Bear with this very wordy post, there are pics at the bottom that may be useful for doll rebodying fans! Also this is post 1 of 2 so check out the others as well.
If you collect custom Pullip dolls (or really any fashion type doll that comes with a sub par standard body) you’ve probably spent an inordinate amount of time and money looking for a replacement body that better suits your needs. For Pullip collectors it is generally either an Obitsu body, a Pure Neemo body, or a Barbie Made to Move body. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Made to Move poses amazingly well and feels very solid, but is much taller than the default Pullip body,the hands and joints aren’t the prettiest, and it is difficult to color match to the paler Pullips color range (for the mocha and tan Pullips Made to Move is the best/only option though). This body does allow for head tilted poses.
Obitsu is also a great option and poses amazingly well, has pretty hands and joints, and matches the paler Pullip colors very well (unfortunately there is no Obitsu option for darker toned dolls unless you can find the long discontinued coconut Obitsu). The main issue with Obitsu for Pullips is that the large head tends to be wobbly on the Obitsu body, and the torso has a tendency to come apart for the same reason. In general the Obitsu body can become floppy very easily when used with Pullip head. This body does allow for head tilted poses.
Pure Neemo is super pretty, and has some colors that match the paler Pullips well and also have tan and brown shades available in some of their bodies. The Pure Neemo bodies are also really solid and feel much sturdier than the Obitsu. However the range of motion in the joints isn’t as good as the Made to Move or Obitsu bodies. This body does not allow for head tilted poses.
So which way to go?
I found another option (maybe everybody else already knows this body but I hadn’t seen it before) - the YMY Female Doll Body 24. This body actually is 22 or 24 cm depending on which arms/legs you attach, has a small or large bust, multiple sets of very pretty hands, has a nice solid feel and texture and is a good color match for the paler Pullips (you will want the Milky White, the Super White is in fact ssssuuuuuppppper white). This body does allow head tilt poses if you use the neck pegs that come with it which will work for Blythe dolls or most other fashion type dolls but the peg doesn’t work for Pullips so the workaround needed to make it work for a Pullip does lose the head tilt option. This body can be purchased on Amazon and costs about $18 USD.
Note: YMY does make a male body as well that I will be trying with one of my Taeyang dolls and will update with the result. The male bodies do also offer a tan option so we will see how it works with a tan doll.
Here is the packaging the YMY body comes in:
And inside we see the body along with the alternate leg/arm/chest pieces, hands, and neck adapters:
As noted, the neck adapters included will work for Blythe, Barbie, and most other fashion type dolls but will not work for a Pullip. Instead I used a couple of the adapter pieces in conjunction with a screw and some vinyl bands. I removed the default neck bob and used a dremel to drill a small hole inside the neck to attach the screw, and used the adapter pieces and vinyl bands to create a new neck bob that would work with Pullip (you will need to remove the eye mech and install the neck peg behind it):
Below you can see the body on the doll with the default Pullip body and an Obitsu body that the doll was previously on:
Next post will have some comparison pics!