You might have seen from my instagram that I’ve got a new arrival this week: Volks DearSD SwD Nana!
DearSD is the newest BJD line from Volks, and combines the Super Dollfie aesthetic with antique porcelain doll proportions. Her height is closer to MSD but the head, torso and feet all are better fit for SD scale clothes. So yes, I’ve gone and bought another odd-size doll that will be hard to dress, but I’m hoping that I’ll be inspired to sew some cute things for her.
Nana is one of Volks original ‘Four Sisters’ head types, which is one of their earliest sculpts that’s frequently rereleased with different faceups as Nana, Megu, Kira, Una, and Sara. With a modern style faceup she looks quite lovely, though! I never thought I was a fan of older Volks sculpts until I saw these gorgeous DearSD faceups they’ve released.
Her outfit is a collaboration with Japanese Lolita brand ‘Baby the Stars Shine Bright’ and it’s evident in the high-quality lace trims that are used on the dress and headband. She also came with a full-sized BtSSB tag- for authenticity, I suppose? I let my dolls wear most of the Lolita outfits since I’m not particular enough to follow the rules and coordinate properly.
I’m quite impressed with DearSD body. It’s got a good heft- sturdy but not unreasonably heavy. Her posing is a bit limited, particularly in the torso, but arms and legs pose readily and lock into position nicely. I was worried when Volks touted a ‘simplified’ design but it doesn’t seem to cause any unforgivable issues for me. With such chunky proportions I don’t expect a lot of dynamic poses.
I like how she looks like a little sister next to Lorina! The height difference is significant, and DearSD may feel out of scale for folks who are picky about such things.
Obligatory head swap- Lorina looks adorable as DearSD, and I’m surprised how pleasing SwD Nana looks as SDGrG! Her innocent looks turn a bit more seductive on a larger body, but it’s not bad at all.
Pros and Cons of DearSD?
Cons: Hard to find proper clothes as the ‘big baby’ BJD size hasn’t really been standardized yet. The rose on her jsk looks a bit smooshed and frayed, not sure if I’ll bother bugging Volks or just replace it myself. Fingers have some resin seams/webbing as per the usual for Volks. Also, her glass eyes cut the $#%@%# out of my finger when I was changing her head. Ouch! Not an issue with vinyl dolls usually.
Pros: Fun size body with satisfying heft. Good posability. Can share clothes/wigs/shoes/heads with SD size dolls. Outfit quality (aside from iffy rose) is very good. Comes with a cute luggage case and backdrop. Gorgeous faceup.
Overall, my concerns with DearSD were alleviated when I got a chance to play with one myself, and she’s an adorable addition to my doll collection. I hope Volks continues to make this type more available as I feel it’s a great beginner BJD and the perfect choice for a durable, fun-to-pose doll at MSD size.
Any questions about DearSD, or want to see more head swaps? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! And thanks for reading :)