Dexter Charming Review

Just look at these two. I bought them straight out of the box through a Monster High collector's group on Facebook. They still have all their plastic tags and everything - except Jackson is missing his glasses (which looked doofy anyways).

I'll be reviewing Jackson in a separate post.

 Dexter Charming. He's from Ever After High, sister brand to Monster High, and he's the younger brother of Daring Charming. I don't like the way Ever After girls look - huge heads, tiny faces - but I have a weakness for boy dolls, especially dorky ones.

Dexter is wearing his trademark outfit - blue pseudo-tux suitcoat with gold trim, pale blue and white infinity scarf, mottled dark sleeveless tee with a bronze Charming crest pattern, grey jeans, and dark blue hi-top imitation Converse shoes. He also has his square-rimmed glasses, golden keychain at his waist with the Charming crest, removable black plastic backpack, and a golden circlet. His skin tone is a bit darker than Jackson's, closer to the Deuce skin tone.

Please pardon the mess in the background of these photos - I'm in the middle of transitioning between desks.

Dexter's hair is heavily gelled down, but in the back and along the sides it's soft and flexible. I really love his face sculpt - there's a hint of laughter to it, and it seems perfectly placed between boyish cuteness (the upturned nose, the wide eyes) and adult handsomeness (the wide jaw, the strong chin). The doll doesn't quite resemble his cartoon counterpart, but he is a looker in his own right.

I'm a bit disappointed by the fabric used for his shirt. It's thin and cheap. The Velcro attachment in the back doesn't extend all the way down, which makes removing the shirt a bit of a pain. Sad that such a good-looking tanktop is ruined by cheap manufacture.

It seems that everything Dexter wears has the Charming family crest on it, including his shoes. The imprint on the ankle looks to be reversed on his right shoe; the C is backwards.

Dexter has possibly the only well-fitting pair of pants out of all Mattel releases in the past year. They close well, they fit his body shape, they don't ride up too high, and they're made of sturdy fabric. Bravo.

 Like the girls of EAH, Dexter has a healthier build than his Monster High comrades. He's thicker through the chest, with muscular arms and legs. His hands are a bit larger as well. I would've compared him to Deuce but I can't seem to find him, so Save Frankie Jackson will have to stand in. There is no physical difference between the MH boy molds except for faces and skin tones; Clawd has the same build as Jackson.

 

His backpack is very nicely sculpted, but would have been better in weighted fabric instead of hard plastic. It doesn't quite hang right on his back and despite his excellent articulation he can't reach it easily. Nonetheless it's a very nice detail and I'm glad it was included.

 

All in all, I'm glad to own Dexter, but I think I might redo his wardrobe. I like his coat, pants, and shoes, but that cheap tanktop annoys me. I'm not a big fan of hats so the circlet is most likely going into a drawer until it's needed for a photo shoot. He's a handsome doll, an excellent first release for the character, and I'm interested to see how his first doll compares to later versions. 

Coming soon: a review of Save Frankie Jackson, in all his sullen scrawny glory.