Obitsu Dolls VS Resin Dolls

(Highlighting the 50cm Obitsu doll)

Today I would like to compare a very popular vinyl doll to a standard resin doll. In this post I am going to show you a closer look into the world of Obitsus. When comparing them to a standard resin BJD you may notice a couple of things!

What are the differences? What are the similarities? What are the things you need to be careful about when dealing with both of these dolls?

Let’s take a look at Obitsu

Although Obitsu dolls are usually considered as off-topic dolls in most forums and online groups, the larger sized dolls (1/4 scale Obitsu dolls and 1/3) are usually grandfathered in most groups. I’d venture to say that Obitsu is a bit more popular for their 1/6 scale dolls which most groups consider to be more on the fashion doll side. (Barbie, Monster High)

What are Obitsu dolls made of?

Obitsu dolls are not made out of resin. They are made of three different combinations of materials that are PVC (polyvinyl chloride), ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and POM (Polyoxymethylene). Basically they are plastic that is similar to Barbie or other fashion dolls you can find in stores on the shelves.

For instance, the arm of my 50cm Obitsu doll looks like it’s made of a soft vinyl material. Her joints and hinges are of a harder plastic material. Furthermore, if you dig deeper into the actual skeleton, there are different parts there too, all made of a harder plastic. The overall look is cohesive but made of many different parts.

Do Obitsu dolls have elastic?

Obitsu dolls are not strung with elastic, they have a plastic skeletal system. This internal fame helps keep them together and helps them move and hold poses.

For Obitsu dolls you can pop the arms off easily and replace them with another. You can do that for pretty much all of its parts, switch them as per your liking. If something breaks in the body, you can replace it with another part.

While on the other hand, the resin dolls are connected via elastic. They typically have two bands of elastic in their bodies. There is a loop that goes through the arms and then another look that goes from the neck down to the legs. (check out my restringing article to see what they look like)

Some Obitsu dolls have magnetic feet!

One of the great features Obitsu has to offer is the fact that some models have magnetic feet. If you select the body with magnetic feet they will also come with a flat metal disc for your doll to stand on.

These magnets help them retain their stability and posture. This is what enables you to change their pose. They can achieve many dynamic poses with the magnetic stand that resin dolls cannot do not their own.

Where do you buy Obitsus?

There are multiple companies that make resin BJDs. However when you look at the vinyl market in the larger scale sizes that closely represent a standard BJD, the options are limited. If you want to look specifically into Obitsu dolls themselves, you can get them from a few approved distributors or through Obitsu’s site itself.

How does the 50cm compare in height from resin dolls?

To start let’s get a look at the height. Today I will be showing you a 50cm obitsu in comparison with a standard 1/4 size doll.

The 50cm size is such an odd height because most BJDs that are 1/4 scale are around 45cm. BJDs that are 1/3 scale are around 60cm. This puts our Obitsu somewhere between a 1/4 and 1/3 scale doll.

Let’s take a look at some dolls side by side:

A 42cm MSD Doll Leaves Doll (Left)
Our 50cm Obitsu which is the featured doll for today (Middle)
A 58cm Dollzone Doll (Right)

The Obitsu doll fits between the other two dolls. In my point of view, it looks like a slightly younger version of the 58cm Dollzone doll and a slightly older version of Doll Leaves doll. When you look at them placed together they look as if they are in sequence. I find that pretty amazing.

Similarities between Obitsu dolls and resin ball jointed dolls

While there are so many differences there are some basic similarities too. The larger Obitsu dolls actually use a lot of the same things that resin dolls use. Here are some things the two different kinds of dolls have in common.

Color Choices

Resin can come in different colors depending on what company you buy them from. Some resin BJD companies offer really exotic colors along with the typical colors.

Obitsus come in two colors which are “fleshtone and white skin”. There really isn’t any other colors offered, however, there are people that do like to customize them. I have not tried it myself but some have used things like Rit dye to change the color of the vinyl.

Eyes

Both the Obitsu and resin ball jointed dolls can use either acrylic or glass eyes.

Depending on the head you buy for your Obitsu, there may be eye sockets where you have to place the eyeballs. You might have to apply heat via a blow dryer in order to soften the plastic to properly place the eye in the socket.

You might run into some Obitsu heads that are like the resin heads that have no sockets and will need the aid of eye putty to keep the eyes in position.

The ability to pose

One of the main attractive things about BJDs in general is the fact that they are very posable. They can be positioned in many different ways. Posing differs from company to company when it comes to resin dolls. There are some collectors that will swear by certain companies and that they have the greatest posing capabilities. While other companies get criticized for not being created well enough to hold basic positions.

When you look at Obitsu they can take on any pose with ease, no matter what size category you are looking at. Since they have an internal skeleton they can be positioned in any way and will hold that pose. They can do even more jaw dropping things if they have magnetic feet and you place them on their metal base! They make for great drawing/photography subjects. If you are looking for a doll that can pose, then Obitsu will not disappoint.

Wigs

Obitsu dolls uses wigs just like our resin friends do. You can buy a 7/8 inch wig and it will fit fine on most 50cm Obitsus heads (just double check the measurements of the head circumference).

A standard 1/4 resin doll can also use the same ⅞ wig. There might be some slight variations among companies and you should always double check what the company recommends but for the most part, both kinds of dolls use wigs in that range.

Faceups

You can do faceups on your Obitsu doll just like you do faceups for your resin friends. They will both rely on using a sealant to set the work in place.

Removing faceups for both dolls is the trickier part. You can use something like Winsor and Newton brush cleaner (for acrylic mediums) to remove the faceup off the resin dolls but you can not use that product to remove the faceup of the Obitsu dolls. Winsor and Newton is really strong and could cause damage to your vinyl Obitsu doll and it’s plastic hinges.

One substance that you can use on both would be rubbing alcohol. Use something with a larger percentage than 70%. I use 91%. You can use this in combination with a magic clean eraser.

The materials you use to apply a faceup are the same too! You can use chalk pastels, acrylic paints, water color pencils, and acrylic gloss.

Clothing

1/4 Resin dolls and 50cm Obitsu dolls can use clothes that are set for the 1/4 scale size. Just know that if you use bottoms made for 1/4 resin dolls for the 50cm Obitsu, they may fit a bit tight or look short.

I have on some occasions used 1/3 sized skirts for my 50cm Obitsu. I think it is important to ask opinions from others who own the doll, like what brands/styles have worked best for them.

Pricing

Resin BJD prices can vary from company to company. There are some companies that you will pay a very hefty price for and others that are very easy on the wallet. The price just really boils down to where you get your dolly from and what other things you decide to buy for it.

When we look at Obitsu pricing they are almost the same price and in some cases less expensive than a resin BJD. There are some resin BJDs that are 45cm that can be priced around $260 to $210. Obitsu dolls can be bought in parts and the bodies will run around $200 and a basic head for $20 (total of around $220)

Speaking from experience…

I have gone through several Obitsu dolls. I have a few from each size category. I think the larger scale ones are great because they are affordable and super customizable. When you look out into the market of vinyl dolls, Obitsu dolls are the most affordable hands down.

Parabox even offers some starter sets where they come with the doll (head and body), a set of eyes, a wig, and some undies. You can get a starter set for the 47cm doll size for around $300!

I really enjoy the look of the larger sized Obitsu dolls because I am such an anime fan. I think their faces are very animated and cute. The smaller scale dolls are really fun too and can give you a taste of what it’s like to customize a doll without breaking the bank.

Some quick pros and cons about Obitsu dolls

Pros

• Very light weight dolls which makes for easy travel
• Won’t take damage from a fall (won’t chip)
• Most affordable of the vinyl dolls out there in the market
• They can share a lot of things that resin dolls in their size ranges use (clothes, eyes, wigs, etc)
• Great at posing, especially if you get magnetic feet
• Yellows at a much slower pace than resin dolls
• They have interchangeable parts that are easy to swap

Cons

• They stain VERY easily
• Parts become loose over time and will need to be replaced
• If you get a unique size such as the 50cm you might have to try different kinds of clothes to see what fits best

Let’s recap…

Obitsu dolls are different from resin dolls because:

• They are made up of different materials. Obitsu dolls are made of PVC, ABS and POM while the resin dolls use, of course, resin.
• Obitsu dolls have several joints and a skeletal system. They also have removable parts.
• Resin dolls use elastic to hold their bodies together.
• Be aware of what items you use to clean your dolls. You can use Winsor and Newton on resin dolls but NOT on Obitsu dolls.

The similarities between the two are:

• Both use glass or acrylic eyes.
• Both can replace the wigs on their heads.
• You can do faceups on both Obitsu and resin Dolls using the same materials.
• They share similar clothing sizes.

Check this out!

Now, that you have all of the basic information on the key differences between resin BJDs and Obitsu dolls, feel free to check out my in depth review on the 50cm Obitsu doll on YouTube.

Do you own any vinyl or Obitsu dolls? Tell me about it in the comments section down below!