The Ai : Custom House Boys and Girls

Ooh, thanks for saying! I'm getting really bad about that these days: usually I don't make that kind of mistake X_X

 

Oh, wow, oriscany! Your Jin is lovely; thank you for the picture!

 

Does anyone know for sure on this? I'm going to buy a Choa in a week or so, but I want to put the new head on an old-version body (my friend is taking the new body for a Belita head). I think it would be a problem if the new head didn't match the old body Thanks!

 

Yes, i too would like to know if the new body has a different resin colour compared to the old body. What are the differences between the 2 bodies anyway?

I plan to get a Customhouse body for a Kill_U 2nd head and i know for sure that the old style body fits it well, so i was wondering if the new style might fit too?

 

I'd say that there is a difference, though it probably isn't very *significant*. I know that when you have a broken part, CH asks you to return it, so that they can mix the resin for the replacement part to match the new one.

I don't have comparison photos right now, but hopefully someone can post some?

 

I'd say there is a bit of difference in colour between the two; they're both really pale, but the new resin is decidedly more peachy than the old. It also has a different texture to it; while the old resin is very smooth, the new has a bit of a tooth to it.

If it will help, I can take pictures of my Uranus and St. Demian together for you.

 

That would be awesome, thank you! I'm wondering now if I'll need to re-think my plans, so that would really help

 

I have one, and I have another on the way! I can't get enough of them!

CH's customer service is second to none. They always reply to my emails in perfect english, and they're very obliging.

Another great thing is that they have a year long warranty on their dolls.

I've seen pictures here on the board of the new boy's body, and it's very similar to the old one(I'd know that little belly anywhere!!). The only differences that I can see are the hands, really. The hands are definately different! They look like they have much better mobility, and they're more detailed.

You will not be disappointed with your CH!! I will take comparison pics of my old and new CH boys together when they come.

 

No problem.

The best thing I have on my computer ATM is this one:



...where you can see that Seiji's skin is a little more...yellow-creamish, while Korin's is more to the peach-side of things. It looks a little more natural.

I also have some good, clear indivdual shots of Seiji and Korin, where you can see their resin colour pretty well:

seiji (old skin)
korin (new skin)

I'll take some better pictures in the daylight tomorrow. :3 For now, I hope these help some!

 

Thank you! That would be awesome... I have to do some research too now. I'm the one buying the new body from La_Contessa (*waves* Hi!), and I have seen some DIM heads on CH bodies, but I'm not sure if they were old or new CH bodies. >_< Any comparison shots of new/old, or CH/DIM would be great!

 

Does anyone know if the new CH boys have as huge feet as the old ones? My Bin has such big feet, He'd never fit SDboy size, always has to be SD13boy size. Still it's quite cute.

Do the new Ai have that annoying headcap system? it's really hard to take my boy's head on and off as well. Not quite as difficult as the Dollmore Headcaps Of Doom but it still hurts... ^-^;

 

Thank you, that was very useful! It looks to me like the old and new wouldn't match so well, but I think I can find a way to make the order work so everyone has a matching head and body *crosses fingers*

 

This thread has been very interesting to me as I'm currently waiting for my first CH boy, Lain, & I hope to get Choa in the future. All I can tell you so far is that their customer service is excellent. They've answered all my questions very promptly & helped me out with my correct ID. They're great to deal with.

 

Here's the other pictures, if you still need them; sorry about the wait!

Natural light (Korin/new resin on top; Seiji/old resin on bottom):



Artificial light (Seiji/old resin on top; Korin/new resin on bottom):



I hadn't realised before that Korin was so pale in comparison to Seiji.
Now, in so far as I know, these guys are both normal skin (that's how they were sold to me, anyway) and...yeah, they're a long way from matching.

 

Thanks Tarouchan! That's really helpful. ^_^ From what I've seen, it seems like the old body would match a DIM head better. Thanks again!

 

so...the doll body I have on the wa won't match the head....that's so disappointing....Oh well I'll find some solution...somehow..

it's a new CH body and a Volks head... I knew the old CH matched because my dolls matched...presumed the resin wouldn't change colour so dramatically...

 

Just wondered if anyone has received their CH Ai from this newest batch of basic dolls?

Still waiting (and waiting!) for Cebee, here...

 

Hey Tarouchan, what HANDS does your big boy have?! They're lovely!! Are those the optional ones they offered for a while??

 

TheFontBandit: Glad I could help! I'm kinda curious about the match with DiM now. Hmm.

babytarragon: I'm really sorry to be the bearer of bad news here. I wouldn't have thought the resin would be so radically different, either!

nakitama: Thanks! Those are St. Demian's extra hands. I love them so much. I don't think I've ever had his regular hands on him. XD

 

He came with those?! You're so lucky!! They sold them separately for a little while in the old resin color, but then when they revamped the site, they took them down and never put them back up. They probably never will either, because they don't sell old resin colored dolls anymore. That makes me so sad! What I wouldn't give to have those kind of hands for my old CH boy!

 

Ouch... Babyterragon, that's sad to hear. Maybe you could do a trade for an old body in the marketplace?

Tarouchan, I'm sure once I get my girl all together there will be pics galore. Hee hee.

 

Thanks for the resin comparison, it's alot better to know now than to open the box and be disappointed...I guess I will have to sell it and buy a different one ^-^;;

 

My Jun is my favorite boy! He has a beautiful face and body. Here is my guy with a face up and elf ears.

 

Brooksie, your guy is FABULOUS!!! CH boys are such beautiful and versatile molds!

 

Thank you very Nakitama. Here is a link to a close-up. I love to show him off :-) as you don't see Juns too often.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109033


P.S. The CH Jun is also very solid and durable. He's hit the floor a few times with no cracks or major injuries.

 

nakitama: Oooh, I didn't know CH ever sold option hands. Maybe you could put a WTB in the Marketplace for them? There's bound to be someone here that has a pair they'd part with.

babytarragon: I've seen several CH bodies go up for sale on DoA before; I bet you could have some luck finding a body here.

Brooksie: Your Jun is really beautiful. I love his elf ears! X3

 

Brooksie, thank you for the picture of your Jun. He's wonderful!

 

Thank you Tarouchan and Callie_Allie!

 

Oh, I've got those curled hands with my special Jin as optional extra hands. All they do is sit in the box, though, because I think they look a little odd on the ends of his arms.

 

A little OT, but I'd like to ask if anyone has spotted a basic Seol-hyang anywhere? I was hoping to see pictures of an owned one, can't rely on the pictures in the web store entirely, after all.

 

Sammysoblue: Really? Would you be interested in selling them? Send me a PM if you are!

About the feet size, I don't know if they're the same size... but I hope they're smaller than the old feet!! ^^;;;

 

I second and third this. Our picture request thread is hungry! Surely some people here own this sculpt.

 

Still waiting myself. *sigh*
I notice the dress I requested with my Lubi (the bonnet one) the pictures have a blue fabric in them now. I guess they're pretty busy if they ran out of that fabric.

 

Not specifically an Ai girl - in fact not an Ai girl at all! - but the CH petite I ordered in November has only just been shipped now. Perhaps that would give you an idea of time scale for waiting...

 

I'll fourth it~ I've fallen in love with the beautiful Seol-Hyang and I'd love to see some shots of how they actually look rather than just the stylised shots

 

This is bad. Could it be that nobody in DoA has brought home a basic Ai Seol-Hyang at the present time?!

 

That's possible, but very sad if it's true

 

I think she is beautiful, too... if Cebee hadn't been my dream girl I might have gotten Seol-hyang. Actually, pics of any of the CH girls would be nice-- they seem to be underrepresented on DOA!

Ceeeeeebeeeeeeeeeeeee... I need her NOW!!! :P

 

I would like to hear reviews from owners of the new AI girl body.

I'm particularly interested in:

Posing - Does the double elbow joint make the arms easier to handle, is the torso joint difficult? (I found a thread pertaining to this here, but I'd like to hear more, especially from the more recent releases of these girls, if it is an issue.) What are the legs like? Good range of motion, any problems with the knees or feet?

Clothing - Does general SD size clothing fit alright on the body? I have a dress that is tailored specifically for a Lishe and I'll be genuinely miffed if it doesn't suit my future CH girl.

Also, any thoughts about the resin colour (suntan, normal or white is fine) and quality would be nice too. Body shape, proportions, durability, etc...

Post anything, whether it be positive or negative.

Thank you!

 

I have a white Choa with the new body and I'm pretty happy with it. I blather on about Audrey fairly often, so you can check out my gallery posts about her too.

What I like:
The white resin is exquisite! Most of our dolls are white and I love the tone and weight and texture of hers the most.
Very solid posing. She's strung very tightly and the engineering is good. She does snap rather suddenly when adjusting her upper torso, and there are really only three positions it will stay in, but they all seem natural. Her legs are great, hold a bent knee pose well, look good when bent and are shapely. The double jointed elbow does allow for some additional bending but not something she can hold on her own. It is a nice clean looking joint at all times, though. Excellent hand mobility due to the two part system much like Volks. She stands without effort, even in high heels, and doesn't suddenly pitch over.

Things I don't like:
Her fingers are fused together, and the knuckles are a little large. It can give the impression that she's a little arthritic.
Her belly protrudes in a way that seems more childlike than the rest of her sculpt. I have considered sanding it down a little.
Her legs can not rotate out at all. She sits with knees together at all times.

Keep in mind that the only other girl I own is on a Thaasa body, so I'm terribly spoiled when it comes to poseablity. But I have spent a good deal of time with Delf and Model girl bodies, and I prefer the Ai over those two.

Fitting:
Her waist is a little larger than the Delf waist, and the curves are differently distributed - less of an hourglass shape and more of a bean shape when viewed from the side. SD skirts from DollHeart fit her, as does lingerie from Vitta Vera. (I don't have much clothing for her yet. ) Her feet fit Volks SD13 heels and Luts heels.

 

>> St. James - Trust me, I have looked at Audrey's photos at least 50 times and am reduced to a puddle of goo on a regular basis. She just oozes classic glamour and sophistication, always giving me a wonderful nostalgic feeling.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. Your in-depth response was a great read.
I must say that you have targeted all the doubts I have about the body (hands, belly..) but it's very interesting to hear about the legs. So she cannot spread her legs at all? (Yes, I know that sounds wrong!) >_>;;

 

Not any more wrong than my complaining about it! It's a little out of character for her to seem so chaste.

The legs are set in rather deep sockets, so they'd have to pop out of joint for that kind of pose and it just doesn't look natural. It's a less extreme thing than the Limwha Half-Elf with the pointy flange on the outer hip, but it's the same idea. It hasn't bothered me as much as I thought it would yet.

 

Then I suppose her legs aren't so "uniform" as they appear to be.

Ah, another thing I am curious about is how they sit. (Yeah, I always manage to forget the main points that I'd like to arise... just typical)

AI Girls' torsos seem to have a reasonable curve. Do they lean backwards when they sit?
I don't think they have notches on their legs to help them keep upright, like Volks' dolls do. My CP's drive me up the wall when they slouch back behind my other girls and if CH girls are anything like them....

 

I got and old body and new body Choa and yes I agree with the people from the other thread - her torso is a nightmare!!
It bends all over but it would not straighten up. Actually if my Choa wouldn't be a OOAK I would seriously consider changing her body. I even trapped the skin on my hands in her torso once, it's just impossible.
The hands are too big and manly - not petite feminine like on body 1. And her resin feels kind of rough too compare to Luts,Volks and CH body 1 resin.

As for clothes - it really depends on the style of the outfit. I have an original Luts outfit which has a very tight waist - and my new Choa just couldn't fit in it

I can't think of anything else right now I'll try to follow this thread in case I can be more helpful

 

I admit, I do prefer the overall look of the new body to the old one, but it's the hands that get me every time and seem a bit problematic for the girls' image. I have to agree with you that they just seem out of place.

Oh do I ever know how painful it is when a doll pinches your skin. >__< OUCH!
So I take it the older body is not as "flawed" as the new version.

 

Nope - I personally prefer the old body to the new one. The torso is stable nothing like the new one. The body is more feminine, petite and suits the CH girls
Sometimes I found that because the old body is a bit smaller, not all standard SD clothes fit her perfect.

Here's a pic of their hands I found on my pc.

 

Thanks heaps for the photo! Now I see exactly what St. James means...

I've never really disliked a doll's hands before. From day one, they always appeared a bit strange to me.
As for the torso's uncouth behavior, would it make a difference how tightly the doll is strung?

 

I don't think it does make a difference how tight it is, because the torso is just so bulky and impossible to adjust it into place. It almost feels if the two parts weren't manufactured properly and it don't fit into each other.
When she sits up - it's no such thing for her to sit straight! Or she bends forward - like she has a bad back or when she's kind of straightened she still looks bent - if you know what I mean!
I really wanted a Cebee and when CH released them as a Basic I was thinking of getting one but this body issue stopped me
In my opinion and experience - I got Volks, Luts, Dollmore and CH bodies and honestly my least fave is the new CH.

 

I'm pining for a Cebee too! However, it is worrying to hear about the new body and how it doesn't perform too well (I'm real iffy about sudden snapping or inadequate posing). I haven't personally had any experience with the CustomHouse bodies, so this has all been very helpful!

 

It's easier to illustrate than it is to describe. Here are shots of the three positions the torso will settle into comfortably. It will also pivot easily to the side because the top of the abdomen is basically round like the top of a neck.

Sitting upright requires a slouch. It does visually shorten her waist and make her belly protrude a little. However, lots of our dolls have to slouch in order to sit upright so this doesn't seem particularly odd to me.



The natural line of the body, as it would be when standing. It is a bit like the Delf lean, but she can actually hold herself in this position. The Delf girls I've handled usually flopped over backward fairly quickly.



The most extreme backward bend. With sueding she would be able to hold anything in between this and the other poses, but I haven't done it yet. This position looks fine from the back, but leaves a gap between upper and lower pieces just under the sternum. There is no locking mechanism. It looks disturbingly like Crix Belly if she's not photographed from a good angle.



I have to say that clothing disguises most wierdness about most dolls, so unless your girl is going to wear nothing but jewelry and a smile most of the time I wouldn't worry about this.

 

For the record, I'm planning my future AI girl to wear to Vitta-Vera Loli Parfait, so I think that would cover most of the weirdness to some extent.

Thanks for the pictures, St. James. Would it be easy for her to keep the sitting position in the first shot? Like, she won't suddenly conk and fly backwards, a la Lishe? I'd say that is one of my biggest pet peeves about a doll...if they cannot sit properly. DX

 

Anyone else with opinions?

 

It's pretty much a given that she'll stay where I put her. The only dolls I have that suddenly flip back like that are my Delf and DoT boys.

 

I have CH girls with the old and new body, and can only agree with what's already been said.

I find the new body a little heavy & clumsy in comparison to the old body which gave the doll a fragile, ballerina-like apprearance.

The new body has better poseability despite the problems already mentioned.
and there is more choice clothing-wise; the old body was a little slimmer and I was constantly altering clothing to fit my girls. I still prefer the old body!!!!

The hands, at first sight I wondered whether CH had mistakenly attached boy's hands to my doll

And the feet, the old body's feet had an endearing quality - the little toe turned in just like ours do when we've been wearing trendy shoes which are too tight
But the new feet are a little more spaced - it seems the new CH girls are not such victims of fashion...?

 

Almost everyone I have talked to favours the old body. Personally I like the look of the new body, but I don't think I'm in a position to judge the quality and construction without having tried them both in person.

Btw, she is rather short compared to other girls, isn't she? 55cm or so? Is the new body shorter?
Are they heavier than a Delf, or maybe a Volks SD?

 

The old body is much more lighter then the new CH and definitely lighter then Volks. And yes she is considerably smaller then the rest of the standard SD10.

 

Thanks dolldreams.

I've seen St. James' wonderful white resin comparison pictures, but does anyone have photos of the new CH body with girls from other companies? I've tried the BJD-opedia, but nobody seems to post anything.

EDIT: Created a request thread here.

 

I'm looking to get a body for my (female) Volks oldskin head, and I heard this body matches the color pretty well. I found they are also quite a bit cheaper than the Volks body.

My question: is there any sacrifice on quality with this body? Anyone have/have worked with a customhouse body with an opinion? Advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Anyone else care to share?

 

I dont do large very well LOL
but I do have an old resin Megu head on a Customhouse girls body
and I really like it , the resin match is very good
the head is a little floppy at the moment but I haven't got it attached properly
I prefer the Customhouse body to her old SD10 ...much prettier ankles and wrists and of course the jointed torso