Friday, November 20, 2015

Made to Move Barbie by Mattel

There have been rumors about Mattel's new highly-articulated Barbie doll for a while now.  I'm not a Barbie expert, but I do pay attention when someone says "highly articulated," so I've been keeping my eye out.  When the new Style Barbies were released earlier this year, I figured that's what the rumors must have been about.  These Style dolls have articulated ankles, but they come at the price of the torso joint...so it's hardly an improvement.  It's like one step forward, one step back.  There are so many other interesting dolls to review, I basically dismissed the new Style dolls and the Barbie articulation rumors and went on with my life.  However (and many thanks to those of you who alerted me to this) the rumors were not about the Style dolls at all, but rather the Made to Move series, which has just recently been made available.  These dolls are still not on the shelves in Maine, but they're offered online...often for a premium.  I found my doll on Amazon for around $30.  The actual retail price for these dolls is $14.99.  Which, I can tell you already, is a huge bargain.

It's unfortunate that I confused the new Style dolls and the Made to Move dolls in my head, because my reaction to these two collections could not be more different.  While I'm underwhelmed and uninterested in the re-designed Style series, the Made to Move dolls are pretty much a dream come true: an affordable, attractive, well-articulated play doll.

Meet the lovely Made to Move Teresa:

Made to Move Barbie (Teresa), $14.99.
There are only four Made to Move characters at this point: Barbie, Teresa, Lea and Asha (who looks like she'll be a Target exclusive).  I have not seen Asha for sale anywhere yet.  I like all of the dolls, but wanted either Lea or Teresa for this review.  At the time when I was shopping, Lea's price was about $10 higher than the others...so I bought Teresa:


Teresa comes in a relatively simple plastic box with a cardboard back.  The box is not huge or fancy, but I find it very appealing.  The light-handed use of the color pink--combined with the bold black Made to Move label--will make these boxes easy to identify when they join the myriad of other Barbie products on the shelves:



The back of the box has a photograph of the three non-exclusive dolls in the series:


I just love the mix of colors here--both on the box and in the dolls' outfits.  Asha will fit right in with her coordinating lime-colored top.  The four dolls make a wonderful collection.

Three different skin tones.

The plastic front of the box pulled right off.  It was lightly glued around the edges and then held in place a bit more securely at the bottom with a few plastic tabs.  These tabs were easy to detach.


Teresa is mounted against a molded plastic base and is posed so that she's sitting on a square cardboard outcropping.  She is held in this position with a few clear rubber bands and a long plastic tie around her waist.  She did have two plastic ties in her head as well, but these were not super tight and were easy to snip.


It took seconds to get her disconnected from the backdrop.

The background behind Teresa has some fun doll photographs showing the girls engaged in a variety of activities:

These girls need a better horse...
I get the sense that the marketing team was having a lot of fun with these dolls--and no wonder.   They can kneel, ride horses, ride bikes, play the guitar...Barbie is even sitting cross-legged in one of the shots!


Teresa does not come with any accessories.  She is also barefoot, but this makes sense given her exercise-themed outfit.  Even without a stand or shoes, she can balance quite well on her own:

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The only trouble I had with balance during this review came from the fact that Teresa's ankles are weaker than the rest of her joints.  When she fell over, it was almost always because her ankles gave out. 


Teresa looks graceful and athletic, and I'm drawn to her friendly, realistic face.  For those who are growing tired of the large-headed, bug-eyed dolls that have become so popular recently, she will be a welcome contrast:


Teresa has a nice, open-mouthed smile with visible teeth and dimples.  This is a new Teresa face mold for 2015 (marked 2014 on the back of the neck).  This face can also be seen on the "Glam Night" Style Teresa.

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I like the natural face-up on this doll, particularly the distinctive thick eyebrows with no lined hair detail.  The light brown eyes have a few blotches and streaks of running paint that are visible when the camera is zoomed in, but these defects are very hard to see at normal magnification.


Teresa has long brown hair with some layering and curl at the ends...at least on one side:


On my doll, the curl at the bottom of the hair is set at an angle, so it pretty much disappears on the far left side:


The hair is very soft, smooth and shiny, though.  It even has some subtle streaks of lighter brown mixed in for a very realistic appearance:


The rooting is nice (with no big bald patches) and the hair is easy to manage and attractive overall.  The head is also soft and squishy, with no hard glue inside.  Hurrah!


Teresa is wearing what looks like a yoga outfit, with a bright layered top and black stretch pants:


The top does not have an opening seam in the back:


It's made out of a stretchy fabric and can be pulled off over Teresa's head:


Here's the top on its own:


The inner edge of the neckline seam tends to roll out a little bit, but it can be made to lay flat again.

The shirt is not actually layered, but has a yellow section attached at the very bottom.  There's a band of elastic included at this seam so that the stitching does not restrict the stretch in the fabric.  There's also elastic around the neckline:


It's a very nicely made item, although it sheds little neon yellow particles every time I take it off or put it on.  Presumably these are from the edges of the yellow fabric at the bottom of the shirt.

Teresa's pants are very simple, but they're made out of the same thick, smooth, stretchy knit fabric as the shirt.  They look and feel nice...and they move well.


The pants do have little creases at each knee from the rubber bands in the packaging.


Overall this is a simple, practical outfit that perfectly fits the theme of the doll.  I was especially happy with the simplicity because I wanted to hurry up and get a look at the body!

As I was removing the outfit, I kept uncovering more and more joints.  It was amazing.  Overall, Teresa has 22 points of articulation (counting the double-jointed elbows and knees as two joints each).


The joints are fairly attractive, too.  The most unsightly areas are at the tops of the arms (but I think this just ends up looking muscular...) and the insides of the double-jointed elbows and knees:


The opposite sides of the double joints are smooth and look more natural.


There are some slight color discrepancies in the skin tone in these pictures--especially between the torso and the arms.  I honestly did not even notice this until I was looking at the photographs.  It's very subtle in person.

As a bit of an aside, all four of the Made to Move dolls have a different skin tone (very smart, Mattel!).  I do not have any information yet about the names or matches for these different colors.  Sorry!  I suspect these dolls will be highly sought-after for body swaps, though.

Teresa's head can look up, down and all around.  Like most Barbie dolls, she has great head mobility.


Her shoulder joints are rotating hinges.  When her arms are lifted straight up to the side, though, the hinge joint only allows them to go this far:


Of course because of the rotation in this joint, her arms can be maneuvered into any angle you might want.




Just below the shoulder joints, there's an extra point of rotation.  This allows the lower part of the arm to be rotated in and out without moving the shoulder: 


This means that Teresa can have the palm of her hand facing out (above) or in (below) without moving her actual hand.


The rotation in the upper arms compensates for the fact that the elbow joints do not have any rotation. Instead, these areas are double-jointed--with a fantastic range of movement.



Teresa can almost touch her lower arm to her upper arm when the elbow is bent:


The elbows certainly look less realistic than standard hinged elbow joints, but this doesn't bother me in the slightest.  The joints feel robust (which is critical) and there's been a nice effort to keep the appearance as natural as possible.


Teresa's wrists also have hinged rotation, but they can't quite bend to a 90 degree angle:


The combination of joints in the arms offers a wonderful, fun range of positions.


I love how easily this doll can touch her face, chest and head.


She can reach her hand around to touch the back of her neck...


...and can even reach around and touch her back!

After 56 years, Barbie can finally fasten her own bra.
Any loss of realism caused by the appearance of the extra joints is made up tenfold by the accuracy of movement that they provide.  These arms are so expressive.



Teresa also has a joint in her upper torso:


This joint moves from side to side quite a lot...


...and moves a little bit forwards and backwards, too:


Teresa has hinged rotation in her hips.  When her legs are moved apart, they can only go this far without rotating the hip:


There's a pronounced notch in each leg just below the hip joint, though, and this allows for the leg to be rotated into many different positions:


For example, Teresa can lift one leg straight out...


...or even kick it up high in the air:


The notched thigh also allows Teresa to cross her legs to some degree:


When the hips are rotated outwards, Teresa can do side-to-side splits:


Although her legs don't stick straight out to the side (which strikes me as very natural).


Here's a peek into the hip at the large hinge that allows all of this motion:


Teresa can also do perfect front-to-back splits:


Many of the positions shown above rely on the fact that Teresa also has an extra point of rotation just below her hips.  Once again, this compensates for the lack of rotation in the double-jointed knees:


Without moving her feet or knees, Teresa's legs can be rotated so that her feet either point in or out. Here are the two extremes of the thigh rotation joint:


Much like the elbows, Teresa's knee joints have spectacular flexion.  Her calf can actually touch the back of her thigh:


This means that she's really, really good at kneeling:


To round out this outstanding collection of joints, Teresa even has hinged rotation in her itty bitty feet:


As I mentioned before, the only drawback to this joint is the fact that it's relatively weak and can't always support the doll's position.


Still, the ankles offer a fun range of poses...and also allow Teresa to wear something other than heeled shoes!

She can wear heels, too, though!
My favorite part of a doll review is often the time when I get to play around and explore the articulation--to see what kinds of poses are possible.  Teresa definitely didn't disappoint at this stage.

She can sit in a chair...


...with her legs crossed!


She can also lounge on the ground and look lovely and relaxed...


...in all kinds of ways!


She can even sit cross-legged and make it look pretty normal:


Teresa is an expert at kneeling...


...(on one knee or two)...


...and can even kneel with her legs facing out to the side--like my Azone International doll, Mugi.


Of course Teresa's arms add a huge amount to her expressiveness:


And the fact that she can balance in many of these poses on her own is a huge plus.



She doesn't have quite the balance of, say, a Makie doll, but she can hold more positions than I would have guessed--especially given how small and arched her feet are.

I think I enjoyed photographing Teresa best when she was sitting or kneeling--she balances best this way, but she also has a really fun range of natural-looking sitting poses.



Throughout the entire first part of this review, I assumed that Teresa had basically the same body mold as a regular Barbie doll--just with more points of articulation.  In fact, the shape of her body is different in many small ways.

Here's Teresa with my older Fashionista doll:

Made to Move Barbie, Fashionista Barbie.
I'll list just a few of the differences I see: Teresa has a straighter angle through her waist and hips,  a smaller bottom, lower breasts and a straighter edge on her torso joint.


Some of these differences are easier to appreciate in profile:


Despite these small differences,  Teresa can still wear most of the Barbie clothes I have.  Here she is in pieces from various Style outfits (and a random pair of shoes):


These pants don't actually close all of the way in the back, which made me nervous about clothes sharing at first:


But all of the other items of Barbie clothing I tried fit really well--like Midge's dress:

Made to Move Barbie in Midge's dress.

And even another pair of Style pants:


This makes me think that the ill fit of that one pair of pants was a fluke.

My Fashionista Barbie can wear Teresa's outfit, too (and it looks great on her):

Fashionista Barbie in Made to Move outfit.

I was also curious to see how the new body compares to an older Pivotal Barbie, which is what my Wildflower Doll, Tara, uses:

Made to Move Barbie and Pivotal Barbie body (with Wildflower Dolls head).
The differences here are much more pronounced, with Tara being narrower in almost all areas of her body:


I'm really glad that Mattel didn't make this new body so different that it couldn't share clothes with earlier dolls.

*Update: by request, here are a few pictures comparing Teresa to a Liv doll:

Liv Hayden, Made to Move Teresa.
Liv dolls are discontinued, but their 14 points of articulation (with double-jointed knees) made them my favorite articulated play dolls for a long time.  I still love Liv dolls, no question, but the Made to Move body is superior.

Teresa can kneel better than Hayden...


...and while the two dolls are equally matched in the pseudo martial arts...


Teresa can do all kinds of things with her rotating legs that Hayden simply can't.


This Made to Move body is the best 12-inch play doll body that I have encountered.

I had fun trying a few other outfits on Teresa.  I especially like her in this coral sweater by Angharad Gruffyd.



It coordinates nicely with the Barbie Style pants that do fit:



Here's Teresa in a complete Style outfit.  Everything fits, including the shoes:

Made to Move Barbie in Barbie Style outfit.
As an aside, the jacket from this outfit looks great, but is totally falling apart.  It's very poorly made.





Teresa is the most fun when she's back in her original outfit, because it allows her to move extremely well.  

I love how this doll promotes movement and exercise without being in-your-face about it.  The box art (with all of the fun activities), the stretchy outfit, and the amazing joints on this doll...they all promote and invite action.

Teresa is good at action poses that suggest exercise, too.  Here she is stretching out:

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And then doing this, which might be some strange kind of martial art or yoga.  I'm not sure.


And this...which is just me testing out what kinds of unusual poses she might be able to strike while still standing on her own:



I had so much fun with this doll.  I kept thinking that I was done taking pictures, but then I'd go back and try out a few more poses.  I mean, she can do this, which is fairly common...


...but she can also do this!


I think she's beautiful and realistic and somehow seems full of energy and joy.




I really appreciate Teresa's arms and hands.  It's rare for a doll to be able to bend her elbows enough to allow poses like this:


Or to have so many possible interactions between the hands and the face.  Teresa does this kind of pose even better than a Monster High doll...which is saying a lot:



The only articulation issue I noticed besides the collapsing ankles is that Teresa's knees tend to tip backwards when she's in certain upright kneeling poses.  As long as these joints don't get too much looser over time, it's not a big concern.


Bottom line?  I've never considered myself a huge Barbie fan, but I've been especially discouraged by a lot of the recent trends in these dolls.  For example, it's getting harder and harder to find well-articulated dolls, molded clothing seems to be more and more prevalent, and the quality of the fabric clothing is often disappointing.  These trends have contributed to me not paying a whole lot of attention when I'm in the Barbie aisle.  In fact, lately I've been skipping that particular aisle completely--looking elsewhere for something inspiring and new.

Given all of this, you can imagine how surprised I am that the newest addition to the Barbie empire contradicts every single bad thing I've been thinking about these dolls lately.  Made to Move Teresa is an absolute gem of a doll.

In fact, the bottom line is delightfully simple with a doll like this.  Her face is natural, versatile, attractive and realistic.  Her hair is shiny, well-rooted, gunge-free, and fun to play with.  Her clothing is bright, well-made and extremely functional.  Her $14.99 price is almost too good to be true.  In addition, there's nothing high-maintenance about this doll--no headache packaging, no crispy hair, and no fiddly accessories or complicated clothing.  She went from being in her box to being ready for action in a very small amount of time.  And this is a really good thing because her articulation is incredible.  The only criticism I can muster is that her ankles are a little weak and her feet are a little small, and this limits the range of poses that she can hold on her own.  With tougher ankles or bigger/flatter feet, she'd rival the articulation of a Makie.  And that's a pretty big deal in my book.

Beyond all of this, the Made to Move collection manages to promote a wonderful, healthy message of activity without beating us over the head with it.  The very first moment I saw Teresa, the colorful photographs on her box made me think of things like horseback riding, laughing with friends and having a great time outdoors.  There's nothing specific or limiting in these pictures, just a general message of activity and fun.  But clever marketing is nothing new.  The special thing about Teresa is that every stage of my interaction with her lived up to this image.  First of all, there's nothing specific or limiting about her appearance.  She could be anyone or enjoy any kind of sport or recreation.  She could even put on a dress and some heels and hang with the rest of the Barbies.  But what really keeps this doll true to her image is the way she moves.  I've grown weary of dolls that are advertised as gymnasts or horseback riders but who can't actually sit on horses or even bend their arms and legs.  This kind of doll limits my desire for active play.  But Teresa can do just about anything.  She inspires me.  I want to find a 1:6 scale horse and some cowboy boots and do another photo shoot.  I want to make a stop-action movie.  I want to take Teresa outside on a beach adventure--to see how realistic I can make her look in the sand.  I want to make kitchen dioramas for her to interact with.  Mostly, I want to just sit and see what other poses Teresa can manage.  She's hard to put down.  Somehow, this modest $15 doll manages to elicit perhaps the most important reaction that a doll can offer: she makes me want to play.

75 comments:

  1. I would love to see this body compared to a Liv body. Most of my dolls have been rebodied to Liv bodies but this looks like a wonderful alternative!

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  2. She's great! Any word when they might be released in stores?

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  3. piękna twarz - ciekawe ciało!

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  4. Sooo is that a big thumbs down then?
    She looks awesome.

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  5. I love these dolls! I was waiting for this review, and it was great!

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  6. Love your review of this doll! I am afraid I am guilty of causing the shortage of this doll on Amazon as I bought several of each doll to used as body replacements! I also did a review of them on my blog: A Day In The Life of My Dolls. I do compare them to a LIV body, an older version of the Barbie jointed body and a PlayToy body. I also did a bit of a comparison between the Stainless Steel Skeleton body of Phicen and this new articulated Barbie body and, although I think the Phicen body is superior to just about any other body, she is very expensive and not for child's play. The Barbie Made to Move body stood up pretty well next to her in the posing department. I do hope that Asha is not a Target exclusive, but I will definitely get her wherever she is sold. I did see her on the Target website, but she was not available for ordering and also not available in an Target Store in my area.

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  7. Great thorough review! I also purchased Teresa and absolutely love her. Not only is her articulation FUN, but her face is so gorgeous. I love her dimples. I still can't get over the $14.99 price tag! I can't wait to get more when they restock Amazon and have then physically in stores. I am so impressed by Mattel for doing this. :) Now if only they would put these bodies on the gorgeous Fashionistas, we'd be all set!

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    1. I would -love- to see the new Fashionista body shapes with this level of articulation.

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    2. Do not put her in sand because she will get it in her joints and it will make a crusty sound and hurt her when you move. I believe Barbies have soals!!!!!!!!!!

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  8. Your review is so thorough. I love all of the poses and she is well worth the $15. I just hope more are available soon. I can understand how she makes you want to keep playing with her.

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  9. Just from your first paragraph and picture I knew I had to have this doll! I was a long time Barbie collector but I lost interest along the way so I hadn't heard about these dolls. I recently bought a Style Barbie because I liked her rooted eyelashes but I haven't even been moved to debox her. Made to Move Teresa makes me want to play and dress her up! I hope they are available in stores soon. Thanks for alerting me about these dolls.

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  10. I've also been anxiously waiting for Asha's release, she's a complete package! The problem with dolls packaged in a pose is it strains their joints but they're attractive in box. While collector & doll friendly packaging left the doll looking underwhelming.

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  11. She is absolutely fantastic! I love her especially in the coral sweater it just looks so great in her, I also love how her body is more natural and athletic-looking than average barbies and she is still feminine and beautiful like a regular girl. Lammily, eat your heart out! Barbie really can do anything! I also love the fact that you chose Teresa, I love latinas! And is she btter on holding baby Nikki than both Midge dolls?

    LuiZ

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  12. I'm looking at this doll, and I'm almost seeing a preview of the Wonder Woman doll that's supposed to be coming out at some point. If 'that' doll is as good as this one is, its a definite must buy!

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  13. Wow, good for Mattel. I wonder if they will raise the prices once they see how many collectors are snatching them up for body swaps.

    I wish the highly articulated dolls would come with some kind of nude bodysuit, to wear when you want to hide the joints. It looks like her yoga pants didn't get stuck in her knees, and didn't add a lot of bulk. A bodysuit made of that fabric that matches her skin tone would be awesome.

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  14. Brawo Mattel! Dziękuję Emily i pozdrawiam serdecznie! :-)

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  15. I can't wait to grab one of these! little strange that Teresa wears underwear that says Barbie all over it.

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  16. I really like the idea behind these dolls, I hope mattel makes more maybe even a ken doll like this. I will be getting teresa and most likely another one after that.

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  17. It looks like a really nice doll body. Obitsu dolls also have this range of articulation, but they're so much more expensive. I've seen people use Obitsu bodies for body swaps with different heads, but it's so pricey to do that. It doesn't help that you can only order Obitsus from online stores, so the shipping costs make the bodies even more expensive. It's amazing Mattel can do a body like this for only $15.

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  18. Another excellent review written by you. Thanks for all the info and photos. I might get one of these dolls as my first Barbie doll.

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  19. You should compare Teresa's articulation to a Liv doll and see who's the best kneeler (since the Liv dolls have been the champions)!

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    1. Good idea! I added in some pictures of this comparison...

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  20. Wow, she really does have some impressive posing abilities - that's brilliant to see!

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  21. I AM a "Barbie" collector, and just purchased two of these "Made to Move" Barbies at my local TRU: "Lea" (my all-time FAVORITE "Barbie"-line sculpt!) & "Teresa" (whose sculpt I like ALMOST as much as Lea's!). Prior to seeing them in the "Barbie" aisle this morning, I had never heard of them. However, I am EXTREMELY PLEASED to see your FAB review of them, Toy Box Philosopher! I look forward to de-boxing & "playing" with them this week! (And giving my MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE BJD's a "run for the money"!)

    CAN'T WAIT to find "Asha"!

    HAPPY DOLLING! ~

    Cheryl in NJ

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    1. In further to my above post, I have subsequently purchased the MTM "Barbie" sculpt (as well as several additional "Lea" & "Teresa"-faced dolls, as Hanukkah & Christmas gifts for several members of my doll club).

      These dolls are FABULOUS! I have been visiting my (not so local!) Target, in search of "Asha", but so far she has not shown up on their shelves. Yesterday (on yet ANOTHER visit!), I ran into two Mattel salespeople in the aisles of that Target, who told me that ~ to their knowledge ~ "Asha" won't be out 'til the Spring. I HOPE they are mistaken, 'cause I want her NOW!

      Dolly Greetings of the Season! ~

      Cheryl in NJ

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    2. Thank you for the info, I have been searching for Asha since I seen her on the Teresa box. Hope she is out in time for Christmas.

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  22. I only found out about these dolls today as I was browsing amazon. I grew up with Barbie so I don't mind the less articulated ones, but I am also glad to see one with extra articulation. The Barbie Collection magazine also listed new Barbie Look dolls with pivotal bodies instead of the usual model muse poses, and they are even going to use articulated bodies for the classic style Silkstone Barbies as well. I guess this is the way Barbie is going all around.

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  23. I have been waiting for you to make this review for weeks! I am a huge stickler for articulation like you, and I literally almost started crying when I saw the levels of articulation on these girls. I am so exited for them to come back in stock so I get get them for their intended price (Actually, these dolls were available to purchase for $14.99 for a couple days before they sold out (and thats when the second parties came in with the $30 price tag)) I would really like to see an articulation-off between this girl, Liv and Makie. I think that would be so cool! I know that eventually I will be getting dozens of these girls to rebody, but I am just so excited to have one girl that can move like this!

    ~Crimson Kitty

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  24. Oh, my gosh I didn't know about this! I can see a big rebodying spree happening with my collection! :D

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  25. I cannot find your email, but I thought you might find this doll interesting.
    It looks like it's trying to bridge the gap between designer vinyl toys and play dolls:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bigshot-toyworks/dream-big-friends-yuna-doll?ref=project_link

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  26. Saw your blog this morning and was compelled to run out and get one, lol. Managed to get the Teresa and Kira dolls at Toys R Us. The Target where I live doesn't currently stock them, which is sad, as I'm really interested in getting the Asha doll next.

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    1. The asian's name is quite confusing isn't it? There's Lea, Miko & now Kira too, in indonesia she's Neko. I'm also waiting for Asha's release.

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  27. I collect primarily 1:6 scale female and male figures with much articulation than the typical/usual Barbie dolls.

    The one you reviewed features basic and standard points of articulation that is featured in many of the 1:6 scale figures I collect.

    Because of you review, I'll be looking to buy one or more to add to my collection in terms of variety.

    Thank you.

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  28. I would say the feet are that small so she can wear the Barbie shoes that most Barbies wear. If she had more normal size feet she'd need all new shoes. Mine just arrived from amazon. Love her.

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  29. Does anyone know anything about what skin tone is she? Neutra? LA Tan? Or Tropic Tan? Can anyone compare Made to Move Teresa skintone with other Mattel dolls? It would be helpful. thank you so much

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    1. Hi Davia, I didn't know the Barbie skin tones had names. Would you be able to point me to a website where I can learn about the different skin tones and face molds? Thanks in advance.

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    2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/salvadordeluniverso/13949679516

      http://mmbarbies.wikifoundry.com/page/Model+Muse+Barbies+by+Skin+Tone

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  30. I just came from my local TRU and picked up all three figures for $14.99 each. Thanks so much for this great review.

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  31. DITTO!

    I too just came from my local TRU and purchased all three figures for $14.99 each.

    Thank you for the enlightening and informative review.

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  32. Reminds me of Gooliope's articulation except for the feet of course.

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  33. This doll looks amazing! I normally am not a fan of Barbies, but now I want one of these dolls. Uh oh.

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  34. I'm so glad you reviewed this line! I've been waiting to see this body in action since we saw the Wonder Woman doll for 2016, and I am so impressed! The jointing system that they came up with is something that you rarely see in playline dolls and it's amazing that they broke this barrier for such a low price. It accomplishes what Liv was unable to do, in my opinion- a highly articulated body that still looks attractive. Obitsu bodies don't even look this good, and their more expensive and kind of flimsy.

    The proportions are very different for Barbie, with the wider hips, smaller chest and wider midsection. It looks very athletic while still looking model-esque. The hands are wonderful. I'm so glad they used Skipper's handsculpt for this line- but if you prefer the smaller hands, they have the same peg as the Barbie Style hands and can be easily switched out!

    The faces are not my favorite (I intend to switch them out with the same sculpts but from different dolls), but if you're a fan of the more neutral-faced dolls these are a very good choice. They have minimal makeup and basic hair for endless restyles and redresses!

    I ordered the paler girl from an Ebay seller for twice the price, but it was totally worth it to me. I can't wait to get more of these girls and I hope Asha gets released soon so that I can add Grace to my lineup!

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  35. I ordered 2 of these amazingly posable creatures on Amazon after reading a comment in your last review and have been (im)patiently waiting for their delivery since. They were $14.99 US at the time I bought them, and unbelievably able to ship to Australia. I have since checked Amazon and they have gone up to about $50 US and will not ship to Australia. I was feeling very happy with myself for getting in before the increase, like I got a break for once in the online shopping doll world. ... But... Unfortunately they have gone missing in the post somewhere from there to here and though I am crossing every digit on my body that they will magically appear on my doorstep one day, I ain't holding my breath. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get them in stores over here. P.S. Amazon has refunded my shipping costs we and waiting till 6th December to see if they turn up, and if not refund me in full :(:::::::::::

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  36. Hey Emily, so you know Lottie dolls? Well this is the talented and beautiful lady who designed the original Lottie dolls: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7iqpYcqmeRz0my_who9kQ . She also designed the original Momiji dolls, which might not be your style. Currently she runs a jewllery buisness by the name of Maqaroon.
    - A 11 year old who has too much time

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  37. Wow!!

    I'm recognizing the new double-jointed elbows and knees from Mattel's Frightfully Tall MH line, but the ghouls don't have those ankle joints.

    This might make me actually want a Barbie for the first time ever. I had the super-simple 5-points-of-articulation Barbies as a kid, and they just didn't inspire me*. Now, Mattel's finally made a Barbie that moves all the ways I do, and I love it!

    * Admittedly, my parents never splurged on the career sets, even though they could afford it--I just had plain-jane "Fashion Model" Barbie, and that didn't correspond with my interests.

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  38. If this is the best play line body you've seen, what is overall the best 12in articulated doll body you've seen? How do these compare to pure neemo bodies, for example? I don't own any pure neemo, obitsu, or resin bjd, so I'm wondering how these $15 mattel bodies compare. A post that's an articulation competition would be awesome!

    As for my thoughts, the day after I saw this review I ran out and bought this doll and I LOVE her and want a few more for re-bodying. I had also bought the 17 inch MH Clawdeen for her articulation and I adored it, but MH doesn't really appeal to me besides Clawdeen and the cat girls. I only have a few MH and they are so distinctive that they need to be quarantined otherwise they overwhelm everyone else. These barbies have the same articulation but a way more subtle appearance. I'm hoping they make many more of these dolls. I've been having so much fun with them, and the face molds are actually attractive enough on their own for photography!

    A random aside: If I wanted to make a big headed 12 inch Clawdeen, do you think I could put her 17 inch head on one of these barbies???

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    1. I have an obitsu and pure neemo so can let you know when I get my Theresa.

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  39. You should do more reviews on EAH dolls. Maybe some of the newer ones like Dragon Games or the new original ones (Farrah, Courtly, Melody, Justine). I'd also like to see a Rosabella Beauty review.

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  40. Thanks for bringing this doll to my attention. I went and bought "Pink Shirt", which we all know as Barbie. I also decided she needed a few other things to wear so I splurged on a few clothing sets. Now my new Barbie has a nice assortment of clothes. Next up? A closet to put them all in. XD

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  41. Hi, can you compare the made-to-move body with 27cm obitsu? Thank you!

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  42. Thanks to your review, I knew about them and really wanted one, but I thought they weren't here in Spain. Today I was going around the toy story I usually go, and guess what...
    They were there! Well...two Barbies and the japanese one (I don't know her name). I took the japanese without doubt, she was the last one and I haven't seen them anywhere else.

    I love her! All you said here is true. So thank you a lot for informing me about these amazing dolls. If I haven't read your review first, I would probably have passed the oportunity (I'm not exactly a Barbie fan).

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  43. As a 1/6 figure collector...this intrigues me, but since barbies are too small framed...I don't need it. That said I can and will applaud mattel for doing this. Gives me hope for mass market 1/6 females to become a thing. I think something like a cy girl or playtoy type figure ought to work. I am sure it will happen.

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  44. As a 1/6 figure collector...this intrigues me, but since barbies are too small framed...I don't need it. That said I can and will applaud mattel for doing this. Gives me hope for mass market 1/6 females to become a thing. I think something like a cy girl or playtoy type figure ought to work. I am sure it will happen.

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  45. Thank you for another wonderful, very detailed and useful review.
    I had seen all of those four dolls in a toy store, but I was wondering how much they can actually pose. In Italy they are about €20 but still worth the price. I'm not a fan of their outfits though, and lacking of shoes, but I guess this helps to keep the price lower.

    By the way, this

    After 56 years, Barbie can finally fasten her own bra.

    made me almost laugh.

    Thanks again. Going on to read more from your blog.

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  46. I have just bought Theresa on ebay uk for £15.99 be interesting as I have an Pure neemo body obitsu body and 2 livs ( cant make my mind up lol ) plus loads of Monster high, 5 disney amnimator dolls, two Ellowyne Wilde dolls and Two zapf creation dolls that are fairly articulated.. my azone body has a bratzilla head with a liv wig but that body does not stand up even with a proper azone stand, the obitsu is in the box unused as had problems with that.. if I fall for Theresa think I will be down sizing my doll collection.
    Thank you for all the reviews you have done though I think you have contributed to my dollie obsession!!

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  47. I'm very glad to have found your review - your photos and descriptions are very thorough! I'm not a doll collector (though that seems to be changing) and I really could've used these particular bodies in a photo project I did in the first quarter of 2015. My gripe with the new dolls is that they don't have an articulating hip joint. I would've liked to have seen that stay, with all the other articulation additions. I don't mind the body shape change so much, except (as you've mentioned) that clothes aren't interchangeable with the dolls. I read somewhere that a peach (platinum blond) and teal (redhead) topped M2M Barbie are forthcoming, but I can't remember where I saw it or find any other websites (especially Mattel) to confirm. I'm going to check out the rest of your blog (I've recently acquired a few Moxie Teenz that I thought were Liv dolls) and hope you can help me with my "dolly issues". LOL

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  48. She looks like Rey from star wars! I bought her and am going to turn her into a Rey action figure doll.

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  49. Thank you for this review. I was just wondering, how dark is Teresa's skin tone? Would it fit Barbie Pocahontas? If you by chance have this doll in your collection, could you post a picture to compare them, that would so useful. Thank you!

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    1. No. There are several "tan" dolls in the older (1990s era) lines that are not represented. A pale one, as well as the coloring of Poca. The other problem is sometimes the tone is about the right darkness or lightness, but the color is wrong (cooler or warmer).

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    2. Thank you! I've just got one of the newer Made to Move Barbies, the one with curly blonde hair. Her skin tone matches Pocahontas quite well; I'm happy to finally being able to give her a fully articulated body with flat feet.

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  50. I'm still not sure whether or not I want one of these dolls-I'm always looking for more articulation, but I have some sort of mental block where the realistic movement of the elbows and knees just can't overcome their unrealistic (and, IMO, ugly) appearance. However, Teresa's beautiful and will probably be my pick if I decide to get one. I also think she resembles a celebrity-Stana Katic, who's leaving Castle at the end of its current season.
    If anyone's still looking for Asha, I've seen her at Walmart as well as Target.

    Nikki

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  51. I was thinking about getting one of those dolls. Your review helped my out a lot!

    ~Anika~

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  54. Very detailed and good review. I've just bought 10 at Tesco - could not believe they were being sold at £4 each WOW! The shelf was marked at £8.50, but scanned they came up at £4.

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  55. This is so cool and very well detailed.

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  56. I don't know what I like so much about this doll- maybe it's that she's nothing I hate about Barbie. She feels very natural and "real", not artificial and made-up like Barbie herself, and the high articulation, friendly face, and neutral outfit make her feel like a very applicable character that can be used for anything- a welcoming and imagination-spurring blank slate.

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  57. Hi. So I have these made to move barbies but my Barbie in the blue top (that you reviewed here) is called bambi. Just wondering if yours was called Bambi as well and you were just calling her Teresa or was her name actually Teresa? Also apparently there are two more made to move dolls. A redhead with freckles in a green top and another blond but with tanner skin and curly hair in an orange top. Just thought you'd be interested since I know you love redheads ��

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  58. Great review, I love the facial sculpt they used on this doll.

    I personally love the made to move dolls in general, though I've recently exchanged the hands on mine. The articulation is fantastic, but the downside is that now I don't feel satisfied with dolls that aren't articulated. Where oh where is our articulated curvy, tall, and petite doll? I would love to have all three to add a little variety. I've even ordered a She-Ra doll, because the body is different (more muscular) with a unique head sculpt.

    The dolls are so much cooler now than when I was a kid.

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  59. I've never been much of a Barbie fan, and at the moment I was mainly googling for news of Made to Move dolls with different body types.

    Of course, that's not at all the point of this review, but I ended up reading through it all anyway, because it was so well written and engaging! It really makes me wish the Made to Move doll I ordered were going to be the right size for the project I'm working on!

    Thanks so much :)

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