New(ish) Maru and Marceline Dolls from Maru and Friends

Life has been very busy for me these last few weeks, so it's been hard to find time to work on a review.  There's been good stuff and bad stuff: my dad is moving into a memory care home near me, which is a lot of work and a little depressing, but my nephew got married in Colorado, which was super-fun and a great excuse to see tons of family...and see a new part of the country!  I'm sad to report that the Denver Doll Emporium, which used to have a great showroom, is no longer operating as a storefront: just an online business.  I remember buying one of my Tonner Cinderellas there--in person--which left a lasting impression.

Anyway, I was thinking about what I could do for the blog this week and then I remembered something!  Back in July, my husband and I went on a quick weekend trip to exotic Pennsylvania.  We rented a funky old renovated barn with a swimming pool so that I could escape the heat for a few nights.  I never go on a trip without dolls in tow, and this time I had my two newest Maru and Friends Mini Pals with me.  They had a wonderful time exploring the grounds of the house, and I took about 500 pictures of them in the process.  So this week I pulled those pictures out, sorted through them, and am now ready to share these cuties (and their enhanced articulation!) with you:

Marceline (left) and Maru (right) from Maru and Friends.

Tea with Lena: 1:6 Scale Pregnant Dolls, Part Two

Sorry for the delay in getting this pregnant doll sequel up and running!  Things have been tumultuous with my family lately.  My dad has dementia, which is a horribly cruel fate, and a lot of the weight of that situation has shifted to my shoulders lately.  So my productivity might dwindle for a while, but I won't stop playing with dolls!  It's what keeps me relatively sane.  And it's always nice to have the promise of a new baby (doll or otherwise) to balance out the heartache of an aging loved one, so Lena's pregnancy, and anything having to do with that, has been a welcome tonic.

When last we met, in Part One of this review, Midge was sharing some of her friends' birth stories with Lena, hoping to bolster her with reassurance and excitement about the idea of pregnancy.  I fear that the interaction had the opposite effect.  After hearing stories of twins, missing limbs, strangely-colored babies, and gaping stomach holes, Lena had a bit of a confidence setback.

But I'm feeling optimistic about today.  Midge took some time to refine her stories, and Lena has lowered her expectations.  What could go wrong?

Mom & Baby Surprise doll by Zuru, $24.99 (affiliate link).

Tea with Lena: 1:6 Scale Pregnant Dolls, Part One

As some of you may know, my beloved assistant Lena is expecting a baby!  She broke the news to her husband Ian (and all of us) on Father's Day, but I'm not exactly sure when she's due.  She doesn't tell me everything.  What I do know is that she's been feeling a little nervous about the whole experience these last few weeks.

I can (vaguely) remember the mix of excitement and anxiety that comes with a first pregnancy, and I know how nice it was to be able to share my feelings with other moms during that time.  So, I thought it might be valuable for Lena to have a little tea-time chat with another pregnant mom, and maybe hear a few uplifting birth stories in the process:

Lena in her new nursery.

Sunday Surprise: MINNEE by Zuru!

Blogging life feels a little frantic right now!  There are so many new dolls coming into my house, it's hard to keep up.  But it's also really fun to be surrounded by so many new things.  I wasn't very happy with the new Zuru Spaces room that I reviewed last week, mostly because it isn't really new: it's just a copy of a Rolife Super Creator set.  I'll admit that my experience with that toy produced some uncharitable thoughts about Zuru as a company.  But, in the whiplash way that is so typical of the doll world, this week's review has those opinions turned upside down.

One of my most eagerly anticipated summer releases has been Zuru's blind box Minnee collection, or technically MINNEE collection.  The name feels uninspired to me, despite the all-caps font and the reversed "N."  But the concept of these dolls is great.  Zuru claims that they are "the world's smallest poseable fashion dolls," and if that's the case, I'm already a big fan:

Zuru Minnee blind box, $14.99 each (affiliate link).

Quick Look: The Mini Brands Copycat Spaces Collection by Zuru

I've posted a lot of big, multi-doll reviews lately.  Those take a long time to write...and a long time to read!  And I'm not even done: there are at least two more mega-reviews on the way as I try to explore some of the hot new summer releases.  However, right now I'm waiting for a few stragglers that are necessary to start those reviews, so I thought it'd be a good chance to pause and do a nice, simple Quick Look!

During one of my many trips to Target this month, I noticed a group of flashy-looking building sets in sleek black boxes sitting on a high shelf.  On closer inspection, I could have sworn they were re-packaged Rolife Super Creator sets, which is something I adore and have written about several times.  But no.  It's a new Zuru Mini Brands product called Spaces, and it has stunning, piece-for-piece similarity to Rolife.  Those of you who are here regularly might swear that you've already seen this cover picture (or at least the ice cream items) in one of my Rolife reviews.  But this is the Zuru product:

Mini Brands Spaces Sweet Scoops Ice Cream Store by Zuru, $39.99 (affiliate link).

KPop Demon Hunters Dolls by Mattel

I'm so excited to be finally writing this review!  I've been waiting for the KPop Demon Hunters dolls to come out ever since I saw the movie.  Actually, I take that back.  I've been waiting for these dolls to come out ever since the What it Sounds Like limited edition trio was announced on Mattel's site way back in November of 2025.  I didn't actually watch the movie until a few months ago (and then I watched it again last week and the week before).  The movie certainly enhanced my anticipation for the dolls immensely.  It's so good.  I love almost everything about it, and (spoilers) I love almost everything about these dolls:

KPop Demon Hunters dolls by Mattel, $26.97 each (affiliate link).

Mirror Mi Dolls by MGA Entertainment

With all of the big summer releases that I mentioned in my last review, I wasn't sure which ones to buy first, and then which ones to review first!  I guess I'm most excited about the KPop Demon Hunters dolls. I've been waiting for those like a predator ever since I saw the movie.  And I've pre-ordered everything associated with that franchise.  But I preordered a lot of other new releases, too.  And, as it happened, the Mirror Mi girls showed up on my doorstep first.

Even then, I was hesitant to review this brand right away.  The Mirror Mi doll who I'm the most excited about is Suki Goldpetal, and I haven't been able to get my hands on her yet.  She's a Walmart exclusive and has been slower to roll out than the other characters.  It feels competitive to buy Suki right now, but I know that feeling won't last.  MGA doesn't tend to limit their dolls, so for collectors, a little patience goes a long way.

As a reviewer, I don't have time to be patient.  There are so many new and exciting dolls that I want to look at this summer!  My schedule is full and I can't afford to wait around for one elusive character.  So, I decided to forge ahead with a review of the Mirror Mi dolls that I have right now.  One of whom, as you might have predicted, is the spicy redheaded rocker, Blaze Maxx:

Mirror Mi Blaze Maxx by MGA Entertainment, $29.99.