The “failure” of 1972
In 1972, designer Allison Katzman invented Blythe while working at Marvin Glass and Associates. Kenner purchased the design and Blythe was born. With her oversized head and pull string eye changes, Blythe was ahead of her time. Kids, however, were terrified of her. Blythe was pulled from shelves after just one year, vanishing for nearly three decades.
The meeting that changed everything
In 1997, video producer Gina Garan was gifted a vintage Blythe doll from a friend who thought she looked like the doll. Gina used Blythe to test out an old camera. In 1999 at an exhibition for CWC International artists in New York, Gina showed her photos of Blythe to CWC Director, Junko Wong.
Junko saw what the world had missed: Blythe wasn’t just a toy; she was a fashion icon. She knew this quirky doll would be a hit in Japan.
Enter the Neo Blythe
Later that month, Junko used Gina’s photos to pitch Blythe as a ‘virtual model’ with a photo exhibition to department store, Parco. Gina’s photos were published in a book called This is Blythe.
Blythe then starred in a sensationally popular ad campaign for Parco in December 2000. She continued as Parco’s ‘IT girl’ through spring and into summer 2001.
Vintage Blythe dolls on eBay jumped from $35 to $350.
Junko sought the rights to reproduce Blythe for the Asian market. In June 2001, the first “Neo Blythe” was released. Junko worried that she wouldn’t sell the 1000 Parco dolls. But people were lined up outside Parco in Shibuya for the release and she was sold out within an hour.
Evolution of Blythe
Blythe’s face has evolved over the last 25 years.
From the original 1972 Kenner mould we have the BL mold in 2001, EBL or Excellent mould, SBL or Superior mould, RBL or Radiance mould and the FBL or Fairest mould. There have been several new iterations of the RBL mould including RBL+, Renew and the current mould RBL Evolution.
Blythe was also released in two smaller sizes, the Petite and the Middie, both of which have been discontinued.
The “fake” explosion
Around 2008, “Factory Dolls” made from stolen parts of official releases hit the web. Chinese factories began cloning Blythe and today, sites are flooded with clone dolls.
In 2026, as “build a Blythe” became a major customising trend, many new collectors are not aware of Blythe’s rich history.
Kenner Blythe and other releases
The Kenner Blythe Guide covers the complete history of the original Blythe dolls made in 1972 (Kenner Blythe) and the Blythe Guide features the production history of dolls created after 2000 (Neo Blythe) and other Blythe related releases such as Popmart X Molly, Luvhug, Blythe Bells and Kubricks.
Blythopia is a catalogue of Neo Blythe dolls and Middie Blythe dolls released after the year 2000 and official clothing/shoe sets.
For the full history of Blythe, refer to BlytheDoll the official website.
Neo Blythe moulds
Blythe is a 28cm/12 inch doll, or 1/6 scale. The head is disproportionately large compared to the body. The eyes change colours and directions when the string hanging from the back of the head is pulled.
The stock eye colours and positions for Neo Blythe are blue (left facing), orange (front facing), green (right facing), and pink (forward facing) although many limited edition Blythe’s have different coloured eye chips.
Blythe has fairly flat feet (Barbie shoes normally don’t fit) and only early Neo Blythe have bendable arms and legs (Licca bodies) The body is approximately the size of Mattel’s Skipper.
Takara Blythe dolls have evolved over the years with numerous mould changes, finishes and manufacturers producing them.
BL – Blythe mould (2001-2002)
The original 2001-2002 Neo Blythes had Licca bodies with bendable arms and legs. These BL dolls had face moulds with eyes that glanced far to the side and some dolls had “boggled” eyes where the eye lid did not show. Several of the dolls had matte faces.
EBL – Excellent mould (2002 – 2004)
In 2002, Takara switched to the Excellent (EBL) design. The new bodies were less flexible, with only the legs bending in a 3-click range. The eyes were improved to show more of the eyelid and had a less extreme sideways glance. Takara redesigned the face mold completely in 2004, based on scans of the original Kenner Blythes.
SBL – Superior mould (2003 – 2008)
The new design, Superior (SBL), also had updated eyes, producing a sparklier look. The first four dolls after the redesign have eyes that look sharply downward, but Takara fixed this for the rest of the dolls.
RBL – Radiance mould (2006 – 2013)
In 2006, the Radiance (RBL) mould was created. The head can be easily opened, and the face itself is more child-like. In September 2008, Takara announced a new body style with more bendable/durable knee clicks.
FBL – Fairest mould (2009 – 2016)
In 2009, Takara introduced a new face mould called the Fairest, supposedly based on the EBL face mold, with chubbier cheeks, bigger eye pupils, and semi-matte skin. Takara is currently releasing both RBL and FBL dolls, after announcing the discontinuation of the SBL mould in May 2009.
RBL+ – Radiance Plus mould (2013 – 2019)
After the original RBL mould was damaged, the RBL + mould was used from 2013 until 2019 to produce Neo Blythe dolls.
RBL – Radiance Renewal mould (2017 – 2021)
Used from June 2019 to 2021 the renewal mould replaced the RBL+ mould.
RBL – Radiance Evolution mould (2022 – present)
In 2021 the Good Smile Company became the manufacturer of Blythe dolls and with this change came a new mould. The new mould has slightly angular features and the face looks more mature.
Read the Blythelife.com Beginners Guide to Blythe Head Molds.
BLYTHOPIA 
That is a great post. Thanks for that great info. Blythe has a very interesting history. Who would have thought that Kenner Blythes would have came back 30 years later and increase in popularity. I first found Blythe in 2000 and have been smitten ever since. Blythe dolls are amazing and special. They are not your average doll! Love your site. Keep up the great work 😀
❤ Anna
My blythe doll Website
This is a really really useful Blog! It has become like a ‘bible’ to me as I’ve got more and more into Blythe! Thank you!
Does anything one know what the age of Blythe is? Is she a teen, a preteen?
i just got one horay!
Sweeeet congrats! Who did you get?
I just got one of these Horay!
Ms. Garan has also collaborated in the design and production of several new dolls, including ginagirls, sold mainly in Japan, and Bendel’s Girls, available at Christmastime exclusively at New York department store Henri Bendel.
This is so interesting 🧐 I found a lot of information this thank you 🤗
Ordered a blythe doll called a neo special. Why is it called a neo special
Which one was it? I would say it was a special release like a collaboration.