Ever After High Discussion Thread!

[saply]

I'm a royal rebel. I like both sides. I just love love LOVE Briar! *O*

I laughed when she jumped out of the window xD

I'm happy to see Cupid again! Here's the big question though: if Cupid has left Monster High for good, do you think Abbey will take over her radio show?

[Flutterswirl]

They look interesting Very cute, and the line has potential.

Still, that's a lot of pale blondes... I really hate to be That Guy, but I hope they plan on introducing some POC characters that aren't like, just made out of wood. Briar Beauty is ok, but if I recall correctly MH started with Cleo AND Clawdeen right off the bat as major characters

It just seems like a step backwards, though unfortunately I think that's what sells.

I think part of it is the fairy tales and stories they are based on are very European centric.  I bet that as the line expands and gets more popular that they'll explore fairy tales from more diverse cultures and we'll see more races represented, at least I hope so!  I wouldn't really call it a step back though, they are just starting with stories that are going to be familiar to the widest audience and those stories happen to be mostly western European.  I am with you on hoping we see more diversity in the future though!

I'd love (and look forward) to see more diversity in the line as well! I too noticed how there were a lot of blondes and save for Briar Beauty, the only other diverse/darker skin-tone one (that I saw) was Pinoccho's daughter, and it kinda bummed me out a little. But the line is just starting out, so I'd imagine eventually there would be more diverse characters.
Growing up there was a TV series I watched (and still love, to this day) on HBO called "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child", and it pretty much did a bunch of classic fairy tales with a multicultural twist/re-telling. So there would be for example an Asian version of The Little Mermaid, African version of Beauty and the Beast, Spanish version of Hansel and Gretel, and the list goes on. They also had a Native American version of Snow White, IIRC.  Pretty sure that show is still airing on HBO Family.
I think it would be neat if EAH did the same thing with some future characters. And there are a bunch of stories from other cultures that would be fun/neat to see as students of EAH.

Just testing the waters, I suppose- but you'd think that if Mattel has learned anything from MH, it's that kids and parents are OK with stretching the boundaries. They started out full bore with the first monster kids- heck, the only blonde was a sea creature.
They're definitely starting with the characters that have Disney predecessors, and don't want to vary too far from those convenient preconceptions.
(JMHO, they're trying to catch the kids and parents who love Disney Princesses and might have thought that MH was a little over the top.)
So: deliberately racist, no. I really can't see that.  Too timid in design and concept, yes. Very much yes. (Different design team than MH, you think?)
And I'm definitely waiting for fairytale and folklore kids from other countries to start appearing. Just think, maybe this is where we'll finally see kitsune and some of the beings we've wanted to see in MH that don't *quite* fit as monsters....
(As far as the clothes: don't be surprised if they're not as nice as we're hoping. Considering some of the glittery, cheaply made junk they've been slapping on Barbie and friends the last few years, I won't be shocked to see markedly lower quality than that which MH had in its inaugural period.)

My .02 credits, spend 'em as you wish....

[Fräulein_Kim]

I'm a royal rebel. I like both sides. I just love love LOVE Briar! *O*

I laughed when she jumped out of the window xD

I'm happy to see Cupid again! Here's the big question though: if Cupid has left Monster High for good, do you think Abbey will take over her radio show?

I HOPE SO!! She'd get the job done, you know. Has advice that actually works. LOL.

[Flutterwonder13]

I have one major complaint with the animation based on the dolls. Do we really need anymore "O-m-g! Like, shoes!" characters forced on little girls? 

[Keelee_von_Cupcake]

I'm a royal rebel. I like both sides. I just love love LOVE Briar! *O*

I laughed when she jumped out of the window xD

I'm happy to see Cupid again! Here's the big question though: if Cupid has left Monster High for good, do you think Abbey will take over her radio show?

I HOPE SO!! She'd get the job done, you know. Has advice that actually works. LOL.

That would be the best radio show EVER! I would want to listen to it every day!

[JustHereForPictures]

I'm in love with those dolls. So hard.

And I'm excited because I'll finally be able to do Jareth and Sarah dolls. I've been dying to do them since somebody posted the idea. But since my preferred Jareth (Jackson) is expensive and so far none of the girls has been Caucasian enough for Sarah it's been impossible. Between Dexter Charming and the girls I can hopefully do it for less than hugely expensive.

I may have to break my doubles rule for this line.

I have one major complaint with the animation based on the dolls. Do we really need anymore "O-m-g! Like, shoes!" characters forced on little girls? 

I completely agree. I don't understand the idea that women love shoes and it gets frustrating when characters on shows have conversations about shoes like that's Typical Girly Thing.

The only thing which would make this line or MH better, in my opinion, is girl dolls with flat feet. Not everybody can or likes wearing heels, as pretty as they are.

[Majesty]

Could someone post links or pics to the dolls?  I googled and can't find them.

Thanks in advance.

[Sprinkles]

Could someone post links or pics to the dolls?  I googled and can't find them.

Thanks in advance.

Bow Tie posted them on page 19

Doll pictures! We've got doll pictures courtesy of tumblr!!!

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[saply]

Raven kind of looks like a Mystixx Vampire from that angle, but Apple is surprisingly cute.

[Zombelina]

I really like what you did to alter Raven's face with your photoshoppery, Rhini! But now I'm torn--I really, really love these faces (I like the roundness and softness ) but I also love what you did! Ack! I guess I'm okay either way, if these turn out to be prototypes or not.

And about Apple being blonde... I love that they went so different from what we expect from Snow White. Like the link I posted earlier in the thread notes, one version of Snow White in 1806 had her as a blonde I love changes to what we think of as fairytale "canon"! (And changing more tales to include characters with all kinds of skin tones would've been great as well, and not hard either When it's a personal interpretation of fairytales, up to the individual whether to change the setting/characters or stick close to German/French roots (I've done art of white European fairytale girls) but this is a huge brand marketing to all kinds of girls...... I think it's important.)

... I just read Ashlynn's shoe addiction as a funny joke that she is WAY TOO into that part of her story, and a wry comment on the whole shoe-lovin' trope itself I really don't think it's shown as in any way typical

Zapper, the Legacy Day outfits??? OMG. If there isn't a doll line featuring those, I will DIE. Costume porn indeed

[MilkyTaroMochi]

I'm happy to see Cupid again! Here's the big question though: if Cupid has left Monster High for good, do you think Abbey will take over her radio show?

I HOPE SO!! She'd get the job done, you know. Has advice that actually works. LOL.

Haha, totally loved her advice to the person that sent an anonymous letter to someone they liked: Abbey said that where she's from, if a package didn't have a name of it, it would be sent straight back to the post office. xD

I have one major complaint with the animation based on the dolls. Do we really need anymore "O-m-g! Like, shoes!" characters forced on little girls? 

I completely agree. I don't understand the idea that women love shoes and it gets frustrating when characters on shows have conversations about shoes like that's Typical Girly Thing.

The only thing which would make this line or MH better, in my opinion, is girl dolls with flat feet. Not everybody can or likes wearing heels, as pretty as they are.

I didn't mind that one character obsessing with shoes, since I believe she was Cinderella's daughter (which makes sense, because that story involved a glass shoe). But I am not really fond of the " SHOES!! " thing with a lot of female characters, either.  hehe, I too never quite understood where the shoe obsession/stereotype/idea came from. xD

[ShortyBoo]

Raven kind of looks like a Mystixx Vampire from that angle, but Apple is surprisingly cute.

Wow, she does! I was trying to think of what doll Raven was reminding me of, and that's it.

[DGRequiem]

Neither did I, until the bug bit.  It all started with one pair of super awesome shoes I saw in the window... and then I started seeing other super awesome shoes... and then I started going out of my way to look at super awesome shoes... and my closet, which never had more than 1 pair brown, 1 pair black, 1 pair boots, 1 pair sandals turned into a shimmery, rainbow wonderland of shoes. 

[Rhini]

I have probably about 20 pairs of shoes, and I wear about 4 of them with any regularity. I should sell really sell them to make room for ponies.

/priorities

[Tropical_Sunset]

Oh my gosh, I want Rhini's version of Raven to exist.  I would buy her so fast.  I really don't like the wide-faced look on these dolls.  I'll have to withhold final judgment until I see them in person, but I won't get my hopes up. :/

I too am confused about nearly EVERYONE having waist-length wavy hair (Cerise seems to be the only one who doesn't?)  I thought to myself, "Well, at least Cupid has short hair" and then I looked again.  Nope.  They gave HER waist-length, wavy hair too.  What the heck.