Emerging Rebel Kyori – Will The Eyes Have It?
The first doll of Integrity Toys’ Fashion Royalty “A Delicate Bloom” Collection is starting to hit collectors’ doorsteps. Her name is Emerging Rebel Kyori and true to her name she is entering the collecting world with some controversy. The title of this blog post is kind of a play on words. When you vote to pass a measure for something the verbiage is always, “Those in favor say ‘AYE’“ and if there are more yes’s than no’s the motion passes or “The Aye’s have it.” There is a current issue being voted on by collectors of Integrity Toys and it’s all about the eyes.
Let me explain: Integrity Toys is trying out a new process with the eyes on some of their dolls. Instead of painting the inner eyes (outline, white, iris, pupils and "catch light" dots) they are using water decals. Per IT, the reasoning for going to these decals was to offer more consistency in eye placement and facial screening. (Too many “wonky eye” issues with the previously used methods.) Some collectors are concerned about the durability and quality of these decals. Given all the concerns, I was curious to see for myself if there were negative aspects to these decals from an aesthetic perspective as well as a photography perspective. I was concerned as to whether or not these decals would make the eyes appear more “dead” in a photograph. If something is too matte, it won’t reflect light effectively and gives off a dead appearance. On the other side, if something is too shiny (especially the eyes) it can create too much of a reflection that you have to clean up in Photoshop afterwards… and… that is a big pain in the back side, believe me. Who wants to spend hours in post-process just because of shiny eyes? Not me.
So… I was curious to see what would happen when I photographed one of these dolls with these decal eyes. What did I find?
1. From an aesthetic aspect… just looking at her… I wasn’t noticing anything concerning. Her screening is appealing and I think she is a pretty doll. The eyes don’t stand out as odd or off in any way. She does have a very far “to the side” eyeball placement and some are finding that fact unappealing. I can understand this. That doesn’t work for everyone.
2. From a photography stand point… there are some differences.
First and foremost, the eyeball is printed not painted so there are dots of color not continuous color. Is this a problem? Not normally in my opinion. As you see this image on your computer screen or phone, you are seeing it as dots of color as well — they are just really, really small dots. Let’s face it, most of us are not going to be looking at this doll under a microscope.
Can you see the dots in the picture above? Maybe a little but not much. Our eyes and brains are really good at melding those dots together to make it look like one cohesive color.
Secondly, I’m not going to lie — these decals catch the light differently, so when photographing, that needs to be factored in. Is this a deal breaker? For me, not really. It’s just something different. Now, as to whether these decals will hold up over time… only time will tell that one. For now, I am willing to give them a chance. For now, I’m voting “aye”.
Enough about the eyes — let’s talk about the accessories and dress! I love this dress!!! It is so elegant and fits her beautifully. The lavender shoes are perfection and the grey glasses and oversized bag are refined and chic. I don’t know who is taking over jewelry at IT but all I can say is, “Keep it going!!” The earrings and bracelet are a new design and I adore them.
Kyori’s hair color was described as medium brown in product write-ups. Have we seen Kyori with these lighter brown tresses before? I like it.
-Rebecca
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 
Thanks for an upfront and honest review. Glad you like Kyori, from what I’ve seen of her this one appears to be a bit of a break from her portrayal over the last few years.
I am also heaving a sigh of relief because I ordered her!
August 28, 2016 at 3:19 pm
You are welcome and glad you liked. Hope yours arrived safely and eye issue free 😉
September 27, 2016 at 12:38 pm
Rebecca,
Thanks for the lowdown on Kyori’s new eye decals. Now I get it !! I agree that they do not detract from her beauty at all.
Kyori’s make up palette , haircolor, and that amazing embroidered leather the dress is REALLY divine 💗 I can’t wait to get mine !!
XX K
August 28, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Thank you my dear. 🙂 Hope you are happy with her.
September 27, 2016 at 12:39 pm
I am also pleased with this information,
I don’t use photoshop so I cant fix issues
but I also don’t take pictures of every doll
I own. I do love you poses and with these
eyes the pose has to be perfect.
Your the best.
August 28, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Thank you Mike! I appreciate the support.
September 27, 2016 at 12:41 pm
The community can always depend on you for an honest, upfront review. I’m not having that great knee-jerk reaction this time either. The people who are screaming the loudest seem to be the ones who thunderously applauded the FR2 body as an upgrade and evolution in doll production. Sigh. I’m still more aggravated about the newer bodies than these eyes.
August 28, 2016 at 4:59 pm
Thank you Robyne. We are a passionate group we doll collectors. Sometimes I think people forget that we all come at things from different perspectives and we all have an equal voice. Some may not agree with me, I totally get that. That is the beauty of diversity and the individual. Wishing for a body in the future that you are 100% happy with 😉
September 27, 2016 at 12:45 pm
She is absolutely stunning! I have seen some people who are pretty upset about the whole eye decal situations. I too vote AYE but I would like to see how they stand the test of time 🙂 I personally don’t have one of these dolls yet but am very intrigued by their beauty! Wonderful photos as always :-*
-Lydia
Lydia’s Dolls
August 28, 2016 at 6:45 pm
Well said Lydia…let’s give it time then we will have more data on which to make a better judgement. I agree
September 27, 2016 at 12:45 pm
Thanks so much for your truthful and in depth review of the new eyes, loved your title by the way, very clever!
I’m still on the fence, somehow the closeup of her eyes isn’t so appealing to me….having said that I’m not a closeup person.
Love the dress, shoes and accessories, beautiful in real life. X
August 29, 2016 at 2:56 am
Thank you Penny! I was really happy with the title on this one so I appreciate you commenting on it 😉 I think it’s wise to be cautious on something you are not sure of. The dress is to die for!
September 27, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Thanks for the gorgeous pictures and thorough review. I have been experimenting with painting a gloss finish on Barbie’s eyes. I believe the vinyl dolls have decal eyes, not sure about the silk stones. The effect really makes the eyes pop in person although I’m not sure how they photograph.
August 29, 2016 at 4:59 am
Cool idea Laura! I’m going to have to look into this. Thank you!
September 27, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Your images are beautiful and flawless as always. You really have brought out the best in her. And thanks for your honest review as well. And hey, if the decal eyes are something you are comfortable with, then that is all that matters, but with all due respect, let me just say YIKES when looking at the second image with the close up and those rasterized dots in her eyes.Iit cheapens the doll for me in ways I cannot describe.
All the things that you say are not a big deal to yo, and I am frankly surprised as a photographer they would not be, such as what the eyes look like close up and how different the light reflects on them etc., are things that really matter to me. Clearly one need not to see this under a microscope to see it. It is an up close and it is noticeable and looks cheap. I mean, this is a regular close up, not a blow up from an electron microscope. Plenty of people take such close ups
Why anyone would think decals that look flat and whose dots are visible are an acceptable screening choice for high end collectible dolls is beyond me. But I do respect each collector’s decision to make that determination for themselves. I appreciate you exploring the decal eyes in this series here. It certainly helps a lot of us make an informed decision 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 8:41 am
Thanks for you honest comment L. I took a while to respond to these decal eye comments because I wanted to give some time for the dust to settle a bit. Comments were getting heated on the doll boards to the point that many “discussions” were removed from popular chat sites. This is obviously something that some collectors feel very strongly about. It sounds like you fall in this category. I simply don’t feel that strongly.
As a photographer, I have to deal with many issues day in day out involving abnormalities, differences or things I don’t wish to see in my photographs. It’s the nature of working within a visual medium. I could write a book on the funny and or annoying things I have to work around in dance photography ( you don’t want to know…believe me ;-)). The color dots on the super close up shots on these eyes rank low on the totem pole for me. I realize that is just me though and respect that this doesn’t work for some. You get to make your own consumer choices on that one.
The fact that these decals may easily come off is a valid concern. That is a quality issue and will need to be addressed if it happens consistently. What I would be interested in seeing is more uniformity and consistency in facial screening as a whole….particularly in the eyes. If these decals are a way to make that happen, I’m willing to give it a chance to play out. I may be totally wrong and it may not do that but I would at least like to give it the opportunity to play out before I dismiss it. That, again, is just me and my opinion.
I appreciate you giving your opinion and adding your data points to this growing pool of information on the issue. I hope that we can respectfully agree to disagree on the issue at this time.
September 27, 2016 at 1:00 pm
Thank you for these beautiful pictures of Kyori. I think the fashion is amazing and must give props to the designers and IT for the execution on the dress. The embroidery is beautiful and even the stem line is aligned perfectly through the seam from the skirt into the top. I must admit I don’t really like the look of Kyori’s eyes in this incarnation. Not sure it’s the new eye technique as much as the color combination and design this time. The scale seems a little off somehow. I will say I don’t like the heavier black line on the outside of the pupils, it’s less natural. This doesn’t make it a ‘no’ vote for me on the new eye process. I loved the look of the IFDC Dasha’s eyes which also used it. For me the Jury is still out and I believe personal preference is a factor. I’m interested to see how the rest of the FR collection turns out this year.
August 30, 2016 at 2:06 pm
You are welcome Lisa! Yes, I can see your points and I know many of us are following along at a cautious pace. I also looking forward to receiving more dolls from this line to see how this whole eye issue plays out.
September 27, 2016 at 1:01 pm
Your photos are lovely. However, I’m afraid I’m in the “nay” camp as opposed to the “aye”.
I do find the eyes rather dead looking and lacking expression. Also, they look very far apart. When I look at the doll I only see stickers for eyes. I don’t need to spend $130 to “try” this new method out. The photographs, although lovely, speak volumes.
I do like her dress. Just think it would have popped a bit better in another color.
September 1, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Fairly stated. We all have our own position on which we stand and our own wallets with which we make our consumer choices. The fashion on this lady is really something. I believe that will be showing up on another model soon 😉
September 27, 2016 at 1:03 pm