When Rainbow High dolls debuted in 2020, I wasn’t impressed, to be honest. I didn’t like their big round eyes in their large round heads (although, oddly enough, I love Blythe dolls. Go figure.). I routinely skipped the Rainbow High section whenever I shopped the toy aisles of Target or Walmart. Fast forward to last year when Series 3 was released, and it looks like Rainbow High dolls underwent a slight makeover that, in my humble opinion, has improved the dolls’ appearance. Series 3 dolls had a more refined and sophisticated face mold with eyes that, while still large, were not completely circular but more realistically shaped. For example, compare Series 1 Violet Willow from 2020 to the newly released Costume Ball Violet Willow for 2022 (Photos courtesy of MGA Entertainment).
Lila Yamamoto is one of six dolls released this past Spring as part of Series 4. She’s my first Rainbow High doll. Since I’m a Rainbow High newbie, I don’t know a lot about the dolls yet. I haven’t watched any of the animated episodes, and I don’t know the backstories of the characters. All I know is that they have killer fashions and accessories, and I decided to take the plunge.
Rainbow High is a school for the arts. Lila Yamamoto is an exchange student from Japan. Like all Rainbow High students, Lila has a focus. Her focus is visual arts.
With Lila being my first Rainbow High doll, I was very pleasantly surprised to see how easy it was to unbox her. The doll, the second outfit, and the second pair of shoes each come in a separate compartment. The accessories (the stand, the comb, and the second set of legs) are conveniently bagged together. There were a few ties I had to snip off to free the doll and the clothes from the box, but not as many as Mattel dolls have.
The first thing I like to check when delving into a new doll line is the quality of the articulation. Rainbow High dolls have thirteen points of articulation. And I will say the articulation is good. The limbs aren’t wonky, and they hold a pose very well.
And Lila passes my articulation test with flying (Rainbow) colors.
Lila’s face is very pretty, but I wondered why she was wearing a Band-aid (TM) on her nose. Or was it a Breath-Right (TM) nasal strip? It turns out the bandage and the kawaii stickers on her face are a nod to Decora Kei, a style of Japanese street fashion emphasizing cute, childish motifs and bright colors. Her lips are a glossy red with a little coral and glitter in them. She has acrylic inset eyes and heavy rooted eyelashes on her upper lids. Her lower lids have painted-on lashes and her eyes are rimmed with heavy winged eyeliner.
Her hair is a mix of blonde and purple streaks. It’s very soft apart from her bangs, which are heavily gelled. Her hair is styled in braided space buns. The rooting in the back of the head looks full.
There has been some controversy surrounding Lila’s clothes. Although she’s from Japan, collectors have noticed certain elements of her wardrobe were closer to Chinese traditional dress. Critics believe the doll designers at MGA didn’t understand the distinctions between the traditional dress of different countries in Asia, and didn’t do enough research. To rectify this, MGA has clarified Lila’s backstory to indicate that her father is Japanese and her mother is Chinese. Her first outfit is inspired by her Japanese heritage. Her white top is styled like a kimono, with a diagonal-wrap front and bell sleeves. The lilac-colored obi around her waist is a separate piece. Her burgundy faux leather “studded” skirt features the Kanji symbol for “wisteria.”
The detailing of her clothes and accessories also reflects a Japanese influence. The Sakura cherry blossom can be seen in her earrings as well as the hardware on the straps on her top.
More details, including a belt buckle with the letters “RH” and a carabiner clip with more cherry blossoms on it. The skirt has faux studs and a realistic-looking but non-working zipper.
Lila wears fingerless “leather” gloves that allow her purple manicured nails to be displayed.
Her feet are arched so she can wear heels. And it looks like my Lila is plagued with the same black mark problem that other Rainbow High collectors have complained about.
Lila is wearing platform Crocs! I keep telling Ghoulia13 that Crocs are cool but she’s not convincedThe fact that a fashion doll is wearing them too is proof.
Crocs with socks. And gibbitz.
They even have the adjustable straps that Lila could wear in front or in back. This is very impressive attention to detail.
Lila’s second outfit pays homage to her Chinese heritage. Her top is evocative of a silk cheongsam. It’s paired with a large plum-colored sash. Her Fortuny-pleated skirt is accentuated by a large sash tied with a tassel featuring more cherry blossoms. Though not a literal interpretation, I think this ornamental tassel is based on a decorative element called jinbu. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese dress to hold down the skirt.
Lila comes with a second pair of legs with flat feet so she can wear her second pair of shoes. I didn’t know Rainbow High dolls came with additional legs. Her second pair of shoes have a flat arch. They are inspired by Chinese chopines.
It was difficult to tie tiny bows on these tiny shoes. I couldn’t do it.
So what do I think of my first Rainbow High doll? I’m impressed. The quality is better than I expected. Their bodies are pretty solid with some heft to them, and they have great articulation. The quality of the clothes and shoes are very good, made with substantial fabrics and with lots of fun little details. Likewise, the accessories are also highly detailed. I’m not sure about the marketing concept of including the second pair of legs, though. They could have given the dolls articulated toes to allow them to alternate between wearing flats or heels, like some of the 16” Integrity dolls have. Maybe articulated toes are too difficult to do with 11” dolls. But I appreciate the effort to allow the dolls to wear both flats and heels.
Lila is my first but not my last Rainbow High doll. Since I bought Lila I’ve already purchased a few more Rainbow High dolls, with more on the way from Amazon. Stay tuned for more reviews in the works.
Do you collect Rainbow High dolls? What do you like or dislike about them? Comment below. I’m still new to Rainbow High and would love to hear from other collectors.
Dollsville, USA 