Bratz x Karol G Collector Doll: A Lookin' Bratz Review!
Bratz x Karol G Collector Doll
Hey Bichotaz!
What is a “bichota”? According to Colombian singer and the namesake attached to the most recent Bratz doll, Karol G, a bichota is “an empowered woman, confident in herself, and owner of her own destiny”. Following the controversial Mean Girls release, MGA Entertainment has dropped yet another super-limited Bratz doll in collaboration with Karol G as its celebrity doll of the year and first to be directly based on a musician. Just like nearly every Bratz release, the Karol G doll has sparked some criticism from Bratz fans. Some fans are not familiar with Miss G’s work, some are tired of celebrity dolls, and some are frustrated with the limited drops that Bratz has employed in the last quarter of this year.
MGA Entertainment was gracious enough to gift me the Karol G doll ahead of its launch, and I wanted to share my thoughts on this doll before its upcoming limited restock. Curious about the Bratz x Karol G collector doll? Keep reading for more details about this release, including details on the packaging, doll itself, fashions, faceup, hair, exclusivity, and more!
The Packaging
If you’ve read or watched any of my previous reviews, I am always interested in packaging presentation for Bratz dolls—and most of their products, in all fairness. Last year’s Kylie Jenner collaboration saw the dolls presented in simple packaging that blended Kylie’s then-current branding with the Bratz brand’s typical packaging style. Unlike the simplicity of the Kylie release, the Karol G doll is deluxe in both packaging and accessory count. The Bratz x Karol G collector doll packaging appears to be a simple box shape at first glance, but the top of the box is sloped and creates a trapezoid-shape when viewed from different angles.
The front of the box showcases the Karol G doll and some accessories behind clear window packaging bordered by two panels that create a barbed-wire heart shape, which has holographic elements blended into the plastic. On the panel are a holographic Bratz-ified Karol G logo in the iconic Funkhouse font, the Bratz logo (of course), a “Bichota” logo, and gorgeous artwork of the doll. When you open the panels, you can get a full view of the accessories that this doll comes with; the logos and artwork are still present on the other sides of the panels, with the metallic Karol G logo being printed directly on the plastic casing. Like recent Mean Girls launch, the plastic casing is easily removeable; unfortunately, the cardboard backing does not a matching background behind it like the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls.
The box handle is a flat plastic piece that matches the barbed-wire graphic on the panels, and the back features more stunning artwork of the doll in her various outfits and a note from Karol G herself—in both Spanish and English! The artwork style used on the Karol G and Kylie Jenner dolls is my favorite to come from this current Bratz era and I hope MGA considers utilizing it more for future releases. I love that the brand took a more maximalist approach to the packaging in comparison to the Kylie dolls because it looks more interesting visually, plus I love the stars, music notes, microphone, and spotlight added into the background because it adds more depth to the packaging design.
The Doll ‘N’ Fashions
The Bratz x Karol G collector doll is visually stunning and wears a garment inspired by Miss G’s 2023 Latin Grammy Awards look. The first dress is well-made and definitely inspired by Karol G’s original look, but is not quite the same as it is made to fit a Bratz body rather than an actual human body. Nonetheless, the first dress is well-made and my only note is that I wish it had a more flowy look to match the actual dress—perhaps making the lower half pleated would have achieved this look? The Bratz x Karol G doll also comes with two additional tops and one pair of joggers, which are made to resemble her real-life merchandise. One shirt is a long-sleeve crop top covered in hearts that matches Karol G’s heart mesh tops, while the other shirt is an oversized tee that matches her “Bichota Season” acid wash t-shirt. The pair of joggers resembles the “Bichota Season Icons” sweatpants. All of the outfit pieces are nicely constructed and are perfect replicas of Karol G’s real-life merchandise, which makes this collaboration feel more based around blending Karol G’s legacy into the world of Bratz whereas the Kylie Jenner collab fell flat in this area.
The doll also comes with a lip-shaped purse that reuses the Kylie Jenner Day doll’s bag sculpt and has hearts printed all over it; I loved this sculpt and I am glad to see it being reused, though I would love to see it used more for playline releases and fashion/accessory packs with different colorways. Using the previous celebrity doll’s bag sculpt feels a bit strange when both releases are just a little over a year apart, but it is not that big of a deal. Something that does bother me is that the Bratz x Karol G doll only comes with one pair of shoes, which are also a reused sculpt from the early 2000s. I am not bothered by the fact that this doll has a reused shoe sculpt, but a second pair of shoes would have allowed for betting mix-and-matching options and been a better use of plastic rather than coming with three trophies—we’ll get into accessories later in this article!
The Face ‘N’ Head
The Bratz x Karol G doll has a unique faceup using the original 2001 open mouth sculpt. The screening and makeup palette feel a bit similar to the Kylie Jenner dolls, but just different enough that it works well for this doll. The screening feels very similar to the handpainted celebrity dolls that the Bratz team would create exclusively for social media posts in 2015, which I appreciate as it feels like an homage to the celebrity it is supposed to represent.
The Hair
Like every other Bratz release over the past three years, the Bratz x Karol G collector doll has premium nylon hair. Thankfully, the gel usage is kept to a minimum and mostly used on her wispy bangs. I love the platinum blonde and cotton candy pink shades used for her hair blend! For a more in-depth guide on treating nylon hair, including how to wash it, check out the Lookin’ Bratz Hair Guide!
The Body ‘N’ Tattoo Variants
The Bratz x Karol G collector doll uses the Collector 2018 body, which has been the standard articulated Bratz body since its debut. If you don’t know already, this body is a hybrid of the original 2001 torso and legs with arms from the Movie dolls from 2007 and hands from the 2013 bodies. The arms and hands can be popped off for easier redressing. I have previously stated that I am not a fan of this body’s torso as it is a bit archaic and doesn’t always flatter certain fashions, and I hope MGA works on crafting new Bratz body sculpts in the future. Something unique for this release is that it features one of Karol G’s tattoos on her left arm, but only if you get that variant…
My Karol G doll unfortunately does not have an arm tattoo, which I have learned is because there will be variants with and without her tattoo. I am not sure which batches will or will not have the arm tattoo, and most consumers likely won’t find out till they have received the doll.
other features ‘N’ ACCESSORIES
Instead of an 11”x17” poster featuring character artwork like many other Bratz playline releases and following in the struts of the Bratz x Mean Girls collection, the Bratz x Karol G doll comes with a card that features artwork of the doll; my only criticism of this accessory is that I wish the sizing matched the Mean Girls dolls for consistency. The card is not a standard trading card and it folds out to reveal a note explaining the term “bichota”. I love the notecard because it adds another layer to this release that explains what the term “bichota” is and its relevancy to Karol G. Also, I love the idea of including photocards with the dolls because it allows the artwork to be showcased outside of the packaging itself. The Bratz x Karol G doll also comes with a certificate of authenticity, a Mugler-inspired star hairbrush, a (very useful—MGA please include these with all regular Bratz releases) trapezoid peg stand, a pair of earrings, a necklace, a mini faux vinyl record of Karol G’s award-winning album Mañana Será Bonito, and… three electroplated gold trophies.
The jewelry is very cute and I love the mini vinyl record because it further helps tie in Karol G’s brand to this doll. Thinking about other celebrity dolls released, such as the Trixie Mattel doll from Integrity Toys, I love when accessories directly correlate with the celebrity and make the overall release feel authentic to that celeb’s brand. However, the trophies are just a bit much when other accessories could have been included. I know that including three trophies is likely an homage to the fact that Karol G won three Latin Grammy Awards in 2023, which her first outfit also celebrates, but I think one trophy would have sufficed; though, I will take into account that this request may have come from Karol G or her team. From a doll collector’s perspective, I would have much rather preferred a second pair of shoes and possibly a dress form mannequin and stand to match previous collector releases.
Where To Buy ‘N’ Exclusivity
Just like the Mean Girls launch, the Bratz x Karol G collector doll is mostly exclusive to Bratz.com. The Karol G doll has also made its way to several international retailers in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Chile according to the official Bratz Instagram account—they did not mention which specific retailers in those countries will carry the Karol G doll, but you could possibly get some insight from the Buyin’ Bratz Guide and keeping up to date with the Bratz Instagram stories.
The initial release was on Tuesday, December 3rd exclusively on the Bratz website and sold out in under a minute. Due to overwhelming demand, the Bratz IG account announced a limited restock that launched on Thursday, December 12th at 8am PST—this launch seemed to go a lot smoother, with the doll only selling out in eight minutes this time. In the future, please search what the time listed by MGA Entertainment/Bratz is in your time zone on your own accord. Lookin’ Bratz and LookinBratz.com does not claim any responsibility for this rollout and whether or not people are able to buy this doll (or any Bratz doll, for that matters).
The Bratz x Karol G collector dolls retails for $50 USD, which is a pretty good price considering you get multiple outfit pieces, accessories, luxe packaging, and the overall collab is attached to a celebrity’s intellectual property.
The chaotic Mean Girls and Karol G launches have sparked a huge debate on if dropping super-limited dolls is the right move for the Bratz brand. I am personally not completely against the idea of limited drops, but I do wish MGA would take steps to prevent resellers and bots from infiltrating their system to acquire large quantities of these dolls. The Karol G release is something that may be more appropriate for a limited release in comparison to something attached to an IP like Mean Girls because the Bratz brand’s previous celebrity doll release was not as successful as it seems MGA was hoping it would be, but accessibility is still needed because a launch like this will attract consumers from both fanbases. Even if MGA were to negotiate a limited drop in select stores, it is much better than having fans swarm the lagging Bratz website to attempt buying a doll that will sell out within minutes. I may be naive and biased because I want fans to have the best possible experience, but I truly hope MGA does better by their fans and values real sales over falsified sales from resellers. Thankfully, a fresh slate of Spring playline releases for Bratz and Bratz Babyz with mass distribution are on the way—check the 2024 Masterpost for that info!
Don’t forget to check out the unboxing video for another look at the Karol G doll! Dress form mannequin and stand not included.
Overall Thoughtz
Overall, I enjoy the Bratz x Karol G collector doll and think it is a massive improvement over the brand’s Kylie Jenner series. I would have definitely tweaked some of the accessories, but the doll, fashions, and packaging make this feel like a special release that is true to both Karol G and Bratz. Some Bratz fans have criticized this collaboration because they don’t know who Karol G is. It is completely okay to not know who a celebrity is, but it is rather disrespectful to write off an artist because you are personally unfamiliar with them or their work. Karol G may not be as well known in some territories, but is a major star in Latin America. Choices for celebrity collabs should not be solely based on perception of fame, but rather on impact and importance to wider communities. Basing a doll off a Colombian musical artist is a logical choice for a brand as bold as Bratz and I applaud them for collaborating with a celebrity that can help bring brand awareness to different international markets. Not everything is made for everyone, and that is a fact that some Bratz fans may need to come to terms with. If it’s not for you, then speak with your wallet and don’t purchase it. But, if you are a fan of Karol G, this is a great homage to her—sans limited distribution!
Thank you again to MGA Entertainment for gifting me the Bratz x Karol G collector doll, and thank YOU—the reader—for reading this article about the collection!
I hope you keep checkin’ out Lookin’ Bratz for more news and reviews in the future! Make sure to check out my YouTube unboxing video for another look at the dolls and subscribe for more Bratz videos.
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Until next time…
xoxo
