I can't believe it's been more than a year since my imitation Blythe doll review. Do you remember that whole saga? I reviewed a cute but overpriced doll that I purchased from the This is Blythe online shop, and the owner of the shop (who has no association with Gina Garan) harassed me relentlessly for months, threatening all kinds of nonsense. I got fed up and trashed that review and that doll. I started over again with a new doll of the exact same brand that I got for less than half the price on AliExpress. I'd rather not talk any more about the whole debacle now, but you can get the detailed scoop on that shady store here, here, here, and of course in my earlier review.
When I wrote the imitation Blythe post, I had the intention of following it up with reviews of authentic Blythe dolls--something I've never done on this site. But after all of the nastiness, I had to take a break from that whole world and re-gain my sanity. Now, a year later, I'm ready to proceed with the original plan. The reason I was so excited to dive into the Blythe-o-sphere in the first place was that back in July of 2021, Hasbro (who owns the Blythe license) severed its long-term connection with Takara and switched the manufacturing of their dolls over to Good Smile Company. This made me curious to compare an older Takara doll to a newer Good Smile Company release.
To kick off that comparison, today I'm going to talk about my Takara Blythe doll, Plaid Parade. This redheaded cutie has been sitting in her box at my house for well over a year, patiently waiting for her turn in the spotlight:
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| Plaid Parade Blythe doll by Takara TOMY, ¥23,650 (~$166). |
