I've stated in the past that mermaid dolls are not my thing. They're pretty for sure, but they don't pose well and they usually can't sit or stand. Nerida can sit, but Boba Bubbles can neither sit, stand, nor even lounge effectively. I really, really, REALLY wish those Fidgie Friends came with stands! It doesn't matter anymore since this line has gone the way of the dodo, but a nice stand might've helped. Boba and company are visually eye-catching and would've looked cute posing on some little girl's dresser. Initially my feelings towards the Mermaze Mermaidz was about the same; I found them attractive but impractical since only one of them could stand on her own. Oh yeah, and cutesy consonants. We all know how MGA Entertainment is obsessed with extraneous x's and z's...jeez, drop that stupidity, will you, MGA??? Anywho, my main beef with these dolls was that they'd lay around and not even be able to sit up, like Boba Bubbles. Surprise! These dolls now come with stands! How do I know this??? Well...I saw these dolls first on Reddit, and then Veni Vidi Dolli subsequently revealed that these dolls do indeed have stands, and that was enuff to twist my arm. Meet Crystabella, from the Winter Waves line.
I love the winter theme; winter-themed dolls tend to be very pretty, as Abbey Bominable shows. Anyway, both Miss Emily and Veni Vidi Dolli have reviewed these dolls so I'm just gonna skim this. For reasons I'll never know mermaid dolls always have a ton of hair, and I'm told that with the Mermaze dolls said hair can vary in quality. First-wave Jordie has a head full of microbraids (those are always easy to maintain), and first-wave Kishiko has these amazing little gathered ponytails that look like they're made from yarn, but first-wave Riviera has this mass of pink curls that looks good but is tough to maintain. So I'm giving Crystabella's ample hair a wary side-eye. It looks good, and it's done up in a style that will likely stave off a few tangles, but I'll still be treating this hair with respect. It feels like either middle-of-the-road nylon or polypropylene, kinda stiff.
It's really pretty hair, though. It's pearl-colored with strands of tinsel, a fitting color for mermaid hair AND for ice hair. I like the style too, a high ponytail that flatters this shape of head. There's just so...much...hair...so much that Crystabella's head is pulled off to her right like so.
In other news, I'm pleased to see MGA Entertainment embracing dolls with uber-dark skin...er, plastic, whatever you wanna call it. Since she IS dark it's a bit hard for me to properly capture her face, but she's got beautiful makeup, kinda like the aurora borealis.
Her eyes are inset and are of an ethereal lilac color, and they're unfortunately a bit wonky. On a positive note...I don't know if this glitter is painted onto Crystabella's face or if it's molded in, but either way she's got a sparkly face. The rest of her body has this glitter too, and note that the top of her tail has studs and seams, like a fancy pair of jeans.
I love that silver nail polish too. I wore many colors in my day, but I can't remember ever wearing silver...<pauses to think> yeah, I did! It wasn't smooth-looking like Crystabella's is, though.
Back in the day, the only Bratz doll that was this dark was Felicia, and she got all of two releases before the Bratz reboot. In more recent times Rainbow High students Robin Sterling, Coco Vanderbalt, and Krystal Bailey have been rendered in that lovely dark shade, and Felicia has gotten a few new releases as well. I really like Coco Vanderbalt, by the way! Secondary market prices for Rainbow High and Shadow High dolls are just as ridiculous as prices for old-school Bratz and G1 Monster High dolls, but I still like Coco. ANYWAY, MGA is stepping up the ol' diversity game, Crystabella is unapologetically dark, and her complexion pops against her fair hair and light-colored tail.
Oh yes, the tail, and the reason why these Winter Waves mermaids (mermaidz?) appealed to me. They all have snow globe tails, filled with liquid and glitter.
Oh yes, the tail, and the reason why these Winter Waves mermaids (mermaidz?) appealed to me. They all have snow globe tails, filled with liquid and glitter.
Now that I think of it, that was also how Boba Bubbles suckered me into buying her, LOL. It was also the reason why Una Verse was my first favorite of the Novi Starz. Remember those? Sila Clops and Malie Tasker were the ones I ultimately bought, but Una was an initial favorite because of her icy coloration and snow-filled legs. Indeed, I STILL think Una Verse is cute. Unfortunately, I also remember some parents being concerned about Una leaking as time passed, and I myself have been worried about that with the Fidgie Friends. The seams on Crystabella's tail look pretty robust...
...but I'll be careful not to drop or mishandle her, just in case. Her tail isn't soft like Boba's and would likely split when dropped rather than bounce.
Some of these Mermaidz come with fabric clothes and some do not (Orra had permanently attached outerwear). Crystabella has honest-to-God fabric clothes, including a very pretty and very thick winter coat, and (spoilers!) this killed my enjoyment of Crystabella a bit.
Some of these Mermaidz come with fabric clothes and some do not (Orra had permanently attached outerwear). Crystabella has honest-to-God fabric clothes, including a very pretty and very thick winter coat, and (spoilers!) this killed my enjoyment of Crystabella a bit.
First-wave Jordie also wears a thick coat, and Miss Emily rightfully pointed out that such a getup would quickly get waterlogged. I'll add that with Crystabella being a winter-themed doll, such a coat would not only get soggy, but also COLD!!! But...these are dolls, and dolls are not bound by Earthly rules. Or I could take the Twelfth Doctor's attitude:
I'm not particularly fond of the Twelfth Doctor; he tends to be an irascible old git at times, and...well, he's not Number Eleven! But I like that scene, where he gives a room full of Daleks a piece of his mind and survives being shot by the same Daleks. Anyway, in Crystabella's case I'll take the Doctor's advice: she's a doll. Just accept that she's wearing a heavy coat in the water and have a nice day. As I said above, it's a pretty coat...
"Of course, the real question is where did I get a cup of tea? Answer: I'm the Doctor. Just accept it."
I'm not particularly fond of the Twelfth Doctor; he tends to be an irascible old git at times, and...well, he's not Number Eleven! But I like that scene, where he gives a room full of Daleks a piece of his mind and survives being shot by the same Daleks. Anyway, in Crystabella's case I'll take the Doctor's advice: she's a doll. Just accept that she's wearing a heavy coat in the water and have a nice day. As I said above, it's a pretty coat...
...but it was a living nightmare to put on, and it pulls Crystabella's arms back in an uncomfortable-looking position. Veni Vidi Dolli wasn't in love with her doll's coat either, to the point that she left it off completely. What a shame, it's a pretty coat. Maybe Draculaura can wear it.
Mmmm, she looks okay. She doesn't have elbow joints or thick sleeves like Crystabella does, so the coat doesn't slow her down as much. I pair this with a new shirt and some leggings and Draculaura should be good to go. As for Crystabella, she is much more comfortable without her coat, kinda like I am.
So the coat was a flop, but it wasn't a complete waste since Draculaura can wear it. Likely Crystabella would've benefited from a softer coat, something like what Jordie wore...or what a couple of her Winter Waves sisters got. Nera and Gwen both come with soft coats, soft enuff that Veni Vidi Dolli didn't have to take Nera's hands off, so Crystabella could've had that too. Stiff, crinkly, plasticky fabric looks good on futuristic outfits like Aurora's, but it just slows down a mermaid.
Turning towards another positive now, Crystabella's tailfin changes colors with water. See how it's pearly right now?
Turning towards another positive now, Crystabella's tailfin changes colors with water. See how it's pearly right now?
Cold water turns it aurora-colored, though I'm not gonna dip my hands in cold water to show y'all, LOL! Not right now, anyway; too cold outside already, and Casa Pizarro's hot water heater is on the blink so I'm sick to death of cold water. Orra and Jordie both worked pretty well for Miss Emily though, so I have no reason to doubt that Crystabella's feature will work too. Oddly, the instructions say not to submerge these dolls. Uh...aren't mermaid dolls SUPPOSED to be played with in the pool or the tub? Not smart, MGA. Whatevs, Crystabella came with some extraneous crap that she can't hold.
Take that back, she can hold the makeup brush and probably the cup, but not the other stuff. But the pink tube opens up, revealing a tiny mascara wand...
...and the nail polish bottle also opens up.
I love little details like that, though it's extra little stuff that a kid could lose. I'm not a kid, and I keep the stuff in a Ziploc bag, so it won't get lost too quickly.
The buzz on Reddit is that the Mermaidz are not selling particularly well, and there has been talk of cancellation for these dolls at least twice, but YouLoveIt! has images of a third wave, done up in a pajama party theme. My favorite of those is Zuna, since she's kinda punky and believes in UFOs. YouLoveIt! says that a small number of these pajama dolls made it to stores, and once again Veni Vidi Dolli has a few of them (Zuna is her favorite too), but there's no official word yet whether Mermaze Mermaidz are canceled or not. The Reddit post regarding the slumber party line is at least a year old, and Veni Vidi Dolli's last Mermaidz post was clean back in March. With no new waves released in a year, I can't say that that bodes well for the Mermaidz.
As for me, I can't offer any word on the line as a whole, but I can see where these dolls might fall a little flat. Crystabella isn't very versatile, she can't strike a ton of creative poses, she's got a lot of hair that could tangle, and as far as I know she doesn't have any extra outfits to wear. She also has inset eyes, which can be a detriment for some kids who find such eyes creepy (I like them). Or maybe it's the fact that these dolls have an element that changes color in water, but the dolls themselves should not be submerged, and their clothes are not water-friendly. Hell, Crystabella's jacket isn't even USER-friendly! All that said, I do like Crystabella. She's pretty and ethereal, and I'll be able to effectively display her (like I CAN'T do with my other mermaids). I like how she sparkles in the right light, and I'm hoping that maybe some Monster High clothes might fit her upper body...may have to revisit that bit. She's nice to have around, if only for display purposes; she sadly can't sit and chillax with Nerida, but she can at least stand. She needs at least one friend, maybe first-wave Kishiko or Zuma if I can find her.
That's all I have to see. My feelings for Crystabella are a bit mixed but pretty good overall. EDIT: I found a comment on Miss Emily's post where I said I'd pass on the Mermaze bunch! Funny how opinions can change with time.
Cheers,
RagingMoon1987
The buzz on Reddit is that the Mermaidz are not selling particularly well, and there has been talk of cancellation for these dolls at least twice, but YouLoveIt! has images of a third wave, done up in a pajama party theme. My favorite of those is Zuna, since she's kinda punky and believes in UFOs. YouLoveIt! says that a small number of these pajama dolls made it to stores, and once again Veni Vidi Dolli has a few of them (Zuna is her favorite too), but there's no official word yet whether Mermaze Mermaidz are canceled or not. The Reddit post regarding the slumber party line is at least a year old, and Veni Vidi Dolli's last Mermaidz post was clean back in March. With no new waves released in a year, I can't say that that bodes well for the Mermaidz.
As for me, I can't offer any word on the line as a whole, but I can see where these dolls might fall a little flat. Crystabella isn't very versatile, she can't strike a ton of creative poses, she's got a lot of hair that could tangle, and as far as I know she doesn't have any extra outfits to wear. She also has inset eyes, which can be a detriment for some kids who find such eyes creepy (I like them). Or maybe it's the fact that these dolls have an element that changes color in water, but the dolls themselves should not be submerged, and their clothes are not water-friendly. Hell, Crystabella's jacket isn't even USER-friendly! All that said, I do like Crystabella. She's pretty and ethereal, and I'll be able to effectively display her (like I CAN'T do with my other mermaids). I like how she sparkles in the right light, and I'm hoping that maybe some Monster High clothes might fit her upper body...may have to revisit that bit. She's nice to have around, if only for display purposes; she sadly can't sit and chillax with Nerida, but she can at least stand. She needs at least one friend, maybe first-wave Kishiko or Zuma if I can find her.
That's all I have to see. My feelings for Crystabella are a bit mixed but pretty good overall. EDIT: I found a comment on Miss Emily's post where I said I'd pass on the Mermaze bunch! Funny how opinions can change with time.
Cheers,
RagingMoon1987
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