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I saw someone customize some Power Rangers figures, giving them rooted hair and face ups, and someone in the comments was like, “oh great, you turned these collectible action figures into dolls”. The idea that “dolls” are somehow inferior- just because they have brushable hair? changeable outfits?- is fascinating to me.
Wow, those people sound sad. Isn't it way cooler if Power Rangers had rooted hair? People already love to customize them, adding painted details here and there, and I think it would be fantastic to be able to change their hairstyles, too!
But some figures have brusheable hair and changeable clothes, I think the biggest difference is the material they're made off and the details. Dolls have every accessory x3 bigger than normal, while figures are more accurate and price... Or at least that's the biggest difference I find as a harry potter (wizardly world) collector who has dolls and action figures.
I always found action figures lame because they lack brushable hair and removable outfits. That feature is elevating. To me, all molded plastic is just lazy. Figures are fine because they aren't toys, but a toy has gotta have all the features.
For me, the moment that changed my thinking on the "dolls vs. action figures" topic was actually from a doll collector. In one of the Doll Daddy's videos (you should check out his channel btw it's amazing), he was talking about the dip in Barbie's quality, I think specifically the Color Reveal line? Or maybe it was Mattel or Hasbro's cheap ass Disney princess dolls, doesn't matter. But on the topic of too many plastic molded-on tops, and other cheap ass corner-cutting, he said "they're basically just action figures now" and a lightbulb went on in my head. I, personally, do have a lot of interests like comics and superheroes where if I wanted I could buy merch that would be labelled as "action figures," but I never do. There's just something about a well-made fashion doll that I find much more appealing and satisfying. Sure the root of the difference between dolls and action figures is marketing, but that does result in them also looking quite different as finished products most of the time. I don't like hard plastic hair and clothes, I usually don't like the overall design of a lot of action figures in the faces or bodies. The way the products are stylized... it's like they have their own languages. And the fashion doll language is what speaks to me, personally. Like as a huge Wonder Woman fan, I've loved most of her Barbie collabs but I've never blinked at any particular action figure of her. In my opinion, the more pleasing aesthetics of fashion doll conventions just makes them better than action figures.
I think most girls grew up playing with dolls as if they were action figures. You best believe my monster high dolls played hunger games to the death, I played war between my bratz and Barbies. If action figures are for simulated violence, then my dolls were action figures because I sure as hell battled them out more than I dressed them up
I grew up with action figures, but was more interested in playing out their social and familial dynamics than making them fight. For instance, I had a Lugia figure who was the son of a straight up artist's drawing mannequin. I even had a dollhouse for them full of cute furniture where they lived. It's interesting to know this went the other way for people with dolls as well.
the distinction between dolls and action figures is mostly based on misogyny and gender roles. and kids don't care about that before they have been told they must or they will suffer social consequences. girls like; dolls, action figures, fighting, cheesy roleplays and dress up. boys like; dolls, action figures, fighting, cheesy roleplays and dress up! lol they will combine them in any way they want, im glad you had fun in your way! hope more kids are too :)
The biggest difference that comes to mind is the accessories. in my mind, if most of the accessories are weapons/for attack purposes, then its an action figure. And as a boy, I was always jealous that none of my toys had anything useable outside of combat; they always had to sleep outside and eat nothing, meanwhile my sisters toys lived in a mansion with a car, a dog, an entire wardrobe, and enough food for the winter (I lost many men during those harsh times😢)
I feel like the only real difference between "doll" and "action figure" is play style, and that's determined by the individual(s) playing. I exclusively had my barbies digging trenches, flying off the roof for parachute stunts, and doing hardcore deathmatch wrestling. They were very much action figures, but I still called them barbie dolls. It's all just marketing terminology to make sure Big Gender doesn't lose its choke hold on capitalism 😌
In Finland I think a word ”nukke” (= a doll) is equally used both in ”girls” and ”boys” toys. E.g. In advertisement a toy can be called ”Action Man - nukke”, ”Turtles - nukke” or ”Barbie fashionista - nukke”. Sometimes a word ”muotinukke” (a fashion doll) is used, but not that often, and there’s not really a translation to action figurine.
As a woman who likes to collect G.I. Joe, I declare that all Joes are just dolls! Add Transformers to them, too, these ones you can actually dress up. ;DD
It’s funny bc kids 9 times out of 10 don’t care if their toys are purposely marketed towards the opposite sex. It really just the parents/guardians that make it a pressing issue. Kids just see toys and have fun with their imagination. You are right about monster high, I never thought to see them as action figures but in context it makes sense vs them being fashion dolls😭
I liked gi joes as a kid. As i got older and saw and heard things about them i was confused that they were "only for boys" and definitely not dolls. Their articulation and such was way better than kens. The knock off ones i had could even wear ken clothes.
"Boy media" felt alienating to me too as a kid! To me it was to the point that I dismissed most of "boy stuff" as ugly and violent and boring, despite kinda being a boy myself. It's only in adulthood that I've given a chance to stuff like superhero comics or even shonen/seinen anime, and enjoyed some of it.
Kinda same here, I've consumed alot of content that is considered "girly" back then like Totally Spies, ppg, and those Barbie games because they're more grounded in reality at times while boys content are tend to be over exaggerated. I appreciate both world so tend to switch one over another. And yes I agree men often times are such snowflake when it comes to "girly things" while girls and women can enjoy more freely with things that are considered "masculine" *cough* *cough* Marvel movies *cough*
In my opinion objects made to look like people come in two categories, statues which are meant to just be looked at, and dolls which are for playing with. Action figures are just a type of doll along with porcelain dolls, baby dolls, fashion dolls, etc.
@texbex1468 type of statue meant for selling clothes. Not a doll even though it's 'dressed up' bc it's not for playing with but for customers to look at
Porcelain dolls? Are they really meant to be played with? I mean, they’re made of a pretty fragile material, and most people I know who like them mostly just want to display or collect them, and of those people with kids, they don’t typically let them play with them for that reason
I have so many friends that as girls asked their parents for a Max steel figure to be the boyfriend of Barbie, because he was just way cooler than Ken, I like to believe some girls also did the same with G I joe at some point
Both my action figures and my sisters dolls were our puppets for our soap operas. lots of fights, disasters, tragedy and of course endless amounts of drama
My sister and I did that w gi joe idk why we didn’t like Ken, even tho joe was shorter than Barbie we didn’t care he had a parachute and a hand that closed into a fist
Growing up, and even now, I enjoyed both action figures and dolls. I never once thought that action figures were for boys and dolls were for girls. I just played with what I wanted. I am lucky to have a mom that supports my hobbies and let me play with both action figures and dolls.
This topic goes way back. Growing up in the late 60's and during the 70's I had to explain to my mom that the Bionic Woman was an action figure that happened to have a house and clothes so I could get one. Crazy how semantics mold people's thoughts.
I feel like *now* it is used as “clothes are molded on” vs clothes are removable/fashion is the purpose, and I think dolls lean to 1:6 scale, and action figures are significantly smaller. Growing up, my brother had Star Wars dolls, which were the size of Barbie, they were harder to find, the action figure size was much more common. I think GI Joe Dolls are certainly harder to find now. The action figures for GI Joe I remember seeing, WWE and a lot of the revival/collector action figures are the ones with the molded on outfits, and are smaller. I do wonder why “boys toys” being on the smaller size. (hot wheels, Lego, action figures) where “girls toys” have a larger scale typically. The with the oddity like Polly pocket or littlest pet shop where being small is the gimmick. Again, with the Star Wars dolls, I remember it being very uncommon, maybe it’s because they can fit in other play sets/vehicles. I feel this would be a good panel to ask an expert at a convention lol.
I remember in Darling’s video of Lego Friends they said that Lego did a study where they discovered that girls tend to be more interesting in details. They liked the interior of the Lego structures and wanted to play with the sets after building whereas boys used the Lego sets as backdrops. I think that’s probably a lot to do with why dolls are usually 1:6 scale. It’s a lot easier to act out interpersonal conversations and add fine details at the larger scale. Smaller action figures are easier to throw around and fly all around the room for more action-orientated play styles.
'Girls toys' are generally bigger because it makes it easier for little girls to take the clothes on and off the dolls. Similarly 'boys toys' are smaller so it's easier to produce playsets for the tiny figures to roam around in. You do see playsets for girls toys a lot too sometimes (polly pocket being a big example) but most of the time they're more set pieces for creating scenarios in over already set up sets that you see more often with stuff produced for boys.
@@smegellimesthis. I will also add that there is probably a limit to how small a doll can be before making conventional cloth based clothing becomes incredibly difficult and limited
My whole life i have always looked at "action figures" and thought they just looked like they were trapped in one situation. My Barbies could be anything they wanted to be at any time, but my brother's rescue heroes were stuck being firemen or divers forever. I think Lego has ignored the opportunity to match the changeability of regular minifigures in the Friends line for too long. I always built regular minifig clothing stores in my lego cities. Lego is already in the buisness of small parts, so i dont see why they couldn't just make their Friends have clothing like the clickable hard plastic polly pocket clothes most of us hated. They sucked on Pollys, but I think lego is the perfect medium for hard plastic clothes that click into place.
Legos sometimes came with removable capes or dresses that pop on underneath the head. I'm 100% sure they're still doing this and could easily make clothes for their Friends lines if the heads are removable
Yes I thought the same. The articulation was better but "boy dolls" usually had molded hair/clothes and I always thought that was a little sad for them
@@NoiseDay my minifigs from Legoland Florida have skirts! They don't bend or anything, but they look fine. I actually used to make skirts for them with the capes because you could just attach them to the pants instead of the neck lol
I'm on board with considering baby dolls action figures. Some of those things come spring-loaded, even! Absolutely an action figure. My son has three, and they all have been involved in extreme sporta, given ice cream gor supper and laid down to sleep. They had a full day.
When I think of the differences between Fashion Dolls and Action Figures, the only difference I can truly think of that differentiates them both is this: Action figures have head to toe molded on pieces and the whole shooting something spring-loaded gimmick; whereas Fashion Dolls have very little molded on parts(i.e. Ken, and any other boy doll with molded hair), and have a variety of clothes you can dress your dolls up in.
To me it’s an extensive collection of clothes that separate them. If I had, say, a dinosaur toy that was poseable/ articulated and had chomping action and made sounds, I’d say it’s an action figure. If that same exact toy had a large collection of outfits and accessories, more than just a few, specifically for it, I’d say it’s a fashion doll. A scaley, loud, reptilian fashion doll. Which is honestly something I’d like to see lol. Something like the Darling Dinos from the 80’s
Looking at older G.I. Joe, I kind of want them to bring back actual clothes. Well, they sometimes put capes and other accessories, but that's not enough. Sure, it's difficult to accomplish, as nowadays toys from franchises such as this one represent established characters, but I wouldn't mind some kind of civilian outfits for Duke or Scarlett, heck, even Snake Eyes.
I've always collected female action figures and you're so right - it was always so hard to find the female characters. McFarlane recently said some pretty problematic things about female characters in action figures. And 100% agree about Wonder Woman... we rarely get her actual look and instead McFarlane keeps making figures of his friends' horrible costumes that attempt to make Wonder Woman more "badass".
Todd McFarlane is just kind of a jerk in general imo. Like yes he's creative and has been influential in the toy industry and I respect that, but he doesn't have to be... Like That™️
I always separated them by all plastic and not all plastic. Most action figures the entire thing is made of plastic (clothes and hair) whereas a doll would have fabric or rooted hair. But at the end of the day for me, even if it does or doesn't have articulation, if the clothes are plastic then it's an action figure in my opinion most of the time.
I guess I think of dolls as 'slice of life' and action figures as violence-adjacent. Like in Small Soldiers, when the toy developers respond to a battle themed toy line as violent, and the boss says 'we don't call it violence, we call it action'.
As a collector of both, I always think of action figures as having molded plastic clothes. If there’s fabric I immediately think doll. I guess, to me, the best way moving forward to do away with the gendered marketing is to label everything as just “figures”. Monster High? Figures. Star Wars Black Series? Figures. Hot Toys? Really expensive figures. Barbie? Figures. Slap a descriptive word before it. Fashion figure. Adventure figure.
"If there's fabric I immediately think doll." I have several Mego action figures sitting in my doll collection and not with my other collectables for EXACTLY that reason. That's honestly one of the reasons I like the Mego figures; I can get traditionally not doll-material characters (like Batman Beyond) in doll form.
@@ariadnefrolich7243 yes! I have a few megos and they’re mixed in with my dolls as well! I randomly saw a few on clearance at GameStop and fell in love with them. I keep my eyes open for them now because they’re amazing dolls of characters I don’t think we’d ever get from a “real doll line”
When Monster High G3 first came out, I thought they looked more like action figures than fashion dolls. Especially with their packaging and plastic accessories.
It's kind of like how nendoroid has two main lines going on right now, the regular nendoroids which are small figures with removable joints and parts and the nendoroid dolls which are nendoroids with small ball jointed doll style bodies with fabric clothing, but both of them can be either one depending on what body their head is put onto.
Interesting Topic! I differ them from a doll got clothes you can switch but an action figure got moulded vinyl clothes. In my eyes GI Joe 12" or Click N Play World Peacekeepers 1:6 is dolls. With the new Made to Move bodies Barbie is if not invading the GI collectors they make raids in to the area. Many Barbie collectors collect "murder dads" as well. Monster High is clearly a doll but I am not that found of them. Except collecting Made to Move dolls I buy products with accessories that is cool. If the Items is to small I got a bunch of Big Jim dolls that can use them.
I do hope to see more of dolls and action figures taking the best of both worlds. As a kid I was always super frustrated by how my dolls (i.e. mostly Barbie) always had extremely little articulation and couldn't stand up on their own, while my action figures were doomed to wear the same outfits for the rest of their lives, save for maybe some removable accessories or something like Gambit's coat. Hell, to this day I still own the Play Arts Edward Elric I got for my 12th birthday; You can, in theory, remove his jacket so he's just wearing his shirt, but for whatever reason doing so is a convoluted process in which you have to pull off his arms (and let me tell you the joints on those things are NOT forgiving, Winry came with two different heads and when I tried to change them her neck peg broke lol), and then remove the completely plastic main body of the jacket. And since it's a long jacket and completely plastic, it's impossible for Ed to actually sit down while wearing it. Imagine the trouble that could have been saved if they'd just, yknow... Made him a body and then some fabric clothes, lmao. May the children of the future have Barbies that can stand up and bend their elbows and anime heroes who can take off their jackets without needing Chewbacca to rip their arms off, amen
I think biggest the difference between them is that Action figures either come with unchangeable clothes or are meant to stay as they are, while dolls are supposed to be dressed and altered.
As someone who collected both as a kid, I used to consider the dividing line to be rooted hair. But Hot Toy figures often have rooted hair, and the blind box BJD art dolls have sculpted hair, so that definition isn't very helpful either.
Dollgure is such a cursed phrase. In terms of the differences...I used to think that the big defining trait was a lack of articulation. Until I got a look at the newer Monster High dolls. And then I was like oh huh she's got the kinds of limbs my Edelgard figma has (which herself is never called an action figure but simply a figure by me because that is what she gets called in circles I'm part of). Things like the hands coming off too. Now the big difference for me in my head is the brushable hair and the removable clothes as opposed to painted on ones. Though that latter bit does run into issues because of well what about action dolls who often have brushable hair but painted on clothing? Or newer Barbies that don't have entirely removable clothing? Also what of the She-ra toys that don't have brushable hair? In the end I feel like the big difference is honestly probably just "boy toy" versus "girl toy". Though the brushable hair thing still does seem to mostly be found in things marketed as "dolls". In terms of how I personally use the terms though...I use what is most used in specific cirlces and which gets across the idea I want. I'm extremely pragmatic that way. So my Edelgard figma is a figure in anime fandom spaces and the like because we tend to use "figure" for things like her (she is also distinguished against statues which can also be called "figures", usually by way of mentioning her being a figma). If I'm talking about my eah girls I'll probably tend towards "doll" just because that is what is most understood. In cases where I do need to distinguish between fashion dolls and baby dolls I'd use "fashion doll". But part of me does want to call my Darling Charming doll an action figure. Like not for any real purpose beyond that it'd annoy a specific kind of person that I don't care for. Like yeah she's an action figure and here is my Jango Fett doll. Like how I'll use he/him pronouns sometimes even when I'm not a guy. It is A Performance. In terms of what I am, I'm just a general toy collector. I collect models, miniatures, fashion dolls, anime figures, action figures, lego and virtual pets. Only ever grabbing a few individual characters I like. The closest I get to defined collector of a specific kind of toy I think would be that I'm a Digimon vpet person. And that's because I do have a desire to have a complete collection of the things. But like overall I am just a toy collector. I'm not specialized enough to have a more specific label. Also the alienation thing is a mood. In my case it was the girl toys I found alienating. Girls like me never really showed up in them. And I was deeply aware of things like the makeover scene for tomboys in girl media so it made girl toys even more alienating. Because it's like...There's no place for people like me in them? I've since started collecting dolls I like now because I mean they're cute and fun. But I will admit that I do wish there were like. Butch dolls? Like if one of the MH girls in the main cast was just inexplicably butch. I'll admit that my boy toys didn't have butches either and they hardly have girls but like. It was easier for me as a kid to latch onto picturing myself as the boy in my kid's media because at least he dressed how I wanted to and had hair how I wanted and also usually liked girls. Now as an adult though I am just all around grumbly about a lack of butches.
And sometimes, the action figures are more posable. But that depends on the action figure. And now, dolls are more posable then they used to so uh.. the lines are being blurred but I'm completely ok with that.
@@KingOfGaymesJapanese action figures, I feel, is like a different world from American dolls and actions figures. xP Too bad, though, that figures with actual clothing are so expensive.
@@KingOfGaymes I mean... being a pop star brings you stalkers which is dangerous, and for Yu-Gi-Oh... imagine if cards could actually summon monsters in real life, not a great idea to say the least...
OMG that Jersey! Where is it from?? 💞💞💞 I need that in my life. The Oct thing could be bc it's "spooky season" and people are looking for more scary content. Not my vibe, but some people like that
I'm a HUGE fan of Xena Warrior Princess & I would love to have good dolls of Xena Gabrielle & the rest of the characters as dolls with all the amazing costumes Barbara Darragh,Ngila Dickinson & Jane Holland created. I think we only got merch marketed towards adults so that's probably why we never got dolls & instead got trading cards, crappy action figures, $300 swords & weapons. I always find that seems to be the line between action figures & dolls. At least that's what I've noticed personally. 🤷🏾♀️
Dear 10 year old Michael Ritchie, I a girl played with GI Joe along with Barbie. He was Barbie's boyfriend when Ken wasn't there. And that makes the argument of boy dolls like Bratz Boyz and Ken. Are they action figures?
This is such an interesting discussion! I have to admit that I hadn’t given it much thought before. The marketing has been so thoroughly successful that the categorization of figure vs doll happens almost subconsciously when I see one. But I think you’re right that they aren’t so different as we think. Would love to see a dnd alignment chart with doll/figure categorizations a la the “is a hot dog a sandwich” meme. Haha Personally, I mostly purchase dolls now though I have a small figure collection, too. I think the lack of variety of textures leaves me wanting now that my eyes have been opened to doll collecting.
I don't think it matters to draw a line, I've always thought dolls and action figures have more similarities than differences , to me they're basically the same thing.
I loved the miniature G.I Joe action figures, the ones with molded plastic clothes. I was hooked on the comic (that in my country was named "Action Force" to dowplay the americaness of it all.) and the figurines were intriguing. It felt so good to own the characters you liked the most. With the My Little Ponies I played, but the G.I Joe figurines I just collected. EDIT: Is My Little Pony a fashion doll, or a horse toy??
The MLP question is a good one. Child me was furious when they introduced pony clothes despite happily dressing a bunch of grey rabbits and my dolls the idea of pony dresses was mixing categories and 7 year old me was not happy 😂. I suppose the newer gens with movable limbs perhaps creep into action figure territory, but the older ones are very inactive!
Way back in the late 20th century I used to absolutely INFURIATE my youngest sibling by calling her action figures (GI Joe &TMNT mostly) dolls. It's not a habit I ever broke and I think of her every time I do it.
This is one of my fav videos of yours! You really articulated (no pun intended) the complex relationship of these toys very well! The dive into MH being apart of the blurred lines was a highlight because that’s been such a debated topic lately
it all started 5 years ago when my dad died unexpectedly. suddenly, i have a lifetime's worth of repressed memories and trauma come flooding back to me, starting with
The understanding is that action figures are for rough play and dolls are for gentle play which just plays into the rigid idea of what toys are meant for what gender.
‘Doll’ is a beautiful word. It’s cosy and evocative. I rarely say ‘fashion doll’; I prefer just ‘doll’. On the other hand, ‘action figure’ sounds kinda blah. There’s no magic in it.
I've always thought that "action figures" is just a term someone uses when they want to sound "smart". "Actually, they are action figures, not dolls!!!"
Fantastic video topic!! I really don't think we would be distinguishing between action figures and dolls if not for capitalism. I've diven into vintage toys recently, and back before WWII it seems like "doll" was mainly reserved for softer toys, while "figure" or "figurine" was reserved for wooden/tin/composition toys. You could probably write a whole thesis on the change in vocabulary lol. But there's definitely something to be said about huggable toys mainly being thought of as girl toys, while boys were expected to play with metal and wood... I love those figurines now that I'm an adult, I love collecting and displaying them, but I really don't think I would've been very attached to an Elastolin animal as a child. My favorite toys as a kid were things like rubber dinosaurs, plush horses, and Betty Spaghetti - and I don't think I'm alone in that. If your parents only allow you to play with "figures" and not "dolls" (or vice versa) I can't imagine you're gonna grow up to be a very open or accepting person. I think "action figure" vs "doll" is a bit of a silly distinction. My Ben 10 aliens are basically dolls, I display them in cute poses and I make them kiss and I wanna sew little outfits for my beloved Metamorfigures BenWolf. Who cares lol. But I think "figure" (as in, a static figurine) vs "doll" can be a usefull distinction - as long as we stop gendering their marketing xD
I remember Betty Spaghetti. I had one as a small child. That sure was a weird toy. In this argument, she was more of an action figure than a doll. She came apart and had molded plastic clothes and hair.
Interestingly, because I was more aware of the Japanese otaku scene than Western figures, when I hear "figures" I think specifically of statuettes with no or with very little posability. Those with articulation are of course, figma! I heard of the term action figure way later in my life (I live in SEA) and always imagined them to be more high-end figures with decent articulation, like Gundam figures. Watching this video is my first time learning they're just run of the mill plastic toys for kids.
i always thought the difference was just that action figures were entirely plastic/whatever material w molded-on clothes, but now you've introduced me to the fact that the lego friends are called ''dolls'' n i'm like oh! like.. those were always just figures to me 😭
Haven’t watched the video yet but wanted you to know that when i saw the title i said “HMM! Good topic idea!” Out loud to literally no one (except for maybe the 8 G3 Frankie’s that are next to my desk 😅)
After watching now! It is such an interesting topic because i feel like i have such a clear idea of what is an action figure vs what is a doll in my head but i don’t have a way to state the features that I’m using to assign the category. Like ultimately it will typically fall to whether it’s marketed for boys or for girls- but even then: GI Joe? That’s just army ken doll. And Ken is absolutely a doll so why wouldn’t gi Joe be?
i’ve been thinking about this for a while! medicom toy’s real action hero line specifically got me curious about it, because even though they’re labeled as big action figures they just feel like dolls. i use removable/swappable clothes as my indicator for what counts as a doll. i also classify them based on scale: action figures are normally a lot smaller. for the middle ground though, I’ve seen terms like “action doll” or “full action figure” thrown around. i would love to see more of those, dolls that use sculpted details or extra posability like action figures have a really cool presence!
i used to collect marvel legends action figures before i got into doll collecting and ironically my parents never stopped calling them "your x-men dolls"
i have a bunch of Action Man, Max Steel and World Peacekeepers, that i use to make photostories. i greatly enjoy making casual clothes for them, and shooting very mundane stories with them. i know a lot of other doll photographers who use 90's Action Man dolls alongside with their Barbies and Sindys. these guys bring a bit more diversity of characters!
This is fun timing for me. I recently told my 7 year old son that dolls and action figures were different so that he would stop making the dolls fight and be more gentle. Lol.
I would classify action figure as a subset of doll. Typically molded hair and clothes, fully articulated, and hard plastic are what I would classify action figure.
Here in México don't quite have a distinction in spanish. Yes, we do have the literal translation for action figures but none really calls them that. Both action figures and dolls tend to be called muñecos and muñecas or monos and monas. The last one meaning monkey is also used to refer to characters from animated series, I don't really know why we use it like that.
Yeeeees, what a refreshing video topic! It all makes me think about my Pullip dolls that are currently on Obitsu bodies. They’re “originally” meant to be for action figures, yet many people attach them to fashion doll’s heads. It’s the that very same blurred line that you mentioned, applying to those cases and the ones you’ve mentioned, that fascinate me.
For me it’s primarily function. If that sucker is meant to be banged up against other toys in pretend combat and thrown aside in an explosion, or if they’re meant to be styled or are too delicate for me to think they’re meant to be played with that way. So that hi Joe toy? Doll. To bulky for good tossing. Polly pocket? Doll. To delicate to smash without destroying clothing. (I might even categorize her as a minifigure instead, like the Lego people
I was actually at a toy fair recently talking to an action figure vendor- we had a really good conversation overall but when I said “I actually collect mostly fashion dolls” he visibly froze for a moment. It was funny to me as someone who doesn’t really care about gendered stuff too much
I look at some things called action figures and think, "No, those are dolls." But then, there are things called dolls, like some of the Prince "dolls" with all molded on clothing, or the Ursula doll that is mostly plastic and I'm like, "action figure". Honestly, I don't want a doll with molded plastic clothes. I think all the Disney princess dolls out there with their molded plastic tops are just action figures for girls. Too bad they didn't at least give them action figure articulation. My tiny Dazzles and my brother's tiny Star Wars figures played in the same little dollhouse and the same dirt piles.
I feel like the biggest difference at this point in time is: Dolls have actual hair (mostly), figurines have plastic hair xD Some figures have real clothes nowadays, so that isn’t just for fashion dolls anymore.. There has been fashion dolls with switchable body parts and articulation, so that’s not just for figures anymore.. but I’ve personally never seen a “figure” with real hair like dolls. Once you put brushable flowy hair on a figure, that’s a doll to me xD so for me that’s like the big difference in this day and age, the lines are really blurred now xD
This is such a great topic- I really enjoyed hearing the nuance around how these arbitrary lines are made and how perceptions around gender factor into designations like "doll" and "action figure." I've always leaned more towards fashion dolls but as I increasingly see toys really encompassing the best of both (rooted hair ir wigs and changeable clothes, high poseability and attention to detail in the sculpt, memorable characters, etc) I find myself more open to toys that may be labeled as action figures. While they don't have rooted hair (something that is often the make-or-break factor for me with toys) I have been collecting the Gargoyles action figures. The attention to detail is so nice and it's great to get these characters in a poseable toy with designs that feel true to the cartoon series as opposed to something like the Pop Vinyl figures which are hyper stylized statuettes.
I always loved pretty and frilly things but considered myself a bit of a tomboy growing up because I was rough and tumble playing in the dirt and wearing those pretty frilly things didn’t feel natural. I’m a Sanrio enthusiast and doll collector but growing up I loved fighting games like soul Calibur, and tekken, and hearing you talk about X-Men evolution reminded me how used to love that show, as well as the older iteration I’d see reruns of. Also power rangers my sister and I were the pink and yellow rangers one Halloween and had all that “action figures”.
Considering the possibilities for combining "doll" and "action figure" features as well as Araki's interest in fashion and how he designs his characters, it is a shame that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure does not have a fashion doll line. It really should have one. I'd go to debt for a set lol.
Integrity would absolutely do an amazing line, honestly surprised they haven’t done more anime adjacent works but maybe it’s a challenge for smaller western companies to acquire the license?
LOL I just mentioned this in a comment I made, but the line Real Action Heroes has made figures/dolls of a bunch of Jojo characters!!! They’re bigger, around Barbie sized & have detailed fabric clothes but their hair is still plastic. However, they do cost an arm and a leg which is the saddest part 💔
@@miseryleech Oh I even googled to make sure and didn't get more than the usual posable figures or vinyl figurines etc. I didn't dig deep enough clearly xD I looked up the line by name and I think I have seen a few before, it just didn't register in my head that their clothes were fabric and not part of the sculpt. They do look fantastic! The availability and pricing is indeed a bit of a roadblock for me right now lol. Thanks for the response though, now I know :D
Good news is that the lines get blurrier by the day. Some of the most successful “action figure” lines like MAFEX and Mezco almost always come with fabric clothes and accessories.
IMO realistically there's really figures who tend to be stiff, and dolls who for the most part have always had some articulation. I wonder if they coulda gotten away with action dolls back in the 60s since the word action hold male connotation. I guess they deemed it too big a risk back then, or maybe it also helped with cheaper import taxes tho that idea would have to be researched. I do find the line mostly gets drawn at hairplay. Synthetic hair is for girls and dolls, molded on hair is for figures. I know so many guys who are borderline ocd over grooming so its kinda funny hair for boys was so unfathomable.
The ironic thing is that (as a cis woman) I have always treated my fashion dolls more like action figures. Even though I had tons and tons of Barbies (I grew up with two sisters and we got Barbies for basically every birthday and holiday) my favorite Barbies were always the sports related and action ones (the rollerbladers, gymnasts, ice skaters, swimmers, etc) which was ironic because in real life I have always been hopelessly uncoordinated and never actually enjoyed sports (at least not competitive sports, I much preferred individual sports like triathlon sports, where one improves against their own “high score” or record). One of my favorite things to do with Barbie was to toss her up in the air and watch as she fell back down, doing different stunts each time she was mid-air (this was the beginning of my deep love of gymnastics and before I knew people actually ran away to do acrobatics in the circus). I think I would have loved to do gymnastics or ballet as a young girl but we were too poor to afford the classes, so playing with my dolls in this way was the next best thing. I of course played Barbies in the traditional sense where you role play domestic roles and act out scenes, but looking back, I did this more as a social thing with my sisters and friends than actually on my own). It’s probably no wonder that when I “graduated” to playing computer games in the early 90s, my favorite Barbie games (of which we had at least 5 different Barbie computer games) was Barbie Super Sports. It’s funny because I’ve always thought I didn’t like sports, but after writing this I think I have just been one of the most athletic people I knew (out of my close friends and family) and I think I’ve been heavily influenced by them to not really pursue these kinds of sports. I wonder how an alternate version of me would be like if I had perused these kinds of sports in early childhood or college? (I learned to swim and ride a bike as a kid, and I played soccer growing up, but that was my grandma’s favorite sport and again, it was more competitive and so I didn’t really like soccer). Who knows? 😂 (Btw I’m sorry if this counts as “unpacking my trauma in the comments section”! 😅) I guess to sum up my point, I don’t really see any difference between dolls and actions figures because the definition is defined by the type of play, not necessarily the type of doll, and it is all up to the individual to choose how they want to play with dolls/action figures. Hope that makes sense?
Good topic. I asked myself that question a lot lately. I concluded there was no difference except maybe brushable hair. It's especially confusing when it comes to the DC girls with their fabric garments, brushable hair and articulations.
Ayo I'm literally early this was uploaded like 30 seconds ago (gonna make another comment actually pertaining to the video after watching the whole thing soon lmao)
When I was a kid, dolls meant changeable clothes and limited articulation. Action figure meant molded clothes, very poseable. Nowadays, the articulation argument no longer applies. I personally don't care for hair play, but I want all my collectibles to have the clothes of a fashion doll and the articulation of an action figure.
I loved dolls much more as a kid (being raised a girl and all) but now my dolls and action figures live in harmony. On my shelf there is a calico critters village, and populating it are calico critters (obviously), the g5 mlp main cast, rochele goyle and g3 lagoona, sunny from rainbow high, skeletor and heman, billy cranston, master chief, and springtrap. They all live in harmony together and enjoy tea in the garden section ^_^
One thing which help me to make the difference between a fashion doll and an action figure is "we can change the outfits of a doll but also brush or style her hair while most of action figures don't because they are almost fully in plastic." Of course, I'm sure there are exceptions. A recent doll line have plastic hair with the pieces of armor that we can put on a fabric jumpsuit but that make them look more as action figures than fashion dolls. And as you said, there are action figures which are wearing fabric clothes and maybe don't have plastic hair.
i grew up loving both fashion dolls and action figures, i remember back in 2017-2019 when the dc super hero girls and star wars forces if destiny doll lines released i was ecstatic to buy them because it finally felt like both of those interests was being catered to! as much as i love the "girly" high fashion doll lines we have now like rainbow high and mh g3, i kinda miss those ass kicking superhero girls
I happened to play with a lot of my sibling's toys that were passed down to me as a kid, these ranged from old bratz dolls to my brothers action figures and even woody. I still played with all of them the way you would with typical fashion dolls but something that did interest me is what Disney (on their website) considers that "Woody is a cowboy doll (although the preferred term is "action figure")." Even though he's a fictional toy made up for the movie it still makes me curious since he's not really posable and made mostly of fabric?
Acknowledging collectable figures, the non-poseable ones- they transcend gender, collection preferences, and genres 😁 My Hatsune Miku and my Super Saiyan Vegeta are besties. But yeah I collect action figures and dolls. Public response is as follows: "I collect dolls" - "oh...cool" "I collect action figures" - "Thats awesome!"
As someone who was assigned female at birth I never liked people Assuming i would like doll. I was always an action figure kid. Which is funny considering I appreciate dolls and even like some now. I even like the fashion aspect of said fashion dolls
My little brother and sister always gets Legos for birthdays and Christmas. My brother always gets the “regular” Legos, and my sister always gets the Friends Legos. I wonder if the Friends Lego brand didn’t exist, would she get Legos at all? If she did, would she get the more “feminine” or “domestic” sets instead of the cars and Ninjagos my brother gets? I don’t know, but it’s interesting to think about.
I'm from Argentina. In Spanish we don't have a big problem with this definition, because a woman doll is a MUÑECA, and a men doll is a MUÑECO. A Batman figure and a Ken, they are muñecos. And a Barbie and a Wonder Woman are muñecas.
This is really really random but I'm so glad you referenced Wiktionary I've been on a huge wiktionary kick recently and I love to see it mentioned anywhere
To me, I don't think it's a yes/no answer, but that there is a spectrum with dolls at one end (the criteria being brushable hair, changeable clothes, typically marketed at girls) and action figures at the other (poseable, unremoveable clothes, aimed at boys, etc). So for example, Barbie is very much a doll, but her revered ancestor Bild Lilli, with her nailed-on hair and initial marketing towards adult men, could be said to have elements of an action figure. A Transformer would be 100% an action figure, but GI Joe would be tipping the scale towards dollness.
3:57 oh the same import duties that had Marvel comics saying that their X-men toys aren’t meant to be humans so they don’t count under them because they are not humans
i refer to my "dolls" as "fashion figures" because they are figures you dress and redress in FASHION. i cross the doll/action figure line back in the 70s with Catwoman 8", Wonder Woman 12.5", and Bionic Woman 12" figures.
I also grew up loving action figures and dolls. Loved both boy and girl focused media. Even now as a young adult I actively collect both. Marvel legends, Star Wars black series, neca and others as well as Barbie, LOL OMG, monster high and others! The only way I could get a toy of Wonder Woman and Elektra, my fav comic characters as a child, was their official barbie dolls. Finally felt like toys for me. Girly boys. Boyish girls. I never fit in the middle. And I never will.
To be honest, I think the main difference is the size. Most action figures are a lot smaller & made up of plastic for the majority, while fashion dolls are much larger and have more fabric pieces to them. The brand “Real action heroes”, (which makes ‘figures’ of anime characters with fabric clothes & plastic hair) comes to mind. They stand at around 12-15 inches depending on the character. So because they’re bigger, in my mind they’re more dolls then they are action figures.
Funny fact: on my language (Brazilian portuguese), this issue with the terms "doll" and "action figure" don't exist because our language has a masculine term ("boneco") and a feminine one ("boneca") to differentiate the toys. We use the term "figura de ação" ("action figure", on Brazilian portuguese) only when we're talking about a figure who is way too expensive and used more as a collector item rather than a toy.
Oh my god I love your jacket!! It's so so pretty!! Sorry I just clicked on the video and it's the first thing I noticed and I felt like i had to comment on it, you look so lovely in it!
God save Wonder Woman fans from McFarlane's boot nasty figures. Apparently the DC Multiverse now consists only of worlds where Diana looks like a character from Conan the Barbarian.
I just wanted to say that the thumbnail and title reminded me when I was a kid I would make Barbie date g.I. Joe. Ken was usually Barbie’s brother or friend
