WARNING: I have a lot to say about today's doll (mostly in pictures, LOL) so this post is gonna be a long one. Pop in some eyedrops, grab some Cheez-Its (get your own box), and get cozy.
This is The Doll That Shall Not Be Named, the doll that was riding in the carrying case during tornado scares, the doll that got the clothing hauls last October and last December. This is her! Christa knows I have her since we're friends on Failbook and on Instagram, but otherwise I tried to keep Yuka under wraps until now.
Now! One of the many things that I love about Smart Dolls is that they embrace the concept of wabi-sabi. My Cabbage Patch friends on Failbook really liked learning that term, by the way. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese term that means "beauty through imperfection," and in the case of the Smart Dolls, small imperfections are to be expected since parts of their bodies are vinyl and are molded in a special way that can accumulate tiny flecks of debris and hardened vinyl over time. Indeed, Danny Choo advises that one NOT purchase a Smart Doll if they can't handle lines or bubbles or other small defects in the vinyl, or other flaws like a face that's somewhat asymmetrical. Four hundred-plus bucks and some change IS a lot of money to sink, especially on a doll, so there should be no second guessing. That said, some of these dolls take wabi-sabi about three steps further with visible scars (Survivor, Time and Tide), vitiligo/birthmarks (Valiant, Liberty), zits (Pride), or cleft palate (Foundation). Poor Pride, I remember what it was like to battle zits, and Mr. Choo does too; he admits that he's got scars from his teenage acne. Pride actually has little indentations molded into her face to make her zits more realistic, by the way, which is going above and beyond! Anyway, Mr. Choo notes at the bottom of Survivor's listing that Valiant and Liberty were Smart Doll's poorest sellers, and he predicted that Survivor would sell poorly too. Indeed, I rarely see owner pictures of Smart Dolls like this; the Survivor dolls I usually see are the marbled ones, which I'll explain below. As y'all can see, Survivor is scarred on her face, upper right arm, and upper right chest. 
Said extra bits consisted of Yuka's wig, a postcard-style leaflet with some of the other Smart Dolls, and an extra package of hands. The hands jacked the cost up a bit, but its worth it for peace sign and thumbs up hands.
May 28th. Yuka and I were waiting for Jigglypuff shoes, and the wait was a long one indeed. I had this outfit put together several weeks in advance, but until the shoes came Yuka was roaming around in her cute striped socks.
Half lemonade, half tea, just like one of my preachers loved.
"Yep!"
My grandmother was a burn survivor herself, and she was self-conscious about her scars, so Survivor kinda hits close to home for me. There was another version of Survivor that had...more healed-looking burns, shall we say, and her vinyl (the aforementioned "marble" vinyl) was really beautiful. I think I read somewhere that the marble vinyl was hard to produce and that that was why that version of Survivor isn't available anymore. No worries, my doll is fine. Indeed, I've looked at hundreds of pictures of other people's Smart Dolls over the past year, and my reaction has always been the same: "My Yuka is prettier than their doll!" LOL, I understand a bit now how mamas feel about their kids...good mamas, anyway. Your kid is always the best looking, even when they're not.
Now...all that said, let's turn back the clock exactly one year. I'm not going to review Yuka since Miss Emily has already reviewed a Smart Doll of her own, and since Survivor has very little in the way of negative qualities. I'm just going to share images that I've taken of her over the year and offer commentary as I go. For the record though, this is how Smart Dolls are packaged: in a medium-sized cardboard box with the logos on the side. Kinda like Luts packaging; if you're in the ball-jointed doll hobby then you know what to look for.
Inside the box is a shopping bag that looks like an eye chart. "Be seen with Smart Doll," it says, and that sounds like a good idea.
It should be known that a lot of the items from Smart Doll have orange incorporated somewhere, and there's a good reason for this. The inaugural Smart Doll and the brand's mascot is a cute pet named Mirai Suenaga, and she loves the color orange. I suspect that Danny Choo does too, which is good because orange is kinda an unsung hero in the color world. When I ask people what their favorite color is, orange is not an answer I often hear. So that's the reasoning behind the touches of orange here and there, and indeed, when I peeked into the bag I could see that the top of Yuka's head is orange.
Yuka was wrapped in bubble wrap and plastic, but I went for that box first. It was about the size of an average shoebox and contained Yuka's extra bits.
Now...all that said, let's turn back the clock exactly one year. I'm not going to review Yuka since Miss Emily has already reviewed a Smart Doll of her own, and since Survivor has very little in the way of negative qualities. I'm just going to share images that I've taken of her over the year and offer commentary as I go. For the record though, this is how Smart Dolls are packaged: in a medium-sized cardboard box with the logos on the side. Kinda like Luts packaging; if you're in the ball-jointed doll hobby then you know what to look for.
When I saw Survivor's stock pictures I was at a loss for description on her hair color. It's brown, yes, but not mouse brown like mine. The package says "cocoa," and that's pretty fitting.
Once upon a time the postcard would've had a picture of Mirai on it, but these girls are not Mirai. Mirai is fair-skinned with light brown hair, and she's anime style. These four girls are all semi-real style.
<pauses to look> According to the Smart Doll site, the girls on the top row are Liberty (pear body) and Survivor herself, while the ones on the bottom row are Pride and Courage (pear body). Pride and Courage are both modelling the sold-separately insulin pumps, Pride is missing an arm, and Courage appears to be holding an inhaler. I kinda wish Foundation had been included, as she's the one with the cleft lip and I like her a lot. I almost chose her instead of Survivor, but unlike Survivor Foundation appears to be a popular choice. I've even seen her used as an Etsy model a couple'a times. That said, Survivor is considered part of Smart Doll's "main cast," a character who will be in rotation for quite some time, albeit with tweaks here and there. That means that Survivor's evolution will be interesting to see.
Now the back of the postcard...that's where things get interesting, as that's where the care guide is. Look at some of these thou-shalt-nots!
Apparently Smart Dolls are shy and can't hold their breath for more than five seconds due to small lungs, they prefer NOT to fly in the luggage department, they are not edible, and they should not be picked up by their heads or fed after midnight. No problem with the luggage bit; if I ever fly I want Yuka on my lap so people will ask stupid questions...but then again, I actually hate stupid questions. Uncle Man-Child asks at least three every evening and that gets irksome. Anyway, the thou-shalt-nots are pretty basic, stuff that I should have no problem following...for the most part. It's hard not to stare Yuka in the eye since she's got pretty eyes. A little crossed, but pretty nonetheless.
Oops, I forgot to show y'all the stand! It's made of metal and telescopes in on itself like the antennas of old-school portable phones (like the one Mama broke when I was seven).
Now the back of the postcard...that's where things get interesting, as that's where the care guide is. Look at some of these thou-shalt-nots!
Oops, I forgot to show y'all the stand! It's made of metal and telescopes in on itself like the antennas of old-school portable phones (like the one Mama broke when I was seven).
Seriously, all Mama was trying to do was push the antenna in on itself after completing a call, and it snapped in half. The look on her face was priceless, by the way. I doubt Yuka's stand will do that as the metal feels more robust, though I'm still being careful. This orange bit at the end is articulated and pops into a socket in the small of Yuka's back,
Doesn't sound like much, but the stand actually is a big help. Y'all will be able to see it in action in some images. The stand can be hidden behind Yuka's leg, but I don't mind if it shows since lots of dolls need a stand anyway.
Finally, here was my first glimpse of Yuka herself. True to Danny's words she was initially a little ill at ease, but upon being told how pretty she was she warmed up.
Regarding nitty-gritties, Yuka has cinnamon skin, the classic body shape, the G07 head, and as far as I know her internal frame is Evolve variant v6.1.0. She thus has a "cradle" holding her eyes in place in addition to the usual putty. Her eyes are (I think) 16 millimeters.
Finally, here was my first glimpse of Yuka herself. True to Danny's words she was initially a little ill at ease, but upon being told how pretty she was she warmed up.
Instead of being strung, Smart Dolls have a frame that allows them to pose. At the same time their heads do open up, mainly to allow for eyes to be changed or repositioned. The headcaps are a little softer than the rest of the body, probably to make removal easier, and I like pressing on Yuka's headcap because of that. I knew ahead of time that Yuka's headcap would be orange (Miss Emily's doll had a fleshtone pate), but it was still kinda weird to see in person. G07 is molded on the back of Yuka's head, in case I ever forget what head she's got.
The wig will cover the orange, so it's not a big deal. The wigs are difficult to put on, by the way, much more so than your average ball-jointed doll, but there's a reason for this. Danny Choo states that he designed the wigs to be tight because he didn't want his dolls' wigs blowing away and landing in somebody's ice cream (those are his exact words), and indeed Yuka's wig is going nowhere. She can even be upside-down without worrying about her wig landing in somebody's ice cream.
Now I'm hungry for ice cream, LOL. Since it was May when Yuka arrived it was warm enuff for her to strike a few poses in her skivvies. Default Smart Doll skivvies come in multiple colors, with my doll's stuff being dark navy with orange hems. That "defect" on the bra is a loose thread.
With Smart Doll, the future is in your hands! Neither Yuka nor I wanted her to stay unclothed for long, no matter how nice those undergarments, so I put her in clothes that fit both our trippy little personalities: this funny-looking t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Yuka likes red and I like blue, so we met in the middle. Yuka's first ensemble is fully Etsy, by the way, as is most of her wardrobe (spoilers). Smart Doll does offer clothing pieces for their dolls, but like the dolls themselves, the clothes are pricey. Thus the glut of Etsy stuff. The shirt is one of many I've bought from SakuraxMushiSHOP, and the jeans are from SugarShambles.
This little necklace came from Fatiao, and the message on it rings true for all Smart Dolls.
Cute as she looked, Yuka was tired from traveling and being jostled around. She promptly crashed on the couch, and I promptly surprised her with another welcome-home present.
One of those horseshoe pillows like people use in cars and airplanes. It's got unicorns on it.
Ahhhh, reminds me of my Lisa Frank days! My favorite folder had a carousel with unicorns on it like this. Etsy shop is dollsofmine.
Before that first week was out I'd already changed Yuka's top once. The Etsy shop is DollLuvrsDesign, and the proprietor is an absolute doll herself. She sent me another blouse for free when I bought this.
Chill, it's only chaos! Likely with a Smart Doll living in Casa Pizarro the chaos level will go up. Case in point.
HEYYYY!!! What the sam-hill are you doing???
"Nothing..."
Yuka admitted later that she was going for leftover cheesecake, which we did indeed have as a treat for Mother's Day. It was 12:30 a.m. when I caught her going after it. Smart Dolls are never supposed to be fed after midnight, and it was a full moon on top of that. Yuka didn't pull anymore crazy stunts that night, but only because I watched her like a hawk.
May 19th, shortly before all hell broke loose in Fayetteville.
It's an unusual hat, from Etsy seller CherrYen. Yuka declared it good enuff to wear with her chaos shirt.
May 28th. Yuka and I were waiting for Jigglypuff shoes, and the wait was a long one indeed. I had this outfit put together several weeks in advance, but until the shoes came Yuka was roaming around in her cute striped socks.
While she waited I introduced Yuka to the joys of half and half.
Happy day when the shoes finally came, because neither she nor I wanted to get those socks dirty. The sun was shining that day (June 2nd by then), but the air was full of smoke from wildfires in Canada.
Here's a closeup of the toes, where two Jigglypuffs live. These shoes make Yuka's feet look a bit on the big side, but then so do her other shoes.
I love this doll! She's got legs for days, but then I kinda do too. I've got long legs AND decent-sized feet, LOL.
On June 3rd a new hat arrived from England, and Yuka insisted on showing it off. Etsy shop is SmartDollBoutiqueUK, and the proprietor is super-nice.
As the Fourth of July drew near Yuka became a watermelon girl. Etsy shop is TheDollClothier, and Mama loved it when she saw it. She begged me to take a picture for Failbook, so I did.
Lordy, how eighties can a set of colors get??? This set reminds me of some of the items that Barbie and her friends wore back in the day. It was the perfect little set for hot July weather though, and Yuka had no difficulties moving in it. The shorts even have pockets. FUNCTIONING pockets. I love it when such a small garment has a detail like that.
July 20th, a transitional period at Casa Pizarro, where Mama and I were doing a lot of cleaning and reorganizing, and I was (finally) starting to move my pets in. Yuka looked the way I felt right then: tired, overwhelmed, a little sad.
Last summer wasn't too much fun, with my hip and my ankle both being contrary. I got over my doldrums in time (and thus Yuka did too), but last summer is not one I'll be remembering with a smile, not like Barbie Summer. That was a very special time, Barbie Summer.
August 19th, school started for the suckers in Malden, and mother of God, was it hot that day! High temperatures got to 98 degrees Fahrenheit WITHOUT the heat index helping!
Yuka didn't have to go to school, but she's still got her backpack. Etsy shop is imogensrabbithole. Notice that Yuka's backpack is a teddy bear, but he's got a horn on his head.
So cute! Reminds me of some Wishels and some of the smaller Bobobie dolls as well. My Wozzeck's headcap is plain, but some of his brethren had tiny horns on their foreheads. By the way, the picture above made me realize what a pretty profile Yuka has.
As fall approached I did what I always do for my dolls and myself. The longer sleeves and the heavier fabrics come out, the layers start building up, and the colors segue from blue, green, and pastels into brown, purple, orange, and red, like here. The cap and scarf are more finds from SakuraxMushiSHOP, and Yuka paired them with a knit T-shirt from dollsofmine, and her SugarShambles jeans.
One of my Failbook friends called Yuka "elegant yet mysterious." Yuka herself says that red is eye-catching, and if people are going to stare at her scars she may as well wear something else worth looking at. I like that 'tude. The hat can be worn beret-style or slouchy, by the way.
On September 27th I FINALLY got Yuka's clothes and accessories crated into one safe unit. NGL, there's approximately three hundred bucks worth of stuff in there, so keeping it dry and safe from mold, moths, and spiders is a must. Yuka calls it her "crate o'stuff."
That same weekend I realized that Yuka had the asymmetry that Danny Choo talked about. I'd sent this image to Mama to show her Yuka's eyes,, and I saw that her eyebrows are slightly uneven. Kinda like the eyebrows on Miss Revlon dolls, LOL!
Severe weather came to call on October 18th, so I got my first opportunity to use Yuka's new carrier (I'd had it about a month by then). It's your standard black carrier for SD-sized dolls, with a pocket inside for smaller items.
In this case I stored Yuka's hands and stand in there. I also packed an extra outfit in case Yuka's crate o'stuff blew away (it didn't). The fit was a tight one, so I'm glad Yuka isn't pear-shaped (I was tempted by the pear bodies, but they're more expensive than the classics).
Halloween came. I didn't get Yuka a costume, but as y'all saw above I did get her a shirt. This bad boy came from SakaraxMushiSHOP...again, LOL. The leggings came from doll buddy Talolili.
"Boo!"
The headband came from dollsofmine. I thought the image I used for their review was too cute to waste.
At some point in October (my birthday, to be exact) Yuka received this very unique handbag in the mail. It came from LookDollsHandMade, who offers epic little purses for Smart Dolls. I don't know of many Smart Dolls who have handbags that are a hunk of cheese.
Halloween IS celebrated in Japan, albeit a little differently from how it's celebrated here in the U.S. Trick-or-treating is apparently not prevalent, so Yuka was intrigued by the ritual of going door-to-door for candy. Yuka likes candy, and she got quite a haul. Some of my favorites are in there.
Y'all can't see the Almond Joy or Twix bars, but they're in there. Twix one of my favorites, and Mama adores Almond Joy.
When it got colder still, Yuka opted for this unusual little number from Kyle Lefort. Note that despite the dropping temperatures the grass was still green.
Confession: I liked scarves on dolls (and myself) before I could tell Tom Baker from a Tom Collins. Scarves fit any body type, and I think they look dramatic.
Many of my dolls' scarves are knitted or crocheted, but this scarf is woven, presumably on one of those looms one could once find at Wal-Mart. It's a visually striking scarf, but it doesn't drape well, not like this one.
Yuka can wear this over her head if she wants, just as I did during snowfall back in college. I called it "babushka mode."
I freaking love these soft ones. They came from EliteDollWorld and are the softest things you could imagine. I wish they came in my size.
The end of that particular week (November 8th) brought the season's first truly sharp cold snap, but Yuka was ready.
The jacket is another Etsy find, from EliteDollWorld. It quickly earned Mama's stamp of approval. By the time November 12th came it was warm enuff for Yuka to shed her jacket, and by 11/14 she was out of sleeves completely.
I did have several cardigans on hand for Yuka in case she did get chilly, but the air temperature right then was seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit. The week after that it poured but stayed relatively mild. That's how autumn rolls in the Bootheel, and indeed in much of the Midwest. One can have anything from ice storms to tornadoes in November. It's very much like a second spring, though usually the shifts are not as extreme...usually.
Christmas rolled around, and Yuka quickly made friends with our new-to-us Christmas "tree." My mama loves gnomes.
Yuka's shirt reminds me of the ones for humans that read "Dear Santa, I CAN EXPLAIN!!!" That one came from DollLuvrsDesign.
Truth be told, Yuka was actually a very good girl this year, except for her escapade with the refrigerator in May. She teases and has a sarcastic side, but her behavior during 2025 was excellent.
December 5th. Once Thanksgiving is over Uncle Man-Child starts playing Christmas music and nothing BUT Christmas music. The rest of us were pretty sick of it.
That was also the night that my sister had to go to the hospital, so Mama and I were pretty short on patience. The music didn't help much.
December 14th. It was bitterly cold outside, prompting Yuka to don her jacket again.
Last December was one big roller coaster weatherwise. The kinda weather that makes you good and sick. And sure enuff...we jump to January 2nd, the back-to-normal thing. Yuka caught a cold and took it easy for a few days. She had a bad cough and I worried about her developing pneumonia with those little lungs, but Yuka reassured me that she just needed rest and a good book to feel better.
It's not easy to balance everything when you're holding your place in a book and blowing your nose at the same time, but Yuka pulled it off. Even though she felt less than stellar, she did want to show off her pajamas.
"Yeah, dig these!"
Dominantly red, of course, just like she likes. dollsofmine is the proprietor. The blanket, also largely red, came from goodlifedoll.
"<big sniffle> Can I lie down now? I'm having chills."
Poor love, a nap did us both a world of good that day (my hip was killing me, as it often does).
Yuka was better by the end of that week, but then it got super-cold outside and I got sick myself, so it was January 25th before I even thought of piddling with Yuka again. Here she and Joyita Emilia cuddle.
The next day I was still sick and sneezing, but I'd gotten up the chutzpah to take Yuka outside. It was sixteen degrees and calm.
Mama gave this piecemealed outfit her stamp of approval. There are multiple pieces from multiple shops, and I thought it was kinda a mess, but...well, Mother knows best. I left Yuka in that getup until early March.
April rolled around again, and it turns out that Yuka loves Easter almost as much as I do. She slipped into a cute little beige blouse and a pair of slacks with CHICKS!!! Oh, and a matching hat.
Casual, comfy, quirky. Just like she and I like. Mama gave this outfit her stamp of approval. Again, these items are Etsy; the hat came from MinibooksbyDany, the blouse came from MysteriousDollWorld, and unfortunately I couldn't find the slacks on my Etsy purchase history. Etsy black holes aside, I love how Yuka looks in this hat, so I took a couple'a random head shots. The lights are from the elementary school, by the way; Casa Pizarro is right across the street.
I love the G07 head, by the way, because it's a versatile head that can take a number of expressions. Yuka/Survivor has a hint of a smile, Forgive But Don't Forget has a smirk, and Ends of the Earth looks like she's about to shiv someone. G03, while also attractive, is always smiling, rendering that head less versatile.
April 9th, another one of those nice sit-and-do-nothing evenings.
Yes, that's a box of her fellow dolls she's sitting on, with Velvet's head sticking out, no less. That box is currently full of other things waiting for a post, but that night I just wanted to relax and enjoy a relatively pain-free evening. My hip behaved for a good part of that week.
April was unusually dry and warm, at times unpleasantly so. April 26th was our last pretty day before a BIG shift in the weather, and Yuka took advantage of it.
April was unusually dry and warm, at times unpleasantly so. April 26th was our last pretty day before a BIG shift in the weather, and Yuka took advantage of it.
Yes, she carries that purse with every outfit, LOL. And twice over the next week I carried Yuka to work with me, LOL again! The storms were noisy and I was frightened on April 27th, but once again Malden was spared the worst of it. And that's where things currently stand! Yuka is still in that particular outfit, maybe even something heavier if it stays unseasonably cool. Today it's supposed to get rough again, but guess who's ready?
Don't be scared, be prepared!
Of course I projected bits of myself onto Yuka, as I inevitably will do. She hate-hate-HATES heights and likes spiders but gives them a cautionary side-eye, just like I do. She wears big hair bows whenever she gets the chance, just like I do. She's not an art expert, but she likes it just as I do. Very predictably, Electric Light Orchestra is her favorite band (I freaking love ELO). And of course, Yuka is a Whovian; she likes the Third Doctor the best.
Venusian akido, anyone?
I'll pass, thanks. The Happy Bunny shirt is a nod to my sister's youth rather than mine, by the way, as she liked Happy Bunny when we were kids. I did too, but Sister had the stickers on her notebooks and sometimes threw the insults at bullies, LOL.
And that, ladies and germs, is a year in the life of my Smart Doll. She is now the most expensive doll I've ever bought, and I don't plan on going any higher unless I see something truly rare or unique (Printemps). Nor do I plan on adding any other Smart Dolls to my collection unless I can find a good sale on a secondhand girl with green vinyl. Yuka is a large doll and manipulating her joints takes some getting used to, so one Smart Doll is enuff for me. But this was money was well-spent, as I've loved spending time with Yuka, finding her nuances and abilities and limitations, and just having something truly unique. Oh sure, burn-scar dolls exist, but they're usually custom jobs, and as Mr. Choo predicted, I don't often see other Smart Doll fans rocking a Survivor around. That's a shame, because she's a very pretty doll, scars or no. I certainly have no regrets with Yuka, though I do encourage anyone who is considering a Smart Doll to follow their own heart. If you want to spend a lot on a scarred doll, Mr. Choo has that, and if you want a doll without scars he's got that too. There truly is something for everyone.
As for Yuka, hopefully this is just the first of many great years together.
All of my love,
RagingMoon1987
