Alchemic Labo Unoa Discussion Part 8

@juumou I got my lusis from Mandarake for a pretty good deal. She was supposedly yellowed based on their description but I think she looks just fine - the only thing I notice is that the head plate is a bit different color from the faceplate, but with a wig on it doesn't bother me.

I'll echo the other responses that say the bodies of my alchemic labo dolls are floppy... but I love the sculpts way too much of the bodies so I wouldn't change them. I've yet to try sanding them or anything, but my experience was the same that it doesn't seem to be a re-stringing issue.

 

I've never seen CoA, besides the pamphlet that comes in their box or the little paper slip that comes with option parts if you count those.
Unoa Alchemy has been down during the pandemic, I know you can order directly from Alchemic Labo even though its all in Japanese. If you're open to secondhand, Dollyteria and Mandarake are both wonderful secondhand shops in Japan that will ship to the USA (though shipping is unfortunately crazy expensive currently)

 

I second Mandarake.
I own Lusis and Sist and I think their bodies are a bit hard to pose, but they are so beautiful, I go with it. Maybe the only thing I find as a small "fault" is that they can't really sit with straight back on chairs, but it might be stringing problem or the design, I don't know. Has anyone else had the same problem?
As for wigs, I bought himekazura from Mandarake. As long as I remember, S size is a perfect fit. Leekeworld wigs are good too, but I'm sure there are more choices out there.
As for the eyes, well, they still have the ones they came with from Alcemiclabo. They sell eyes if you can buy from them, but there is no hole in them for their specific eye-moving structure and I was afraid to start drilling in them to tell you the truth.
I can't help with clothes because I sew for them myself. Both of them have big bust, which makes sewing adventurous.

I hope I could help a little. If you have any question, please ask.

 

Thank you! That's really helpful I'm ok with floppy bodies! I just really like the aesthetics of unoa and have always loved them but couldn't afford one until now ^^

Anyone know if hot glue sueding & wiring will suffice instead of sanding the inner joints?

 

I agree with loving the aesthetic of their body!
One of my past unoas had wiring in his arms and it was perfect! I think the problem with sueding unoas is a lot of their arms are very snug, so I'm not sure if it'd fit. Don't think it'd be a problem with knees/thighs/ankles for sueding, and wiring definitely works

 

I third Mandarake! They're usually very reliable, I haven't had any issues with them yet.

I don't own a Lusis or Sist, but I have an L-Bi with the same issue; he can't sit straight and always leans back. Unfortunately I think it's just the limitations that the older bodies have with the way their hips are cut, as the newer lines like the Elder and Rowan don't seem to have that issue with sitting. Also it's such a shame; I want to use the eye mech so badly since I like positioning my dolls' eyes as looking off to the side instead of straight ahead, but I too am scared about drilling new eyes

 

L-Bi is so cute, too! I am considering buying an Elder sister in the future. I love the beautiful line of their bodies.

Oh, so leaning backwards WAS a "design fault"! It's really good to know. I was constantly wondering to restring them. Well, Unoa girls are a bit old design, so...

I'm using the eye mechs and I really love it! So easy to change their looks by just clicking the buttons left or right! It helps a lot when I'm taking photos.
The eyes my girls came with were glass, though I'm not sure if the back part is glass or not (the one that connects the "eyeball" to the moving mech). I rrally would't like to start experimenting with drilling on them, so I'm thinking of making a mould of them and remaking those back parts from resin. Maybe it can be drilled easily?

 

I do have another question if anyone knows! Is there anywhere I can read up on what "B-grade" means? I read that it can be small bubbles, but mostly unnoticeable. Are there any other possible defects that are actually visible?

 

Is there a place to buy a Lusis brand new? I'm extremely new to unoa dolls

 

For what it's worth, I have about five B grade faceplates and none of them have any flaws that I can see. Can't comment on bodies though.

 

For normal or white skin:... very little. Standard seam lines. I've handled A-grade unoas and their resin is UNREAL smooth, b-grades are just standard dolls imo. Tan b-grades have marbling.

Alchemic Labo, the direct japanese website There used to be (and hopefully will be again when the pandemic is over) and English Speaking dealer Unoa Alchemy.

 

My Unoa Sist is B grade (full body and faceplate). The only flaw she has is a tiny black spot on one of her sole. Besides that, nothing.
My Lusis is A grade and compared to her, I can't find any difference in resin or anything. Alchemiclabo would label B grade anything which has a tiny little flaw like spots or was used in an event or photo session (my Sist was so). So, I would say, don't worry about it.

 

I second Alchemiclabo. Unfortunately, it's in Japanese and though the webpage says they can send abroad, I don't know how it works.
Sometimes you can find "not used" ones on Mandarake. The last time I checked, they had a nice, almost new fairy skin Lusis (few days ago).

 

I was trying to find some info on the poseability of the Elder Brother body, but didn't have much success. I haven't scoured through all the Unoa previous discussions as of yet... but until I do, maybe someone can help me? Is he easy to pose? Can he bring his knees to his chest, or sit seiza? I'm trying to decide between the Unoa Elder body and this new Dollpamm Muse one, but I do prefer the proportions of the Unoa body more. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

The elder brother is classified as a SD and the discussion thread is here I had (sold now) a unoa elder, and the body was one of the main reasons I couldn't get into him. He has single jointed knees and cannot pull his knees to his chest without joins popping out. He's very... slouchy, sassy, leans a lot. It's aesthetically beautiful, but an absolute pain to pose, and dress because of his lankiness.

 

@MaudMAryFlynn Sorry about that, in my head he's a really tall msd

Ah, that's a shame, cause the body is very beautiful. It's a very difficult size to find bodies for, I feel more and more companies are making bigger dolls, especially for mature bodies.

 

Oh no worries, I agree, in my mind he fits more into "tall MSD" than "teensy tiny weird small scale SD", but given his cm measurement that's how the forums divide him!

I agree, its a lovely size. I'm an absolute sucker for in-between sizes (such as the unoa elder brothers, and unoa chibis, both so charming and cute!) I hope more companies will make those sizes so clothing is easier to find

 

@MaudMAryFlynn I've also fallen into the in-between size trap and can't get out. In acceptance of my fate, I've gotten fabric and am patiently waiting for my dolls to arrive, so that I can clumsily sew them some stuff. (My 'clothing ideas' folder is... not realistic, let's just say that )

 

I think we all can agree the Unoa body is a little quirky and older designed. I was wondering if any of you had made mods to the body for quality of life improvements?

Does anyone else have the issue of the hands/wrists being really immobile? I feel my girl can only bend her wrist one way and if I want it to face the other way I have to twist her whole forearm. I was wondering if modifying the wrists by cutting out small parts would help? I think the hook for the hands needs more room to move possibly.

Side note: I really wish they’d make a 2.0 body with double jointed knees and magnetic hands

 

I've heard people:
-Roughly sand the inside of unoa elbows, to add more friction/grip
-Suede thigh/knee joints
-I've seen people remove the nubs on the back of unoa 1.5 thighs that help them sit? Not sure about that one..
-There's a lovely tutorial here about how mokarran created a magnetic hand system for her dolls! Not sure if that'd help with the range of motion much, but I've admired it greatly and wish I had the ambition to try it myself
-For me, the Big Thing I Dislike about unoa bodies is the back mechanism on the 1.5 that protrudes if you want them to slouch. (Though it comes in handy to hold the string when restringing!)

I would LOVE to see a more updated body that resembles the softer aesthetic of the 1.0+1.5. The 2.0 Fashion bodies, and Elder bodies, are lovely, but not quite my thing.

 

Hello I'm looking to get some help here and am getting a bit confused with that many links!!!

May i know if sist (normal face?) sculpt is still available for ordering and where is the site?? The site is rather confusing

 

You can place an order through Alchemic Labo 少女／unoa girl 42cm/顔 face parts｜錬金術工房WEBSHOP and it seems Sist is available. If you live outside Japan, you need a proxy (they're partnered(?) with tenso.com so I'd recommend that one).

 

Alchemiclabo is having a time sale tomorrow (though I'm afraid only the sending fee is free within Japan)! However, they made a shopping tutorial in English.
Shopping tutorial for overseas【first step】｜錬金術工房WEBSHOP
There are 3 pictures but I only linked the first one.
I hope it helps.

 

heeeeeyyyyy anyone out there have Lusis boys?
I know that used to be a thing way back, and I always wanted one, and I did up all my Lusis FPs but never really got him up off the ground. I'd love some inspiration. I think I made mine too girly, like maybe i need to heavy up the brows and lose some of the pink.....

EDIT lol I was just looking at all his FPs and all but one is already chipped. So he’s stuck “singing” until I can redo the faces. But now I can start over with a new vision for the character I guess

 

No Lusis boy, just an L-bi boy here. But he is a bit pink... Heheh.

 

(if this is in the wrong place please let me know)
I was wondering if anyone has bought from the Japanese alchemic labo store recently? It says on the site that they've cancelled a lot of overseas shipping, so I'm not sure if it's possible to buy directly from them or would I have to go through a proxy?

Along those lines, does anyone know if the international shop will open again? I've read it's on a hiatus because of COVID and not totally closed, but the situation has stabilized quite a bit since then and I haven't seen any news about it. So if anyone has heard something I'd love to know!

 

Bump~

 

Subscribing to thread~ I am also curious about this about this. I spotted some kits for sale on Y!J. I've always wanted a Unoa Lusis and was wondering if they make them any more? Are they still releasing kits to Japanese customers?

 

I know they have stuff listed on the store, it looks like it's mostly random parts though

 

Hello,

I bought a Unoa Chibi directly from Alchemic Labo last year and it went well. I had to use a proxy to get it shipped to me which was a little confusing but overall a positive experience. I made a mistake when I ordered and someone from Alchemic Labo reached out to me via email to help me fix it. They were very nice. They also sent along a gift face plate.

Directions are here: For Overseas Customers｜錬金術工房WEBSHOP

I used Tenso.

You can also shop on mandarake. They seem to get Unoa regularly. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Alchemic Labo sends newly made dolls to them.

Mandarake | Dolls - unoaユノア

I'm not sure about Unoa Alchemy reopening if that's the international store you're thinking of.

If you have Instagram, Alchemic Labo is pretty active on there and posts when new releases are coming.

Login • Instagram

I hope this helps at least a little bit!

 

Wow thank you that's super helpful! you answered all my questions, I was a bit confused because on the site they say they're not shipping overseas but then still have the info for buying from overseas lol I'll definitely keep my eye on madarake from now on

 

Hmm so I accidently asked this in the wrong unoa mini thread, lol, but it's been awhile since I've seen a tan unoa kit come up on Gentaro Araki's e-shop, so I was wondering, does anyone remember the rough price range of a tan unoa lusis/sist kit? ^^; I don't recall and I want to make sure I passively save up enough for one, in case I see one come up on his store anytime soon... especially since I am sure the Tenso proxy fees will add onto that, too.

 

I have my first Unoa and two faceplates on their way to me, I'm so excited! I've wanted one way back since I first got into the hobby in 2005/6 and it's so exciting to fulfill a dream like this. But I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for accessories/aftermarket parts that would make the Bullied/O-face less... overt, lol. The full doll is the Bullied plate on the 1.5 boy body, and I got a Sist default and Oyasumi FP additionally. The faceup on the Bullied plate is absolutely gorgeous, but the combination of the mouth and how the eyebrows were painted has me thinking I'm going to have some difficulty making it look like a "regular" expression, whether that's a yawn or singing a tune, etc. Has anyone had any luck with magnetic accessories, or even maybe temporary adhesive additive parts attached with eye putty (or something similar)? For now I'm thinking I'll just get a few MSD-sized facemasks from DDE and cover it entirely, but I'd like to have options. Thanks!!

 

Hi everyone! ^^ sorry if i'm missing the answer but what is the way to modify the original headback or neck on minifee body?
I have just received the minifee body and was sure that it will fit Unoa's head. But it doesn't
Then I realised that most of the hybrids I've seen were with Buff or other custom headbacks. What is the best way to put Unoa's original headback on minifee active body?
Thanks!

 

The only way I know is to switch the mnf neck connector to a hook and use a buff dolls neck connector on it.

 

Hey all! I wasn't able to find a fairy skin large bust option on the website - anyone aware of how often Alchemic Labo throws those up for purchase? Or if they even do?
Also...do we have any idea if Unoalchemy will ever pop back up?

 

A very good question! Nowadays, Alchemiclabo doesn't seem to be too active. However, they do open a big sale once a year, especially if there's a doll event / market. I guess that would be your only chance. Unfortunately, it is quite random...
You can try Mandarake too, however, I'm not sure if they have specific parts.

 

Dang! Okay well I'll keep an eye out on their website to wait for an event, and check out Mandarake too - I did get my girl from there and the purchasing process was SOO easy so hopefully some parts will pop up soon! Thank you

 

I've found both my Unoas (a Chibi Lilin and a B-El who's almost here) through secondhand sites! The Lilin came from Mandarake and the B-El is coming from Dollyteria. (And Dollyteria was super helpful with a mix-up i thought i had made, too!)

However... does anyone have a complete set of measurements for B-El or L-Bi? I've got their height, chest-waist-hip, the head and eyes, and the foot length. I've got some time to get started on a shirt tomorrow, but he's not here yet and I'm going to have a tough time getting started on it without arm length and hand//wrist circumference. Can anyone help out?

Thanks in advance!

 

@noblescientist I just took these, I hope they can help a bit.

Shoulder to wrist: 12.5 cm
Wrist circumference: 4.8cm
Right hand circumference: 6.3 cm
Left Hand circumference: 7 cm

Unsure of the accuracy on the last two, I used the widest point with the tip of the thumb. ^^;

Also, congrats!

 

Ah, that's perfect, thank you so much! And thanks, I'm very excited to get this one in! I have a solid plan for him (unlike when i got the Lilin, but also, no regrets).

 

Hi all im hoping someone here can help me out...im conidering getting an unoa l-bi with og headback sometime next month. I want a minifee body for him but I wanted to know if that will work with the og headback or if I'd have to hunt down a Buffdolls headback to make the hybrid work?

 

@Urushi-kitty the og headback can work, but the minifee neck needs to be modded. i had to sand quite a bit of my mnf body's neck for it to sit right and so it didn't look like a giraffe neck.

 

yeah thats what i heard on reddit as well...thank you for letting me know...seems like the common consensus is to sand the neck...itll be tan tho so im hoping it wont be very noticeable...

 

Finally getting around to sharing a pic! Here's my little sleepy lad, Lucky, the Bullied/Akubi faceplate on the 1.5 B-el body. He's got his Dollmore mask on because as beautiful as his artist faceup is, he cannot pass for a sleepy boy just yawning lmao.

Sleepy Lucky by Jules B, on Flickr

Still thinking about getting him some kind of extra mouthpiece, or making one? Idek lol, but he's so sweet it doesn't even bother me that he's got his mask on. Bodies for my other two FPs are low-priority atm since I'll be moving soon, two more dolls to pack is two more dolls to worry about lmao. For now, Lucky sits right next to my computer every day!

 

So does anyone have any knowledge of how to buy a replacement Unoa eye mechanism? I cannot find mine anywhere and I’ve given up. I think I lost it the last time I moved. I’m even open to a 3D print file if anyone knows where I can find one. I loved that I was able to move my luises eyes so easily. I’m beginning to lose hope.

 

You'd possibly be best off putting up a WTB in the Marketplace as it is still a resin part like the others, and plenty of people don't use it.

 

Ok thanks.

 

I snagged my first unoa, and my first bjd in general! He is the L-bi sculpt and was second hand, but completely new. He is a blank, since i want to paint and sand him myself. I’ve gotten him some clothes from volks and ttya, a digital face up draft, and undyed alpaca wefts ready to make a trial wig and eventually a proper dyed wig for him. Sadly no shoes yet, but i will figure that one out.

I did not expect to fall back into dolls, especially not after selling my dollfie dreams, but its pretty exciting! Especially since its my first time handling resin. Gentaro Araki has made beautiful resin kits that are not bjds, and since i paint kits as a hobby, it was only a matter of time before i saw his dolls.

 

Sorry for the double post, but my l-bi is quite kicky after stringing him (i attempted it 3 times before it finally felt good orz) I assume hot glue sueding could help? Any ideas?

 

I'm guessing the elastic may be too tight if they kick. Part of the problem is their very basic articulation. Have you tried using silicone discs? You could get a 2mm silicone sheet and cut discs from it, instead of smearing the joints with hot glue.

I have never been able to get mine to pose properly. It would be great to have the same faces with better articulated bodies but unfortunately Araki never moved on from his original idea. Still, I love mine, even though they live in their boxes and rarely come out to play. I may get them out over the weekend. Every time I get them out I fall in love with them all over again.

Hope you can get him to hold poses.

 

My Ange was SUPER kicky after I strung her according to the Unoa instructions. I ended up switching out the elastic and using a lil longer of length to loosen her a bit. She's no longer stuck staring at the ceiling but is a lil loose in spots. I find Unoas are a bit more finicky than other dolls I own and once they're suitably loose, sueding definitely helps.

 

This is so bizarre to me, my Unoas were both secondhand and came to me very loosely strung, but they both stand unassisted amazingly (even though i haven't restrung either one yet)! Neither one can pose, of course, but that's just because they're floppy. I had no idea they got kicky when they were properly strung! The engineering seems amazing from the other end of the spectrum.

 

Thanks everyone! After another restringing and some sueding, my lbi poses a lot better. Im gonna replace the glue with silicone in the future. One of the ankles are still loose but at this point, I give up lol.

I ended up modding my lbi faceplate. The eyes have been lifted, the lips made bigger and his whole plate was sanded down to remove the yellowing.

That being said, I gave him a temporary face up! Even if it is not permanent, it is still cute. Im making him new eyes when my materials arrive. Gonna try and finish up a wig for him. Maybe in white or black?

I’d like to mod him even further in the future, when i redo his faceup. He needs dimples and more pronounced lips

 

You've done a great job. He looks beautiful. I'm gonna get mine out of their boxes today.

 

Thank you so much

My l-bi has actually turned into a sist now, making him a sist boy. I was thinking of using l-bi on a girl body instead!

My face up skills have improved a little, and i feel like i got in some nicer lines with my brush instead of a pen. The eyes are home made with poly resin and uv resin, some mica and paint. The black dot in the eye is made out of enamel dots that i made at home.

His clothes and wig are still on the way, but he should be all dressed up within two weeks, so for now hes sitting naked with a sock on his head and the default wig

I’d like to take some proper photos when he is done, so excuse these mobile ones.

 

Heads up (if you'll excuse the pun): if anyone has been waiting for a boy/girl headback in normal/fresh skin, they're back in stock! Conversely, it seems like headbacks in tan are now sold out... Just something I noticed while browsing the web shop today

 

Thanks for the heads up @babezoid !

You asked a while ago so I hope you've already found a solution, but the eye mechs are on sale separately on Alchemic Labo:【ユノア少女/少年12mmアイ用】アイレバー｜錬金術工房WEBSHOP
I stumbled upon them the other day, maybe someone finds this useful

 

I did find one! Thank u so much for asking!

 

How hard of a time will I have getting a B-el either in stock from Alchemic Labo or secondhand? He's been one of my dream sculpts, but I don't want to make an irresponsible financial decision just because there are a couple available on Mandarake right now....