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Doll Names : Orginality vs Characters

Sep 16, 2007

    1. Hello everyone this has been making me think for a while but I was wondering what people thought of it.

      On the one hand you have character-based dolls. Now I'm not talking about originals, I'm talking about dolls that are purposely modeled and named after anime/manga, movies, books, comic books, tv shows, bands, models, etc you get the point.

      To owners of these dolls: Why do you enjoy character based dolls? Have you also had a character based doll that ended up turning into an original?


      Also we have dolls that are completely original, either based on people's original RP characters or just put together however they want and named as they see fit.

      To owners of these dolls: Why do you enjoy original dolls? Do you find it distressing or upsetting when people emulate your original doll or copy his/her name without asking? Or do you feel names are just names and are up for grabs.


      my lovelies~

      October - my Woosoo, who is based on a long-standing RP character of mine from years back. Name comes the month he was born, his birthday is October 31st
      November - my other Woosoo is October's twin brother, he was born November 1st which is where his name comes from
      Muse - my karon is also an orignal RP character. his name derives from the fact that he's a muse demon
      Eros aka ''uriel'' - also a RP character. uriel was the angel of inspiration/art/music, and eros is the name muse gave him.
      Soleil - my ethan is a rp character of mine, he's got an older brother named Ciel, too.
      Deity - another RP character, his full name is Eikinchou Mikami, his first name translates to beautiful god, which is where he came up with Deity from as his nickname.


      Personally I tend to lean towards original dolls because I do feel like styling a doll in your own personal fashion is a way to be creative.. I feel that dolls modeled directly after a non-original character seem to be rather constricting in what you can do with them. Suchas if you have a doll based on an anime character with black hair, and you give them a blonde wig.. do they cease to be that character?

      I've also noticed with orignal dolls certain names have been 'retired' persay. I mean within the doll community you say the name of a certain doll and everyone knows exactly which doll you're talking about and the owner. Do you feel it right to name your doll after a so called 'famous doll' or do you think it will just cause confusion?

      Wow, so I ramble so much..
       
    2. I'm not a 'character doll' person, so I can't comment on that. I like my original dolls 'cuz their character is 100% mine, and I can do what I want with it.

      But as for the matter of copying names, it can only go so far. I mean, Lucifer, Gabriel, Yuki, Sakura...some names are just plain common. It would be more annoying if you had a doll named, say, Päivi Oddmund Mungo Tommaso and someone copied that name, for instance. XD;;

      And retired names? I haven't noticed. Maybe I'm just really, really dense XD;;;
       
    3. I dont have any character doll, i quite like them to be original to me. Saying that with my E-an Lilith; i later found a small article in the paper talking about if Adam was ever involved with another woman before Eve. Turns out that in the beginning he was with a woman who was essentially a dragon called Lilith. My girl is part dragon so i was quite surprised at this coincidence.

      Im also in the process of getting a Devil Hana now while she is not 100% a character doll she is going to be based on the poem 'There was a little girl'. Im not sure if that counts as a character doll tho as the girl in the poem has no name or much else written about her.

      With names i try to be true to the nature of my doll and the personality i see in them. Lilith Andolin was chosen as i liked the meaning of the first name and then to make her last name i played around with sounds until i liked it. With my next doll (celestyn) his name did come from a book i was reading at the time. The name is Ninde and suited him to the ground. He is not based at all on the character from the book tho.

      I have picked names for some other dolls that im planning one of which i wanted to have meaning convayed so i searched some baby name sites until i found one that had the right meaning that i liked.

      With my Devil Hana her name just popped into my head ive got no idea where that came from!

      Ive not noticed about retired names per say but then im still fairly new to the hobby.
       
    4. To owners of these dolls: Why do you enjoy character based dolls? Have you also had a character based doll that ended up turning into an original?

      Character based dolls are fun to make. Especially if they have a complicated costume because then you get this sense of accomplishment when you look at your favourite character and then look at your doll and say "the likeness is really good!". While I don't own Haku yet(based on Naruto character) but his character is already evolving past his anime counterpart. And I don't have a problem with that-I love the character of Haku(the original) but I know my Haku is not going to end up exactly the same(ha ha, same goes for Zabuza. He'll probably end up as a fluffy sappy person XD)

      To owners of these dolls: Why do you enjoy original dolls? Do you find it distressing or upsetting when people emulate your original doll or copy his/her name without asking? Or do you feel names are just names and are up for grabs.

      I do enjoy original dolls. Because whereas with fandolls you get the sense of accomplishment not from the likeness but from how you develop your original doll's character into an individual. I wouldn't find it so much distressing if people emulated my doll. Sure if the mold is the exact same and the face up is the exact same and the wig etc I might be a bit peeved but if someone got a similar face up on a different mold then there's not a problem :D Names are up for grabs as far as I'm concerned. There's no way you can claim a name as your own. I mean, I don't think that anyone would name their doll Ilu because there's already a quite famous one on the board but it's not like it's against the law. But it would cause confusion ha ha.

      As for fandolls and changing their wigs etc so that it's no longer the same as the original doesn't make it less of the character in my opinion. I mean, I could constrict myself to only two outfits for Haku because any others wouldn't be canon but he's still the same 'person' in different clothes or wigs. Just say they dyed their hair! Ha ha. "Yes well, he had gotten tired of having black hair and finally decided Zabuza might like him better as a blonde so..."
       
    5. I usually select the names of my dolls after they arrive, although once in a while I think of one in advance. One or two of my dolls have kept their original company name because I think it suits them. For the most part, my dolls have human names, except for my tiny Elfdolls. I make up elf names for them. I, personally, would not name my doll the same name or its variations (spelled differently, etc.) of "famous" dolls on this forum because those dolls are unique characters to me just as my own dolls are, but if the doll had a common human name, I don't see anything wrong with it for someone else. I named one of my dolls the name of a manga character, but I know nothing about manga and was unfamiliar with the character when I named her, so it was merely a coincidence. I would be very surprised if there are not other dolls with my dolls' names because they are ordinary people names, but I don't really care one way or the other. I, myself, happen to have such a common first name for girls of a certain age that there were five of us in my first grade class with this name.
       
    6. Aside from Dee, who purposely has a fairly common name (I know there are quite a few dolls named Dee on this board, both male and female) the rest of my guys' names are things I made up from scratch based on combinations of letters and sounds I find aesthetically pleasing. As such I do feel they're unique to my boys (and girl), and I'd be pretty displeased at someone else taking them and using them for their characters rather than using a bit of originality themselves.
       
    7. A lot of names are fairly common, and just like various humans have the same names, so will different dolls. I don't see an issue with that. My dolls are either preexisting characters that I created or dolls whose characters developed after I bought them. I've been tempted to have a dolls of other people's characters, but I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to bond or relate to them as well.
       
    8. I have (soon) both original character doll and existing character doll (fan doll) ^^.

      To me, I'm a little bothered some people think it's all a big "originality contest". Why does it matter so much what one person chooses to do with their dolls or not o.O? Last time I checked, this hobby was about perfecting your vision with your dollie no matter how much or how little work that takes (and in most cases I think it does take quite a bit of work!)... not about competing with other doll owners... Heck, if we wanted to go that far why not raise a brow at "original dolls" embodied by established moulds rather than sculpted by the creator him/herself? Or what about people that buy full sets and keep them that way? I think that would be ridiculous, just as I think saying creating fan dolls is ridiculous (and I know... no one said that here ^_^ that's just my thoughts). Furthermore, I don't think creating a fan based doll is that much of a "brain dead" activity as some people think. It does take effort to maintain the essence of that character, to achieve the perfect personal likeness to the image you have in your mind.... That being said...

      One of my original dolls has a name I sorta made (Turynn). So, I don't think anyone would copy that (no one can even pronounce it). If they did, I dunno if I'd be annoyed or confused. But in the end, their loss~ my Turynn is still my own :3. My other dolls have common names, so it's not really an issue there (Momo, Tsubame).

      For my fan doll, of course she has the same name of the character she's meant to be. I wouldn't have it any other way, but that's just my personal choice ^^ whatever anyone else does with their doll is up to them! At first, I was always worried that having a fan doll would really limit my ability to do stuff with it, but in the end I don't really think that's the case. When you think about it, even original characters can be limiting in that... you wouldn't have a serious, angsty, emo boy doll dress up in a bright pink clown costume, would you? My fan doll is much different from my "original" dolls, so she lets me explore a whole new area that I can't do with my own characters ^^. Her style and personality are much more mature. That's something I can't create believably on my own. In a sense, she is my "art doll"...

      In the end, I feel it's really a "whatever floats your boat" kinda situation.
       
    9. Unless your doll's name was created by a random letter generator that spit out a combination of letters and numbers at you, chances are that someone else has either already thought of your doll's name, used your doll's name, or will think it up in the future. *shrugs* Even when you think you're making stuff up...

      Not to pick on you or anything, (far from it!), but Xi-feng, I went to school with a girl named Ellany. Her parents thought it was pretty and weird ^^;;

      My character dolls are all named after their anime/manga/game counterparts and I actually really enjoy the other Clouds on the board. They're all so different from each other even if they're based on the same character. And my two original boys, my twins, one's named after my fave X Japan song and the other's a Japanese name I thought was cute. I could care less if anyone else were to use Kurenai and Natsume for their dolls.
       
    10. All of mine come from the story im writing called "The Definition of Dissection" soooooo they're pretty much original. I have nothing against character dolls, and in fact, really enjoy seeing them (especially the ones from bands or Naruto) but it's just something I don't think I could do personally.

      Also, as far as names go... I named mine all American names and just spelled them really differently. I don't care if someone else takes a name I chose for my doll.... chances are, I'll never meet that person (and would be glad if I did anyway).Also, if someone rips off my direct name, it's flattering in a way. So I don't really mind.

      The characters I have so far are Huntyre, Josiphe, Tomas, Leiland, Kaeden, Addalynne, Skylaire, and Justyn. Feel free to steal.

      I just feel it's easier to relate to dolls if they are your own characters. If you have a doll named "Cloud Strife" (just an example!!) and his wig isn't perfect, there is a good chance someone may tell you so. With Huntyre (my Chiwoo main character) no one can say "well he wouldn't wear something like that...."

      Just my two cents. Cash 'em in at Coinstar and lose 10%.
       
    11. My dolls are not based on characters. They just grown the way they are.
      1. I fell in love with a mold
      2. than I choose a clothingstyle they would wear, character is growing in my head.
      3. buy the doll if I can't live without it
      4. name

      My little girl is named 'Melodi' from the word 'melody'. It is such a lovely word. ^_^ I changed the 'y' into 'i' so it would be more original, and it looks pretty. There a more dolls on DoA who are named Melody, I don't mind that at all. But if someone would name their doll also Melodi, I would hate it!

      My CP Shiwoo is named Luciel, from Lucilius (Latin for 'light'). a bit of a made up name, so original I think. ^_^

      And my CP Chiwoo Elf is named Dresden, from the city Dresden. Just pretty, I don't change anything of this name.
      I don't really mind if there are other dolls who are named Dresden.
       
    12. I personally wouldnt want to own a character doll. I would dress my doll up like another character but to dedicate so much money and time into imitating someone else? It's just not my thing. The characters my dolls have were based off the dolls themselves or my own original character, not already existing characters in media. I do like seeing people's character dolls though, some people have great replicas!

      Kim was exactly right on the name thing. I'll be honest, i've seen a few people mention that they'd invented their doll's name themselves. But i actually know existing characters and even real people with those names. I don't believe these people are lieing about the names, as i made up Adae myself as a short form for another name, but it turned out to be an existing name already! It's just irony really. There are people who will come into this community and say that their doll's name was something they made up, but someone else might have it on the forum already! It really honestly happens. I've seen it about 4 times here already :sweat But i don't think people should be angered by it or offended by it. You can't really go around copyrighting names to your dolls just because you had it first =/

      I don't see any problem with people using character names for their dolls either =D whether they copy the character completely, or just use it as a basis for their own. A name is just a name afterall. What you choose to do to your doll in order to express yourself is much more important.

      Well it is in my opinion anyway :roll:
       
    13. I suppose I will just reiterate some of the points made:

      For myself, I personally like creating both character based and original dolls.

      For original dolls its pretty simple, you create a being in your head...and it's fun to put them in actual physical form...yes there a problems with naming...but lets be realistic...nothing is 100% full proof original...someone somewhere, already has, is thinking about, or will name their doll the same thing in the future.

      For character based dolls, I guess the only way I can explain the joy in creating this kind of doll is very similar to what flurryofdancingflames said. For instance...when I paint or draw...creating an original character is fun...i choose their features, and give them a personality...and when I'm done, I've created someone that has never existed before [or at least try to ^^;] For fan work of someone else....I get a different feeling of accomplishment...it's taking someone I admire and like and somehow capturing their 'spirit' and who they are and draw/create them the way I see them. The great thing about these dolls is you can create the same person in countless different ways...reinventing them the way you see fit. If someone says your 'not original' for creating someone who already exists...i would say it's quite the contrary...you'll have to be even more creative to make your doll slightly different than the other models circulating. It's tiring, but I think it's one of the most fun projects you can take on.

      ok...done rambling
       
    14. I agree with Kim. A random generator is probably the only way to come up with an actual unique name. For instance, TrevviesBaby mentioned the names Tomas and Leiland. I've met more than one Tomas in my life and one Leliand. Never underestimate the names parents will come up with. :sweat

      I, personally, see nothing wrong with using names of pre-existing characters, obviously since I've done it. :XD: Her actual character isn't based on her namesake, however. But even if she was, I still wouldn't see an issue with it. *shrugs*

      I'm of the opinion that people should name their dolls whatever makes them happy.
       
    15. Ah, my incomming boy is named Natsume. But hes after a character ^^;
       
    16. Just to clarify I'm not putting down anyone according to their dolls, it's your doll go crazy with it, have fun XD I just wanted to see what people thought.
       
    17. Just to show how often names come up--Frank's (my Souldoll Paris) father is named Tomas, not that Tomas will ever be made into a doll, since he's deceased.
       
    18. Personally i prefer to create my own original. I love to create him/her from scratch, about his/her background, personality, looks, etc.

      Every time i tried to create from character based, it won't last long since in the end i was busy looking around/reading detail information about this character, and not actually play. Cause i wanna know everything about this character before i play.

      About the name, I will choose the name that i feel suit him/her, tho it might be same with other's. Since i love Greek Mythology, many of the names came from it. Or elven language or japanese name :)
       
    19. I have 8 original dolls and 2 fan dolls.

      I've never heard about this name issue or the retirement of names specifically for the purpose of avoiding "copying" or "not offending" a Big Name Fan who happened to have the name for their doll first. I usually pick my names based on the character's background, like what their parents named them if they had parents, in Danny's case Oliver Daniel Donovan is his birthname. In some other situations the character picked his or her own name because they a) have no birth record b) rejected their birth record c) needed a street handle. Riot's name is his street handle, his birthname is Malachi Kern but you'll never hear him say that, so Riot it is.

      It's all about how the character fits into the story for me, and I have no worries about "copying" because the name alone is only one part that makes up my characters.
       
    20. I think it's debatable whether any idea is truly original. Even ideas that come to people completely spontaneously (so to speak) have probably been thought of before at one point or another by someone.

      It wouldn't bother me if someone used the same name as one of my more original character dolls, because that doll still mine, and my ideas for what the character is to represent haven't gone away. :)

      It is very freeing to create your very own character. You can make the doll however you like, and include whatever history you want. I have a few characters for certain dolls, and I know it'll be part of the fun to keep working on their background and personality quirks, even if nobody else sees that kind of stuff.

      That being said, I also have a character doll. :) It's sort of like being a series writer instead of a screenwriter (of rp? ;) ). You have to take someone else's character and be true to them while having them in different situations. I applaud the people who can do it really well, because it's not as simple as it seems.

      It's all for fun, though, according to each person's likes, so it should be up to whatever person is making the character. ^.^