Neighthan Rot Review

 

Here's one of my favorite guys-- Neighthan Rot. If Mattel had sent a representative to my house and asked me what I'd like to see in their doll line, this is pretty much it. More boys, more zombies, maybe a unicorn or two, some rainbows, more spikes, more glitter. This guy is like a cheap Frank Frazetta knock-off spray-painted onto the side of a van, come to life. And I love him dearly. 

 

I mean LOOK at that handsome face. Look at those big horsey ears.

 

 

For those who don't know, Neighthan Rot is a character in the Monster High TV Special / movie "Freaky Fusion". He's a hybrid monster. His mother is a unicorn, and his father is a zombie. So, on his right side, his body molding shows detailed exposed muscle and bone, while his left side is just an uncommonly muscular teen boy. His body parts are patterned and divided; multiple parts are zombified opposite healthy limbs. He has an opaque blue horn spiralling out of the top of his head, two large horse-like ears, and black hair as well as a tail accented with red, yellow, and blue streaks.

 

 

This is everything included with signature Neighthan. You'll notice his pants retained his body shape after removal. This definitely speaks for the quality of the fabric. Many fans and collectors have raised holy hell over his outfit, both for its design and for its cheap construction. He has a 3/4 sleeve shirt in primary colors with a skeleton and internal organ design. His pants are divided, with one black leg and one leg continuing the shirt pattern in an enlarged form. He wears yellow spiked boots and a yellow spiked baseball cap, both flecked with blue and green glitter, and includes brush, stand, and diary. 

 

Neighthan's tail had somehow gotten twisted and tucked up inside his shirt (!!) during packaging. It remained kinked like this for a few days, but after some brushing, it has calmed down and now his tail only has a minor bump in it to show where it got messed up. All of this hair was fully rooted and I had no shedding issues with him.

 

 

I noticed, while removing him from the box, that several strands of his tail were abnormally long. These were fully rooted and had to be trimmed to match the length of the rest of his tail. I had the same issue with his hair, which was uneven and, for the first few days, very coarse.

 

 

The Freaky Fusion line (and movie) may have their own flaws, but this guy, as I said, is one of the favorites in my collection. I always love it when they come out with new boys, and I have an unhealthy addiction to everything unicorns, so this is perfection. It's the doll I wanted when I was seven. I'm glad he's finally here. The doll itself is well-made and includes all accessories expected of a signature doll, except possibly a pet, but sig dolls have been lacking pets for close to a year now so that's nothing new. All in all, worth the money, especially for those who collect every new character or those ensuring the future of Mattel's boy lines. 

Freaky Fusion Inspired Operetta Review

 

Here she is! Freaky Fusion Inspired Operetta, all jazzed up with Frankie Stein's fashion notes!

 

 

Operetta wears a black (leather?) stitched-up half-mask in place of her usual mask. I couldn't quite make out what the image on the side of the mask might be -- a lightning bolt, maybe, or a lever? Her hair is mostly red with a severe strip of black starting at the temples and swept back on the top, tied back with a rubber band. Her eyes are bright blue with light green shadow and her lips are coral pink. She has a detachable Frankensteinian neck bolt choker with three large silver stitches in the middle.

 

 

She comes with everything seen here. Apologies for the blur; it looks like I had a young friend helping me with photos on this day. Her shoes are red and black Mary Janes with heels. She has a detachable silver headband with lightning bolts in the top. She wears a two-tone plaid sleeveless dress split down the middle with a silver stripe; on one side the pattern is pink-purple with black musical staves and notes, on the other side the pattern's colors are inverted. The dress has thin sheer black netting around its bottom edge. She wears this over a two-tone pair of tights, one leg pink-purple, the other leg black. She has a shiny red tie as a belt, a quilted purse with a silver skullette embossed on the front, and a single hexagonal red bracelet. The doll has no earrings but the left ear is pierced as an anchor for the facemask.

 

 

I love Operetta, as y'all know, so any new doll is one I'm happy with -- but I was none too pleased with the amount of pink in this Oppy's design. She's usually given a darker purple in the spectrum, and Frankie isn't known for wearing pink, so it seemed an odd design choice. However, I love her clothes, I love her severe new hairstyle, and I just love the fun, wacky atmosphere of all the Fusion Inspired dolls. It's as if they were invited to a costume party and told to dress like one of their friends -- everyone has their own spin on it, and it's all a little over-the-top and goofy.

Perhaps my favorite pieces from this doll are her new, darker facemask and those excellent two-tone tights. Those have made the rounds on my display dolls due to their flexibility and their fun colors.