When many people see a beautiful woman, they often say that the woman looks like a doll. One English girl who enjoyed decorating herself to look like dolls became the talk of the world in March of this year. The meaning of the doll in this sentence, 'You look like a beautiful doll!', is mostly the Ball Jointed Doll(BJD). The faces and bodies of BJDs have near perfect proportions unmatched by existing dolls. The Chungbuk Times(CBT) reporters inquired into the BJDs and listened to the stories of people who made a hobby of it. -Ed
 

Do you know about Ball Jointed Dolls?
Hans Bellmer, the German surrealism modeling artist, started to make the BJDs using circle shaped joints in order to express the human body. Since then, it was developed by Japan's doll artists in the '80s.
The characteristic of the BJD is it has joints as people have. Because of this, it can freely move its body in contrast with other dolls. The time it takes to make one BJD is two to three months because the craftspeople use exquisite joints to make them by hand. Therefore, its price cannot be cheap compared with other dolls. The prices vary from 150,000 won to 500,000 won. In addition, the BJD is expensive to maintain because it requires them to buy not only bodies but eyes, clothes, shoes and accessories. Because of the characteristic that the BJDs looks like people, many people think it is a companion for life.
However, if you thoughtlessly buy a BJD, it can cause serious problems. If you are scheduled to adopt a BJD, you need a lot of preparation and endeavor.
 

Interview with Bae Seon-yeong, managing a BJD workroom named Milk Glass
"Many people asked me if I am able to make a living by making dolls. I say, 'I started to make dolls because I like this work more than money. Money is only the accessory and the necessity in order to continue my work for me. Money is never the principal thing.'"
Bae Seon-yeong's workroom, which is located at Jangsan Station, is stuffed with bookcases, dolls and bags of her own making. Furthermore, various materials are arranged on the desk, and bookcases are filled with a lot of books about BJDs. CBT reporters heard her story about her passion to make dolls.

Making dolls
I encountered the BJD craft when I found what I wanted to do during my life. I started to make the BJDs because I was naturally interested in making quilts and rag dolls. The BJD was attractive because it is mobile compared with other dolls.
When I make the bodies of the dolls, I usually use Isopink(the building material) more than Styrofoam, which many other craftsmen use commonly, because Styrofoam is dusty when I cut it, but Isopink is not. In addition, the pupils of the eye are made of bisque, glass and plastic. Doll markets sell eyes and wigs, but I don't use them when I make dolls because I think that BJDs wearing them look similar. That's why I work to attach each hair one by one on the dolls' heads.

 

To students who want to make their own dolls
A tutorial class is possible in my doll workroom, and I operate classes with few people. Therefore, I can teach to individual tastes. The main thing to worry about is that students who begin to make the dolls have high expectations for her/his final product. Because of it, I advise students to make easy ones.
One of the important things in the process of making BJDs is to have distinct doll images they want to make. In addition, when students make BJDs, I hope that they don’t stop making their dolls until the images that they want are revealed, so they need tenacity.

 

Paradise of the Ball Jointed Doll, Cafe Blue Fairy
 

The Blue Fairy company, which sells BJDs, founded the Cafe Blue Fairy for those who like BJDs. Cafe Blue Fairy is renowned for its unique cafe around Hongik University because the place not only sells foods, coffee and waffles, but it sells BJDs and its equipment.
Cafe Blue Fairy is a tidy little cafe which has a few tables in contrast with the grand exterior of the building. The dolls are displayed in costumes, for example, a magician, a student and a bride. All of the dolls have their own names such as Sa-rang, Hana, May and Choco.
Cafe Blue Fairy provides two BJDs that customers who visit can play with. If customers ask at the counter, they can carry a doll to their seats.
Most people who visit Cafe Blue Fairy bring DSLR cameras because many Doll World’s people have the hobby of taking pictures of dolls in a variety of poses. Many people take photographs of their dolls using furniture such as rocking chairs or sofas. Cafe Blue Fairy’s CEO installed special lighting for customers who want to take pictures.
Many people who like BJDs visit Cafe Blue Fairy. It is better to visit the cafe after reserving a table because the cafe is especially crowded with visitors during the weekend. Cafe Blue Fairy is also closed on every Tuesday.

 

The inconvenient view of many people about Ball Jointed Dolls
A Cafe Blue Fairy’s staff member said, "It is difficult to get a seat when people don't make a reservation. One of the major reasons many people, including owners of the BJD, visit the cafe is that they can enjoy its culture regardless of other people's eyes. The appeal for customers is that they feel they are monkeys in a zoo when they go to ordinary cafes with dolls. Many people look at them in a very strange way."
Most people who like dolls and people who visit the cafe and manage their own workrooms are unwilling to make their presence known. The reason is that other people look at them strangely rather than think of their own personality problems. There is now a growing trend for people to keep animal companions such as cats and dogs. However, most people don't think strangely about it. People who adopt BJDs think dolls are companions instead of animals, and they are so affectionate towards their dolls. Doll World’s people act fair and square when many people admit it and are considerate of them.

 

The terminology of the Ball Jointed Dolls
Doll World, Default Situation and Sleeping Doll are commonly used words, but their meanings are different for Doll World's people. Here are the words about BJDs.
Doll World : The community of people who likes dolls.
Parts : The word is used when speaking about the head, arm, hand, trunk, thigh, calf and foot of dolls, for example, head parts and arm parts.
Default Situation : The condition of the BJDs when they are delivered at first. In this situation, they don’t wear clothes or shoes.
Waking Doll : Dolls whose eyes are always open.
Sleeping Doll : Dolls whose eyes are always close.