Una doll was designed by Yukiyo Shoji from Sapporo, Japan. She was a personal artistic project she pursued without the aid of an established toy company. Production was difficult, expensive and extremely time consuming, causing constant delays in the release date. Una finally hit the market in 2003 and was welcomed with great enthusiasm leading to an ever growing loving fanbase.

5 different dolls exist, Una, Huna, Cuna, Suna, Duna, with variations in hairstyle or haircolour. Every time there is a new run of dolls, the outfit is made in different fabrics. Yukiyo chooses lots of tweeds, wools and generally natural coarse looking fibres, along with fake fur, and the odd shiny fabric, making for a very original and unique wardrobe.

Somewhere along the way an Una friend of smaller size was going to be made, and and images of the prototype were published, however the doll was never actually produced. Instead, Yukiyo focused on a ball jointed resin doll named "Lino". At this point no no more new Una designs are being produced but the existing dolls are still being made to satisfy the growing demand.

I love Una because she is trully a special and original doll. The complete lack of any facial paint alone is very unusual, and allows the excellent sculpt to work on its own. She has a gentle smile and tilted sleep eyes that give her a distinctively asian look. She looks like she's always calmly observing and enjoying life.

The official Una website: www.unaweek.com
The official Lino website: www.linohouse.com

Una
4th Jan 2003
Huna
30th July 2003
Cuna
26th Dec. 2003
Una*long
4th Feb. 2004
Huna*long
4th March 2004

Suna
November 2004
Duna
December 2004
(blue eyes)
Duna
December 2004
(blue eyes)
Duna
(?) 2005
(brown eyes)
Duna
(?) 2005
(brown eyes)


A few years ago I was delighted to receive two production sample Unas from Yukiyo as a present. They even came in boxes wearing the fashions we'd seen in the very early pictures.

   
Notes
1st failed Una
Corrected but not acceptable
Final perfected Una
There's obviously something wrong with the first Una, head is all crooked, the lips and nose are totally off. One eye is higher than the other. Obviously a very bad mold.

The second Una is the doll from the very early Un photostories, fore example the laundromat or chinese restaurant. Her serious expression is very distinctive.
The first one had protruding lips.
First Una has very low quality thick hair, a strawberry blonde shade. Second Una has really nice, fine soft hair in a pretty brown shade. Final Una became more of a redhead.

Also, final Una has bluntly cut bangs - the first two had feathered ones.
Rooting patterns don't really differ, but the final is the most well made.
First two Una featured an exact copy of the Licca body, shiny and squeeky. Final Una has a great body with wonderful skintone, matte skin and flat feet.
Unbelievable but true, an Una clone exists. She has showed up in chinese markets in Spain, so she it's quite obvious what's going on. I believe one of the factories Yukiyo turned down while researching went on to use the failed facemold to create a cheap doll. Her name is "Deca" and she's 12 inches tall. She looks ever worse than the failed Una above, has blond hair, dark blue eyes, eyebrows and bright makeup.