Obscure, Rare, or Lesser Known BJD Resin Doll Companies and Independent Creators
Some artists and shops I know of and think you should too! (Mostly from Korea and China.)
Last updated April 2022.
ARK Doll (@arkdoll_bjdclub on Instagram): Two handsome 70cm guys (comparable to SSDF/“strong uncle” size), carried by dealer Legend Doll for overseas sale, as written on the creator’s Instagram.
Artito Doll (@artitodoll on Instagram, @ArtiTogeun on Twitter): Independent doll artist from South Korea, due to release their first sculpt in June of 2022.
Atelier LIMO: A fine arts brand operated by doll company Little Monica in Korea, they sell heads created by student or apprentice sculptors, either in SD or MSD size.
ATStudio/Hook / 哈克 (cap.hook0101 on Instagram): Maker of handsome Idealian-sized guy heads and a new 74cm body which were sold in limited releases and I think at doll events? Some may be familiar with their Baker sculpt, or perhaps Tengo, but they seem to be quite elusive. Collaborated with Lucaille (IG mewoh.l_66) featuring gorgeous lace-front wigs. Update: New Baker on the M74 body can be pre-ordered through Lucaille!
BNBDoll: Cute guys on a 65cm body, with rounded, youthful features reminiscent of Migidoll.
Bodoll: 1/3 heads and 1/6-scale mature minis, all of which seem to be sold on a preorder basis.
Capsule Sculpt Etsy (inausg on Instagram): A Taiwanese artist who sculpts both traditionally and digitally. Their 1/3 girl head Eva, available for a limited time, reflects the artistry of their craft, with a dreamy expression and rounded cheeks that bring to mind an antique porcelain doll.
Devotion Doll (6anli on Instagram): Delicate sculpts that fit 60-65cm bodies, sold in limited sales periods. Their Five Senses collection reflects how “Through our eyes, skin, tongue, nose and ears, we feel and we live”. Sense and Palate were previously released, with future plans for Vision, Aroma, Hearken and Caress.
Dollits: Currently offering 43cm girls, formerly 1/6 Yo-SD and 70cm EID-range size sculpts and bodies.
Dreaming Doll: Girl and boy dolls in multiple different sizes.
Fantasia Doll/Uidoll: Their original claim to fame was their Elder line, with a male and female body in the same size range as Iplehouse EID. After closing down for at least a few years, they returned with new bodies in more conventional sizes in the 60cm range.
Fulled Heaven x Sealed Heaven by R.Dean (rdean_zu on Instagram): A popular faceup artist turned doll sculptor, with four big Idealian75-size guy heads so far and plans for smaller versions in the future. Also makes eyes under the brand name of Ash in Noon.
Kana Doll (kana798 on Instagram): A long-time artist in the hobby. Adrian is probably her most popular sculpt. Heads are in SD13~17 range with delicately rounded features and boyish charm.
Illusion Garden (illusiongarden_doll on Instagram): I’d say these dolls fall firmly into the “rare” category most, despite being a bit obscure; their 65cm size boy heads are notoriously hard to get ahold of, even when sending an e-mail order at the exact time and date when pre-orders are open. (I’m totally not bitter after failing for consecutive years in a row… Maybe it’s just not meant to be!)
IZE Stage (ize_stage on Instagram): Handsome and strong-featured male sculpts that fit larger, 75cm bodies like Soom ID75. Their peach resin is a good match for the Souldoll Tera Zenith body in normal resin.
Jround (@aakik_o on Instagram, jroun_d on Twitter): Headed by Akiko, a multitalented artist who paints faceups and makes eyes in addition to 3D modeling. Their first head, NEO, debuted in April 2022 for a limited time, hopefully with more on the way!
LeMoon (jihong_lemoon on Instagram): Adorable 1/3 60-65cm and 75cm boy heads in Switch resin colors; limited pre-order periods only.
Mazarine Blue Doll (mbluedoll on Instagram): SD head and MSD girl on pre-order.
Mokona Doll (fulfilled by Dearmine, mokona_doll on Instagram): SD-sized heads that were crafted love to have kind and good-natured faces.
Mori 9’s Doll (hierophantmori on Instagram): Has beautiful sculpts created by 3D modeling, with Idealian size Veles and Austaras sold by email lottery. Their older Nanase sculpt (to whom I’ll affectionately refer as “pretty boy with tongue sticking out”) seems to be highly sought after in the Chinese secondhand market. Some of their works were released in collaboration with Universe Doll (Blue Wolf, White Fox), and for a limited time by Doll Family-H (Lu Xian).
MyDolling: Dolls in 24, 31, 42-45 and 53cm sizes, mostly girls, sculpted by South Korean artist Gu Mi Jung, best known for the Zaoll and Narsha lines fulfilled by Dollmore.
Mystery Phoenix: Lovely 66cm girls, often with a distinctly Chinese inspiration/fashion.
NakanaDoll Etsy/Nakana Workshop (nakana_workshop on Instagram) : SD full girl dolls or just the head, and one boy sculpt, charming like the subjects of an oil painting portrait.
PLUTOdolls Etsy: Childlike 1/4 MSD sculpts sold on their original body, both male and female.
Prime/Frame (prime_frame on Twitter, primeframe_bjd on Instagram): Original heads and a few bodies to choose from: 70cm and two 65cm, SD17 range bodies, one male with a slender and less muscular build, and one female with nice defined abs and biceps. All sold on a limited basis. Resin colors are close to Switch.
Pygmalion Doll (pygmalion_doll on Instagram): They offer an array of gorgeous sculpts, mainly for bigger, 70cm bodies, who look like supermodels or pop star idols. Released during certain pre-order periods, they also have the TEIA71 body (Iplehouse EID size) available for purchase.
Redollent (redollent_bjd on Instagram): Original head sculpt and a 65cm body with either female or androgynous features. Resin colors match Switch.
Rosetta Doll (rosettadoll_maker on Instagram): Limited SD-sized boy and girl sculpts in the 60-65cm size range. They don’t seem to get re-released often, if at all, so make sure to preorder before they’re gone!
Rugged Realism (dkeats888.03 on Instagram): An Australia-based sculptor who creates amazing original bodies and sculpts in SD size. Their first series included some ruggedly handsome dudes but unfortunately, it seems they won’t be sold again. There is now a second collection of 65cm gentlemen, “Rites of Passage,” which debuts on May 25, 2022.
Simply Meant to Be (obscure_kind on Instagram) So far one slim MSD boy doll, Dohwee, has been released, with two preorders to date: a whimsical cutie who became quite popular in the Asian communities, to the point it was even recasted, so watch out for cheap sales from random dealers, like some found on eBay.
Sooleedoll/Msdoll: 1/4, MSD girls as a head or full doll, and older 1/3 SD sculpts sold in limited openings.
Souris Etoile (souris_etoile on Instagram): 60-65cm, SD13-17 size single heads, good match for Switch resins. Opened through limited pre-orders only.
Story of (the) Seventh Day (story_of_seventh_day on Instagram) Recently released the ambitious 73cm “Horus” doll, based on imagery of the Egyptian god, with a human and eagle head. Clocking in at a whopping $1,700, with optional parts available at $75 more, he can be purchased from authorized dealer Moonlight BJD in a limited quanty of 100. Their next doll Seth, a counterpart to Horus, is currently in the works.
Theo Doll (fulfilled through Dollmore): The eponymous Theo is an adorable 60cm guy from the same sculptor of the Zaoll girls, Gu Mi Jung. Described as having eyes which are “pensive yet handsome,” with a “natural Asian bodyline” (realistically slim) and an overall impression of being “friendly and congenial.”
Vings (dollvings on Instagram): First rising to prominence as a urethane eye maker, now offering 68-70cm bodies and heads in a variety of different resin colors, great for hybrids. Sold in limited releases, their work can be purchased through the company’s Taobao shop or dealers like newclover-singing and Moonlight BJD House.
WinterRain Studio: Cute 1/3 SD boy sculpts offered on a 60 or 65cm body.
Yicen/Y.Cen / Hivernal Serenade (yicen061 on Instagram; yicen on Flickr): Has released two male sculpts, Chong Lin and Wu Qi, on a 75cm body, fulfilled by Moonlight BJD House. Notable past works include Chi Ye/Chilly and Douglas Winchester (I goofed and put Dean Winchester at first, but that didn’t look right…)
