Maru & Friends Limited Edition Raven Doll 52cm Reviews

5 Rating 4 Reviews

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Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“20” (52 cm) tall Raven, a Limited Edition Dianna Effner designed doll from the Miami-based Maru & Friends, is one of the dolls you just fall in love with at first sight. The doll itself as well as her outfit is of high quality and even though her white/pink flowery dress is quite simple, it’s very well made with the fabric oozing of quality. Her underwear is a pair of white knickers. The light pink/beige leather-like sandals are very cute, feature some fine details and are closed with tiny strips of Velcro. One particular part of her outfit really stands out. I’m talking about her fancy straw hat of course, which is a little gem. It’s very well made, soft and smooth and it doesn’t stick to the wig every time you take it off, nor ruining her hairstyling. It carries a pink silky band around the crown and has a thin elastic band attached which will prevent it from blowing off in case of a sudden gust of wind. Overall the entire outfit is tailor-made for a romantic summer stroll in the park accompanied by a light breeze…… One thing I really looked forward to was to see just how dark her skin color really was. This can be a bit tricky to judge by looking at the pictures on the various web sides. On many promotion pictures her skin tone seems to be warm, light brown with a reddish hue. But ‘in reality’ she features a deep brown complexion with a matt texture and an almost silky feel to the vinyl. There’s absolutely no ‘cheap plastic feel’ here. Her dark complexion is also a delight when making outdoor photos in bright sunlight as her facial features won’t ‘white-out’. Her hair consists of a wig of a very dark brown color and the hair itself is not overly long, straight and comes with two cute plaits. The hair is rather coarse compared with the hair of e.g. Götz and Kidz’n’ Cats dolls. Some may dislike this but I think it’s perfect for an afro-american type of girl and both the color and texture well resembles the hairstyle/-type of e.g. today’s black young girls and adults. One of Raven’s most eye-catching (sorry….) features are her hazel brown eyes with very human-like tiny details and together with her sweet face and a mouth which is not overly smiley, she is delight to look at. She has cute slightly balloony cheeks with a subtle blush and her lips are painted very symmetrical in a natural dark brownish-reddish tone. Looking very close-up you can see the sharp lipstick-like edges of the lip color but looking from just a little afar the color blends nicely into her brown complexion. Despite ‘only’ 5 articulation points (neck, shoulders and hips) it is still possible to make her pose in many ways. Of course without being able to bend her knees she cannot sit ‘normally’ in a chair but beside that her limbs are quite flexible in their articulation points - actually more than I expected which is a big plus when posing. Her head is especially mobile and stays well into position without snapping back. I have tried various outfits from Götz and Kidz’n’ Cats etc. on her and not everything fits due to the (actually not that big) differences in sizes, body shapes and length of arms. But a lot of the jackets will fit okay. Note that her legs are pretty long and slim. I should also mention that Raven’s feet are rather slim too and not very big, so have that in mind when you’re out there shopping for new foot wear for her. Thanks to her dark complexion and overall expression I think that she’s a type of doll that really triggers your styling genes. Try to put on some street wear and she’ll immediately turn into a school teen girl eagerly waiting to get home and hang out with her friends at the local skater park - or maybe even becoming your favorite hip-hop gangsta-rap sista! ………Or dress her up in some expensive looking glittery stuff and you’ll have you own up-and-coming Beyoncé-style popstar or soul diva. ………Or wearing a school uniform she’ll become the most adorable math student. ………Or when turning her hairstyle into something dreadlock-like and adding the right clothing she can easily chill out in reggae-space and do some serious voodoo magic, man…… So; overall I’m extremely pleased with Raven and can’t really find a single thing to complain about. Well, eh……yeah, maybe one thing: She’s highly addictive!!……..”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Oh, Raven, such a beautiful girl and superb quality. Her face is very natural-looking with delicate pink blushing, gorgeous golden eyes (like Tanya's) and the vinyl is excellent, with a matt texture. Perhaps because of the darker-coloured vinyl, her legs don't seem as spindly as Maru's. Raven's wig is very good quality and although I'd have preferred a more textured wig as on the original Raven, her hair does look great and the two little plaits are a nice touch. The dress is not to my taste but it's nicely made (and easy to remove!). The sandals are very well-made and the hat is perfect! I've seen some lovely dolls recently but Raven really is in a class of her own and I'm delighted with my purchase.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“I can honestly say that Raven is more beautiful than she looks on ANY of the promo pictures. She has a lovely, natural complexion and a sweet face without being overly smiley. Her eyes are particularly stunning - so expressive and so much attention to detail! The wig is great quality and really thick. Her body and the vinyl she is made out of feel sturdy and will clearly be able to stand a lot of play, but still look good enough for collectors to enjoy as well. The same goes for her outfit - the dress, sandals and little hat are really well made and absolutely adorable. I for one am delighted with her; she is worth every penny!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago