I recently had the pleasure to take ownership of Naomi, a DS 145 with rigid joints, finger bones, and a lovely sculpt. In fact, I think DS has some of the best sculpts in the business, regardless of price. DS sculptors seem to imbue their sculpts with a characterful presence, something that makes them seem to me more alive than many other manufacturers.
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It's been said that what really sets DS apart, however, is the sophistication of their skeleton for this price range. It certainly does allow for realistic and natural poses, which is critical to me as my interest is in photography.
I will say that it isn't without limitations, however. The lack of twist in the forearms requires extra twist in the wrists, which can bulge unrealistically as a consequence. The lack of bend where the head meets the neck leaves an unnatural rigidity in neck and head alignment. Shoulders are fixed in terms of their position relative to her back and chest, which means she cannot droop her shoulders, or raise them in surprise.
The platinum silicone ( PS ) is quite soft, and feels realistic generally. For the most part it flexes and folds as you'd expect.
It is, however, far too easy to tear. Her lower orifices will both tear if her legs are positioned too radically - despite the fact that the skeleton will take these poses. I had asked for reinforcements in these areas, but Nina was delivered without any.
Her breasts don't have the more realistic dynamics of some of the TPE dolls, but are perfectly capable for photographic purposes.
Her body overall is simply gorgeous, though quite small by Western standards.
I have a 2015 DS 145 minus with a pre-PS head, and the difference in the way it catches the light is significant, with PS being far more natural imho. It's often said the older models are better for photography because they can stand, but that's not the only criterion.
Positioning the eyes is a study in frustration, as they have a tendency to "snap" to useless positions, which makes it far more difficult than it should be to properly line the eyes. Partly as a consequence of this, and partly because it wasn't glued properly, an eyelash came off Nina within the first few hours of ownership.
My 2015 ( also PS ) had really quite sharp palm bones, one of which sliced right through the thin PS on her palm, creating a rather nasty injury. I hope the 2016 model has a more refined finish.
The skeleton on DS dolls is often said to be the best in their price range. That may be, but some issues remain: the lack of twist in the forearms requires more twist in the wrist, which can bulge unrealistically, and the inability to set the shoulder positions eliminates body language like drooped shoulders. Her skin is not without issues, particularly tearing which is a real problem for the 145s below the waist.
All in all, however, for my purposes I am extremely pleased with Nina, as indeed - so is she.
Thanks for reading!
