Abby Denson’s Dolltopia is a light allegory about the plastic dolls we grew up with and what happens when they question their life of plastic conformity and consumerism.

I first encountered Dolltopia back in 2008, when Abby gave me a copy of the mini-comic (that’s western indie comicspeak for doujinshi) of the series. I was captivated by the idea of toy dolls rebelling against their intended fate, and their desire to be unique and independent.

Dolltopia is, as I said, an obvious outsider allegory, that is nonetheless charming for being obvious. Colored brightly in black, white and hot pink, the art speaks of punk roots, and a childhood of cutting and dyeing doll hair. (Which Abby admits to.)

For Yuri fans, there is one established girl-doll couple in the series – Candy O and Candy X. They are shown providing emotional support for one another, even in the most stressful times. Honestly, they are a very cute couple.

There’s also a little guilt-inducing chapter about the way we abuse our toys, both physically and emotionally. ^_^;;

Unfortunately for me, Amazon shipped me a damaged copy, so I was unable to read all of Abby’s afterword, but other than that minor setback, the entire story about identity and being your own person would make a great holiday gift for a budding young outsider in your life.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1, but only on the principle that there is always someone out there fetishizing something.

Overall – 8

The book comes with dolls you can cut out, and non-conforming outfits for them to wear. I thought that was a cute touch.