Korean company Little Monica has sold BJDs to an international market since 2008. The company first became known for producing beautiful 1/3 size boy dolls including Kliff, Crow and Ashel. Numerous lovely girl dolls are now part of the company’s Harmony line starting with Yuria who was released along with Dyuke in the summer of 2009. The 1/6 size Honey Harmony line was launched in fall of the same year. A new line of 1/4 dolls will be released in the near future. BJDcollectasy interviewed the company’s sculptor Jin, the creator of all Little Monica dolls.
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Q: How did Little Monica start?
A: It was in 2002, right after my military service, I saw a photo of a BJD online somewhere and I thought I could make it, but, I didn’t get to do anything about it. I started working in an animation company like I did before I went to the military. I thought ‘animator’ was my work of life. But things didn’t go well, and I quit the job. After that I worked with my uncle in his interior design company. It was better than working as an animator, but this didn’t last long. I got a serious injury on my back. I couldn’t do anything, and stayed at home for 6 months in bed. This was around 2007. While I was recovering, I got interested in BJDs again, and made Monica.
Q: What year did the company open?
A: We started our company in 2008. At first, we started by selling in Korea only. Later in 2008, we opened our English site for over-seas customers. But we had some trouble with this site, so we remade our English site in 2009.
Q: What were the earliest releases?
A: My most memorable doll, Monica. She was listed as sold-out even before we got to sell her. She was my first doll, so she didn’t come out as perfect as I wanted her to be. The girl body I made with her still lies in my desk drawer. The sad part is that the original doll is broken. I’m fixing her right now. Please look forward to her return!
The next doll, and officially our first released doll, is Kliff. He was released in 2008. Then he was re-released in April 2011 with some minor changes.
Q: Why is your company name “Little Monica”?
A: I really like Monica Bellucci, a model and actress. I’d like to make beautiful dolls like her, so I named the company Little Monica.
Q: At this time are you the only sculptor for the company?
A: Yes, I am the only sculptor.
Q: What do you most like about designing dolls? What inspires your work?
A: I do not design a doll with sketch, but I imagine how it will be while I work with the clay. This is the step I like the most.
I get inspiration from anything, it can be a beautiful lady or a simple drawing. All these things are energy for me to create a doll.
Q: How many people worked for the company when it started? Has your staff grown much since then?
A: I started Little Monica with 4 other people. I cannot tell you how many staff we have now, but we work like a family with a small amount of very talented people.
Q: Face-ups at Little Monica are very lovely! Can you tell me a little about the face-up artist (or artists) who do the make-up on the dolls? Can you tell me more about the artist’s face-up project? How did it come about?
A: All Face-up designs are done by Samieru. She helped me from the beginning of our company. She’s started by doing the face-ups on her own dolls, and she’s been doing it for 9 years.
Artist’s Face-ups are done by very talented artists, Samieru, Bi Young, Paya, Poppy, and Mimiru. They are doing their best to show high quality face-ups.
Artist’s face-ups were started because we wanted to show other styles and charms of our dolls.
Q: Honey Harmony dolls were first released in autumn 2009. Can you tell me more about them? Do you plan to release a Little Harmony line in the near future?
A: I remember that it was planned way before 2009. I had to create Honey Harmony body in both Boy and Girl, Luisie and Lucile all in short period of time. So I worked all night and day except for time to eat and sleep for several months. Maybe this is why I am attached to them.
Right now, Little Harmony is in its last steps. After that we are planning for 70cm too. We are trying to do our best to show as many styles as possible.
Q: Is there anything else about Little Monica you would like to include?
A: There still are many people who do not know us. We’ll work our best so everyone loves our dolls
Thank you.
Photos above: Monica profile, Harmony girl prototype hands, Honey Harmony Luisie and Lucile
Little Monica website
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