Everything you need to know is after the cut!
To begin with, this line is based off of the upcoming Ever After High movie, "Dragon Games." (Which just so happens to launch TODAY on Netflix!) The line features Darling Charming, Raven Queen, Holly and Poppy O'Hair, Apple White, and a new character called "Mira Shards." There are some side pieces of merch in this line: baby dragon figurines, and some mini-dolls that are supposed to be forest pixies: Featherly, Harelowe, and Deerla. For those curious, the deluxe playset this time is Apple and a rather reindeer-like dragon that she can ride on (with real wing-flapping action!).
The instant I saw pictures of this line, I knew I had to get some of these dolls. Darling is now my favorite Rebel, with Duchess as my favorite Royal, so I am pretty much committed to getting whatever version of each gets released. Raven also looked amazing, so I decided to get her as well. I love her ponytail and the fact that she's wearing pants for once. Miss Momo and I have reached the point where if we're out shopping and see one of the new dolls that we know the other wants, we'll just buy it for the other to make sure it's been secured. (After the Fairest on Ice debacle, we've learned our lesson.)
Thankfully, Miss Momo stumbled across a bunch of Dragon Games dolls while doing one of her toy runs at Toys R Us, and picked up Darling for me, saving me a trip. She was $21, sales tax included, so the price might vary a little depending on which state you live in.
I want to get this off my chest right now: I HATE the new boxes. They are just unbelievably ugly, and I won't be saving them.
It looks too kiddy and tacky. The colors and design are garish, and I am filled with revulsion just looking at this. THROW IT OUT, SCARLETT. BURN THE WITCH.
Down to brass tacks, now. Darling comes with her bad self, plus a Dragon Games rule book with her creepy pet baby dragon plastered on the cover, as well as the usual brush and stand. New for this series is a shield which also happens to be a ring.
Haute couture, indeed. I would prefer to use this as a shield for Darling, but she can't exactly hold it, unless I rubber-band it to her arm. Pretty standard plastic ring here, with an ornate "D" decorating the front. Yawn.
Her rule book has picture of the game field. It looks a little like a Quidditch field. If there were dragons instead of brooms, I guess.
Standard equipment, no big deal.
Artsy glamour shot~~
Okay, real talk now. Can I just say that I'm stoked that we've finally got the girl dolls in pants, PLUS got Darling in something practical to run around in? Bless you, Mattel. I am not as thrilled with the hair, but we'll get to that. Just take it in. This, in my opinion, is how Darling should dress all the time. Practical but gorgeous.
She's still rocking the pink-and-blue makeup combo here, tying into her overall color scheme, but it's much softer this time. Her mascara isn't as thick and dark, the eye shadow is a bit brighter, and her lipstick is a very soft pastel pink. It's less dramatic, and I think it serves to make her armor the highlight of the outfit. The baby blue highlights in her hair appear to be a smidge darker than before, and are all done on the underlayer of her hair. The pieces closest to her face have been heavily gelled into thick, twisting curls. I can't quite tell if she's meant to be wearing a crown or a head protector, although it's possibly both. It's actually quite pretty, with pink gems decorating it. But the damn thing has been plastic-tied into her head. COME ON MATTEL.
(This is telling me that if you unclip it from her head, it is never staying on again.)
HER OUTFIT THO. She's rocking a garment that looks equal parts tunic and dress, and gives me flashbacks to Cerise's Signature doll. It's a soft baby blue with a clover-like pattern. The skirt has got me fascinated. It's a sort of peplum cut, with done in a bubble skirt style. Her sleeves are made of a soft gauzy mesh and don't exactly match her character art, but oh well.
Girl finally has some real armor here! She's got a top piece that functions as a sort of dual necklace and collar. The ornamentation is pretty reminiscent of her Signature doll, but I love how it's sculpted to make it look like flowing strings of beads draped over her shoulders. Her main piece of armor has some chunks out of the sides to accommodate for the stand, and has nothing in the back (it basically clips on), but I love it! The paint job is fantastic on this, and looks so ornate. The gauntlet on her right forearm is pretty so-so. It's got lots of detail to make it look like riveted metal, but is nowhere as detailed as her main armor, and just looks so bland and out-of-place. It's also weird that she has only one gauntlet. Won't that be weirdly lopsided, Darling? PS, you have to take her hand out to get the darn thing off. I don't know how I feel about it.
Her pants are just fantastic; turquoise, aqua, and metallic pink is such a winning combo and just looks good with the heavy amount of silver and grey that she's wearing. I'm guessing Mattel was going for leggings here, but they're slightly too loose. She's got great range of motion in these, though. Her knee-high boots are just as detailed as the armor, although I could really do without the little pink decorations. Look at them, she can go tromping across battlefields in these babies. I am positively giddy that we now have a Darling doll who really embodies the "Warrior Princess" that she is deep inside.
And now, all of this from the back. No matter how much I brushed her hair, her curls are nowhere near as bouncy and lively as her Signature doll's. The hairstyle they've given her is both unflattering and badly executed, because it just looks kind of flat and waterlogged. I think they would have been better off giving her a pulled-back hairstyle like the other girls (Raven and Holly have ponytails.), and I might end up giving her a ponytail or braid to try and salvage the look. (And besides, who wants their hair loose during sports? Granted, that crown will keep it from flying in her face, but it's still in the way.)
The collar piece snaps together in the back with a clasp very similar to the one used on her Signature doll. It isn't hard to take apart, and both her dress's fastening and her armor come off without unnecessary effort.
Though I gotta admit the slits in her boots are unattractive. This is one doll that just is completely unappealing from the back, which is a pity. She'll look fine on display, but playing with her might be a different story.
Overall, I've got to hand it to Mattel. This line is so different from anything they usually do, but they've managed to make all of the outfits appealing. (If I liked Holly more, I'd get her, too.) There are a few missteps here, primarily the hair, but if you're comfortable with removing the crown and are pretty good at styling, I feel that could be easily remedied.
Miss Scarlett suggests: An excellent follow-up to Darling Charming's Signature doll; great for both fans of the character and collectors in general!
