattel marking on the head to see if the doll is authentic. 

Gold colored plastic is used for the armor and weapons. In the original version, silver colored plastic is used for the arm bands and sword. The back of the armor is not painted. The design on the shield is a dragon instead of an eagle (or some other bird) in the original.

The shoes can be split apart in the middle and snapped back together. There is no elastic band that attaches behind the knee. The doll cannot bend at the knee while wearing the boots. The skirt uses velcro for closure. The hands has to be removed before removing the arm bands.

I first learned about the doll from an online seller. It was being sold for PhP250 (roughly US$5). It can be bought for cheaper in the usual places where fake products are being sold.

It would be nice if toys like the Wonder Woman doll is easily accessible to kids to help remind them of her story and what she stands for even if the movie is no longer being shown. It would be nice if the Wonder Woman doll is sold in local toy stores at a reasonable price (a price low enough that you wouldn't mind handing the doll to a child despite the chance of being destroyed) but it's not.

Because Mattel.

Like everything is normal

Just like on the verge of getting old, you try doing things you used to do when you were younger. This time, it's not about getting old. It's your world changing into something more challenging, a world that may have changed your privileges without you knowing it, because who checks their privileges anyways? You pick a dress to relive your golden dream and put on a smile like everything is normal. For now, everyone is fooled, including you.

I'm putting together a team...

...of people with special abilities.

Hasbro and Playkit versus Mattel and Richprime (or was it Richwell)

A lot of new toys have been widely made available for the past two weekends. Two weeks ago, the Avengers: Infinity War (AIW) toys from Hasbro (locally distributed by Playkit) landed on the local toy shelves. This was almost at the same time as the international release, if not earlier. Last weekend, Mattel (with the help of local distributor Richprime aka Richwell), partially released locally dolls that were already available in the US since last year.

The first difference between Playkit and Richprime is the release of the toys. The toy manufacturers Hasbro and Mattel may have a say in the schedule. Hasbro has to time the release with the hype of the movie. Mattel on the other hand has no movie schedule to consider. Social media showed in other countries, the new (by "new", I mean released in the US last year) Barbie dolls have been just released recently as well, giving the impression that the release schedule could be coordinated by the toy manufacturer. The doll release could have been timed with a fictional birthday.

All (at least all that I'm interested in) AIW toys from Hasbro toys were made available locally. That included Black characters like Falcon. Mattel on the other hand failed again to include a lot of the Black dolls. Mattel is soooo... whatever!

I used to have one major complaint with Hasbro. It's not having enough basic/playline female characters in their toy line. It used to be impossible to complete the roster of a team. While it still is impossible to assemble the Guardians of the Galaxy movie lineup in their Titan Hero Series, there have been more females characters in the basic line. This excited me, so I got the following for myself:

The 6-inch basic Scarlet Witch, Black Widow and Gamora action dolls (above) are sold by Hasbro for US$9.99 each. The 12-inch Titan Hero Scarlet Witch and Black Widow shown below also cost US$9.99 each.  Locally, they can be purchased for PhP599.75 each.

Mattel also offers dolls for US$9.99, like the stiff Barbie Fashionista, but they come at a higher price locally (PhP999.75 or PhP799.75 when discounted). Richprime is clearly charging more compared to Playkit even if their discounted price is compare to Playkit's regular price. This makes the discount on the new dolls feels like a scam, to be honest. Normally, I would wait for a the discount to be offered before I buy a Barbie but I realized now that maybe I should rethink my strategy.

While waiting for a discount used to be a good idea, Richprime can really test your patience. They usually offer discounts after year has passed since the initial release and revert to the prices even if the dolls didn't sell at lower prices. I must admit I was weak last weekend and gave in to the delusion. I bought the Boho Glam Fashionista and the Dancer doll with the curvy made-to-move body.

Mattel prices each of the dolls at US$14.99. Richprime charges PhP1299.75 for each. It is consistent with Richprime's suspicious conversion rate. Playkit has a more reasonable price conversion.

There are other toys being distributed by Playkit and Richprime. The toys posted here are just samples. We can't be sure if Richprime is better in some other way compare to Playkit. I did not reach out to Richprime or Mattel to ask why they have made such distribution and pricing decisions as I don't feel it's my business. I'm just a consumer reacting and adjust to what they put out. Hasbro has distribution problems as well.

One adjustment is finding other sources for the toys I want. There are online sellers and specialty stores that are not connected to Playkit or Richprime. Those are where I get my other recent toy haul from.

The comics version of the Guardians of the Galaxy was not released in local toy stores. I was lucky to find this at a specialty shop.

This Wonder Woman doll is not from Mattel. I don't know if the original was made available locally. I did saw some in Greenhills but I opted to skip buying. Good thing I found a clone for sale at Facebook. Sure, it has a huge bald spot but it's nothing a makeover won't fix.

Fake Smile

Change Outfit

In other news, I saw this photo of a doll beside a dead body of a 17-year old girl from this page.

The change is real.

Road Bot 1:18 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII

Some things aren't as simple as what they seem to be. That's just one of the things one can learn from toys that transform from one thing to another, like this Road Bot toy. Unlike the Transformers, these characters didn't come with biography or history so the owner is free to imagine if the character is "good" or "bad". This is my second Road Bot. I enjoyed my Land Cruiser Road Bot and decided to buy another car model. 

Lucky for me, this car in not included in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). Because of the new tax law, excise tax on automobiles have increased. While the TRAIN is seemingly "good", since it taxes those who earn more and exempt more people from taxes, things aren't are simple as they seem.

Even before the TRAIN was implemented, minimum wage earners are already exempted from personal income tax. They will not have a bigger take-home pay upon the implementation of the TRAIN.  The TRAIN included an increase in excise tax on petroleum products and introduced a tax a sugar-sweetened beverages. This will affect the minimum wage earners, making their expenses higher. Without an increase in the take-home pay, TRAIN is "bad" for around 2 million minimum-wage-earning Filipinos.

I belong to those whose take-home pay increased due to the TRAIN. That means, I have more money to buy toys and buy I did. I also bought this online so I don't know if proper taxes will be remitted to the government. A lot of online sellers locally are tax evaders. If they don't issue receipts approved by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, they probably are tax evaders. Maybe the TRAIN should have addressed tax evasion on online selling, too.

One thing I like about this Lancer Road Bot that the Land Cruiser Road Bot didn't have is the car interior. I can force-fit an 1:18 scale action doll inside and make it look like she/he is driving.

(Right-hand drive)

I don't like the proportion of the arms to the torso in the robot form. The arms looks skinny and they are flimsy when holding a pose.

What better characters can we pair with robots having deceptive appearances than a couple of spies? Here, Agent 13 and Black Widow are on a secret rendezvous with their new weapons, the Roadbots.

In the past few months, I've been in my Black Widow mode while dealing with people who doesn't care about people who have been adversely affected by the changes implemented by the government. They don't care if some people are getting killed as long as they are safe. They don't care if some people will suffer more as long as they have more take-home pay. Just they wait.

Male China Doll

In the spirit of pursuing close economic and political ties with China, while downplaying the territorial dispute between our countries, let's talk about a doll I purchased online directly sourced from that country. There was a time when this doll was priced at around US$3 but now, the lowest price I saw for this doll is US$5. While I think that the US$5 price is still reasonable, I don't think I'll be buying another one any time soon. I do feel lucky to have got it at a lower price but at the back of my mind, I feel there is something wrong and I can't figure out what it is at the moment.

The doll came in a nondescript box with shipping labels. Judging from the labels, the item was shipped from China to a Lazada office before it was sent to me. As with most Lazada items, this was paid with cash on delivery so there is lower risk for the buyer. Inside the box, the item was wrapped in what seemed like Chinese newspaper (or it could be some Chinese government publication for propaganda purposes for all I know). This wrapper reminded me of the good old days.

The last time I bought something wrapped in newspaper was when we were poor. As a kid, I used to buy dried fish (daing or tuyo) at the suking tindahan. (See, I didn't italicize Filipino words. Deal with it.) Four small pieces are enough for a family of four. The very salty taste of the fish can be balanced with heaps of steamed rice. Dip the fish in vinegar and it's a feast. When we buy dried fish these days, we can no longer buy per piece. We have to buy it per pack, in plastic, mind you! We're rich now.

Feeling rich and #feelingblessed, I opened the package for my new doll. It's so white, like the rich people of the Philippines! Ok, I'm not the rich yet. I have a natural tan. I'm closer in color to your average Fashionista Ken, below.

At first glance, the male China doll looks like a copy of the Ken Fashionista, except for the head. The head looks familiar, though, making me think it might be copied from another doll. I'm not a doll-know-it-all so I can't say for sure. I'm getting a Prince Charming vibe but I searched for Prince Charming dolls and they were different. I like the face sculpt but the face paint is too bland for me. This is a good candidate for a repaint but I'm uninspired to paint these days. Go ask the world if you wanna know why.

The neck articulation is similar to the older Ken dolls with rotation only (no bending at the neck) although the neck joint is different. The hook is attached to the torso on this doll. I'd like to think that Mattel copied this idea for their new dolls and modified it a bit (using a hemispherical surface instead of a flat surface where the hook protrudes from). China is an expert in making things cheap (in more than one sense) and Mattel can learn (or has learned) a thing or two from Chinese manufacturers/designers.

It is easier to make this doll slip into (now dated) slim fit pants because you can adjust the foot. The feet on this doll has better articulation than your playline Ken doll but it doesn't necessarily mean it is better. I've read a review that the peg that holds the foot in place breaks easily (like how easily the hand broke on one of my  Chinese dolls). I'm very careful when taking the shoes off this doll as the foot might get stuck on the shoe. 

The hands on this doll is similar to the Harley Davidson Ken doll. It looks more relaxed than the Fashionista hands. Like the feet, the hands feel like they can be easily pulled from the arm breaking the peg. I won't risk ruining his hands just for the sake of certainty.

Speaking of how easy it is to break this doll, another joint that can easily be broken is the hip joint. I have tried to pry the legs off the hips of both Ken and Barbie dolls and it's tough. Doing that to this doll feels effortless in comparison. The arms and legs on this doll feels more like soft vinyl and not hard plastic making it more prone to staining.

This made me think. Why are these toys, intended for the Chinese market, not designed for tough play like those designed for Western market? Are the kids in the West more violent in playing with their toys? Am I being a Robin Padilla in asking that question? Or maybe I'm not being Robin Padilla enough for accommodating something foreign and lowering my expectations.

This toy is cheap and some may argue that you get what you pay for. Does that mean if I paid US$10 for this same toy instead of what I actually paid (US$3 total including shipping), the toy will magically be sturdier? This item is being sold are different prices ranging up to US$16.

Instead of a sense of happiness with a peace of mind, this toys leaves me with a lot of questions. This toy is just a little reflection of how things have been changing. Whether this change is good or bad, only time will tell. But if you're the type of person who thinks that change is good, go change your face.