Before I start the review, I'll quickly explain that this is the first big themed line for EAH. The concept is basically the EAH version of Homecoming: a big game, a parade, and a dance where one girl is picked to be the "Queen." Mattel decided to go all out for this one, and it got a 45-minute long special, plus an online campaign where fans could vote for their choice of four Thronecoming candidates: Raven Queen, Apple White, Blondie Lockes, and of course, Cupid. Voting went on for a month, and in the end, Miss Queen triumphed over her rivals--well of course she would, her last name is "Queen," after all!
(For those interested in watching the special, it's up on Netflix, and on Youtube. Also, please be aware that I lost the memory card with the original pictures I took. I've tried to re-take them, but I had to use some pictures from Google for the pictures of the box.)
I picked up Cupid at my local Target for $24.99. I have a feeling that this will be the default price for the deluxe dolls from now on. I picked her because I loved her design the most out of all the other girls. (Note to Mattel: please release Thronecoming versions of the other girls! I would do anything to have Thronecoming Duchess and Cedar.)
The box used for the Thronecoming dolls is much bigger than the boxes used for the other dolls. It's probably to provide enough room for the ginormous skirts the girls are wearing. Spellcheck recognizes ginormous as a real word! How lovely. The primary color used in the box art is a bluish lavender; the spine of the box has carnation pink accents, and the character portrait shows Cupid all decked out in her formal attire. The front of the box is uncluttered, with 90% of the window un-obscured. The Thronecoming logo is in the upper corner. The background of the box depicts an elegant, decorated ballroom. Perhaps it's the ballroom where the dance takes place? The colors are very soft and make me think of a spring sunset.
Miss Cupid is secured tightly in her box, and getting her out was a production. Every single inch of her is firmly tied to the box. I have to give Mattel kudos for thinking of attractive ways to display the doll inside the box, and then securing them to stay in that pose, but at the same time, getting the damn dolls out of the box should not require you to have steadier hands than a brain surgeon (because the slightest wobbly hand and whoops, you've just snipped off a chunk of the dress). Once I got her free, I had to admire her for a bit.
Cupid. She is very...pink. Not in a bad way, but I feel like she manages to be even more pink than her basic doll, if that makes sense. Her hair is done in my favorite type of hairstyle: Cupid's long hair is pulled up in a high ponytail, with straight cut bangs, and two long curled tendrils framing her face. Very simple and elegant. Cupid's mane is actually a mixture of several different shades of pink, but mostly a bright bubblegum pink and a soft pale pastel pink. It's a bit lighter in shade than her previous incarnations (Monster High and EAH signature), but is very pretty. It also has lots of strands of pink tinsel, making her hair almost shimmer. Her luscious mane is surprisingly soft, and did not require much brushing when taken out of the box.
Being the daughter of Eros, the god of love, Cupid's prevailing fashion motif is the heart. You'll see lots of them in this doll, starting with the makeup. Cupid's eyeshadow is a glimmery, glittery pink, with sparkly hearts drawn below her eyes. I'm guessing that the girls all got their faces painted? It looks really cute, actually. Her lipstick is pink, with a darker pink "heart" painted over it. This looks too much like Star Wars' Queen Amidala for my taste, and just looks weird. As an interesting note, the corneal reflections in her big green eyes are drawn as hearts. Told you they were everywhere.
On to the dress. I have to say that I love, love, love how each girl has a dress suiting their unique style. Silhouette is really important in this line, and Mattel took pains with these designs. Cupid's dress is a more modern style, with a contemporary-looking bodice and a tutu-like over-skirt and a full main skirt. Again, it's a type of dress design that I really like.
The bodice of the dress is a rich dark pink color, with a gold pattern that looks like swirling leaves or vines. In some parts of the design, they look like hearts. Black netting covers her bosom and forms the shoulder straps. The skirt connects to the base of the bodice. It's made in two layers: a stiff, off-white opaque main layer, and a light pink tulle layer over that with more golden swirling leaf and heart designs. It's also impregnated with glitter, and has a sort of rainbow effect when you hold it to the light. The tulle overskirt looks kind of like a tutu and also has two layers: a top layer that's black decorated with pink hearts and rows of pink dots, and a glittery pale pink layer under that. The main skirt cuts away in front so you can have an unimpeded view of her legs. You can tug it closed for modesty, or pull it back to wow the crowd. You can see up to mid-thigh (and possibly more, depending on your angle), so it's certainly very daring.
I absolutely adore the dress. Mattel kind of went crazy with the tulle, but the idea of layers and short skirts over long skirts really appeals to me. I think that adding black to her normal pink, white, and gold color scheme also works very well. It's a unique dress, and I am crazy for it.
Cupid has surprisingly minimal accessories, probably because the dress is the highlight of the doll. The primary accessory is her set of wings, which clip onto her neck via a black choker that looks like a wreath of laurels. The wings are white with a pearly sheen, and it looks like Mattel tried to do a bronze panel wash on them. It turned out really uneven on mine, and you can see patches where the paint didn't take. It looks weird and sloppy. The wings are otherwise beautiful, and curl up and out. If you take a look at them from behind, you can see they have a heart cutout in the back. And take a closer look--see how the inside edges of the wing curve out and then back in? It's another heart silhouette. The wings clip on and off easily. This all begs a question, though. Thronecoming Cupid's wings look completely different from her signature doll. In fact, comparing her design in the Thronecoming special and the regular webisodes shows that her wings' design changes in the show, too! So...does Cupid have real wings that magically change shape? Or are they an accessory that she walks around with? We never see her fly or anything... Come on, Mattel! Answer me!
The rest of her accessories are all golden, to keep with her color scheme. She has ear cuffs that are shaped like feathery wings (and make her look like an elf) and are removable. She has two bracelets that look a little like gauntlets, and have a swirling vine design. One of them has some pale pink roses attached it to it, so it's probably her corsage. She's carrying a round purse with a strap that looks like a line of laurel leaves. And it has pink tassels! TASSELS! It looks the same on both sides, and doesn't open.
As for her shoes, Cupid's got a pair of killer golden gladiator sandals with laurel leaf straps. Also with pink tassels on the heels. I really like that Mattel incorporated nods to her Greco-Roman heritage in her design. Crowns of laurel leaves were given to victors of competitions or battles in Ancient Greece and Rome. (They were also sacred to the god Apollo.) And what is Cupid doing? She is competing for a title. She's also wearing gladiator sandals--she's fighting (like gladiators, only metaphorically in her case) against the other Thronecoming Queen candidates. I see those sly references you made, Mattel.
The last bit is the mask she's carrying. The Thronecoming dance is apparently a masquerade ball, so everybody's got one. Cupid's is designed like Pegasus--look at the flowing lines of the mask, they look very equine. There's also two pegasii (shut up spellcheck, it is SO a word) at the top of the mask! The stick that the mask is attached to has a little attachment that you can slip Cupid's hand into. It will fall out, though, if you don't get the angle right. You might want to rubber-band it to her hand to get it to stay on.
Cupid, of course, comes with a brush, bookmark that tells her Thronecoming story, and a stand. The latter is a bit different in that it's a saddle stand, and you have to clip her into it by clipping it between her legs. That was the classiest way I could put it, folks. I had a hard time getting her to stay in the stand; she kept popping out. I might have to try using more pressure; I was afraid of creasing her or breaking something.
(As a side note, Google the Thronecoming designs. Isn't it interesting how the two Rebel candidates have very modern styled dresses, and the two Royal candidates are dressed very traditionally? Cupid's multi-layered short-skirted confection, and Raven's asymmetrical dress look like modern couture, compared to Apple and Blondie's more traditional-styled ball gowns. More symbolism!)
(As a side note, Google the Thronecoming designs. Isn't it interesting how the two Rebel candidates have very modern styled dresses, and the two Royal candidates are dressed very traditionally? Cupid's multi-layered short-skirted confection, and Raven's asymmetrical dress look like modern couture, compared to Apple and Blondie's more traditional-styled ball gowns. More symbolism!)
I love that EAH is finally getting more doll lines. Thronecoming has some very beautiful designs, and adds a touch of elegance. It really highlights the fairy tale aspect of the story, and merges it well with the more modern day aspects. These deluxe dolls feel a little too elaborate for average playing, and might be better relegated to display-only. I would say so based mostly on the fancy hairstyles--which are definitely not made for taking out and re-doing--and the gowns. Unless you are very gentle with them, of course, but these really don't have a younger fan type of feel. At $25, these are almost $10 more than the average doll, so I feel they have more of a collector value to them than play value.
Miss Scarlett suggests: EAH fans looking for a nice display doll might want to investigate the Thronecoming line.
Miss Scarlett suggests: EAH fans looking for a nice display doll might want to investigate the Thronecoming line.
