Small yet detailed — Plushie of Animal Crossing’s reliable puppy secretary Isabelle

Isabelle is one of the most recognizable characters of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing series — her role has changed from game to game, but her hardworking personality and cuteness stay the same. The plushie I’ll be reviewing here is based on the Animal Crossing: New Leaf version of Isabelle, or more specifically the summer version, since she changes her outfit along with the seasons of the game.

The plushie cannot stand on its own: its legs are small and situated to the front of the lower body in order for the plushie to be sitting down. Despite the head being large in comparison to the body, the plushie can sit nicely when its back is set against a wall.

The quality of the plushie is great, especially considering how well its details are executed within the limits of its small size. Creating specific shapes with fabric can be difficult, which is why I appreciate the detail put into Isabelle’s head, ears and “hair”: the shapes are easily recognizable to be Isabelle’s head from their silhouette. The fabrics used on the body are soft and their colors are accurate to the in-game Isabelle: the slight difference in the shades of yellow on her ears and feet gives her more depth. The face is also fantastic quality: the embroidered eyes, cheeks, nose and mouth perfectly replicate the game character’s kind expression.

My favorite detail of the plushie, apart from its overall quality, is the pair of small bells attached to her ponytail — the bells jingle whenever I move her around. This detail gives the plushie an extra touch of life, since the in-game Isabelle has two bells in her hair that always jingle as she walks. Her name is a pun derived from the in-game currency “bells”, and her head is shaped like a bag of said currency. Thus “Is-a-bell” jingles like a bag of coins.

The only thing I’d change would be the plushie’s clothes. Their quality isn’t on the same level as the body, since they’re made of felt and these plastic-ish details, but it’s also to be expected from an otherwise detailed plushie at this price-point (less than 30€). Quality plushies require a lot of work in designing and the pricing of quality fabrics is high. This specific plushie is also meant to be suitable for children’s play, so it’s not necessarily meant for adult collectors like yours truly.