AG: GOTY 2021 Kira Bailey

[impy]

With Mom home, I'm hoping to be able to sneak in some time to work on this. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to cover all the new stuff, so I thought we'd begin officially with Kira. Please keep in mind that all this gibberish will be strung together over various breaks in my day, instead of the one or two big crunches I normally do them in, and also I am still very, very much not awake properly. So if I'm not making sense, just poke me and I'll fix it.

I'm going to try not to spoil anything for the Kira books, but I have read them and might accidentally say something more than I should.




Kira Doll and Book // $ 110

Item#GVF44
Kira is thrilled when she gets to spend a month at her aunt’s Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia helping care for koalas, wombats, and kangaroos. She’s always loved caring for animals, but it’s not all cuddles with cute joeys. When the baby wombats escape and there’s a predator on the loose, it’s up to Kira and her new friend Alexis to attempt a midnight rescue in the Australian bush!
The 18“ Kira doll has green eyes and long, wavy blond hair that can be brushed and styled. It comes styled in a half-up twist with long loose curls.
A tie-dye tank top that ties in the front and has embroidered decoration on the shoulders
A green pleated skirt with buttons up the side
A pair of brown lace-up boots that are tough enough for bushwalking
A pair of purple socks
A purple wraparound bracelet
The Kira Down Under paperback book

  I think we previously discussed that Kira looks awfully similar to Julie, yes? Like I get people not thinking she stands out enough, especially since she seems to be lacking anything that is just for her, like Saige had distinctive eyes, Joss had a new mold, and most GOTY have a wig that's just theirs. Kira's might technically be unique, but it honestly feels like you could dupe her easily enough without trying all that hard.

With that being said, I think she's adorable and I wants her. If this were a normal year and I hadn't been out of work since mid-December, I'd have bought her the absolute second my stimulus check hit the pending stage in my account. I never picked up Julie, I love the Josefina mold, and my love for Australia has been mostly unwavering since I first read Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as a chiblet.

Her outfit, at least, stands out. I'm thinking that's less a skirt and more skorts, and while all the colors together is kinda a bit much at times, I don't hate them either. I will always have a soft spot for tie-dye. This isn't my favorite Meet outfit, but it's not terrible and it's definitely distinct.

Hate the brown color on the boots, though.



Kira's Accessories // $30

Item#GVF45
Kira feels at home on the property where her father grew up, but every day is still an adventure. Whether she’s out in the bush observing birds, eating a brekky sandwich, or hanging out in her Comfy Platform Tent with her friend Alexis, she wants to be prepared for anything, and remember every moment. Includes:
A multicolored outdoor backpack with a top flap opening and side pockets to carry everything she needs for fieldwork in the bush
A koala keychain that attaches to her backpack to remind her of Bean, the orphaned koala joey she works with at the veterinary clinic
A brown hat with a purple ribbon band that keeps the sun off her face when she’s working outside
Two postcards with Australia graphics on the front and notes to her friends back home on the back
Two photos of animals she’s helping care for at the animal sanctuary: a koala and a kangaroo
  You ever see an AG accessory kit and know exactly which piece they're banking on people wanting enough to fork over the cash for? Yeah. We all agree it's the koala keychain, right? :P Sweet mother of frick, that thing's adorable.

I don't love the hat, though that's because I'm not wild about hats on me and thus I don't tend to care much for them in general. I will say it completes her various Meet-centric looks so yeah, I get it. But it's also definitely the piece I'm least interested in. I always love the little postcards and photos they do for these, and the backpack seems pretty nifty. This is definitely a set I wish they still did the knock $5 off when you buy the doll and the accessories at the same time deal, as I'm not in love with everything for $30 worth. Will I wind up buying it? Probably. But I'd rather there was a sale.




Kira's Outdoor Accessories // $30

Item#GvF55
In the Australian bush it’s hot during the day, but gets cold when the sun goes down. Kira is ready to go out observing birds or searching for a lost wombat with this set that includes:
A zip-front khaki jacket with contrasting print sleeves, pockets, and an embroidered flower graphic on the chest
A pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses
A multicolored print knit scarf to wear over her mouth to keep out blowing sand or around her neck to keep warm in the cooler evenings
  Zzzzzzzzzzzz. I'm sorry, this does nothing for me. I like the various pockets and again, it works well with her meet, but since that's not a look I'm into, to pick this up, I'd need a sale or a bundle with a discount or something. Literally nodded off when looking at this before. (Sorry, Kira, but I've been keeping horrid hours!)



Kira's Comfy Camping Outfit // $32

Item#GVF52
When she’s not working in the animal clinic, Kira hangs around the bush camp with her new friend, Alexis, and the scientists conducting research at the sanctuary. She can wear this outfit while sitting by the fire pit or enjoying barbecue cooked by Alexis’s dad. It includes:
A yellow knit tee Kira can layer under her jumper
A purple woven jumper with wide legs, a tie at the waist, and embroidered details at the neck and cuffs
A pair of slip-on purple sandals with matching embroidery
A two-color knotted headband
  If you'd told me my favorite outfit, outside of her PJs would be the pink and yellow outfit, I'd have slapped you silly. My dislike of that color combo is pretty well documented at this point but I guess there's just enough purple in here to make it not offend my eyes. Or maybe it's just cute. I don't know. It's also the outfit that most calls to mind Julie.




Kira's Comfy Camping Accessories // $85

Item#GVF53
When she arrives at the Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary, Kira learns that the bush camp is where everyone hangs out and eats meals, and it’s where she gets to spend lots of time with her new friend, Alexis. This set includes:
A lantern Kira can carry at night in the bush camp
Two matching sling-back chairs where the girls can sit and talk
A low wooden table
A purple throw pillow with a kangaroo graphic
A printed fabric rug
A plant in a pot
Two leaf-shaped plates to enjoy snacks in the tent
Two pieces of fairy bread, an iconic Australian treat consisting of buttered white bread with colorful sprinkles on top
Two pink lemonade drinks with straws
Two mixed fruit treats
  I don't think I understand fairy bread. That sounds so gross. It has always sounded gross. WHY. Um, anyway. People lost their mind over the mere thought that it was, in fact, fairy bread. I think this is a cute enough set and I'd actually probably buy it if I displayed my collection throughout the house or had a dedicated room to it or something because it pulls off the nifty trick of being useful for display and mentioned enough in the books to not feel like just a throw-in piece for the collection.
It's simply too expensive for me to buy, however, so it's safe where it is. I am glad to see that unlike Grace, Kira shall not be dining alone.




Kira's Casual Outfit // $36

Item#GVF47
Kira loves hanging out on the veranda of the Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary, having tea with her mom, Aunt Mamie, and Auntie Lynette, where they can watch the kangaroos graze and the emus beg for treats. This outfit is perfect for relaxing and includes:
A white tee with a graphic of Australian landmarks on the front
A light-purple twill vest that buttons in front and adds a little layer of warmth when the sun goes down
A long, woven wraparound tie-dyed skirt
A knotted headband with a multicolored print
A pair of light-purple fabric sandals she wears so she doesn’t have to worry about stepping on spiders
  Why, oh why, is there a toe separator on a pair of platform sandals that have an ankle strap? Why? Who designed this? I am offended to my very core. Probably because I saw the shoes and didn't realize they had this and thought "oh, those are so cute!" annnnd now I know that was a lie. Probably for the best as I do not like this outfit much. I might like it as separate pieces, but all together and my nose wrinkles in distaste. If not for the shoe issue and the price, I'd be inclined to grab it at some point. I do like the vest.

I must ask, in what world is that vest purple and not pink? I can kind of see trying to convince me the shoes are um... lavender? Lilac? But that vest is straight up pink.




Kira's Koala PJs // $24

Item#GVF46
Kira loves sharing her Comfy Platform Tent in the bush camp with Alexis, whose family lives at the Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary too. When they head to bed, she wears these PJs with pictures of one of her favorite Aussie animals. Her short-sleeved green knit pajama top has a fuzzy graphic koala on the front, and her jogger-style knit pants feature an allover koala print. Also includes fuzzy faux-fur koala slippers.
  FUCKING FINALLY. It has been AGES since I fell in proper love with AG PJs and I was beginning to think maybe it would never happen again but these are so damn cute I'm gonna die. Hell, they were probably what pushed me over the edge on wanting Kira in the first place. Like if this were her Meet look, I know there'd be tons of pushback but I'd have thrown my money at them so fast. SO FAST.
I love that the koala print on the tee is fuzzy and the color is just perfection on Kira. GIMME.





Kira's Koala // $25

Item#GVF50
This plush koala has gray fur and long white fur in its ears. Kira hopes that Bean, the joey she cares for in the animal sanctuary, will become a healthy adult koala like this one.
  It is a koala. It is cute. I don't think it's $25 worth of cute and I wish that part of the price was going towards charity, honestly. It's also backordered until January 22, in case you were interested.



Kira's Kangaroo and Joey // $30

Item#GVF49
This plush kangaroo has a pouch that holds a plush joey—another name for a baby kangaroo—just like the ones Kira helps care for at the animal sanctuary.
  I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, I tend to think that all of AG's animals are way overpriced. That said, I've heard from more than one person how unusual it is to get a mama kangaroo with a joey that's actually its own plush and not just either permanently stuck in the pouch or not fully crafted and really just meant to be in the pouch even if you technically can take it out. This joey is its own critter. Which kinda doesn't look like it really goes with mama there, but is still very cute.

Also also, when I was younger and possibly up until we moved out of my childhood home, there was a Kanga and Roo set I gather belonged to maybe my grandmother and I was fascinated by it. It lived in one of my grandfather's closets and I don't really recall whether I snuck in there to play with it because I wasn't supposed to or if it just never occurred to him that perhaps I'd actually want to play with it. In any case, Roo would come out and you could play with both and I loved it. So... this will likely join my assorted odd AG animal collection.




Kira's Wildlife Rescue Set // $50

Item#GVF48
Kira isn’t sure if she wants to be a veterinarian like Aunt Mamie or a scientist like Auntie Lynette. Either way, she knows she wants to spend time caring for and learning about animals. She’s ready to do just that with this set that includes:
A wagon Kira can pull around, with a rear gate that folds down to fit the animal carrier
An animal carrier that has a handle the doll can hold, and fits the wombat for transport or safekeeping
A plush wombat that fits inside the carrier
A pair of binoculars to search for birds like the Paradise Parrot, with hand straps so the doll can hold them
A patterned blanket that Kira can wrap around a frightened animal to comfort it
A walkie talkie with Kira’s name on the front so she can talk with the others when she’s out in the bush
A bandage to wrap around an animal’s leg if it’s injured
  Goddamn that wombat is adorable. Even cuter when I realized how ticked it looks due to the angle in its close-up. I don't really care too much about the rest of it but that wombat. *grabby hands* Extra points are awarded for this being relevant to her stories.




Kira's Animal Exam Table // $125

Item#GWY78
Kira’s Aunt Mamie is a veterinarian who runs the Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary. In her rescue clinic, she takes care of animals—including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, wombats, and birds—that are wounded, sick, or orphaned, in hopes that they can be released back into the wild. Kira helps in the clinic with this set that includes:

An animal exam table with a pretend computer, three drawers, a shelf that holds a blood pressure cuff, and two exam tools
A set of screens that fit into the computer monitor and trigger the screen to light up and to play more than 40 sound clips of animal care tips from Kira
A plush koala joey just like Bean, the orphaned one that Kira cares for
A scale that Kira can use to weigh the baby animals at the sanctuary
A stethoscope that fits around the doll’s neck to check for animal heartbeats
An otoscope to look in the animals’ ears
An ophthalmoscope Kira can use to examine the animals’ eyes
A basin with a sponge to give animals baths
A saline bottle used for cleaning animal wounds
A feeding bottle for hungry joeys
An elastic bandage that can wrap around the limb of an injured animal
Five pieces of gauze for minor animal wounds
A pair of scissors to cut the gauze
A blue syringe and a pink syringe for giving medicine
A tube of ointment to tend to cuts and scrapes in the sanctuary
A folder to keep track of papers during the exam
A striped clipboard that holds a set of papers and a faux pen to take notes
  Oh, AG. I want that baby koala. I do not want it enough to deal with a giant playset and I cannot fault them for bundling it this way. I was ready to call this a wee bit overpriced for AG, but I did see the animal care tips from Kira and that isn't enough to fully justify the price but it does make it a little less WTF. I'd still never be able to pay this much for it, but it's at least something of interest to highlight.
Truthfully, you could (can?) probably get a similar thing from OG or something for far cheaper, but as is, I think this looks like it'd be very playable for kids. Which is something I feel like they've been hit or miss with over the years, sadly. But this feels like as expensive as it is, if you gave it to someone who wanted to play, this would give them a way to play vet and not feel like they were missing all sorts of goodies. So this definitely falls in the "won't buy, but glad they made" category.




Kira's Comfy Platform Tent // $225

Item#GVF54
Kira and Alexis share the Wallaroo tent in the bush camp, which also has tents for Alexis’s parents and the researchers. The tents are elevated on platforms and have curtains for privacy—and to keep out critters. Kira’s tent includes:

A comfy camping tent structure with poles, connectors, and a canopy
A mosquito-net curtain set to keep out bugs
A mattress that goes right on the platform floor
A colorful woven blanket
A pink plush pillow for comfy sleeping
A cute throw pillow with a koala print on the front
A textured faux-fur seat cushion that can be used as an ottoman or an extra table
A vanity table with a speckled vessel sink and storage below for holding Kira’s toiletries
A mirror that hangs from the framework of the tent
A bottle of soap for washing up before meals
A can of dry shampoo so Kira can go longer between showers
Two blue towels that can be rolled up and stored in the vanity
A toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste
A container of bug spray
A box of tissues
A kids’ nature magazine with original stories and art inside
A reversible sign that says “G’Day!” on one side and “Welcome” on the other, that can hang from hooks on the platform’s front railing or on the pole at the peak of the tent
A printed poster with art that highlights the flowers of Australia and can be hung from the hooks on the clips that attach to the tent framework
A camera with a finger clip so she can hold it
A set of photos of Australian wildlife that Kira sees at the sanctuary
A clothespin photo hanger with three permanently attached clips with slots the photos slide into
A lantern that lights up the inside of the tent and flickers just like a real lantern—it’s designed to hang on the pole at the tent’s peak
  People were worried this was basically a recolor version of one of the other AG playsets, however it's apparently larger since the set they thought it initially was is too small for an 18inch doll to stand in and Alexis has been shown to stand in it at some point. So they learned from that mistake. Honestly, this feels like a good way to get your AG dollhouse fix without having to commit to the absolute monster that is an actual dollhouse for this scale. However, sweet baby Jesus, that price tag. And then the video ends basically with a "23 pieces!" thing like 23 pieces is somehow a lot?

Basically this is not for me, but I would love to play with it or see it in person.

Ultimately, I think Kira would have appealed to me as a kid, but as an adult I'm a bit pickier. I love the doll, though I do agree with people who say she doesn't truly standout if you put her in the lineup with the historicals and 'current' GOTYs like AG has been doing. But she does stand out in the GOTY lineup, blonde or not, and the stuff I like, I love. Hell, I like most of her stuff, it's just a lack of money and space.