Comparisons

I've always liked dolls around 30cm tall and have had many over the years, some have gone either way by 3 cm. The ones I've been looking at recently have been inspired by Alejandra's collection of Japanese dolls. These are all 27cm dolls according to their manufacturer's listing.

Please note that the photos are not mine and are stock photos owned by the respective companies.

First we have the Takara Tomy LD-07 Happy Gummy Rika-chan dressed as Licca-chan from the Freshly Made Puccho Spinning Gummy Shop - RRP 3,850 JPY (AU$34.88 at today's rate)

Below is a basic Licca Castle Doll - RRP 7150 JPY (AU$64.80), to my eyes, there doesn't seem to be much difference in the face at all. Perhaps one would notice it more if the two were side by side. The branding on the back would be the tell tale sign though.

The main differences between a Licca Castle doll and a standard Takara Tomy Licca-chan doll come down to manufacturing, availability, face makeup, and hair quality.

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO:
Manufacturer and Production:
• Takara Tomy Licca-chan: Mass-produced in China or Hong Kong as standard retail playline toys found in regular toy stores worldwide.
• Licca Castle Doll: Made by Little Factory under an official license from Takara Tomy, produced in small quantities at the Licca Castle facility (Little Factory) in Fukushima, Japan.
Availability and Exclusive Variants:
• Takara Tomy Licca-chan: Widely available in mass-market toy shops and online retailers.
• Licca Castle Doll: Generally unavailable in standard toy stores, sold primarily at Licca Castle in Fukushima, through special online orders, or at live event pop-ups. They feature exclusive colorful-haired and custom-assembled variants.
Face and Makeup Sculpt:;
• Takara Tomy Licca-chan: Features standard retail factory screening and paint.
• Licca Castle Doll: Known for distinct collector-oriented face paint, featuring fuller lips, larger or rounder eyes, and softer, sweeter expressions created via custom castle-specific makeup variations.
Hair Quality:
• Takara Tomy Licca-chan: Uses standard playline synthetic hair.
• Licca Castle Doll: Often praised for silkier, smoother, and higher-grade hair fiber.
Markings and Packaging:
• Takara Tomy Licca-chan: Backs and tags are marked with TOMY/TAKARA branding.
• Licca Castle Doll: Castle doll backs often read "TAKARA JAPAN" while dress tags read "Licca Castle Made in China" or come packaged with special certificates from the Fukushima factory.

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Then we have the Takara Tomy Mall Exclusive 40th Anniversary Jenny Doll - RRP 11,000 JPY (AU$99.66)

Takara Tomy Jenny is quite similar to Licca-chan's mother. I find it funny (peculiar) that they are all the same height.

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The other and quite different 27cm dolls are Momoko. PetWORKs and Sekiguchi are the two primary manufacturers behind Momoko dolls, each offering distinct differences in production scale, pricing, quality, and style.

Left: Today's PetWORK's CCS 25SS momoko PS dressed doll RRP 20,000 JPY (AU$181.20) Right: Sekiguchi Momoko DOLL 3PM with a Cat dressed RRP 16,500 JPY (AU$149.33)

THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO

History: 

 • PetWORKs: Created Momoko in 2001 as an art/side project designed under Namie Manabe. They hand-produced and designed the original lines. 

 • Sekiguchi: Took over mass-market manufacturing rights in 2005, allowing Momoko to be produced on a larger scale. Both companies continue to produce Momoko dolls today. 

Quality:

• PetWORKs (PW-Momoko): Generally perceived by collectors to have superior hair quality (frequently high-grade saran) and greater attention to fine detail in face paints and clothing construction. • Sekiguchi: Typically uses nylon hair of varying quality. Some collectors note occasional stiffness or fragility in joints, though they are widely praised for great outfits and accessible designs.

Face Sculpts & Styling:

• PetWORKs: Features distinct face paint styles and lines, known as a "Honey Face". A softer, sweet alternative, featuring a subtle, gentle smile, side-glancing eyes, and a distinctively cute facial structure.

• Sekiguchi: Often features the "Cool Face" (a soft, open-mouth smile) and subtle variations in eyebrows and expressions.

Pricing and Availability:

 • PetWORKs: Released in limited, small-lot quantities through the PetWORKs Store Global or specialty events. The dressed dolls often command higher prices.

• Sekiguchi: Mass-produced for a wider consumer market, making them generally more affordable when comparing both sets of clothed dolls.

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Now what about this doll? It does say she is 30cm tall, but if you like dolls around this height, and you are on a tight budget, I think she could fit in quite well with the rest of the 27cm dolls. She was only AU$12.81 on TEMU after promo discounts. 

It will be interesting comparing the quality between the Japanese dolls and this Chinese doll when she arrives with her two siblings. Yes, price wise I couldn't resist buying a set of three!

P.S. I'll be off line for a couple of days due to computer malfunctions.