The DEADvent Calendar: Day 10

Time for Day 10! What--or who--is it this time?

It's Minis Schooltime Sadie! Finally! I said she'd be here!

This Minis doll was exclusive to the LDD stationery set (the DEADvent Day 5 gift) as the only toy component of the set, and her school theme matched the back-to-school supply theme of the set. I just took the Mini out of the set to have her as her own gift.

This Mini had nothing tying her down to the tray in the stationery set, and just nestled between the plastic cover and the compartment she rested in.

Minis Schooltime Sadie is based on the Series 2 Schooltime Sadie LDD, who was Sadie's second doll design and the only character from Series 1 to come back in Series 2.

This would establish a pattern of Sadie being the only LDD character to get redesigned "scenario editions" (a la things like Barbie getting multiple dolls for different non-fantasy scenarios) within the main series of dolls, though Sin got one everyday "scenario edition" as Celebrating Sin alongside Celebrating Sadie. Sadie is the only Series 1 character to appear in multiple main series, and the only character to appear in any main series after their debut appearance. Every other doll with subsequent editions was Resurrected or in an exclusive side release, or both. Schooltime Sadie has always been below my notice because she looks a lot like S1 Sadie, just in a more detailed school-uniform outfit, and I never liked how she lost the goth mismatched eyes of the original. I thought the Mini was worth looking at, though.

Schooltime Sadie's hair is about the same as the S1 original's, being center-parted and black and long, though out of the box, this Mini's hair is entirely out of the face and does not frame it the way the larger original's does. I'm aware that the smaller the doll head, the more voluminous the hair will look, but I hoped this could look more accurate to the original with some work.

The face is really well-done and has a lot of vibrant character. The faceup basically matches the original doll's exactly, with two pale eyes that look white but have blue edges, brown eye shading, black lips, and a red X scar carved in her forehead. There's a lot of energy in this Mini's face. 

Her outfit consists of a black blazer over a shirt/skirt piece. The blazer is felt and unadorned, resting open over the front with lapels. It prevents her arms from resting tight at her sides. I'm reminded of Randy from A Christmas Story: "I can't put my arms down!"

Under the jacket, her shirt/skirt piece has a very narrow profile and the Minis proportions result in a huge collar that swallows Sadie's neck. 

There's a simple black ribbon tie accent at the neck, and the skirt is pleated, though I think it should fan out more than it does. It looks too skinny next to the coat and collar. 

Sadie's feet have white painted socks on them and she has black Minis Mary Janes.

Sadie's body has the same color problems as Minis Bedtime Sadie, who would have been made at the same time given that Minis Series 2 traded Schooltime (in the stationery) for Bedtime to complete its cast. Like Bedtime, Minis Schooltime's head is pinker than her body, and her limbs are vinyl that matches the torso but not the head. I repainted this too, but the results were not perfect because redressing the doll with her very tight costume resulted in abrasions that took off some paint. She's not easy to redress.

Schooltime Sadie's S2 doll debuted the original LDD cleaver/axe accessory and included a textbook of dark magic, while her death certificate document was framed as a letter to parents concerned about her deathly, morbid condition. I gotta wonder who Sadie's parents would have even been, and in what scenario she would have been sent to a normal school as an undead. Schooltime Sadie's death date is separate from S1's or Bedtime's or Sweet 16's, but it's not clear what theme her October 24, 1996 deathdate might have that justifies it being separate from the S1 date.

I think the charm of this doll comes from her face, but the rest is hard to love for me. The proportions of the Minis don't flatter this costume visually or functionally, and the hair struggles to look right at this scale, even as I got it a little better For a doll design I never loved, this Mini doesn't quite light the way toward appreciating it...beyond me seeing all the ways S2 Schooltime is more visually graceful at a larger size. This Mini is still cute, but maybe not a treasure. I'd like her so much more if her color matching was correct.