This is another post that has been waiting in my drafts for quite some time. I actually got my Isul Black Mao two years ago, shortly after the model's release. This release is one of the few that immediately felt like a must-have addition to my collection. Even after two years, I am still amazed by all the delicate details of the face-up and the high quality of the stock clothes. More about those later in the post, but firstly, photos of the box (as usual):
 |
| A lot of cats and other fitting details on the box |
 |
| The flap of the box |
 |
| On the back of the box, there is information about the creators of the doll, Kanihoru and Mitsubachi. |
 |
| The side of the box |
 |
| The box opened |
 |
| Still in the box... |
 |
| His face up is so pretty :o |
Black Mao has eyeliner similar to other Maos, but with a bolder wing.
His eyeshadow has grey tones (with a hint of petrol blue?) and a muted orangish brown matching the shade of his matte lips. The eyebrows are light and have individually drawn hairs, creating a natural and delicate look. The painted-on eyelid creases are shaded with matching greyish brown
colour, while the eyelids have a pretty dark brown gradient. (His eyeliner, eyeshadow, and eyebrows actually remind me a lot
of Kuhn's, whose face up I also really like!)
My
favourite parts of the face up are the use of shimmering gold on his painted-on eyelids and the mole above his left eyebrow. I wish details like this were more common in Pullip designs – I think moles, freckles, or
alike add realism and personality to a doll design. :-)
 |
| The face-up |
 |
| Eyes closed |
His eyes have cat-like pupils, and their colour changes from silver-grey to dark brown depending on the lighting (see, for example, the following photo and the one two photos back for comparison). The chips even appear to have a hint of green shine in certain lighting? Anyway, the eyes have this really cool shiny and colour-changing effect, which I unfortunately could not fully capture with photos.
His wig is actually two-coloured: the lowest row of wefts on the back and the sides of the wig are light grey. The secondary colour is most visible on the back of his head, although it remains quite subtle even there. It can be seen slightly from the front as well, which is a nice touch. Overall, the wig is good quality: the wig cap is not showing, there are no loose strands of hair, and the texture feels silky.
 |
| A close-up of the eye chips |
I am impressed by the number of clothes and accessories that come with the doll (and by how detailed they are)! There is a suit jacket, trousers with belt and chain, dress shirt, tie, pair of boots, harness, turtleneck shirt, T-shirt, scarf, face mask, pendant, stand, collector card, and, of course, a pair of cat ears.
 |
| All clothes and accessories |
The harness is fastened with a tiny side-release buckle at the front and is made of textured pleather. Pleather as material is always a bit concerning due to its known tendency to deteriorate, but to me the material used here feels less stiff than what I have previously encountered on Pullip stock outfits, so it is possible that this one will not start to flake as usual, but time will tell. For now, I am just going to admire the details.
 |
| The outfit he has in the box (+ boots) |
The suit jacket cannot be closed, but it has small
buttons and embroided fake buttonholes. Thanks to
good pattern design, the jacket sits well, and it even has pocket flaps (although no real
pockets).
 |
| The suit jacket |
The dress shirt has small beads on the front as fake buttons and is actually closed with velcro. His tie is fastened with a small hook on the back and has a tiny tie pin on the front.
 |
| The dress shirt |
I am really impressed with his trousers: there has been a lot of attention
to detail and functionality. Firstly, the belt is functional and removable, as is the chain. Secondly, the trousers have seams, belt
loops, and pleats just like actual human-sized trousers, and there are real side seam pockets and also faux pockets on the
back. Not sure how useful functioning pockets on doll clothes truly are, but I think they show that the producer is willing to go the extra mile to include thoughtful details that the collectors would appreciate. Additionally, it is fun to know that if you wanted to pose a doll with hands in pockets for a photo, you could. :-D
 |
| Note the details and functioning pockets! |
I am also really happy with his boots. They fit well and securely, which is not something to be taken for granted (sometimes I feel that most Pullip releases have shoes that are too big). Furthermore, like the trousers, the boots are very detailed. They have intricate texturing, including the seams and even creasing around the ball of the foot, and the soles are translucent, mimicking certain types of real boots.
 |
| Boots with an amazing level of details for stock shoes |
 |
| The cat theme continues in the print of his T-shirt |
The cat ears are made of fluffy black fabric, and one ear has a
chain accessory on it. I guess cat ears are an essential part of a
cat-themed outfit, but I am not sure how much I am going to use them, as I do not think they add that much to the whole look. The ears have a somewhat costume-like look, and I am not sure if this is intentional. They
are a bit shapeless and do not look that clearly like cat ears.
Additionally, the hair clips used to attach them are somewhat difficult
to hide completely. Everything else being so detailed and realistic, I
feel like the ears stand out a bit from the overall look (and not necessarily in a
good way), but then again, if the point is him being dressed up as a cat
and not being an actual catboy, the costume-like look makes sense.
His other accessories include a face mask and a scarf. The mask's inner side is white probably because black fabrics are known to be prone
to staining plastic. The scarf has a visible stitch pattern that works really
nicely in this scale. Its texture gives the feeling of a real miniature
scarf – an actual scarf turned small – and not just any small piece of fabric. I am very pleased with this sort of details!
 |
| The cat ears, the face mask, and the scarf |
Both his T-shirt and long-sleeved turtleneck feel like nice quality, and I am happy with how many clothes he has (much like previous Mao releases). In addition, all his clothes can be easily mixed with one's existing Isul wardrobe, as they are somewhat basic – in a good way! (I think it is refreshing for a release to have well-made everyday clothes instead of a set of statement pieces for a very specific aesthetic or setting, although there is a time and place for everything.) I feel like Black Mao's stock outfits are almost an entire capsule wardrobe on their own, haha.
 |
| Even his pendant – a coin featuring Queen Elizabeth II – is detailed enough to have readable text on it. |
In summary, this doll has an amazing level of detail in both his face up and stock clothes. Everything feels well-made, and I appreciate how a sense of realism is achieved not just with the details, but also with the use of different materials and textures (e.g. stitch pattern on the scarf, pleather in the belt and harness, and jersey shirts). I feel like it all has been carefully designed to look right in this scale. Attention to detail and showcasing artists' recognizable styles and aesthetics are exactly what I expect from Creator's Label series. I love Mitsubachi's designs, and I am glad to have Black Mao in my collection as well.
