Rambled Opinions and General Snarkiness: Nanea and The Historicals, or Four Months Late Ain't Shit When History Is Far Away

Aloha, Nanea!

*Gets up* 
*Gets back on horse* 
*Horse is dusty* 
*Gets off horse* 
*Gives horse a dusting* 
*Gets back on horse*

Okay. This is what I'm going to try to do, my loves and adorables, to get things back into a steady pace. I haven't done any rambled opinions on the old shit, we've got like two weeks before a whole slew of new shit comes out, and I really should get the old shit yammered about in some form before that.

Today, we do Nanea and The Historicals. Wednesday, we do the Contemporaries and the Wellies. Friday, we do the Moddie Shit. Giftmas, I'll just do a big damn post of All the Shit That's Fit To Blog About covering everything cool and good that has happened in My Dolly World since then. Then next Wednesday, we can talk about news and things that I've missed, in prep for the new shit.

S'all right? S'all right.

To Nanea and the Historicals. I've made you wait too long.


Alice Nanea Mitchell: Replacing Midwestern Turnips With Hawaiian Guava Bread since 1941

It's all that's good good in the Hawaiian hood. Even if they don't have a hood.

If you've been here reading any of my posts for five minutes, you know that Olly-Molly and I don't get along.¹ I've never been hard geeked for the 1940s, especially when it was Molly showcasing it to me. Did give her her props when I said that her archival was not character death, and no one's was.² And I do look into World War II stuff when it comes up. But we've never been friends, Molls and me. So when I heard we were covering the 40s again, I was kinda curious what AG was going to go with and hoping it was something that would make me actually get into the era more than Halloween, V-Mail, tap dancing, and turnips.

And they went pretty hard in the paint to give us something good. They moved the setting to the Hawaii Territory--which was heavily affected by World War II in a way most of the US wasn't--and gave us Nanea (that's nah-nay-ah, not, nah-nee or some other bastardization of the name) Mitchell to cover the era. Yes, she's half white, because AG be whiting. Yes, she has hazel eyes, because AG clearly don't have enough of those going around. But she's got lovely wavy long brown auburn hair, pretty tan skin, her stories don't constantly remind us she's mixed--shit, if anything, they push that half of her aside generally to focus on how very Hawaiian she is--and she has a new face mold which is the first since Marie-Grace. And her collection? Is to die for. I'm so happy to have her representing the 40s now. Luff you, darling.

Just like DeeDee last year, AG offered a preorder release of her and her shiny things. I already said something about it, but I didn't do that because I was out of town during the run of it and either would have had to ship her to the house or bring her back on a plane, and I didn't want to do that or get everything in the box to start. A buddy of mine went with the preorder set, and she adored it, and handed me many of the paper things that came with it, so I'm all good.

So what did I get? Seeing as it's been some time since the launch, I'll talk about each thing as I get to it. Okay?

Why yes. I did bring her home.

Nanea's Meet Outfit and Nanea's Accessories: Nanea becomes the second ever historical to arrive in something not a skirt, after Julie. Unlike Molly--who was living in Fictional City, Ill. and subjected to the idea that walking around in pants might give women and Girls the Social Justice Rash that C-CHASMs³ fear might lead to them not putting up with their bullshit--Hawaii didn't give a shit, and so Nanea and most women and girls outside of school and work settings could get her shorts on. They're white, knee length, slightly flared, and paired with an orange print sleeveless Hawaiian print shirt, brown strappy sandals, and a red hibiscus flower in her wavy red-brown hair--and white brief-like underwear because no one was wearing puffy bloomers under their pants Mrs. Pleasant Rowland thank you very much. The shirt, to touch on it quickly, is accurate in that Hawaii was--and still is--seen as exotic lands, and in order for a lot of Hawaiian culture to survive after the forcible takeover of the kingdom⁴ they had to sell the culture that way for tourism's sake. It's also a blend of cultures because a lot of cultures shared their ways in Hawaii. Appreciation, not appropriation, thanks so much. Adding on to the set are a necklace with book significance,⁵ a blue plaid tote bag with matching ID card holder, an ID card because hey what's that Hawaii ended up under martial law and everyone got an ID card, and a letter that is kind of a spoiler if you look through things before you read books. No hats. We're walking around head free, the flower counts as a hat.

Yeah, so I got Nanea and her accessories, day of release going. My grandma Goose--who is the best--heard me talking about Nanea a lot this summer while sitting on the living room floor doing Neth's First Eyeswap. She told me some things about her years growing up, and gave me the money I used to then buy Nanea. I have the best family.⁶

Kid outfits for kids.

There's also a kids' matching dress with the prints of the tote and some piping. I'm meh on it. But it's not for me, unlike the doll, which is for me, because I like dolls.

Growing Up with Aloha; Hula for the Home Front; and Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea: 

Me: I'll buy the first two books, and then get the Choose Your Own book later. Now let's do some reading. Surely these won't hit me as hard as DeeDee's.

Book: Nanea feels! Pearl Harbor Bombing! Racism! School Destruction! Lost animals, friends having to go away, family distress, sadness, and real history affects the Nanea all over!

Me: *cries like a little bitch*  Nanea baby I love you so much you need all the hugs.

Still need to get the CYOA book, but man, Nanea's books do not play around. I need a third book! Where is the third book! Oh, mystery soon. But I need to know how her brother fares!

Pearly shells by the ocean. Or something.

Nanea's Hula Outfit: So this was the main reason I didn't get the preorder bundle. Well, the main outfit reason. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot more accurate than the sweater, mask, and tissue paper chaos that got hit with a water hose. And it's pretty nice, given AG. And it's part of the story and her culture. But it's the same colors as Molly's Halloween abomination, and I really wish they hadn't done the exact same color scheme of red top and green skirt. if I get an outfit last for Nanea, this'll be it--and then I will find a way to make a more proper skirt, perhaps, because that's just shredded plastic strips. And I swear to gods, putting this on Molly should be a smiteable offense. Culture is not a Costume.⁷

Nanea's Hula Implements: We have instruments for the Hawaiian dancing, because Nanea is learning of her culture's dance from her mother's mother, Tutu. All of these are authentic looking instruments that are still used today in hula dancing, along with a neat bag and music sheets. I will probably get these before I actually get the outfit they're showcased with. For someone that only took a year of band, I sure love learning about instruments.
 

I wasn't supposed to like the dog! But books gonna book. Also that outfit got me dying need it.

Nanea's School Outfit: Nanea can wear all the shorts she wants in the day to day but to school she wears a dress. But, it's bright and pretty and not dull and wool, it's too hot for wool and sweaters. Also there's a Remember Pearl Harbor pin, and if we're talking about things to remember that's kinda better than the Alamo, perhaps. Soon. Maybe next finance trip there to buy shiny doll things. Ugh those shoes are too cute.⁸

Nanea's School Lunch: My weakeness for dolly food continues. I don't have it yet, but soon. C'mon it's practically a bento box, and there's pineapple and a sushi roll in it. And it's blue. Hook me up.

Nanea's Dog, Mele:  

Me, at release: This is another plush dog in AG. I mostly prefer the ones with joints. I surely won't fold like I did getting Scooter on sale or Bo with my bundle. That was because of a sale. I won't fold. I am strong.
*reads book* 
omfg hula doggie of feels. Why you make me out to be a fucking liar, AG? Nanea needs her puppers!
*gets dog as a gift for birthday from cool friends who came to my birthday party at AG*⁹
Doggie~
And that is why I have her hula dog. They're good dogs, Brant.

Nanea's Pet Set: Brain: You have the doggie. You should get the bed, it's got a pillow and a food dis--
Me: shut up brain I'm suffering here, I will get it if I get it after clothes because clothes outrank dog food.

Shopping in Hawaii.

Nanea's Family Market: Okay, Felicity didn't get a shop, all she got was a new outfit and a bumroll. Instead, Nanea got the shop, cause her grandparents own a store. It's her Big Ticket Thing. It's got lots of tiny neat things, and I'm a sucker for tiny doll things. There's cans of Spam, and pineapples, and posters, and newspapers, and shoes and all that's good and tiny. I will likely not get the shop, if only because space is a premium in my life. But if I do? I'm gonna flip. Also it's pink because things in Hawaii don't cotton to your boring whitewashed generic buildings and common marble without color. Historical pink is cool, stop crying that things are pink.

Gone Fishing~!

Nanea's Island Swimsuit: Historical swimsuits are always kinda cute, and I have all of them so far. This one will join me soon enough. I really adore the print on it. Also tiny goggles. Okay, I'm going to stop lying about AG swimsuits. I like them if they're not modern two pieces that show weird doll cloth middles. There. Let's see how long before AG makes me out to be a liar again.

Nanea's Island Fishing Set: This, like the hula set, is on my eh side. I like the pole¹⁰ and I like the fish, but I always think "Could I get an outfit instead?" And so this will probably be obtained on the later side of getting shinies.

Now this is a dress.

Nanea's Holoku Dress: This is another reason I didn't get the bundle. Because I wanted this. Nanea's holoku dress is super nice. The train! The print! The hair flower! The new lei! I got this with her when I bought her, and plan to go in on reviewing it soon as possible so I can babble on and on about clothing history, missionaries, syncretic fashion and the like. But yeah, this so outranked the hula set, never sorry for getting this. Why are they making this her holiday dress? Probably because it's the most formal dress she has. Whatever. It's goddamn gorgeous and super cultural and I love it. Don't put it on your ugly white dolls. And don't @ me.

To Bed, we said.

Nanea's Tropical PJs: Got these too, because all my girls need sleepwear. They're light and tropical and pretty print. And no, we are not sleeping in Molly's PJs. They're too warm. We're also not doing long pants. The weather is hot, it hardly ever gets cold enough for fuzzy, and sweating is annoying. Now if your Nanea lives in cold places and you want her to sleep warm then put her in long sleeves and pants, but she wouldn't do it in hot ass Hawaii. So don't front. I got this, but I think AG used the excuse of tropical to not give her slippers and that's annoying. If anything, that's the failure. Still, I like em. They also come in kid's versions, for nice summery pajamas.

Nanea's Bed and Hawaiian Quilt: Now, Neth, no more doll beds for a while, even if this one is lovely. Wait for a sale. You're good at that. It's very couchlike, the bed. But damn if that quilt isn't lovely. Gonna have to look more into Hawaiian quilting data.

In conclusion? This is the much better showing of the 1940s, and if not for Midwestern mediocrity we maybe could have had it sooner. But the collection is sweet and once again the books have made me weak for a character.  I'm going to steal things from Molly's collection that I like and don't cost a million bucks, put them on Nanea because she's pretty and her stories are more interesting, and be a happy Nethie.

And The Historicals: Fuzzy Braids, New Coats, and Birthday Cake

Again, the others got one or two things, or so. Except Addy and Sam, who now occupy the Shame Cube with Felicity. Suffering! Oh well. I said I wouldn't cry or blubber if Addy got cubed and I meant it.¹¹ ETA: Also Josefina got nothing, because haters are hating.

Hoppy Birdies for DeeDee!

Melody's Birthday Outfit: First of all, the purple got me loving it. Second, the plaid got me loving it. Third, the hairbows got me loving it, even on those damn ponytail holders. I'm loving it head to almost toe. The shoes aren't my fave. AG step your shoe game up. Yes I eventually got it. It's DeeDee's.

Melody's Birthday Party Accessories: Another reason to get that table and chairs, I see. I love the dishes--so blue! So nifty! I don't love the cake. I mean, the book has chocolate cake, and it's story true. But my allergies!¹² We'll have to quarantine the food. Maybe make a nice fresh white cake. Or something.

It's almost generic in its dressness.

Maryellen's Rockin' Roller Skating Outfit: First of all that's a bullshit name. Second of all, it borders on generidress. Thirdly, it comes with the Dreaded Ballet Flats of Suffering. Ah well. A sale got this in my house. A coupon might be what gets the other half in because...

Maryellen's Roller Skating Accessories: you want me to pay how much for roller skates, socks, and a baton? C'mon, son. We have a budget, and that's too much. Don't suitcase me. You're gonna wait, skates.

New Kaya Historical stuff? whaaaaat.

Kaya's Trading Outfit: Whaaaaat. Kaya got a new outfit that isn't just a outfit of today! Nice! I need to get it. Soon. Yes, soon. Mmmmm Kaya stuff rub it on my face. But see, I have to get to the same time I get:

Kaya's Trading Accessories: Accessories sold separately, womp womp. This is where we get the hair bobbles, the basket, and the sweet ass choker. So whenever I'm ready to drop for both of these, I'll drop for both of these. Because Kaya be my girl.

Beaver: I am not buying a toy generic beaver. It's not even fuzzy right. It's not even big enough. I'm not gonna do it. I may have folded on Mele, Bo, and Scooter, but I can find a generic beaver. I'm not folding. And I've read Kaya and the Beavers. So there.

Either it's new or it's improved but it's not both, don't lie to me package.

Julie's Pet Bunny: We have kept your bunny and carrots.¹³ We have replaced the wicker basket and round denim pillow with a plastic laundry bin and a pillow in the print from the new year's set. Pray we do not alter the pettings further. I got the old set on sale long before this, so I'm not gonna go in for a new basket and pillow.

Plaidy, and sock baddy.

Kit's Christmas Outfit: I hope you weren't hard in love with Kit's original holiday dress, cause it's gone now. Twenty-three skid-doo! Now she will wear plaid all over--with matching plaid, please--big draped shoulders, and she will enjoy it. There's whispers of her reaching Cubicle Zone, so I'm going to jump on this as soon as plausible. It's a nice, accurate dress, and it's not asymmetrical even if it's top heavy.

Kit's Christmas Stocking: There are a few things in this world I'm not even remotely a fan of and will not give any affection to. Ugly white boys ugging and whiting around me. Desecration of sweet potato pie.¹⁴ Mushrooms or zucchini in my Chinese takeout. And sock monkeys. I really can't stand anything sock monkey. I have never liked the ugly little things, and I hold no affection for them. So nah, fam, this won't be crossing my doorstep. I'd just bitch about every bit of that monkey. If someone wants to give me the stocking, then that's fine. But don't gimme no monkey fuckery. Nope. Take that shit and put it in the garbage.

New coat, now hat.

Rebecca's Winter Jacket: I dunno. It's purple and fur, which are two of my things, but it's kinda compact. I have her old set, and I'm not sure if her new set and I are friends yet. We'll think about it. I like her more recent Coney Island dress more for my gang.

New Outfits for kids.

New Kids Wear: We're still moving things around in the ways of kids clothes. Maryellen has ditched sundress and sweater for the Nifty Striped Tee (based on her meet dress) and  Pink Polka Dot Skirt (based on her poodle skirt top). Kaya no longer is talking kids into wearing blankets and instead is now talking them into a Deer Print Dress and Warm and Fuzzy Vest because animal skins are nice, and this is a lot less appropriative. And Julie now has a Sunny Striped Tee and Flower Shorts, and because I haven't seen those you're just going to have to click through the links. I kinda want to draw more clothes based on Historical outfits. I was on a role for that for a while.

*~*~*

Wednesday: We go over Contemporary, GotY, and Wellie stuff.

C'mon, horse.

It's fuzzy and in the background..

---Neth

¹ I know she's coming back out. I will cover that soon. See Time Line Above.
² *Smug Neth Moment* Since I've made that post? Sam has come back out and gone into the Shame Cube, Addy has gone to the Shame Cube, Felicity has sprung back out all Gunpowder and Tea Cakes and settled to the Shame Cube, Molly's on the way back to be Cubed, and there's rumors of Kit about to turn her Cubicle into a You-bicle. So please, tell me more about how AG destroyed the characters by vaulting them and letting more come out. Please show how my predictions on the AG Vault were wrong. I'm all ears. (Disclaimer. I'm not any ears.)
³ Christian Cis-Het Anglo-Saxon Men. I found that acronym somewhere on Twitter and it's beautiful.
⁴ Watch some Adam Ruins Hawaii. Then read more about it. I love some Adam Ruins.
⁵ Read a motherfucking book.
⁶ Fun fact? My grandma, Goose was born the same year as Nanea, just a few months later. So that helped me love her even more. More on Goose/Nanea Ties soon.
⁷ Don't @ me.
⁸ I personally wear two pairs of shoes in my average life, and then geek out over doll shoes. Yep, that's my life.
⁹ I booked the party room at AG Seattle, several friends hung out, and we had food and talk and posted our dolls on Instagram because we are adults and we can have fun. And now I have the Gabby gift bag!
¹⁰ Getcha mind outta da gutter.
¹¹ Also I have like all her stuff.
¹² Bitch I know it's not a real cake.
¹³ Insert rant here about carrots and why they aren't casual bunny food. 
¹⁴ Oh no white Jesus. The only uglier one is the ruining of the mac.  This is a disgrace.