Addition of Crystal Waltz and Tears of the Blue Sea to my Nutcracker collection
I think I'm only missing the Christmas version of nutcracker now ahah
We can tell I'm obsessed with this sculpt and idk why. I just love it. I may start doing more detailed posts talking about the quality and do some closeup pics because I love talking about dolls and their details
Collectible Cuties #3: Compare & Contrast NAGI vs Liroro
Welcome back everyone! Today we will be looking at two popular blind box dolls; one BJD and one MJD and do just as the title says: compare and contrast. There are several different blind box 1/12ths available on the market, and these two brands are not the only options for buyers. They just happen to be the two that I own.
For those who don't know; BJD means "ball jointed doll" and MJD means "mechanical jointed doll". Popular BJD brands are D.O.D., Den of Angels, Dollfie, Dollzone, etc. and popular MJD brands are Nendoroid and Nendoroid dolls, Dream Fairy, EVA, etc.
The main difference between the two is that BJDs are strung with hollowed joints for the elastic to pass through. The elastic is anchored through the hands and feet and stretched through hollow limbs and joints to come to a hook inside the head keeping it taught. MJDs however have no such feature and instead have PVC or ABV plastic joints that have ball and socket, hinge, and swivel movement points. Their hands and feet are detachable without unstringing the doll, and easily swappable.
I wanted to keep as clear of a baseline between these two brands excluding things like measurements. Liroro is made by Simontoys which are BJDs, and NAGI is by CYTOYS which are MJDs. Both are approximately 1/12th scale dolls, are both roughly 5.9 - 6" tall including the head, both are blind boxes, and are both female sculpts with glass eyes. Both dolls also come with a collector card, and a manual for how to use/alter the doll and its measurements. I also picked dolls that have magnets in the head for animal ears to keep it consistent as possible. Liroro Summer Island will be on the left, NAGI Illusory Realm will be on the right.
The first big difference is price. Liroros are more expensive at $24.65 USD while NAGI retails for $19.86 USD (before taxes or shipping). Why the price difference? Lets look closer:
Undressed, NAGI are generally thicker with more defined wider waists, with a waist articulation point that Liroro doesn't have. Breasts are slightly more defined, with more of a thigh gap, and also a more yellowed skintone. The fingers are chunkier and without the hair plates, the head is completely round. Liroros are daintier in the joints and are difficult to lie down flat. You can see the removable plate for the eyes from behind, and the faceplate has been shaved off in a polygonal shape with more defined human ears. Hairpiece wise (not pictured), Liroros are MUCH heavier and their heads have trouble staying up as a result. I also find that their hairpieces tend to want to come apart due to the weight.
Liroro typically comes with 4 pairs of hands, or 7 to 8 hands per doll, NAGI typically only comes with 3 pairs. This makes sense for why Liroro are more expensive as they use more material to make more pieces.
What NAGI lacks in hands, it more than makes up for in outfit pieces. NAGI usually come with underwear and have more complex outfits than Liroro does. Please note that this may not be true with every single line from each brand, but with the multiple I have from each, it seems relatively consistent.
Even the collector cards have differences! NAGIs have a chibi drawing of the character and a QR code on the back, while Liroros have a cute paper doll with clothing stickers for you to dress.
So which is best? Honestly it depends what you find more valuable in a doll. Liroros while more dainty, expensive, and with less articulation points do have more simple outfits, more hands, cuter card art, and a more natural skin-tone. NAGI meanwhile while have more complex outfits, cheaper price point, and are easier to pose with their extra joint and thicker bodies. Honestly? I like them both <3 Tell me who you like the most! Thank you again for stopping by and wishing you only the best.
