Pullip My Melody (Pink Version) Review

Easter seems like an appropriate time to finally finish this review on Pullip My Melody Pink Version. I was able to add her to my collection in July 2023. I unboxed her last Easter, and this review has been in my drafts since then. Formerly, I have been somewhat apologetic about not publishing reviews quickly enough after getting a new doll, as if I was somehow obligated to do so. However, now I think delays like this might even be beneficial: in addition to first impressions, I can share my actual experiences, for example, if I have encountered any problems with the doll or the materials. However, for My Melody, that is not the case – I have not experienced any problems with the doll, and I adore her equally as much as when I first got her. 

My Melody Pink Version was one of those releases that instantly piqued my interest when I got back to doll collecting after a hiatus. Her face-up is so pretty and expressive, and My Melody is one of my favourite Sanrio characters, along with Kuromi and Cinnamoroll. Additionally, despite being a relatively new release at the time, she was already very popular, and I saw so many cool customized dolls of this model.   

Unboxing 

My Melody still in her box

All the My Melody details on the box are so cute!

More details on the side of the box; the box design features even the gingham pattern of the dress!

The text on the back promises great attention to detail and mentions pink and light blue ribbon motif, ears on the headdress, and ribbons on the eyechips. 

Face-up 

Her make-up's colour palette mainly consists of hues of warm brown, with vivid pink lips and blush standing out. The lips are glossy and are painted with a gradient effect. There is heavy blush on the cheeks and also some on the chin and forehead, making the face-up look lively and cute. Her expressiveness is what really makes her stand out: upward turning eyebrows paired with the heavy blush, a puppy- or doe-like droopy eyeliner, and general softness of the eye make-up give her a memorable, innocent and gentle look.

Her eyechips are black with dark purple bows in the middle. I am glad the bows are not too prominent: while they are on point for My Melody's character, the dark eyes play well into her innocent, doe-eyed look. This effect would be lost if the bows were too distracting or flashy.  

Half-closed eyes: I feel this setting makes her look even more calm and gentle

The eyelids are pink and have bows and hearts painted on them. I must confess that I have not always been that keen on patterned eyelids: I found them pretty and admired the super-detailed paintwork on some custom dolls, but did not think they were something that would fit into my collection, if that makes sense. However, so many of my favourite releases have them that I have had to change my opinion on them, haha. 

Wig 

She has a bob cut, curled toward the back of the head, and longer, curly pigtails. The pigtails imitate the look of droopy bunny ears, which I think is fun and creative: this way the doll's head can maintain the same bunny-like "silhouette" even without the headdress. The wig is on the thinner side, with the net showing, for example, near the pigtails, but it could be much worse. The overall quality of the wig seems good, and the fiber feels soft and silky.

Bows

The bows are attached to the wig by simply pushing the ends of a wire into the pigtails. They can be used to cover the elastics and thread used in the pigtails, but then, on the other hand, the wires are more difficult to hide. (However, I have had this same problem with many stock hair clips on Pullip dolls, so I am starting to question if this is just a skill issue, haha.) I think this could have been improved by using pink wire that matches the wig colour instead of grey.

 Outfit

In addition to bows for her wig, she comes with a headdress, cape, dress, apron, tights, shoes, plushie, the collector's card, and the stand. 

 

Full outfit

I am very happy with her stock clothes: they are carefully designed, and the quality is great. A variety of fabrics and textures is used, and different materials are matched beautifully, such as the light pink velour used on both the headdress and the cape. In addition to matched textures, there are other repeating motifs in her outfit, like beads on the apron and cape, blue bows on the headdress, dress, and shoes, and cohesive colour scheme across all pieces. Many different kinds of frills and laces are used, and there are not any quality issues such as poorly finished off threads. All the materials feel thoughtfully selected, high-quality, and well-suited for their purpose, which I greatly appreciate.

Headdress

Her headdress is probably my favourite piece in her whole outfit! The inner side is made of the same gingham-patterned fabric used in the dress and it is adorned with several layers of lacy frills, while the outer side is made of the same pastel pink velour as her cape and is similarly embellished with beads. I love the large bows and the bunny ears! The ears have wires inside, allowing their shape and position to be adjusted. 

What I truly appreciate is that the creators have taken some creative freedom with the character design, focusing on certain characteristics and not trying to recreate the whole design, for example, My Melody's hood. Changing the hood into headdress and cape allows to capture the essence of My Melody's character even better than strictly following original character design would have, while still preserving the most important aspects of the character (like the bunny ears).  

Cape

The cape is made of the same light pink velour decorated with frills and beads as the headdress. This creates unity across these pieces, mimicking My Melody's hood. The hood is one of the crucial features of My Melody, along with pink colour, either flower or bow accessories, and – most importantly – that she is a bunny. Adapting some characteristics to something new like this while keeping the inspiration and references to the original character obvious is what makes the doll's design great in my opinion. 

Apron

The apron is decorated with lace, ruffles, and beads, and on the back, there is a large bow that covers the velcro fastening. While I like the apron a lot, I also appreciate that there is an option to wear the dress without it which adds versatility to the outfit.

Dress

The fabric of the dress has a gingham pattern with bow motifs. There are flower-shaped faux buttons on the collar, and her bunny tail is sewn onto the back of the dress. There are in total four different types of lace used in the dress, and the built-in petticoat's organza ruffles peak out from underneath, making the hem look extra frilly and layered. 

Shoes and tights 

I like how the creators have been committed to repeating the motifs also in the shoes, but to be honest, they might be my least favourite part of the outfit. The shoes are slightly oversized, chunky, and feel a bit cluttered with details. I think less would have been more here: simple shoes with a clear, elegant silhouette, and maybe one or two real ribbons would have worked better, in my opinion. On the other hand, sturdy rubber shoes are less likely to break apart, so I can see that playing a part in design choices.

The tights have a ribbed pattern and feel durable. They are nice, simple and versatile, which makes them very borrowable for my other girls (my dolls live in a communal household :P).

Plushie 

I always think plushies are a lovely addition to doll's stock accessories. However, I am not entirely convinced by the fabric choices for this one. The microfibre fabric used for the face and body makes the plushie look a bit flat. I think using a fabric similar to the plushie's hood or the doll's headdress would have made the plushie appear plumper, fluffier and cuter. Maybe they tried to create a clear contrast with other fabrics, or maybe this was the easiest material to attach the plushie's face to? The bright pink colour also does not quite match the doll's colour palette, but this, too, might be an intentional attempt to make the plush stand out more? 

The bow is also a bit odd: I get that the round shape in the middle imitates My Melody's original cartoonish bow, but to me, it looks like a glued-on, flat circle of fabric and inferior to simply using a normal bow. That said, I think plushies are always a nice extra for a doll to have, despite all the nitpicking. :-) (Although I guess at least some of it was warranted, given that they made some changes for My Melody Lilac Version.)

Summary 

Despite being a relatively recent release (August 2020), I feel she has already secured her (well-earned) place among the iconic Pullip releases due to her memorable face-up and character design. I especially appreciate the balance between faithfulness to the source material and adapting it to something new: the character is instantly recognizable, but the outfit is original and interesting enough to work also as a stand-alone design that does not require knowledge on Sanrio to be appreciated. All in all, her face-up is vivid and expressive, there is beautiful cohesion across the pieces with a variety of matched fabrics and motifs, and the quality of her stock clothes is great overall. By all measures, she is a remarkable, well-executed release.