Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition Dolls: A Lookin' Bratz Review
Hey Angelz!
If you follow Lookin’ Bratz (@LookinBratz) on Instagram and Twitter, then you know that MGA Entertainment and Bratz sent me the four new Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls! I am so excited to finally own the four new reproductions of the ORIGINAL girls with passion for fashion! If you want to see a detailed review of the new Bratz dolls and tons of pictures (including comparisons to the 2005 re-release), then keep on reading!
THE PACKAGING
As soon as I opened my package, I decided to compare the new Bratz 20 Yearz reproductions to the 2005 re-releases (which came out in celebration of the brand’s fifth anniversary). Keep in mind that I have the undetailed versions of the 2005 re-releases (you can read about the differences between the detailed and undetailed dolls here), so there will be noticeable differences between the clothing pieces.
In terms of packaging, the 2005 dolls come in the classic Bratz packaging that was introduced in 2001. The only major difference between the packaging between 2001 and 2005 is the holographic logo used on the latter. The packaging of the 2021 dolls greatly differs from that of the original releases. Each character keeps their classic color schemes and nearly all of the cardboard pieces are now holographic!
On the front side of the 2021 packaging, the colors used for the character names and icons are deeper in tone. The Bratz logo is more purple on the reproduction dolls rather than the fuchsia color used on the 2005 re-release, but keeps the holographic element used in 2005 of course. The biggest difference on the front side of the packaging is the addition of the “20 Yearz” logo designed by artist and content creator Mar Cantos. Additionally, the second outfits (with the exception of Cloe’s jacket) are not stapled into the cardboard backing like the original dolls; instead, the outfits are showcased on plastic body pieces (used in many lines with additional outfits starting in 2005). The second pair of shoes have a protective plastic piece on them in the 2021 release, which the original releases do not have.
On the back side of the 2021 packaging, there are not many differences aside from some color changes and outdated elements being replaced. On the original packaging, a picture of the core four prototype dolls is featured in the lower left-hand corner with a caption above them that reads “Best Friends Never Looked This Good!”; the latest release replaces the prototype image with pictures of the new reproduction dolls. The section of the box that originally featured the fashion packs now features artwork of the core four alongside the Bratz 20 Yearz logo. At the lower right-hand corner, the 2021 release features a “B” graphic similar to the original; the website is now changed to “Bratz.com” from “BratzPack.com”. Sasha’s artwork skintone is notably darker than the artwork featured on her original release, more accurately reflecting her doll’s skintone. Another thing to note is that the poster included with each doll is wedged in the cardboard in back of the box, so be careful not to rip the poster while unboxing.
Overall, I absolutely love the packaging for the Bratz 20 Yearz collection. It feels like an upgraded version of the original packaging, but with commemorative elements that celebrate the brand’s twentieth anniversary. The only downside I could find with the packaging is that a lot of tape is used on it. I did not have a hard time removing the tape, but it may not be aesthetically pleasing for some in-box collectors. Otherwise, the box is beautiful and truly (and literally) reflective of the brand’s legacy.
THE DOLLS, fashions, ‘n’ faces
Of course the most important element of a new doll release is the doll itself! The Bratz 20 Yearz dolls may be reproductions of the original Bratz dolls from 2001, but they are not exact replicas of them. The new dolls are considered near-exact replicas of the original dolls, which is understandable because some materials used on the originals likely no longer exist. With that, the dolls are still incredibly similar to their original counterparts considering there are slight differences.
All of the fashions on the new dolls remain faithful to the originals aside from some fabric, color, and pattern changes (i.e. the colors of Sasha’s second top are slightly different and her second pair of shoes is a lighter gold color). The major difference between the originals and reproductions is the faces. Every Bratz doll between 2001 and 2014, except for a select few like Rock Angelz Roxxi, has a face screening that was painted using the “spray” method. The spray method ensure the eyes are elongated across the face for a classic, sultry Bratz look. Starting in 2015 and lasting through the following year, except for the limited-edition V Files x Bratz Vee doll whose face was sprayed, the dolls’ faces were stamped on using a sticker method. The sticker method makes the eyes look a bit more one-dimensional and can lead to various production errors, which were common between 2015 and 2016 in terms of faces. The sticker method is also the reason why the eyes were more circular rather than elongated in 2015. The Collector dolls from 2018 are believed to have used a combination of the spray and sticker method (mostly the spray method, this is unconfirmed though as designer Hayden Williams has stated the dolls’ faces were completely sprayed), which may also be the case for the 2021 dolls. The faces mostly resemble the original dolls but appear to use the sticker method because of some changed eye shapes and placements compared to the originals. Other facial differences include the makeup between the originals and reproductions, especially Cloe and Sasha’s lipstick colors. Cloe’s eye color is also has more purple paint compared to her original doll.
Many of the new Cloe dolls (mine included) have misplaced eyes. Instead of Cloe’s eyes being elongated across the eye area, they are larger in size and appear to be drooping downwards. Another defect that has been noticed by some consumers is misprinted eyes with Sasha and Yasmin. One defect that is unique to my Sasha doll is missing lipstick that rubbed off on the inside of her packaging; please note that I edited this defect out of the pictures in the gallery featuring the icon bases I painted. Cloe’s eye placement is a concern for many fans, but Mar Cantos recently revealed that some dolls in early production batches may be wonkier than those in later production batches. Keep in mind that MGA Entertainment uses several factories to produce their dolls. Sister brands like L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G. and Rainbow High are known to have different painting methods used on them depending on the factory they are produced in. Fans have learned to differentiate which factories produce which dolls by looking at a code ingrained on the bottom of each doll’s packaging that reads either “SZE” or “WZE” at the end of it. Along with the code being ingrained on the bottom of each doll’s packaging, each of the new Bratz have their code printed on the back of their bodies. The Bratz being sold by Hot Topic are from the “SZE” factory, which may be why some of the dolls look wonky. It cannot be confirmed if the dolls will also be produced in “WZE” batches, but we can hope that they are less wonky if they are! The dolls shipped to Amazon, Walmart, Target, and international retailers may be from later batches, which means there is a chance (not confirmed though) the dolls will look better.
CLICK TO ENLARGE: The back of Sasha’s body, which features a printed factory code and mold dates.
Defects aside, I truly adore these dolls! It has been so long since we have seen playline Bratz dolls on the market, so these are truly a treat for fans. One quip I have with the faces is that it was a missed opportunity to finally use the gorgeous prototype/sample faces, but we can only dream! It also feels more forgivable that there are defects because these are playline dolls, and many Bratz dolls—even in their prime years—have noticeable defects. I love that I can now own near-exact replicas of the original dolls without giving in to overpriced listings on the secondary market. I have never had the chance to unbox and play with one of the First Edition dolls, so it was such a fun experience getting to mix ‘n’ match the fashions, style their hair, and relive the excitement of opening a new Bratz doll.
If you do receive a doll with defects that you cannot accept, consider returning/exchanging the doll at the retailer you bought it from or contact MGA’s Customer Service to see if they can assist you.
THE HAIR
Bratz have gone through various hair types like saran, kanekalon, and polypropylene. Some fans were concerned and/or curious about what hair type the new dolls would be using. Bratz used saran for a majority of its lines between 2001-2007 and all of 2015-2018, but kanekalon (super soft hair used on lines like Adventure Girlz) and polypropylene (easily matted hair that was used in a majority of lines between 2008-2013) have been used in the past. L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G. and Rainbow High are known to use high-grade nylon, a hair fiber that works well with heated hair tools. I can confirm that the new Bratz dolls have saran hair, which is great news for most fans!
I cannot confirm or deny that the new Bratz have thicker hair than the originals as I do not own the originals out-of-box, but their hair does seem to look fuller and longer in comparison. As someone who has dealt with a lot of Bratz hair, I have to say this is some of the best hair I’ve felt on a doll in a long time. Saran hair is typical for Bratz dolls, but the saran hair used specifically on these dolls feels way more soft and smooth compared to other dolls with saran hair. There is also little-to-no product in the dolls’ hair, meaning washing out any unnecessary gel is not needed. On the downside, no gel means the hair is prone to look messier in the box (which can be inconvenient for in-box collectors).
THE BODIES
The bodies used on the new Bratz dolls is the classic 2001 body with a harder matte torso similar to the Collector dolls from 2018. The skintones are also similar to those used on the Collector dolls, with slight differences as 20 Yearz Yasmin is more peach-toned while Collector Yasmin is more orange-toned. The bodies between both the Collector and 20 Yearz dolls seem like they can be interchangeable for those looking to put their 20 Yearz dolls on articulated bodies, but the skintones are slightly different and the skintone of the shoes may not match. The bodies are alright and I appreciate how it is easier to slip on some of the pants/skirts. It is not a huge improvement over the original 2001 body, but not unexpected since it is a reproduction of the original dolls.
THE POSTER
Each new doll comes with a gorgeous holographic poster. The poster is the same as the original poster, just with a holographic look and the new MGA Entertainment logo! For anyone curious, the poster’s size is 11 x 17 inches. I would have scanned the poster to feature in this article, but it was too large for my scanner and the holographic elements do not pick up well in transition.
OVERALL THOUGHTZ
Overall, I am impressed with how MGA handled these reproductions. Surely the dolls are not perfect and I did experience some defects, but that is expected with most playline dolls unfortunately. I still love the dolls regardless of their quality issues and I am so happy to own a new set of Bratz dolls, especially since they have been off most store shelves for nearly five years now. I truly hope this collection, as well as the other collections released throughout the year, prove to be a success with both new and old fans of the brand. The Bratz 20 Yearz dolls are a perfect segue for a new collector to branch into the brand, or for a young person to explore their passion for fashion with!
The attention to detail in the packaging and dolls themselves is something I did not expect but very much appreciate! The fashions are nearly spot-on to the originals, which is an amazing feat after twenty years. I also commend the person at MGA who managed to recreate the packaging of the original dolls, as well as feature all of the original fonts and artwork. These dolls are a truly must-have commemorative piece! I hope the same effort, if not more, is put into the newly-designed dolls and the other upcoming re-releases this year.
Thank you again to the folks at MGA Entertainment and the Bratz team for sending me these dolls! I hope to provide more in-depth reviews on new Bratz products in the future.
The Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls were given an early release in select Hot Topic stores last month retailing at $29.90 USD before being sold on the Hot Topic website and selling out within minutes. More Hot Topic stores are expected to receive shipments of the new dolls so they are more widely available to consumers throughout June. So far, the dolls have been spotted mostly along the West Coast in the United States but they are slowly making their way to the East Coast (as I am writing this, I am noticing HT stores in New Jersey, New York, and Florida posting about receiving them); the dolls were even spotted in a Hot Topic store in New Brunswick, Canada! The dolls will also be sold on Amazon and at Target and Walmart in July (a specific date is unknown at the moment) retailing at around $19.99 USD. As for international releases, not a lot of information is known aside from the dolls eventually being available on Amazon (likely when the dolls are released on Amazon next month). In Australia, Myer and Toyworld stores are receiving shipments of the new dolls (labeled as “Bratz Original Doll”)! Make sure to contact your local retailers and MGA Entertainment to find out if the new Bratz dolls are being sold in your area.
For more information on the release of the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls, visit the What We Know So Far article. For more details on the other upcoming Bratz releases in 2021, visit the 20th Anniversary Masterpost for an organized list of Bratz updates with references.
Keep checkin’ out Lookin’ Bratz on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok for more Bratz news and content! There will be more pictures (and possibly some lil’ videos) posted of the dolls featured in this article on the LB Instagram and TikTok accounts, so stay tuned!
xoxo
